Grades 9 – 12
Scattered Showers is a book of short stories by YA powerhouse Rainbow Rowell, who brought us Eleanor & Park, and the Simon Snow trilogy. In fact, some of the stories feature characters in her novels, and tell the reader where you can read more about them. This short story collection includes love stories, friendship stories, and even a fairy-tale in classic Rainbow Rowell fashion.
Ages 14+
Have you been wanting to diversify your reading but aren’t sure where to start? Bibliophile: Diverse Spines is a wonderful book with book lists that are sure to drastically increase your TBR (to-be-read) list. It includes book lists in various genres that feature diverse authors and even mentions unique bookstores from around the country and around the world. So, what are you waiting for? Dive in now!
Ages 18+
Greta James is a famous indie guitarist promoting her sophomore album when she recently and unexpectedly loses her mother. Due to this, Greta has a public meltdown on stage, and it goes viral. Needing a restart and craving time away from her career, she decides to accompany her estranged father on a week-long Alaskan cruise that he was meant to take with his wife for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Will the two heal old wounds or will the trip of a lifetime prove disastrous for them both?
Ages 18+
It’s 2017, and Puerto Rico has just been hit with the most devastating hurricane in its history. Olga and her brother Pedro live their lives in New York City in the public eye and everything seems to the rest of the world that it’s all sunshine and roses, but upon closer inspection, that’s not the case. Their mother Blanca abandoned her children when they were young, and they were raised by their grandmother. Twenty-seven years later, she is back in their lives. Olga Dies Dreaming examines political corruption, family life and the American dream.
Ages 18+
The first in the London Calling series, Boyfriend Material follows Luc O’Donnell, who is the child of rock stars who have recently made a comeback, leaving Luc in the public eye. To clean up his image, he must present as being in a normal relationship. Soon he finds himself in a fake dating situation with Oliver Blackwood, who is as normal as they come. However, the two have nothing in common. As the two work on their fake relationship, they find themselves having a lot of real dating scenarios. Fun and romantic, Boyfriend Material is sure to put a smile on your face!
Ages 18+
Katz’s sophomore novel follows Emma Caan, an art forger who specializes in nineteenth century paintings. However, she’s not a criminal, but instead someone who is commissioned by museums and uber-wealthy collectors who want to protect their investments. Then she meets Leonard Sobetzky, an art collector who offers her a new, better paying job, which would greatly help support her recently-widowed mother. Of course, everything comes with a price, but is Emma willing to pay?
Ages 18+
Thirty-five-year-old Mika’s life is in shambles after her recent breakup, she just got fired, and on top of that, her roommate might be a hoarder. Not only is she disappointed in herself, but so is her traditional Japanese mother. Then everything changes when she receives a phone call from Penny, the daughter she gave up for adoption 16 years ago. Penny is determined to create a relationship with her mother, and by the same token, Mika wants to be someone Penny is proud of. What starts out as a little lie becomes so much of a fabrication that Mika struggles to keep her story straight as time goes on. Can she continue the stories and keep Penny in her life or will she lose the one thing that matters most to her?
Ages 18+
This book is part memoir and part true crime, and hooked me right from the beginning. Krouse has one of those faces; the kind of face that makes people – complete strangers – come right out and tell her their darkest secrets. She has no idea why, and doesn’t know what to do about it, until the day she meets Grayson, a lawyer who also tells her a secret…and then asks her to work for him as a private investigator. Her first case is a big one, and she’s determined to crack it wide open.
Ages 18+
Perfect for fans of Orange Is the New Black (the book or the show), Corrections In Ink is Blakinger’s memoir about her experience as a competitive figure skater and her time in prison. Once she stopped skating, she got into all kinds of trouble, and finally got arrested by the cops for it, ultimately spending time behind bars for two years. Upon her release, Blakinger became a reporter and dedicated her career to exposing the flaws in our prison system.
Ages 18+
Yinka is still single in her thirties, and her Nigerian aunties are dying to find her a husband. Some of her friends think she’s too traditional in that she’s saving herself for marriage, and others tell her she *needs* to get over her ex, stat! Yinka believes she will find her love when the time is right, and she takes comfort in that. However, when her cousin Rachel announces her engagement, Yinka becomes frazzled and focuses on finding a date for the wedding. Will she find someone in time?
The Bookish Librarian 