Patch Picks: Local Librarians' Choices

Welcome back to Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off, and more.

You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids party places, parks and more.

This week, we're highlighting local librians' choices for best new reads, according to Free Library of Northampton Reference Librarian Matt Willbergh.

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Packing for Mars: This nonfiction work by Mary Roach was released last August and is already making waves. With all the high-tech science and research surrounding making a trip to Mars, Roach focuses on the most basic human needs and humorously takes the reader through the intricacies of space travel.

Unbroken: Set in World War II, this is the true story about a veteran who survived some unbelievable events. Author Laura Hillenbrand, who also wrote Seabiscuit, tells Louie Zamperini's tale of courage and strife. 

The Wise Man's Fear: This brand-new fantasy piece is the second in a trology that's created a lot of buzz. Just released on March 1, Patrick Rofhfuss's work has already developed what Amazon calls a "cult following."

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest: The third in an already globally famous series, this Stieg Larsson novel is the final book of the series. With the same fascinating characters and plot twists as the first two, it keeps readers enthralled and is already a very popular read.

Swamplandia!: This quirky read by Karen Russell features a family who runs an alligator wrestling farm in southwest Florida and the adventures of the daughter, Ava Bigtree. In her debut novel, Russell creates a world that is unforgettable and "quirky," according to Amazon.