Library Reads: September 2015

This is late because I was on vacation but I want to post it for continuity.  All previous lists are available with this link.

[I will have another post later today]

September 2015 LibraryReads List

The Art of Crash Landing:
A Novel

by Melissa DeCarlo

Published:9/8/2015
by Harper Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062390547

“At once tragic and hilarious, this book is a roller coaster of a read. You’ll find yourself rooting for the snarky and impulsive but ultimately lovable Mattie. At the heart of this tale is a beautifully unraveled mystery that has led Mattie to her current circumstances, ultimately bringing her to her first real home.”

                                                        Patricia Kline-Millard, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH 

Make Me:

A Jack Reacher Novel

by Lee Child

Published: 9/8/2015 by Delacorte Press
ISBN: 9780804178778

“Jack Reacher is back. Jack gets off a train at an isolated town. Soon, he is learning much more about the town, and its residents are learning not to mess around with Jack Reacher. Readers new to this series will find this book a good starting point, and fans will be pleased to see Jack again.”

Jenna Persick, Chester County Library, Exton, PA

---

House of Thieves: A Novel

by Charles Belfoure

Published: 9/15/2015 by Sourcebooks Landmark
ISBN: 9781492617891

“Belfoure’s intriguing novel is set in Gilded Age New York City. John Cross, head of the family, finds an unexpected talent for planning robberies, while his wife and children also discover their inner criminals. The historical details and setting evoke old New York. I enjoyed every minute of their escapades.”

Barbara Clark-Greene, Groton Public Library, Groton, CT 

---

Fates and Furies: A Novel

by Lauren Groff

Published: 9/15/2015 by Riverhead Books
ISBN: 9781594634475

“Fates and Furies is a modern portrait of marriage. Lotto Satterwhite is the center, the hub around which all the characters revolve in the first half of the book. In the second half of the book, the lens turns to Lotto’s wife Mathilde, and her side of the lopsided partnership gives us a totally different view. Groff is a master of language. It’s not a gentle read. But it’s magnificent.”

Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN 

---

Did You Ever Have A Family

by Bill Clegg

Published: 9/8/2015 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781476798172

“Clegg’s devastatingly beautiful fiction debut is the portrait of a community in the aftermath of a tragedy. June Reid, the broken woman at the epicenter of the novel, is struggling with a loss so profound that she is unable to see beyond her grief, unaware that it has touched many people. Clegg tells their stories with heartbreaking sensitivity and insight.”

Mary Coe, Fairfield Woods Branch Library, Fairfield, CT 

---

The Gates of Evangeline

by Hester Young

Published: 9/1/2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons
ISBN: 9780399174001

“Journalist Charlie Cates goes to gloomy, swampy Louisiana to write a book about the disappearance of a young child. Her research uncovers family secrets, lies, and clandestine affairs. This first book in a new series is incredibly suspenseful, with a vivid setting, a supernatural tinge, and an intricate plot that keeps you guessing until the end.”

Anbolyn Potter, Chandler Public Library, Chandler, AZ 

---

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things

by Jenny Lawson

Published: 9/22/2015 by Flatiron Books
ISBN: 9781250077004

“Lawson’s hilarious memoir is a romp between absurdity and despondency. Passages alternate from ridiculously funny stories of her life to episodes of her sometimes debilitating depression. Lawson embraces living life, rather than merely surviving it. Why be just happy when you can be furiously so? Recommended to fans of David Sedaris and Sloane Crosley.”

                                                               PJ Gardiner, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC 

---

This Is Your Life, Harriet Chance!

by Jonathan Evison
Published: 9/8/2015 by Algonquin Books
ISBN: 9781616202613

“Harriet Chance receives word that her recently deceased husband, Bernard, has won an Alaskan cruise. Deciding to go on the trip, she is given a letter from her close friend Mildred, with instructions not to open it until she is on the cruise. The contents of this letter shatter Harriet and she begins to reevaluate her life and her relationships.”

Arleen Talley, Anne Arundel County Public Library Foundation, Annapolis, MD 

---

Girl Waits With Gun

by Amy Stewart

Published: 9/1/2015 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 9780544409910

“When the Kopp sisters and their buggy are injured by Henry Kaufmann’s car, Constance Kopp at first just wants him to pay the damages. As she pursues justice, she meets another of Kaufmann’s victims, the young woman Lucy. Stewart creates fully developed characters, including the heroine, Constance, who is fiercely independent as she faces down her fears. The time period and setting are important parts of the story as well, providing a glimpse of 1914 New Jersey.”

                                                                  Maggie Holmes, Richards Memorial Library, North Attleboro, MA 

---

The Scribe: A Novel

by Matthew Guinn

Published: 9/14/2015 by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393239294

“A shunned detective is pulled back to Atlanta to solve some brutal murders that seem to be the work of a serial killer. Political intrigue, a fascinating time in this country’s history, and a good old-fashioned murder mystery make this one fascinating read. This book asks the question: when a man has had everything taken away, will he still fight for what is right?”

Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX