Among library staff this summer (and ALL year, for that matter) is the common conundrum – too many books, too little time to get lost in them. We know our readers feel the same way – the struggle is real! That said, July is packed with new releases and great reads. 

Heavy hitters (including Nora Roberts, James Patterson, Daniel Silva, Debbie Macomber, Catherine Coulters, and so many more) have new books coming out this month in addition to debut authors and other popular favorites. So take some time, settle in with a good book, and enjoy the bliss of summer reading.

Here are a few suggestions to keep the pages turning in July.
Almost Midnight
by Paul Doiron
(July 2)

Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch already has a troubling mystery on his hands: finding the archer who mortally wounded Maine's only wild wolf. Then he learns his best friend, Billy Cronk, has been released from prison after heroically defending a female guard from a stabbing. Mike comes to believe the assault was orchestrated by a wider criminal conspiracy. When the conspirators pursue Billy's wife and children to a "safe" cabin in the woods, Mike rushes to their defense only to find himself outnumbered, outgunned--and maybe out of options. An intense, fast-paced, outdoorsy procedural for fans of C. J. Box and William Kent Krueger.
Lock Every Door
by Riley Sager
(July 2)

Jules takes a job as an apartment sitter at a posh Manhattan building to escape heartbreak and earn some cash. When a fellow apartment sitter disappears, Jules digs into the building's past and what she finds sends her racing to unmask a killer. Billed as one of “The Most Anticipated Books of Summer 2019” and “Best Beach Reads for Summer 2019,” this riveting thriller follows iconic horror themes that meld Rosemary’s Baby (the book is dedicated to Ira Levin) with the author’s own masterful storytelling.
Whisper Network
by Chandler Baker
(July 2)

“ If only you had listened to us, none of this would have happened.”  So begins this furiously funny (and just plain furious) adult debut by the author of the High School Horror series. The story follows four women who speak out when their ill-reputed boss is slated to become CEO, a decision that triggers catastrophic shifts throughout every department of their company. Timely and big-hearted with razor-sharp wit, Whisper Network will leave you cheering for the sisterhood.
Dragonfly
by Leila Meacham
(July 9)

At the height of WWII, five idealistic young Americans receive a mysterious letter from the OSS, asking them if they are willing to fight for their country. The men and women from very different backgrounds--a Texan athlete with German roots, an upper-crust son of a French mother and a wealthy businessman, a dirt-poor Midwestern fly fisherman, an orphaned fashion designer, and a ravishingly beautiful female fencer -- all answer the call of duty, but each for a secret reason of his or her own. A compelling historical fiction/suspense novel that provides fascinating backstory on its ensemble case as well a detail-rich portrait of Paris during the Occupation. 
The Need
by Helen Phillips
(July 9)

With her husband out of the country, paleobotanist Molly is home with their two young children when she hears footsteps in her living room. She's ready to dismiss it until her daughter asks, "Who's that guy?" The answer will shake Molly to the core and send her down a metaphysical rabbit hole that reads like a fever dream of every mother's fears. Molly is convinced the fossil quarry she is helping to excavate has unleashed a sinister force and that one of the found objects—a Bible that suggests God is female—has led some suspicious visitors to the site. Whether Molly's true enemy is real or a manifestation of her deepest anxieties is a lingering question that Phillips suggests comes with the territory of parenthood. A spell binding combination of literary fiction, magical realism, and straight-up horror that makes for an unforgettable reading experience.
The Other Mrs. Miller
by Allison Dickson
(July 16)

In this unputdownable domestic suspense debut, a lonely suburban housewife finds her life entangled with the family that moves in across the street at the same time that she becomes convinced someone is watching her.

