The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles 

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Majestic Hills
by Dawn Turner

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Emergency physician Langdon Blaque and his wife Josephine, a lawyer, move from the city to the suburb of Majestic Hills seeking quiet after years of stress, agreeing to reassess after one year. Welcomed by mostly white neighbors, they encounter unease beneath the civility. A violent crime fractures the community, drawing the couple into local conflict and exposing bias, fear, and pressure on their marriage.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Facing racism
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Complex characters; Strong sense of place; Plot-driven; Richly detailed; Evocative; Thought-provoking

Dreamland
by Olivie Blake

GENRE: Gothic fiction

SUMMARY:
When Anya Morris receives a once-in-a-lifetime invitation to work for the de Witt family, one of LA's most influential film dynasties, she's soon spending her days and nights at their Hollywood villa, and meets Jude, a recluse who is both the family's heir apparent and its most closely guarded secret. There's a magnetism to Jude that Anya cannot resist, despite the warning signs. The villa holds generations of bloodstained history, and an occult family curse may live within its walls - or within Jude himself. In LA, everyone cuts a deal with the devil. When Anya comes face to face with a devil of her own, she'll learn just how far she's willing to go to get everything she's ever wanted.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Flawed characters; Complex characters; Disturbing; Menacing; Character-driven

You'll Be Sorry
by Lisa Gardner

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
A newlywed couple each with their own secrets. An abandoned lodge with a horrific decades-old mystery. And a small mountain town where everyone believes they know their neighbors...except they don't.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Character-driven

When Lemons Give You Life
by Anna Johnston

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Griff Barlow, a retired Michelin-starred chef, lives in an aged care facility where bland meals and old regrets have dulled his will. After secretly baking a tart in the facility kitchen, he resumes cooking at night for other residents, whose health and spirits improve. His sister Lisa visits as she manages a late ADHD diagnosis, a new relationship, and destabilizing news. Hidden truths from Griff’s past threaten the fragile renewal and any chance of repairing their bond.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Eat, drink, and be merry
Appeal Factors: Inspiring; Amusing; Hopeful; Plot-driven

You’ll Love It Here
by Natalie Sue

GENRE: Mainstream fiction; Book club best bets; Debut title

SUMMARY:
After losing a long-anticipated promotion and facing uncertain next steps, Mona agrees to manage her deteriorating apartment building for her injured landlady in exchange for a better unit. Tasked with preparing the property for sale, she navigates disruptive tenants and unexpected responsibilities, including a persistent diner owner who inserts himself into her routine, prompting her to reassess her priorities and connections.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Large cast of characters; Bouncing back
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Funny; Feel-good; Moving; Upbeat; Fun-read; Plot-driven

Plant Lady
by Min-yŏng Kang

GENRE: Translations; Thrillers and suspense; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
In a quiet district of Dosan, South Korea, Yoohee runs a small plant shop where rare greenery and practical guidance attract customers seeking calm. After hours, she discreetly assists women dealing with abusive or controlling men. Drawing on her past, she eliminates these threats and hides the evidence in her garden. As a string of disappearances emerges, suspicion slowly shifts toward her secluded refuge.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Vengeance is mine
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: First person narratives; Likeable characters; Introspective characters Darkly humorous; Suspenseful; Gruesome; Reflective; Atmospheric; Plot-driven; Unputdownable; Richly detailed

Time Travel for Beginners
by Jaclyn Moriarty

GENRE: Science fiction

SUMMARY:
On a bustling road in Sydney, Australia, lies a nondescript storefront known simply as the Time Travel Agency. Inside, you'll be welcomed by the smell of fresh-brewed coffee, a selection of baked goods...and the question, Where in time do you wish to go? When single mother Anna is offered a job at the agency, she glimpses the possibility of happiness. Meanwhile, Teddy's a customer hoping to untangle his recently imploded marriage. And Jade, who has a deeply buried secret, despises the agency for offering false hope.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Unconventional; Moving; Stylistically complex; Incisive

