Staff Choices

Coco Mellors’ Blue Sisters is a beautifully written novel that digs into the complexities of sisterhood and personal identity. Three highly dysfunctional estranged sisters—Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky—return to their New York family home a year after the unexpected loss of their beloved sister, Nicky. This story dives deep into the messiness of what happens when life doesn't turn out the way anyone expects. 

The story takes you on a raw, emotional journey, making you feel deeply connected to the character's struggles and growth. It explores how family can be both a source of strength and stress, especially when grappling with the pursuit of individual happiness. 

Having a sister of my own, I could relate to the complexities of sibling relationships and how important it is to resolve past issues and not let them fester. There are many topics this book delves into including endometriosis, addiction and estranged families.  Even though the story is an emotionally, heavy read with deep topics, I found it beautifully written and ultimately hopeful. My only complaint is that the chapters were excessively long which made it drag a little at times. If you liked Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano or dysfunctional family stories, you would enjoy Blue Sisters. 

I enjoy all the Easy Rawlins books especially the back stories of WW2 and Easy in his younger days. The description of LA and surrounding neighborhoods, the people, and social climate from 1948 thru 1970 are the real story. I especially enjoyed reading how Easy has transitioned and matured as a P.I now that he's in his 50's , great read.

Well. Every time I tried to predict how this book would go, it found a new way to surprise me. I still am not entirely sure I know how it ended.

To backtrack--Don't Let the Forest In is author C.G. Drews's YA horror debut. It follows high school student Andrew Perrault as he struggles through his senior year while dealing with entitled rich bullies, ambivalent teachers, and his twin sister Dove apparently avoiding him. Then, monsters attack from the creepy forest bordering the gothic private school, and the only person who can fight them off is Thomas Rye, for whom Andrew has some very complicated feelings (and they were roommates). As if all of that wasn't hard enough, Andrew also has crippling anxiety and regular panic attacks. Buckle in--this ride pulls no punches.

I really wanted to devour this book in one sitting, and I'm very glad I did. This is a story that will swallow the reader from chapter one; it isn't for the faint of heart. Drews does a fantastic job of combing dark fairy tales with the horror genre--the Brothers Grimm would be proud. From the Victorian architecture to the detailed descriptions of Thomas's artwork and Andrew's flash fiction stories--'papercuts,' he calls them--the reader is fully steeped in the horror experience. As Andrew also increasingly questions his own reality, the reader is right there with him, trying to sort out fact from fiction, constantly propelled forward by the tantalizing foreshadowing dropped around Andrew throughout the book. The desire to know more becomes almost a compulsion when paired with Drews's lyrical prose. Now that I've finished the novel, I want to immediately read it again!

With monsters galore, this is the perfect Halloween read, right up there with T. Kingfisher's What Moves the Dead. Fans of Holly Black and The Hazel Wood by Melissa Albert will enjoy the dark fairy tale tone and structure of this book, while fans of The Dead Boy Detectives and The Babadook will enjoy not just the horror/supernatural aspect, but also the queer associations. I, for one, loved the ace protagonist and will look forward to the next world C.G. Drews has in store.

Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones by Priyanka Mattoo is a memoir shared via essays, written by a woman born in the idyllic Kashmir region of India. She describes her life there, in India, Saudi Arabia, England and America. She speaks candidly about her life, her struggles to fit in, being nomadic because of her father's work, the typical growing pains as a young student and, most poignantly, about how traumatic the reasons were for being displaced from her beloved home when she was only 9 years old. Despite the cultural burdens that followed her into her adult life, her writing includes humor which balances out the weightiness of certain subjects. When she settles into her American life, marrying and raising her own family, one of the things she misses most is hearing the Kashmiri language being spoken at home. The author demonstrates such a capacity for resilience and a love of family.

This memoir will appeal to those who enjoy reading and learning about other cultures - often eye-opening and thought-provoking. Pick up a copy if you'd like to find out the meaning of the Kashmiri phrase bird milk and mosquito bones.
 

Mark is the most famous and dangerous assassin in the world. Well, he WAS the most famous and dangerous assassin in the world. Up until he realized the monster he’d become and vowed to never kill another human being. With the help of a twelve-step program for former killers, Mark is living his best murder free life. He may even be ready to become a sponsor to another reformed killer. 

Everything changes when Mark is attacked after one of his meetings, kicking off a page turning quest to uncover who is trying to kill him. Can he figure out who’s after him without taking another life?  

