Check Out New October Releases

Now that Fall is officially here its a great time to curl up with a fresh new book from your favorite author.  Here are some of the titles out this month.

Blue Moon by Lee Child

In the next highly anticipated installment of Lee Child’s acclaimed suspense series, Jack Reacher comes to the aid of an elderly couple . . . and confronts his most dangerous opponents yet.


What Happens in Paradise by Elin Hilderbrand

A year ago, Irene Steele had the shock of her life: her loving husband, father to their grown sons and successful businessman, was killed in a plane crash. But that wasn't Irene's only shattering news: he'd also been leading a double life on the island of St. John, where another woman loved him, too. Now Irene and her sons are back on St. John, determined to learn the truth about the mysterious life--and death--of a man they thought they knew. Along the way, they're about to learn some surprising truths about their own lives, and their futures.




A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber


"As the holiday season begins, Laurel McCullough could use some good news. She and her husband, Zach, have been praying for a baby that seems more and more like an impossible dream, and they've had to move in with her beloved grandmother, Helen, who's having trouble taking care of herself. But when Laurel contacts a local home-care organization for help, there are no caregivers available. Then Mrs. Miracle appears at the door. 

The 19th Christmas by James Patterson 

A peaceful San Francisco holiday season is shattered by a criminal mastermind's ominous threats for Christmas morning, prompting Detective Lindsay Boxer and her friends to prepare for an attack by a commissioned army of criminals.



The Night Fire by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch and LAPD Detective Renée Ballard come together again on the murder case that obsessed Bosch’s mentor, the man who trained him to be a homicide detective.

Pumpkin-spiced books

Now that it's October, it's officially acceptable to get pumpkin-spiced everything! Books are no exception. Here are some "pumpkin-spiced" reads to get you in the mood for those crisp fall days.

The Pumpkin Muffin Murder: a Fresh-baked Mystery by L.J. Washburn

Phyllis loves to spend quality time with her grandson. She'll be taking him to a festival with hopes of winning the baking contest-now that her friendly competitor, Carolyn, is judging and not competing. But when a decorative scarecrow is actually a deadbody in disguise, it's Phyllis's sleuthing skills that are needed. The dead body is that of the festival's organizer- and his wife, Carolyn's friend, falls under suspicion. Carolyn turns to Phyllis for help, because who's better at dishing out some justice than a baker extraordinaire who can handle the heat.

Autumn by Ali Smith
Autumn. Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Two old friends - Daniel, a centenarian, and Elisabeth, born in 1984 - look to both the future and the past as the United Kingdom stands divided by a historic, once-in-a-generation summer. Love is won, love is lost. Hope is hand in hand with hopelessness. The season roll around, as ever. A luminous meditation on the meaning of richness and harvest and worth, Autumn is the first installment of Ali Smith's Seasonal quartet, and it casts an eye over our own time.

When Autumn Leaves by Amy Foster
In the picturesque Pacific coast town of Avening, it's hard not to believe in magic. This is a town where the shoes in the window always fit, where you can buy a love potion at the corner shop, and where local lore seamlessly mixes with the supernatural.And then there's Autumn, Avening's most beloved resident, shopkeeper, and guardian of the Jaen sisterhood. When she receives word she's been promoted within the order, Autumn must undertake the task of selecting her own replacement. But who in Avening is magical enough to take Autumn's place?

Cat Among the Pumpkins by Mandy Morton

Feline detective Hettie Bagshot and her sidekick, Tilly, investigate a murder and look for their clues in Mavis Spitforce dressing as a pumpkin, Irene Peggledrip talking to cat spirits, and Mike Myers's murder of his family on Halloween.

Death by Pumpkin Spice by Alex Erickson

When a woman is found strangled to death during a Halloween party at Yarborough mansion, bookstore owner Krissy Hancock, with the estate on lockdown and a killer roaming the halls, must help Officer Paul Dalton find the truth, while confronting some terrifying truths of her own.

The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine by Kate Angell

Three unsuspecting guests ready for some spooky fun at an annual Halloween costume party at a picturesque bed and breakfast in Moonbright, Maine, discover why the locals believe the inn is an enchanted place where wishes actually do come true.

Telling Tales in School

A sudden cool breeze, an early dusk, and ads for backpacks, pens, and notebooks everywhere hint at  what's coming: a new school year. Whether this change evokes a resigned sigh or sheer joy, reading some academic-themed fiction might just help us get in the mood for it.

