Staff Picks Newsletter
Blood of Hercules
by Jasmine Mas

Science Fiction: I'm just a girl. And it turns out, I'm Hercules. I'm struggling to survive in a Titan infested world where Spartans, immortals from twelve royal families who have god-like powers and obscene wealth, rule over all. A shy-stammering foster child with nothing, I keep my head down, cover my scars, and focus on excelling in school. At least, I try to. Then it happens. My blood test reveals I'm part of the powerful elite. I'm one of them. A Spartan. Forced to attend the Spartan War Academy, I undergo the most harrowing test of all time to see if I have what it takes to be an immortal. There's just a few problems. Achilles and Patro are my scary mentors. Kharon, the ferryman of death, and Augustus, the son of war, are my terrifying professors. Also, I'm pretty sure either someone's stalking me everywhere I go, or my sanity's slipping--I have a bad feeling both are true. I'm surrounded by Villains and they're smothering me with their hate, obsession, and dark possessiveness. Too bad for them, they have no clue just who they're messing with.

Recommended by Isabel, Ewing Branch
Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty
Three Wishes
by Liane Moriarty

Fiction: Lyn, Cat, and Gemma Kettle, beautiful thirty-three-year-old triplets, seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Together, laughter, drama, and mayhem follow them, but apart, each is dealing with her own share of ups and downs.  Lyn has organized her life into one big checklist, Cat has just learned a startling secret about her marriage, and Gemma, who bolts every time a relationship hits the six-month mark, holds out hope for lasting love. In this wise, witty, and hilarious novel, we follow the Kettle sisters through their tumultuous thirty-third year as they deal with sibling rivalry and secrets, revelations and relationships, unfaithful husbands and unthinkable decisions, and the fabulous, frustrating life of forever being part of a trio. 

Recommended by Mary, Hickory Corner Branch
What You Do to Me by Rochelle B. Weinstein
What You Do to Me
by Rochelle B. Weinstein

Fiction: From the bestselling author of This Is Not How It Ends comes a moving novel of two unfinished love stories and the music and lyrics that bring them together.Journalist Cecilia James is a sucker for a love song. So when she stumbles across a clue to the identity of the muse for one of rock's greatest, she devotes herself to uncovering the truth, even as her own relationship is falling apart.While writing an article for Rolling Stone, Cecilia works to reveal the mystery that has intrigued fans and discovers a classic tale of two soulmates separated by fate and circumstance. Rock star Eddie Vee once sang with his soul, dedicating love songs to Sara Friedman, his inspiration and first love. Now, Eddie takes refuge in anonymity, closed off to the past. Sara, too, has distanced herself from their love, moving thousands of miles away to live the life she once railed against. As Eddie and Sara tentatively open up to Cecilia about broken dreams, she struggles to give them a happy ending. In the process, she learns that broken hearts can be healed--even her own.What You Do To Me is the story of a love song and of the triumph of the heart over the greatest of odds. Even for those who have written off love forever.

Recommended by Liz, Hightstown Memorial Branch
Lights Out: An Into Darkness Novel by Navessa Allen
Lights Out: An Into Darkness Novel
by Navessa Allen

Fiction: Can you handle the ride? I want someone with a soul as black as night. Someone who would burn the world down for me and not lose a single minute of sleep over it. Trauma nurse Aly Cappellucci doesn’t need any more kinks. She likes the one she’s landed on just fine. To her, nothing could top the masked men she follows online. Unless one of those men was shirtless, heavily tattooed, and waiting for her in her bedroom. She dreams about being hunted by one in particular, of him chasing her down and doing deliciously dark things to her willing body. She never could have guessed that by sending one drunken text, those dreams would become her new reality. I want things most people don’t, craving darkness and depravity instead of light and love. Josh Hammond has spent his life avoiding the limelight, but his online persona is another story. At night, he posts masked thirst traps for his millions of fans to drool over, but one follower has caught his eye: Aly. After reading a comment begging him to break into her house wearing a mask, he decides to take her up on her offer. Together, Aly and Josh live out their darkest fantasies, unaware that Aly has captured the attention of someone else. Someone with far more sinister intentions than a little light stalking. As Josh turns from predator to protector and the stakes heighten, he must ask himself how far he’s willing to go for the woman he’s obsessed with. Lights Out is a fast-paced dark romance with a morally gray male lead. Some themes and scenes may be disturbing to readers. 