Back for Blood: Never Whistle at Night Part II

GENRE: Short stories; Anthologies; Horror

SUMMARY:
The bestselling Indigenous dark fiction anthology returns with a new selection of even more daring and sinister stories. From monsters to mutilation, Never Whistle at Night is back for revenge.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Indigenous
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Disturbing; Creepy

Kitten
by Stacey Yu

GENRE: Psychological fiction; Literary fiction; Debut title

SUMMARY:
A magnetic, stirring debut novel about an adrift young woman whose growing fascination with her boyfriend's cat ushers her into the possibilities of her own life--but not without first threatening to unravel it.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Coming of age
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Unreliable narrator; Offbeat

Portrait of a Witch Undone
by K.S. Shay

GENRE: Contemporary fantasy; Fantasy fiction

SUMMARY:
For fans of Starling House and A Discovery of Witches with a Thomas Crown Affair twist: a contemporary New England coven hides the mysteries that lurk in the marshes north of Boston—and how they are connected to the largest unsolved art heist in modern history.

Instant Noodles and Beyond: A Comic Book with Recipes for Souped-Up Ramen, Mac & Cheese, and More
by Robi Ha

GENRE: Graphic novels; Cookbooks; Essays; Food writing; Arts and entertainment

SUMMARY:
This fun and unique cookbook-meets-graphic novel is a love-letter to instant noodles and their infinite versatility as a starting point for a satisfying, nutrient-packed meal. Filled with Robin Ha's playful and colorful illustrations and imaginative instant flavor combinations, Instant Noodles and Beyond easily elevates your bowl or cup of noodles with easy-to-follow, detailed, visual recipes that leave no room for cooking confusion, plus amusing anecdotes and comic strip-style essays.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Accessible

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

A Trade of Blood
by Robert Jackson Bennett

GENRE: Fantasy mysteries; Epic fantasy

SUMMARY:
Brilliant detective Ana Dolabra must prove a man's innocence to stop a civil war in the third book of the Shadow of the Leviathan series, also known as the Ava and Dyn Mysteries.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: LGBTQIA+; Bisexual
Appeal Factors: Offbeat; Evocative

The Amateur
by Chris Bohjalian

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
In 1978, on a sweltering August day, 18-year-old Mira Winston drives a golf ball toward the practice net. The 1.6-ounce ball tears through the net at 150 miles per hour and strikes high school junior Kenny Foster in the temple, killing him before the ambulance arrives. Though everyone first calls it an accident, Mira seeks comfort in all the wrong places - her older married lover Theo Catton, her secretive mother, and the dead caddy's grieving sisters. But when investigators question the torn net, when a detective recalls Mira's history of recklessness, and when Kenny's father sees her with Theo, the community turns on the once-promising young woman.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: First person narratives; Parallel narratives; Flawed characters; Complex characters; Reflective; Moving; Candid; Character-driven

The Magic We Made
by Meg Cabot

GENRE: Paranormal romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Therapist Francesca Giovanni trusts logic in West Harbor, Connecticut, a coastal town reshaped by witch-themed tourism. When teenage witches begin to vanish and disturbances spread from the lake house next door, she suspects real danger. Her neighbor Ash Merit, a psychic who locates missing people, joins the search. As they investigate, clashing worldviews, unreliable magic, and a growing attraction complicate the effort to uncover what is happening to the town.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Plot-driven; Banter-filled

Promise Me Never
by Liv Constantine

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Aspiring writer Savannah's plan to meet horror novelist Bennett Bryson works better than she dreamed: he offers to read her work and quickly falls for her. After a whirlwind romance and marriage, she moves to his secluded home, but cracks soon appear. Bennett grows controlling, criticizes her writing, restricts her movements, and hides in his locked office. Savannah feels haunted by Poppy, Bennett's first wife, whose death still overshadows the house. Then comes a warning: Bennett is not who he seems, and the women before Savannah vanished. Isolated and unsure whom to trust, she races to uncover the truth about her husband, Poppy, and the secrets that could make her the next to disappear.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted Multiple perspectives; Unreliable narrator; Complex characters; Menacing; Fast-paced

