It wasn’t hard to spot a trend for readers in 2025. It seems every book club in North America will be reading “Horse’’ by Geraldine Brooks.
At home, my editor was busy collecting photographs, planning questions, and searching online for Kentucky Derby Pie recipes ahead of hosting her book club friends to discuss “Horse.’’ She was intrigued because her father’s college friend, painter James L. Crow, often painted pictures of Kentucky racehorses during his lifetime.
Sandy Kelly of Morristown, retired OFA business teacher, said a friend recommended the historical fiction novel and she just finished reading it. She intends to schedule it for the May meeting of the Morristown Book Club.
You can be sure that most libraries have a waiting list for the book. I checked my library system and found only two of 41 copies were not checked out.
Brooks, a 2005 Pulitzer Prize winner for “March,’’ has generated a devoted readership for “Horse’’ by weaving three tales that revolve around one of America’s greatest racehorses, Lexington. She introduces the bond between horse and groom in the 1850s in Kentucky, incorporates the obsession of a gallery owner in New York City in 1954, and blends the romantic tale of a couple in Washington, D.C., in 2019. Brooks weaves everything together through a discarded painting, a skeleton in a Smithsonian attic, and the nation’s regrettable history of racism and injustice.
Local librarians offered their recommendations for 2025:
OGDENSBURG
Penny Kerfien, executive director of the Ogdensburg Public Library for 10-plus years, agreed that “Horse’’ has been a popular choice for several local book clubs. She touted several titles too:
Children’s titles:
“5 Worlds Book 1: The Sand Warrior” by Mark and Alexis Siegel – In this graphic novel, the Five Worlds are on the brink of extinction unless five ancient and mysterious beacons are lit.
Young Adult titles:
“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery – It’s a classic; the tale about a spirited and unconventional orphan girl who finds a home with elderly siblings.
Adult Fiction titles:
“Capture and Kill (Mitch Rapp #23)’’ by Vince Flynn – He faces an Iranian foe bent on destabilizing the Middle East.
Kerfien related that Romance, Amish and Sci-Fi titles have been popular with readers.
HEUVELTON
Jacki Havens has worked as the Heuvelton Central School school librarian for about a year, and worked part-time at the Heuvelton Free Library for about four years.
“One thing I have noticed is that someone will read a book and recommend it to a friend, and they will then recommend it, creating a snowball effect,’’ she said.
“Recently, social media has played a large role in which books are in demand for teens and adults. Booktok has greatly impacted which books are in demand.’’
Booktok is an online community of readers who post videos that discuss and review titles. Among young readers, Booktok has had a significant impact on sales and selections.
Here are Havens’ suggestions:
Fiction:
“Onyx Storm’’ by Rebecca Yarros – An adventure fantasy in the realm of a military college for dragon riders.
“My Friends’’ by Fredrik Backman – An aspiring artist discovers a painting and explores the friendship of the teen-agers depicted.
“Scythe and Sparrow ‘’by Brynne Weaver – A doctor trying to flee a broken heart lets a motorcycle performer, target of a failed murder attempt, move into his home.
“Oathbound’’ by Tracy Deonn – Bree Matthews holds magical powers and goes into exile to protect herself and her loved ones.
“Famous Last Words’’ by Gillian McAllister – A wife and mother tries to understand how her husband could become the gunman in a hostage situation.
Nonfiction:
“Mark Twain’’ by Ron Chernow – An examination of the life and talent of the notable author.
“Barbieland: The Unauthorized History” by Tarpley Hitt – An examination of feminism and capitalism based on Mattel’s doll.
“Dear Miss Perkins’’ by Rebecca Brenner Graham – Frances Perkins, secretary of Labor and New Deal architect, helps Jewish refugees flee Nazi Germany despite anti-Semitism and restrictive immigration laws.
Children’s titles:
“I Survived,’’ a series by Lauren Tarshis – Children tell stories about surviving historical events such as the sinking of the Titanic or Battle of Gettysburg.
“Dogman’’ by Dav Pilkey — Graphic novels about a dog that becomes a police officer.
Books by Jake Maddox – Stories about kids in sports and adventures are popular with third- and fourth-graders.
Young Adult:
“The Inheritance Games’’ series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – Teen-ager Avery Kylie Grambs can earn a large inheritance if she moves to a house and solves several riddles and puzzles.
Adult novels:
“The Frozen River’’ by Ariel Lawhon — A midwife knows what happens behind the scenes in a small town but, when a man is found dead in the river, she investigates on her own.
“The God of the Woods’’ by Liz Moore – A girls goes missing from summer camp 14 years after her brother disappeared in the same area.
“Demon Copperhead’’ by Barbara Kingsolver – Demon grows up in the Appalachian mountains, an area ripe with poverty and substance abuse, but retains his dream of becoming a football star.
MORRISTOWN
Janet Young recently succeeded Bridget Whalen-Nevin as librarian after three months of training at the Morristown Public Library. She said her patrons treasure action and thriller novels.
She expects two books with upcoming releases to be highly sought:
“Exit Strategy’’ by Lee and Andrew Child will be the 30th book in the Jack Reacher series. It is scheduled for release on Oct. 21.
“The Serpent’s Eye’’ by Clive Cussler features the husband-wife team of Sam and Remi Fargo, and will publish Feb. 11.
Children’s titles:
“When Charlie Met Emma’’by Amy Webb – A boy meets a girl in a wheelchair at the playground and learns to navigate a new friend’s physical differences.
Adult novels:
“The Girls Who Grew Big’’ by Leila Motley – Pregnant at 16 years old, Adela Woods is sent from Indiana to her grandparents’ home in the Florida Panhandle. The plan to return home is complicated by her friendships with a group of teen mothers.
Morristown native Jim Holleran is a retired teacher and sports editor from Rochester. Reach him at jimholleran29@gmail.com or view past columns under “Reflections of River Rat’’ at https://hollerangetsitwrite.com/blog/
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