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Tuesday, October 17, 2023

LibraryReads: November 2023

Editors note: I know this is one day late. 31 Days of Horror comes first in October, but I am also presenting at the New England Library Association Conference this morning, my 3rd of 3 talks (Horror RA) and it is sponsored by LibraryReads, so all is not lost. Also, as I told Rebecca Vnuk, LR Executive Director, to be fair, LR was also one day late this month (due to the 15th being on a Sunday). But I digress. Back to the LR regular programming.

  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 November 2023 list.... 


Bookshops & Bonedust
Travis Baldree
(Tor Books)

In this worthy prequel to Legends & Lattes, a young Viv is laid up in the quiet town of Murk after her enthusiastic inexperience leads to a serious injury. She gradually assembles a group of friends including a swear-happy bookshop owner, a mercenary turned baker, and an irrepressible Gallina, eager to join Rackham’s Raiders. Murk doesn’t stay quiet for long with Viv around, and there’s plenty of coziness in the bookshop, eating delicious baked goods, and flirting with a new friend.

—Lauren Abner, KY Dept for Libraries & Archives, KY
 NoveList read-alike: Under the Whispering Door  by TJ Klune

And now, the rest of the list:

The Future: A Novel
Naomi Alderman
(Simon & Schuster)

What would happen if three companies (think Amazon, Facebook, and Twitter), were removed from the world and their money put to saving the planet and all of the people on it? Alderman once again places the reader in a world that is falling apart, run by greedy billionaires who don't care what damage they do as long as they keep making more money. Look into The Future and get an idea of how that might go.

—Linda Quinn, LibraryReads Ambassador
NoveList read-alike: Stay This Day and Night With Me by Belén Gopegui

Day: A Novel
Michael Cunningham
(Random House)

This intimate and almost claustrophobic book follows a family on the same day in three different years: April 5th of 2019, 2020, and 2021. The story is about endings, beginnings, aging, relationships, and the impact of Covid-19. A lyrical novel, with deft prose and a focus on the internal lives of the characters. Cunningham has a gift of providing just enough detail to engage readers without weighing the prose down.

—Chad Cunningham, Monroe County Library System, NY
NoveList read-alike: Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

Good Girls Don't Die
Christina Henry
(Berkley)

Celia finds herself trapped in someone else’s life. Allie’s birthday trip turns into a slasher fest in a cabin in the woods. Maggie is kidnapped and made to play a dangerous dystopian maze game. All three women find themselves in situations reminiscent of their favorite horror fiction, and are fighting to survive. What is really happening, and is it possible to make it out alive? A thrilling page turner.

— Candice Machata, North Kingstown Free Library, RI
NoveList read-alike: My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones

Plot Twist
Erin La Rosa
(Canary Street Press)

Romance writer Sophie has the hots for her landlord, former indie movie star Dash. He's stand-offish, but that's because he's harboring a secret crush on her. Their paths collide when, hungover, she barfs on him. Readers will be charmed by this sexy, low- stakes romance as the the relatable characters slowly build themselves up to reach for each other.

—Jennifer Rusche, William Jeanes Memorial Library, PA
NoveList read-alike: Exes and O's by Amy Lea

Class: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education
Stephanie Land
(Atria/One Signal)

Life after Maid is where Class begins, and takes us to the heart of systemic inequity that exists in this country. Unflinchingly honest and gripping, this is a memoir that is either relatable, pivotal, and/or eye opening. It will change readers.

— Jesica Sweedler DeHart, Neill Public Library, WA
NoveList read-alike: How Far to the Promised Land by Esau McCaulley

The Manor House
Gilly Macmillan
(William Morrow)

Childhood sweethearts Nicole and Tom win the lottery and are thrust into a life of splendor, including a dreamy glass mansion. When Tom turns up dead in the pool, Nicole doesn't know whom she can trust—was Tom’s death a tragic accident or is someone trying to get a piece of the winnings? Macmillan's latest is perfectly paced suspense.

—Kaite Stover, Kansas City Public Library, MO
NoveList read-alike: The Last Party by Claire Mackintosh

A Grandmother Begins the Story: A Novel

Michelle Porter
(Algonquin)

A young Métis woman seeks to learn about her heritage as her mother tries to reconcile their lost years while protecting her daughter from what she perceives as the sins of her own mother. Told from the point of view of five generations of women, this is a beautiful and affecting debut.

—Jennifer Winberry, Hunterdon County Library, NJ
NoveList read-alike: Sabrina & Corina by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

The Mystery Guest: A Maid Novel

Nita Prose
(Ballantine Books)

When a famous author dies before he can make an important announcement about his career, Molly can't help but insert herself into the investigation. Molly and her friend Angela work to prove the author was murdered, but solving the case is not easy. Fans of the first book in this series will not be disappointed, and the ending may mean another sequel.

—Cari Dubiel, Twinsburg Public Library, OH
NoveList read-alike: How Lucky by Will Leitch

The Other Half
Charlotte Vassell
(Anchor Books)

There's something about the sleaze hidden beneath a thick veneer of lucre that is always compelling. The posh characters here are in and out of each others' pockets (and beds). When one winds up dead beneath a hedge, a trio of outsider detectives seek out who is responsible. The mystery is tidied up nicely, with enough hanging threads to leave readers excited for more.

—Krista Feick, Columbus Metropolitan Library, OH
NoveList read-alike: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Board Bonus pick:

Calamity
Constance Fay
(Bramble)

Notable Nonfiction: 

Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl
Mary Mahoney and Allison Horrocks
(Feiwel & Friends)

See our social media for annotations of the bonus picks

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.

The Good Part: A Novel
Sophie Cousens
(G.P. Putnam's Sons)
NoveList read-alike: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird by Josie Silver

Do Your Worst
Rosie Danan 
(Berkley)
NoveList read-alike: Well Met by Jen DeLuca

The Kingdom of Sweets: A Novel of the Nutcracker
Erika Johansen
(Dutton)
NoveList read-alike: The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

A Power Unbound
Freya Marsk
 (Tordotcom)
NoveList read-alike: Spellbreaker novels by Charlie N. Holmberg

Hunt on Dark Waters
Katee Robert
(Berkley)
NoveList read-alike: Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward

Inheritance: The Lost Bride Trilogy
Nora Roberts
(St. Martin's Press)
NoveList read-alike: Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen

System Collapse
Martha Wells
(Tordotcom)
NoveList read-alike: Imperial Radch series by Ann Leckie

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