|
|
Staff Picks September 2026 |
|
|
|
|
|
Recommended by Alyssa, Community Engagement
|
|
|
|
I See You've Called in Dead
by John Kenney
Afraid to live after his wife leaves him for a more interesting man, obituary writer Bud Stanley drunkenly publishes his own obituary. When his paper can't fire him because their system lists him as dead, Bud's life hangs in the balance. Spurred by his boss and his wise best friend, Tim, Bud begins attending strangers' funerals to figure out how to live.
|
|
|
|
Kin
by Tayari Jones
Raised as motherless best friends in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, Vernice and Annie are fated for starkly different paths. Vernice leaves for Spelman College and marries into an affluent Atlanta family, while Annie—haunted by her mother's abandonment—embarks on a perilous journey to find her that ultimately becomes a battle for survival. Kin is an emotionally rich and unforgettable novel about sisterhood, resilience, and the complex bonds of women in the American South.
|
|
|
|
This Story Might Save Your Life
by Tiffany Crum
Podcasters Benny Abbott and Joy Moore have built a global empire sharing "against all odds" survival stories. But when Benny arrives to record a new episode and finds Joy and her husband, Xander, missing from their ransacked home, he becomes the prime suspect in their disappearance. Desperate to clear his name, Benny uses the only clue he has: a secret, unfinished draft of Joy’s memoir. As the search intensifies, the "life-affirming" image of the two best friends begins to crack, revealing dark secrets that even their most devoted listeners, and each other, never could have guessed.
|
|
|
Recommended by Pat K., Library Volunteer
|
|
|
|
A Far-Flung Life
by M. L. Stedman
In 1958 Western Australia, a split-second driving accident shatters the MacBride family of Meredith Downs sheep station. After a second tragedy strikes, youngest son Matt is left carrying a devastating secret, forced to navigate a difficult path between love, duty, and sacrifice. Written by The Light Between Oceans author M. L. Stedman, this sweeping epic explores tragedy, family secrets, and the enduring power of compassion and forgiveness.
|
|
|
|
Most Ardently Yours
by Freya Sampson
Struggling romance writer Zoe Knight prefers fictional heroes to real men, especially Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy. But after arguing over romance novels with Nick, an annoyingly attractive bookshop owner, Zoe acquires an old copy of Pride & Prejudice—and accidentally summons Darcy himself into her modern London apartment. While the brooding Regency hero is everything she ever dreamed of, his presence threatens the literary universe. Forced to team up with Nick to send Darcy back to his own story, Zoe must figure out what she truly wants from a happily ever after before it's too late.
|
|
|
|
The Next Ship Home: A Novel of Ellis Island
by Heather Webb
Ellis Island, 1902: Italian immigrant Francesca arrives searching for a better life, while aspiring linguist Alma begins her first day processing newcomers. Instead of finding a safe haven, both women encounter the island's rampant corruption under harsh new federal policies. Inspired by true events, this historical novel follows Francesca and Alma as they form an unexpected alliance to fight against prejudice, escape corruption, and secure the American dreams they were promised.
|
|
|
Recommended by Shannan, Marketing & Communications
|
|
|
|
Love You More
by Emily Giffin
Newly engaged to Dean, New York doctor Billie has built a thriving, picture-perfect life away from her hometown and her intense high-school romance with Mick. But just after accepting Dean's proposal, Billie receives a sudden call from Mick, his first in nearly a decade, delivering urgent news that shatters her world. Forced to return to Wisconsin, Billie must confront her past, her former friendships, and the choices that split them apart. Bestselling author Emily Giffin delivers a gripping story about life's unexpected turns and the enduring, life-changing power of love.
|
|
|
|
The Shippers
by Katherine Center
Determined to overcome her intimacy issues, JoJo Burton plans to win over her first crush at her sister’s destination wedding cruise. To execute her plan, she ropes in her childhood best friend, Cooper Watts, to act as her wingman. The only problem? Cooper broke her heart when he abruptly moved to London four years ago. Forced to share a cabin, fake flirt, and navigate shipboard antics, JoJo and Cooper must face long-held secrets and unresolved feelings in this witty childhood-friends-to-lovers romance.
|
|
|
|
The God of the Woods
by Liz Moore
When Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bunk one morning in August 1975, it triggers a panicked, terrified search. Losing a camper is a horrific tragedy under any circumstances, but Barbara isn't just any camper: she's the daughter of the wealthy family who owns the camp--as well as the opulent nearby estate, and most of the land in sight. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared in this region. Barbara's older brother also went missing 16 years earlier, never to be found. How could this have happened yet again? Out of this gripping beginning, Liz Moore weaves a textured drama, both emotionally nuanced and propelled by a double-barreled mystery.
