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Summer Reading 2022 August!

Summer 2022 is all about Fairfield! What do you love about your town? How can you share your story? Learn something new, get creative, and have fun while earning points toward our community goal! We challenge Fairfielders of all ages to reach 1 million points together by the end of the summer. Express yourself, attend events, write book reviews, complete bonus activities, and of course READ to earn points and help reach our goal this year! Your story begins at home!

Sign in or register for summer reading fun for the whole family here.

Here are a few books that will help you earn points this month in both the year-long Adult Reading Challenge AND the Summer Adult Reading Challenge. Let the reading begin!

RIVER OF THE GODS
By Candice Millard

“Millard’s lushly detailed adventure story keeps a steady eye on the racial power dynamics involved in this imperialist endeavor and brilliantly illuminates the characters of Burton, Speke, and Bombay. Readers will be riveted.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

A FLICKER IN THE DARK
By Stacy Willingham

“Willingham skillfully intercuts Chloe’s anxious first-person narration in the present with flashbacks to her childhood, ratcheting up the tension. Atmospheric prose and abundant red herrings amplify the tale’s intensity. Willingham is a writer to watch.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BILLY SUMMERS
By Stephen King

“This is another outstanding outing from a writer who consistently delivers more than his readers expect.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE CHANGE
By Kirsten Miller

“Miller’s book is that rare treat: a suspenseful story with great pacing, memorable characters, and an engaging voice. Fantastic in every way, this fierce anthem against misogyny is a smash.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE LIONESS
By Chris Bohjalian

“Stark and dark, violent and vivid, this may be versatile Bohjalian’s most harrowing work since Skeletons of the Feast (2008). Intimately researched, the Serengeti’s beauty and brutality are vibrantly infused in every scene, a grounding counterpoint to the competing dynamics of human cruelty and compassion.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS
By Lisa Scottoline

“A high-octane thriller whose hero is tossed into one impossible situation after another. Best started early in the morning.” ~Kirkus

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

2022 Adult Reading Challenge! May

DISCOVER DIFFERENT GENRES!    FIND NEW AUTHORS!    WIN PRIZES!

Join us for a fun book challenge throughout 2022! Sign up and keep track via Beanstack. If you’ve participated in any of our recent summer or winter reading challenges, you’re all set to go and don’t need to create a new account.

Visit Beanstack here..

Our theme for May is MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU. Choose from science-fiction or fantasy. Do it or do not, there is no try. Here are a few titles to get you started:

KLARA AND THE SUN
by Kazuo Ishiguro

“Nobel laureate Ishiguro takes readers to a vaguely futuristic, technologically advanced setting reminiscent of his Never Let Me Go for a surprising parable about love, humanity, and science…This dazzling genre-bending work is a delight.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE ECHO WIFE
by Sarah Gailey

“Gailey’s expertise with suspense and their success in presenting the reader with impossible choices about the ethics of cloning, biological programming and editing, and of Evelyn’s specific, difficult situation, will leave the reader thinking about the novel long after the final page.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

NOOR
by Nnedi Okorafor

“Okorafor packs swift action and harsh emotions into this slim novella, showing her strengths once again as a speculative fiction writer.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

DARK MATTER
by Blake Crouch

“With a finale that satisfies while leaving the reader with much to reflect on, Dark Matter is a brilliant beacon in the landscape of speculative thrillers.” ~Book Page

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GOLIATH
by Tochi Onyebuchi

“Onyebuchi’s novel is a full sensory experience of language and imagery, set in a near-future world where race, class, and gentrification still drive conflict, both on Earth and in the stars.” ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Spotlight on Author Stuart Neville

If you like Irish crime fiction, or you just want to find a new author, you should give Stuart Neville a try. Neville is a staff favorite (especially for one particular staff member), and has a great backlist to choose from. His newest, THE HOUSE OF ASHES, is last on this list, but certainly not least. Here are a few titles you can find at the Fairfield Public Library.

