Great Reads From Your Library Staff
January/ February/ March 2025
The Great Reads newsletter is published quarterly.
The borrowed life of Frederick Fife
by Anna Johnston

Eighty-two-year-old Frederick Fife, kind at heart, is desperately lonely, broke and on the brink of homelessness until a case of mistaken identity lands him in a nursing home where he learns about the man's past and how he can return to a life in better condition than he found it.
 
Heartwarming story.
**Recommended by Linda B. in Havre de Grace**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ CD/ eBook/ eAudio
Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor
by Roseanna M. White

Plumford Manor is destined to go to Lady Mariah's estranged childhood friend, a distant relative of her stepfather. When he arrives at the start of the Christmas season, their friendship re-ignites-despite the strong attentions of a certain Danish Lord--and Mariah begins to hope for something more this Christmas season.
 
It's a wonderful Christmas historical romance set in England in 1902.
**Recommended by Deborah R. in Bel Air**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ eBook
The deep dark
by Molly Knox Ostertag

When her childhood friend comes back to town, high school senior Mags, who has a secret that drains her energy and leaves her bleeding, refuses to get attached until the darkness threatens to engulf them, forcing her to risk everything and drag her secret into the light. 
  
Powerful story about generational trauma, gender identity, and the power of letting go. I was so impressed by the storytelling!
**Recommended by Rachel L. in Joppa**
 
Available in: Print
Fifty words for rain
by Asha Lemmie

Abandoned by a mother who instructs her never to fight or ask questions, an illegitimate child of mixed heritage in 1948 Kyoto forges a powerful bond with her older half-brother against the wishes of their formidable grandparents. 
 
Great historical fiction set in post World War II Japan. The writing is beautiful and the story is engaging.
**Recommended by Dianne D. in Aberdeen**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
Finding Mr. Write
by Kelley Armstrong

A woman writing under a male pseudonym lands a huge book deal but finds herself falling for the man she hired to pretend to be her.
 
Fun romance with an impersonation and outdoorsy twist.
**Recommended by Jennifer J. in Aberdeen**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
The frozen river
by Ariel Lawhon

In 1789 Maine, midwife and healer Martha Ballard, who is good at keeping secrets, investigates a shocking murder linked to an alleged rape that has shaken her small town, especially when her diary lands at the center of the scandal, threatening to tear both her family and her community apart.
 
Historical fiction based roughly on the diaries of Martha Ballard an 18th century midwife. The book is very intriguing and I loved it!
**Recommended by Dianne D. in Aberdeen**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ CD/ Playaway/ eBook/ eAudio
 
Funny in Farsi
by Firoozeh Dumas

An autobiography of growing up as an Iranian-American describes the author's family's 1971 move from Iran to Southern California, the members of her diverse family, and their struggle with culture shock.
 
A good way to look at things from another point of view and parts are laugh out loud funny.
**Recommended by Gail I. in Riverside**
 
Available in: Print
The housekeeper's secret
by Iona Grey

In a sweeping romance set in a crumbling mansion at the turn of the 20th century, as the days darken, the secrets within grow harder to keep. Told in alternating timelines from the last sun-drenched summer of the Edwardian Age to the mud-filled trenches of WWI.
 
 A well-paced historical romance set in England just before WWI.
**Recommended by Morgan M. in Bel Air**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
I'm thinking of ending things
by Iain Reid

A man and his girlfriend, on their way to a secluded farm, take an unexpected detour that leaves the woman stranded in a deserted high school, wondering if there is any escape from the twisted manifestations that are haunting her.
 
A horror story written in a stream of consciousness style; this book can easily suck you in. It's one of those books where it feels like revealing anything can be too much of a spoiler, but I will say it has one of those endings that makes or breaks the book depending on your preferences. Worth reading if you're into horror that builds over time, with a touch of surrealism.
**Recommended by Sarah S. in Havre de Grace**
 
Available in: Print/ eAudio
The most wonderful crime of the year
by Ally Carter

The bridge is out, the phones are down and the most famous mystery writer in the world just disappeared out of a locked room two days before Christmas. Knives Out gets a rom-com twist in The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year, a rivals-to-lovers Christmas mystery-romance.
 
So good I read it twice! (Actually I listened twice!) 
**Recommended by Deidrah R. in Norrisville**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ CD/ Playaway/ eBook/ eAudio
The murders in Great Diddling
by Katarina Bivald

The small, rundown village of Great Diddling is full of stories―author Berit Gardner can feel it. Then, while attending a village tea party, Berit becomes part of the action herself. An explosion in the library of the village's grand manor kills a local man, and the resulting investigation and influx of outsiders sends the quiet, rundown community into chaos.
 
A new cozy mystery series with plenty of humor. Great on audio!
**Recommended by Deidrah R. in Norrisville**
 
Available in: Print/ CD/ Playaway/ eBook/ eAudio
.The other valley
by Scott Alexander Howard

Vying for a coveted seat on the Conseil, 16-year-old Odile, who lives in an isolated town neighbored by its own past and future, discovers her friend Edme is about to die. Sworn to secrecy to preserve the timeline, Odile instead finds herself drawing closer to the doomed boy, imperiling her entire future.
 
The world building in this book is so fascinating, and the plot pulled me in wanting to know what happens next at every turn!
**Recommended by Sydney B. in Edgewood**
 
Available in: Print/ LP/ CD/ eBook/ eAudio
Revenge of the tipping point
by Malcolm Gladwell

Twenty-five years after the publication of his bestselling first book, the author returns with a brand-new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light.
 
This book will change your worldview.
**Recommended by Ayinde F. in Edgewood**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
Shakespeare
by Judi Dench

Interweaving anecdotes on audiences, critics, company spirit and rehearsal room etiquette, Dame Judi Dench opens up about every Shakespearean role she has played throughout her 70-year career, serving up priceless revelations on everything from the craft of speaking in verse to her personal interpretations of some of Shakespeare's most famous scenes. 
 
For fans of Judi Dench and Shakespeare - great overview of her career and the plays.
**Recommended by Jennifer J. in Aberdeen**
 
Available in: Print/ eBook/ eAudio
The third Gilmore girl
by Kelly Bishop

An award-winning actress chronicles her six decades in show business, from Broadway to Hollywood with A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls and much more. 
 
Kelly Bishop spills the tea on her time in "Gilmore Girls" and Broadway's "A Chorus Line". Her voice on the audiobook makes it seem like she's a friend filling you in on her exploits.
**Recommended by Jennifer S. in Joppa**
 
Available in: Print/ CD/ eBook/ eAudio
The world wasn't ready for you
by Justin C. Key

Deftly blending science fiction, horror and fantasy, this electrifying new collection expands and subverts the horror genre to expertly explore issues of race, class, prejudice, love, exclusion, loneliness and what it means to be a person in the world, while revealing the horrifying nature inherent in all of us.
 
 SO MAGNIFICENTLY GOOD! Each story is unique, some were super spooky, and overall a magnificent collection. The pacing and characters were also very well written.
 **Recommended by Sydney B. in Edgewood**
 
Available in: Print/ eAudio
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