Library Reads: September 2019

Today is Library Reads day and that means four things here on RA for All:

1. I post the list and tag it “Library Reads” so that you can easily pull up every single list with one click.
2. I can remind you that even though the newest list is always fun to see, it is the older lists where you can find AWESOME, sure bet suggestions for patrons that will be on your shelf to actually hand to them right now. The best thing about Library Reads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips.
3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any Library Reads titles because there is a book talk right there in the list in the form of the annotation one of your colleagues wrote for you. All you have to say to your patron is, “such and such library worker in blank state thought this was a great read,” and then you read what he or she said.
4. Every book now has at least 1 readalike that is available to hand out RIGHT NOW. Book talk the upcoming book, place a hold for it, and then hand out that readalike title for while they wait. If they need more titles  before their hold comes in, use the readalike title to identify more readalike titles. And then keep repeating. Seriously, it is that easy to have happy, satisfied readers.

Also, the Library Reads Board has also started another great book discovery and suggestion tool for you, a monthly What We're Reading column. This means there are even more library worker approved titles, new and old, for you to choose from. 

So get out there and suggest a good read to someone today. I don’t care what list or resource you use to find the suggestion, just start suggesting books.

Also, please remember to click here for my Library Reads 101 recap for everything you need to know about how to participate. And click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month. 

September 2019 LibraryReads

Don’t miss the September 2019 Hall of Fame Winner! Scroll down or visit the Hall of Fame page.

Red at the Bone: A Novel

by Jacqueline Woodson

Published: 9/17/2019 by Riverhead Books
ISBN: 9780525535270

“A rich, multigenerational weaving of two families, starting at Melody’s coming-of-age party. She wears the dress her mother didn’t get to wear because she was pregnant with Melody at the time. Alternating narration moves forward and backward in time, reflecting on family, desire, identity, and parenthood. For fans of Jesmyn Ward and Brit Bennett.”

Julie Graham, Yakima Valley Libraries, Yakima Valley, WA
NoveList Read-alike: Third Girl from the Left by Martha Southgate

Bringing Down the Duke

by Evie Dunmore

Published: 9/3/2019 by Berkley Jove
ISBN: 9781984805683

“Oxford student Annabelle is knee deep in the suffragette movement. The Duke is wary of supporting a cause not in the crown’s best interest, but can’t deny his attraction to Annabelle. A well-done version of the enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story. Perfect for fans of Juliana Gray and Amanda Quick.”

Amanda Brill, Rowan Public Library, Salisbury, NC 
Novelist Read-alike: Sweet Disorder by Rose Lerner

Don’t You Forget About Me

by Mhairi McFarlane

Published: 9/10/2019 by William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062958464

“Aspiring writer Georgina, broke and a mess, gets a job at a bar owned by Lucas, whose heart she broke in high school. This fresh, funny story has just the right amount of sexual tension, and well-developed, relatable characters. A must-read for rom-com fans of Jane Green and Mary Kay Andrews.”

Theresa Bond, Middlesex Public Library, Middlesex, NJ 
NoveList Read-alike: One Day in December by Josie Silver

The Dutch House

by Ann Patchett

Published: 9/24/2019 by Harper
ISBN: 9780062963673

“For siblings Danny and Maeve, the Dutch house is much more than a structure. It is the bones of their family, a symbol connected to love, loss, achievement, and abandonment. They are connected to this house all their lives, even after being flung out of it. For fans of Anne Tyler and Anna Quindlen.”

Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN
NoveList Read-alike: The Turner House by Angela Flournoy

The Long Call

by Ann Cleeves

Published: 9/3/2019 by Minotaur Books
ISBN: 9781250204448

“In this new series, the introspective detective Matthew Venn of Devon and his team search for an itinerant worker’s murderer. Connections emerge to Venn’s estranged parents’ religious community and his partner’s workplace. A solid, almost cozy British mystery for fans of Kate Atkinson and Elly Griffiths.”

Carol Melichar, Seminole County Public Library, Casselberry, FL
NoveList Read-alike: Reverend Clare Fergusson mysteries by Julia Spencer-Fleming

No Judgments

by Meg Cabot

Published: 9/24/2019 by William Morrow Paperbacks
ISBN: 9780062890047

“Bree moves to the Florida Keys after a devastating breakup. When a hurricane threatens to wipe out the town, she refuses to evacuate and scrambles to protect the pets her neighbors were forced to leave behind. I don’t know if Little Bridge Island is a real place or not but it officially has a place in my heart. For contemporary romance fans like Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren and The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.”

Amber Greenwood, Edgewood Public Library, Edgewood, MD 
NoveList Read-alike: First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan

The Secrets We Kept: A Novel

by Lara Prescott

Published: 9/3/2019 by Knopf
ISBN: 9780525656159

“Inspired by a true story of Dr. Zhivago. Pasternak had finished his controversial novel and needed to get it out of Russia to be published. A CIA agent posing as a typist is trained by another female operative and the two work to save the Cold War masterpiece. For readers who enjoyed The Red Sparrow by Jason Matthews andSweet Tooth by Ian McEwan.”

Mamie Ney, Auburn Public Library, Auburn, MA 
NoveList Read-alike: The Zhivago Affair: The Kremlin, the CIA, and the Battle Over a Forbidden Book by Peter Finn and Petra Couvee

This Tender Land

by William Kent Krueger

Published: 9/3/2019 by Atria Books
ISBN: 9781476749297

“Odie and company escape a sadistic boarding school and travel through Depression-era America, meeting angels, devils– and everyone in between–along the way. It’s like Huck Finn and friends meet the Odyssey. For fans of Wiley Cash’s This Dark Road to Mercyand Louise Erdrich’s The Round House.

Lori Hench, Baltimore County Public Library, Baltimore, MD
NoveList Read-alike: 99 Nights in Logar by Jamil Jan Kochai

The Water Dancer: A Novel

by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Published: 9/24/2019 by One World
ISBN: 9780399590597

“A gorgeous novel blending historical fiction and magical realism to create a powerful portrait of the people who made up the Underground Railroad. For readers who enjoyed Beloved by Toni Morrison and She Would Be King by Wayetu Moore.”

Mara Bandy-Fass, Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL
NoveList Read-alike: Kindred by Octavia Butler

Well Met

by Jen DeLuca

Published: 9/3/2019 by Berkley Jove
ISBN: 9781984805386

“Emily has been through a rough patch and needs a new start. Where better to start than a small town that puts on a Ren Faire every year. At first she thinks it’s silly, but a handsome pirate soon changes her mind. For fans of Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.”

Michelle Herring, Naperville Public Library, Naperville, IL 
NoveList Read-alike: Hard Day’s Knight by Katie Macalister

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Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?

by Caitlin Doughty

Published: 9/10/2019
by W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 9780393652703

“Mortician Doughty’s latest explores everything you always wanted to know about death but were afraid to ask. From learning why corpses change color to whether you could preserve yourself in amber, readers who enjoy asking weird and wild questions will love this book.”

Erin Manning, Westlake Porter Public Library, Westlake, OH 

Read-alikes:

Stiff by Mary Roach
What If? by Randall Munroe
True or Poo? by Nick Caruso
Quackery by Lydia Kang