|
|
|
|
Dolly All the Time
by Annabel Monaghan
When thirty-nine-year-old Dolly Brick returns to her Rhode Island hometown to save her family from losing their home, she stumbles upon Stewart Whitfield—the annoyingly handsome scion of the town’s wealthiest family—midway through a humiliating public breakup. Always a problem solver, Dolly agrees to Stewart's proposed fake-dating arrangement to save face. But as public high-society benefits turn into intimate sunset boat rides and electric kisses, the lines between pretend and reality blur, forcing the fiercely independent Dolly to decide if she can finally risk trusting someone else with her heart.
|
|
|
Recommended by Laura, Public Services
|
|
|
|
What Rose Forgot
by Nevada Barr
Rose Dennis wakes up in a locked Alzheimer’s unit with a foggy brain and no memory of how she got there. When she overhears an administrator whispering that she won't survive the week, Rose fakes taking her meds and stages a daring escape. But with her relatives holding the legal papers and the authorities siding with the nursing home, convincing the world she's sane seems impossible. Any lingering doubts vanish when an assassin breaks into her house in the middle of the night. Teaming up with her reclusive hacker sister, her teenage granddaughter, and a loyal friend, Rose must fight back to uncover who wants her dead and reclaim her life before her time runs out.
|
|
|
Recommended by Amy, IT Services
|
|
|
|
A Short Stay in Hell
by Steven L. Peck
As a faithful Mormon, Soren Johansson has always believed he'll be reunited with his loved ones in an eternal hereafter. Then, he dies. Soren wakes to find himself cast by a God he has never heard of into a Hell whose dimensions he can barely grasp: a vast library he can only escape from by finding the book that contains the story of his life. In this haunting existential novella, author, philosopher, and ecologist Steven L. Peck explores a subversive vision of eternity, taking the reader on a journey through the afterlife of a world where everything everyone believed in turns out to be wrong.
|
|
|
|
Sister, Maiden, Monster
by Lucy A. Snyder
As a nightmarish virus tears across the globe, three women are drawn together by dark forces to survive a disastrous planetary collapse. Erin develops a terrifying appetite for human brains; Savannah finds herself committing brutal murders for eldritch masters; and Mareva grapples with multiplying tumors and her horrifying divine role in the apocalypse. Inspired by her Bram Stoker Award-winning short story, Lucy A. Snyder delivers a visceral, cosmic horror novel about what humanity must become to survive the end of the world.
|
|
|
|
The Haunting of Alejandra
by V. Castro
Haunted by a dark despair, Alejandra begins seeing the vision of a crying woman in a white gown—the vengeful Mexican folk demon La Llorona. When therapy prompts her to delve into her biological family’s history, she discovers that heartbreak and tragedy are not the only legacy handed down by her ancestors; La Llorona stalked her mother and grandmother, too. To break the generational curse and protect her family, Alejandra must draw upon the strength and courage of her foremothers to conquer the darkness and banish the phantom forever.
|
|
|
|
The Bewitching
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Spanning three eras, this multi-generational horror novel follows three women linked by secrets and witchcraft. When graduate student Minerva investigates obscure horror author Beatrice Tremblay, she uncovers the terrifying true story behind Tremblay’s famous novel, The Vanishing. As Minerva delves deeper, she realizes the malevolent force that haunted Beatrice in the past—and mirrored a deadly witch encounter her great-grandmother faced in 1900s Mexico—is now targeting her. Bestselling author Silvia Moreno-Garcia delivers a chilling tale where academic research turns dangerously lethal.
|
|
|
Recommended by Amanda, Materials Collection
|
|
|
|
Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown
by Candace Fleming
A chronicle of one of American history's most notorious cults, a book including first-person accounts follows Jim Jones from humble origins to Jonestown in Guyana, South America, and traces his transformation of Peoples Temple into a nefarious experiment in mind control.
|
|
|
|
Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder
by Caroline Fraser
While millions know Laura Ingalls Wilder from her Little House books, the full story of her dramatic, hardship-filled life remained largely untold. Drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, and public records, Caroline Fraser’s biography Prairie Fires reveals the adult reality behind the beloved pioneer myth. Spanning nearly a century of American history—from the Indian Wars to the Dust Bowl—Wilder’s life was marked by extreme poverty, personal tragedy, and constant relocation. At sixty, facing financial ruin during the Great Depression, she recast her difficult childhood into a triumphal vision of homesteading. Prairie Fires paints a complex portrait of the woman who shaped the American frontier narrative and transformed her own hardships into enduring literary success.
