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Happy Summer!! So far, the June weather is wonderful -- maybe it will stick around for a few more weeks! Wouldn't that be great? I hope your summer is filled with fun reading lists and books, books, books! Swing by if you need reading ideas or to stock up before your vacation.
See you soon,
Mary
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TLB Summer 2025 Book Club
It's the best book club in town -- come join us!!
All participants must purchase the book from TLB in order to confirm your sign-up. You can pay for the book in-store or by phone. 804-464-1244. You will receive an email from the store when the books are available for pick-up.
Questions? Call or send an email to:
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JUNE
The Silver Bone Andrey Kurkov
Paperback $18.99
Day Group meets:
Mon., June 16th 1pm
Evening Group meets:
Tues., June 24th 6:30pm
Historical Mystery set in 1919 Kyiv.
Longlisted for the 2024 International Booker Prize
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2024
From Ukraine’s most celebrated novelist, a perplexing mystery that introduces rookie detective Samson Kolechko in Kyiv as he is tackling his first case, set against real life details of the tumultuous early twentieth century. (pub. mkting)
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JULY
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
Paperback $18.99
Day Group meets:
Mon., July 14th 1pm
Evening Group meets:
Tues., July 22nd 6:30pm
Literary Fiction / Crime / Satire
Six Starred Reviews!
What’s the harm in a pseudonym? Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting novel from R.F Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. (pub. mkting)
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Historical Fiction
Virginia Author
4 starred reviews!
Based on a true story and set in WWII-era Appalachia, this is the story of a luxury hotel in West Virginia that housed Nazi diplomats.
Local girl-turned-general manager June Porter Hudson has guided the Avallon skillfully through the first pangs of war. The Gilfoyles, the hotel’s aristocratic owners, have trained her well. But when the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, June must persuade her staff—many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines—to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile. (pub. mkting)
"A novel that will remind readers of why they fell in love with reading in the first place." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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Crime / Thriller
Virginia Author
NYT Summer Reads Pick
A Godfather-inspired Black Southern crime epic and dazzling family drama. (pub. mkting)
"A fast-paced thriller that will have readers asking whether the ends justify the means if there is no end in sight. . . Reminiscent of the great tragedies, this is Cosby at his best." (Library Journal starred review)
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Fiction
2 starred reviews
NYT Summer Reads Pick
An epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program and the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits. (pub. mkting)
Joan Goodwin, an obsessive astronomy professor and a fresh face on NASA's space shuttle program, is questioning her own ideas of life and love as she prepares for her flight. Upon liftoff, her problems amplify. (New York Times book review)
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Historical Fantasy
Signed copies!!
3 starred reviews!
NYT Summer Reads Pick
Set across three historical periods, Schwab's latest novel follows three queer women seeking love and autonomy as they become vampires and, in their new condition, grapple with loss, jealousy, forbidden relationships and the loneliness of immortality. (New York Times book review)
"Schwab's haunting prose and character-driven plot will keep readers up until the very last page." -- Library Journal (starred)
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Thriller
3 starred reviews!
A blistering murder mystery about a ghostwriter who is hired to write her horror novelist father's last book: a memoir that finally tells his story surrounding the brutal murders of his siblings in the summer of 1975, for which he has been suspected for fifty years. (pub. mkting)
"Dark, enigmatic, suspenseful, complex, thought provoking, and heart wrenching, this book is a riveting, five-star read." -- Booklist, starred review
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Fiction
3 starred reviews!
NYT Summer Reads Pick
A family novel that follows the Samuelson clan over four decades as they hurt and heal one another.
When Sally Samuelson was eight years old, her golden boy brother Ellis went missing the summer he graduated high school. Ellis finally turned up at the bucolic Bug Hollow, a last gasp of the beautiful Northern California counterculture in the seventies. He had found joy in the communal life there, but died in a freak accident weeks later. From that point, the world of the Samuelsons never spins on the same axis, especially after Julia, Ellis’s girlfriend from Bug Hollow, shows up pregnant on their doorstep. (pub. mkting)
“Spellbinding . . . empathetic and propulsive.” —Boston Globe
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Fiction
The perfect funny and light book for summer reading!
Booklist starred review
Perfect strangers Lucy and Greta have agreed to a house swap--and boy, are they going to regret it. Lucy's hometown of Dallas has gone from home sweet home to vicious snake pit in the blink of an eye after her son makes a mistake he can't undo. And Greta's beloved flat in Berlin is suddenly up for grabs when her husband Otto takes a dream job in Texas without even telling her. In their rush to leave town, Lucy and Greta make a deal, pack their bags, and--thanks to martinis, desperation, and some very rusty German--have absolutely no idea what they're getting themselves into. (pub. mkting)
"Absolutely delightful. FAR AND AWAY...is everything you want in a summer read."
– Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author
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Fiction
Five starred reviews!
NYT Summer Reads Pick
A hilarious, empathetic, and brilliantly provocative adventure through life in modern America, about a reclusive journalist forced back into the world to rescue his kidnapped grandchildren. (pub. mkting)
"I loved this book, and marveled how Jess Walter managed to build such a warm, funny, loving novel out of so many horrible parts. It's an American original." -Ann Patchett, author
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Historical Fantasy
Publishers Weekly starred review
You know I love her books!!
