Must-Read Books
August 2024
Adult Fiction
The Heart in Winter
by Kevin Barry

In 1891 Montana, young Irish poet Tom Rourke drinks, takes drugs, and falls for Polly Gillespie, the devout mine leader’s new bride. The lovers commit arson, steal money and a horse, and then head west...but a posse is hot on their trail. This buzzy, critically acclaimed novel “is brutal, hilarious, and fabulously entertaining" (Booklist). For fans of: lyrical Irish writers; Cormac McCarthy.
Peg and Rose Play the Ponies
by Laurien Berenson

Septuagenarian sisters-in-law Peg Turnbull and Rose Donovan, who don’t always get along, visit a Kentucky farm to check on Peg’s thoroughbred horses before a high-stakes sale. When a murder occurs, they work together to clear an innocent person. This 3rd Senior Sleuths Mystery is author Lauren Berenson "at her best” (Kirkus Reviews). Read-alikes: the Granny Reid mysteries by G.A. McKevett; the Desert Flowers mysteries by Lee Hollis.
Four Squares
by Bobby Finger

This tender character-driven novel depicts New York writer Artie Anderson in the 1990s when he turns 30, falls for a married man, and lives through the AIDS crisis, and in the 2020s, when he turns 60 and finds much-needed connections at the local center for queer seniors. Don't miss this "big-hearted and relatable read,” (Kirkus Reviews). Read-alike: The Kingdom of Sand by Andrew Holleran.
The Nature of Disappearing
by Kimi Cunningham Grant

When wilderness guide Emlyn is approached by Tyler, the ex-boyfriend who left her for dead, to search for a missing former friend in the Idaho forest, she's wary -- an instinct that proves correct on the dangerous trek that follows. Richly drawn characters add depth to this tense, gripping survival thriller.
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.
Assassins Anonymous
by Rob Hart

Mark, a world-class assassin (and highly entertaining narrator), has entered a 12-step program to stop killing (he's on step eight). Then someone tries to murder him, making sticking to the program trickier and sending him on the run in this crackling novel. Read-alikes: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn; Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes.
I Was a Teenage Slasher
by Stephen Graham Jones

Bram Stoker Award winner Stephen Graham Jones follows up his Indian Lake trilogy with the gruesome and darkly humorous confessional of murderer Tolly Driver, who went on a killing spree as a teen in 1989 Lamesa, Texas. For fans of: The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay.
Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil
by Ananda Lima

Brazilian poet Ananda Lima's surreal debut short story collection centers on an aspiring writer who sleeps with the devil at a party in 1999 and spends the following decades writing stories for him. For fans of: Samanta Schweblin; All My Colors by David Quantick.
Death in the Air
by Ram Murali

Ro Krishna, who’s has been forced out of his high-powered London lawyer job, is spending Christmas at a luxury Indian spa owned by a family friend. After one of the elite guests is murdered, Ro agrees to quietly look for the killer. Fans of closed circle mysteries will love this debut novel that explores race, class, and Indian history, and builds to a surprising conclusion. Read-alike: R.V. Raman's Harith Athreya novels.
Blood in the Cut
by Alejandro Nodarse

Out of prison after three years, Iggy Guerra returns to his much-changed family in Miami: his mom recently died, his little brother wants to quit school, his dad is involved with illegal Everglades poachers, and the family butcher shop is failing. Iggy doesn’t know how he’s going to fix it all, but he’s going to try. For fans of: intense, gritty crime novels, like those by S.A. Cosby and Eli Cranor.
Enlightenment
by Sarah Perry

In the small Essex town of Aldleigh, Thomas Hart and Grace Macaulay share a deep connection despite their 30-year age difference. As Grace leaves town to begin her adult life, Thomas becomes obsessed with a vanished astronomer from the 1880s, said to haunt the area. Over two decades, their lives intersect as they grapple with love, fate, and the mysteries of the universe.
One Last Summer
by Kate Spencer

Clara Millen’s life is in chaos: her dream job has become a nightmare, she’s perpetually single, and she hasn’t taken time off in years. Seeking an escape, she joins her childhood friends at their annual summer camp. However, unexpected changes -- including the camp’s sale -- lead to heart-to-heart conversations with Mack, her old camp rival. As sparks fly, Clara must choose between her long-held dreams and newfound passion. Will she embrace the life she truly desires? 
Bury Your Gays
by Chuck Tingle

