Happiness Falls by
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * When a father goes missing, his family's desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another in this thrilling page-turner, a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis from the award-winning author of Miracle Creek. OPRAH DAILY'S #1 NOVEL OF THE YEAR * ONE OF PEOPLE'S TEN BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR * A WASHINGTON POST, BOOKPAGE, KIRKUS REVIEWS, NEW YORK POST, GOOD HOUSEKEEPING, BOOK RIOT, CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY, REAL SIMPLE, CRIMEREADS, AND SHE READS BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR Belletrist Book Club Pick * Finalist for the New American Voices Award * Finalist for the Virginia Literary Award * "This is a story with so many twists and turns I was riveted through the last page."--Jodi Picoult "A brilliant, satisfying, compassionate mystery that is as much about language and storytelling as it is about a missing father. I loved this book."--Gabrielle Zevin, author of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow "I fell in love with the fascinating, brilliant family at the center of this riveting book."--Ann Napolitano, author of Hello Beautiful "We didn't call the police right away." Those are the electric first words of this extraordinary novel about a biracial Korean American family in Virginia whose lives are upended when their beloved father and husband goes missing. Mia, the irreverent, hyperanalytical twenty-year-old daughter, has an explanation for everything--which is why she isn't initially concerned when her father and younger brother Eugene don't return from a walk in a nearby park. They must have lost their phone. Or stopped for an errand somewhere. But by the time Mia's brother runs through the front door bloody and alone, it becomes clear that the father in this tight-knit family is missing and the only witness is Eugene, who has the rare genetic condition Angelman syndrome and cannot speak. What follows is both a ticking-clock investigation into the whereabouts of a father and an emotionally rich portrait of a family whose most personal secrets just may be at the heart of his disappearance. Full of shocking twists and fascinating questions of love, language, and human connection, Happiness Falls is a mystery, a family drama, and a novel of profound philosophical inquiry. With all the powerful storytelling she brought to her award-winning debut, Miracle Creek, Angie Kim turns the missing-person story into something wholly original, creating an indelible tale of a family who must go to remarkable lengths to truly understand one another.
Told from the point of view of the daughter, Mia, this book follows a family's desperate search for their father who disappears after going for a walk in the local nature reserve. The only witness to what happened is Eugene, her nonverbal little brother. This book leads you through many twists and turns making it an engaging read. It taught me new information about people with nonspeaking disabilities, and provided perspectives I have never considered before. I highly recommend!
The Outsiders by
When it was first published in 1967, The Outsiders defied convention with its immediate, deeply sympathetic portrayal of Ponyboy and his struggle to find a place for himself in a difficult world. Thirty years later, it speaks to teenagers as powerfully as ever.
S.E. Hinton’s "The Outsiders" is a beloved classic that explores themes of brotherhood, found family, class conflict, and empathy with profound authenticity. The novel follows Ponyboy Curtis and his Greaser friends as they navigate a world where social barriers and class disparity incites gang violence. Through the struggles experienced in the story, the emotional depth and perspective shown by the characters will draw readers into an embrace of humanity and empathy toward others.
Related media: Adapted into a 1983 film.
Also available as Digital E-Book and CD Audiobook.
12 Angry Men by
Courtroom drama revolving around the trial of a boy accused of killing his father, where one man stands between him and capital punishment.
A true masterpiece of mid-century Hollywood. Set almost entirely in one room, the film follows a jury of men on a sweltering afternoon as they deliberate on a case that could send a man to his death. While the jury's first impression is that the case is a clear-cut guilty verdict, there is more than what meets the eye at first glace. An absolute monument to the power of critical thinking, basic compassion, and genuine curiosity in search for truth. Henry Fonda's lead performance is an true force in this remarkable achievement that has stood- and will stand- the test of time.
Related media: 50th anniversary re-release DVD.
