In-House Favorites
 
August 2025
Check out what our staff and patrons are recommending this month!
If you enjoy this newsletter and would like to subscribe to our monthly issue, you may do so by visiting the Avon Lake Public Library home page (alpl.org). Hover over the Collection tab, and select Recommendations. Click on Next Reads, which is located in the middle of the page under "Databases". Simply place a check next to In-House Favorites or any other newsletter you might be interested in receiving and complete the short form at the bottom of the page.
Heartbreak : a personal and scientific journey
by Florence Williams

After her 25-year marriage ends, a journalist reveals her personal insights and explores the cutting edge science of“social pain,” including checking her blood for grief markers and receiving electrical shocks, to explain why heartbreak hurts so much.
 
Picked by: Laura, Adult Services
That's Not My Name
by Megan Lally

Told in two voices, a seventeen-year-old battered and bruised girl struggles to remember who she or the man claiming to be her father is while seventeen-year-old Drew stops at nothing to find his missing girlfriend.
 
Picked by: Nicole, Children's Services
Magic Lessons/ : The Prequel to Practical Magic
by Alice Hoffman

In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.
 
Picked by:  Amy, DiscoveryWorks Associate
The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club : a novel
by Martha Hall Kelly

In 2016, grieving Mari Starwood visits Martha's Vineyard and uncovers a surprising connection to the Smith sisters, who, during World War II, balanced family struggles, romance, and whispers of espionage while running a farm and forming a transformative book club.
 
Picked by: Ann, Adult Page
Mister Magic : a novel
by Kiersten White

Thirty years after a tragic accident shut down production of the classic children's program Mister Magic, the five surviving cast members have done their best to move on. But just as generations of cultishly devoted fans still cling to the lessons they learned from the show, the cast, known as the Circle of Friends, have spent their lives searching for the happiness they felt while they were on it.  Then a twist of fate brings the castmates back together at the remote desert filming compound that feels like it's been waiting for them all this time. Even though they haven't seen each other for years, they understand one another better than anyone has since. After all, they're the only ones who hold the secret of that circle, the mystery of the magic man in his infinitely black cape, and, maybe, the answers to what really happened on that deadly last day. But as the Circle of Friends reclaim parts of their past, they begin to wonder: Are they here by choice, or have they been lured into a trap?
Picked by: Haley, Support Specialist
The Wedding People : a novel
by Alison Espach

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help us start anew.
 
Picked by: Wendy, Support Specialist
This Must Be the Place
by Maggie O'Farrell

Recovering from an ugly divorce and custody battle by marrying a reclusive actress living in a rural village in Ireland, Daniel Sullivan is threatened by a secret from his past in a story told through his voice and the perspectives of those who have influenced his life.
 
Picked by: Shelley, Children's Services
The Rabbit Listened
by Cori Doerrfeld

A metaphorical tale of empathy and friendship follows the experiences of a small child who is offered well-intentioned advice from his animal friends in the wake of a loss but only finds comfort with the last animal, a rabbit who just quietly listens. 
 
Picked by: Chloe, Public Services Associate
The Wishing Game : a novel
by Meg Shaffer

A retired bestselling author hosts a one-of-a-kind competition, with high risks and high rewards, giving the winner a chance to change lives. Lucy Hart has come a long way since feeling the cold neglect of her parents, whose attention always centered around her chronically ill sister's needs. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide, Lucy is able to share her love of books with bright young students, and one in particular, a seven-year-old orphan named Christopher, has her yearning for a family of her own. 
 
Picked by: Amy, Adult Services
Crow Lake
by Mary Lawson

In the rural farm country of northern Ontario, the lives of members of two families--the farming Pye family and the Morrisons, zoologist Kate Morrison and her three brothers--are brought together and torn apart by misunderstanding, resentment, family love, and tragedy. 
 
Picked by: Erika, Patron
The Penguin Lessons
Follows a disillusioned Englishman who went to work in a school in Argentina in 1976. Expecting an easy ride, Tom discovers a divided nation and a class of unteachable students. However, after he rescues a penguin from an oil-slicked beach, his life is turned upside-down.
 
Picked by: Jane, Support Specialist
Look for more suggestions coming to your email address soon!
 
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Avon Lake Public Library
32649 Electric Blvd.
Avon Lake, Ohio 44012
440-933-8128
alpl.org