Diverting, cleverly plotted “beach read” entertainment – perfect for fans of  The Couple Next Door  and  The Last Mrs. Parrish .
The Pawful Truth
(Cat in the Stacks #11)
by Miranda James
(July 16)

Pure delight best describes this summer’s visit with librarian Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel. In this installment, Charlie is auditing a history class at his alma mater. Shortly after he befriends “pretty girl” Dixie Belle Compton, his new study partner, she takes a fatal fall. Charlie turns amateur sleuth (along with his sidekick, Diesel), stepping into a tangled web of relationships and dishy gossip while trying to solve the mystery. Was it a crime of passion, or was there a more sinister motive at play? A solid, sharply focused page-turner that celebrates the role of the armchair investigator and the pleasure of a good cozy mystery.
Gravity is the Thing
by Jaclyn Moriarty
(July 23)

Abigail Sorensen has spent her life trying to unwrap the events of 1990. It was the year she started receiving random chapters from a self-help book called The Guidebook in the mail. It was also the year Robert, her brother, disappeared on the eve of her sixteenth birthday. She believes the absurdity of  The Guidebook and the mystery of her brother’s disappearance must be connected. Now, at thirty-five, Abigail has been invited to learn the truth behind The Guidebook at an all-expenses-paid retreat. What she finds will be unexpected, life affirming, and heartbreaking.
A story with extraordinary heart, warmth, and wisdom.

Home for Erring and Outcast Girls
by Julie Kibler
(July 23)

Inspired by historical events, this engaging and well-researched novel follows the deep friendship between two women at an early 20th-century rehabilitation home for cast-out single mothers and the reclusive librarian who discovers their story a century later. 

A poignant, absorbing and redemptive story with strong appeal for those who enjoyed Lisa Wingate’s Before We Were Yours and novels by Diane Chamberlain.

The Lager Queen of Minnesota
by J. Ryan Stradal
(July 23)

A talented baker running a business out of her nursing home reconnects with her master brewer sister at the same time her pregnant granddaughter launches an IPA brewpub. This is a story about overcoming odds, sacrificing to achieve one’s dreams and women who know how to take charge of their lives. An absolutely delightful read, perfect for a summer day with a good beer and a piece of pie. Lorna Landvik fans will love Stradal’s latest, following Kitchens of the Great Midwest.
Meet Me in Monaco
by Hazel Gaynor & Heather Webb
(July 23)

Set in the 1950s against the backdrop of Grace Kelly’s whirlwind romance and glamourous wedding to Prince Rainier of Monaco, the reader is taken on an evocative sun-drenched journey along the Côte d’Azur in this page-turning novel of passion, fate, and second-chances. The beautiful actress Grace Kelly is visiting the Cannes Film Festival in May 1955 where she is relentlessly pursued by a British photographer. Kelly enters a perfume shop where she is tucked away in an office by the shop’s owner, Sophie Duval, just as the pursuing photographer enters the shop. Because of this act of kindness the two women form a bond that lasts a lifetime. 
Perfect. Summer. Reading!

Chances Are...
by Richard Russo
(July 30)

One beautiful September day, three men convene on Martha's Vineyard, friends ever since meeting in college circa the sixties. They couldn't have been more different then, or even today. But each man holds his own secrets, in addition to the monumental mystery that none of them has ever stopped puzzling over since a Memorial Day weekend right here on the Vineyard in 1971: the disappearance of the woman each of them loved--Jacy Rockafellow. Now, more than forty years later, as this new weekend unfolds, their lives are displayed in their entirety while the distant past confounds the present like a relentless squall of surprise and discovery. An astounding novel by the Pulitzer Prize winning author of Empire Falls .

Never Have I Ever
by Joshilyn Jackson
(July 30)

It all begins when a new guest shows up at book club and the game – Never Have I Ever – throws its members into a tailspin, particularly one book club member, Annie. How does this interloper know her secrets, and at what cost will she go through to keep their revelations from shattering her perfect life? Be forewarned, this fast-paced thrill ride is one of those stay-up-all-night kind of books!
All the Books!
Wednesday, July 24 at 7 p.m.

Enjoy lively conversation highlighting all things new and exciting in books.

Did you love a book so much that you’re excited to share? Is there a “reviews darling” book everyone else loved that left you flat? Are you clamoring to dish on how a movie differs from its book? All perfect topics for ‘All the Books!’

Discover what your favorite library staff is reading as well as fellow library patrons. A one-of-a-kind “unbook” club! Everyone goes home with a free book!

Summer Reading Program
"Read S'More Books"

We are in week 6 of summer reading but there is still time to catch up!

The last day to pick up prizes is August 9.

The program is sponsored in large part by donations from area businesses. We greatly appreciate the support. Check out our newsletter for a complete list of donors.

For more weekly fun, come to the library and participate in our scavenger hunts for all ages. You never know what you'll find or what you'll learn!