Fiction

Beware the woman : a novel book cover

Beware the woman : a novel

Megan Abbott

FICTION Abbott Megan
Suspense, Fiction

"Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband, Jed, embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Dr. Ash, in Michigan's far-flung Upper Peninsula. The moment they arrive at the cottage snug within the lush woods, Jacy feels bathed in love by the warm and hospitable Dr. Ash, if less so by his house manager, the enigmatic Mrs. Brandt. But their Edenic first days take a turn when Jacy has a health scare. Swiftly, vacation activities are scrapped, and all eyes are on Jacy's condition. Suddenly, whispers about Jed's long-dead mother and complicated family history seem to eerily impinge upon the present, and Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, her every move surveilled, her body under the looking glass. But are her fears founded or is it paranoia, or cabin fever, or--as is suggested to her--a stubborn refusal to take necessary precautions?"--

Heidi K's picture

I've read most of Megan Abbott's books and always find them to be satisfying reads that keep the pages turning late at night. This is her newest, and has some moments that are absolutely terrifying. If you want a spine-tingling summer read with a dose of timely content regarding bodily autonomy during pregnancy - look no further. -Heidi K

Nora goes off script book cover

Nora goes off script

Annabel Monaghan

FICTION Monaghan Annabel
Fiction, Romance

Nora’s life is about to get a rewrite… Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same. The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart. Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story—the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.

Melody's picture

I'm digging this trend in women's fiction where our heroines are authors or other agents in the literary world. I picked this book up to have a light read while on vacation. The first couple of chapters didn't exactly grab me--the characters didn't have much depth yet. But as I read further, I found I really couldn't put it down and had to finish it in two sittings. Then when it was over, I was like, WHY can't I read more??? There's something so gratifying about watching someone fall apart then grow back stronger. -Melody

Hello beautiful : a novel book cover

Hello beautiful : a novel

Ann Napolitano

FICTION Napolitano, Ann
Fiction

"William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it's a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family's artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia's new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household. But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?"--

Mari's picture

A beautifully tender family drama with echoes of the classic Little Women, primarily set in Chicago. Each character is tragic in their own way, and each one must face living their own truth even as it tears the family apart. A complex story that will resonate with you long after finishing. -Mari

Dances : a novel book cover

Dances : a novel

Nicole Cuffy

FICTION Cuffy Nicole
Fiction

At twenty-two years old, Cece Cordell reaches the pinnacle of her career as a ballet dancer when she's promoted to principal at the New York City Ballet. She's instantly catapulted into celebrity, heralded for her inspirational role as the first Black ballerina in the famed company's history. Even as she celebrates the achievement of a lifelong dream, Cece remains haunted by the feeling that she doesn't belong. As she waits for some feeling of rightness that doesn't arrive, she begins to unravel the loose threads of her past: an absent father, a pragmatic mother who dismisses Cece's ambitions, and a missing older brother who stoked her childhood love of ballet but disappeared to deal with his own demons. Soon after her promotion, Cece is faced with a choice that has the potential to derail her career and shatter the life she's cultivated for herself, sending her on a pilgrimage to both find her brother and reclaim the parts of herself lost in the grinding machinery of the traditional ballet world.

Anne M's picture

Cece Cordell, newly promoted to principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is facing history. She is the first Black ballerina for the company, knows she worked twice as hard as everyone else to get there, and is worried it isn’t enough. It is a lot of pressure—not to mention how incredibly difficult it is just to just be a professional ballet dancer. She also has to face her past, especially as a significant life decision might throw her off a course she has strived for her entire life. Dances is a novel that shows you the physical and psychological wear and tear of being an athlete. Nicole Cuffy shows you through the writing every muscle stretch and strain, every twitch, every sharp pain of Cece’s. All the reviews of this book comment on the physical nature of Cuffy’s writing in describing ballet steps and moves and they are right. It is stand out. However, Cuffy also successfully captures the minds relationship with the body. The control and inability to control. The thoughts of feeling not worthy, that you do not belong, and that you are being judged. It is a great read. -Anne M

The Maidens: A Novel book cover

The Maidens: A Novel

Alex Michaelides

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements "Michaelides as a major player in the field" (Publishers Weekly). Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana's niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life. A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

