Book Buzz

Episode 139 - Air date: Feb. 1, 2026

JESSICA:

Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.

Today’s two reading recommendations will introduce you to handpicked favorites that have captured the hearts and minds of our staff. We’ll give you the inside scoop on titles you may not have heard about.

First, we’re going to hear from Collection Development Librarian Bridget, for a story about managing the complexities of family life. Go ahead, Bridget

BRIDGET:

Sammie Lucas is scared of her son. Sure, first-time parents are often nervous, but her young son Samson’s sullen and distant behavior sets her and others ill at ease. Combined with a successful but absent wife and a work from home job, Sammie’s life is a tense and unfulfilling suburban nightmare, disconnected from the outside world.

“With Teeth” by Kristen Arnett is a thoughtful book, asking what does desire look like when your body doesn’t feel like your own anymore? What does motherhood mean as you get older? And what do you do when the kid you put so much energy into is kind of awful?

I love “With Teeth.” I’ve read it twice now and it hasn’t gotten old. In particular, Sammie and Monica’s relationship makes me feel like hornets are buzzing inside my brain in a way that no other book has. The incredibly grounded dissatisfaction and misplaced nostalgia present in their marriage made me put down the book more than once to go have a frustrated shout in my yard. But when the world has become unfamiliar, why not cling to what you know? Stubbornness and affection are at the heart of this book, even as the latter changes and rots. “With Teeth” is great if you like books about toxic relationships, unsettling children, or terrible decision-making.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Bridget! I’ve heard this book has some hilarious moments amidst the chaos.

Next, let’s dive into the New York theater world with Rebekah, library associate at the Camano Island Library. Take it away, Rebekah.

REBEKAH:

Love a good, meaty historical fiction with flawed but beautiful characters and settings that are so wonderfully written, you can feel yourself being swept easily away to a completely different time and place? If so, “City of Girls” by Elizabeth Gilbert might be the perfect read for you!

The story kicks off as our elderly narrator Vivian looks back on her long and storied life. She starts things off in the early 1940s when she is a young college student from an affluent family. Frustrated with her lack of scholastic achievement, her parents send her off to live with her eccentric Aunt Peg. Peg owns and operates a run-down theater in New York City and young Vivian quickly makes friends that her parents surely wouldn’t approve of as she continues to love the boisterous city and a more unconventional lifestyle. As her story continues, Vivian recalls the horror and loss of war, looks back fondly at the non-traditional family and career she created and reflects with aching tenderness on her one great love.

I savored this book which, at its core, is a story of a woman spurring societal norms, living her life on her own terms, and having a lovely time along the way. Readers familiar with Gilbert’s writing will not be surprised to know that this book manages to be funny, tragic, poignant, and wise all at once.

JESSICA:

Thanks, Rebekah! This is another example of Gilbert’s expert ability to write compelling female characters.

Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.

Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.

Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.