Patch Picks: Five Recommended Reads

Seasoned veteran librarians Jean Ellingson and Jill Merts have worked in the Great River Regional Library system for a combined total of 15 years.

Jean has spent the entirety of her career working in St. Michael while Jill has held posts at a number of the 32 different libraries within the network. 

So when St. Michael Patch sought some advice on the top five books to read and recommend, it was only natural that Ellingson and Merts were first on its list of contacts.

The librarians diligently searched their databases to confirm which books they thought were the most popular reads in the St. Michael-Albertville community. To their chagrin they simply could not narrow the list to five books.

So, without further adieu, and in no particular order, here are the top six books your neighbors, children, friends and family are reading right now.

1. Tick Tock 

Author: James Patterson

Audience: Adults (fiction)

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "James Patterson is a very well-known and prolific writer. Much of his work deals with mystery, murder and intrigue. He has a long history with one particular character named Alex Cross but this book features one of his new characters."

2. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Author: Stieg Larsson

Audience: Adults (fiction)

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "Larsson's novels are maybe our most popular books right now. Between this one and (The Girl Who Played With Fire and The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo) hundreds of people have lined up to read the entire series."

3. Room: A Novel

Author: Emma Donoghue

Audience: Adults (psychological thriller)

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "This book was turned into a play not too long ago. It is an eerie book about a boy and his mother living in a single room. It's a bit bizarre." 

4. The Hunger Games (trilogy)

Author: Suzanne Collins

Audience: Young adults

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "This is actually a series of three books. They fly out of here. As soon as they come in, they're gone again. It is a combination of post-Apocalyptic fantasy and Harry Potter. All the kids are reading these books. They're planning to make a movie out of the first one."

5. Diary of a Wimpy Kid 

Author: Jeff Kinney

Audience: Young adults

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "This is an older series but it is still very popular with young readers. This is another set of books that walk out the doors as soon as they come in."

6. American Assassin: A Thriller 

Author: Vince Flynn

Audience: Adults (fiction)

Ellingson/Merts Argument: "This is Flynn's latest book. It goes back to tell the story of how Mitch Rapp became Mitch Rapp. It's different from the others but it is still super popular with everyone."

Ellingson and Merts reminded library visitors that the popularity of these books means that most of them have waiting lists more than one hundred people long. But they were also quick to point out that with 32 libraries in the system, interested readers should have little trouble reserving one of them. 

Happy reading!