My Brilliant Friend by
#1 BEST BOOK OF THE CENTURY - NEW YORK TIMES Now an HBO series: the first volume in the New York Times-bestselling "enduring masterpiece" about a lifelong friendship between two women from Naples (The Atlantic). Beginning in the 1950s in a poor but vibrant neighborhood on the outskirts of Naples, Elena Ferrante's four-volume story spans almost sixty years, as its main characters, the fiery and unforgettable Lila and the bookish narrator, Elena, become women, wives, mothers, and leaders, all the while maintaining a complex and at times conflicted friendship. This first novel in the series follows Lila and Elena from their fateful meeting as ten-year-olds through their school years and adolescence. Through the lives of these two women, Ferrante tells the story of a neighborhood, a city, and a country as it is transformed in ways that, in turn, also transform the relationship between two women. "An intoxicatingly furious portrait of enmeshed friends."--Entertainment Weekly "Spectacular."--Maureen Corrigan, NPR's Fresh Air "Captivating."--The New Yorker
Recently named the Greatest Book of the 21st century by the New York Times, Elena Ferrante's landmark first novel of her "Neapolitan Novels" tells the story of two young girls growing up in post-war Naples, Italy. They experience family turmoil, rights of passage, stunning realizations about their world and the adults in it, and all of the joys and despairs that the closest of friendships can bring. Stunningly written by Ferrante and translated by Goldstein, this novel so richly delivers a picture of not only the textured neighborhoods of Naples, but also the inner machinations of our protagonists who populate them. This recommendation is a full endorsement of the first novel, but it really stands for the whole 4-book series, which only gets better as it goes on throughout their entire lives.
Related media: Adapted into an ongoing HBO TV series.
Also available as Digital E-book and in Large Print.
The Wailing by
When a mysterious illness begins spreading through a small village, a local policeman is drawn to the incident to solve the mystery.
A Korean occult thriller that I recommend going into blind for the best experience. There are no jump scares, but the film is very tense and unsettling. If you're bored of the generic horror films coming out of Blumhouse these days and are looking for something fresh, definitely check this out!
Rated TV-MA.
A Man Called Ove by
Now a major motion picture A Man Called Otto starring Tom Hanks! #1 New York Times bestseller--more than 3 million copies sold! Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon--the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him "the bitter neighbor from hell." But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and a sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul. All of which will change one cranky old man and a local residents' association to their very foundations. Fredrik Backman's beloved first novel about the angry old man next door is a thoughtful exploration of the profound impact one life has on countless others. "If there was an award for 'Most Charming Book of the Year,' this first novel by a Swedish blogger-turned-overnight-sensation would win hands down" (Booklist, starred review).
A Man Called Ove is a funny and heartwarming story about the journeys life takes us through. I loved this book because it provided a new perspective on how impactful the strangers in your life can become and it made me laugh out loud! If you like silly stories with a touch of life lessons this book might be for you.
Related media: Adapted into a Swedish movie (2015), later adapted into an American movie (2022).
Also available in CD Audiobook, Digital Audiobook, Digital E-Book, and Large Print.
A Bride's Story, Vol. 1 by
Acclaimed creator Kaoru Mori (Emma, Shirley) brings the nineteenth-century Silk Road to lavish life, chronicling the story of Amir Halgal, a young woman from a nomadic tribe betrothed to a twelve-year-old boy eight years her junior. Coping with cultural differences, blossoming feelings for her new husband, and expectations from both her adoptive and birth families, Amir strives to find her role as she settles into a new life and a new home in a society quick to define that role for her.
I enjoy this series because it shows different cultural practices of courting's, relationships, and weddings from different cultures. This series is fiction, but it still respects and shows how other cultures do weddings and how brides are chosen. Even though I'm not that much into slice-of-life stories, this series does a good job in tying in drama and romance and not making it super cheesy all at the same time.
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Book 1 of the Manga series.
Call Me By Your Name by
The son of an Italian professor forms a relationship with his father's summer research assistant.
Luca Guadagnino's 2017 Italian romance and drama absolutely oozes with verdant surroundings of gorgeous northern Italy in the 1980s, and delivers us into the summer of Elio, a young precocious man living with his parents in their villa, and Oliver, a graduate student studying under Elio's father for the summer. As the days whirl them through archaeological digs, nightclubs, and wistful plains and piazzas, their relationship develops into new territory. Nominated for five Oscars including Best Picture (and winning for James Ivory's masterful screenplay adaptation), this is my personal favorite film and would recommend it very deeply.
