April 2024 - Staff Reading Suggestions | |
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THE DEMON OF UNREST
by Erik Larson
(releases 4/30/2024)
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The "Demon of Unrest" chronicles the crucial five month period beginning with Lincoln's election and ending with the shelling of Fort Sumter. Larson uses amazing firsthand documents to illustrate a country bitterly divided and marching towards war. There is a tremendous cast of characters: politicians, military, gentry and fanatics; some who adhered to heartfelt beliefs, and others who were driven by arrogance and ambition resulting in many miscommunications and fatal errors. While we all know the outcome, Larson's outstanding narrative will keep you at the edge of your seat hoping a deadly conflict can be avoided.
-Laura
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TABLE FOR TWO
by Amor Towles
Written with his signature humor and sophistication, "Table For Two" is another brilliant addition to the author's body of stylish and transporting fiction.
-Kathy
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REAL AMERICANS
by Rachel Khong
(releases 4/30/2024)
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I have not loved a book this much in a long time. From the author of the highly acclaimed debut novel, "Goodbye, Vitamin," Rachel Khong has written a thought-provoking, beautifully-written novel exploring what it means to be a “real American” through the eyes of three generations. Their questions and choices from immigration, epigenetics and the cost of privilege will draw you in from the start. Great book club choice!
-Diana
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THERE'S ALWAYS THIS YEAR
by Hanif Abdurraqib
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Growing up in Columbus, Ohio in the 1990s, Hanif Abdurraqib witnessed a golden era of basketball, one in which legends like LeBron James were forged and countless others weren’t. His love of the game leads Abdurraqib into a lyrical and emotionally rich exploration of what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation and the very notion of role models, all of which he weaves together with personal storytelling. A mesmerizing book not to be missed.
-Kathy
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THE WIVES
by Simone Gorrindo
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Simone Gorrindo is uprooted from her life and career in NYC when her husband makes the decision to enlist in the Army, specifically a special forces unit. Her memoir gives us a view into what it is like to be one of “the wives” of these men who choose the military. Lonely, displaced and vulnerable, she works hard to navigate this world- one most of us have never thought about- and the bonds that she forms with the other women are a testament to the military families all over the world and the courage and determination needed to support their loved ones. An intimate portrait of marriage, friendship, sacrifice and family.
-Di
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SOCIOPATH
by Patric Gagne
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From the opening line: “My name is Patric Gagne and I am a sociopath. On the surface I resemble almost every average American woman, yet I am a liar, I’m a thief, I am shallow, I am highly manipulative….” I was hooked. Patric explores her life as a sociopath, starting with childhood through to present day. She steals cars, she wanders through (not always) empty homes she has broken in to, she falls in love, she struggles with friendships, and she is very open with her diagnosis. All along the way, I rooted for her, and you will too! An interesting look at a woman trying to understand her own truth and advocate for fellow sociopaths.
-Morley
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ALL OUR YESTERDAYS
By Joel H. Morris
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Morris's novel offers an entertaining prequel to "Macbeth," full of gorgeous prose, rich descriptions and a welcome expansion of multiple secondary characters like Macduff and Banquo. The glimpse into the Macbeth's marriage is also welcome and a bittersweet precursor to the dark days we know lie in front of them.
-Kathy
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In the mid-1800s in Scotland a minister finds himself in need of money and agrees to visit a remote island in order to evict the lone tenant of the island. Upon arrival the minister has a bad accident and is found nearly dead by the man he is there to evict. The man takes the minister in and slowly nurses him back to health. Despite the language barrier the two start to develop a deep connection, but as the minister regains his health, he grapples with the dilemma of fulfilling the task he was sent there to do. I loved this quiet but satisfying story about the beauty of solitude and the need for connection.
-Kirsten
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THE PROPHET AND THE IDIOT
By Jonas Jonasson
(releases 4/23/2024)
A satirical story about an end of the world prediction, an autistic younger brother of a diplomat, a widow spinster, and a Russian political exile turned African country dictator. Talented, flawed characters in an absurd plot that keeps you chuckling as you read. As quirky and enjoyable as they come from a Swedish writer.
