RA FOR ALL...THE ROAD SHOW!

I can come to your library, book club meeting, or conference to talk about how to help your readers find their next good read. Click here for more information including RA for All's EDI Statement.

Thursday, June 15, 2023

LibraryReads: July 2023

  It's LibraryReads 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 LibraryReads is the compound interest it is earning. We now have hundreds and hundreds of titles worth suggesting right at our fingertips through this archive OR the sortable master list allowing you to mix and match however you want.
  3. You have no excuse not to hand sell any LibraryReads 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 upcoming 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.
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.

Please remember to click here for everything you need to know about how to participate. Click here to see a database of eligible diverse titles sorted by month.

And finally, here is LibraryReads' extremely helpful Resources page.

New in February 2023-- a bonus pick with an annotation by a LibraryReads Board member. See this month's pick at the end of this post. It also appears on the PDF list for printing and displaying at your library.

Now let's get to the July 2023 list.... 



Everyone Here is Lying: A Novel

Lapena, Shari

Pamela Dorman Books

William's lies are piling up. An extramarital affair just ended; returning home, he finds his young daughter there instead of at school. Soon after, she goes missing. If he confesses having seen her, he’s caught in his deception. Will the truth come out before it’s too late? For Gillian Flynn fans.


—Selena Swink, Lake Public Library, Lake, Mississippi
NoveList Readalike: Something She's Not Telling Us by Darcy Bell



Dead of Winter

Coates, Darcy

Poisoned Pen Press


Ten strangers are trapped in a cabin during a blizzard. None will be lucky enough to die of hypothermia, though, since a murderer is methodically decapitating the stranded travelers. Short chapters and constant cliffhangers keep the action moving propulsively in this gore-filled thriller.


—Sarah Walker, Indianapolis Public Library

NoveList Readalike: They All Fall Down by Rachel Howzel Hall

The Block Party

Day, Jamie

St. Martin's Press


What would happen if the women of Desperate Housewives held a block party which resulted in a murder? The answer would be something like this thriller, a quick read with the gossipy twists and turns of a residential neighborhood featuring its fair share of betrayals and suspects.


—Mary Robinson, Vernon Area Public Library District, Lincolnshire, IL

NoveList ReadalikeCul-De-Sac by Joy Fielding

 

The Librarianist
deWitt, Patrick
Ecco

Retired librarian Bob lives alone, has no friends, and dwells on the time long ago when he was jilted by his bride. One day at the local market, an encounter with an older woman in the frozen food aisle changes his melancholy existence. This is a quiet and compelling character-focused read.


—Crystal Faris, Kansas City Public Library

NoveList Readalike: The Authenticity Project by Claire Pooley


A Rulebook for Restless Rogues

Everlee, Jess

Carina Adores


In 1885 London, Noah is a confident, talented tailor. His best friend David runs The Curious Fox, an underground queer club. When the club’s future is threatened, the two team up to save it amid miscommunication, withheld secrets and mutual pining.This delightful romp is swoony and sweet.


—Dabney Kinser, Middle Georgia Regional Library, Milledgeville, GA

NoveList Readalike: The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian


One Summer in Savannah

Shelton Harris, Terah 

Sourcebooks Landmark


This is a story about forgiveness and family told from the dual perspectives of  Sara, who has not been back to Savannah since she discovered she was pregnant with her rapist's child, and Jacob, the twin brother of Sarah's rapist who discovers his niece at the Science Center. As the story progresses, Sara and Jacob form a bond that is complicated by their connection.


—Alison Zaya, Pollard Memorial Library Lowell, MA

NoveList Readalike: You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi



A Lady's Guide to Scandal: A Novel

Irwin, Sophie

Penguin Books


At 28, Eliza Balfour is a widow and the dowager Lady Somerset, but plans to enjoy her wealth and title. How Eliza relates to the people around her and how she changes are wonderfully nuanced and satisfying. Irwin's story forges its own path with liveliness and an attention to a wider scope of high society. Highly recommended to fans of historical romance, like Evie Dunmore.


—Allison Smith, Minuteman Library Network , Belmont, MA

NoveList Readalike: To Swoon and To Spar by Martha Waters


The Woman in the Castello

James, Kelsey  

John Scognamiglio Books


1960’s Italy: a horror film being filmed in a crumbling, possibly haunted, castle owned by the estranged aunt of the leading starlet. What could be better? As the lines between reality and the movie plot begin to blur in this tautly written novel, family secrets begin to emerge that if revealed, might lead to unforeseen, and possibly deadly, consequences for everyone.

—Jennifer Winberry Hunterdon County Library, Flemington, NJ

NoveList Readalike: The Villa by Rachel Hawkins

How Can I Help You

Sims, Laura

G.P. Putnam's Sons


Margo moved to Carlyle two years ago to get a fresh start as a librarian, her days filled with helping patrons. But then a new employee is hired, and Margo feels unsettled by the curious Patricia. When a patron is discovered dead in the library bathroom, Margo's carefully crafted mundane life starts to unravel and may pull Patricia into a tangle of terrifying secrets. 


—Priscilla Garvin, Cecil County Public Library, North East, MD

NoveList Readalike: Social Creature by Tara Isabella Burton


Thief Liar Lady: A Novel

Soria, D.L.

Del Rey Books

A reimagined Cinderella tale with the political intrigue and violence of GAME OF THRONES. Lady Aislinn is a revolutionary hiding behind the cover of the meek beautiful girl the prince fell in love with at the ball. Her plan might work except for the bandit that is now on the loose, the captive prince who gets under her skin, and her conniving stepmother.  


—Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, Texas
NoveList Readalike: Uprooted by Naomi Novik


Board Bonus pick: 

Excavations: A Novel

Michell, Hannah 

One World (PRH)


Notable Nonfiction: 

The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial

Lipsky, David

W. W. Norton & Company


The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame. Click here to see the Hall of Fame authors organized in alpha order.

Light Bringer: A Red Rising Novel

Brown, Pierce

Del Rey Books

NoveList readalike: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesch


Hello, Stranger

Center, Katherine

St. Martin's Press

NoveList readalike: The Life Lucy Knew by Karma Brown


Business or Pleasure

Solomon, Rachel Lynn

Berkley

NoveList readalike: Bet on It by Jodie Slaughter


Silver Nitrate

Moreno-Garcia, Silvia

Del Rey Books

NoveList readalike: The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman


Crook Manifesto: A Novel

Whitehead, Colson

Doubleday Books

NoveList readalike: Trouble the Saints by Alaya Dawn Johnson


Prom Mom: A Novel

Lippman, Laura

William Morrow

NoveList readalike: Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel


The Summer Girl

Kennedy, Elle

St. Martin's Griffin

NoveList readalike: Bellinger Sisters series by Tessa Bailey


A Twisted Love Story

Downing, Samantha

Berkley Books

NoveList readalike: The Woman Inside by E.G. Scott

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