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Staff Pick Badge
Misfit: Growing Up Awkward in the '80s By Gary Gulman Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781250777065
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Flatiron Books - September 19th, 2023

Comedian Gary Gulman's memoir was thoroughly enjoyable for me. Fans love him for his nerdy style and his mastery of language but also for his honesty. He's not afraid to discuss many of the more serious episodes in his life, but he also remembers all the hilarious minutiae of his childhood, like how his 1st grade classroom smelled of pencil shavings. His memories of friends and of growing up in New England in the 80's had a heartfelt and genuine feel to them. (Bob)


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A Pocketful of Happiness: A Memoir By Richard E. Grant Cover Image
$28.99
ISBN: 9781668030691
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Simon & Schuster - August 1st, 2023

 This is a very touching memoir of the life the author shared with his wife, Joan. Together for nearly four decades, Richard and Joan seemed an unlikely pair: she was ten years his senior, a famed vocal coach & quite diminutive to his lanky six four. But the young actor and the seasoned coach proved to be true soulmates, sharing everything in a remarkable marriage. When Joan’s diagnosis comes, both are “poleaxed.” Numb and frightened but determined to face whatever comes together, the couple begins the journey to treat Joan’s illness. Along the way, we meet caring doctors & nurses, famous actors and directors, as well as discover how Richard and Joan met and fell in love. Funny, sad, and brutally honest, this is one not to be missed. (Kim)


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Under the Golden Sun: A Novel By Jenny Ashcroft Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9781250793386
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: St. Martin's Griffin - August 8th, 2023

I became totally immersed in this book right from the beginning. Set during WWII, the war influences the story, but is not the main thrust. It centers around Rose Hamilton who's been through a painful experience and is looking for a new direction for her life. She volunteers to accompany an orphan boy named Walter to his family who live on a cattle plantation in Australia. Their journey is perilous and they are not welcomed once they arrive. Rose discovers there are many secrets she was not told about Walter's parents and his extended family, but she has become very attached to the boy so she perseveres. The setting on the Australian Outback is beautiful and the characters are engaging. I highly recommend this read. (Sue)


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The Housemaid By Freida McFadden Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781538742570
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grand Central Publishing - August 23rd, 2022

 Millie, a young ex-con living in her car, needs to get the housekeeping job with the wealthy Winchester Family or she'll be sent back to prison. She soon learns secrets can lie behind closed doors even in upscale neighborhoods, but then again, they don't know what secrets she has or what she's capable of. From the beginning I was hooked and did not want to put this book down! Lots of twists, turns and a gripping story make this psychological thriller was one of the best I've read this year! (Lisa)


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You Were Always Mine: A Novel By Christine Pride, Jo Piazza Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9781668005507
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Atria Books - June 13th, 2023

 A white college student (Daisy) abandons her baby, fully intending for a Black woman (Cinnamon) who she's recently befriended to find it. Cinnamon, raised in foster care herself, does in fact discover the baby, and almost immediately begins working to prove to both herself and her husband, and ultimately to the authorities, that she is able to keep and foster the baby. Issues of race, foster care, privilege, and motherhood are addressed throughout, as we get glimpses into Cinnamon's and Daisy's pasts, and see their stories unfolding separately in the current day, and then eventually coming back together. This is an incredibly moving and heartfelt story, and the authors' voices were seamlessly intertwined, which made it a lovely reading experience. (Michelle)


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The Lost Library By Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250838810
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Feiwel & Friends - August 29th, 2023

 A ghostly librarian, an orange cat named Mortimer, a boy named Evan, and a mysterious Little Free Library are all present in this wholesome tale about choosing the path you want in life and the power of a good book. Evan and his friend decide to unravel the mystery of the little library and how it's connected to a tragic event in the towns past. A fantastic and thematically appropriate tale for young readers, I really enjoyed reading this story. (Carrie)


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The Summer Skies: A Novel By Jenny Colgan Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780063260429
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Avon - July 11th, 2023

