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Recommended by Justin, Public Services
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Tom's Crossing
by Mark Z. Danielewski
From the best-selling author of House of Leaves comes a magisterial, page-turning epic. In the fall of 1982, the small city of Orvop, Utah, was rocked by crimes and trials—but locals remember the legendary, foolishly brave adventure that took place beyond municipal lines.
Determined to rescue a pair of neglected horses from slaughter, young Tom Gatestone and newcomer Kalin March braved the treacherous Katanogos massif. What followed was a journey of mythic proportions that defied all expectations, confronting the ghosts of the American West, rising dead, and collapsing mountains. Bursting with unexpected humor and heart, Danielewski delivers a masterful story of determination, perseverance, and humanity against all odds.
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Recommended by Caitlin, Materials Collection
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Magic for Liars
by Sarah Gailey
Ivy Gamble is a non-magical private investigator perfectly happy with her messy, ordinary life—and totally fine with her estrangement from her magically gifted sister, Tabitha. But when a faculty member is gruesomely murdered at Tabitha’s elite magic academy, Ivy is hired to solve the case. To find the killer, she must navigate a world of hidden secrets, old rivalries, and the dangerous allure of the life she left behind.
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Everything Is Poison
by Joy McCullough
Sixteen-year-old Carmela Tofana has always dreamed of joining her mother’s famous apothecary. But entering the workroom reveals a dark reality: alongside healing remedies lies Aqua Tofana, a lethal poison distributed as a remedy of last resort. Carmela must quickly navigate a dangerous world of secrets, blood, and a underground network of women risking their lives to protect the vulnerable.
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This Place Kills Me: A Graphic Novel
by Mariko Tamaki
When Wilberton Academy's beloved theater star is found dead the morning after opening night, the police quickly rule it a suicide. But transfer student Abby Kita knows the school’s elite drama club is hiding something. Unraveling a web of prep school secrets through comics, diary entries, and news articles, Abby sets out to find the truth behind a tragedy where everyone is a suspect.
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Recommended by Kori, Marketing & Communications
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From Here to the Great Unknown
by Lisa Marie Presley
Before her sudden passing, Lisa Marie Presley entrusted her daughter, Riley Keough, with the tapes for her unfinished memoir. Now, From Here to the Great Unknown brings those memories to light. Written in both of their voices, this extraordinary book spans Lisa Marie's life—from childhood days at Graceland with her father to her high-profile marriages, her struggles with deep addiction, and the bond of motherhood. It is a profoundly moving, cross-generational dialogue that serves as the definitive final word from an American legacy.
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Our Perfect Storm
by Carley Fortune
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After comes a brilliant friends-to-lovers romance about a honeymoon for two—minus the groom. When Frankie is left at the altar, her headstrong childhood best friend, George, refuses to let her wallow. Instead, he convinces her to take him on her scheduled honeymoon to the breathtaking, misty beaches of Tofino. Over the course of one intense week in paradise, the duo must navigate the hidden secrets and long-buried feelings that have strained their bond for years. It's their last chance to save their friendship, or risk falling apart for good.
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The Night We Met
by Abby Jimenez
A witty, heartfelt romance about the thin line between the right choice and the wrong guy. Larissa thinks she's finally found the perfect relationship with Chris—complete with shared book recommendations and co-parenting a chaotic rescue Yorkie. There’s just one catch: Chris isn’t her boyfriend. He’s her boyfriend’s best friend. Chris is doing his absolute best to stay on the sidelines and protect his friendship, but standing by is slowly killing him. Brimming with humor and emotional tension, this charming novel explores the messy reality of choosing between the life you planned and the love you can't ignore.
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Recommended by Pat K., Library Volunteer
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The Music of Bees
by Eileen Garvin
When grieving widow Alice Holtzman nearly crashes her truck full of honeybees into Jake, a troubled paraplegic teenager, it sparks an unexpected chain of events. Along with Harry, a young man navigating severe social anxiety, this trio of lonely strangers finds sanctuary and surprising friendship on Alice's rural Oregon bee farm. But when a toxic pesticide company threatens their community and the local hives, they must band together to fight for the bees—proving it’s never too late to start over, no matter how life throws you off course.
