Staff Picks

Jonna's Pick: Writers & Lovers by Lily King

"Writers & Lovers follows Casey--a smart and achingly vulnerable protagonist--in the last days of a long youth, a time when every element of her life comes to a crisis. Written with King's trademark humor, heart, and intelligence, Writers & Lovers is a transfixing novel that explores the terrifying and exhilarating leap between the end of one phase of life and the beginning of another." - From the publisher.

Jonna's Pick: Heart the Lover by Lily King

"Written with the superb wit and emotional sensitivity fans and critics of Lily King have come to adore, Heart the Lover is a deeply moving story that celebrates love, friendship, and the transformative nature of forgiveness. Wise, unforgettable, and with a delightful connective thread to Writers & Lovers, this is King at her very best, affirming her as a masterful chronicler of the human experience and one of the finest novelists at work today." - From the publisher.

Debbie's Pick: The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards

"A world at war. A beautiful young star. A mission no one expected. Paris, 1944 Celebrated singer Genevieve Dumont is both a star and a smokescreen. An unwilling darling of the Nazis, the chanteuse's position of privilege allows her to go undetected as an ally to the resistance. When her estranged mother, Lillian de Rocheford, is captured by Nazis, Genevieve knows it won't be long before the Gestapo succeeds in torturing information out of Lillian that will derail the upcoming allied invasion. ." - From the publisher.

Marilyn’s Pick: River of Darkness by Rennie Airth

“Upon its original publication, River of Darkness awed readers who look for intelligent, well-plotted psychological mysteries. This “fine, frightening piece of work” (Kirkus Reviews) introduces inspector John Madden who, in the years following World War I, is sent to a small village to investigate a particularly gruesome attack. The local police dismiss the slaughter as a botched robbery, but Madden detects the signs of a madman at work. With the help of Dr. Helen Blackwell, who introduces him to the latest developments in criminal psychology, Madden sets out to identify and capture the killer, even as the murderer sets his sights on his next innocent victims.” – From the publisher.

Debbie's Pick: Flashpoint by Anne Coulter

"Agents Savich and Sherlock are back in the latest installment in Catherine Coulter’s #1 New York Times bestselling FBI Thriller series, where the past refuses to stay buried." - From the publisher.

Debbie's Pick: The Oligarch's Daughter by Joseph Finder

"From the New York Times bestselling author of House on Fire, a breakneck thriller that marries the dynastic opulence of Succession with the tense and disorienting spy-craft of The Americans." - From the publisher.

Debbie's Pick: The Watchmaker's Hand by Jeffery Deaver

"When a New York City construction crane mysteriously collapses, causing mass destruction and injury, Rhyme and Sachs are on the case." - From the publisher.

Jessie's Pick: Pet Sematary by Stephen King

“When Dr. Louis Creed takes a new job and moves his family to the idyllic rural town of Ludlow, Maine, this new beginning seems too good to be true. Despite Ludlow’s tranquility, an undercurrent of danger exists here. Those trucks on the road outside the Creed’s beautiful old home travel by just a little too quickly, for one thing…as is evidenced by the makeshift graveyard in the nearby woods where generations of children have buried their beloved pets.” – From the publisher.

Anne R's Pick: A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin

"These collected adventures recount an age when the Targaryen line still holds the Iron Throne, and the memory of the last dragon has not yet passed from living consciousness." - From the publisher.

Jonna's Pick: Vigil by George Saunders

"Not for the first time, Jill 'Doll' Blaine finds herself hurtling toward earth, reconstituting as she falls, right down to her favorite black pumps. She plummets towards her newest charge, yet another soul she must usher into the afterlife, and lands headfirst in the circular drive of his ornate mansion. She has performed this sacred duty 343 times since her own death. Her charges, as a rule, have been greatly comforted in their final moments. But this one, she soon discovers, isn't like the others. The powerful K.J. Boone will not be consoled, because he has nothing to regret. He lived a big, bold, epic life, and the world is better for it. Isn't it?" - From the publisher.

Cara's Pick: Let Me in Your Window by Adam Ellis

"This sequel to Adam Ellis’s New York Times bestselling Bad Dreams in the Night is packed with terrifying twists, haunted houses, urban legends, and delightfully horrifying stories—like your own personal campfire ghost stories packed into a graphic novel. Each story will make you scream for more!" - From the publisher.

Alicia's Pick: Tranquility by Tuesday : 9 Ways to Calm the Chaos and Make time for What Matters by Laura Vanderkam

"To make time for what matters, you need a resilient schedule, not a perfect schedule. Based on a time diary study of over 150 people, Vanderkam shares nine strategies for building opportunities for joy, nourishment, and fulfillment into your week, such as: three times a week is a habit; one big adventure, one little adventure; effortful before effortless. This is more than a time management book about 'how to do it all.' It's a look at how real people changed their lives using Vanderkam's nine rules, and how you can do the same. It's about intentionally living the life that you want to live, and becoming an autonomous steward of life's possibilities." - From the publisher.

Marilyn's Pick: The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

"Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives." - From the publisher.

Richard's Pick: Poisoning the Well: How Forever Chemicals Contaminated America by Sharon Udasin & Rachel Frazin

"In this detailed exposé of corporate evasiveness, inadequate governmental response, and determined lawyers and grassroots activists, the authors precisely elucidate environmental and health concerns, landmark court cases, and some hope for technologies that may eventually eradicate these poisons. An eye-opening chronicle of a pervasive chemical disaster that must be more urgently and openly addressed." - Booklist

Margo's Pick: Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic by Wauter Mannaert

"In this silly, action-packed graphic novel from Wauter Mannaert, Chef Yasmina and the Potato Panic, a young chef is the only one who can protect her town from an onslaught of scientifically enhanced, highly addictive potatoes." - From the publisher.