Staff Picks
August 2022
FICTION we've enjoyed
The House Across the Lake
by Riley Sager

Recently widowed actress Casey Fletcher retreats to her familys lake house in Vermont where she passes the time watching the glamorous couple across the lake until the wife disappears and she discovers that the most shocking of secrets can lurk beneath the most placid of surfaces. Packed with sharp characters, psychological suspense, and gasp-worthy plot twists, this is the ultimate escapist read...no lake house required.
Book Lovers
by Emily Henry

Agreeing to a holiday escape to the country, literary agent Nora keeps running into a bookish, hardheaded, arrogant editor she knows from Manhattan, and wishes she didnt, even as she discovers they have more in common than previously thought. One summer, two rivals. A plot twist they didn't see coming... Insightful and delightful.
Kaikeyi
by Vaishnavi Patel

Kaikeyi is the story of the infamous queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana. It is a tale of fate, family, courage, and heartbreak -- of an extraordinary woman determined to leave her mark in a world where gods and men dictate the shape of things to come. As a myth-inspired novel depicting a female character villainized by her male counterparts this book may intrigue you.. especially if you liked Circe by Madeline Miller.
Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting
by Clare Pooley

Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It's a rule. But what would happen if they did? An escapist read that will transport you, cheer you, and make you smile -- and make you, too, wish you had Iona's gift for bringing out the best in everyone.
Project Hail Mary
by Andy Weir

The sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission to save both humanity and the earth, Ryland Grace is hurtled into the depths of space where he must conquer an extinction-level threat to our species. If you enjoyed The Martian, you'll love this book. Weir delivers more geeky science and a humorous first-person narrator in a fresh new story of saving the planet.
Little Fish
by Casey Plett

After her grandmother dies, thirty-year-old trans woman Wendy receives a phone call that reveals that her grandfather may have been trans himself and she resolves to uncover the mystery of her ancestor's truth. This is actually a companion piece to a previous short story, A Safe Girl to Love, which you might want to read first. Either way, you'll get a lot from this raw and emotional story which is alternately warm-hearted and dark-spirited, desperate and mirthful as it explores a winter of discontent.
Boyfriend Material
by Alexis J. Hall

One (fake) boyfriend, practically perfect in every way. Luc and Oliver have nothing in common, but they strike a deal to be publicity-friendly (fake) boyfriends to get through a big event. Then they can go their separate ways and pretend it never happened. I really loved the LGBTQ romance in this book, but also the conversations it had around the main character's mental health journeys. 
A Study in Scarlet Women
by Sherry Thomas

When London is struck by a trio of unexpected deaths and suspicion falls on her sister and her father, Charlotte Holmes is desperate to find the true culprits and clear the family name. Thomas turns the story of the renowned Sherlock Holmes upside down in the first novel of this Victorian mystery series. Enjoy the twist.
A Court of Thorns and Roses
by Sarah J. Maas

Dragged off to a treacherous magical land as retribution for killing a wolf, huntress Feyre learns that her captor is one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled her world. The first book of the super popular and action-packed teen fantasy series is impossible to put down! You'll want to read them all.
Hide
by Kiersten White

A high-stakes hide-and-seek competition turns deadly in this dark supernatural thriller. The challenge: Spend a week hiding in an abandoned amusement park and don't get caught. Fourteen competitors. Seven days. Everywhere to go but nowhere to hide.
Mistborn : the Final Empire
by Brandon Sanderson

The Mistborn epic fantasy series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action. In the first book, half-Skaa Kelsier, experiencing an epiphany within the most daunting prison of the monstrous Lord Ruler who has enslaved his people for a thousand years, finds himself taking on the powers of a Mistborn and teams up with ragged orphan Vin in a desperate plot to save their world. I enjoyed the unique magic system and getting to see the story through multiple viewpoints. 
NONFICTION we've enjoyed
Rewilding
by Paul Jepson

Instead of conserving particular species in nature reserves as 'museum pieces', frozen in time, the thinking now is that we should allow landscape-sized areas to 'rewild' according to their own self-determined processes. In this popular account of the science of rewilding, Jepson and Blythe explore the ongoing scientific discoveries emerging in this fascinating field. This book tackles complex issues and science with conciseness and case studies. It's delightful and inspiring.
Pack the Court!
by Stephen M. Feldman

The United States Supreme Court has numbered nine justices for the past 150 years. But that number is not fixed. Would court packing destroy the Court as an apolitical judicial institution? This is the crucial question addressed in this provocative book that delves into the history of the intersection of politics and the law.
The (Unofficial) Bridgerton Book of Afternoon Tea
by Katherine Bebo

Over 65 afternoon tea recipes celebrate the scandal, the sauce and the sumptuous spreads of the binge-worthy regency drama hit Bridgerton. A delightful book of Bridgerton-inspired teas and delicious photographs. Each character has a tea menu that matches their personality.
Do I Stay Christian?
by Brian D. McLaren

This book addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people are asking in private. It is not an attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit but a combination of the author's own experience and that of thousands of people who have confided in him. There is a way to say both yes and no to the question by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If you're you're asking this question, this is the book for you.