Lost and Found
by Tarah DeWitt

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Bea always wanted to be a mom. But she never expected she'd have to lose her best friend to do it. Armed with nothing but her best friend's eggs and a bucket list to complete, Bea's world is a sea of changes. When she needs a place to stay, her longtime friend Silas steps in to help. A firefighter grappling with the aftermath of an accident, Silas has his own challenges to work through that have left him cautious and vulnerable. At first, they expect nothing. But as these two former sunshines knit together in a love that has been unfulfilled until now, a new beginning comes out of the ashes of the past.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Sympathetic characters; Bittersweet; Moving; Feel-good

Heart of Glass
by Jennifer Hillier

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Twenty-five years ago in Seaside, Washington, a charming drifter named Sam met three inseparable teenage girls at the local amusement park. Days later, one of them was found dead, her body surfacing in a flooded cranberry bog not far from where she was murdered. Barb and Nicolette were shocked to learn that the man they all met at Wonderland was the Carnival Killer. Now, their past safely behind them, they've both moved on with their lives. But when the Carnival Killer recants his confession and a new body washes ashore on the eve of Wonderland's grand reopening, the secrets that Barb and Nicolette have worked so hard to bury begin to resurface.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Unputdownable

Daggerbound
by T. Kingfisher

GENRE: Fantasy romances; LGBTQIA+ romances; Romances; Fantasy fiction

SUMMARY:
Learned Edmund, a disillusioned scholar, is transporting yet another precious relic from one stuffy temple to a different stuffy temple. Another great adventure for the ages...But when Edmund is set upon by bandits, he breaks the cardinal rule and grabs for the relic, an ancient sword. To his surprise, instead of unsheathing a rusty, ancient weapon, an alarmingly handsome man appears, wielding daggers of blue steel and cutting the thieves down. This man is the Dervish, an immortal warrior who's been trapped for centuries in a sword of enchanted steel. But while the Dervish may be able to protect Edmund from bandits, cultists, and dragons, he may find it harder to protect his own heart.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Grumpy sunshine
Identities: LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Action-packed; Funny; Sweet; Banter-filled

That Night
by Gillian McAllister

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
On vacation in Europe, Frannie makes urgent phone calls to her sister and brother. The siblings come running, and they find Frannie covered in blood, kneeling over an unmoving body. Frannie has hit a man with her car, and she needs their help. They bury the body and promise to never tell anyone. But when the police come calling, the siblings' lies start to spiral. They begin to doubt their trust in each other. Because what really happened that night? And who will be the first to crack? With the incredible twists and turns and a unique look at family relationships, That Night is the ultimate summer thriller that asks: what would you do to protect your family?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Multiple perspectives Unlikeable characters; Complex characters; Character-driven

Brain Damage
by Freida McFadden

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Dr. Charly McKenna had the perfect life: a thriving dermatology practice, a luxury apartment overlooking Central Park, and a handsome husband who adored her. Until the night a bullet tore through her skull... and stole everything. Now Charly wakes in a rehabilitation hospital unable to walk, speak, or remember her own name. All she knows is that someone tried to kill her--and they may still be out there. As fragments of memory surface, so do unsettling questions about the people around her, including the attentive man who keeps appearing at her bedside.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Lost and altered memories; Too good to be true
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Parallel narratives; Action-packed; Suspenseful; Fast-paced

Stay Buried
by Jennifer McMahon

GENRE: Horror

SUMMARY:
In 1919, Frankie O’Massey assists her physician uncle in Boone’s Ferry, Vermont, where townspeople distrust science as a strange illness spreads. The first case links to a reclusive knackerman who handles animal remains. In 2016, siblings Ashley and Malcolm inherit family property in the same town and encounter guarded residents and seasonal rituals tied to a local spirit, suggesting a buried history shaping the community.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Small town horror
Appeal Factors: Parallel narratives; Authentic characters; Suspenseful; Haunting; Plot-driven