Old favorites:

Moo by Jane Smiley - In urgent need of funds, Moo University, a huge midwestern agricultural college, and its male-dominated hierarchy search for a solution to their economic woes.

Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon - Grady Tripp, an obese, aging writer who has lost his way, and debauched editor Terry Crabtree struggle to rekindle their friendship, a sense of adventure, and purpose in their lives.

Starting Out in the Evening by Brian Morton - When graduate student Heather Wolfe sets out to meet the elderly novelist whose works have changed her life, she meets someone very different from her expectations. 

Straight Man by Richard Russo - Within one single week, Hank Devereaux, head of the the English department at the state university, has his nose slashed by a feminist poet, finds his secretary is a better writer than he is, and suspects his wife is having an affair. 

Been around a while:

The Shakespeare Requirement by Julie Schumacher - Newly appointed English Department Chair Jason Fitger navigates his wife's affair with his boss, budget cuts, a formidable department secretary who writes better than he does, and a Shakespeare scholar who refuses to retire.

By the Book by Julia Sonneborn - An English professor struggling for tenure discovers that her ex-fiance has just become the president of her college--and her new boss.

The Devil and Webster by Jean Hanff Korelitz - The first woman president of an elite progressive college responds to student protests about a popular professor's tenure denial before the group's controversial leader emerges and  shocking acts of vandalism begin to destabilize the campus.

Published recently: 

Talent: A Novel by Juliet Lapidas - An English graduate student struggling with her dissertation about the intellectual history of inspiration desperately searches for a case study to anchor her thesis, only to find it in the unlikeliest of places.

Trust Exercise: A Novel by Susan Choi - Falling in love while attending a competitive 1980s performing arts high school, David and Sarah rise through the ranks before the realities of their family dynamics and economic statuses trigger a spiral that impacts their adult lives.

The Study of Animal Languages by Lindsay Stern - a logic-driven professor of philosophy is forced by a series of crises to confront a growing estrangement in his marriage to his free-spirited, passionate biolinguistics pioneer wife.

Silver Girl: A Novel by Leslie Pietrzyk - Set against the backdrop of Chicago in the early 80s, the story follows a young college student who conceals her deeply troubled past and lives a new life that is not in any way her own.

Fourth of July Crime Mysteries

A friend of mine once said that there is a mystery title for every occasion. This is true for the Fourth of July! Here are some titles set on or near the fourth that we own.

The Cat Who Went Underground - Lilian Jackson Braun
Someone to Watch Over Me - Jill Churchill
Murder Most Frothy- Cleo Coyle
Red, White and Blue Murder - Bill Crider
Lemon Meringue Murder - Joanna Fluke
Dead, White and Blue - Carolyn Hart
Yankee Doodle Dead - Carolyn Hart
Knee High by the Fourth of July - Jess Lourey
Death on Nantucket - Francine Mathews
Iron Ties - Ann Parker
The Body in the Birches -  Katherine Hall Page
Can't Never Tell - Cathy Pickens
Killing Grounds - Dana Stabenow
Thread and Gone - Lea Wait

Enjoy your holiday with a good book. For more Fourth of July titles (we can always interlibrary loan them) and other holiday mysteries check out the excellent Mystery Fanfare blog. 

Teen Books With Adult-Appeal

Ever wonder why adults love to read teen books?  There are so many to choose from, and often there are many interesting crossover titles that bring us back to our youth.  Subjects vary, and characters are often richly drawn and interesting to an older audience.  All listed are located in the Teen Scene.

Here are some that you might like:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas



After witnessing her friend's death at the hands of a police officer, Starr Carter's life is complicated when the police and a local drug lord try to intimidate her in an effort to learn what happened the night Kahlil died.




Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein



Rose Justice is an American pilot with Britain's Air Transport Auxiliary during the Second World War. On her way back from a routine flight she is captured by the Germans and sent to Ravensbrück, a notorious concentration camp, where she meets an unforgettable group of women, and vows to tell her fellow prisoners' stories to the world.



Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein



After crash-landing in France in 1943 and being captured by Nazis, a female wireless operator for the British (who goes by Queenie, Eva, Verity, and various other aliases) reveals bits of code in exchange for reprieve from torture...and to postpone her execution. 



Wise Young Fool by Sean Beaudoin



A teenaged guitarist in a rock band deals with loss and anger as he relates the events that landed him in a juvenile detention center.



