New Staff Suggestions
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In typical Nicholas Sparks fashion, this romance novel is set in North Carolina. Trevor Benson is a former Navy surgeon who was wounded in Afghanistan and is dealing with PTSD. He returns to the home of his beloved grandfather, who has passed away and left everything to Trevor, to figure out what comes next. The reader is treated to rich description, quirky characters, laughter, heartbreak, and even a lesson in beekeeping! Enjoy!
— Laura B.
Rebecca Farwell leads a double life. As Becky, she is Treasurer and Comptroller of her small Illinois town - sensible, dependable, and still living on the farm where she grew up. As Reba, she is a glamorous, cutthroat art collector who wears couture as she makes deals worth millions. What no one suspects is that she is also a talented con artist. How she manages to combine her two lives will keep you turning the pages of this clever novel.
— Marilyn
Emma Cline doesn't disappoint with this deft follow-up to her 2016 debut, The Girls. Each story incisively reflects the gender politics of our times as Cline hits us with portrait after fascinating portrait of fractured men and the women in their orbit. My favorite entry in this collection was "The Nanny," in which Cline turns her keen narrative gaze on a girl unexpectedly propelled to notoriety in the wake of a celebrity cheating scandal.
— Abigail
My favorite science writer has delivered another gem. Without pandering or over simplifying, Wilson takes complex biology and makes it concrete, humorous, and wildly fascinating. A top book of the year for anyone interested in science or nature.
— Andrew
Daisy Johnson's Sisters is an impeccably crafted portrait of two girls with dangerously intertwined identities. Johnson is the youngest writer to be shortlisted for the Booker Prize, and this follow-up to Everything Under shows yet again that the honor was well-earned. Sisters is eerie, suspenseful, and beautifully haunting—great for readers drawn to complex female friendships and fraught family dynamics. I finished it in twenty-four hours.
— Abigail
When the 10 employees and shareholders of hip, successful, London-based music app Snoop arrive at an exclusive ski chalet in the French Alps for a corporate retreat, the tension is building and the back-stabbing has already begun. When a deadly avalanche hits, the group is trapped without power and with an unknown killer who is eliminating them...one by one. Ruth Ware has written another thriller, this one set in a gorgeous location, that will keep you on the edge of your seat!
— Marilyn
There's a reason Interior Chinatown was nominated for this year's National Book Award—I can definitively say I've never read anything like it (and I read a lot of books). This innovative novel takes the form of a screenplay and cleverly subverts familiar film and TV tropes while introducing us to characters who linger long after the final page. Delightfully inventive and heartwarming from start to finish, Interior Chinatown is a perfect match for any movie buff. I can't wait to see what Charles Yu writes next.
— Abigail
Troubled Blood is a well done, complex mystery that will keep you guessing to the end! I love Galbraith‘s (aka J.K. Rowling) style of storytelling. It is a big book that will keep you reading long after you should have turned out the light and gone to bed. Loved it.
— Gail
This is the book that broke my Covid-induced reading slump. From Booker Prize-winning author Graham Swift comes a beautifully written, engaging, and concise novel. Elements of magic, mystery, and memory permeate this story of three young performers at a Brighton music hall, poised between the heyday and the demise of this style of entertainment.
— Laura
Fans of “The Crown” will be mesmerized by this ‘tell all’ memoir of the author’s life as confidant and friend to Princess Margaret. Glenconner’s narrative of gossip, enormous wealth, heartbreak, illness, and familial tragedy are staggering. The old world rules of class and royalty will have you questioning those long-standing traditions. Anne, the lady in waiting, displays resilience and humor throughout.
— Barb
In this novel about Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, who died at age 11, the beautifully written words of O’Farrell convey the profound impact the death of a child has throughout a family. Her characters are real and alive. My mind fell into the 16th-century, absorbing details of daily life and complexity of family interaction. Beautifully written and a very satisfying read.
— Gail
Christopher Paolini makes a striking debut not only into adult literature, but the science fiction genre as well. Paolini’s attention to detail and ability to create a complex world will enthrall readers from page one. Combined with a masterfully crafted storyline and dynamic characters to guide you through the cosmos, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars is must read for any science fiction fan looking for a daring new adventure.
— Bridey
This is the first novel I’ve read by Sue Miller, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised! Monogamy is a love story focusing on the 30 year marriage of Annie and Graham. Their seemingly perfect marriage is the envy of everyone; but, when Graham dies suddenly, Annie learns of his infidelity and struggles to reconcile her feelings of grief and anger. A powerful exploration of relationships, flawed characters, and all the roller coaster emotions that come with them.