Rated R.
Related media: Adapted from a book of the same title by Andre Aciman.
Heartstopper #1: a Graphic Novel by
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Now streaming on Netflix! Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.
Heartstopper is a beautiful, coming-of-age love story between two high school boys who develop a friendship that unexpectedly turns into more over time. Charlie, a shy and relatively quiet boy has a lackluster love-life and is used to being hidden by those afraid to love him out loud... until he meets Nick, the kind-hearted star of the rugby team who cannot deny his own feelings.
Audience: Young Adult
Book 1 of the Heartstopper series.
Related media: The Hearstopper Yearbook, Nick and Charlie: A Heartstopper Novella, This Winter: A Heartstopper Novella
Click, Clack, Moo by
The quirky, hilarious farmyard tale that started it all from New York Times bestselling duo of Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin! Now the inspiration for a new Christmas special, CLICK, CLACK, MOO: Christmas on the Farm. Farmer Brown has a problem. His cows like to type. All day long he hears Click, clack, MOO. Click, clack, MOO. Clickety, clack, MOO. But Farmer Brown's problems REALLY begin when his cows start leaving him notes.... Doreen Cronin's understated text and Betsy Lewin's expressive illustrations make the most of this hilarious situation. Come join the fun as a bunch of literate cows turn Farmer Brown's farm upside down.
Baby's first introduction to class consciousness and collective action! This charming children's book follows an eclectic group of farm animals as they go on strike for better living conditions. Using an old typewriter, they communicate back and forth with their farmer, withholding their capital until their demands are met. A truly delightful farmyard tale that I heard millions of times as a child and think about often even today.
Related media: Adapted into DVD with other stories by author.
Available also as VOX book, and in translation in Spanish.
S.P.Q.R.: A History of Ancient Rome by
Ancient Rome was an imposing city even by modern standards, a sprawling imperial metropolis of more than a million inhabitants, a "mixture of luxury and filth, liberty and exploitation, civic pride and murderous civil war" that served as the seat of power for an empire that spanned from Spain to Syria. Yet how did all this emerge from what was once an insignificant village in central Italy? In S.P.Q.R., world-renowned classicist Mary Beard narrates the unprecedented rise of a civilization that even two thousand years later still shapes many of our most fundamental assumptions about power, citizenship, responsibility, political violence, empire, luxury, and beauty. From the foundational myth of Romulus and Remus to 212 ce--nearly a thousand years later--when the emperor Caracalla gave Roman citizenship to every free inhabitant of the empire, S.P.Q.R. (the abbreviation of "The Senate and People of Rome") examines not just how we think of ancient Rome but challenges the comfortable historical perspectives that have existed for centuries by exploring how the Romans thought of themselves: how they challenged the idea of imperial rule, how they responded to terrorism and revolution, and how they invented a new idea of citizenship and nation. Opening the book in 63 bce with the famous clash between the populist aristocrat Catiline and Cicero, the renowned politician and orator, Beard animates this "terrorist conspiracy," which was aimed at the very heart of the Republic, demonstrating how this singular event would presage the struggle between democracy and autocracy that would come to define much of Rome's subsequent history. Illustrating how a classical democracy yielded to a self-confident and self-critical empire, S.P.Q.R. reintroduces us, though in a wholly different way, to famous and familiar characters--Hannibal, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Augustus, and Nero, among others--while expanding the historical aperture to include those overlooked in traditional histories: the women, the slaves and ex-slaves, conspirators, and those on the losing side of Rome's glorious conquests. Like the best detectives, Beard sifts fact from fiction, myth and propaganda from historical record, refusing either simple admiration or blanket condemnation. Far from being frozen in marble, Roman history, she shows, is constantly being revised and rewritten as our knowledge expands. Indeed, our perceptions of ancient Rome have changed dramatically over the last fifty years, and S.P.Q.R., with its nuanced attention to class inequality, democratic struggles, and the lives of entire groups of people omitted from the historical narrative for centuries, promises to shape our view of Roman history for decades to come.
