Library Reads: April 2016

It’s the April 2016 Library Reads list.  This is also your monthly reminder that the long backlist of previous months lists make for perfect SURE BET recommendations. Simply click here to pull them all up and start suggesting a great read to your patrons.

Hint: the further back you go the better chance the book will be on the shelf. 

While I love getting excited about the new books as much as anyone, it is in using this resource’s backlist that I have had some of my best RA interactions. The titles are pre-screened and each book comes with its own little book talk. Because of Library Reads I have not only found people their next good read but I have also made lasting connections between patrons and their library.

Ahhh the power of RA.

Eligible: A Modern Retelling
of Pride and Prejudice

by Curtis Sittenfeld

Published:4/19/2016 by Random House
ISBN: 9781400068326

“Love, sex, and relationships in contemporary Cincinnati provide an incisive social commentary set in the framework of Pride and Prejudice. Sittenfeld’s inclusion of a Bachelor-like reality show is a brilliant parallel to the scrutiny placed on characters in the neighborhood balls of Jane Austen’s novel, and readers will have no question about the crass nature of the younger Bennets, or the pride—and prejudice—of the heroine.”

Leslie DeLooze, Richmond Memorial Library, Batavia, NY

The Obsession

by Nora Roberts

Published: 4/12/2016 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780399175169

“Readers who love romantic thrillers will be mesmerized by the latest Roberts offering. The suspense kept me up all night! Naomi Carson, a successful young photographer, has moved across the country and fallen in love. She thinks she has escaped her past, but instead finds that the sins of her father have become an obsession. The serial killer premise makes it a tough read for the faint-hearted, but sticking with it leads to a thrilling conclusion.”

Marilyn Sieb, L. D. Fargo Public Library, Lake Mills, WI 

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The Murder of Mary Russell:
A Novel of Suspense featuring Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes

by Laurie R. King

Published: 4/5/2016 by Bantam
ISBN: 9780804177900

“Worried about Mary Russell? Well, you should be. She’s opened her door to the wrong man and deeply troubling secrets are set to tumble out, rewriting her history and putting herself and the people she loves in a dangerous spot. Once again, King spins a tantalizing tale of deception and misdirection for her readers’ delight and scores a direct hit in her latest Russell-Holmes mystery.”

Deborah Walsh, Geneva Public Library District, Geneva, IL

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‘Til Death Do Us Part

by Amanda Quick

Published: 4/19/2016 by Berkley
ISBN: 9780399174469

“Gothic atmosphere meets tender romance in Quick’s latest Victorian era tour de force. Calista Langley asks crime novelist Trent Hastings for assistance in unmasking a twisted secret admirer that seems to have singled her out, and the two become tangled up in more than just an investigation. Quick perfectly balances setting, characters, plot, and relationship development–the end result being a story that will delight her legion of fans, as well as earn her new ones.”

Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, Huntington Station, NY 

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Lilac Girls: A Novel

by Martha Hall Kelly

Published: 4/5/2016 by Ballantine Books
ISBN: 9781101883075

“This is story of the Ravensbruck Rabbits: seventy-four women prisoners in the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Using alternating first-person narratives, the characters relate their experiences from 1939 through 1959. Drawing upon a decade of research, Hall reconstructs what life was like in Ravensbruck. More than a war story, this is a tale of how the strength of women’s bonds can carry them through even the most difficult situations. Lilac Girls is a solid, compelling historical read.”

Andrea Larson, Cook Memorial Public Library, Libertyville, IL 

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The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts

by Joshua Hammer

Published: 4/19/2016 by Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 9781476777405

“For centuries, Arabic manuscripts were collected by private households in Mali, particularly Timbuktu: gilded manuscripts painted with real gold, showing vibrantly colored illustrations of nature. These highly valued manuscripts were handed down within families who acted as caretakers. As radicalized Muslim leaders came into power, the manuscripts were seen as corruptions of true Islam, requiring intervention. History and adventure at its best.”

Marika Zemke, Commerce Township Public Library, Commerce Township, MI

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Every Heart a Doorway

by Seanan McGuire

Published: 4/5/2016 by Tor.com
ISBN: 9780765385505

“What happens to children who find a doorway into a fantasy land, and then come back into the mundane world? It’s certainly not a happily ever after scenario for these children, but those that find their way to Eleanor West’s school are learning to cope. Shortly after Nancy comes to the school, a series of horrific events occur. It’s up to her and others at the school to figure out who is committing these atrocities. This book is so wonderfully written.”

Jennifer Kelley, Kershaw County Library, Camden, SC

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Best of My Love

by Susan Mallery
Published: 4/26/2016 by HQN
ISBN: 9780373789764 

“Shelby has a plan to help herself overcome her relationship issues: asking Aiden to be her friend. Aiden agrees, because he realizes that he does not treat women very well and wants to learn how to treat them right, even though he doesn’t want to get married. The situation seems to work well for both Aiden and Shelby, until they realize they feel much more than friendship for each other. Mallery never fails to deliver a great story full of love and friendship. Another fantastic read.”

Jenelle Klavenga, Marshalltown Public Library, Marshalltown, IA 

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A Murder in Time: A Novel

by Julie McElwain

Published: 4/11/2016 by Pegasus Books
ISBN: 9781605989747

“Kendra is a smart, confident protagonist who is familiar with the hustle it takes to stay afloat in a male-dominated profession. Thrown into a situation completely alien to her, she manages to assimilate to her surroundings, albeit roughly, while using her wits to catch a ruthless killer. She can be abrasive, and I found myself cringing, curling my toes, and muttering out loud. It will be fun to watch her mature in future books. McElwain has created a highly entertaining story.”

Randee J Bybee, Upland Public Library, Upland, CA

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Tuesday Nights in 1980

by Molly Prentiss

Published: 4/5/2016 by Gallery/Scout Press
ISBN: 9781501121043

“Following the lives of three individuals in New York on the cusp of 1980, this book was structured in such a unique and original way. Lucy is in her early twenties, experiencing life in a big city; James who after college finds himself the reigning critic of the art world and Raul, escaping the post Peron Dirty War in Argentina will find himself the art world’s new favorite; these three will find their lives entwined in many ways. A tragic accident will change all these characters and others close to them. This is a wonderful book that I wasn’t ready to finish.”

Diane Scholl, Batavia Public Library, Batavia, IL