The feeling of meeting someone and finding out you share the same interest in books is one of my favorites, and one of the reasons I love working in libraries. My favorite books are ones that are more character-based and deal with emotional issues like navigating complex relationships or dealing with grief. The best of them have a humorous (sometimes dark) narrator leading the way, allowing for laughs. I recently started in my role as a librarian here in New Ulm, focusing on adult programs and technology assistance, including our Memory Lab. As a way to get to know me, here are some books that I love dearly and resonate with the story in some way.

Good Material by Dolly Alderton (Fiction Alderton)

Dolly Alderton often writes about the experience of being a woman and navigating life and relationships. Her writing about a breakup from the perspective of a man in his mid-30s is not what I had expected from her, but she did her research and offered a great lens into the life of Andy. He is a comedian and is going through finding himself after heartbreak. Andy’s perspective casts a light on the vulnerabilities rarely shared between friends and drinks and how we all are doing our best in navigating life’s challenges.

Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose It by Brooke Averick (Fiction Averick)

This book is a new release, and as I read it, I knew I found my favorite book of 2026. Phoebe is the main character and incredibly anxious. She is unable to get over past trauma and feels stuck and despondent at 29, but she also is a high-achiever and loves to complete a checklist. With 30 days until she turns 30, she creates a checklist to accomplish her big goal. If you’re around Phoebe’s age, there are loads of references that will bring nostalgic joy too.

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad (Fiction ElAkkad)

Rarely does a book actually make me cry, but this one did.

Readers follow Amir, a 9-year-old Syrian boy, who has ended up shipwrecked and a lone survivor after joining a ship with hundreds of others making their way to a foreign land. He meets a local teen girl and together they attempt to make sense of where they are in this world. In some ways, the two mirror Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, which adds a layer to this storytelling that has made it one of my favorites.

The Skull by Jon Klassen (Junior 398.2094 Klassen)

Otilla, the girl in this story, brought me so much joy with her curiosity and bravery, I read this book every year. I don’t know if I mirror much of Otilla, but I aspire to be like her, in the best ways. Klassen’s books are wonderful works of art. I recommend him for all ages.

If you’d like to request these or any other titles, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose

Library Catalog, or call the library at 507-359-8331. New Ulm Public Library is located at

17 North Broadway and is open from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-

5 p.m. Friday-Saturday.