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Must-Read Books January 2026 |
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| The Royal Artisan by Tessa AfsharAn artisan for Queen Esther in ancient Persia, talented Sazana creates beautiful pottery while hiding her Jewishness. When a court official manipulates the king into ordering the killing of Jewish people, Sazana must reunite with the man who broke her heart in order to save her people and help the queen in this sequel to The Queen's Cook. For fans of: faith-filled biblical fiction with touches of romance. |
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| Sunward by William AlexanderIn this cozy science fiction, space courier Tova Lir decides to start training "baby bots," young emergent AI machines who behave more like teenagers than computers. When Tova and her latest charge, Agatha Panza von Sparkles, accidentally catch the attention of an assassin, the two must race across the solar system to evade death and save the rest of her foster bots. For fans of: LGBTQIA+ space opera with memorable characters such as Riley August's The Last Gifts of the Universe. |
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Wreck
by Catherine Newman
If you loved Rocky and her family on vacation on Cape Cod, wait until you join them at home two years later. (And if this is your first meeting with this crew, get ready to laugh and cry--and relate.) Rocky, still anxious, nostalgic, and funny, is living in Western Massachusetts with her husband Nick and their daughter Willa, who's back home after college. Their son Jamie has taken a new job in New York, and Mort, Rocky's widowed father, has moved in. It all couldn't be more ridiculously normal--until Rocky finds herself obsessed with a local accident that only tangentially affects them--and with a medical condition that, she hopes, won't affect them at all--
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| And Then There Was You by Sophie CousensHoping to impress her more accomplished classmates (including her former best friend, film director Sean Adler) at her ten-year college reunion, stuck-in-a-rut Chloe Fairway joins an exclusive dating service to secure her perfect plus-one. Rob is everything she could have dreamed of...but he’s a robot. Will her fake romance lead to real love? For another witty and heartfelt romance with speculative elements, try Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer. |
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| Made You Look by Tanya GrantA glamorous influencer getaway in the Catskills turns lethal when a blizzard cuts off cell service and traps the group together. As egos clash and hidden scandals erupt, one guest ends up dead -- and more violence follows. With no escape, the entourage realizes the killer is likely one of them. For fans of: Ruth Ware and Lucy Foley. |
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Evensong
by Stewart O'Nan
The Humpty Dumpty Club is distraught when their powerhouse leader, Joan Hargrove, takes a bad fall down her stairs, knocking her out of commission. Now, as well as running errands and shepherding those less able to their doctors' appointments, they have to pick up the slack. Between navigating their own relationships and aging bodies and attending choir practice, these invisible yet indomitable women help where they can. They bake cookies, they care for pets, they pick up prescriptions, they sit vigil by the sick, and most of all, they show up for the people they've pledged to help. In the face of death, divorce, and the myriad directions our lives can take, the Humpty Dumpty club represents the power of community and chosen family.-- Provided by publisher.
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Some Bright Nowhere
by Ann Packer
Eliot and his wife Claire have been happily married for nearly four decades. They've raised two children in their sleepy Connecticut town and have weathered the inevitable ups and downs of a long life spent together. But eight years after Claire was diagnosed with cancer, the end is near, and it's time to gather loved ones and prepare for the inevitable. Over the years of Claire's illness, Eliot has willingly--lovingly--shifted into the role of caregiver, appreciating the intimacy and tenderness that comes with a role even more layered and complex than the one he performed as a devoted husband. But as he focuses on settling into what will be their last days and weeks together, Claire makes an unexpected request that leaves him reeling. In a moment, his carefully constructed world is shattered--
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| Best Offer Wins by Marisa KashinoFormer journalist Marisa Kashino’s debut is a darkly comic thriller about the ruthless Washington, D.C. housing market. Desperate to secure her dream home and start a family, Margo Miyake’s obsessive pursuit escalates from awkward charm offensives to manipulative, violent schemes. Sharp, satirical, and chaotic, the novel explores millennial anxieties, material obsession, and the extremes of ambition. |
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| The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie LeongNovice mage Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful to the Guild, but her lack of power hasn't made it easy for her to keep up. When she is assigned to work with chronic overachiever Aurelia, the two of them form an unlikely bond moving magical artifacts -- and may learn that magic is stronger when shared instead of hoarded. For fans of: queer romantic fantasy with charm and whimsy, such as Maiga Doocy's Sorcery and Small Magics or Rebecca Thorne's Can't Spell Treason Without Tea. |
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The Witching Moon Manor
by Stacy Sivinski
The Quigley sisters return to the Crescent Moon Tearoom to bargain with Fate once more in the sequel to Stacy Sivinski's Nationally Bestselling debut, The Crescent Moon Tearoom--
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| The Burning Grounds by Abir MukherjeeIn 1920s Calcutta, India, by the river where the dead are burned, a popular British philanthropist is found murdered. Police detective Sam Wyndham is assigned to the case, giving him a chance to reignite the career he sacrificed to help his wrongly accused colleague, Surendranath Banerjee. Meanwhile, Banerjee has returned from Europe to look for his missing cousin, leading the two to reunite in order to help each other in their gritty, intricately plotted 6th outing. |
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House of Day, House of Night
by Olga Tokarczuk
Nowa Ruda is a small town in Silesia, an area that has been a part of Poland, Germany, and the former Czechoslovakia in the past. When the narrator moves into the area, she ... discovers everyone--and everything--has its own story. With the help of Marta, her enigmatic neighbor, the narrator accumulates these stories, tracing the history of Nowa Ruda from the founding of the town to the lives of its saints, from the caller who wins the radio quiz every day to the tale of the man who causes international tension when he dies on the border, one leg on the Polish side, the other on the Czech side. Each of the stories represents a brick and they interlock to reveal the immense monument that is the town. What emerges is the message that the history of any place--no matter how humble--is limitless, that by describing or digging at the roots of a life, a house, or a neighborhood, one can see all the connections, not only with one's self and one's dreams but also with all of the universe--
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Palaver
by Bryan Washington
The story of a mother and a son, estranged for ten years, reconnecting in the son's chosen city of Tokyo in the weeks leading up to Christmas--Provided by publisher.