THE GHOSTS OF BELFAST

“Stuart Neville’s tightly wound, emotionally resonant account of an ex-IRA hit man’s struggle to conquer his past, displays an acute understanding of the true state of Northern Ireland, still under the thumb of decades of violence and terrorism.”  ~Los Angeles Times

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

COLLUSION

“Neville’s deft style builds mounting tension, and his characters, all tragic figures, are skillfully developed. The collusion he describes sounds all too plausible; it’s devious and endemic enough to impress even descendants of the infamous Borgias. The violence, administered up close and personal—and the rage of those who commit it—is almost operatic. A feast for thriller fans.” ~Booklist

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

STOLEN SOULS

“Neville slowly ratchets up the tension—and the violence—until each page practically twangs with suspense.” ~Publishers Weekly

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

RATLINES

“Thrilling…. Readers will hope to see more of Ryan, a formidable yet damaged hero.”
~Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE HOUSE OF ASHES     Published September 7, 2021

“[A] gut-wrenching novel of psychological suspense with ghostly undertones . . . This unforgettable tale of servitude and subservience, domestic abuse, and toxic masculinity builds to a resolution offering redemption and heartfelt solace. Neville has outdone himself.”
~Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

“Spellbinding . . . Neville hooks his reader with the opening sequences of his story, mystery, and horror emerging prominently. The multi-narrative structure that plays out is effective and gripping. Impressive just begins to describe Neville’s latest offering.”
~Seattle Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

Popular Books for September

Want to know what your friends and neighbors are reading this month? Here are a few of the most popular titles at the Library.

LAST SUMMER AT THE GOLDEN HOTEL by Elisa Friedland

“Friedland brings two families full circle over the fate of a storied hotel they’ve owned together for three generations…Old tensions and new romances arise as they decide if the nostalgia and storied legacy of the hotel can save it, or if they’re having their last summer at the Golden…Episodes of intergenerational disconnect contrasted with unshakeable family bonds make Last Summer at the Golden Hotel a great choice for fans of Schitt’s Creek and feel-good family dramedies.” ~Shelf Awareness

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny

“This series has always excelled… This new novel grapples successfully with the moral weight of its narrative… ‘All Will Be Well’ never sounded so menacing.”
~The New York Times Book Review       STAFF FAVORITE!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

A SLOW FIRE BURNING by Paula Hawkins

“A dark, intricate tale of three women tied to a bloody murder on a London houseboat. You’ll be gobsmacked by the end.” —~People

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE GUNCLE by Steven Rowley

“This hilarious and heartfelt story will make you laugh, cry, and want to be a better person.” ~BookRiot         STAFF FAVORITE!

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BILLY SUMMERS by Stephen King

“King’s latest stars a killer-for-hire whose final assignment involves moving to a small Southern town and taking cover as a writer, a job that turns out to be as rewarding as killing bad guys. As for the hit, it doesn’t go so well, but that’s part of the allure of this twisty, multilayered thriller.”
~The Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

Popular Titles For June

What your friends and neighbors are reading this month:

THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME  by Laura Dave

“Dave pulls off something that feels both new and familiar: a novel of domestic suspense that unnerves, then reassures. This is the antithesis of the way novels like Gone Girl or My Lovely Wife are constructed; in The Last Thing He Told Me, the surface is ugly, the situation disturbing, but almost everyone involved is basically good underneath it all. Dave has given readers what many people crave right now—a thoroughly engrossing yet comforting distraction.”~  BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

GOLDEN GIRL by Elin Hilderbrand

“This sweeping love story is Hilderbrand’s best ever. . . Her stories are relatable in an aspirational way, but her attention to detail is what makes her characters feel like living, breathing people you want to know. They would never skimp on citronella candles; they would save the least creaky rocking chair for you.”~ Elisabeth EganNew York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

MALIBU RISING by Taylor Jenkins Reid

“It’s 1983 in Malibu, and the famous Riva siblings are hosting their annual end-of-summer party—a legendary affair. By morning, the house is in flames, a blaze fueled by smoldering secrets and long-simmering drama. [Taylor Jenkins] Reid has once again crafted a fast-paced, engaging novel that smoothly transports readers between decades and story lines.” ~The Washington Post

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

HOUR OF THE WITCH by Chris Bohjalian

“Bohjalian blends historical fiction with a thrilling courtroom drama. . . A fascinating and immersive read… What makes this novel remarkable and compulsively readable is Bohjalian’s uncanny ability to capture the Puritan perspective… Hour of the Witch is at once brilliantly idiosyncratic while also recognizable. This genre-defying thriller is sure to become a staple of book clubs and a favorite of historical mystery fans.
~BookPage

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

What Are Your Neighbors Reading?