One of the quintessential Roman histories for the non-academic enthusiast. Mary Beard culminates a lifetime of work into a highly digestible, easily readable, and very engaging history of Rome (the city itself but also the very idea) across the millennia. Filled with insightful images, maps, and figures along the way, "SPQR" is one of the best starting places for the Rome-curious, and also one of the great foundation-blocks for folks with all ranges of Rome expertise. (Take it even from a Roman History major- I learned a lot!)
Audience: Adult/General Content
The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer by
The creator of National Geographic's popular Blue Zones-now a documentary on Netflix-brings readers a beautifully illustrated and informative guide to the places on Earth where people live the longest-including lessons learned, top longevity foods, and the behaviors to help you live to 100-plus a surprising new blue zone. National Geographic Explorer and best-selling author Dan Buettner has traveled the globe to uncover the best strategies for longevity, which he found in the blue zones- places around the world where higher percentages of people enjoy remarkably long, full lives. In The Blue Zones Secrets for Living Longer, Buettner returns to Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Okinawa, Japan; Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula; and Loma Linda, California to check in on the super-agers living in the blue zones and interprets the not-so-secret sauce of purpose, faith, community, down-time, natural movement, and plant-based eating that has powered as many as 10 additional years of healthy living in these regions. And Buettner reveals an all-new blue zone-the first man-made blue zone yet explored. Throughout his two decades of research, Buettner has worked with some of National Geographic's top photographers-including David McLain and Gianluca Cola-to document the healthy habits of the world's longest living communities. In this informative collection, their work punctuates Buettner's lively text, offering a beautiful tour of the blue zones.
I decided to read this book for a second time this summer after the recent release of the Netflix documentary Live to 100, based on this original book. It has held up well over the years. The book takes the reader to parts of the world where people live the longest and shares why these people live so much longer than everyone else. Filled with research, personal anecdotes, and suggestions for ways to live a little more like these amazing people from around the globe, the book is worth a read. I thought it was extremely motivational for making some healthy improvements to my lifestyle.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Related media: The Blue Zones Kitchen (available in print and E-book), Thrive: Finding Happiness the Blue Zones Way, The Blue Zones American Kitchen, The Blue Zones of Happiness, The Blue Zones Solution, The Blue Zones Challenge
Available in translation in Spanish.
Parasite by
Follows the Kim family as they begin providing luxury services to the wealthy Park family but are soon caught in an underhanded struggle to maintain their new lifestyle.
This historic Best Picture winner (first non-English language film to win) is simply one of the best films out there. Telling a genre-bending story of classism in modern South Korea, this has heart-pounding suspense right beside laugh-out-loud moments, woven together by seamless directorial and technical work from director Bong Joon-ho. With an incredible versatile cast, amazing design, and four Oscars to its name, Parasite is an essential for anyone and everyone.
Rated R.
Broken Harbor by
The mesmerizing fourth novel of the Dublin murder squad by New York Times bestselling author Tana French Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy, the brash cop from Tana French's bestselling Faithful Place, plays by the book and plays hard. That's what's made him the Murder squad's top detective--and that's what puts the biggest case of the year into his hands. On one of the half-built, half-abandoned "luxury" developments that litter Ireland, Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead. His wife, Jenny, is in intensive care. At first, Scorcher and his rookie partner, Richie, think it's going to be an easy solve. But too many small things can't be explained. The half dozen baby monitors, their cameras pointing at holes smashed in the Spains' walls. The files erased from the Spains' computer. The story Jenny told her sister about a shadowy intruder who was slipping past all the locks. And Broken Harbor holds memories for Scorcher. Seeing the case on the news sends his sister Dina off the rails again, and she's resurrecting something that Scorcher thought he had tightly under control: what happened to their family one summer at Broken Harbor, back when they were children. With her signature blend of police procedural and psychological thriller, French's new novel goes full throttle with a heinous crime, creating her most complicated detective character and her best book yet.