— Sue
I loved this story of an Empire of islands on the verge of rebellion. The emperor's feisty daughter is working to regain lost memories and learn the frankenstein-like skills of her father to gain his trust, even as she questions the morality of the work. On another island, a heart-of-gold smuggler searches for his kidnapped wife, and gets drawn into the revolution against his better judgement with the guidance of a mysterious (and adorable) creature. Unique world building and engaging characters kept me turning pages SO FAST to find out all the answers to the secrets hidden within. There was also just enough mystery with the world building to have me speculating on where the story will go in book two, which I obviously can't wait to read!
— Lindsey
Signe Pike continues her fascinating look at 6th-century Scotland in book two of The Lost Queen Trilogy. This time, her focus is on Angharad, daughter of Queen Langoureth, who, at the age of eight leaves her home to train as a Wisdom Keeper with her Uncle Lailoken, the man history calls Merlin. When one of the most brutal battles in Scottish history pits family members against each other, Angharad finds herself on her own, and her spiritual journey truly begins.
— Marilyn
When her mother, Mina, doesn’t return her phone calls, 26-year-old Margot leaves Seattle for Koreatown, Los Angeles, only to find her mother has died suspiciously. Searching for answers, Margot delves deep into her mother’s very private past revealing a Korean War orphan, a widow, and an undocumented immigrant. Told in alternating point-of-view chapters, this is a moving exploration of love, often unspoken, family, and survival. A terrific debut!
— Marilyn
From the author of Orphan Train comes a compelling novel of three strong-willed women - two British convicts and one Aboriginal girl in 19th century Australia. Unfair treatment, harsh and brutal conditions, and seeming hopelessness is met with incredible perseverance and the will to survive. The Exiles caught my attention on the very first page.
— Barb
In true Backman style, this quirky novel showcases the anxieties, stress, and humanness of people by wonderfully weaving them with acts of kindness, love, and support. Yes, you will be laughing out loud and tearing up - sometimes on the same page. We all need love and understanding during these complicated times - this book might help!
— Barb
Eudora Honeysett is 85-years-old, alone, irritable, tired, and ready for her life to end. Enter Rose Trewidney, the lovable 10-year-old next door who won’t take “no” for an answer. Add Stanley Meacham, the lonely widower down the street, and they are three friends suddenly enjoying life. The chapters include stories from Eudora’s past that explain why she is so guarded with her emotions. Much like Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and Three Things About Elsie, this book stresses the importance of human contact and joy in life. Have tissues handy.
— Laura B.
The compelling narration moves between decades, and members of a damaged but resilient family, exploring how identities can shift with context and time. Issues of race, gender, family, hurt, and love add to, but never overwhelm, this captivating tale of twins who take very different paths through life.
— Laura
Disillusionment is an unavoidable part of growing up. Elena Ferrante's highly anticipated new novel captures the shock and discomfort of childhood falling out from underneath you with remarkable insight. Family secrets and personal conflicts populate a beautifully described Naples as young Giovanna begins to discover her place in the world, independent from that of her parents. Breathtaking.
— Kelly
If you are looking for a dark, atmospheric family mystery with gothic elements, this is your next read. The star of her occasionally neglectful father's picture books, Romilly mostly raises herself from age six when we meet her, running around their old broken down house and the surrounding areas, barely keeping up with proper cleanliness, and avoiding the "tourists" who seem to believe her father has left directions to a treasure in his books. An unreliable narrator (in a sense, she's a child with a child's eyes and memory) a big old house, and a family mystery... this one hit a lot of buttons for me. I couldn't put it down until I knew all the secrets hiding within this family.
— Lindsey
Mr. Slaght has discovered Fish Owls and wants us to know them too. So he takes us to the forests of eastern Russia, north of Vladivostok, to trap, tag, and follow them. And these are no cute little owls - six plus foot wingspans, two feet tall, huge talons, and - when you see the pictures - not really cute. These are big, reclusive, stunning birds. Finding them is not just difficult, it is dangerous in the sub-zero of the Siberian winter, and the partial, slushy thaw of the early spring with Amur tigers strolling about. And not just the owls are characters - this team of searchers and helpers are just as ornery and fascinating. Loved this devotion to a bird that we would not want to meet in a dark alley, but enhances our amazement at what is around us - lovely.