|
|
|
|
Mad Mabel
by Sally Hepworth
Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick has lived on idyllic Kenny Lane for sixty years. While neighbors see her as a nosy curmudgeon, few suspect the dark past she has worked tirelessly to conceal—because when it comes to murder, no one suspects little girls or old ladies. But Elsie has a strange history of people in her life meeting a foul end. When a talkative, curious young girl moves in next door and insists on befriending her, Elsie's carefully constructed life threatens to shatter. As secrets begin to unspool, the neighborhood must face the truth: Who was "Mad Mabel" fifty years ago, and what happens when the past begins to repeat itself?
|
|
|
Recommended by Kelly, Administrative Services
|
|
|
|
This Is Not about Running: A Memoir
by Mary Cain
In this brutally honest memoir, elite middle-distance runner Mary Cain shares her story of taking on track and field’s abusive training culture. After emerging as a running prodigy at age twelve, Cain joined Nike’s elite Oregon Project at sixteen, setting records and aiming for the Olympics while enduring relentless bullying and dangerous pressure from coach Alberto Salazar to lose weight. Off the track, the severe physical and mental toll led to injuries, depression, and her eventual departure from the team. Now, drawing on her personal diaries, Cain exposes the dark side of a win-at-all-costs youth sports culture and offers a clear-eyed call for parents, coaches, and athletes to build a healthier path forward.
|
|
|
|
Bel Canto
by Ann Patchett
Somewhere in South America, at the home of the country's vice president, a lavish birthday party is being held in honor of the powerful businessman Mr. Hosokawa. Roxane Coss, opera's most revered soprano, has mesmerized the international guests with her singing. It is a perfect evening—until a band of gun-wielding terrorists takes the entire party hostage. But what begins as a panicked, life-threatening scenario slowly evolves into something quite different, a moment of great beauty, as terrorists and hostages forge unexpected bonds and people from different continents become compatriots, intimate friends, and lovers.
|
|
|
|
The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times
by Jane Goodall
In a world facing unprecedented challenges—from climate crises to political turmoil—holding on to hope can feel impossible, yet it remains essential. In The Book of Hope, renowned naturalist Jane Goodall and bestselling author Doug Abrams engage in an intimate dialogue to explore how to cultivate optimism when everything seems hopeless. Goodall outlines her "Four Reasons for Hope"—the human intellect, nature's resilience, the power of youth, and the indomitable human spirit—while sharing stories from her remarkable life. Moving from her childhood during World War II and her research in Gombe to her global advocacy, Goodall reveals what shaped her worldview and offers a deeply personal guide to finding purpose and hope today.
|
|
|
|
A Rebellion of Care: Poems and Essays
by David Gate
Something isn't right. Every generation thinks that, but we have more cause than most. The way our society has been constructed is just not good for our bodies, nor our minds, nor our hearts. What possible chance do our souls have? Yet, amidst all of this, there is an unwavering desire to embrace life in all its facets. In his debut collection, popular Instagram writer David Gate inspires us to rally for what makes life worth living: creating art as a form of care, living beyond consumer impulse, loving our neighbors (even the odd ones), and more. This book invites readers to ponder the complexities of self, community, love, and resilience. Rejecting the notion that despair and positivity are our only available responses, Gate urges readers to foster deep friendships that challenge social orders and embrace questions of meaning and purpose. For, in his words, saying something true in a world awash with lies is the first act of rebellion.
|
|
|
Recommended by Kori, Marketing & Communications
|
|
|
|
And Now, Back to You
by B. K. Borison
Forced to work together to cover the snowstorm of the century, two rival meteorologists must find common ground in this When Harry Met Sally-inspired romance. Jackson Clark prefers structure and routine in his radio booth, while field reporter Delilah Stewart thrives on spontaneity and adventure. Desperate to prove her journalism skills, Delilah strikes a deal: if Jackson helps her ace the assignment, she will help him rediscover his fun side. As their unlikely partnership fuels an unexpected chemistry, their easy friendship turns into something deeper—forcing them to decide if their connection can survive beyond the mountain storm.