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The Book That Matters Most
by Ann Hood
Ava’s twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group’s goal throughout the year is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. Ava rediscovers a mysterious book from her childhood—one that helped her through the traumas of the untimely deaths of her sister and mother. Alternating with Ava’s story is that of her troubled daughter Maggie, who, living in Paris, descends into a destructive relationship with an older man. Ava’s mission to find that book and its enigmatic author takes her on a quest that unravels the secrets of her past and offers her and Maggie the chance to remake their lives.
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Life: A Love Story
by Elizabeth Berg
Facing her final weeks, Florence “Flo” Greene decides to pen a memoir for Ruthie, the woman who is like a daughter to her. But Flo isn't done living yet. Setting out on a mission of matchmaking and neighborhood intervention, she plays Cupid for a friend and goes to the library to consult with the local librarian for advice. To help Ruthie through a marital crisis, Flo even unearths a shocking secret about her own past. Uplifting and tender, this novel proves that a life well-lived is made of ordinary moments and extraordinary connections.
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The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman's Legacy
by Kim Michele Richardson
Unjustly incarcerated in mid-century Kentucky, Cussy Lovett finds a profound new calling: bringing literacy and hope to imprisoned women and underserved neighborhoods in downtown Louisville. As she fights for the voiceless while separated from those she loves, Cussy exposes the deep societal costs of fractured families and poverty. Infused with hope and quiet strength, The Mountains We Call Home is a triumphant testament to the survival and the radical magic of books.
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Recommended by Lauren, Public Services
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My Sister, the Serial Killer
by Oyinkan Braithwaite
When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other...
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Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism
by Stewart Reynolds
Across eleven sharp, subversive chapters, you'll learn how to stay nimble, remain unpredictable, and demand what you deserve with the unbothered confidence of a hungry tabby. Perfect for anyone looking to navigate a controlling system or a chaotic world, this book proves that when it comes to fighting back, cats don't ask for permission—and neither should we.
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How to Kill a Witch: The Patriarchy's Guide to Silencing Women
by Zoe Venditozzi
How to Kill a Witch explores the grim and absurdly bureaucratic reality of the Scottish witch trials following the Witchcraft Act of 1563. Using real trial transcripts and legal documents, authors Zoe Venditozzi and Claire Mitchell expose how a patriarchal system weaponized fear, superstition, and ignorance to control and execute women. Darkly humorous, infuriating, and deeply relevant, this book holds up a mirror to modern-day scapegoating and asks a chilling question: could it happen again?
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The Correspondent: A Novel
by Virginia Evans
Distinguished lawyer, mother, and divorcee Sybil Van Antwerp processes life through the letters she writes every morning to loved ones, stubborn university presidents, and famous authors. But when a voice from her past suddenly reaches out, Sybil is forced to confront her deepest regrets. To finally move forward, she must share the one letter she has kept hidden for years and find the courage to offer forgiveness.
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Recommended by Shannan, Marketing & Communications
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The Rose Bargain
by Sasha Peyton Smith
Bridgerton meets The Selection in this dark historical fantasy romance.
To save her family from ruin under the rule of a deceptive, immortal fae queen, Ivy Benton enters a lethal competition to win Prince Bram's hand. She finds a surprising ally in his rakish brother, Prince Emmett, who promises to help her win the crown—for a price. But as the glittering social season veils a series of increasingly vicious trials, Ivy realizes that playing politics with the fae comes with a deadly cost.
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The Briar Club
by Kate Quinn
In 1950 Washington, D.C., the eccentric residents of the all-female Briarwood House boardinghouse are united by the mysterious new attic tenant, Grace March. Grace's warmth creates an unlikely bond between an ensemble of women—including a disgraced baseball player, a mob-tied detective's daughter, and a zealous McCarthy supporter. But Grace has a dark past of her own, and when violence strikes the house, the roommates are forced to untangle a web of secrets to discover who among them is the real threat.
