Books and Movies to Try!

Library Director, Dianna Whiteman

Favorite books I read as a kid:

My favorite books were: Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare and Scruffy by Jack Stoneley. I was always random about what books I would read, but I still have both of these books since I was a kid. They have moved everywhere with me!

Favorite types of books I like to read now:

The type(s) of book I like to read now: mystery, crime, funny romance, dystopian future, whatever sounds good

Favorite books now/recent reads:

I recently read the first two books in the Netflix Bridgerton series. Like all books to screen, they were slightly different but worth reading if you like the series.

My Favorite Movies:

My favorite movies/shows include: Weekend at Bernie’s, The Lost Boys, The Ghost and Mr. Chicken, Action Adventures – The Adventures in Babysitting is a must-see!

Board Member, Kristen McReynolds

Favorite books I read as a kid:

My favorite books were: the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Chronicles of Narnia, Fahrenheit 451, Martian Chronicles, Watership Down, Lord of the Flies and To Kill a Mockingbird. These were my favorites because I could totally immerse myself in another world/reality. They made me think about things from another perspective.

Favorite types of books I like to read now:

The type(s) of book I like to read now: historical mystery stories, fantasy

Favorite books now:

My favorite books now are anything written by Terry Pratchett, and old mystery stories by Dorothy Sayers and Margaret Atwood.

My Favorite Movies:

My favorite movies include: Triplets of Belleville, The Trouble with Harry, Satellite Girl and Milk Cow, Going Postal, Porco Rosso, and After the Fox

Board Member, Lulita Hopkins

Favorite books I read as a kid:

My favorite books were: Where the Wild Things Are, Nancy Drew Mysteries, Diary of Anne Frank, Gone With the Wind (6th grade), In Cold Blood (8th grade), and Dr. Zhivago (9th grade). These were my favorite books because of the adventure and mystery.

Favorite types of books I like to read now:

The type(s) of book I like to read now: Stephen King, Edgar Allen Poe

Favorite books now:

My favorite books now are by Stephen King or are Southern historical fiction like Savannah by Eugenia Price. They are my favorites because of the mystery and historical view points experienced.

My Favorite Movies:

I don’t really go to the movies now.

Board Member, Monica Rupp

Favorite books I read as a kid:

Since I was crazy about horses, my absolute favorite books as a kid were The Black Stallion books. I read all of them and wrote to Walter Farley in grade school. I received an autographed picture of him on his horse! I loved reading about the adventures and the bond that Alec and The Black Stallion had. I also really liked the Nate the Great stories since I’ve always liked mysteries. A last favorite of mine from when I was a kid was the Choose Your Own Adventure series. Being able to control (or try to control) what happened to you in a story was exciting and fun. Even now all of these books are still books I love.

Favorite types of books I like to read now:

The type(s) of book I read most is adventure and/or suspense (especially military) except when reading to nieces and nephews – then it would be animal stories!

Favorite books now:

Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand – one of my absolute favorites of all time! I love it since it is about choices, consequences, and relationships. I NEVER thought I would like this type of book, but it was suggested to me and I took a chance. It was amazing!

One Second After (series) – William Forstchen – very thought provoking and suspensful series about what would happen if we had an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) strike.

The 5th Wave (series) – Good alien story where it turns out humans can also be unknowingly used against themselves.

The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks) – I almost never read romance type books, but I have read this one and absolutely loved it. Relationships like the one in this book are rare. The ending is sad but good.

The Limit – Kristen Landon – This is a really good thought provoking book. It deals with the government giving families credit limits and the consequences that occur when the family spends more than their credit limit.

Daniel Suarez books – Dameon, Freedom, Kill Decision,Influx, Delta-V – super books about possible problems AI intelligence, coding, and space travel could make in our lives – All his books are super!

Hank the Cowdog – I never knew about these books until I was an adult. I probably read EVERY horse and dog book in our public and school library, but missed out on these! I LOVE reading these or listening to them on audiobook in the car on trips. They are definitely written for kids, but they are so entertaining that I still enjoy them.

Most of my favorite books (other than those above) are written by David Baldacci, Andrews and Wilson, Mark Greaney, Tom Clancy, and Vince Flynn. These are mostly military related and/or action/adventure and I read every one of them I can get my hands on!

My Favorite Movies:

As a kid, I loved Ghostbusters, ET (the alien that loved Reece’s Pieces), and Adventures in Babysitting (still LOVE this movie!)

Now, my favorites are How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days (super funny), McFarland USA (SUPER, SUPER uplifting and inspirational), American Sniper (military action, SAD), She’s the Man (funny movie about high school female soccer player), Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken (Inspirational), The Prince and Me, Pretty Woman, GI Jane, 12 Strong, and the old Beverly Hillbillies shows!