Your friends and neighbors are busy reading and requesting books from the library. Here are a few of the most popular titles this month.

KLARA AND THE SUN by Kazuo Ishiguro

“For four decades now, Ishiguro has written eloquently about the balancing act of remembering without succumbing irrevocably to the past. Memory and the accounting of memory, its burdens and its reconciliation, have been his subjects… Klara and the Sun complements [Ishiguro’s] brilliant vision…There’s no narrative instinct more essential, or more human.”     ~The New York Times Book Review

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

WE BEGIN AT THE END by Chris Whitaker

“A superb thriller…. Powered by extraordinarily deep character development and an impressively intricate plot, this novel is simultaneously a murder mystery, a love story, and a heartbreaking tragedy. The existential agony is palpable throughout, but so, too, is the hope at the end. Whitaker has upped his game with this emotionally charged page-turner.”
~Publishers Weekly (starred review)

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE by V.E. Schwab

“Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic) returns with another epic story of love and remembrance that probes deep into history while also penetrating profound matters of the heart.”        ~Library Journal

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

We have added Library Express hours to Fairfield Woods Branch Library so we would love to see you! If you prefer, we still offer our popular curbside pick-up service. Click here to access our website for details.

Popular Books This Month

Your friends and neighbors are busy reading and requesting books from the library. Here are a few of the most popular titles this month:

THE FOUR WINDS  by Kristen Hannah

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

BLACK BUCK by Mateo Askaripour

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

THE SANATORIUM by Sarah Pearse

For more information, or to place a hold, please click here.

 

Escape Into a Fantasy With a Digital Book

Escape into a Fantasy novel while you’re staying home and staying safe. Here are some of the most popular digital titles, both e-books and audio books, which you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

Title details for The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty - Available

THE CITY OF BRASS
By S. A. Chakraborty

“This lyrical historical fantasy debut brings to vivid life the ancient mythological traditions of an Islamic world unfamiliar to most American readers. Chakraborty’s grasp of Middle Eastern history, folklore, and culture inspires a swiftly moving plot, richly drawn characters, and a beautifully constructed world that will entrance fantasy aficionados.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Girl in Red by Christina Henry - Available

THE GIRL IN RED
By Christina Henry

“Henry’s sharp, unsettling rendition of “Little Red Riding Hood” explores whether a healthy sense of paranoia and extensive knowledge of horror fiction rules will increase Red’s chances of post-pandemic survival, especially given her increased vulnerability due to her gender and prosthetic leg…Henry (Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook) satisfyingly upends the familiar tale of a clever girl, a dangerous wolf, and a brave savior, and folklore fans will enjoy this bloody near-future variation on a familiar theme.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Kill the Farm Boy by Kevin Hearne - Available

KILL THE FARM BOY
By Kevin Hearne & Delilah S. Dawson

Dawson and Hearne topple the tropes of the young man’s adventure quest and the fairy tale in this joyous, hilarious tale. While preparing to deal with his daily barnyard drudgery shoveling the dung of assorted animals, a farm boy named Worstley is anointed the Chosen One by a filthy, foul-mouthed, drunken pixie. Soon Worstley is off to find his destiny, accompanied by a smart-aleck talking goat named Gustave…This one is for readers who enjoy farcical fairy tales, rollicking good times, and plenty of groan-worthy puns and literary references.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik - Available

SPINNING SILVER
By Naomi Novik

“This gorgeous, complex, and magical novel, grounded in Germanic, Russian, and Jewish folklore but richly overlaid with a cohesive, creative story of its own, rises well above a mere modern re- imagining of classic tales… This is the kind of book that one might wish to inhabit forever.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for A Hard Day's Knight by Simon R. Green - Available