A woman is torn about which direction her life should take until a fateful event shows her the way. Set on the Northern Archipelago islands off Scotland, the setting is beautiful and atmospheric. The story centers around Morag and her family who have made a living flying a puddle-jumper throughout the islands delivering necessities to the people who live there. During a violent storm Morag has to land on one of the islands inhabited at that time only by ornithologist Gregor who is not pleased to have company. Will her time there change her perspective on what her future should be and will it change Gregor's future as well? (Sue)


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A Little Ray of Sunshine By Kristan Higgins Cover Image
$18.00
ISBN: 9780593547618
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Berkley - June 6th, 2023

A sweet story set on Cape Cod and centered around Harlow Smith and her family, the newborn son she gave up for adoption at 17 and kept secret, and the family who adopted him. Filled with a range of emotions from funny to sad, anger and empathy, this story will pull at your heartstrings while keeping you smiling and turning the pages. (Sue)


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The Shadow Box By Luanne Rice Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781542009553
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Thomas & Mercer - February 1st, 2021

Great page-turner set at the CT coast right across the border from RI. Claire Chase knows a secret about her husband Griffin, a powerful political figure running for governor, and that secret may get her killed because it would end his run for office. Claire is attacked in her garage and left for dead by someone in disguise she presumes is her husband. She goes on the run in the dense woods that border the coast, but an investigation is under way by the local police after they find the bloody scene in the garage. Other secrets between the neighbors and friends of Claire come spilling out giving the police a very complicated case to solve, especially after a boat explosion kills a friend of Claire’s and the friend’s son. Claire is fighting for survival in the woods and trying to decide who she can trust with the secret that started it all. (Sue)


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The Hike By Lucy Clarke Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593422670
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: G.P. Putnam's Sons - August 29th, 2023

Burned-out by both her marriage and work, Liz is desperate for an escape. So, when she plans a vacation with her three best friends, she persuades them to spend four nights camping in the stunning mountains of Norway. This book was a thrilling, addictive read that I didn't want to put down! As they ventured into the wilderness, their friendship is severely tested not only by each other but also the secrets the deadly mountains hold. Lucy Clarke paints the spectacular setting of their journey leaving me breathless from the beauty and terrified from the quickly changing conditions the women encounter. I highly recommend this gripping tale but prepare for a late night! (Lisa)


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Dead Mountain (Nora Kelly #4) By Douglas Preston, Lincoln Child Cover Image
$30.00
ISBN: 9781538736821
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Grand Central Publishing - August 22nd, 2023

 In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved. After two bodies are found in a cave, FBI Agent Corrie Swanson teams up with archaeologist Nora Kelly to find out what happened and if the remains belong to the missing hikers. Cleverly written, this story had me captivated from beginning to end. Government cover-ups, small town politics, and greed play a deadly game with innocent lives in this exciting thriller. (Lisa)


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The First Ladies By Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray Cover Image
$19.60
ISBN: 9780593440285
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Berkley - June 27th, 2023

Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune, two women from radically different backgrounds, initially join forces to advance women's rights but end up changing the lives of so many more. I was fascinated by this amazing friendship between two women who were dismissed by many due to race, gender and appearance and yet they continued to fight for what was right. These two women contributed so much to not only history of women's rights but also to the history of Black Americans. A compelling read from start to finish, I only wish I could have met these two incredible women. Thanks to the excellent writing of Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, we are given a glimpse of what can be accomplished when we all work together despite our differences for a better world! (Lisa)


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The Lioness of Boston By Emily Franklin Cover Image
$28.95
ISBN: 9781567927405
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: David R. Godine Publisher - April 11th, 2023

I really enjoyed this historical fiction based on Isabella Stewart Gardner's life - a very engaging account of how Gardner was shunned by Boston's elite, and eventually stopped caring or trying to win their favor, instead choosing her own path. While her life definitely had it share of dramatic moments, the author's telling of those moments is done in an understated way, so we see them as pieces of the whole of Isabella's life, rather than as a plot point, giving the story a nice flow. I enjoyed the final third of the book - about Isabella's collections, and how the museum came to be - the most. A very well-written story about a fascinating woman. (Michelle)