Note: eBook and eAudiobook versions only

Recommended by Alyssa, Hollowbrook Branch
The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score
The Worst Best Man
by Lucy Score

Fiction: Taking her Maid of Honor duties very seriously, Franchesca refuses to let Aiden, the Best Man, aka the Worst Man, ruin her best friend's wedding no matter how sexy he is, while Aiden thinks this smart-mouthed girl from Brooklyn may just be his downfall.

Recommended by Dana, Hopewell Branch
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Vampire Kisses
by Ellen Schreiber

Young Adult Fiction: In her small town, dubbed Dullsville, sixteen-year-old Raven -- a vampire-crazed goth-girl -- is an outcast. But not for long...The intriguing and rumored-to-be haunted mansion on top of Benson Hill has stood vacant and boarded-up for years. That is, until its mysteriously strange new occupants move in. Who are these creepy people -- especially the handsome, dark, and elusive Alexander Sterling? Or rather, what are they? Could the town prattle actually ring true? Are they vampires? Raven, who secretly covets a vampire kiss, both at the risk of her own mortality and Alexander's loving trust, is dying to uncover the truth.Ellen Schreiber's spooky and stirring romance tells the story of two outsiders who fall in love in a town where conformity reigns, and ends with a shocking surprise.

Recommended by Alana, Lawrence Headquarters Branch
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir by Ina Garten
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir
by Ina Garten

Memoir: Ina Garten, the author of thirteen best-selling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and the cultural icon whose face has launched a thousand memes, shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table.

Recommended by Tanusree, Robbinsville Branch
The One: A Suspenseful Sci-Fi Thriller about the Pitfalls in Finding Your Perfect Match Through Genetics by John Marrs
The One
by John Marrs

Science Fiction: How far would you go to find The One? A simple DNA test is all it takes. Just a quick mouth swab and soon you'll be matched with your perfect partner--the one you're genetically made for. That's the promise made by Match Your DNA. A decade ago, the company announced that they had found the gene that pairs each of us with our soul mate. Since then, millions of people around the world have been matched. But the discovery has its downsides: test results have led to the breakup of countless relationships and upended the traditional ideas of dating, romance and love. Now five very different people have received the notification that they've been "Matched." They're each about to meet their one true love. But "happily ever after" isn't guaranteed for everyone. Because even soul mates have secrets. And some are more shocking than others ... A word-of-mouth hit in the United Kingdom, The One is a fascinating novel that shows how even the simplest discoveries can have complicated consequences.

Recommended by Hope, Twin Rivers Branch
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
My Best Friend's Exorcism
by Grady Hendrix

Fiction: A heartwarming story of friendship and demonic possession. The year is 1988. High school sophomores Abby and Gretchen have been best friends since fourth grade. But after an evening of skinny-dipping goes disastrously wrong, Gretchen begins to act different. She s moody. She s irritable. And bizarre incidents keep happening whenever she s nearby. Abby s investigation leads her to some startling discoveries and by the time their story reaches its terrifying conclusion, the fate of Abby and Gretchen will be determined by a single question: Is their friendship powerful enough to beat the devil? Like an unholy hybrid of Beaches and The Exorcist, My Best Friend s Exorcism blends teen angst, adolescent drama, unspeakable horrors, and a mix of 80s pop songs into a pulse-pounding supernatural thriller.

Recommended by Tara, West Windsor Branch
Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary by Linus Torvalds
Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary
by Linus Torvalds

Memoir: Once upon a time Linus Torvalds was a skinny unknown, just another nerdy Helsinki techie who had been fooling around with computers since childhood. Then he wrote a groundbreaking operating system and distributed it via the Internet -- for free. Today Torvalds is an international folk hero. And his creation LINUX is used by over 12 million people as well as by companies such as IBM.Now, in a narrative that zips along with the speed of e-mail, Torvalds gives a history of his renegade software while candidly revealing the quirky mind of a genius. The result is an engrossing portrayal of a man with a revolutionary vision, who challenges our values and may change our world.

Recommended by Dave, Information Technology Department
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