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Calling All Blessings: A Blessings Novel
by Beverly Jenkins
NAACP nominee and USA Today bestselling author Beverly Jenkins celebrates her beloved Blessings series with a heartwarming novel set in Henry Adams, Kansas.If you haven't yet gotten your hands on [this] author's work, you should do so immediately.--ShondalandTamar July, town matriarch of Henry Adams, KS, is being haunted by dreams of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago, when she discovered her intended, Joel Newton, was already married. The truth left her furious, heartbroken, and carrying a child, her son Malachi Mal July. Why are these dreams coming to her now? And is the great horned owl perched on her backyard shed somehow connected? When Joel's legitimate son comes to Henry Adams wanting to meet his half-brother, Mal, Tamar must deal with her past, her anger, and explore what it means to truly forgive.Tamar isn't the only one being tested. Teenager Devon July wants to be anyone but himself. When he first arrived in Henry Adams, as an eight-year-old foster child, he wanted to be a preacher. Then, to be like his adopted brother, Amari. Now, he's decided to be a variant of James Brown--wig included--rather than who he really is, a boy who lost his beloved grandmother and is the son of a mentally challenged woman. Will Tamar be able to guide his spirit quest and place him on the road to finally being at peace within himself?As the big August 1st celebration nears, town owner Bernadine Brown has a lot on her plate, chief among them, what to do with former mayor Riley Curry's monstrous tribute to his hog Cletus. There are no secrets in Henry Adams, but there's never a dull moment either.
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Sitting with Dogs: Stories of Rescue Dogs Going from Lost to Loved
by Rocky Kanaka
Instant New York Times Bestseller Heartwarming stories of loss, rescue, and love from social media star and dog-rescue advocate Rocky Kanaka Rocky Kanaka is known the world over as a dog rescue advocate. His millions of fans follow along each week as Rocky visits shelters and finds dogs in need. He often finds the most hopeless cases--dogs that have been abandoned because they're sick or their owners can no longer care for them, or they've never had a home and have been living on the street--and helps them find their forever homes. Through patience, kindness, and love, Rocky helps dogs trust and love again, even if it's just for the short time Rocky visits with them in the shelter. Sitting with Dogs is a collection of stories about nine rescue dogs that each got off to a rough start but found their way into Rocky's arms. From the story of Flip, Rocky's first rescue and his inspiration for dedicating his life to saving lost and abandoned dogs, to Macy, who was so emaciated when she arrived at the shelter that no one thought she would survive, Rocky's stories will tug at your heart, bring a smile to your face, and maybe even inspire you to give a little of your own time to a dog in need. And you don't need to be a dog expert to make a difference. With a little love and patience, you can do exactly what Rocky does--change lives.
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Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face
by Scott Eyman
Film historian and acclaimed New York Times bestselling biographer Scott Eyman has written the definitive biography of Hollywood icon Joan Crawford, drawing on never-before-seen documents and photos from the Crawford estate.Joan Crawford burst out of her poverty-stricken youth to become a bright young movie star in the 1920's, drawing the admiration of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the attention of audiences worldwide. She flourished for decades, working for multiple studios in every genre from romance to westerns (Mildred Pierce, Johnny Guitar), musicals to noir (Torch Song, A Woman's Face), and being directed by a young Steven Spielberg in one of her last appearances. Along the way she accumulated four husbands, an Academy Award for Best Actress, and the undeniable status of a legend. Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face looks at the reality of this remarkable woman through the prism of groundbreaking primary research, interviews with friends and relatives, and with the same insightful analysis of character and motive that author Scott Eyman brought to John Wayne and Cary Grant, among others. Joan Crawford was a woman like no other, and Joan Crawford: A Woman's Face is the first full telling of her dazzling, turbulent life.
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| Paper Chase by Julia Donaldson; illustrated by Victoria Sandøy When Ginger's paper airplane collides with James' book under the tallest tree in the forest, it kicks off a friendship full of joyful, imaginative play. This endearing story in verse also depicts how trees become paper, and how natural resources should be used respectfully. |
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Just Gus
by McCall Hoyle
After guardian dog Gus is injured defending his flock of sheep, he is sent to recuperate and heal with a young boy, Diego, whom Gus finds he can help by learning how to work as an emotional support animal.
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| There's Always Next Year by Leah Johnson and George M. JohnsonOn New Year’s Day, influencer Dom returns to Indiana hoping for viral success. Meanwhile, his cousin Andy is searching for evidence to stop gentrification in her town. As their paths collide, they must reckon with the truest versions of themselves. Read-alikes: Laura Taylor Namey’s With Love, Echo Park; Elise Bryant’s Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling. |
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| Mindworks: An Uncanny Compendium of Short Fiction by Neal ShustermanA hot tub monster, an all-consuming virtual reality game, and a sky full of bats are just some of the things menacing the characters in this short story collection showcasing science fiction, dystopian settings, and horror. Fans of Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe series will also appreciate two new stories from that world. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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New Carlisle-Olive Township Public Library
408 S. Bray St.
New Carlisle, Indiana 46552
(574) 654-3046ncpl.lib.in.us |
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