August 2022 - Staff Reading Suggestions |
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THE LAST TO VANISH
by Megan Miranda
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Jackie's pick:
Ten years ago, Abigail Lovett fell into a job she loves, managing The Passage Inn, a cozy, upscale resort nestled in the North Carolina mountain town of Cutter’s Pass. Cutter’s Pass is best known for its outdoor offerings and its mysterious history. As the book begins, the string of unsolved disappearances that has haunted the town is once again thrust into the spotlight when journalist Landon West, who was staying at the inn to investigate the story of the vanishing trail, then disappears himself. This is a riveting thriller filled with taut suspense and shocking twists that will keep you guessing until the very end.
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THE HUNDRED WATERS
by Lauren Acampora
(releases 8/23)
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What would you do for the sake of art? Former photographer Louisa Rader and her daughter, Sylvie, are at the hands of an aspiring artist who comes to town and upturns their worlds. I couldn’t put this down!
-Diana
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CULT CLASSIC
by Sloane Crosley
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Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley has gotten some good reviews, and let's face it, the author has a real cool girl name. Picture a tale of hipster dating in modern NYC with snappy dialogue. No- not SATC, more grounded and far less sexy. Lola is a 30-something magazine editor who is recently engaged. One night she runs into an old flame, and then another. This pattern of seeing old boyfriends continues until it's no longer just coincidence. Lola must contend with feelings from past mixing in with the viability of her current relationship. And then the twists and turns start to happen, and I was quite taken with how Crosley decided to end her book.
-Molly
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NORA GOES OFF SCRIPT
by Annabel Monaghan
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Jackie's Pick:
Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same.
The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart.
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WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME
by Gillian McAllister
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Jackie's pick:
From UK bestselling author Gillian McAllister comes an astonishing, compulsively twisty psychological thriller about a mother who witnesses her teenage son stab a man and then seizes on an unconventional way to try to save him, deemed “perfection, every word, every moment” by Lisa Jewell.
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Facing memory issues and the start of of the pandemic, 75-year-old Kristofer decides to close his beloved Reykjavik restaurant for good. At loose ends, Kristofer suddenly receives an email from his first love Miko, the Japanese girl he fell in love with in 1969 while living in London. Miko and her father abruptly and mysteriously disappear one weekend without a trace, leaving Kristofer to wonder about her for 50 years. This is a lovely, somewhat melancholy love story and absorbing mystery. Olafsson gracefully explores the pain and beauty of our past lives and loves. I loved this quiet story.
-Lisa
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AMERICAN CARTEL: INSIDE THE BATTLE TO BRING DOWN THE OPIOID INDUSTRY
by Scott Higham & Sari Horwitz
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An eye-opening story about how drug distributors and Congress aided in the proliferation of the Opioid crisis in America. Washington Post reporters Higham and Horwitz look at the epidemic from a different angle - the lobbying done by drug stores and drug distributors that kept Opioids flowing. Lobbyists found members of Congress who would support legislation to change reporting requirements to the DEA, essentially handcuffing the DEA. If the reporting had been done, the DEA might have been able to curb this epidemic before it spun out of control. The end of the story has yet to be written as it’s still playing out in courtrooms across the country.
-Beth
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BIG PANDA AND TINY DRAGON
by James Norbury
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Oh my! I love this beautifully illustrated, little book of Buddhist philosophy and spirituality. Big Panda and Tiny Dragon travel through the seasons of the year together and through their conversations they explore the thoughts and emotions that connect us all. British artist, James Norbury, created the amazing artwork to accompany these ideas in a simple and accessible way. This book would make a perfect gift for anyone in your life. Come on in and take a look -- I guarantee you’ll be buying more than one! “If you seek happiness for others, you may find it for yourself"
-Di
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THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY
by Jamie Ford
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Jamie Ford explores the relationship of mind, spirit, and personal history in the women of the Moy family in this gorgeous, multigenerational novel. Their stories are filled with hardship and trauma, but hope plays the biggest role in the lives of the Moy women. It’s epigenetics, or inherited trauma, that gives this novel its fascinating foundation. The descendants of Alfong Moy dig into their inherited pasts, with astonishing results. A hopeful, beautiful read!
-Beth
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ARE YOU SARA?
by S. C. Lalli
(Direct to Paperback)
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Two young women with the same name take the wrong Uber and one winds up dead. In this fast-paced mystery, two young women with complicated lives unknown to the people they love, meet and then get in the wrong car. One Sara ends up dead and the other is left wondering if she was the intended target. Compelling storyline. I couldn’t read it fast enough!
-Martha
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THE FAMILY REMAINS
by Lisa Jewell
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Laura C's pick:
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell comes an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families, and deadly obsessions in this stand-alone sequel to the “brilliantly chilling" The Family Upstairs.
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CARRIE SOTO IS BACK
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
(Releases August 30, 2022)
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Carrie Soto was the greatest tennis player in history, with the most Grand Slam wins when she retired, but six years later another player is on the verge of surpassing her record at the 1994 US Open. What to do? Come out of retirement and try to reclaim your record, of course! Carrie is a fierce competitor, but at age 37 can she train and play at the level necessary to win on the world’s greatest stage? Come along for the ride as she is coached by her legendary father for one final season. Full of tennis, of course, but you need not be a player to enjoy and appreciate her journey. Those of you who have read TJR’s novels will enjoy the references to some of her previous characters.
-Di and Morley
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PATH LIT BY LIGHTNING: THE LIFE OF JIM THORPE
by David Maraniss
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Maraniss’s extensively researched book offers an equally fascinating look at Jim Thorpe’s talent as a man who excelled in the fields of baseball, football, and athletics broadly, tacked onto a vivid backdrop of sports culture in the first half of the 20th century. This essential work restores a legendary figure to his rightful place in history as the world’s finest all-around athlete. A must-read for this fall.
-Kathy
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THE RETREAT
by Sarah Pearse
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Located on an isolated island off the English coast, a wellness retreat center has opened its doors promising guests a top-notch stay. The island has a past, however, as it was the location of a reform school for children and the scene of gruesome murders committed years ago by a serial killer. Regardless of the island’s history, the hope is to turn over a new leaf and guests are eager to arrive and relax. When not one, but two guests show up dead in the first few days the idyllic mood quickly turns dark and a game of who-done-it (and why?) begins. I enjoyed this easy, page-turning thriller!
-Morley
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FOR PRIMARY OR MIDDLE GRADES
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MY LIFE BEGINS!
by Patricia MacLachlan
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A charming story told by nine-year-old Jacob about his life after the arrival of “The Trips," his new triplet sisters. He’s not really interested in these babies, as he had his heart set on a litter of puppies! Jacob decides to study The Trips as his research project at school, and in doing so realizes they are each their own little person, not just a group, and he has a special role to play in their lives. This would be a great read-aloud for any family, but also perfect for an “expectant” sibling.
-Di
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Yonder by Ali Standish is a middle-grade read perfect for fans of Lauren Wolk and Alan Gratz. I am always happy to find really good fiction with a male protagonist, and this one is superb. The novel is set in a small Appalachian town around WWII. Danny is almost 13 and at home with just his mom because his dad is off to war. Danny has a paper route, and has had some struggles lately with friendships and bullying. He is also feeling guilty because of choices he made in the past. Fortunately, he finds an older teen who becomes a friend and mentor but then disappears. Things begin to unravel for Danny and those he most cares for, which will have you on the edge of your seat. This book has everything going for it. A+ for me.
-Molly
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Lake Forest IL 60045
Phone: 847-234-4420
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