FICTION
Beneficence by Meredith Hall. In the years after World War II, the Senter family built a wonderful life on their isolated dairy farm in rural Maine. After tragedy strikes, each must fight the isolation of their own grief and guilt to reclaim their old life – if they can.
Blood grove by Walter Mosley. A continuation of the Easy Rawlins saga, in which the iconic detective’s loyalties are tested on the sun-soaked streets of Southern California.
The bride wore black by Cornell Woolrich. A police detective seeks the rationale between seemingly-unrelated murders, connected only by the appearance of a beautiful woman each time.
The children’s blizzard by Melanie Benjamin. A story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially school children.
A deadly fortune by Stacie Murphy. A historical mystery in the vein of “The Alienist”, in which a young woman in Gilded Age New York must use a special talent to unravel a deadly conspiracy.
The ex talk by Rachel Solomon. To save their jobs, rival public radio co-workers pretend to be exes for a new show and end up getting much more than they bargained for.
Faithless in death by J.D. Robb. Gwen is wealthy, elegant, and comforted by her fiancé as she sheds tears over the trauma of finding a body. But why did it take an hour to report it? And why is she lying about little things?
The four winds by Kristin Hannah. An epic novel of love and heroism and hopes, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras – The Great Depression.
The frozen crown by Greta Kelly. A princess with a powerful and dangerous secret must find a way to save her country from ruthless invaders in this exciting fantasy.
Girl A by Abigail Dean. An absorbing and psychologically immersive novel about a young girl who escapes captivity – but not the secrets that shadow the rest of her life.
A heart of blood and ashes by Milla Vane. The fun thing about romance is that it encompasses all other genres too. If you are a fantasy fan, looking for a happy-ever-after, this could be the ticket.
If I disappear by Eliza Brazier. When a true-crime podcaster disappears, her biggest fan sets out to find her.
A lie someone told you about yourself by Peter Davies. A truthful examination of fatherhood that explores the fallout from an abortion and the difficulties that follow a second pregnancy. This will strike a resonant chord with parents everywhere.
Lone stars by Justin Deabler. This follows the arc of four generations of a Texan family in a changing America and in doing so shows the hope that by uncloseting ourselves – as immigrants, smart women, gay people –we find power in empathy.
Meet me in Bombay by Jenny Ashcroft. United by love. Separated by war. Will they find their way back to each other?
Milk fed by Melissa Broder. This explores the difficulties of loving oneself in a world that prizes thinness above all else. This poignant exploration of desire, religion, and daughterhood is hard to resist.
Murder by numbers by Eric Brown. A British detective battles to unmask a killer before his wife becomes victim No. 6. A classic English mystery with plenty of unexpected plot twists.
Nick by Michael Smith. This is a look into the life of Nick Carraway before Gatsby entered his life.
People like her by Ellery Lloyd. A razor-sharp, wickedly smart suspense novel about an ambitious influencer mom whose soaring success threatens her marriage, her morals, and her family’s safety.
The perfect guests by Emma Rous. A grand estate with many secrets; an orphan caught in a web of lies; and a young woman playing a sinister game.
Perfect little children by Sophie Hannah. Beth had a falling out with her best friend, Flora, and hasn’t been in contact since. She drives by Flora’s house many years later and sees Flora, who looks the same, only older, by 12 years. Flora calls to her children to get out of the car. They emerge…exactly as Beth last saw them 12 years ago, aged 5 and 3. How can that be?
The push by Ashley Audrain. A devastating event forces a mother who questions her child’s behavior – and her own sanity – to confront the truth.
The scorpion’s tail by Douglas Preston. An FBI agent and an archaeologist identity a mummified corpse and its gruesome cause of death.
Trio by William Boyd. A rollicking novel with a dark undertow, set around three unforgettable individuals and a doomed movie set.
Tsarina by Ellen Alpsten. Before Catherine the Great, there was Catherine Alexeyevna: the first woman to rule Russia in her own right. This is the story of her rise to power from serf to murderess, to empress.
The wife upstairs by Rachel Hawkins. A recently arrived dog walker in a Southern gated community falls for a mysterious widower.
The yellow wife by Sadeqa Johnson. This harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.
NEW DVDS
The King of Staten Island (2020) starring Pete Davidson and Marisa Tomei
The Godfather, Coda: the death of Michael Corleone (2020) starring Al Pacino
Slap shot (1977) starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean
Mulan (2020) starring Yifei Liu and Donnie Yen
Only when I laugh (1981) starring Marsha Mason, Joan Hackett, and Kristy McNichol
NEW MUSIC CDs
Folklore by Taylor Swift
Disco by Kylie Minogue
Punisher by Phoebe Bridgers
Wildflowers and all the rest by Tom Petty
NONFICTION
Coming back by Fawn Germer. How to win the job you want when you’ve lost the job you need.
Fright favorites by David Skal. 31 movies to haunt your Halloween and beyond from Turner Classic movies.
Frontier Follies by Ree Drummond. A down-to-earth, hilarious collection of stories and musings on marriage, motherhood, and country life from the star of the TV show The Pioneer Woman.
How to start and run a successful home daycare business by Christina Kamp.
Just as I am by Cicely Tyson. An icon in film, TV, and fashion, Tyson here tells the story of her remarkable life.
The secret life of Dorothy Soames by Justine Cowan. A memoir about the unearthing of her deceased mother’s secret past and a generations-long cycle of family trauma. This frank account of a real-life Dickensian dystopia captivates at every turn.
We came, we saw, we left by Charles Wheelan. In a pre-CoVid 19 world, the Wheelans decided to leave behind work, school, and even the family dogs to travel the world on a modest budget. Equal parts “how-to” and “how-not-to”, this is an insightful and often hilarious account of one family’s gap-year experiment.
Where I come from by Rick Bragg. Bragg brings us an ode to the stories and history of the Deep South, filled with eclectic nuggets about places and people he knows well.
What becomes a legend most by Philip Gefter. Biography of Richard Avedon, a monumental photographer of the 20th century, who captured the iconic figures of his era in his starkly bold, intimately minimal, and forensic visual style.
What cats want by Yuki Hattori. An illustrated guide for truly understanding your cat.
Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review