Detective Mick "Scorcher" Kennedy investigates a brutal family murder in a troubled suburban development, uncovering dark secrets and personal demons along the way. Tana French crafts a gripping psychological thriller that explores the complexities of human nature. A must-read for fans of atmospheric and thought-provoking crime fiction.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Part of French's interconnected Dublin Murder Squad series, but they can be read in any order.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by
"Riveting, heart-wrenching, and full of Old Hollywood glamour, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is one of the most captivating reads of 2017." --BuzzFeed "The epic adventures Evelyn creates over the course of a lifetime will leave every reader mesmerized. This wildly addictive journey of a reclusive Hollywood starlet and her tumultuous Tinseltown journey comes with unexpected twists and the most satisfying of drama." --PopSugar In this entrancing novel "that speaks to the Marilyn Monroe and Elizabeth Taylor in us all" (Kirkus Reviews), a legendary film actress reflects on her relentless rise to the top and the risks she took, the loves she lost, and the long-held secrets the public could never imagine. Aging and reclusive Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. But when she chooses unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astounded than Monique herself. Why her? Why now? Monique is not exactly on top of the world. Her husband has left her, and her professional life is going nowhere. Regardless of why Evelyn has selected her to write her biography, Monique is determined to use this opportunity to jumpstart her career. Summoned to Evelyn's luxurious apartment, Monique listens in fascination as the actress tells her story. From making her way to Los Angeles in the 1950s to her decision to leave show business in the '80s, and, of course, the seven husbands along the way, Evelyn unspools a tale of ruthless ambition, unexpected friendship, and a great forbidden love. Monique begins to feel a very real connection to the legendary star, but as Evelyn's story near its conclusion, it becomes clear that her life intersects with Monique's own in tragic and irreversible ways. "Heartbreaking, yet beautiful" (Jamie Blynn, Us Weekly), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is "Tinseltown drama at its finest" (Redbook): a mesmerizing journey through the splendor of old Hollywood into the harsh realities of the present day as two women struggle with what it means--and what it costs--to face the truth.
This novel is great for fans of stories featuring Old Hollywood glam, secret love affairs, and strong lead women characters. It follows the events that take place when aging Hollywood star Evelyn Hugo decides to tell her life story and publish a memoir, but will only do it if Monique Grant, a relatively unknown reporter - is the one to write it for her. As the two get to know each other, more and more secrets from Evelyn's life spill out.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Related media: Loosely connected to Daisy Jones & The Six by the same author.
Available as E-book and CD Audiobook.
Throne of Glass by
The first book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas's sweeping fantasy saga - now available in hardcover with a new look to match the series!When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the king's champion and be released from prison.Her name is Celaena Sardothien.The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing she never thought she'd have again: a friend. But something evil dwells in the castle--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.
This book is the start of an action packed series, full of magic, fantasy, and romance. If you're a fan of the "A Court of Thorns and Roses" series, or "Fourth Wing" you will love this series.
Audience: Young Adult/Teens
Book 1 of Throne of Glass series.
The Song of Achilles by
A New York Times Bestseller "At once a scholar's homage to The Iliad and startlingly original work of art....A book I could not put down." --Ann Patchett, author of The Dutch House A thrilling, profoundly moving, and utterly unique retelling of the legend of Achilles and the Trojan War from the bestselling author of Circe A tale of gods, kings, immortal fame, and the human heart, The Song of Achilles is a dazzling literary feat that brilliantly reimagines Homer's enduring masterwork, The Iliad. An action-packed adventure, an epic love story, a marvelously conceived and executed page-turner, Miller's monumental debut novel has already earned resounding acclaim from some of contemporary fiction's brightest lights--and fans of Mary Renault, Bernard Cornwell, Steven Pressfield, and Colleen McCullough's Masters of Rome series will delight in this unforgettable journey back to ancient Greece in the Age of Heroes.