|
|
|
|
The Anniversary: A Thriller
by Alex Finlay
In 1992, two seventeen-year-olds are forever changed on May 1st: Quinn Riley is sent to juvenile detention after trying to break up a fight, while high school royalty Jules Delaney survives a harrowing attack by the terrifying May Day Killer. A year later, Jules struggles with survivor's guilt, and Quinn returns home determined to solve his mother's cold-case murder. Revisited on May 1st over the course of a decade, Quinn and Jules's lives continually intersect as they untangle secrets and search for answers. But with the serial predator still at large, the clock is ticking toward another tragic anniversary. The Anniversary is a compelling suspense novel about fate, trauma, and two broken souls bound by the hunt for a killer.
|
|
|
|
It's Not Her
by Mary Kubica
A scream shatters the silence…Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation turns into a nightmare when she discovers her brother and sister-in-law dead in their lakeside cottage. Her niece Reese is missing. Her nephew Wyatt is asleep upstairs—unharmed. A town full of secrets…As police swarm the quiet resort, dark truths about Courtney’s family—and the town itself—begin to surface. Is Reese a victim… or the killer? A truth no one saw coming…With everyone hiding something, Courtney races to uncover the terrible mystery. But the closer she gets, the harder it is to know who—or what—to trust.
|
|
|
|
Secret Nights and Northern Lights
by Megan Oliver
Determined to prove herself after being passed over for a promotion, travel writer Mona Miller eagerly accepts an international assignment to Iceland—despite being woefully unprepared. But her resolve is tested when she discovers her assigned freelance photographer is Benjamin Carter, her childhood best friend and first love who ghosted her fourteen years ago. Mona is resolved to keep her guard up, put on a smile, and focus on her career. But as they navigate the icy Icelandic landscape together, old feelings reignite, forcing Mona to decide if she is ready to thaw the ice around her heart and risk love once again.
|
|
|
Recommended by Emily, Materials Collection
|
|
|
|
The Last Contract of Isako
by Fonda Lee
In this standalone dystopian sci-fi epic by Jade City author Fonda Lee, legendary swordswoman Isako prepares for retirement—a corporate samurai tradition that means walking into her planet's frozen wasteland to enrich her family through her death. But when she is offered one final mission, she cannot refuse, especially upon discovering the target: Martim, her failed former apprentice who has somehow risen to the top of the corporate ladder. Thrust into a high-stakes world of corporate espionage and deadly secrets, Isako uncovers a truth that could alter humanity's future among the stars. Set on a merciless world where money trumps loyalty, Isako must decide what is ultimately worth living—and dying—for.
|
|
|
|
Notes from a Regicide
by Isaac Fellman
In Isaac Fellman’s trans family saga Notes from a Regicide, Griffon Keming tries to make sense of the second parents who saved him, funded his transition, and loved him as best they could. But following their deaths, Griffon is left with an unfillable void and endless questions about their scarred pasts and the failed revolution that forced them from their homeland. Guided by his father's blood-stained jailhouse journal, Griffon uncovers the passionate, tragic love story of two artists running out of time. Set in a far-off future, this powerful novel explores the depth of found family and how profoundly we can be both healed and hurt by those we choose to love.
|
|
|
|
Moss'd in Space
by Rebecca Thorne
Torian Razner finally bought a starship—and despite her captain and ex Amelia calling it a "meteoric sign of stupidity," the century-abandoned, moss-covered alien vessel is her ticket to freedom. That is, until her maiden flight reveals that the moss is actually a snarky, sentinel organic computer with serious abandonment issues regarding its creator. When the immortal alien who built and forgot the ship suddenly tracks Torian down and accuses her of grand theft starship, Torian begins to wonder if Amelia was right after all.
|
|
|
|
Evocation: Book I in the Summoner's Circle
by S. T. Gibson
Former psychic prodigy turned high-powered Boston attorney David Aristarkhov has built a life away from his late father’s oppressive occult legacy, using his abilities as a medium for a secret society. But as his thirtieth birthday approaches, the Devil arrives to collect on an ancestral pact, leaving David's days numbered. Desperate to survive, David reluctantly turns to his ex-boyfriend and rival, Rhys, reaching him through Rhys's wife, Moira. As the trio joins forces to break the deadly bargain, resurfacing feelings force them to navigate a complicated romance before time runs out and the Devil claims David for good.
