June 2023 - Staff Reading Suggestions |
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CROW MARY
by Kathleen Grissom
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Based on actual events, the author of The Kitchen House has written a novel about a strong, fiery woman torn between her native people and her husband’s culture. A wonderful story that was just waiting to be told!
-Beth
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THE ART THIEF
By Michael Finkel
(releases June 27, 2023)
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A fascinating look at the life and mindset of Stephane Breitwieser, an unassuming young man who became a master thief, stealing over 200 works of art over 8 years in various European countries. Breitwieser was an insatiable connoisseur, who never tried to sell any of the works he stole, instead lining the walls of his attic apartment with the invaluable art. I was riveted by this true crime novel and reminded of the Twain quote, "truth is stranger than fiction."
-Laura S and Di
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The new novel by the author of Babel, R. F. Kuang, is a biting satire of the publishing industry and the current state of society as a whole. Kuang zeroes in on the fine line between inspiration and plagiarism; historical fiction and cultural appropriation; madness and creativity. With every page, you will change your mind as to where that line should fall.
-Laura S
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ALL THE SINNERS BLEED
by S.A. Cosby
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A gripping, cat-and-mouse, Southern noir thriller that pits the newly elected sheriff of a small town, Titus Crown, against a twisted serial killer that is targeting young, Black children. Titus makes use of his FBI training to profile this madman, who is clearly a religious zealot. I tore through this, but it’s not for the faint of heart. The writing is fantastic, and like Cosby’s previous two novels, it seems destined for a film adaption.
-Di
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THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE
by Rachel Beanland
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This compelling historical fiction tells the story of a deadly theater fire in Richmond, VA in 1811 from four different perspectives. I was hooked from the start. Split-second decisions became life-altering events. The exquisite writing, an ending that isn't over fictionalized and detailed author notes made this a surprising favorite of mine so far this year.
-Martha
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SAME TIME NEXT SUMMER
by Annabel Monaghan
(direct to paperback)
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Annabelle Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script, has written a fun beach read. Sam’s life is exactly as she has orchestrated it: engaged to a doctor, working at a firm in Manhattan and planning a wedding at her parent’s beach house. When visiting said beach house, Sam bumps into her teenage love and first heartbreak, Wyatt. What could go wrong?
-Morley
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THE PUZZLE MASTER
by Danielle Trussoni
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Mike Brink's TBI has propelled him into a world where his brain is flooded with patterns and is able to solve puzzles with ease. Mike is lured into a complex, dark puzzle; so deep he may not find his way out. A mystery for horror story lovers.
-Beth
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SPEAK OF THE DEVIL
by Rose Wilding
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Seven women stand around the head of Jamie Spellman. They all had a motive to kill him. Each chapter is told from a different woman, and you learn just how evil Jamie was. In order to protect each other, they have to figure out who killed him.
-Erin
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GEORGE: A MAGPIE MEMOIR
By Freida Hughes
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Frieda loves her slightly dilapidated English country house, mostly for its acre of land. She gardens, writes poetry, paints, and unexpectedly falls in love with a magpie she names George. He lives in the house, shrieking, shitting and taunting Frieda’s dogs, her not so thrilled husband who she calls “The Ex,” and neighbors. But George can do no wrong… Lovingly written as an homage to the little animals she comes to regard as friends.
-Beth, Molly and Jackie
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THE POSTCARD
By Anne Berest
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In 2003, a postcard arrives at Leila's Paris home listing the names of 4 family members who perished in the Holocaust. Leila and her daughter Anne become obsessed with discovering who sent this postcard and why. Their search will uncover the true story of the Rabinovitch family, from Russia to Palestine to France. Yes, you may feel like you have read many WWII stories, but Berest's account has a deeply personal tone to it that vibrates throughout the entire book; and the issues of identity and antisemitism are as true in the 1940s as they are today.
-Laura S
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RETURN TO VALETTO
By Dominic Smith
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Dominic Smith, The Last Painting of Sara De Vos, transports us to a near abandoned village in Umbria currently inhabited by only 10 residents--including the three Serafino widows and their formidable 100 yr. old mother. Secrets from the war finally bubble to the surface and demonstrate how trauma can echo through generations. The power of fascism and the resilience of the human heart could not be more timely themes.
-Laura S
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KILLINGLY
by Katharine Beutner
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A student goes missing from Mt. Holyoke College without reasons or clues...but someone knows something. Someone always does. Bertha, our missing student’s father and sister are summoned to campus from their home in Killingly, CT, along with the family physician, Dr. Hammond. Agnes, Bertha’s best friend and confidant is questioned to no avail. From this point on tales of family insanity, incest, abortion and homosexuality ensue. Based on the unsolved real-life disappearance of a Mount Holyoke student in 1897, this page turner may leave you guessing!
-Katha
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662 N. Western Avenue
Lake Forest IL 60045
Phone: 847-234-4420
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