A thoughtful retelling of a classic story, Madeline Miller weaves a new perspective on the story of the Greece’s mythological hero in The Song of Achilles! This story will immerse readers in the human experience of the Trojan War as it explores the backstories and relationship of Achilles and Patroclus. Experience the revival of this legendary story with new insights provided through the point of view of Patroclus who humanizes his demigod counterpart and fills in the missing pieces of their story from beginning to end.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Memoirs of a Geisha by
In 1929, an impoverished fishing village father sells his nine-year-old daughter, Chiyo, to a geisha house in Kyoto's Gion district and she becomes subjected to cruel treatment from the owners and the head geisha Hatsumomo. As she grows older, her stunning beauty attracts the vindictive jealousy of Hatsumomo. She is rescued by and taken under the wing of Hatsumomo's bitter rival, Mameha. Under Mameha's mentorship, Chiyo becomes the geisha named Sayuri, trained in all the artistic graces and social skills a geisha must master. As a renowned geisha, she enters a society of wealth, privilege, and political intrigue. With the onslaught of World War II, Japan and the geisha's world are forever changed.
This movie captured me from the first time I viewed it. Based off a book, this film depicts the story of a young girl from a small fishing village. Chiyo tragically loses her mother to illness and is then sold with her older sister Satsu. The pair are taken to Kyoto, this is where the story begins. Chiyo has such a strong character and voice throughout the movie. Her voice narrates the beginning of the film looking back on her life. Another aspect of this movie the blew me away was the sound tract. With cello performances by Yo-Yo Ma the music is an absolute work of art. The Chairman's Waltz is definitely my favorite.
Rated PG-13.
Related media: Adapted from book (available in Large Print from IRSC), available as E-book.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind by
When Joel discovers that his girlfriend, Clementine, has had their tumultuous relationship erased from her mind through an experimental scientific procedure, he decides to ease his own pain by getting the same treatment. But, as each memory of Clementine is systematically eliminated, Joel suddenly realizes how much he still loves her and desperately attempts to reverse the process.
The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind features Kate Winslet and Jim Carrey and tells a beautiful story about love, heartbreak and loss. The overarching theme revolves around the idea that you cannot escape your true love, no matter how hard you try to erase it from your memory and move on. There is also a fascinating science-fiction element.
Rated R.
My Heart Is a Chainsaw by
Winner of the Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel Named a Best Book of 2021 by NPR In her quickly gentrifying rural lake town Jade sees recent events only her encyclopedic knowledge of horror films could have prepared her for in this latest novel from the Jordan Peele of horror literature, New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones. "Some girls just don't know how to die..." Shirley Jackson meets Friday the 13th in My Heart Is a Chainsaw, written by the author of The Only Good Indians Stephen Graham Jones, called "a literary master" by National Book Award winner Tananarive Due and "one of our most talented living writers" by Tommy Orange. Alma Katsu calls My Heart Is a Chainsaw "a homage to slasher films that also manages to defy and transcend genre." On the surface is a story of murder in small-town America. But beneath is its beating heart: a biting critique of American colonialism, Indigenous displacement, and gentrification, and a heartbreaking portrait of a broken young girl who uses horror movies to cope with the horror of her own life. Jade Daniels is an angry, half-Indian outcast with an abusive father, an absent mother, and an entire town that wants nothing to do with her. She lives in her own world, a world in which protection comes from an unusual source: horror movies...especially the ones where a masked killer seeks revenge on a world that wronged them. And Jade narrates the quirky history of Proofrock as if it is one of those movies. But when blood actually starts to spill into the waters of Indian Lake, she pulls us into her dizzying, encyclopedic mind of blood and masked murderers, and predicts exactly how the plot will unfold. Yet, even as Jade drags us into her dark fever dream, a surprising and intimate portrait emerges...a portrait of the scared and traumatized little girl beneath the Jason Voorhees mask: angry, yes, but also a girl who easily cries, fiercely loves, and desperately wants a home. A girl whose feelings are too big for her body. My Heart Is a Chainsaw is her story, her homage to horror and revenge and triumph.
