FICTION
An absolutely remarkable thing by Hank Green. A young graphic artist inspires world-wide hysteria when she accidentally makes first contact with an alien. After posting a video that goes viral, April must deal with the pressures of becoming an internet sensation.
Blood communion by Anne Rice. The Vampire Chronicles continues with Lestat’s story of how he became ruler of the vampire world.
The bus on Thursday by Shirley Barrett. Bridget Jones meets The Exorcist in this funny, dark novel about one woman’s post-cancer retreat to a remote Australian town and the horrors awaiting her.
Death from a top hat by Clayton Rawson. A detective steeped in the art of magic solves the mystifying murder of two occultists.
Eventide by Kimberley Kalicky. Three couples hadn’t been out for an overnight on the boat together since their twenties. Now middle-aged, with adult children, and the baggage that goes with a life, they set out toward Monhegan Island from Portland.
Her kind of case by Jeanne Winer. A seasoned criminal defense attorney must draw on her experience to save a teenage client who doesn’t want to be saved.
Judas by Jeff Loveness. In this graphic novel, Judas Iscariot journeys through life and death, grappling with his place in “The Greatest Story Ever Told.” Every story needs a villain.
The man who came uptown by George Pelecanos. An ex-offender must choose between the man who got him out and the woman who showed him another path for his life.
The man who couldn’t miss by David Handler. Stewart “Hoagy” Hoag and his beloved basset hound, Lulu, investigate a murder in a fabled Connecticut summer playhouse.
Sea prayer by Khaled Hosseini. A short, powerful, illustrated book written in response to the current refugee crisis. It is composed in the form of a letter from a father to his son on the eve of their journey on a dangerous sea crossing.
A spark of light by Jodi Picoult. A ripped-from-the-headlines novel about a hostage crisis at a woman’s health clinic.
The stylist by Rosie Nixon. A young woman is thrown into the fast-paced world of fashion and glamour as she’s forced to navigate the treacherous Hollywood red carpets.
Thirteen days by Sunset Beach by Ramsey Campbell. A horror novel that’s perfect for readers who shy away from gore and cheap shocks.
Time’s convert by Deborah Harkness. A novel about what it takes to become a vampire. During his lover’s journey to immortality, a vampire’s past returns to haunt them both.
Transcription by Kate Atkinson. Ten years after, figures from a BBC radio producer’s past as an M15 recruit in 1940 confront her.
Trouble brewing by Suzanne Baltsar. This sweet and savory novel follows a smart, ambitious woman making her way in the male-dominated world of beer brewing.
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. High adventure fraught with cliff-hanger twists marks this runaway-slave narrative which goes from Caribbean cane fields, to the fringes of the frozen Arctic.
Weekend at Thrackley by Alan Melville. This story about guests gathered at a country house for the weekend, originally published in 1934, anticipates Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, which appeared 5 years later.
MUSIC CDs
Bloom by Troye Sivan
Sweetener by Ariana Grande
Dancing Queen by Cher
Cry Pretty by Carrie Underwood
NONFICTION
All you can ever know by Nicole Chung. What does it mean to love your roots – within your culture, within your family – and what happens when you find them? Chung explores her complicated feelings about her transracial adoption and the importance of knowing where one comes from.
American like me by America Ferrera. A vibrant and varied collection of first person accounts from prominent figures about the experience of growing up between cultures.
Buffy Sainte-Marie by Andrea Warner. Establishing herself among the ranks of folk greats such as Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan, Buffy has released more than 20 albums, survived being blacklisted by two U.S. presidents, and received the only Academy Award ever to be won by a First Nations artist. This is an intimate look at a beloved folk icon and activist.
The cows are out! by Trudy Price. Price writes of the daily trials of haying, cow breeding, and milking against a backdrop of gentle and entertaining rural life in Maine.
Death on Katahdin by Randi Minetor. The author gathers the stories of fatalities, from falls to exposure to cardiac arrest, and presents dozens of misadventures on the mountain including hunting accidents, lightning strikes, and even more than one suspicious death.
Fight like a girl by Clementine Ford. Through a mixture of memoir, opinion, and investigative journalism, Ford exposes just how unequal the world continues to be for women.
The fighters by C.J. Chivers. This is classic war reporting. The author’s stories give heart-rending meaning to the lives and deaths of Americans in combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, even if policymakers generally have not.