— Nancy
I have to admit, I put this novel aside at least twice. It seemed just too sad. But, I'm happy I decided to give this book another chance. Three friends in their 70’s spend a weekend together cleaning the beach house of a fourth friend who has died. Each is struggling with the effects of aging, loss, and life’s disappointments. Charlotte Wood has created very real characters who struggle to get along with each other but manage to come together when it counts.
— Laura B.
Billowing with intrigue, dark secrets, and ancient legend, The Daughters of Ys commands your attention. A glorious folktale of two sisters and the monsters and seas that separate them. The stimulating illustrations could tell the story on its own, but the eloquence of the language and text takes this graphic novel to an entirely different level. Masterful work.
— Lindsay A.
Hank Green writes fast paced books with fascinating characters and interesting action. I read this book in two days because I needed to know what happened next! But Hank Green also writes books that I truly believe need and deserve a second read through - so that you can absorb the lessons scattered throughout that you paused at, but didn't take enough time to really think about. If you read and enjoyed the first in the series - An Absolutely Remarkable Thing - read this book. It gives answers and encourages more thinking about how we spend our time and who we allow to control us. And now, I may just have been inspired to take an extended break from social media...
— Lindsey
The story of King Edward VIII’s abdication of the throne for Wallis Simpson is legendary. But before Wallis, he loved another, Thelma Furness, wife of a Viscount and twin sister to Gloria Vanderbilt. When Gloria’s life is rocked by scandal, Thelma leaves London for New York, never dreaming of the consequences. A terrific historical fiction read, full of glamorous people and places, with plenty of intrigue!
— Marilyn
This book grabbed my heart from the beginning and refused to let go. Vivek's death reverberates painfully through friends and family as they each come to terms with the loss of the person they all knew and loved so differently. A wonderfully written and deeply affecting novel that will stay with me for a long, long time.
— Kelly
What begins as fairly standard science fiction quickly builds into something deeper with fascinating world building and character development. I was drawn into the lives of three distinct characters and their relationships as they each work on a mission of peace in a time of war, even if they don't begin that way. Twists and turns end with what is truly the beginning of a story I can't wait to continue.
— Lindsey
How far would you go to protect your loved ones? The Adler family faces this dilemma when tragedy strikes and they band together to keep a secret from one of their own, in order to saver her life and the life her unborn child. Based on a true story, Florence Adler Swims Forever is a tale of heartbreak, faith, and most of all human resilience.
— Sue
This is a dark, suspenseful story about Fern, a 32-year-old social worker struggling with anxiety and recurring nightmares. Having grown up with neglectful and self-centered parents, she is still desperate for her father’s attention. When she agrees to help him pack for a move, she starts to remember things her emotionally abused mind had locked away. Well written with twists that held my attention, I can easily imagine this thriller as a movie.
— Laura B.
This is a short but valuable book about not just the horrors of nuclear devastation, but also the misery of war and the fear of what comes next. It is about the power of knowing the truth - and that trying to hide it is rarely, if ever, a good idea. In the history section, here in the store, is a small book by John Hersey, Hiroshima, that told the truth through interviews Hersey did with a handful regular people, survivors. It was published by The New Yorker in its entirety a year after Hiroshima and Nagasaki were bombed in 1945. It was cleared by the military censors and told us - everyone - what these weapons did to real people. Statistics are lovely, useful - but they can be used to hide the reality of pain and hubris. Read this book, and read, or re-read Hiroshima.
— Nancy
I knew I would like this book from the first page. I Give It to You is told by an American writer/professor who has been invited to spend time at Villa Chiara in Florence, Italy. As she observes the complicated relationships of the Salviati family (longtime owners of the Villa) and is told the background of each family member, she begins to write their story as a narrative. Interesting and engrossing insight into life under Mussolini. I finished it quickly because I had to know what happened next!
— Gail
Much like how Gideon the Ninth was an incredibly unique spin on a familiar mystery trope, the sequel, Harrow the Ninth, spins you a little farther - and out into space. Picking up where Gideon left off, this book follows Harrow on her journey with God and puts more focus on the "in space" part of necromancers in space. Reading this book takes a little work, at first, but when pieces start falling together... oh man is it worth it. To say more or explain wouldn't be fair to you. If you loved Gideon, continue the adventure with Harrow. You'll get some answers you've been seeking.... and even more questions that will leave you wanting the third in the trilogy sooner rather than later. And, if you haven't read Gideon yet, start there!
