Staff Picks
I swore off reading WWII books for awhile but am glad I let this one lure me back in. It is a wonderful, grand story of three siblings and their lives from childhood on the English coast through their various roles during the war. Beautiful writing gives life to not only the siblings but every character in the book.
Highly recommended by Kristine
Ng's newest novel is a powerful story of love, loss, and the legacy we leave behind. After suffering through a crippling economic crisis, the country adopts a severe policy penalizing anyone not deemed "patriotic" enough. This leads to hate and violence aimed at the AAPI community. Most terrifyingly, by separating children from parents. Ng paints a frightening world that given the current climate, does not seem that far out there. Ng handles this heavy subject with the skill and beauty that leaves the reader hopeful at the end.
Recommended by Mary Kay
The "what-if" story of the real Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter. I love a literary speculative history and this one fits the bill. A nicely woven tale of love ad betrayal. Perfect for fans of New England history.
Recommended by Kristine
Recommended by Laurie
Another fun little mystery with the gang!
Recommended by Anna
The Marriage Portrait is an extraordinary work of historical fiction. Maggie O'Farrell absolutely transports the reader to 16th century Italy with her lush descriptions and beautiful prose. The story of Lucrezia, who is married off to the Duke of Ferrante at 15 and dead within the year, is riveting. The novel alternates between the night of Lucrezia's death and her early life leading up to her position as duchess. O'Farrell masterfully builds suspense as the story unfolds to it's thrilling end.
Recommended by Mary Kay
A beautiful, quiet gem of a story. Featuring magical realism, ghosts, found family, and a coastal setting--what more could you want?
Recommended by Anna
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam” (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Carlotta is a transgender woman who is released to her hometown of Brooklyn after 22 years in a male prison. As she tries to adjust to life on the outside, Carlotta continues to encounter one injustice after another. This novel highlight so many inequities, yet Carlotta maintains her optimism, humor and hope for her future.
Recommended by Mary Kay
I haven't been this invested in a book in a long time. Kuang's world of Babel is deliciously deep with well-researched and crafted translations. I am obsessed with the idea that magic can exist between like words of different languages. Kuang's examination of class and race in 19th century England shines a lot of light on our current world and her writing is utterly entrancing. I couldn't recommend highly enough!
Recommended by Kimi
From the best-selling, award-winning author of The Sense of an Ending, a magnetic tale that centers on the presence of a vivid and particular woman, whose loss becomes the occasion for a man’s deeper examination of love, friendship, and biography.
Nothing short of harrowing. McCurdy chronicles her childhood--growing up Mormon, homeschooled, and impoverished with a (to put it mildly) extremely controlling mom--and rise to child stardom in brutal detail. She spares no detail in her descriptions of alcoholism and eating disorders... Ultimately, I'm Glad My Mom Died is the story of McCurdy finding herself and regaining control over her own choices after a lifetime of exploitation, by both her mom and later Nickelodeon. Definitely worth the read.
Recommended by Anna