A HARD DAY’S KNIGHT
By Simon R. Green

“This is Green’s most recent novel of the Nightside, a hidden part of London populated by creatures who never see the light of day. John Taylor is a Nightside PI who specializes in finding things. But something has just found him: Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur himself… With plenty of action packed in from London to Glastonbury, fun characters, and outrageous villains, A Hard Day’s Knight should definitely please fantasy action fans.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo - Available

THE GHOST BRIDE
By Yangsze Choo

Choo’s remarkably strong and arresting first novel explores the concept of Chinese spirit marriages in late-nineteenth-­century Malaya through the eyes of the highly relatable Li Lan, a poor but spunky young woman, who is approached by the wealthy family of a dead man to become his bride… With its gripping tangles of plot and engaging characters, this truly compelling read is sure to garner much well-deserved attention.” ~Booklist                                        Will appeal to historical fiction lovers, too! ~Sue, Circulation

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Available

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA
By Scott Lynch

On a distant world, orphan Locke Lamora is sold into a crew of thieves and con artists. Soon his natural gifts make him an underworld celebrity, leader of the flamboyantly larcenous Gentleman Bandits. But there is someone who covets Locke’s talents, his success, his very life, forcing him to put everything on the line to protect himself… Fans of lavishly appointed fantasy will be in seventh heaven here, but it will be nearly as popular with readers of literary crime fiction. This is a true genre bender, at home on almost any kind of fiction shelf.” ~Booklist

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - Available

OUTLANDER
By Diana Gabaldon

“Time-travel stories that combine swashbuckling adventure, romance, and vivid historical details don’t get any better than Gabaldon’s now classic debut…With vividly drawn, relatable characters and a respectful, loving eye for the history of the Scottish Highlands, Gabaldon’s Outlander series launch is a lush, romantic epic.” ~ Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith - Available

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, VAMPIRE HUNTER
By Seth Grahame-Smith

“From the man who brought you Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: a tale of Lincoln, who discovered that his mother was chewed to death by the local vampire. Hence his secret agenda to rid the world of bloodsuckers. Undoubtedly, there will be protests, and, undoubtedly, this will be huge.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon - Available

THE BONE SEASON
By Samantha Shannon

“We are the minority the world does not accept,” Paige Mahoney tells us, referring to the struggles of clairvoyants, from soothsayers and mediums to her own high standing as a dreamwalker…An energetic, multifaceted print and online campaign, including viral teaser trailers, will launch this exciting debut, the first in a thoughtful fantasy series by a brilliant young writer.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Wards of Faerie by Terry Brooks - Available

WARDS OF FAERIE
By Terry Brooks

“Researching magic in the books and scrolls housed below the palace, young Elven Druid Aphenglow Elessedil discovers a diary that recounts a forbidden romance between an Elven girl and a Darkling boy and hints at the fate of the long-vanished Elfstones. As troubled times return to the Four Lands and a tyrannical human-centered Federation seeks to dominate the other Races, Aphenglow sets herself a dangerous task—to follow the clues left in the diary and uncover magic that might save her people and her world.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Firebird by Susanna Kearsley - Available

THE FIREBIRD
By Susanna Kearsley

“Nicola Marter’s Russian grandfather was tortured for his gift of psychometry, so she’s hidden her own talent for years, but she may have to risk sharing it to help another… Kearsley blends history, romance and a bit of the supernatural into a glittering, bewitching tale.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

“Hang on to your hat. Hang on to your hope. And wind the clock, for tomorrow is another day.” ~ E.B. White

What Are We Reading? Popular Fiction-Digital Downloads.

Catch up on what your friends and neighbors (and librarians) have been reading, listening to, and loving by downloading one of these popular digital fiction titles while you’re staying home and staying safe. Here are a few suggestions that you can download from Overdrive with your Fairfield Public Library card.

