A few days ago I was driving to work and heard Seattle librarian Nancy Pearl on the radio with another set of “under-the-radar” books — titles you really, really should be reading but haven’t (yet). The latest batch features the story of three royal cousins, tales of wild animal adventures and a pun-filled picture book for younger readers.
One statement that particularly resonated with me was her reminder that people should walk the stacks every now and then. That is how you find these gems. Looking for a particular book? Wasn’t what you expected? Perhaps the one next to it is interesting…. Here she is featured on NPR. Each one looks like a treasure!
You can also view Pearl’s Picks on The Seattle Public Library website at http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_readinglists_pearl
I agree, walking the stacks is a great way to find books you might not find otherwise. Sometimes, getting the chance to see, smell and feel a book is better than an online browse.