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No Offense
by Meg Cabot
A fresh start in paradise takes an unexpected turn in this charming small-town romance. Escaping a broken engagement, Molly Montgomery flees to the Florida Keys for her dream job as the Little Bridge Island Public Library’s children's librarian. She expects a quiet routine, but her life is upended when a newborn is left in the library restroom. The investigation brings local Sheriff John to her door—a recently divorced single father trying to navigate his own messy new reality. While his stubborn arrogance initially clashes with Molly's independent spirit, the spark between them might just be the new beginning they both desperately need.
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Recommended by Amanda, Materials Collection
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Cloud Cuckoo Land
by Anthony Doerr
The novel brillianty interweaves the lives of three outsiders: an orphan girl in besieged 15th-century Constantinople, a radicalized teenager in modern-day Idaho, and a young girl confined to a spaceship in the distant future. Though separated by hundreds of years, their fates are entirely connected by a lost ancient Greek text. Beautifully written and deeply moving, this is a masterful story of survival, hope, and the timeless threads that connect us all.
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The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who Tried to Make Her Disappear
by Kate Moore
In 1860, Elizabeth Packard’s independent mind and sharp intellect deeply threaten her husband. To silence her, he utilizes the laws of the era to have her committed to the Illinois State Hospital. Behind asylum walls, Elizabeth discovers a horrifying reality: the institution is packed with completely sane women, locked away simply for stepping out of line. Facing a corrupt system and stripped of her rights, Elizabeth must find a way to fight a dangerous system from the inside out.
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Recommended by Kristine, Community Engagement
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Unlikely Animals
by Annie Hartnett
Med school dropout Emma Starling returns to her New Hampshire hometown to care for her dying father, Clive. Clive's mysterious illness features vivid hallucinations of small animals and the ghost of a local 19th-century naturalist. While Emma navigates her fractured family dynamics, she discovers her childhood best friend has vanished into the town's quiet opioid crisis—and the local police have written her off. Driven by her father's unshakeable belief that the girl is still alive, Emma balances family heartbreak with an amateur investigation, setting in motion a bizarre, beautiful miracle.
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A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy
by Tia Levings
As a young wife pulled into the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement, Tia Levings was forced into a lifestyle of absolute submission, strict isolation, and hidden abuse—all masked by a wholesome exterior. For years, she hid her reality from the outside world, but when she realized her children were bound to repeat the cycle, Tia began to resist. In a culture where an independent woman is viewed as an enemy, Tia was forced to make a heart-pounding choice: stay and face the consequences, or flee into the unknown to save her children.
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Recommended by Amy, IT Services
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Darker Days
by Thomas Olde Heuvelt
The residents of Bird Street enjoy an idyllic, wealthy existence in a quiet Washington town—but their eleven months of paradise are paid for in blood. Every November, a mysterious force demands a sacrifice in exchange for the neighborhood's continued good fortune. For a century, the community has quietly managed the debt by sending the willing or the elderly into the woods. But when the ritual goes horribly wrong, the gilded cul-de-sac descends into a nightmare. Darker Days is a haunting exploration of complicity, greed, and survival.
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Leech
by Hiron Ennes
Dispatched to an isolated, frozen chateau in the far north, a doctor from the powerful Interprovincial Medical Institute arrives to investigate a missing body. Instead, they uncover a dark stronghold riddled with violence, secrets, and a rapidly spreading parasite. As the hive-minded Institute and this grotesque new organism collide in a brutal war for evolutionary dominance, the human hosts are caught in the crossfire—and no matter who wins, humanity loses.
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All the Fiends of Hell
by Adam Nevill
A global catastrophe leaves England devastated, its skies stained blood-red and its landscape overrun by an invasive alien force determined to eradicate all life. Karl, an ordinary man who barely survived the first night, finds himself protecting two orphans as they flee south toward rumors of safety by the sea. But the journey through a ruined world reveals only greater terrors and human cruelty. To survive the shifting landscape and outlast the ravening predators, Karl must discard his old self and find a brutal strength he never knew he possessed.