Title details for Things in Jars by Jess Kidd - Available

THINGS IN JARS
By Jess Kidd

“Kidd is an expert at setting a supernatural mood perfect for ghosts and merrows, but her human villains make them seem mundane by comparison. With so much detail and so many clever, Dickensian characters, readers might petition Kidd to give Bridie her own series. Creepy, violent, and propulsive; a standout gothic mystery.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson - Available

NOTHING TO SEE HERE
By Kevin Wilson

“Wilson turns a bizarre premise into a beguiling novel about unexpected motherhood…Wilson captures the wrenching emotions of caring for children in this exceptional, and exceptionally hilarious, novel.” Publisher’s Weekly
*Staff Favorite!

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts by Kate Racculia - Available

TUESDAY MOONEY TALKS TO GHOSTS
By Kate Racculia

“A motley crew of Bostonians seeks an eccentric millionaire’s fortune in an epic, citywide treasure hunt that kicks off after his untimely death…The result is thrilling, romantic, and charming as all get out, a love letter to former witchy girls and compulsive dreamers that will make readers reassess what—and who—they value. Spooky, witty, and observant, Racculia’s novel of friendship and bigger-than-life aspirations is a treasure.” ~Kirkus
*Staff Favorite!

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson - Available

THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB
By Craig Davidson

A coming-of-age narrative about ghosts, friendship, and family secrets… Through the intensity of his characters’ experiences, Davidson reconnects us to our own memories of growing up.” ~Kirkus
*Staff Favorite!

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson - Available

RED AT THE BONE
By Jacqueline Woodson

“Woodson’s beautifully imagined novel explores the ways an unplanned pregnancy changes two families…Woodson’s nuanced voice evokes the complexities of race, class, religion, and sexuality in fluid prose and a series of telling details. This is a wise, powerful, and compassionate novel.” ~Publisher’s Weekly
*Staff Favorite!

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead - Available

THE NICKEL BOYS
By Colson Whitehead

The acclaimed author of The Underground Railroad (2016) follows up with a leaner, meaner saga of Deep South captivity set in the mid-20th century and fraught with horrors more chilling for being based on true-life atrocities.” ~Kirkus

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri - Available

THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO
By Christy Lefteri

“Lefteri (A Watermelon, a Fish and a Bible) tells a haunting and resonant story of Syrian war refugees undertaking a treacherous journey to possible safety…Lefteri perceptively and powerfully documents the horrors of the Syrian civil war and the suffering of innocent civilians. Readers will find this deeply affecting for both its psychological intensity and emotional acuity.” ~Publisher’s Weekly
*Staff Favorite

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert Hillman - Available

THE BOOKSHOP OF THE BROKEN HEARTED
By Robert Hillman

“Hillman’s novel is an impressive, riveting tale of how two disparate and well-drawn people recover from soul-wrenching grief and allow themselves to truly love again.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton - Available

HOLLOW KINGDOM
By Kira Jane Buxton

“A foul-mouthed, Cheetos-loving crow named S.T. goes on an adventure to save humanity from doom.” ~BookPage
“Buxton spins a fresh, alarming apocalypse from the perspectives of intelligent, communicative animals in her hilarious debut.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham - Available

GOOD GIRL, BAD GIRL
By Michael Robotham

“Two major cases preoccupy forensic psychologist Cyrus Haven, the hero of this haunting psychological thriller from Edgar finalist Robotham. First, the Nottingham, England, police have enlisted him in their effort to catch the killer of 15-year-old Jodie Sheehan, British junior figure skating champion. Second, Cyrus has to assess the fitness of a troubled but achingly vulnerable teenage girl for release from a high-security children’s home… Robotham expertly raises the tension as the action hurtles toward the devastating climax. Readers will hope the complex Cyrus will return for an encore.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Chelsea Girls by Fiona Davis - Available

THE CHELSEA GIRLS
By Fiona Davis

“Davis brings to life another New York City landmark through the story of two midcentury women…This novel in three acts brings to vivid life the McCarthy era and its impact on the entertainment industry in a heartbreaking tale of the friendship of two brave women.” ~Library Journal

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger - Available

THE GIFTED SCHOOL
By Bruce Holsinger

“In this sharply entertaining novel from Holsinger, Crystal, Colo., is an affluent community where a new gifted magnet school for grades six through 12 will soon open. With limited spaces available, the competition among parents to get their offspring into the school, called the “Stuyvesant of the Rockies,” turns ruthless.” ~Publisher’s Weekly

For more information, please click here.