|
|
|
Recommended by Lauren, Public Services
|
|
|
|
The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1
by Beth Brower
The Year is 1883 and Emma M. Lion has returned to her London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s. But Emma’s plans for a charmed and studious life are sabotaged by her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia, and the slightly odd denizens of St. Crispian’s. Emma M. Lion offers up her Unselected Journals, however self-incriminating they may be, which comprise a series of novella-length volumes. Armed with wit and a sideways amusement, Emma documents the curious realities of her life at Lapis Lazuli House.
|
|
|
|
Something Is Killing the Children Vol. 1
by James Tynion IV
When the children of the sleepy town of Archer's Peak begin disappearing, the few survivors return with horrific tales of terrifying creatures lurking in the shadows. With the town's hope fading, a mysterious stranger named Erica Slaughter arrives—the only adult who can see the monsters and believes the children's stories. Erica slays monsters, no matter the personal cost. Written by GLAAD Award-winner James Tynion IV with art by Werther Dell’Edera, this chilling horror comic follows Erica's deadly mission to destroy the nightmare haunting Archer's Peak before any more lives are lost.
|
|
|
|
Dungeon Crawler Carl
by Matt Dinniman
Breaking up with your girlfriend is hard enough—it’s worse when you’re stuck caring for her prize-winning show cat, Princess Donut. But things get infinitely worse when aliens invade, flatten every building on Earth, and force the human survivors into a deadly, subterranean game show. Thrust into a trap-filled, video game–like fantasy dungeon broadcast to billions of sadistic galactic viewers, Coast Guard vet Carl and Donut must battle exploding goblins, dark magic, and killer llamas to reach the next level. Welcome to the dungeon, where survival is optional, but entertainment is mandatory.
|
|
|
|
No Cats in the Library
by Lauren Emmons
Clarisse is a clever stray cat who loves books for their pictures. When she discovers a magical building where people emerge with arms full of books, she is determined to get inside—even though the library strictly forbids cats. Sneaking past the rules, Clarisse discovers new stories and even helps a young girl gain the confidence to read aloud. But when the librarian spots her, Clarisse must hope her newfound friends can convince the library to let a book-loving cat stay.
|
|
|
Recommended by John, IT Services
|
|
|
|
Nos4a2
by Joe Hill
Victoria McQueen possesses a secret gift: riding her bicycle across a rickety covered bridge lets her magically travel anywhere to find lost things. Meanwhile, Charles Talent Manx uses his 1938 Rolls-Royce to abduct children, carrying them away to a terrifying, twisted playground called "Christmasland." Years ago, Vic became the only child ever to escape Manx's evil grip. Now an adult desperate to leave her past behind, Vic is drawn back into the nightmare when Manx returns to the road—and targets her own son.
|
|
|
|
The Unlucky Ones: A Black Harbor Novel
by Hannah Morrissey
Amid rising violent crime and a deadly new drug epidemic, Sergeant Nikolai Kole arrives at a gruesome crime scene in Black Harbor: a body wrapped in trash bags, doused in bleach, and bearing a sinister calling card. The victim is Tommy Greenlee—ex-husband of Kole's former lover, Hazel. Lured back to the volatile city she left eight years ago, Hazel—a former police transcriber turned novelist—is determined to uncover who murdered Tommy and why. Reunited with Kole, the two must navigate their complicated, untrustworthy history and form a truce to catch the killer, unearthing Black Harbor's darkest secrets along with their own.
|
|
|
|
The Lamb: The Literary Debut of 2025
by Lucy Rose
Margot and her mother live a quiet life by the forest, where her mother welcomes lost strangers—or "strays"—into their home. Her mother feeds and warms them, only to devour their bodies to satisfy her insatiable appetite. When a compelling stray named Eden arrives during a fierce snowstorm, the delicate dynamic between mother and daughter begins to fracture. To survive, young Margot must confront her own desires, navigate her mother's dark impulses, and make a desperate bid for freedom in this dark coming-of-age story about anger, instinct, and toxic mother-daughter bonds.
|
|
|
|
The Summons
by Peter Lovesey
John Mountjoy has escaped from prison and kidnapped the chief constable’s daughter. The only person he’ll parley with is Detective Peter Diamond, who arrested him four years earlier for the murder of a young journalist. Mountjoy, who still maintains his innocence, has a simple request for Diamond. All the detective has to do is find the real killer and clear Mountjoy’s name, and the hostage will be free to go. But in the intervening four years, the trail has gone cold and memories have turned hazy, making the hunt for the killer even more complicated the second time around. Will Diamond get to the bottom of the cold case before another life is lost?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