— Lindsey
Kate Reed Petty's True Story is a genre-defying marvel of form. It's the kind of novel that transforms its readers into detectives, collaged as it is from film scripts, application essays, interview transcripts, and a narrative of shifting point-of-views. And, to top things off, Petty has crafted an ending so game-changing it'll compel you to flip back to the first page and start all over again.
— Abigail
Raw and intimate, Raven Leilani's powerful debut strips bare the emotional truths behind what it means to be young and finding your place in today's world. Leilani's brilliant writing captures the uncertainly and loneliness of early adulthood in a piercingly relatable way, and her sly humor as Edie works her way through both her own choices and society's constraints rounds out each page. Her deeply human characters are written with flaws that collide unexpectedly as their lives entangle in ways impossible to predict. Everything about this book is exciting and original, and it captivated me completely from start to finish.
— Kelly
Pianos? Siberia? Really? Yes, really - a search for a good piano for a talented acquaintance in Mongolia. How to ship a piano from the US to Mongolia is not as easy as it sounds (hmmm) so let's find one closer - maybe in Siberia! And so we are taken all through the empty, huge, fascinating place, looking for those pianos that had been abandoned over the years - from Catherine the Great's penal colonies to the Kamchatka Peninsula to the border of the Arctic Circle. Did I learn much about pianos? Not really, but what a journey. Did I learn much about Siberia? Yes, some, and it is worth the trip. Fun, informative, and delightful - it is mad what we humans get up to, and grand that there are writers that tell us about it.
— Nancy
This amazing memoir - by an unknown woman whose fictional Twitter persona has a huge following - was more heartfelt, funny, smart, and hopeful than I could have anticipated. Even without being one of her many devoted fans, I was quickly drawn into the warm, sharp, hilarious writing of "Duchess Goldblatt," as well as the story of the anonymous woman behind her. I can't recommend this highly enough.
— Kelly
Imagine one day someone tells you that the two-year-old you’ve been lovingly raising isn’t your son at all. There was a mix-up when the boys, born prematurely on the same day, were transferred to the NICU and you were given another couple’s child. What would you be willing to do to protect your family? A psychological thriller that I couldn’t make myself put down.
— Laura B.
I love fiction that offers insight into real events. Impeccable research into the opportunities and challenges afforded an Earhart-like pilot combined with plenty of spins, drops and rolls deliver a page-turner that will keep you guessing. This book kept me up well past my bedtime!
— Laura
This debut novel is not to be hurried through, the lyrical writing is wonderful! A timeless tale of motherhood, love, and dark secrets, The Island Child follows Irish lass Oona as a child and a mother, surviving difficult physical and emotional hardships.
— Barb
Imagine if your child was diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15. This personal memoir is equal parts heartbreak and hope. I found myself searching alongside Miriam for the next step in Nick’s care and treatment. To absorb every messy detail of this disease is to shed light on the necessity of mental healthcare reform.
— Carlene
An 86-year-old Florida librarian, Eva Abrams, seems like a frail old lady to her son and the coworker who wishes she’d retire already. Of course, they know nothing of her life as a forger for the resistance in Nazi occupied France. This novel, based on very real heroes of WWII, highlights how ordinary people did extraordinary things to save innocent Jewish lives. Full of tension, drama, love, and loss, it’s perfect for historical fiction fans.
— Laura B.
Mexican Gothic is the first book by Silvia Moreno-Garcia I’ve read, despite having heard about her for years. Boy, have I been missing out! Managing to be both beautiful and horrifying, this homage to gothic novels had me hooked from its cinematic opening all the way to its thrilling conclusion.
— Grace
The London music scene in the late ‘60s is the setting for David Mitchell’s latest novel. And what a scene it is! It’s the story of Utopia Avenue, a band whose combination of folk, blues, and psychedelic rock propels them to stardom, but it is a rocky road. The four members, Elf, Jasper, Dean, and Griff are as alive on the page as the real musicians, places, and events that are seamlessly woven into their tale. You will not soon forget them!
— Marilyn
This book grabs your heart at the very beginning and holds on until the end, and beyond. Emmie Blue hasn’t had an ideal life, but a chance meeting at sixteen leads to a lifelong friendship that gives her the strength to carry on. You’ll find yourself counting the pages, wishing it wouldn’t end.
— Laura B.
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