Gay screenwriter Misha balks when he's asked to kill off the lesbian lead characters of the TV show he's writing, even though the studio's algorithm demands it. His decision puts a target on his back, and he soon finds himself haunted by the very monsters he wrote into being. This pulse-pounding latest from cult favorite Chuck Tingle was named one of Esquire's Best Books of Summer 2024. Try this next: Burn the Negative by Josh Winning. 
Adult Nonfiction
When the Clock Broke: Con Men, Conspiracists, and How America Cracked Up...
by John Ganz

Political writer John Ganz's sobering debut chronicles the rise of right-wing extremism in the 1990s and is "a must-read for every American wondering how we got here" (Booklist). Further reading: Partisans: The Conservative Revolutionaries Who Remade American Politics in the 1990s by Nicole Hemmer.
Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist
by Jasmin Graham

In this inspiring memoir, marine biologist Jasmin Graham talks sharks and describes her lifelong passion for the water, her journey to becoming a scientist and co-founder of Minorities in Shark Sciences, and the challenges she's faced in a white, male-dominated field. You might also like: Chanda Prescod-Weinstein's The Disordered Cosmos; B. Rosemary Grant's One Step Sideways, Three Steps Forward.
Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America
by Shefali Luthra

Featuring interviews with patients, healthcare providers, and activists, journalist Shefali Luthra's well-researched and affecting debut chronicles the ongoing impact of abortion restrictions following the Supreme Court's 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade. Further reading: You or Someone You Love: Reflections from an Abortion Doula by Hannah Matthews; Policing Pregnant Bodies: From Ancient Greece to Post-Roe America by Kathleen M. Crowther.
Code Dependent: Living in the Shadow of AI
by Madhumita Murgia

A global perspective enhances this sharp investigation into the insidious prevalence of artificial intelligence (AI) and its multi-faceted impact on human lives. While tech journalist Madhumita Murgia is unsparing in describing the dehumanizing harm caused by AI, she also offers suggestions for resistance.
1974: A Personal History
by Francine Prose

Award-winning novelist Francine Prose (The Vixen) offers an intimate look at a transformative year in American history -- and her own life -- in this moving debut memoir. For fans of: An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  
Desperately Seeking Something: A Memoir About Movies, Mothers, and Material Girls
by Susan Seidelman

Trailblazing Desperately Seeking Susan director Susan Seidelman chronicles her four-decade filmmaking career in this lively and upbeat memoir featuring black-and-white photos and behind-the-scenes anecdotes. Try this next: As If! The Oral History of Clueless, as Told by Amy Heckerling, the Cast, and the Crew by Jen Chaney. 
Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest...
by Fawn Weaver

New York Times bestselling author Fawn Weaver (Happy Wives Club: One Woman's Worldwide Search for the Secrets of a Great Marriage) offers a moving portrait of the lifelong friendship between Jack Daniel and Nathan "Nearest" Green, the enslaved man who taught him how to distill whiskey, in this "powerful portrayal of a largely hidden American history" (Publishers Weekly). For fans of: Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last by Wright Thompson.
Youth Fiction
The First Week of School
by Drew Beckmeyer

It's just a typical first week of school: a teacher, a classroom pet, kids with mixed emotions, and…an alien? Closely observed crayon art and an unusual, extraterrestrial perspective distinguish this funny, feel-good read.
The Tenth Mistake of Hank Hooperman
by Gennifer Choldenko

Super-responsible 11-year-old Hank loves his 3-year-old sister Boo, and due to their unreliable mother, he's used to taking care of her. But when their mom disappears, Hank faces painful choices, such as: is asking for help worth the risk of being separated from Boo? This authentic story is equal parts heart-wrenching and heartwarming.
Break to You
by Neal Shusterman, Debra Young, and Michelle Knowlden 

When Adriana finds her missing journal, it has fellow incarcerated teen Jon’s handwriting in it. Swapping the journal, the two bare their souls until they’re yearning for a risky in-person meeting. This emotionally intense novel balances a love story with an unflinching view of the juvenile detention system.
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