Title details for Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips - Available

DISAPPEARING EARTH
Julia Phillips

“In the opening chapter of Phillips’s exceptional and suspenseful debut, two sisters—Sofia, 8, and Alyona, 11—vanish from a beach on the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia, and their disappearance sends ripples throughout the close-knit community. The subsequent 12 chapters, taking place during the months over the following year, chart the impact of the potential kidnapping—and the destructive effect of longing and loss—and play out in a series of interconnected and equally riveting stories about others in the surrounding area.” ~Publisher’s Weekly
*Staff Favorite

For more information, please click here.

Title details for The Editor by Steven Rowley - Available

THE EDITOR
By Steven Rowley

“Rowley’s second novel (after Lily and the Octopus) is an insightful look into the world of publishing and the relationships we forge at work and at home. His imagining of the everyday life of the very private Jacqueline Onassis will appeal to readers who admire the former First Lady.” ~Library Journal
*Staff Favorite

For more information, please click here.

“Adversity is like a strong wind. It…tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn, so that afterward we see ourselves as we really are, and not merely as we might like to be.”
~Arthur Golden, Memoirs of a Geisha

Start the New Year Off With a Great Book!

There are lots of great books coming out in January. Here is a sampling of some of the most anticipated titles:

DEAR EDWARD by Ann Napolitano

“Imagine the pain of losing a single family member. Now, imagine getting on a plane with your entire family, both parents and an older brother, and when the plane crashes, you are the only passenger to survive. Such is the fate of 12-year-old Eddie Adler in this penetrating new novel from Napolitano… The painfully vivid story of one boy’s coming of age redirected by tragedy.” ~Library Journal

For more information about this staff favorite, or to place a hold, please click here.

NAKED CAME THE FLORIDA MAN by Tim Dorsey

“As a hurricane wreaks havoc upon Florida, the never-more-aptly-named Serge A. Storms, Florida’s most avid history buff (not to mention its most cheerful serial killer) is determined to finish his latest foray into the state’s past: a tour of Florida’s most notable cemeteries. Along the way, he rights wrongs in his own violently clever fashion and investigates a legendary story of a local bogeyman. Readers who have not yet met Mr. Storms are in for a real treat: he’s one of contemporary fiction’s most entertaining and idiosyncratic creations, a killer who believes he’s only doing what’s right, an amateur historian who gets almost unendurably thrilled about the tiniest historical fact concerning the state he loves. Dorsey, a former newspaperman, writes economically; the dialogue is sparse and frequently hilarious, and the narrative passages are as descriptive as they need to be but not a syllable more. A fine entry in this consistently strong series.” ~Booklist

For more information about this staff favorite, or to place a hold, please click here.

LADY CLEMENTINE by Marie Benedict

“Behind every successful man, they say, stands a strong woman. Lady Clementine Churchill was an example of such, as this self-narrated fictional recounting makes clear…This outstanding story deserves wide readership. Fans of historical fiction, especially set around World War II; readers who appreciate strong, intelligent female leads; or those who just want to read a compelling page-turner will enjoy this gem of a novel.” ~Library Journal

For more information about this staff favorite, or to place a hold, please click here.

SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid

“Say you’re a white, professional woman in the midst of a late-evening crisis. Would you call your African American babysitter, catching her at a friend’s birthday party, and ask her to come tend to your toddler? Say you’re that African American babysitter. After taking your charge to the local market, wouldn’t you be annoyed, then humiliated, then downright scared and angry when a security guard accuses you of kidnapping? …In her debut novel, Reid illuminates difficult truths about race, society, and power with a fresh, light hand. We’re all familiar with the phrases white privilege and race relations, but rarely has a book vivified these terms in such a lucid, absorbing, graceful, forceful, but unforced way. ~Library Journal

For more information about this staff favorite, or to place a hold, please click here.