Dear Evan Hansen:  The Novel by Val Emmich




Evan goes from being a nobody to everyone's hero and a social media superstar after a chance encounter with Connor just before his suicide leads others to believe Evan was his only friend.



The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater



Blue Sargent's gift seems to be that she makes other people's talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the Aglionby Academy, she discovers that together their talents are a dangerous mix.  First in Raven Cycle series.



History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera


Secrets are revealed as OCD-afflicted Griffin grieves for his first love, Theo, who died in a drowning accident.

Women's Prize for Fiction

The UK's Women's Prize for Fiction published its shortlist for 2019:

I find the books on lists like these are all good reads, not just the winners. But this year I'll go straight for the prize-winner named at the end of this list. It has just the kind of complexity that keeps me intrigued. Happy reading!


Silence of the Girls by Pat Barker
In her own take on the events of The Iliad, Barker explores the Trojan War from the perspective of women, who served mainly as slaves or prostitutes, or those who lay out the dead. The story focuses on the battle between Achilles and Agamemnon over Briseis, once queen of a kingdom near Troy.




 Circe by Madeline Miller
Circe, born without the power of her father Helios or the astonishing allure of her mother, turns to mortals for companionship and discovers her own tremendous power of witchcraft that can menace the gods themselves. Will she suffer retribution?



Ordinary People by Diana Evans
Evans follows two couples who are dealing with changing values and commitments. Melissa and Michael, still engaged after 13 years, are grappling with the changes the come with their role as parents of a seven-year-old and a new baby. Melissa misses her job as a fashion editor, and Michael feels ignored and is in danger of being unfaithful. Their friends Damian and Stephanie realize 16 years into their marriage that they both want very different lives.




My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Realizing that her beautiful and favored sister Ayoola is actually a sociopath, Koreda tries to help her cover up the murders of her boyfriends until the doctor that Koreda works with, her long-term secret love, asks her for Ayoola's phone number. ("The wittiest and most fun murder party you've ever been invited to." -- Marie Claire)




Milkman by Anna Burns
In Northern Ireland in the Troubles of the 1970s, an unnamed narrator, who stands out because she reads while walking and takes French night classes, finds herself pursued by a high-ranking paramilitary known as Milkman, though she does not want the danger such attention could bring. (Milkman won the 2018 Man Booker Prize.)




An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Celeste, an artist on the brink of success, marries Roy, a young executive. Soon Roy is arrested for a crime and sentenced to twelve years in prison. Celeste knows he did not commit the crime, but eventually she takes comfort in Andre, her dear friend from childhood. When Roy's sentence is suddenly overturned, Celeste must find a way to face the past and move forward.


The Winner: An American Marriage by Tayari Jones.

While You Wait for The Silent Patient....Try These!

Looking for something exciting to read while you wait for The Silent Patient by Alex Michadies?  Quench your suspense thirst with some of these great reads!

The Suspect by Fiona Barton
Pursuing the story of two British teens who disappeared during a Bangkok hostel fire, journalist Kate Waters struggles to remain objective when her estranged son is declared a main suspect.

And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

Suburban madam Heloise, with no one left to trust, decides to get out of the game when another suburban madam is brutally murdered, forcing her to stay one step ahead of a killer--and the father of her child--who is just as lethal behind bars as he was on the outside.

Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine

With her ex now in prison, Gwen has finally found refuge in a new home on remote Stillhouse Lake. Though still the target of stalkers and Internet trolls who think she had something to do with her husband's crimes, Gwen dares to think her kids can finally grow up in peace. But just when she's starting to feel at ease in her new identity, a body turns up in the lake--and threatening letters start arriving from an all-too-familiar address. 

The Good Girl by Mary Kubica

Art teacher Mia Dennett returns months after she is kidnapped, remembering little of her abduction and captivity. The story is told from the viewpoints of her mother, the detective who works her case, and the kidnapper (who never delivered her to the people who ordered the job).

Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight

Struggling with memories over the loss of her own baby while investigating the discovery of an anonymous infant in the woods, journalist Molly Anderson traces a string of unreported assaults spanning 20 years.

CRIME FICTION AUTHOR PANEL

Wednesday, April 24, 7-8:30 PM • Community Room

Interested in finding clues, solving crimes, and the thrill of the chase, but prefer reading about it in a fictionalized setting? Join your fellow crime fiction fans for this event.

