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The all American : a novel
by Susie Finkbeiner
Starring: the Harding sisters, 16-year-old Bertha, a natural athlete who dreams of playing professional baseball, and precocious 11-year-old Flossie, an avid reader who struggles to fit in.
What happens: After their father is accused of being a member of the Communist party, the girls must adjust to their new lives in the small Michigan town where the family has moved in search of a fresh start.
Why you might like it: Opening in 1952, this richly detailed historical novel follows a turbulent year in the life of a close-knit American family.
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A newlywed's guide to fortune and murder
by Dianne Freeman
England, 1900: American-born Frances, Countess of Harleigh, agrees to help a friend who thinks recently widowed Viscountess Wingate is being poisoned. Meanwhile, Frances' new husband, who works for the Home Office, also has a case involving the Wingate family.
Reviewers say: "Numerous plot twists, well-drawn characters, and immersive details...distinguish this historical cozy" (Booklist).
Series alert: Following A Bride's Guide to Marriage and Murder, this is the charming 6th Countess of Harleigh mystery. Readers who'd like to pick up the 1st entry will want A Lady's Gude to Etiquette and Murder.
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| Kiss the Girl by Zoraida CórdovaWhat it is: a charming retelling of Disney's The Little Mermaid by the author of the On the Verge series.
Starring: ultra-famous pop star Ariel del Mar, who -- desperate to experience a "normal" life -- disguises herself as merch girl "Melody" and goes on tour with up-and-coming musician Eric Reyes.
Series alert: Kiss the Girl is the 3rd standalone installment of the fairy tale-inspired Meant to Be series, after Julie Murphy's If the Shoe Fits and Jasmine Guillory's By the Book. |
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Night will find you
by Julia Heaberlin
What it is: an atmospheric thriller about an unlikely investigator brought in to help police solve a high-profile cold case.
Starring: Vivian Bouchet, an astrophysicist who reluctantly agrees to help a childhood friend, now a cop, solve a child kidnapping case while struggling to reconcile her scientific understanding of the world with the inexplicable "psychic" phenomena that give her unique insight into the investigation.
Read it for: the likeable characterization of Vivian, whose thoughtful and observant perspective on the case and the world in general will endear her to readers.
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| To Have and To Heist by Sara DesaiThe score: To save her best friend, Simi Chopra must (re-)steal a $25 million dollar necklace during a mafia wedding with the help of her hastily assembled heist crew, which includes the attractive but totally untrustworthy Jack Danger.
Are you in? Featuring "a full cast of fun, quirky characters" (Library Journal), this rom-com caper novel by the author of the Marriage Game series "perfectly balances the lighthearted romance with a fun and twisty heist plot" (Publishers Weekly).
For fans of: Alisha Rai's Partners in Crime. |
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| The Apartment by Ana MenéndezWelcome to... The Helene, a 1940s art deco apartment building in South Miami Beach. The people in 2B: Over seven decades, this apartment has had multiple residents, from Texas newlyweds to a troubled Vietnam veteran, and these interlinked tales showcase them all. But the book lingers longest on the latest to dwell there, a young Cuban woman. Why you might like it: Featuring richly drawn characters and elegant writing, The Apartment examines memory, community, loneliness, and what makes a home. |
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| Althea: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. JacobsWhat it's about: the life and career of trailblazing tennis player Althea Gibson, the first African American to win a Grand Slam tournament. Read it for: a comprehensive portrait of a complex woman, who battled racial and gender discrimination, poverty, and abuse in her journey toward stardom. Further reading: Serving Herself: The Life and Times of Althea Gibson by Ashley Brown. |
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| Congratulations, The Best is Over! Essays by R. Eric ThomasWhat it is: the latest freewheeling essay collection from bestselling author and playwright R. Eric Thomas (Here For It). Topics include: Thomas' return to his hometown of Baltimore after years away; home renovation attempts; mishaps at his 20th high school reunion; coping with death and depression. Reviewers say: "A funny, poignant, astute collection" (Kirkus Reviews); "unfailingly entertaining" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land by Jacob MikanowskiWhat it is: a sweeping, millennia-spanning history of Eastern Europe, the "land of small states with complicated fates." Why you might like it: Peppered with insights from his own family history, journalist Jacob Mikanowski's engaging debut deftly explores the ever-shifting political, religious, and ethnic makeup of the region, offering "a rewarding portrait of a diverse and complex part of the world" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| 24 Hours in Charlottesville: An Oral History of the Stand Against White Supremacy by Nora NeusWhat it's about: the consequences and aftermath of the violent 2017 white supremacist Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. Read it for: a compelling, hour-by-hour account that includes interviews with clergy, city officials, first responders, counterprotesters, and more. Author alert: Emmy-nominated journalist and former Charlottesville resident Nora Neus field-produced CNN's coverage of the rally. |
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| Mine! by Candace Fleming; illustrated by Eric RohmannWhat it's about: a group of greedy animals, all eagerly eyeing the same shiny red apple as it's just about to fall from the "tip-tippy top" of the tree. How it's told: through rhyming text bursting with onomatopoeia (the animals "trippety-skipped," "stompety-flopped," and "zippety-eeked") and dramatic, heavy-lined relief print illustrations. Reviewers say: "an extremely fruitful pick for storytime" (Booklist). |
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| The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy MassWhat it's about: The little free library appears overnight, guarded by a fluffy orange cat. Curious, almost-6th-grader Evan McClelland borrows two books and discovers intriguing clues about the fire that destroyed his town's library years ago -- and about his own family history. Why you might like it: Told by Evan, Mortimer the cat, and ghost librarian Al, this puzzle mystery unfolds at a satisfying pace, offering enough hints that you might be able to solve it before the characters do. |
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| Give Me a Sign by Anna SortinoMeet: Lilah, a hard of hearing girl who uses hearing aids. She’s excited but nervous to work at Gray Wolf, the summer camp for the Deaf and Blind she once attended. The in-between: Though Lilah often feels outside both the Deaf and hearing worlds, she finds community at camp. She also finds summer romance with fellow counselor Isaac, who helps revive her rusty ASL. What sets it apart: the diversity of Deaf experiences and culture explored through campers’ stories. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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L.E. Smoot Memorial Library 9533 Kings Hwy, King George, Virginia 22485 (540) 775-2147www.smoot.org |
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