Now Read This!
AUGUST 2026
 
Our Now Read This! newsletters offer suggestions for your next favorite read, from hidden gems to the latest hot pick. In this issue, you will find a featured book of the month, a special event worth checking out, a curated selection of newly acquired and upcoming historical fiction titles, and booklists for further reading. Whether you prefer reading about World War II or the Crusades, your friendly BPL Reader Services Librarians have recommendations for every historical fiction buff.
 
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Book of the Month
Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson
Good Dirt
by Charmaine Wilkerson

Ebby's life was shattered alongside a centuries-old jar the night that her brother, Baz, was murdered when she was 10 years old. As the daughter of an affluent Black family in New England, Ebby has tried to stay out of the spotlight since her brother's death but, when her high-profile romance falls apart, the Freemans find themselves thrust back into the public eye.  

Ebby flees to France only to be confronted with her past as she searches for clarity and the key to unlocking her own future.
Event Spotlight
Zine Making: What Does the Declaration Mean 250 Years Later?
Thursday, August 27, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM
Adams Street Branch
 
This year marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Through an art-making opportunity, reflect on what the document means 250 years later and how the American Revolution relates to other protest movements and revolutions that have occurred in the United States. We will have supplies available to use and staff will be present to assist as needed.
 
No registration is required to attend; drop-ins encouraged. Stay for as little or as long as you'd like during the event.
 
East Boston Book Discussion - Dark Tide: The Great Boston Molasses Flood of 1919
Thursday, September 10, 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
East Boston Branch
 
Dark Tide chronicles the January 15, 1919 Boston Molasses Flood that killed twenty-one people when over two million gallons of molasses poured out of the steel tank that stored it and traveled through the city's North End. 
 
Copies will be available at the front desk of the East Boston branch. It is also available as an eBook on Libby.
 
New and Upcoming Titles
When Mikan Road Was Ours by D. K. Furutani
Few and Far Between by Jan Carson
Meet Me in the Garden by Nina Lacour
When Mikan Road Was Ours
D.K. Furutani
 
"Facing both grief and monotony, Murano finds the unpublished memoir of his great-uncle Benjiro, revealing his own family's hidden complexities and reconnecting him to his Japanese identity."
 
Few and Far Between
Jan Carson
 
"In 1958, a politician ludicrously proposed draining Lough Neagh to create a seventh county for Northern Ireland. This story imagines a timeline where this plan proceeded and created a utopian community."
 
Meet Me in the Garden
Nina LaCour
 
"The sweeping saga of self-discovery and love in all forms, this story follows cousins Odette and Delphine as they dream of futures filled with passion and freedom, only to be confronted with the realities of life."
 
Agrippa: A Novel of Ancient Rome's Descent Into Dictatorship by Robert Harris
Hocus Pocus by Brinda Charry
Song for Another Home by Bora Lee Reed
Agrippa
Robert Harris
 
"An imagined memoir of a dying Roman reflecting on his heroic life and friendship with Octavius, who inherited the empire after the murder of Julius Caesar."
 
Hocus Pocus
Brinda Charry
 
"Samuel, a young magician convinced that he is destined for greatness, travels across the globe and lands in Boston, where he works for the proprietor of the New Boston Museum."
 
Song for Another Home
Bora Lee Reed
 
"Told through the perspectives of two cousins searching for refuge, this story follows a family's resilience during the Korean War and the consequences of choices made in small moments."
 
The Pirate Queen: A Novel from the New York Times Bestselling Author of the Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
Sunrise by Téa Obreht
Muñeca by Cynthia Gómez
The Pirate Queen
Ariel Lawhon
 
"Born to be a sea captain, Grace O'Malley learns early that her dreams of a life at the helm are not compatible with the expectations of her noble family."
 
Sunrise
Téa Obreht
 
"Separated by time and circumstance, three strangers are linked through a Wyoming ghost town. From 2024 to 2003 to 1902, the secrets of Sunrise are revealed. "
 
Muñeca
Cynthia Gómez
 
"Natalia, a working-class witch, sets out to rescue heiress Violeta Miramontes from a mysterious illness. Will she lose control of her powers and her heart in the process?"
 
Find Your Next Great Read
It's All Greek Mythology To Me: 17 Retellings of Greek Myth
Has a recent popularization of an ancient classic made you interested in Greek mythology? Are you too revisiting a childhood interest and can't get enough of the stuff of myths? Whether you are looking for a new perspective on a classic tale or exploring a story for the first time, this list has something for you!

For More Suggestions...
Journey to the Past
 
 
 
   

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