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Must-Read Books September 2024 |
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| The Volcano Daughters by Gina María BalibreraIn an El Salvador led by a cruel dictator, sisters Graciela and Consuelo are born into an Indigenous community, but are taken away for different reasons. After a 1932 massacre, the sisters, each believing the other is dead, flee, traveling to France, New York, and California, all while followed by ghosts of their friends, who narrate this sweeping, vibrant debut novel. For fans of: The Bullet Swallower by Elizabeth Gonzalez James. |
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| Long Island Compromise by Taffy Brodesser-AknerThis witty and insightful novel takes place 40 years after wealthy Carl Fletcher was kidnapped. His wife paid the $250,000 ransom and he survived, but no one in the family has dealt with their trauma, and now their money is running out. Read-alikes: What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jiménez; This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper; Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. |
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The Wren in the Holly Library
by K. A. Linde
Trapped in the library of an old Brownstone with a monster filled with terrible power and darkness, street thief Kierse, when, instead of killing her, the monster offers her a job?—?gets a glimpse into who she really is, which could be something far worse than a monster.
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| Love Letters to a Serial Killer by Tasha CoryellWhen true crime-obsessed thirtysomething Hannah writes to accused serial killer William, she unexpectedly falls for him, despite not knowing -- and maybe not caring -- if he's innocent. Twisty, scathing, and darkly humorous, this thriller boasts a narrator as fascinating as she is unreliable. |
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The Bright Sword
by Lev Grossman
Arriving in Camelot just after the death of King Arthur, young Collum joins the ragtag remnants of the Knights of the Round Table to defend Britian's throne from a magical threat. In his first adult fantasy since the Magicians series, author Lev Grossman plumbs the depths of Arthurian legend to create an inventive new epic.
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| A Pair of Wings by Carole HopsonBessie Coleman, the daughter of a former enslaved woman, navigates discrimination to become the first Black person to obtain an international pilot's license, leading to her becoming a famous barnstormer in this inspiring, well-researched debut novel written by a pilot and vividly depicting the world of early flight. Read-alikes: Paula McLain's Circling the Sun; Maggie Shipstead's Great Circle. |
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| The Pairing by Casey McQuistonWhen bisexual exes Kit and Theo accidentally book the same European culinary tour, they challenge each other to a hookup competition to prove they're over their relationship in this "hedonistic delight" (Booklist) from bestselling author Casey McQuiston (Red, White & Royal Blue). Try this next: Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun. |
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| Black Butterflies by Priscilla MorrisIn 1992, rumors of war fly in cosmopolitan Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. While her husband and mother go to England, 55-year-old artist Zora stays, convinced it'll all end quickly. But as the siege of her city drags on for years, Zora must connect with others to survive. Published in the United Kingdom in 2022, this immersive debut was inspired by the author's family. Read-alikes: Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo; Stef Penney's The Beasts of Paris. |
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Bad Animals: a Novel
by Sarah Braunstein
A Maine librarian is fired after a teen accuses her of spying on her romantic romps in the bathroom and reaches out to her favorite author to speak at their library and help her clear her name.
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The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers: a Novel
by Samuel Burr
Raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists, 20-something Clayton Summer, when the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in his life passes away, bestowing her final puzzle on him, embarks on a quest to uncover the secrets surrounding his birth, which will change him, and the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, forever.
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| Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart TaylorIn 1965, former Boston cop Franklin Warren navigates a new job with the Vermont State Police's Bureau of Criminal Investigation and adjusts to small-town life. Things start hot when a suspicious fire and death on a remote farm has him wondering if the unpopular farmer was murdered. This richly detailed, character-driven mystery paints a fascinating picture of American life as the Vietnam War ramps up. |
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The Book-Makers: a History of the Book in Eighteen Lives
by Adam Smyth
Through profiles of 18 individuals who defined Western culture's most important object, this 500-year-old history of printed books celebrates those who first experimented in the art of printing, design and binding, changing the course of history.
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| Circle of Hope: A Reckoning With Love, Power, and Justice in an American Church by Eliza GriswoldBeginning in 1996, Circle of Hope offered an alternative approach to Christian Evangelicalism. But by 2023, internal divisions and societal shifts caused them to crumble. Pulitzer Prize winner Eliza Griswold utilizes years of investigation in this complex "inquest into the death of a church" (Publishers Weekly). |
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| That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda JonesIn her inspiring and incisive blend of memoir and manifesto, Louisiana middle school librarian Amanda Jones details her fight against censorship at her local public library, which led to death threats and social media smear campaigns. Further reading: Burning the Books: A History of the Deliberate Destruction of Knowledge by Richard Ovenden; On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US by James LaRue. |
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The New York Game: Baseball and the Rise of a New City
by Kevin Baker
Filled with eye-opening stories from baseball's beginnings to the end of World War II, a historian presents all the legendary players, managers and owners, in all their vivid, complicated humanity, on and off the field, as well as a portrait of 19th-century American life in New York City, where it all started. Illustrations.
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Fowl Play
by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
A quirky, funny and heartwarming story by an award-winning author finds Chloe Alvarez investigating the recent death of her uncle only to find the healing power of family. Simultaneous eBook.
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Not the Worst Friend in the World
by Anne Rellihan
When new girl Cece passes her a mysterious note saying she was kidnapped, 11-year-old Lou, who will do anything to prove she's not the world's worst friend after betraying her best friend, uncovers the complicated truth about Cece's family and must make a difficult decision. Simultaneous eBook.
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Jerry, Let Me See the Moon!
by Jeffrey Ebbeler
Things get squirrely when Jerry discovers that his new town is a sanctuary for were-creatures, humans who turn into animals when the moon is full
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| Such Charming Liars by Karen M. McManusFormer stepsiblings Kat and Liam find each other at a billionaire’s birthday party. Kat’s there to steal jewelry; Liam’s father is trying to con an heiress. Things take a deadly turn, forcing Kat and Liam into a cat-and-mouse game with a killer. Read-alikes: Tess Sharpe’s The Girls I’ve Been; Kayvion Lewis’ Thieves’ Gambit. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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