By Tallulah Stievers

Oh, I loved The World’s Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette’s, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family — it’s so touching and funny, even as the author describes what could have been a total disaster of a life. Working in a library, I was naturally attracted to a memoir with “librarian” in the title, but I didn’t expect it to be such a cliff-hanger. It has all the necessary elements: a mystery, a challenge, eccentric characters, a boy who manages to overcome extreme trials and adventures to grow up and become a good man.

Josh Hanagarne has the literary talent to take the stuff of life and turn it into a wild ride with the Mormons, women, strength training, (and libraries). Complicated at every step by a severe expression of Tourette Syndrome, which manifested very early in his life.