Staff Picks

Marilyn's Pick: The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout

"Artie Dam seems to have a settled life as a high school history teacher, husband, and neighbor, but an unexpected revelation forces him to reconsider the relationships he holds closest. Strout explores loneliness, connection, and how little we may know about the people nearest to us." - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: The Homewreckers by Mary Kay Andrews

"Savannah home renovator Hattie Kavanaugh takes a chance on a beach-house renovation reality show after a costly project goes wrong. When demolition uncovers evidence tied to a years-old disappearance, the story mixes home renovation, romance, and a cold-case mystery." - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

"Margaret Jacobsen's carefully planned future changes in a single devastating moment. As she faces recovery, family complications, heartbreak, and a demanding physical therapist, she must discover how to build a new life and find joy in circumstances she never expected." - From the publisher

Rebecca's Pick: Fall I Want by Lyra Parish

"Fall I Want is a feel-good, spicy small-town, romantic comedy with a billionaire who falls first and harder! The brokenhearted billionaire visits Cozy Creek to escape. I never expected to become his fake girlfriend or fall madly in love...but here we are." - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: How to Be a Wallflower by Eloisa James

"Heiress Cleopatra Lewis has no intention of marrying and plans to make herself a wallflower during the London season. A wardrobe wager with American businessman Jacob Astor Addison turns into a witty Regency romance as rivalry gives way to friendship and attraction." - Eloisa James (official author site)

Alicia's Pick: The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, Vol. 1 by Beth Brower

"The first book starts a little slow, but once it gets going, it's full of quirky, charming characters, humor, and a cozy historical setting. It's the kind of series you just want to keep spending time in."- Alicia Kurz / “The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian's. But Emma's plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian's. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes..” - From the publisher

May’s Pick: The Young Will Remember by Eve J. Chung

“A Chinese American journalist becomes stranded behind enemy lines during the Korean War and must depend on a group of women to survive. Library Journal calls it ‘a riveting story, beautifully written and filled with compassion and conviction.’” - From the publisher

Marilyn's Pick: The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji

"Members of a university mystery club travel to remote Tsunojima Island, infamous for a series of unsolved murders. When one of them is killed, the amateur sleuths find themselves trapped in a classic puzzle mystery where anyone in the group could be next." - From the publisher

Jonna's Pick: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

“Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick is eighty-one, fiercely independent, and hiding a remarkable past: she was once known as Mad Mabel, Australia's youngest convicted murderer. When a neighbor dies and old secrets resurface, Elsie is forced to confront the story everyone thinks they know.” - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: Holmes, Marple & Poe by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

"Three private investigators with famous surnames and mysterious, untraceable pasts open an agency in New York City. Their headline-making cases attract NYPD Detective Helene Grey, who becomes determined to discover who Holmes, Marple, and Poe really are." - James Patterson (official author site)

Debbie's Pick: An Inside Job by Daniel Silva

"Art restorer and spy Gabriel Allon becomes entangled in a murder investigation and the disappearance of a lost Leonardo da Vinci masterpiece. His search leads through the international art world, organized crime, and the hidden finances of the Vatican." - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: Holmes Is Missing by James Patterson and Brian Sitts

"Holmes, Marple & Poe Investigations is facing a disturbing series of child abductions when Brendan Holmes suddenly disappears. With one of the agency's three detectives missing, Margaret Marple and Auguste Poe must solve the case while trying to find their partner." - James Patterson (official author site)

Marilyn’s Pick: Bruno’s Challenge and Other Stories of the French Countryside by Martin Walker

“Fifteen short stories return to St. Denis, where Bruno settles small-town problems amid cafés, markets, the French countryside, and plenty of memorable food. A cozy collection rich in atmosphere and everyday life.” - From Booklist

Jessie’s Pick: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

“Millie takes a job as a housemaid for a wealthy family, but their perfect home hides dangerous secrets.” - From the publisher

Jessie’s Pick: Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden

“An advice columnist whose own life is falling apart decides she is done being reasonable and begins delivering her own dark form of justice to the people who deserve it.” - From Kirkus Reviews

Jessie’s Pick: The Surrogate Mother by Freida McFadden

“After years of trying to have a baby, Abby accepts her assistant’s offer to become her surrogate. But when disturbing things begin to happen, she discovers the woman carrying her child is hiding a dangerous secret.” - From the publisher