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Recommended by Emily, Materials Collection
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Robbie McNeil's Hit List: A Mystery
by Brianna Heath
Hitwoman Robbie McNeil lives by a simple rule: do the job, get paid, and don't ask questions. But when an ambitious theater project bankrupts the karaoke bar she co-owns with her partner-in-crime, Dee, Robbie is forced to take a incredibly sketchy assignment. When the target suddenly vanishes into thin air with no evidence he ever existed, Robbie breaks her own rules to investigate. Plunging into a dangerous web of secrets, she quickly learns that curiosity in her line of work is a death sentence.
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We Call Them Witches
by India-Rose Bower
Most people have been devoured by the eldritch creatures, but Sara and her family have been fighting for survival, armed with their knowledge of folklore and pagan rituals - the only weapon that seems to work against these monsters. And then a young woman, Parsley, comes out of nowhere into Sara's life. Found in their garden, they have no idea where she is from. Sara and Parsley begin to fall in love, but disaster strikes when Sara’s brother Noah is taken by the creatures.
They set out to find him, across a landscape of merciless terror, haunted by death. But can Parsley truly be trusted in a world where humanity is as scarce as humans themselves?
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Withered
by A. G. a. Wilmot
Eighteen-year-old Ellis moves to the quiet town of Black Stone with their mother, hoping to heal from a recent family tragedy and a severe eating disorder. Instead of finding peace, Ellis is confronted by an oppressive new home where the walls seem to pulse with veins and the cellar harbors terrifying specters. As the boundary between reality and delusion blurs, Ellis realizes their house is ground zero for a decades-old supernatural conflict. Unflinching and intensely atmospheric, Withered dives straight into the gruesome entrails of trauma and survival.
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Hench
by Natalie Zina Walschots
Anna is a temp secretary for low-level supervillains—a boring gig, but it pays the bills. But when a high-profile "hero" crashes her office, leaving her severely injured and her coworkers in body bags, Anna is left broken, broke, and laid off. Seeking justice, she turns to her greatest strength: data science. By analyzing and publicizing the catastrophic collateral damage caused by the world's beloved protectors, Anna exposes that the line between good and evil is mostly just marketing. Caught in a viral war of optics, she quickly climbs the ranks of a major villainous enterprise, proving that a spreadsheet can be a lot more dangerous than a superpower.
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Recommended by Kelly, Administrative Services
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Patina
by Jason Reynolds
Patina, or Patty, runs like a flash. She runs for many reasons—to escape the taunts from the kids at the fancy-schmancy new school she’s been sent to since she and her little sister had to stop living with their mom. She runs from the reason WHY she’s not able to live with her “real” mom any more: her mom has The Sugar, and Patty is terrified that the disease that took her mom’s legs will one day take her away forever. So Patty’s also running for her mom, who can’t. But can you ever really run away from any of this? As the stress builds up, it’s building up a pretty bad attitude as well. Coach won’t tolerate bad attitude. No day, no way. And now he wants Patty to run relay…where you have to depend on other people? How’s she going to do THAT?
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Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents: How firefighters and poets, truckers and nurses, soldiers and singers, and other improbable individuals can show
by Michael Perry
Part creative masterclass, part business roadmap, Improbable Mentors & Happy Tangents is a witty, insightful guide to finding inspiration in the most unlikely places. New York Times bestselling author, humorist, and former nurse/EMT Michael Perry shares brief, punchy, and humorous lessons on how unexpected encounters can transform your career and life. Equal parts practical wisdom and warm storytelling, this book is the perfect manual for anyone trying to navigate the intersection of creativity and commerce without losing their mind—or their sense of humor.
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Begin Again: James Baldwin's America and Its Urgent Lessons for Our Own
by Eddie S. Glaude
Part biography, part memoir, and part contemporary analysis, Begin Again uses the life and writings of James Baldwin to navigate modern America's ongoing struggle with racial injustice. Author Eddie S. Glaude Jr. draws a striking parallel between today's political retrenchment and the painful "after times" Baldwin faced following the civil rights movement and the assassinations of its greatest leaders. Unearthing newly uncovered interviews, Glaude explores how Baldwin overcame deep despair to find renewed purpose. The result is a searing, deeply necessary look at the lies America tells itself about race, serving as a roadmap for survival, resistance, and renewal.