Assassins Anonymous by Rob Hart is an action packed, incredibly witty story with so much heart. The characters are endearing, and Mark’s dedication to remaining murder free is commendable. I could see this being a great book club pick, as there is certainly a lot to discuss.

Elizabeth Strout is back with another novel that delves into the beloved characters we have been introduced to before. Crosby, Maine is the backdrop of a murder investigation. Bob Burgess begins to work on the defense of the accused, who happens top have a friendship with Lucy Barton, and Olive Kitteridge shows up as well. As she has done in the past, Strout brilliantly weaves all of her characters into the story showing us how interconnected we are in our small communities, and how we yearn for the same connections.

The NY Times puts it best "The tie that binds all of Strout’s characters is their shared yearning, not for a reprieve from their suffering but for just one person to really see it — for the solace and dignity of acknowledgment" 

Tell Me Everything is another beautifully written novel by one of our greatest artists.

Hap and Leonard are not your everyday heroes and they have a somewhat loose opinion on what is justice. Joe R. Lansdale has once again written a masterpiece but I didn't expect anything less from this author. Sugar on the Bones is the 13th book in this series and I really had fun reading it. The story is as always well written and filled with witty dialogue and I was surprised that the duo left Texas to finish off the job. I will always recommend this series to people that wants a good book to read that is not like everything else.

The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West follows a young woman, the daughter of a fisherman, who dreams of one day learning how to fly. The fact that this budding age of aviation innovation is almost entirely male-dominated throws many obstacles in her way. Inspired by Charles Lindbergh's solo flight across the Atlantic in May 1927, an air race across the Pacific is set in motion a few months later. The Dole Air Race, with a monetary prize sponsored by the Dole Pineapple Company, has a flight path from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii. Pick up a copy of the book if you'd like to find out how Olivia faces these challenges, how she is up to the task and who ends up helping Olivia.

The book is told in a dual timeline which, I think, compliments both timeframes with points of view from each of these main characters. In the 1980's we meet financially struggling Wren Summers who unexpectedly finds out she is the beneficiary of an inheritance. This change of fortune leads to new discoveries about herself, what she is capable of achieving and who left her the inheritance.

While the book is based on true events, Olivia and Wren are fictional characters. I think author Sara Ackerman does a good job of highlighting how dangerous long-distance aviation was during its infancy and the courageousness of intrepid pilots. This book will appeal to those who may have read Circling the Sun by Paula McLain, have a sense of adventure, enjoy reading historical fiction with dual timelines and don't mind a bit of romance within the story. 

Mags Herrera has her hands full. A senior in high school, she seems older than her young years--she takes care of her abuela, a multi-stroke survivor; has a tense relationship with her mother; and a secret she is desperate to protect, all on top of typical high school stressors like jobs, grades, and dating. When Mags's childhood friend, Nessa, returns to their hometown, the delicate balance Mags has built begins to crumble...but to what end?

In this standalone graphic novel, Molly Knox Ostertag, featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 (2020), masterfully depicts Mags's story in simple but expressive line work, poignant dialogue, and a dramatic contrast of grayscale/color. (Ostertag's use of color palette(s) as a storytelling device are what bumped this rating up to five stars.) Readers will laugh, they will cry, they will gasp, and they will cheer for Mags, Nessa, and the very human cast of characters in this book. It will stay with them even after the final page has been turned.

Those who enjoy The Deep Dark may also enjoy Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed, We Are Okay by Nina LaCour, The Harrowing by Kristen Kiesling, Witchlight by Jessi Zabarsky, and My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris. Other works by Molly Knox Ostertag include The Girl from the Sea and the Witch Boy trilogy.

This debut novel by Ellie Palmer is well worth reading! I appreciated Ellie's vulnerability and sharing of her own personal experience as a post-double-mastectomy BRCA 1 carrier through Allison's story. The whole premise was so unique and handled with so much care. 

When Alison arrives at her ex-boyfriend’s funeral, she is surprised to learn that he never told his parents they broke up and reluctantly takes on the role of grieving girlfriend during the funeral, which spirals into her agreeing to help Sam's best friend, Adam, pack up his condo. The overall story is about finding yourself and finding love while grieving the life you thought you should or would have had. 

I found it thoughtful in its consideration of who we allow ourselves to be, survivor guilt, and honoring memories after loss. The banter was funny, and the closed-door romance was genuine.  I read lots of Romance and Chick Lit and yet I found Four Weekends and a Funeral really refreshing and truly unique.