Candice's picture

This is a great, twisty, psychological thriller that's perfect for anyone looking for something in the vein of Gillian Flynn (more Dark Places or Sharp Objects than Gone Girl, though, which is a plus imho) or Ruth Ware. It's got some nice, atmospheric elements--mysterious Greek temples, old English colleges, and a somewhat shady professor with a weird, culty vibe about him. There's also some physical and emotional trauma here, but the strong and unique characters carry it well. While some of these tropes can begin to feel a little gratuitous, I think that, on the whole, this is a fresh take and worth a listen or read. -Candice

Lore book cover

Lore

Alexandra Bracken

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Bracken Alexandr
Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Every seven years there is a hunt offering mortal descendants of gods the opportunity to claim their divinity by killing any of nine immortals made mortal for one night. Lore Perseous has no desire to participate in the Agon, embittered because her family was killed by a rival who then ascended to godhood. When a childhood friend asks her to help, and a wounded god offers an alliance, Lore overlooks the steep cost of this decision in exchange for vengeance.

Candice's picture

I chose this book to take on a recent trip to Greece, and it was perfect! A little mythology, but very up-to-date in terms of scenario and personalities involved. This book is suitable for adults and high-level YA, and made for a great beach read. Dialogue is snappy and the main characters are likable, and very human even while being, well, not entirely human (or mortal, I guess). The action takes place in New York, but those of you looking for an exciting, modern take on what Greek myth might look like today won't be disappointed. -Candice

The Villa book cover

The Villa

Rachel Hawkins

FICTION Hawkins Rachel
Mystery, Fiction

"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls' trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album--and ends in Pierce's brutal murder. As Emily digs into the villa's complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce's murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred--and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge--and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends. Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle--the birthplace of Frankenstein--The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy"--

Candice's picture

I read this while on vacation in Italy, and it was SO GOOD. I flew through it in about two days, honestly couldn't wait to get back to it when I wasn't reading it. The story is modern but with a gothic feel at times, and has twists and turns that are surprising and feel real, and real-life drama that ties you to the characters. I found the writing and dialogue to be detailed when needed, while also refreshing and humorous. I highly recommend this! -Candice

Simple passion book cover

Simple passion

Annie Ernaux

FICTION Ernaux, Annie
Fiction

In her spare, stark style, Annie Ernaux documents the desires and indignities of a human heart ensnared in an all-consuming passion. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, an unnamed narrator attempts to plot the emotional and physical course of her two-year relationship with a married foreigner where every word, event, and person either provides a connection with her beloved or is subject to her cold indifference. With courage and exactitude, she seeks the truth behind an existence lived entirely for someone else, and, in the pieces of its aftermath, she is able to find it.

Melody's picture

When Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022, I had to buy several of her books for our biography collection in order to meet readers' demand. I didn't get on the reserve list right away because I like to wait for the demand to die down before checking a title out. This book is a slim 61 pages, and it's totally worth the read. It will be most appreciated by those who have felt all-consumed with the romantic yearning for another human being. Even if it's been 20 years since one has last had the feeling, Ernaux's writing entices one to contemplate those feelings, what the body demands, and what the mind rationalizes. It's funny because I picked this book up expecting to find a simple passion! And it was absolutely complex and full of mindfulness. At least in my humble opinion. There were several expressive statements that forced me to pause and reflect. The book might be in our fiction section, but the writing is real. And the feeling is most definitely real. -Melody

The perfect couple book cover

The perfect couple

Elin Hilderbrand

FICTION Hilderbrand, Elin
Mystery, Fiction

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony-and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

Melody's picture

The algorithm behind all my audiobook app recommendations chooses Elin Hilderbrand books constantly. I have to check off "thriller" from my list of unread genres, and I stumbled upon this one while hunting one down. It's more of a mystery than thriller, but I did read it compulsively over one weekend. While it had a wide range of interesting characters, I would have liked more depth to the main ones. How much do I really believe the victim's motivations? Or the husband's? Or the other husband's? Or the almost husband's? But what the novel lacked in character development, it made up for in pacing and police procedural work. Do I usually read police procedurals? No! So I can cross that subgenre off the list. I did enjoy the detective work, however, which could inspire me to pick up another, more direct piece of detective fiction. Hey, look, reading options are opening up everywhere! -Melody

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow : a novel book cover

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow : a novel

Gabrielle Zevin

FICTION Zevin, Gabrielle
Fiction

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

Heidi K's picture

I loved the characters in this book, and also the little things it reminded me of from the 90s - like the PC game King's Quest! -Heidi K