In this panel discussion, come see local authors Susanna Calkins (Murder Knocks Twice,) Jack Fredrickson (Tagged for Murder,) and Julie Hyzy (Virtual Sabotage) discuss their works, writing life, and share the stories behind their exceptional crime fiction novels.  

Book sale by Book Bin Northbrook and there is an author signing following the program.

Come join us for the fun.

International Women's Day

For International Women's Day, read some books (Fiction and Nonfiction) about and by these amazing women:

For more suggestions visit: International Women's Day Books

Dear Ijeawele: or a Feminist Manifesto in 15 Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A few years ago, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received a letter from a dear friend from childhood, asking her how to raise her baby girl as a feminist. Dear Ijeawele is Adichie’s letter of response. Here are fifteen invaluable suggestions–compelling, direct, wryly funny, and perceptive–for how to empower a daughter to become a strong, independent woman.

Enchantress of Numbers: a Novel of Ada Lovelace by Jennifer Chiaverini 

Rigorously educated in mathematics and science by her mother, an only legitimate child of brilliant Romantic poet Lord Byron is introduced into London society as a highly eligible heiress before forging a deep bond with inventor Charles Babbage and using her unique talents to become the world's first computer programmer.

 

The Glass Universe: How the Ladies of the Harvard Observatory Took the Measure of the Stars 

by Dava Sobel
The little-known true story of the unexpected and remarkable contributions to astronomy made by a group of women working in the Harvard College Observatory from the late 1800s through the mid-1900s.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

A tale inspired by the first wife of Albert Einstein follows the experiences of Mitza Mari, a female physics student at an elite late-nineteenth-century school in Zurich, where she falls in love with a charismatic fellow student who eclipses her contributions to his theory of relativity.

The Unfriendly Skies (download and go)

This morning I took the dog for an abbreviated walk as I opted to sleep in a bit more. Wow, was it cold, after such a warm December, it was a cold reminder of what winter in Chicago is typically like, frigid and the skies gray and almost unfriendly. I think even the dog noticed, as he picked up the pace. Here is a list of downloadable fiction with a reference to the skies above.

The Girl Who Fell from the Sky by Heidi Durrow The Orphan Sky by Ella Leya A Sky Full of Stars by Samantha Chase Under a Cloudless Sky by Chris Fabry Meet the Sky by McCall Hoyle Sky Between You and Me by Catherine Alene Under the Wide and Starry Sky by Nancy Horan

The 2019 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction Shortlist

At the end of this year the American Library Association announced the six books shortlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals. This is awarded for the previous year's best books written for adult readers and published in the U.S. The medals, established in 2012, guide adults in selecting quality reading material. The two medal winners, one for fiction and one for nonfiction, receive $5,000 each and are honored during an event at ALA's 2019 Annual Conference. The medals are made possible by a partial grant from the Carnegie Corporation as a testament to Andrew Carnegie who believed that books can change the world! The winners will be announced on January 27, 2019.
Take a look at the six finalists and decide which one would get your vote -


FICTION:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
A novel set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris follows the director of a Chicago art gallery and a woman looking for her estranged daughter in Paris who both struggle to come to terms with the ways AIDS has affected their lives.

There, There by Tommy Orange
A large cast of interwoven characters depicts the experience of Native Americans living in urban settings. Perfect for readers of character-driven fiction with a strong sense of place. -- Abby Johnson for LibraryReads.

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Unexpectedly chosen to be a family manservant, an 11-year-old Barbados sugar-plantation slave is initiated into a world of technology and dignity before a devastating betrayal propels him throughout the world in search of his true self.

NONFICTION:
Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company That Addicted America by Beth Macy
In a book that includes deeply human and unforgettable portraits of the families and first responders affected, the author takes readers into the epicenter of America's more than 20-year struggle with opioid addiction.

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon
In this powerful and provocative memoir, genre-bending essayist and novelist Kiese Laymon explores what the weight of a lifetime of secrets, lies, and deception does to a black body, a black family, and a nation teetering on the brink of moral collapse.

The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantu
A former agent for the U.S. Border Patrol describes his upbringing as the son of a park ranger and grandson of a Mexican immigrant, who upon joining the Border Patrol encountered the violence and political rhetoric that overshadows life for both migrants and the police.

Reading Reflections 2018

The New Year is fast approaching and it's a perfect time to reflect on what I've read over the past year. It's been a great reading year for me! I've read and listened my way across the genres and for the first time in a long time a nonfiction book is my favorite read of the year, American Wolf: a true story of survival and obsession in the West by Nate Blakeslee. Here are a few of  my other good reads from 2018.  Maybe you'll find one that peaks your interest. What's your favorite book of 2018?

