Shelf Help
Staff from your Monroe County Public Library recommend some of their favorites from the collection.
What: “Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead” by Emily Austin
Why: This is a realistic look at daily life for a person with untreated panic disorder and major depression who longs to be helpful and connect. Anxiety can make illogical decisions seem sensible in the moment, and Austin captures the spiraling excellently. The protagonist, Gilda, struggles with maintaining relationships, a job, her environment and herself. When she accidentally lands an admin job at a Catholic church, Gilda solves her rent problem, but discovers another: fear of losing the job if they find out she is an atheist and a lesbian. None of her other illogical decisions pan out as she intended, sometimes going spectacularly poorly. The highlight of the story is her running internal monologue, which is wry, sometimes concerning, and reeks of authenticity. This novel is an excellent study in unseen struggles. Highly recommended.
Where: This is available in print, large print, e-book and e-audiobook formats from the Monroe County Library system.
How: You can request books online by logging in to www.keyslibraries.org and get e-books and e-audiobooks 24/7 at www.estuff.keyslibraries.org. If you don’t have a card, you can visit your local branch or register online to get one. Questions? info@keyslibraries.org
Recommended by: Faith Price, librarian, Key West branch
