Employee Recommendations

Favorite Books

The Buffalo Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones, The Very Definition of Love by Sophia Benoit, The Poet Empress by Shen Tao, Canticle by Janet Rich Edwards.

-Kalie K.

Undaunted Courage by Stephen E. Ambrose, which is a detailed account of the Lewis and Clark exploration. Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer, which tells the story of the 1996 Mount Everest disaster that killed many climbers. The Alienist by Caleb Carr, which is about one of the first psychologist profilers searching for a serial killer. 

-Ben L.

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson, was so good, it sent me down the rabbit hole of World’s Fair history - especially the 1893 Chicago World's Fair (at one point I had unused tickets).

-Mark L.

The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews, The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews, The Angel Inside by Chris Widener.

-Beth T.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, Kirsten Miller, All the Colors of the Dark, Chris Whitaker, The Blanket Cats, Kiyoshi Shigematsu, The Invention of Wings, Sue Monk Kidd, The Girl I Was, Jeneva Rose, Strang Pictures, Uketsu (Mystery/Horror), Atmosphere, Taylor Jenkins Reid ((ending made me ugly cry)), Tailspin, John Armbruster (Wisconsin Author)

-Kayla

Lessons in Chemistry, Code Name Helene

-Kris F.

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Best Twist EVER!) The Nightingale and The Great Alone, both by Kristen Hannah, and The Silent Patient, by  Alex Michaelides (love anything set in a mental institution)

-Nicole C.

Right now, I'm hooked on the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. I'm in book two, Carl's Doomsday Scenario, and loving it. It reads like The Running Man by Stephen King crossed with Dungeons & Dragons, which are two things I already love, so it's right in my wheelhouse. Another recent favorite is Zero Days by Ruth Ware. An all-time favorite is Midnight by Dean Koontz.

-Brandon P.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

-Dirk G.

Favorite Genre

Historical Fiction / Horror. In modern times, seeing a ghost would be scary. Just imagine how scary it would be to deal with a ghost when you don’t even have electricity!

-Kalie K.

Lessons in Chemistry, Code Name Helene

-Kris F.

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Best Twist EVER!) The Nightingale and The Great Alone, both by Kristen Hannah, and The Silent Patient, by  Alex Michaelides (love anything set in a mental institution)

-Nicole C.

Right now, I'm hooked on the Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman. I'm in book two, Carl's Doomsday Scenario, and loving it. It reads like The Running Man by Stephen King crossed with Dungeons & Dragons, which are two things I already love, so it's right in my wheelhouse. Another recent favorite is Zero Days by Ruth Ware. An all-time favorite is Midnight by Dean Koontz.

-Brandon P.

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

-Dirk G.

My favorite genre is Non-fiction. I love reading books about real events and real people because I find that what happens in real life can be far more unbelievable than what happens in novels or fantasies. People are so much more resilient, inventive, loving and hating, exciting, scary, and moving than could be imagined, and books that tell real stories convey those things. 

-Ben L.

-Anything that can hook me in the first 50 pages or I'm done.

Mark L.

-I enjoy Self-help, Fiction, and reference books on antique horse-drawn farm equipment/antique vehicles (I enjoy the hand-drawn ads). When I do genealogy, I refer to a lot of county genealogy reference books.

Beth T.

-Oh gosh, I love a good book! When I first dipped my toes in the literary world, I started with books that were easy to get into and had fun twists. Authors such as Colleen Hoover, Freida McFadden, and Taylor Jenkins Reid were my favorites. In 2024, I read 77 books. In 2025, I read 154 books. So far in 2026, I’ve read 67 books (insert happy-cry emoji here) lol.

Kayla

-I read across a few genres, but I keep coming back to mystery, horror, and science fiction. I'm especially hooked when a book is futuristic or deals with science and technology, which probably isn't a surprise given my day job.

Brandon P.

-I LOVE Thrillers, especially those set in psych wards/hospitals, cabins in the woods, remote destinations, etc. You can also find an occasional Historical Fiction book and Self-Help book in my Goodreads tracker.

Nicole C.

-I enjoy books about the military and wartime experiences, and high-stakes intrigue. I also enjoy books about business and leadership.

Dirk G.

Favorite Place to Read

-In bed, right up until I can’t hold my eyes open long enough to finish the page.

Kalie K.

-On vacation at the beach or by the pool

Mark L.

-Most of the time I listen to books so I can do something else at the same time.

Beth T.

-I enjoy audiobooks because I commute around 40 minutes to work, giving me ample time to enjoy book. 

Kayla

-I read every night before bed as my wind-down, and I try to sneak in reading time when I'm traveling and on weekend mornings.

Brandon P.

-Snuggled up on the couch, in bed, on long car or plane trips, in waiting rooms, on lunch breaks, and soon, a brand-new deck with a cozy egg chair I just purchased.

Nicole C.

Favorite Way to Read: Physical Book, Digital Book, Audiobook

-I got a subscription with Aardvark Book Club and get a few books a month for a good price.

Kalie K.

-Physical only; is there another way?

Mark L.