Horror-obsessed teenager Jade Daniels discovers eerie similarities between her small town's recent murders and classic slasher films. As the body count rises, Jade's encyclopedic knowledge of horror movies becomes crucial in uncovering the killer and saving her community. For fans of intense, genre-savvy thrillers.
Audience: Adult/General Content.
Book 1 of The Indian Lake Trilogy.
Available in Large Print and as E-book.
The Guncle by
Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP, for short), has always loved his niece, Maisie, and nephew, Grant. That is, he loves spending time with them when they come out to Palm Springs for weeklong visits. However, tragedy strikes and Patrick suddenly finds himself taking on the role of primary guardian. Having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled acting career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old. Soon he realises the level of responsibility and that even being larger than life means you re unfailingly human.
This was so good! I loved the whole thing and read it in just a few days. It's a great story that dives into love, acceptance, grief, and the importance of joy. Patrick is a "retired" sitcom actor hiding from grief in Palm Springs. Sadly, when his best friend and sister-in-law passes away he is forced back into real life to help care for two adorable young children. The story draws the reader in with plenty of laughter to balance the heavy parts. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of The Guncle Series.
The Lightning Thief by
The #1 New York Times Bestseller | Now a series on Disney+ 12-year-old Percy Jackson discovers he is the son of Poseidon in the opener to the hilarious, fast-paced adventure fantasy series for young readers ages 10 and up The hardcover edition of the first book in Rick Riordan's thrilling series, filled with magic, mythology, and plenty of monsters Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school again--he can't seem to stay out of trouble. Is he supposed to stand by while a bully picks on his scrawny best friend? Or not defend himself when his teacher turns into a monster and tries to kill him? Mythical creatures seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. What's worse, he's angered a few of them: Zeus's master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect. Percy and his friends Grover the satyr, and Annabeth, the demigod daughter of Athena, must find and return Zeus's stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. They travel cross country to the gates of the Underworld in Los Angeles, facing a host of enemies determined to stop them. With millions of copies and over 10 years spent on the New York Times bestseller list, Percy has also become a movie, a Broadway musical, and now a Disney+ series. He continues to find fans in classrooms and libraries across the world.
Rick Riordan’s “Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” is the first entry in a series that masterfully fuses Greek mythology and modern day. The story follows 12-year-old Percy Jackson who discovers that not only does the Greek pantheon exist, but he is actually the son of a Greek god! Readers will join Percy as he learns to embrace his demigod origin and embarks on a perilous, monster-filled quest to prevent a war of the gods in this contemporary adventure.
Audience: Young Adult/Teens
Book 1 of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Related media: Adapted into a movie (2010), and graphic novel.
Available in an Illustrated edition and as E-book.
A Discovery of Witches by
Book one of the New York Times bestselling All Souls series, from the author of The Black Bird Oracle. "A wonderfully imaginative grown-up fantasy with all the magic of Harry Potter and Twilight" (People). Look for the hit series "A Discovery of Witches," now streaming on AMC+, Sundance Now, and Shudder! Deborah Harkness's sparkling debut, A Discovery of Witches, has brought her into the spotlight and galvanized fans around the world. In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont. Harkness has created a universe to rival those of Anne Rice, Diana Gabaldon, and Elizabeth Kostova, and she adds a scholar's depth to this riveting tale of magic and suspense. The story continues in book two, Shadow of Night, book three, The Book of Life, and the fourth in the series, Time's Convert.
"A Discovery of Witches" is the thrilling tale of Diana Bishop, a witch who has long ignored her powers after the mysterious death of her parents, and Matthew Clairmont, a vampire on the search for an ancient book detailing the origins of all magical creatures. Matthew and Diana find each other through it all and must stick together to remain safe from a faction of daemons, vampires, and witches hell-bent on keeping the status quo of the supernatural community and tearing them apart. The search for their magical book intensifies as they learn Diana is the key to retrieving it from the archives of Oxford's Bodleian Library.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of the All Souls series.
Related media: Adapted into TV series (Season 1, Season 2, Season 3 available on DVD).