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And Then There Were None
by Agatha Christie
Ten strangers with dark, hidden pasts are lured to an isolated island off the Devon coast by a mysterious host who never shows up. Cut off from the mainland, the guests are horrified when a killer begins executing them one by one, mirroring a sinister nursery rhyme displayed throughout the mansion. As paranoia tears the group apart, they realize the murderer is hiding in plain sight—and only the dead are above suspicion.
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Recommended by Dawn, Community Engagement
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Misty of Chincoteague
by Marguerite Henry
On the island of Chincoteague, off the coasts of Virginia and Maryland, lives a centuries-old band of wild ponies. Among them is the most mysterious of all, Phantom, a rarely-seen mare that eludes all efforts to capture her--that is, until a young boy and girl lay eyes on her and determine that they can't live without her. The frenzied roundup that follows on the next Pony Penning Day does indeed bring Phantom into their lives, in a way they never would have suspected. Phantom would forever be a creature of the wild. But her gentle, loyal colt Misty is another story altogether...
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On Fire: The 7 Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life
by John O'Leary
After surviving a horrific house fire at age nine that left him with 100% total body burns, John O'Leary had to find the inner strength to not only survive, but rebuild his life from scratch. Now a globally successful inspirational speaker, O'Leary shares his remarkable journey alongside a practical 7-step philosophy for personal transformation. On Fire challenges readers to stop operating on autopilot, choose their own paths, and find extraordinary purpose in life's smallest moments.
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Die with Zero: Getting All You Can from Your Money and Your Life
by Bill Perkins
Bill Perkins challenges the traditional retirement narrative by urging readers to prioritize lifelong memorable experiences over accumulating wealth for an old age they might not fully enjoy. Using insights from behavioral finance and psychology, Perkins provides a practical blueprint to optimize your life stage by stage. Through actionable tools like "experience bucketing" and tracking your "spend curve," this book shows you how to intentionally convert your hard-earned cash into priceless memories before it's too late.
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Recommended by John, IT Services
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King Sorrow
by Joe Hill
When a student at an elite Maine college is blackmailed into robbing his school's rare book library, he turns to his tight-knit circle of friends for a way out. Their solution? Use a cursed journal bound in human skin to summon a legendary dragon to eliminate the threat. But bringing a creature of myth into the real world comes with a devastating catch. Now bound to an insatiable monster, the group must provide King Sorrow with a new human sacrifice every single year—or face being devoured themselves.
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All the Women in My Brain: And Other Concerns
by Betty Gilpin
Emmy-nominated actress Betty Gilpin invites readers inside her crowded mind, where a host of eclectic alter-egos take turns running the show. Through a series of razor-sharp, hilarious, and deeply intimate essays, Gilpin charts her journey through the glossy cringe of the entertainment industry, the depths of mental health struggles, and the bizarre realities of modern womanhood. Whether she is recounting disastrous auditions or fighting off the inner demons of self-sabotage, Gilpin’s distinct comedic voice delivers a brilliant, unforgettable look at what it means to be a woman today.
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The Last Detective
by Peter Lovesey
When an unidentified woman's body is found floating in a lake near Bath with no signs of violence, old-school Detective Superintendent Peter Diamond is assigned to the case. Relying on classic grit and deduction over modern technology, Diamond uncovers a bizarre connection to the literary world. To crack the case and clear the prime suspect's name, he must track down two missing, invaluable letters written by Jane Austen—even if it means going rogue against his own police force.
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The Blade Itself
by Joe Abercrombie
The Blade Itself interweaves the stories of three deeply flawed individuals: Logen Ninefingers, a notorious barbarian trying to outrun his violent past; Jezal dan Luthar, a vain military officer wholly unprepared for the realities of war; and Sand dan Glokta, a tortured soul who now inflicts torture for the state. When a mysterious, short-tempered wizard named Bayaz arrives to drag them into a sweeping conflict, these bitter enemies must navigate shifting political conspiracies and a brutal northern war where the ultimate price is paid in blood.
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