-If it’s a book that is all words, I listen to it. If they are antique horse-drawn farm equipment, on my computer, because that’s where the PDFs I download are located.

Beth T.

-I utilize Libby – I’ve linked my library card to the app and have access to a variety of e-books and audiobooks. Libby allows me to place holds on books if they aren’t yet available.

Kayla

-I love reading but it has to be a physical book and I only get books from the library. I hate wasting money on buying books because I don’t like to read anything twice.

Tammy L.

-Kindle Unlimited

Kris F.

-I generally prefer physical books, but I'll read digital too depending on availability, price, and where I am. Sometimes I even own both copies of a book so I can pick up wherever I am.

Brandon P.

-Phone & Tablet. I want to read on the go without having a physical book. I use the Kindle app on my phone & tablet.

Nicole C.

Buy or Borrow a Book

-I enjoy having physical copies so I can lend them out.

Kalie K.

-Buy or receive as a gift; love a good deal on a book at Half Price Books or a thrift store.

Mark L.

-Do you know about Libby? Anyone with a library card from a participating library can create a free account at libbyapp.com and check out e-books, magazines, and audiobooks for free - right from the app! 

Carly P.

-I go to the library or online.

Beth T.

-I'm mostly a book buyer. I'd use my local library more, but it's being completely rebuilt right now (I'm genuinely excited for it). In the meantime, I've been using the Libby app to borrow digital books from the library.

Brandon P.

-Buy ALL THE TIME. I am not patient enough to wait for books at the library. I have tried. I try to look for deals on Amazon, but if it looks good, as a fellow writer, I’ll spend the money to support the author.

Nicole C.

Favorite Childhood Book

The Warrior Cats series.

-Kalie K.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls & Kick the Can by Jim Lehrer.

-Mark L.

It’s hard to narrow it down to one. Miss Suzy by Miriam Young, and most of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books.  

-Beth T.

I will say that my favorite books to read when I was younger were the Little House on the Prairie series. Those are probably the only books that I read more than once.

-Tammy L.

As a kid, I read a ton of Scholastic books and worked my way through the Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine. Those got me started, and as I got older I moved into mystery, horror, and sci-fi.

-Brandon P.

Trapped! By Arthur J. Roth. About a teenager who hit the brakes to avoid hitting a deer and was trapped in his car. He survived for weeks by getting water from a nearby stream and picking berries, all in proximity to his car, because he was literally trapped inside the car.

-Nicole C.

Favorite Author

Can’t say I have a favorite. I don’t really seek out books by a particular author, and a lot of my recent favorites have been debut novels. Canticle was so beautifully written that I may seek Janet Edwards’ books in the future.

-Kalie K.

Andrew Vachss, John Sanford, Michael Connelly, William Kent Krueger, Russell Banks, and Tom Clancy.

-Mark L.

Andy Andrews, Chris Widener, John C. Maxwell, and Laura Ingalls Wilder

-Beth T.

Harlan Coben, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, Richard Patterson, Janet Evanovich, Jodi Picoult, Emily Henry, and Carly Fortune

-Tammy L.

Vince Flynn

-Kris F.

Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Michael Crichton, and Stephen King.

-Brandon P.

Freida McFadden (Sara Kohen), Alice Feeney, Kristin Hannah. I don’t seek out authors; I like to find new authors based on themes, i.e. Christmas Thillers at Christmas time (or other holidays), retreat or resort thrillers if I am going on vacation, or crafting retreats.

-Nicole C.

Favorite Book Tracker

Goodreads

-Kalie K.

Nope, just a bookshelf of awesomeness.

-Mark L.

Sometimes, on a spreadsheet.

-Beth T.

I use Goodreads to both track my books and get suggestions based on what my friends and family have read. Goodreads offers fun challenges throughout the year to earn “bookmark achievements,”; my competitive nature thrives on fulfilling all the challenges before the deadline. 

-Kayla

Yes, in two ways. My fiancée gave me a cool physical book counter that works like a little scoreboard; it’s a retro TV with number blocks you slide in manually, and I love using it. I also use Goodreads to rate books and check ratings before I dive in.

-Brandon P.

Goodreads. Heaven forbid I reread something. Give me ALL the new stories!

-Nicole C.

Thoughts On Rereading Books

I can’t say I have reread a book, although I could definitely see myself rereading The Buffalo Hunter. The book itself was fantastic; however, it took some time for me to familiarize myself with some of the Native American Terms used throughout the book.

-Kalie K.

The Monster at the end of this Book - Sesame Street, always fun to read with a kid. Cars & Trucks & Things That Go- by Richard Scarry.

-Mark L.

It’s a toss-up between The Traveler’s Gift by Andy Andrews and The Heart Mender by Andy Andrews.

-Beth T.

Midnight by Dean Koontz. It was one of the first books that really got me hooked and made me want to read. I literally couldn't put it down because I had to know what happened next.

-Brandon P.

I don’t typically reread, but if I had to choose, it would likely be The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah or The Plot by Jean Hanff Korelitz.

-Nicole C.