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Lucy by the Sea: A Novel By Elizabeth Strout Cover Image
$28.00
ISBN: 9780593446065
Availability: Usually Ships in 3-5 Days
Published: Random House - September 20th, 2022

A beautifully written story about Lucy, who is ushered away from Manhattan to the coast of Maine by her ex when COVID lockdown begins. As she adjusts to this dramatically different way of life, and to living with her ex husband, William, Lucy experiences the self-reflection that so many did during that strange and unsettling time. Through her interactions with William, their daughters, and their Maine neighbors, Lucy navigates the months in the same messy, uneven, uncertain way the entire world navigated them, but also with the same moments of peace and contentment that occasionally shone through. Reading about this period of time that was so recent yet sometimes feels like ancient history left me with an almost surreal feeling, and Strout's writing style intensified that effect. I'm still trying to figure out the emotional impact of this one, because there's a lot to unpack, but it definitely left me with all the feels - in a good way. (Michelle)


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The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks By Rebecca Skloot Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9781400052189
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Crown - March 8th, 2011

This book was nothing short of riveting. It's the story of Henrietta Lacks and the "immortal cells" that were harvested from her cervical cancer tumors, and also that of the journalist exploring the very complicated, and ethically questionable, way that those cells were handled after her death. The story of Henrietta's death and how it affected her family is heartbreaking, and layered on top of that is their confusion, anger, and sadness upon learning all that was done with the HeLa cells without their knowledge. Playing out over many decades, and presenting the viewpoints of every single player in this saga, Rebecca Skloot does a masterful job of presenting what is sometimes extremely complex scientific information in the most meaningful and human way. So much to think about after this one, and it will stick with me for a long time. (Michelle)


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The Puzzle Master: A Novel By Danielle Trussoni Cover Image
$27.00
ISBN: 9780593595299
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House - June 13th, 2023

Reality and the supernatural collide when expert puzzle maker Mike Brink is thrust into an ancient mystery along with a woman in jail for murdering her boyfriend. A fast paced puzzler in the vein of The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, this book had me hooked from the very beginning. A fairly quick read that I just couldn't put down, this book is for anyone looking for a unique and well told mystery. (Carrie)


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Belladonna By Adalyn Grace Cover Image
$18.99
Email or call for price.
ISBN: 9780316158237
Published: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers - August 30th, 2022

Signa Farrow has been raised by a series of guardians that are only looking after her for her inheritance. When her final remaining relatives come to claim her after her most recent tragedy, Signa ends up involved with their family sickness, and family secrets. Only by forming an unlikely alliance with Death will she be able to help the family and uncover the secrets of her past, and her future.

This novel is intended for young adult audiences but the lyrical prose and masterful storytelling make it a compelling read for anyone. Paperback available later this month! (Carrie)


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Just Roll with It: (A Graphic Novel) By Veronica Agarwal, Lee Durfey-Lavoie Cover Image
$12.99
ISBN: 9781984896995
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Graphic - December 14th, 2021

This graphic novel, geared towards middle grade readers, was one of our most popular at this years We Are All Readers event and it isn't hard to see why. While gradually establishing themes of anxiety and OCD, this story provides an age appropriate introduction to the importance of mental health and self-care.

When Maggie and her new friend join the role playing club at their middle school, her difficulty making decisions without the help of her trusty d20 becomes entangled with the clubs latest campaign. Can Maggie defeat her demons (or dragons, as the case may be), and learn to live life without worrying about a bad roll of the dice. (Carrie)


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Tom Lake: A Reese's Book Club Pick By Ann Patchett Cover Image
$21.00
ISBN: 9780063327528
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Harper - August 1st, 2023

So far, this is my favorite book by Ann Patchett. I loved The Dutch House, but this story of a mother telling her three daughters the history of her life before kids, when she was an actress dating a future movie star, just resonated with me. No one is better at navigating the dynamics of a family with humor and sensitivity. (Kim)