Library Reads: August 2015

Here is the newest list.  And here is your monthly reminder that you can pull up every Library Reads list for an easy scroll through all in a row in reverse chronological order using this link.  This is the only place I know of where you can get all the lists without a million clicks.

And why should you care? Because the older lists make for great sure bet backlist suggestions for your patrons.  You don’t even have to do the hand-selling work as the annotations from your fellow colleagues do the work for you.

August 2015 LibraryReads List

Best Boy: A Novel

by Eli Gottlieb

Published:8/24/2015
by Liveright
ISBN: 9781631490477

“What happens when someone on the autism spectrum grows up, and they aren’t a cute little boy anymore? Gottlieb’s novel follows the story of Todd Aaron, a man in his fifties who has spent most of his life a resident of the Payton Living Center. Todd begins to wonder what lies beyond the gates of his institution. A funny and deeply affecting work.”

Elizabeth Olesh, Baldwin Public Library, Baldwin, NY 

The Nature of the Beast:

A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel

by Louise Penny

Published: 8/25/2015 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250022080

“Louise Penny set the bar high with her last two books, but she had no trouble clearing it with this one. All our old friends are back in Three Pines where a young boy with a compulsion to tell tall tales tells one true story with disastrous results. But which story is the truth and why is it so threatening? Exquisitely suspenseful, emotionally wrenching and thoroughly satisfying.”

Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

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A Window Opens: A Novel

by Elisabeth Egan

Published: 8/25/2015 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781501105432

“Alice Pearce has a pretty great life. She has a loving family and works part-time as an editor for a magazine. When her family’s financial situation takes a drastic turn, Alice finds that she needs to step up to the plate and contribute more, and she finds this comes at a cost. I think many women will see themselves in Alice’s character. I recommend this book to moms who need a little time to themselves; they might realize that maybe things aren’t so bad for them after all.”

Rosanna Johnson, Chandler Public Library, Chandler, AZ 

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The Marriage of Opposites: A Novel

by Alice Hoffman

Published: 8/4/2015 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781451693591

“Exquisite…Alice Hoffman’s finest work to date.  The Marriage of Opposites is a beautiful love story of a man and woman and a mother and child intricately woven together to capture the author’s true message: Love more, not less.”

Marianne Colton, Lockport Public Library, Lockport, NY 

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Everybody Rise: A Novel

by Stephanie Clifford

Published: 8/18/2015 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250077172

“Stephanie Clifford’s debut novel takes us into the world of NYC high society in 2006. Evelyn Beegan, who’s always been on the fringes of the smart set, meets It girl Camilla Rutherford, and her ambition and desire to belong get the best of her. Evelyn’s deceptive effort to keep pace with Camilla wreaks all kinds of havoc with her finances, her family, and her sense of self. With a sympathetic main character and a fascinating look into how the other half lives, this astute tale is irresistible.”

                                                                    Anbolyn Potter, Chandler Public Library, Chandler, AZ 

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The Fall of Princes: A Novel

by Robert Goolrick

Published: 8/25/2015 by Algonquin
ISBN: 9781616204204

“I loved this novel about the rise and fall of a man in NYC during the 80s, when money was easy to make and easy to spend. What happens when you can get anything you want, and what does it really end up costing you? The story of the people working in the financial industry during that time is interwoven with the reality of AIDS, cocaine and the changes going on in society. So many sentences were so well-written that I found myself stopping to take them in and relish them.”

Jennifer Cook, Cheshire Public Library, Cheshire, CT 

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In a Dark, Dark Wood: A Novel

by Ruth Ware

Published: 8/4/2015 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781501112317

“Leonora Shaw is a crime writer who lives a solitary life in London until she receives an invitation to a hen party for a friend she hasn’t seen in nearly ten years. The party takes place in a remote location with spotty phone service. Are you nervous yet? We know from the opening pages that something horrible happens, but just what, and to whom, how, and why will keep readers guessing — and flipping the pages. Recommended for fans of The Girl on the Train.”

  Vicki Nesting, St. Charles Parish Library, Destrehan, LA 

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Black Eyed Susans: A Novel

by Julia Heaberlin
Published: 8/11/2015 by Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9780804177993

“In 1995, Tessie went out for a run, and she went missing. She was found eventually, a surviving victim of the Black-Eyed Susan serial killer. The supposed killer is in prison, yet Tessie is still being plagued by mysterious Black Eyed Susan flowers blooming where they shouldn’t. The viewpoint shifts between Tessie in the present day and teenage Tessie in 1995, and was quite clever. I think this novel will appeal to fans of Gone Girl.”

Shannon Fukumoto, Kapolei Public Library Kapolei, HI 

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Lord of the Wings:
A Meg Langslow Mystery

by Donna Andrews

Published: 8/4/2015 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250049582

“It’s Halloween in Caerphilly and the town has come up with another festival to bring in the tourists. Meg Langslow is heading up the “Goblin Patrol”, there’s trouble at the Haunted House, and body parts are being found at the zoo. Meg is once again called in to save the day and solve the crime. If you enjoy your mysteries packed with humor and fun, don’t miss this return to Caerphilly with Meg and her zany family and friends.”

Karen Emery, Johnson County Public Library, Franklin, IN 

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Browsings:
A Year of Reading, Collecting,
and Living with Books

by Michael Dirda

Published: 8/15/2015 by Pegasus
ISBN: 9781605988443

“This collection of Dirda’s musings on writers, book collecting and the literary landscape is a must read for all bibliophiles. Michael Dirda won a Pulitzer for his work at the Washington Post and has been called “the best-read person in America”. I always learn something new when I read his work and this book is no exception. Great fun for all book nerds!”

Robin Nesbitt, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Hilliard, OH