The Women in White
by Sarah Pekkanen

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
In 1964, four women participate in parapsychology experiments by a visionary university scientist. On the cusp of a breakthrough, the women vanished and the program was erased from history. Decades later, Riley Bell accepts a caretaker job for Betty, an elderly widow, who has microwave, TV, or cell phone, and has never heard of the internet. Why has she lived in isolation for so long, and why does she need Riley now? As the story unfolds across Betty's 1960s era of 5 o'clock martinis and high-stakes experiments, and Riley's modern quest to uncover the truth about the missing women - old secrets surface. The only way to survive is to confront the mystery that has lingered for sixty years.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Inspired by real events
Appeal Factors: First person narratives; Parallel narratives; Suspenseful; Richly detailed; Character-driven

The Unknown
by Riley Sager

GENRE: Horror

SUMMARY:
In 1926, five women disappeared from a remote island in Vermont. Struggling actress Marin Keane is shocked when she lands a role in a major motion picture about the unsolved mystery. Then she learns that the role requires a weeklong research trip to that very spot. The prevailing opinion, thanks to a diary left behind by one of the vanished, a young woman named Daisy Rue, is that a seance gone wrong conjured something supernatural that took them all one by one. Not long after arriving, Marin and her castmates begin to realize all is not right with New Avalon. And after a sudden health emergency leaves Marin and the others stranded, the disappearances begin again.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Locked room mysteries
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Suspenseful; Creepy; Atmospheric

The Secrets We Hide
by Karin Slaughter

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Welcome to North Falls. A small town with big secrets...1601 Iris Drive looks like any other house on the quiet, residential street. But rumors are rampant about the Vickery family, and what goes on behind closed doors. When gunshots ring out, Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discover a devastating crime scene. Allison Vickery has been murdered in her own kitchen, and her teenage daughter is bleeding upstairs, left for dead. Everyone thinks they know what happened. But secrets are buried everywhere in this small town. And it's up to Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth...

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Small town police; Life in small towns
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

The Story Keeper
by Kelly Rimmer

GENRE: Mysteries

SUMMARY:
When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle’s library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Nonlinear

In Stormy Weather
by Chelsea Curto

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Nothing can rain on Quincy Monroe's parade. She's a woman-in-STEM with a PhD in atmospheric sciences, the host of a successful online weather show, and has one million followers on her meteorology Instagram. And with a new job opportunity, nothing can derail her success. Except for the ill-timed arrival of Sebastian Dunn. Sebastian is her best friend's brother, her long-suffering academic and professional rival, and a flashy TV weatherman from New York City that everyone swoons over. Everyone but Quincy.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Best friend's sibling; Enemies to lovers
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Action-packed; Banter-filled

If Books Could Kill
by Kate Eberle

GENRE: Romantic comedies; Contemporary romances; Romances; Debut title

SUMMARY:
When Roxie makes a tongue-in-cheek wish to live out the plot of her favorite author's next novel, she has romance in mind--namely, the sweet, safe, swoon-worthy storylines Anna Matthews is known for. It should be a dream come true when her wish is granted and she finds herself swept into a first date with a handsome stranger who seems designed to take her breath away. Except for one little hiccup: That handsome stranger tries to take her breath away. Literally.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Metafiction; Books about books
Appeal Factors: Funny; Offbeat; Witty

The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy
by Brigitte Knightley

GENRE: Fantasy romances

SUMMARY:
Osric is a member of a guild of assassins who gleefully murder for money. Aurienne is a scholar-healer whose Order's motto is Harm to none. Clear-cut absolutes separate them...until they don't. When Osric first bribed Aurienne to heal him, he never imagined those lines would begin to blur. But every healing session draws them closer together. Things go superbly sideways when Osric and Aurienne discover more about the deadly Pox deliberately unleashed through the Tendoms. The plague may be the work of another Order--an Order far nastier than either of them can handle. Sequel to The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Enemies to lovers; Reluctant allies
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Darkly humorous; Romantic; Unputdownable; Witty

Helpless
by Jessica Knoll

GENRE: Erotic fiction; Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
When a former and beloved college professor suddenly passes away, Faye and Henry find themselves back on campus for the funeral, circling something old and dangerous. But Henry is one of a kind. The kind who delivers a hypnotic apology for the way things ended. The kind who suggests they go back to the hotel for a drink. The kind who drugs and kidnaps her. Faye comes to Henry's remote mountain cabin. Has Henry brought her here to punish her? She did, after all, write and star in a lauded TV episode based on their indelicate appetites and vicious breakup. As her week of captivity unfolds, Henry's wanton demands intensify, and Faye finds herself pulled back into his irresistible gravity.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Toxic relationships
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Twisted characters; Explicit sex; Plot-driven