American Wolf: a true story of survival and obsession the West by Nate Blakeslee
An intimate account of the rise and rein of O-Six, the legendary Yellowstone wolf, describes, how after being hunted to near extinction by the 1920's, conservationists worked tirelessly to restore the species against a backdrop of debates specifically affecting the American West.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Celestial and Roy are newly married with a bright future when Roy is convicted of a crime he did not commit. This is not a heroes vs. villain's tale with a neat resolution. It is a complex, muddled, and thought-provoking story about love, family, and the wide-reaching effects of incarceration.

There, There by Tommy Orange
A large cast of interlaced characters depicts the experience of Native Americans living in urban settings. Perfect for readers of character-driven fiction with a strong sense of place.

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Leni and her dysfunctional family embark on a new way of life in Alaska's wilderness in the mid-1970's, hoping this is the solution for her troubled father. In Alaska, each member of the family is tested and when change comes to their community her father's anger threatens to divide the town. This is an exquisitely written novel, descriptive and engaging with well-developed characters and a very strong sense of place.

Carnegie's Maid by Marie Benedict
Charming, richly-detailed, biographical and historical fiction. In 1860s Pittsburgh, Clara, an Irish immigrant takes a job working as a maid for Andrew Carnegie, with whom she falls in love, and then goes missing.

Best of 2018 Fiction

As we come to the end of 2018, we reflect on a year's worth of great fiction writing. There are many lists out there: NPR's Best Books of 2018, Best 10 Books of 2018 by the New York Times, Time Magazine Best Fiction Books 2018, to name a few. Here are some highlights:

The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani
When Myriam, a French-Moroccan lawyer, decides to return to work after having children, she and her husband look for the perfect nanny for their two young children. They never dreamed they would find Louise: a quiet, polite, devoted woman who sings to the children, cleans the family's chic apartment in Paris's upscale tenth arrondissement, stays late without complaint, and hosts enviable kiddie parties. But as the couple and the nanny become more dependent on one another, jealousy, resentment, and suspicions mount, shattering the idyllic tableau.

The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai

A novel set in 1980s Chicago and contemporary Paris follows the director of a Chicago art gallery and a woman looking for her estranged daughter in Paris who both struggle to come to terms with the ways AIDS has affected their lives.

There, There by Tommy Orange

Twelve Native Americans came to the Big Oakland Powwow for different reasons. Jacquie Red Feather is newly sober and trying to make it back to the family she left behind in shame. Dene Oxendene is pulling his life together after his uncle's death and has come to work the powwow and to honor his uncle's memory. Edwin Frank has come to find his true father. Bobby Big Medicine has come to drum the Grand Entry. Opal Viola Victoria Bear Shield has come to watch her nephew Orvil Red Feather; Orvil has taught himself Indian dance through YouTube videos, and he has come to the powwow to dance in public for the very first time. Tony Loneman is a young Native American boy whose future seems destined to be as bleak as his past, and he has come to the Powwow with darker intentions--intentions that will destroy the lives of everyone in his path.

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children--four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness--sneak out to hear their fortunes. Their prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11, hoping to control fate; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality. The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next.

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

Celestial and Roy are newly married professionals leaning in to a bright future when Roy is convicted of a crime he did not commit. This is not a heroes vs. villains tale with a tidy resolution. It is a complicated, messy, moving, and thought-provoking story about love, family, and the wide-reaching effects of incarceration.

News for Audiobook Listeners: The New York Times has a monthly audiobook bestseller list!

Due to the amazing rise in the popularity of audiobooks, this past spring the New York Times newspaper began publishing a monthly audiobook bestseller list. The list combines both physical and digital audio sales.

The October list will appear in the October 14, 2018 issue of the Sunday New York Times. This monthly bestseller list is a great resource for avid audiobook listeners. The list would also be a good place to begin for those just starting to navigate the world of audiobooks. The list typically has 15 fiction and 15 nonfiction titles.

Below is just a sample of some of the titles appearing on the October audiobook bestseller list that are available through the Glenview Public Library.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (available on CD)

A young woman who has survived for years alone in the wild North Carolina marsh suddenly becomes a murder suspect.

