Keep Calm and Read On: Bingeable Books

Keep Calm & Read On:  Bingeable Books

"Reading gives us someplace to go when we have to stay where we are." -- Mason Cooley.

As we are all staying home and practicing social distancing, there is no better way to take a break than by reading and disappearing into a story. We have to stay where we are to protect ourselves and others right now, but there are so many wonderful places we can go in books. One of our favorite things to do is to explore books that create a whole world for us to visit over and over again. Some of our favorite books are books that are part of a series which means we can go on exploring those worlds over and over. You can't read just one!

In this special series, our librarians introduce you to some of their favorite series that keep them reading long into the night. Our first series is the Ruth Galloway Mysteries by Elly Griffiths:

The premise of the series is that some bones are discovered and are either very old or suspected to be very old, and the main character is called upon to investigate the bones.  Ruth Galloway is a forensic archeologist at North Norfolk University. Ruth's reputation as an archeologist and expert on bones grows as the series goes on. Along with the investigation comes the contemporary crime plot that somehow relates to the bones. Detective Inspector Harry Nelson is often the character who investigates each case along with Ruth. He's an old school "copper," who is suspicious about, well, everything. The stories are set in and around Kings Lynn in Norfolk, England. This small town harbors a lot of criminals! Ruth lives in an isolated cottage on the coast of the North Sea, with many of the early stories occurring within the cottage itself.

One of the best things about the series is the development of characters and how they grow over time.  I love the characters; they are diverse and quirky. The stories move at the steady pace of a good police procedural with time to delve deeper into the lives of those who live and work with Harry and Ruth. The recurring characters who populate the private and public lives of Harry and Ruth allows Griffiths to explore various aspects of life, especially the idea of what constitutes family. Each book in the series develops and changes the characters idea of family.

The first book is The Crossing Places published in 2009. You can start the series anywhere.  I started somewhere at third or fourth book. I found I enjoyed them so much I went back to the first book and now I just finished the tenth in the series.  There are several books available in Libby, Poplar Creek Library's app for reading ebooks and eaudiobooks. Visit our website at www.pclib.org or download the Libby App to start reading! Don't forget your library card!

Series Recommended by:

Michaelle S.

Popular Materials Asst.