-Missy
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WOLF AT THE TABLE
by Adam Rapp
This is the story of a large catholic family raised in a small town in New York where one night a brutal triple murder takes place. This is the beginning of the violence that seems to shadow all of their lives. As the siblings go on to live their separate lives, their brother, always the troubled child of the family, starts sending home disturbing postcards pointing towards a darker reality than the family is able to fathom. The story intertwines real events and people such as the oldest sister’s chance meeting with a stranger in a diner who introduces himself as Mickey Mantle and the brother’s brush with John Wayne Gacy on a snowy night in Chicago. A sweeping generational novel of a family grappling with mental health, physical health and an evil of it’s own.
-Kirsten
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THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
by Michelle Gable
(releases 4/16/2024)
This is the fictionalized tale of Margo Hightower, the young assistant to Slim Aarons, the photographer of the jet set in Palm Beach in the 1960s. The story revolves around the true lives of Lilly and Peter Pulitzer and their many famous friends and how Margo navigates life as an unmarried working woman living among a wealthy privileged set. Anyone who loves Lilly Pulitzer and Palm Beach will love this novel.
-Martha and Erin
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EXPIRATION DATES
by Rebecca Serle
Daphne knows exactly how long each relationship in her life will last before it even starts because she gets a slip of paper with a name and a time span-2 weeks, 3 days, 6 months. Until one day she gets a paper with just a name, no number. Has she finally found her “one?" The author of "In Five Years" and "One Italian Summer" delivers a different kind of romance novel where not all the answers to life and love are the ones you expect.
-Kirsten
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THE SOULMATE
By Sally Hepworth
In a deep departure from my usual genres, this thriller captivated me from the start. Pippa and Gabe leave Melbourne to escape past life and marriage challenges, only to find themselves confronted with moral decisions and inescapable ghosts from their former lives. Told from the perspective of Pippa, and Amanda, the deceased wife of Gabe’s previous employer. Do not miss!
-Diana
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HAS ANYONE SEEN CHARLOTTE SALTER?
By Nicci French
Wife and mother, Charlotte Salter, goes missing the night of her husband’s 50th birthday party. She is beloved by her 4 children and her town, and in an unhappy marriage. The book is told in 3 parts: (1) the night of the disappearance and following search (2) 32 years later when kids come home to clean out the house and another murder occurs; and (3) when the new detective arrives to handle the new murder and reopen the cold case of Charlotte.
-Missy
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MONSTERS: A FAN'S DILEMMA
By Claire Dederer
(new in paperback)
Dederer is brave and poignant in this mind-bending series of nonfiction, contemplative essays. She tackles the fraught, timely question: how do we reconcile monstrous artists with our love for their art? From Picasso and Polanski to JK Rowling and Nobokov, the "sins" range wide and the debates run deep. Her writing isn't prescriptive, but thought provoking and beautiful. For me, it's a new all-time favorite!
-Katie
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THE SADDEST GIRL ON THE BEACH
by Heather Frese
After 20 year old Charlotte loses her beloved father to cancer; instead of returning to college, she opts to travel to the Outer Banks where her family has vacationed for years. There in a place she loves, Charlotte tries to navigate a path through her grief. This is a touching story of friendship, family and love set on Hatteras Island which almost becomes a character in itself. Do not miss this gem of a novel.
-Laura
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YOUNG ADULT FICTION SUGGESTIONS | | |
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WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE
By Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé
Sade Hussein has spent her adolescent life kept away from the world by her oppressive father in their London townhouse. But now that he’s gone, she finds her way to Alfred Noble Academy, an elite boarding school in the UK with more than a few secrets. Why she’s ended up here, and the secrets the walls have kept are all revealed as she and her new group of misfit friends investigate the mystery of her missing roommate. This book was all dark academia with rich atmosphere, twists and turns, and a few mysteries that layered together in a satisfying way. It is YA, but a great read for anyone (age 13+) looking for an atmospheric mystery!
-Katie
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