Looking for a book to read? Check out these recommendations from 2 Baton Rouge librarians

BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Looking for a good book to read? Two Baton Rouge library employees have some book recommendations for you to check out the next time you have some free time.

Thomas Halligan has been a librarian for over 22 years and currently works at the Main Library at Goodwood.

Ryan Carter has worked in the East Baton Rouge library system for 19 years. Carter has held several titles and has been a librarian since 2018 and a Librarian II at the River Center Branch since 2022.

Carter said teenagers love to read manga right now. According to Brittanica , “manga is a style of books and graphic novels that was developed and popularized in Japan.”

He also mentioned that dystopian and fantasy series have remained favorites for teenagers over the last few years. According to Carter, classics, like the Harry Potter series, are still popular among that age group.

“While these titles seem eternally popular, I do try to get teens to branch out and try reading things, so a few of the titles I recommended will hopefully be new to them,” said Carter.

Check out these books that were recommended by Halligan, along with their descriptions.

• “Prayer by Beginners” by Peter Kreeft
  • The author “takes simple truths that Christians have known for much of their lives and allows the Holy Spirit, in his writings, to breathe life into them,” said Halligan.
• “Just Tell Me I Can’t: How Jamie Moyer Defied the Radar Gun and Defeated Time” by Jamie Moyer and Larry Platt
  • This book tells the story of a person who is open to finding a new part of himself each day. Moyer also showcases how pitchers can succeed if they command their pitches, even in a new age, when most are throwing over 90 mph.
• “When a Nation Forgets God: 7 Lessons We Must Learn from Nazi Germany” by Erwin Lutzer
  • According to Halligan, Lutzer “goes to considerable pains to emphasize the graveness of the comparison that he is making between the two countries,” which are the United States and Nazi, Germany.
• “Our Lost Constitution: The Willful Subversion of America’s Founding Document” by U.S. Sen. Mike Lee
  • Halligan stated that in this novel, “Senator Lee does a good job of making a potential source of boredom into, at times, a page turner.”
• “Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President” by Candice Millard
  • This book showcases the real-life story of President James A. Garfield. The author argues that Garfield would have trusted his wife as much as his own doctor, according to Halligan.
• “Trusting Calvin: How a Dog Helped Heal a Holocaust Survivor’s Heart” by Sharon Peters
  • In this novel, a Jew who survived Nazi Germany was struck blind during the war. According to Halligan, the story focuses on Max Edelman’s journey and how he opens himself up to a “seeing-eye dog named Calvin that was specially chosen for him.”
• “Rich Mullins: An Arrow Pointing to Heaven” by James Bryan Smith
  • Halligan states that “James Bryan (Jim) Smith does an excellent job in staying true to Mullin’s journey and lessons learned along the way; his book is filled with direct quotes from Mullins’ equally provocative and reflective writings.”

Check out these books that were recommended by Carter, along with their descriptions.

• “The Lightning Thief” by Rick Riordan
  • In this novel, Percy Jackson find out he is a demigod, and he must go on a grand adventure to prevent war between the gods of Olympus, according to Carter.
• “The Buried and the Bound” by Rochelle Hassan
  • Carter said this one is “a funny and scary take on witches and the three teens at the heart of the story provide excellent character development.”
• “One Piece” by Eiichiro Oda
  • “One Piece” tells the story of Luffy and his band of misfits as they set sail on an adventure to become the greatest pirate crew in the world, according to Carter.
• “The Messenger: The Legend of Muhammad Ali” by Marc Bernardin
  • Carter states the book “is a great read for any teen who loves sports and who also is interested in the civil rights movement and the war in Vietnam.”
• “Clown in a Cornfield” by Adam Cesare
  • According to Carter, “Clown in a Cornfield” is a very fun read, and it is good at “poking fun of small-town America.”
• “Steelheart” by Brandon Sanderson
  • Carter said, “in this series, people get superpowers, but instead of using them for good, these individuals become tyrants.”

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