Jessie’s Pick: The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

“A couple desperate for a child adopts an abandoned young girl, but her increasingly disturbing behavior threatens their marriage and forces them to confront the secrets of her past.” - From the publisher

Jessie’s Pick: Her First Lie by Lucinda Berry

“In this prequel to The Perfect Child, a young mother turns to her estranged grandmother for help and uncovers a legacy of family secrets that may put both her and her daughter in danger.” - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson

"Three hundred years after the original Mistborn trilogy, Scadrial is entering a modern age of railways and electric lights, but old magic still matters. Former frontier lawman Waxillium Ladrian returns to the city and is drawn into train robberies, kidnappings, and political intrigue.." - From the publisher

Debbie's Pick: Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

"Miryem, the daughter of an unsuccessful moneylender, earns a reputation for turning silver into gold through her skill at collecting debts. Her success draws the attention of the icy Staryk king and pulls her, along with two other women, into a dangerous world of magic and impossible bargains." From the publisher

Rebecca's Pick: Storm Breaker by Nisha J. Tuli

"Nineteen-year-old Poet Graves arrives at Amery Academy knowing she must survive its brutal trials and keep her dangerous secret hidden: the storms beyond New Manhattan obey her. Her growing connection with Rook, an outsider from an enemy faction, makes that secrecy even harder to protect." - From the publisher

Rebecca’s Pick: A Curse of Shadows and Ice by Catharina Maura

“Princess Arabella agrees to marry the feared Shadow Emperor to save her kingdom, only to discover that her forbidden magic may be the key to breaking a deadly curse.” - From the publisher

Rebecca's Pick: Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell; illustrated by Faith Erin Hicks

"Deja and Josiah are seasonal best friends who have worked together at the same pumpkin patch every fall. On their final night before graduation, they decide to leave their usual post behind and turn one last shift into an adventure." - From the publisher

Margo’s Pick: The laws of cultivation : Qi=MC². Vol 1 by KrazeKode

"Lu Jie awakens in a world of magic, alchemy, and powerful sects, then discovers an unusual path to cultivation: science." - From the publisher

Richard's Pick: Citizenship: Notes on an American Myth by Daisy Hernández

"In this one-of-a-kind book, Daisy Hernández fiercely interrogates one of the most complicated subjects of contemporary life and politics: citizenship. Braiding memoir, history, and cultural criticism, she exposes the truths and lies of how we define ourselves as a country and a people. Turning to her own family’s stories—her mother arrived from Colombia, while her father was a political refugee from Castro’s Cuba—Hernández shows how the very idea of citizenship is a myth, one of the stories we tell ourselves about the American soul and psyche." - From the publisher

Rebecca's Pick: Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe

"AJ Wolfe takes a close look at the large and often misunderstood community of adult Disney fans. The book explores what draws people to Disney films, parks, merchandise, and fandom, while considering why this subculture is mocked and what its passion reveals about joy, escape, and belonging.." - From the publisher

Lydia's Pick: Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

"A book for adults about books for children, a rallying cry for art and imagination, and a celebration of the power of storytelling in all our lives. Make Believe is bestselling children's author Mac Barnett's incisive, intimate, and timely invitation to approach children's literature not only as an art form worthy of deep study and criticism, but as a portal into the lives of the children." - From the publisher

Lydia's pick: Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind" edited by Theodore Roszak, Mary E. Gomes, and Allen D. Kanner

"This influential collection explores the connection between human psychological health and the health of the natural world, bringing together psychologists, environmental thinkers, and activists." - From the publisher

Lydia's pick: The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects by Marshall McLuhan & Quentin Fiore

"McLuhan and Fiore explore how media and technology shape the way people think, communicate, and experience the world around them." - From the publisher

Margo’s Pick: Lost in NYC: A Subway Adventure by Nadja Spiegelman, illustrated by Sergio García Sánchez

"Young readers will enjoy the mix of NYC facts, maps, and energetic artwork as Pablo learns to navigate the subway and his new city." - From Booklist

Margo's Pick: Toad on the Go by Jashar Awan

"Toad is always ready to help in his tow truck and believes he never makes mistakes. When he finally does, he learns that what matters is how you make things right." - From the publisher

Margo's Pick: The Fluffy Futon by Yuichi Kasano

"Grandma’s freshly washed futon is so soft and cozy that one sleepy visitor after another climbs on for a nap. Soon the whole household is piled together." From the publisher