JANUARY 2020 - STAFF READING SUGGESTIONS
DEAR EDWARD
by Ann Napolitano

A stunning portrayal of what it means to be a survivor and the fine balance between surviving and actually finding the will to move forward in the shattered remains of your life. This is the position 12-year-old Eddie, now known as Edward, must deal with as the sole survivor of a plane crash, in which 191 people, including his immediate family perished. Dear Edward is a novel that tears you to the core with grief, guilt, loneliness and remorse, but through glimpses of hope, friendship and kindness slowly mends those shattered pieces back together to heal the raw wound into an unforgettable scar that can be endured, and allow Edward to help heal others.
-Maxwell Gregory
LONG BRIGHT RIVER
by Liz Moore

Excellent literary mystery/police procedural; fast-paced and well-written. A story of two sisters (Kacey, an addict and Mickey, a police officer) in a hard-luck neighborhood in Philadelphia and the very different paths their lives take after the overdose and death of their mother.  Kacey is missing and Mickey is determined to find her, as well as figure out what is happening to other girls like Kacey who keep disappearing. Powerful page turner with a larger story to tell. This one has really stayed with me.
-Di Grumhaus
AMERICAN DIRT
by Jeanine Cummins
(Releases January 21, 2020)

Well-written and fast-paced, this gripping novel tells the story of a mother and son, the victims of unspeakable crimes, fighting for their lives and seeking asylum on American dirt.
-Kathy Petray
SUCH A FUN AGE
by Kiley Reid

A stunning debut novel that forces you to rethink transactional relationships, who you consider to be a part of your family and what it means to become an adult. Both race and class come into play at the very beginning when Emira, a young black babysitter, is confronted and questioned by a security guard in a grocery store when she is out late with the toddler she takes care of. Wit and humor are intertwined with an emotionally and socially impactful plot. This is a timely story that stays with you and keeps you thinking.
-Morley Vahey
HOW QUICKLY SHE DISAPPEARS
by Raymond Fleischmann

Full of suspense and intrigue, Fleishmann's novel is a haunting look into how far someone will go and what they will risk to uncover the truth behind a secret in their past. In 1941, Elizabeth Pfautz is living in a remote part of Alaska, dealing with an unhappy marriage and raising her daughter. When a stranger arrives in town, and kills a man, Elizabeth is shocked to discover this stranger may hold the key to the disappearance of her twin sister twenty years ago. While he plays a game of cat and mouse with her, Elizabeth must decide if it is worth putting her family at risk to learn the truth of what happened to her sister.
-Maxwell Gregory
FOLLOWERS
by Megan Angelo

This timely and thought-provoking novel explores our obsession with social media, our many devices and what it means to be a reality star. In 1915, before the Spill, we follow the lives of Orla and Floss. Floss will stop at nothing to become an Internet star and lures Orla into her domain. Post Spill, 2051, the government now controls social media and Floss' daughter Marlow is the star of a new community, Constellation, which is streamed 24/7. When Marlow breaks free of her controlled world, her mind is finally opened to true reality and real human connection.
-Maxwell Gregory
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK
BARRACOON
by Zora Neale Hurston
DEEP CREEK: FINDING HOPE IN THE HIGH COUNTRY
by Pam Houston
FREDERICK DOUGLASS
by David W. Blight
WORKING
by Robert A. Caro
THE DIME
by Kathleen Kent
THE FIRST CONSPIRACY
by Brad Meltzer
THE GIRL HE USED TO KNOW
by Tracey Garvis Groves
THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP ON THE SEINE
by Rebecca Raisin
THE NIGHT TIGER
by Yangsze Choo
THE WIVES
by Tarryn Fisher
WELCOME TO THE PINE AWAY MOTEL AND CABINS
by Katarina Bivald
CHILDRENS & YOUNG ADULT SUGGESTIONS
BOOK FOR KIDS:

REAL PIGEONS FIGHT CRIME
by Andrew McDonald

For fans of Dog Man and The Bad Guys, this new series features a band of mystery-solving pigeons. Each bird brings their own special talent to the squad as they try to discover where all the breadcrumbs have gone, or who is trapping all the bats. Lots of artwork on each page will appeal to emerging readers and those that love graphic novels.
-Di Grumhaus
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