Whether you are looking for your next great read or want to build up your "to-read" list, check out our new offerings below!
What a summer for book lovers, and what a great time to catch up on reading. The days are longer and the weather is just perfect for lounging around with a good book. Check out this new and upcoming titles we’re excited about in July:
Clock Dance
by Anne Tyler

We’ve been eagerly anticipating this new release by Pulitzer Prize Winning author, and her latest, Clock Dance, hits the mark. This is quintessential Tyler, a deep, feel-good novel woven with intricate understanding of human emotion, family, place and community. Pure reading pleasure – quirky, charming and brilliant. A sure bet for book clubs!

Caged
by Ellison Cooper

Debut author Cooper leaves no serial killer thriller cliché behind in this pathologically twisted tale. Erie, creepy and not for the faint at heart, Caged is the first in a trilogy. For readers who enjoy the psychologically complex, character driven thrillers by Val McDermid, Patricia Cornwell and Jeffrey Deaver. This one will have you sleeping with the lights on!


COMING SOON
Dear Mrs. Bird
by A. J. Pearce

An absolutely irresistible debut! Set in London during World War II, the novel follows Emmaline Lake, an adventurous young woman who goes from capturing her dream job as a war correspondent to working as a typist (and SECRET advice columnist) for the fierce, renowned advice columnist, Henrietta Bird. A warm, funny, and enormously moving tale for fans of  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society  and  Lilac Girls .
Believe Me
by J. P. Delaney

A struggling British actor in New York City without a green card takes on working for a divorce lawyer. Her job? Trapping unsuspecting husbands. The stakes are raised, and so is her safety, when she becomes ensnared in a murder investigation. This exceptional thriller is proof point that the domestic thriller genre shows no signs of slowing, with a twisty plot will keep you guessing to the last page.

The Romanov Empress: A Novel of Tsarina Maria Feodorovna
by C. W. Gortner

This stunningly rich novel brings to life the courageous story of Maria Feodorovna, the Danish girl who became the mother of the last Tsar of Russia. The July 16 release date is timed with the marking of the centennial of the murder of Tsar Nicholas and his family by the Bolsheviks. For fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir and Ariel Lawhon’s I Was Anastasia.

Fruit of the Drunken Tree: A Novel
by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

Another mesmerizing debut, this one set in Colombia at the height Pablo Escobar's violent reign is based on the author’s experiences growing up in war-torn Bogota in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. This is the heart wrenching story of a sheltered young girl and a teenage maid who form an unlikely bond, which in the end threatens to be the undoing for both of them. A riveting, powerful page-turner!
Baby Teeth
by Zoje Stage

Deviously fun domestic horror! The novel that takes raising kids to demented new heights, a frustrated stay-at-home mom’s unsuccessful attempts to pacify her seven-year-old daughter who displays dangerous tantrums and only speaks in the voice of a 17 th century girl who was burned at the stake. Dark, creepy, downright scary and unputdownable!

Sombody's Daughter
by David Bell

A riveting thriller! Michael Frazier lives an idyllic life, until the evening his frantic ex-wife shows up at his door pleading for help in finding her
missing child, who she
claims is his daughter. Uncertain but hopeful, Michael follows her into the night in the hopes of finding the child he never had, but always wished for. Readers will be immediately drawn in with how life can go from ordinary into a tense roller-coaster ride full of unseen twists and turns.  

I See Life Through
Ros é Colored Glasses
by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

This hilarious and heartfelt collection of essays and ruminations on the possibilities and pitfalls of daily life is the perfect recipe for a light and fun summer read. The best-selling mother/daughter duo has been compared to Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron. Pour yourself an icy cold glass of rose´ and settle in for some reading fun!

Slow: Simple Living for a frantic World
by Brooke McAlary

What better time than summer to pick up a book that encourages us to slow down?  In Slow, McAlary dispenses a prescription for mindfulness, disconnecting and embracing “wobbly” balance. Step off the fast track and ease into the latest trend – slow living!


C OMING SOON
Summer Favorites for Book Clubs

Is your book club looking for fresh new titles guaranteed to engage in lively discussions? Give one of these books a try!
The Ensemble
by Aja Gabel

An unforgettable novel which follows eighteen years in the musical careers and emotional lives of the members of a string quartet. This decade-spanning portrait of four friends will give your group plenty to gush over, not to mention a greater appreciation for things we unknowingly take for granted when listening to music.  A masterpiece!


Red Clocks
by Leni Zumas

Imagine a world in which Roe v. Wade has been overturned, and you have the premise of Zumas’ shattering novel in which abortion seekers are charged with conspiracy to commit murder, and abortion providers with second-degree murder.  A richly realized plot makes this book compulsively readable with a theme that echoes Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.  With a powerful and timely message, this is a sure bet for invoking thoughtful discussions.

The Hazel Wood
by Melissa Albert

Alice has spent most of her young life one step ahead of bad luck. Following the death of her grandmother, the reclusive author of a collection of pitch-dark fairy tales, she finds out just how bad her luck can get.  Her mother is captured by a figure claiming to come from the supernatural world where her grandmother’s stories are set. The message her mother leaves her with is “stay away from the Hazel Wood.” So begins her quest into the world where those tales begin, AND where she might just find out how her story went so wrong.  YA fiction that’s sure to be a hit with adult readers alike, and a fun thrill ride into the land of fairy tales where there’s no guarantee of happily-ever-afters.
Everything Happens for a Reason
by Kate Bowler

Bad things happen to good people. This is something Bowler had to grapple with after a lifetime of dissecting, but also consuming, America’s “prosperity gospel.”  When Bowler was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer, all of her thinking took a turn. With lovely prose and sharp wit this poignant look at the unpredictable promises of faith will amaze readers. 



Barracoon:
The Story of the Last Black Cargo
by Nora Zeale Hurston

If your book club is set on reading a classic, here’s something that doesn’t happen often:  a NEWLY published book by one of the giants of American literature. If you loved  Their Eyes Were Watching God , you need to read this book. It is the nonfiction account of the life of Cudjo Lewis, a man who was kidnapped from Africa and enslaved in America AFTER slavery was abolished.  A brief but significant story by one of America’s most important authors.

Reading Takes You Everywhere!

Don't forget to log your books for the Summer Reading Club and swing by the library to claim your prize!

PBS- The Great American Read

Have you heard about this fabulous PBS series yet? 
100 books, 1 winner – which book will America choose
as our new favorite read?

Look at this amazing and diverse collection of novels, watch and learn about the stories, authors, and readers and then vote for a favorite title, both at the  PBS website  beginning May 22nd and here at the Wauconda Area Library! 

We will be tracking our library patrons’ voting and you may win a copy of the book(s) that are selected, both by our patrons locally and nationally through PBS.

Here is the  official list of titles  from PBS, and here is a link to our library catalog  listing of the books , which may be checked out if you’d like to refresh your memory before voting.

To vote in our Wauconda Area Library poll, please click here.