In this fantasy twist on A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, and also set during the time of the French Revolution, Sidney Carton is struggling to survive in the human world while bound to the fairy world as a mortal servant. His mission in life is to avenge the death of his childhood best friend, Ivy, killed by a fairy. When he becomes entangled in the lives of Lucie Manette and Charles Darnay and the guillotine hangs over their future, will he set aside his revenge to help them?
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History / True Crime
Three starred reviews!
NYT Summer Reads Pick
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Prairie Fires comes a terrifying true-crime history of serial killers in the Pacific Northwest - a gripping investigation of how a new strain of psychopath emerged out of a toxic landscape of deadly industrial violence. (pub. mkting)
“What makes a murderer? Pulitzer winner Fraser (Prairie Fires) makes a convincing case for arsenic and lead poisoning as contributing factors in this eyebrow-raising account . . . her methodical research and lucid storytelling argue persuasively for linking the health of the planet to the safety of its citizens. This is a provocative and page-turning work of true crime.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)
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History
Two starred reviews!
The story of the torch march and rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia, and shocked the nation. (pub mkting)
"[Baker] shows how coordinated resistance against white supremacists both can work and will be required again in the coming years. A vivid account that capably illuminates the evils half-hidden under a flickering torch."--Kirkus Reviews, starred review
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Biography
Two starred reviews!
The riveting hidden history of Claire McCardell, the most influential fashion designer you’ve never heard of.
Claire McCardell forever changed fashion—and most importantly, the lives of women. She shattered cultural norms around women’s clothes, and today much of what we wear traces back to her ingenious, rebellious mind. After World War II, McCardell fought the severe, hyper-feminized silhouette championed by male designers, like Christian Dior. Dior claimed that he wanted to “save women from nature.” McCardell, by contrast, wanted to set women free. Filled with personal drama and industry secrets, this story reveals how Claire McCardell built an empire at a time when women rarely made the upper echelons of business. At its core, hers is a story about our right to choose how we dress—and our right to choose how we live. (pub mkting)
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Biography
A vivid and propulsive memoir about finding courage and meaning in a life outdoors, by a world-class whitewater rafting guide. A beautifully rendered memoir of a woman coming into her own, The River’s Daughter opens us to the possibilities of transformation through nature. (pub mkting)
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Young Adult Nonfiction
ages 12+
How did a young lady from a wealthy family in Maryland end up as the Gestapo’s most wanted spy? This YA biography of Virginia Hall, World War II’s most successful female spy, will inspire reluctant readers and budding history buffs alike. (pub mkting)
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Young Adult Thriller / Survival Story
ages 12+
Two starred reviews!
Xavier Oaks doesn't particularly want to go to the cabin with his dad and his dad's pregnant new wife, Nia. But family obligations are family obligations, and it's only for a short time. So he leaves his mom, his brother, and his other friends behind for a week in the woods. Only... one morning he wakes up and the house isn't where it was before. It's like it's been lifted and placed... somewhere else.
When Xavier, his dad, and Nia go explore, they find they are inside a dome, trapped. And there's no one else around...
Until, three years later, another family arrives. (pub. mkting)
Oppel centers a persistent and intelligent protagonist in this unassuming but riveting novel. Compact yet brimming with tense atmosphere, it’s a sharp examination of society and isolation presented as a thriller set in a deceptively bucolic landscape. (Publishers Weekly starred review)
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Young Adult Thriller
Age 14+
Publishers Weekly starred review
Three girls with entangled pasts compete for glory in their private school's annual tournament, putting their survival skills and their relationships to the test. (pub. mkting)
“Shakespearean…stunning…dark academia at its finest” (Publishers Weekly, starred review).
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Young Adult Fantasy
Ages 12+
On the run from a mercenary dragon, among other dangers, thirteen-year-old Charl seeks refuge in an abandoned abbey haunted by an assemblage of ghosts. (pub mkting)
"An engrossing, thoughtful fantasy on the human condition--with dragons." --School Library Journal, starred review
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Nonfiction
Ages 7+
Transportable in size and crammed with profiles of different shell species, this beginner's field guide showcases a wide range of shells from around the world that no collection would be complete without. Learn all about the shell shapes, colors, and textures, and get up close with the snails, turtles, crabs, and clams that live in them. (pub mkting)
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Nonfiction Ages 8+
Beautiful illustrations!
The newest entry in a wonderful nonfiction series
This book is sure to fascinate young animal lovers and features: a child-friendly introduction to more than 150 different animals from around the world; a guide on how and where to spot creatures big and small; and a taste of animal-inspired mythology and folklore from cultures around the world. (pub. mkting)
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Nonfiction
Ages 7+
The newest entry in the Young Explorers series
A children’s nonfiction book about ocean habitats that places the reader in the diving mask of an ocean explorer and features fascinating facts and immersive descriptions in combination with novelty flaps, expedition logs, and infographics—all to bring the world's oceans to life. (pub. mkting)
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Fiction
Ages 8-12
The newest entry in the Front Desk series, a favorite of middle grade readers.
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Fiction ages 3-7
A new picture book featuring Narwhal and Jelly!
Help Jelly attempt to safely navigate through the dangerous ocean and this book - with hilarious results! Features a glow-in-the-dark cover! (pub. mkting)
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Fiction Ages 4-8
The crayons are back and making friends.
The hilarious Crayons are back for another adventure—and this time they explore Duncan's room. Will they want to leave the crayon box for good after they make new friends? (pub. mkting)
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Fiction
Ages 4-8
Two starred reviews!
The story of The Wild Robot comes alive with this wonderfully illustrated version.
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