LibraryAware March 2025

Adult Fiction

Unromance
by Erin Connor

In search of inspiration to break her writer's block, romance author Sawyer Greene agrees to help her recent one-night stand, TV star and hopeless romantic Mason West, become disillusioned with love. The pair craft a list of romantic tropes that Sawyer will ruin for Mason, but their platonic dates quickly turn into something more in this "immensely charming debut" (Kirkus Reviews). For fans of: Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon.

Heart of the Glen
by Jennifer Deibel

After a tragedy, Saoirse Fagan moves to County Donegal for a maid's job in 1912. When she learns the job is gone, she's homeless and distraught. Taken in by Aileen McCready, whose handsome brother Owen has been injured and can't work, Saoirse is determined to learn to weave the tweed that supports the siblings. Fans of evocative Irish settings and traditional craftwork will enjoy this sweet romance with themes of grief, faith, and resilience.

Fagin the Thief
by Allison Epstein

Revisiting Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist and providing a more nuanced depiction of Fagin, this "magnificent" (Publishers Weekly) novel begins in 1838 London where trouble arrives at the rundown house where Fagin lives with his group of young thieves. For retellings of other Dickens novels, try Jon Clinch's Marley or Barbara Kingsolver's 21st century-set Demon Copperhead.

I Died for Beauty
by Amanda Flower

During a brutal cold snap in 1857 Amherst, Massachusetts, a suspicious fire kills a young Irish American couple. Poet Emily Dickinson and Willa Noble, the young maid who narrates the story, investigate in this intricately plotted 3rd in a well-researched series. Read-alikes: Bella Ellis's Bronte Sisters mysteries; Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries; The Wharton Plot by Mariah Fredericks.

The Indigo Heiress
by Laura Frantz

In 1774, Juliet Catesby lives on a Virginia plantation owned by her father and secretly helps enslaved people make their way north. Due to debts and danger, she's forced into a marriage of convenience with Leith Buchanan and moves to Scotland, where the two grow close even as unexpected events threaten. Christy Award winner Laura Frantz delivers a sweeping romance that'll please history fans.

Yin Yang Love Song
by Lauren Kung Jessen

Cursed to never find true love, Chinese herbalist Chryssy Hua Williams agrees to a fake relationship with playboy cellist Vin Chao to help their respective careers, but soon finds herself catching real feelings. Can she overcome her family's curse? For fans of: Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez.

Head Cases
by John McMahon

FBI agent Gardner Camden, a brilliant but socially awkward investigator in the Patterns and Recognition Unit, pursues a vigilante targeting serial killers presumed dead. As more killers are found murdered, Camden discovers the predator has insider FBI access, sparking a gripping, high-stakes cat-and-mouse chase.

Waiting for the long night moon : stories
by Amanda Peters

The Canadian author of the award-winning The Berry Pickers presents 17 stories that span hundreds of years, feature thought-provoking Indigenous characters, and cover topics such as the arrival of colonists, the evils of Indian residential schools, and the importance of protecting nature. "An affecting and wide-ranging collection," raves Publishers Weekly.

You Are Fatally Invited
by Ande Pliego

Six thriller authors gather at a remote Maine island for a writing retreat hosted by the elusive J.R. Alastor. Mila del Angél has her own hidden motives, but when a storm isolates them and an unplanned murder occurs, deadly games, secrets, and an Agatha Christie-inspired mystery unfold.

Gliff
by Ali Smith

In a dystopian near-future, two "unverifiable" children befriend a horse and a group of squatters as they try to survive after their mother is taken away by all-powerful authorities. This timely and lyrical latest from an acclaimed Scottish author examines the perils of government surveillance and lack of data privacy as well as the power of language. Read-alike: The Ancients by John Larison.

Dead in the Frame
by Stephen Spotswood

After the evidence points her way, famed detective Lillian Pentecost is arrested for murder in 1947 New York. While Lillian, who has multiple sclerosis and lots of enemies, tries to survive jail, her assistant, Willowjean "Will" Parker tirelessly searches for the real killer in this suspenseful 5th series entry. Read-alikes: Kerry Greenwood's Phryne Fisher mysteries; Lev AC Rosen's Evander Mills novels.

The Unexpected Diva
by Tiffany L. Warren

This inspiring biographical novel depicts the life of Elizabeth Taylor Greenfield, who was born into slavery but freed as a child and raised in Philadelphia's Quaker community by an elderly white woman. With a voice compared to Jenny Lind's, she tours all over as an adult, even performing for Queen Victoria in England, all while facing prejudices. Read-alike: The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate.

Adult Nonfiction

Looking at Women Looking at War: A War and Justice Diary
by Victoria Amelina

In her affecting posthumous memoir, Ukrainian poet and activist Victoria Amelina, who was killed by a Russian missile in July 2023, details her experiences as a war crimes researcher during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. For fans of: Patriot by Alexei Navalny.

Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World
by Dorian Lynskey

Journalist Dorian Lynskey's sweeping and darkly humorous history explores the evolution of apocalyptic thought from antiquity to the present and "offers a new lens through which to view our current moment" (Booklist). Further reading: A Field Guide to the Apocalypse: A Mostly Serious Guide to Surviving Our Wild Times by Athena Aktipis.

Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live
by Susan Morrison

New Yorker editor Susan Morrison's richly detailed biography of Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels was published to coincide with the series' 50th anniversary and offers insights the author gleaned from shadowing Michaels during production of a 2018 episode. Try this next: From Saturday Night to Sunday Night: My Forty Years of Laughter, Tears, and Touchdowns in TV by Dick Ebersol.

Black in Blues: How a Color Tells the Story of My People
by Imani Perry

National Book Award winner Imani Perry (South to America) explores the connections between the color blue and Black history in her lyrical and well-researched latest. Try this next: Well of Souls: Uncovering the Banjo's Hidden History by Kristina R. Gaddy.

Youth Fiction

Fairy Door Diaries: Eliza and the Flower Fairies
by Megan McDonald; illustrated by Lenny Wen

Stepping through the teeny-tiny door in her secret hideout, Eliza finds herself in an enchanted world of flower fairies. There's magic, adventure, and lots of colorful pictures in this series-starter from Judy Moody author Megan McDonald. For fans of: Daisy Meadows' Rainbow Fairies series.

All Better Now
by Neal Shusterman

A new airborne epidemic has a 4% mortality rate, but survivors report complete freedom from negative emotions. Three teens -- one immune, one a super-spreader, and one determined to eradicate the virus -- are pulled into moral dilemmas with global consequences. Read-alikes: Josh Silver's Happy Head; Brooke Archer's Hearts Still Beating.

Good Golden Sun
by Brendan Wenzel

"Good golden sun, where have you been?" asks the honeybee, kicking off a series of boldly illustrated questions demonstrating the connections between the sun and life on Earth. The gentle rhythm and inquisitive structure makes Good Golden Sun a strong choice for storytime as well as engaging curious minds.

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