The Cat's Table by
In the early 1950s, an eleven-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the "cat's table"--as far from the Captain's Table as can be--with a ragtag group of "insignificant" adults and two other boys, Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean, through the Suez Canal, into the Mediterranean, the boys tumble from one adventure to another, bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: one man talks with them about jazz and women, another opens the door to the world of literature. The narrator's elusive, beautiful cousin Emily becomes his confidante, allowing him to see himself "with a distant eye" for the first time, and to feel the first stirring of desire. Another Cat's Table denizen, the shadowy Miss Lasqueti, is perhaps more than what she seems. And very late every night, the boys spy on a shackled prisoner, his crime and his fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever. As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boy's adult years, it tells a spellbinding story--by turns poignant and electrifying--about the magical, often forbidden, discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.
This under-read gem from Michael Ondaatje (author of The English Patient) tells the story of a young boy alone aboard a 1950s cruise liner as he discovers the strange and mysterious world of adults along with a ragtag cast of characters. Hazy, dreamlike, nostalgic, and curious, this tale is never quite nailed down to brilliant effect as the mysteries of the boat and life itself slowly reveal themselves to our adolescent protagonist.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Just for the Summer by
Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick! This witty, slow-burn rom-com is the "ideal beach read." --Elle Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other's out, and they'll both go on to find the love of their lives. It's a bonkers idea... and it just might work. Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka. It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
This book was fantastic. I was immediately drawn into the characters and absolutely loved the Easter eggs that tied all of Jimenez's books together. I was rooting for Emma and Justin to make their love story work despite all the trauma and grief they had both experienced. It's such an engaging story for anyone looking to escape for a few hours.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 3 of the Part of Your World series.
Witch Hat Atelier 1 by
Best of the Year - AV Club, New York Public Library, Nerdist, SYFY Wire, Chicago Public Library "Harry Pottermeets Kiki's Delivery Service!" -AV Club A beautifully-illustrated story about a girl who longs for magic in her life and learns that, on the inside, she already is what she wishes she could be. Reminiscent of Studio Ghibli, this lushly-drawn story has captured the hearts of fantasy fans worldwide. In a world where everyone takes wonders like magic spells and dragons for granted, Coco is a girl with a simple dream- She wants to be a witch. But everybody knows magicians are born, not made, and Coco was not born with a gift for magic. Resigned to her un-magical life, Coco is about to give up on her dream to become a witch...until the day she meets Qifrey, a mysterious, traveling magician. After secretly seeing Qifrey perform magic in a way she's never seen before, Coco soon learns what everybody "knows" might not be the truth, and discovers that her magical dream may not be as far away as it may seem...
This series has a great story and amazing artwork. Its good for teens and adults alike. The story follow Coco as she learns what it means to be an actual witch, something she has always wanted to be. Coco come to realize the ramification of learning magic and the price she must pay to get what she always yearned for. With a full cast of interesting characters fun and detailed creatures and a imaginative world this series is magical to read.
Audience: Young Adult/Teen
Book 1 of Witch Hat Atelier series.
Related media: Spin-off series Witch Hat Atelier Kitchen.
The Thursday Murder Club by
A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment "Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining." --Wall Street Journal "Don't trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian sleuths in Osman's own laugh-out-loud whodunit." --Parade Four septuagenarians with a few tricks up their sleeves A female cop with her first big case A brutal murder Welcome to... THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB In a peaceful retirement village, four unlikely friends meet weekly in the Jigsaw Room to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves the Thursday Murder Club. When a local developer is found dead with a mysterious photograph left next to the body, the Thursday Murder Club suddenly find themselves in the middle of their first live case. As the bodies begin to pile up, can our unorthodox but brilliant gang catch the killer, before it's too late?
The Thursday Murder Club is the first in a cozy-mystery series that follows a group of spunky and diverse retirees who meet up weekly to discuss unsolved murders until they are faced with a real one right in their retirement village that needs solving. With short chapters and lots of action, this book is one of those that is hard to put down until you're finished. Great for fans of cozy-mysteries, murder-mysteries and found-family friend groups that stick together no matter what.
Audience: Adult/General Content
Book 1 of the Thursday Murder Club series.
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