Lethal White by Robert Galbraith (available on CD)

Book 4 in the Cormoran Strike series. When a troubled young man asks him to investigate a crime he thinks he saw as a child, Cormoran Strike sets off on a twisting trail that leads from London's backstreets to a country manor house. (Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym for J.K. Rowling).

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (available on CD and downloadable through OverDrive)

A New York woman spends the summer with her boyfriend's family in Singapore and is surprised by what she encounters.

Fear by Bob Woodward (available on CD and downloadable through OverDrive)

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist draws on interviews, diaries and other documents to describe the decision-making process in the Trump White House.

Educated by Tara Westover (available on CD, Playaway and downloadable through OverDrive)

In this memoir, Westover recounts her childhood growing up in a strict Mormon survivalist family in Idaho.

In Pieces by Sally Field (available on CD)

The memoir of Academy and Emmy Award-winning actress.
.

Fairy Tales Re-imagined

One of my favorite fantasy reads in fairy written again with a new spin to the tales that I read when I was younger.  I remember pouring over a large volume of classic fairy tales that I had gotten from my parents.  The love of tales such as these has carried over into my adult reading choices.  It's interesting to see what take a different author takes on a tale, sometimes even writing from the perspective of a character who might not have been a sympathetic or prominent character in the original.  Here are a few books that have taken a new spin on some classic tales that you might recognize from your youth.

All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother - Danielle Teller

We all know the story of Cinderella... or do we? Her stepmother, Agnes, has privately recorded the true story. A peasant born into serfdom, forced into servitude as a laundress's apprentice when she is only ten years old, Agnes was seduced by an older man while a teenager and became pregnant. She had no choice but to return to servitude at the manor she thought she had left behind, where her new position is nursemaid to Ella. The story of their relationship reveals that nothing is what it seems, that beauty is not always desirable, and that love can take on many guises.


Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
"A fresh and imaginative retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale...Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father is not a very good one. Free to lend and reluctant to collect, he has left his family on the edge of poverty--until Miryem intercedes. Hardening her heart, she sets out to retrieve what is owed, and soon gains a reputation for being able to turn silver into gold. But when an ill-advised boast brings her to the attention of the cold creatures who haunt the wood, nothing will be the same again. For words have power, and the fate of a kingdom will be forever altered by the challenge she is issued. Channeling the heart of the classic fairy tale, Novik deftly interweaves six distinct narrative voices--each learning valuable lessons about sacrifice, power and love--into a rich, multilayered fantasy that readers will want to return to again and again."

The Bear and the Nightingale: A Novel - Katherine Arden 

A beautiful re-imaging of a Russian fairy tale.  "In a village at the edge of the wilderness of northern Russia, where the winds blow cold and the snow falls many months of the year, a stranger with piercing blue eyes presents a new father with a gift - a precious jewel on a delicate chain, intended for his young daughter. Uncertain of its meaning, Pytor hides the gift away and Vasya grows up a wild, willful girl, to the chagrin of her family. But when mysterious forces threaten the happiness of their village, Vasya discovers that, armed only with the necklace, she may be the only one who can keep the darkness at bay"




The Marry Spinster: Tale of Everyday Horrors - Mallory Ortberg

A collection of darkly playful stories based on classic folk and fairy tales (but with a feminist spin) that find the sinister in the familiar and the familiar in the alien.

To All the Boys I've Ever Loved Before...Some books to Soothe

Looking for something similar to read to Jenny Han's To All the Boys I've Loved Before? Looking to quench your thirst after watching the movie? Check these titles out, all in our Teen Scene!


The Only Thing Worse Than Me is You
by Lily Anderson

After years of competing against each other, Trixie and Ben form a fandom-based tentative friendship when their best friends start dating each other, but after Trixie's friend gets expelled for cheating they have to choose which side they are on.


When Dimple Met Rishi
by Sandyha Menon

When Dimple Shah and Rishi Patel meet at a Stanford University summer program, Dimple is avoiding her parents' obsession with "marriage prospects" but Rishi hopes to woo her into accepting arranged marriage with him.

Everything Leads to You
by Nina LaCour

While working as a film production designer in Los Angeles, Emi finds a mysterious letter from a silver screen legend which leads Emi to Ava who is about to expand Emi's understanding of family, acceptance, and true romance.

Emergency Contact
by Mary H.K. Choi

After a chance encounter, Penny and Sam become each other's emergency contacts and find themselves falling in love digitally, without the humiliating weirdness of having to see each other.