Grace without God by Katherine Ozment. The search for meaning, purpose, and belonging in a secular age.
The invisible gorilla by Christopher Chabris. How our intuitions deceive us because our minds don’t work the way we think they do. We think we see ourselves and the world as they really are, but we’re actually missing a whole lot.
The oath and the office by Corey Brettschneider. An essential guide to the presidential powers and limits of the Constitution, for anyone voting – or running – for our highest office.
Rock art critters by Denise Scicluna. Painting rocks has become a not-uncommon craft activity in recent years. This book focuses on decorating rocks with images of cute animals using acrylic craft paint.
Second labor: mothers share post-birth stories by Chaya Valier. 24 mothers write bold, honest accounts of post-birth life with a newborn.
Small animals by Kim Brooks. This interrogates how we weigh risks as parents, how we judge one another’s parenting and what the costs might be – not just to parents, but to children, too – in a culture of constant surveillance.
Sons of freedom by Geoffrey Wawro. The American contribution to World War I is one of the greatest stories of the 20th century, and yet it has all but vanished from view. This tells of the forgotten American soldiers, Doughboys who defeated Germany in World War I.
These truths by Jill Lepore. A magisterial account of the origins and rise of a divided nation, an urgently needed reckoning with the beauty and tragedy of American history.
What to do when you’re new by Keith Rollag. How to be comfortable, confident, and successful in new situations.
Will the circle be unbroken? by Studs Terkel. Reflections on death, rebirth, and a hunger for faith.
PICTURE BOOKS
Corduroy takes a bow by Viola Davis
Day you begin by Jacqueline Woodson
Do you believe in unicorns? by Bethanie Deeney Murguia
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales
House that once was by Julie Fogliano
I Just Like You by Suzanne Bloom
Llama Llama loves to read by Anna Dewdney
Parade of elephants by Kevin Henkes
Presto & Zesto in Limboland by Arthur Yorinks
Santa Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins
Secret life of the little brown bat by Laurence Pringle
Stop, go, yes, no!: a story of opposites by Mike Twohy
Surprise by Caroline Hadilaksono
Vegetables in underwear by Jared Chapman
We don’t eat our classmates by Ryan T Higgins
CHAPTER BOOKS
Babymouse: Tales from the locker: Miss Communication by Jennifer L Holm
I survived: the attack of the grizzlies, 1967 by Lauren Tarshis
Ivy & Bean: one big happy family by Annie Barrows
Judy Moody and the right royal tea party by Megan McDonald
Louisiana’s way home by Kate DiCamillo
Magic tree house: hurricane heroes in Texas #30 by Mary Pope Osborne
My father’s words by Patricia MacLachlan
Trail by Meika Hashimoto
Unforgettable Guinevere St. Clair by Amy Makechnie
Van Gogh deception by Deron Hicks
NON-FICTION
Hubots: real-world robots inspired by humans by Helaine Becker
New England Patriots story by Thomas K Adamson
Recreate discoveries about light by Anna Claybourne
Recreate discoveries about living things by Anna Claybourne
Recreate discoveries about states of matter by Anna Claybourne
We are grateful : otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
Why do I poop? by Kirsty Holmes
Why do I sneeze? by Madeline Tyler
You wouldn’t want to be Sir Isaac Newton: a lonely life you’d rather not lead by Ian Graham
You wouldn’t want to live without coding! by Alex Woolf
You wouldn’t want to live without gaming! by Jim Pipe
You wouldn’t want to live without insects! by Anne Rooney
You wouldn’t want to live without libraries! by Fiona Macdonald
You wouldn’t want to live without nurses! By Fiona Macdonald
You wouldn’t want to live without robots! by Ian Graham
You wouldn’t want to live without satellites! by Ian Graham
You wouldn’t want to live without simple machines! by Anne Rooney
You wouldn’t want to live without writing! By Roger Canavan
GRAPHIC NOVELS
The bad guys in do-you-think-he-saurus? by Aaron Blabey
Dog man: Lord of the fleas by Dav Pilkey
Snails are just my speed! by Kevin McCloskey
Trees: kings of the forest by Andy Hirsch
EASY READERS
Mr. Monkey bakes a cake by Jeff Mack
My kite is stuck! and other stories by Salia Yoon
Pete the cat and the cool caterpillar by James Dean
Notes from Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus, Library Journal, and New York Times Book Review.