Dominion
by Jean Kwok

GENRE: Romantasy; Epic fantasy

SUMMARY:
Three years after the Annihilation destroyed her homeland and her memory, Rubi Morningtail lives as an Azure refugee in the Dominion of the Silver Tyger, scraping by and hiding her little bit of singing magic. When she wounds a massive battle tyger, she draws the notice of Blake Axefire--supreme metal mage, leader of the royal Tyger Warriors, and the last man an Azure should trust. He casts her into the Bonding, a brutal trial where tygers choose their riders and slaughter the rest. Now she's stuck on Blake's elite team, and Rubi must unlock the truth of her magic and her past...while resisting her attraction to the ruthless warrior who could be her redemption--or her ruin.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Inspired by Asian lore; Enemies to lovers
Appeal Factors: Action-packed

Country People
by Daniel Mason

GENRE: Literary fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
Miles is a devoted husband and a doting father beloved for his outlandish stories. He is also twelve years late with his PhD on Russian folktales and increasingly haunted by a sense that he's become a disappointment. So when his wife accepts a visiting professorship in Vermont, he decides that it's time to move forward with his life. But Miles is a man of many enthusiasms, who possesses a great capacity to fall in with anyone, anywhere. No sooner does he arrive than he finds himself entangled with a cast of characters as colorful as those of any of his folktales, and stumbles upon a bizarre local legend, which, he soon suspects, might not be just a legend after all.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Funny; Whimsical; Character-driven

Die for Me
by Shirlene Obuobi

GENRE: Paranormal romances; Dark romances; African American fiction

SUMMARY:
Sean's not in the market for love. The only female, let alone Black, interventional cardiologist at her hospital, she's watched too many of her male colleagues divorce their first wives to marry younger models--and then there's the abusive relationship she's spent the better part of her early 30s healing from. Her passions are reserved for her best friend, her goddaughter, and her job. Then she meets Julian. Brooding, beautiful and eleven years her junior. In short: A bad idea.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Sympathetic characters; Suspenseful

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt
by Ben Reeves

GENRE: Mainstream fiction

SUMMARY:
Travis is Death in the modern world. He wears jeans and a T-shirt and lives in a small, grey town. His job is to offer people comfort in their final hours of life. He's stoic, gentle, and a little naive, despite everything he knows. He's young and handsome, despite who he is. Each death he witnesses is meaningful to him; he listens, never judges, and most importantly, never tries to change anyone's fate. He knows that every life must eventually end to maintain the balance of the universe and he respects the cycle. Then he meets Dalia, a midwife, and her boisterous eight-year-old daughter Layla, who live across the hall.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Reflective; Melancholy; Moving

Yes, Chef
by Grace Reilly

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romantic comedies

SUMMARY:
Angry and grieving, Jack inherits his late mentor's unwanted storefront just as Poppy Winfield, his former boss's bubbly and infuriating daughter, shows up needing an escape. Hoping to prove herself, she pitches a deal: they will reopen the restaurant together. Jack will run the kitchen, and Poppy will use her influencer skills to promote it. If they succeed, their accomplishments will allow them to return to New York. But Jack insists she learn every part of the business, including cooking with him. As sparks fly and tensions rise, they must decide if they are the perfect pairing or a recipe for disaster.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Grumpy-sunshine; Opposites attract
Appeal Factors: Complex characters; Spirited characters; Well-developed characters; Funny; Steamy; Fast-paced; Character-driven

When Mikan Road Was Ours
by D. K. Furutani

GENRE: Family sagas; Book Club Best Bets

SUMMARY:
Winner of Simon & Schuster's Books Like Us contest, a gripping, sincere debut novel set across four generations of a Japanese American family living in California's vibrant agricultural heartlands, exploring the sharp edges of inheritance and what it means to truly belong.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Asian; Multiracial
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Well-developed characters; Moving; Evocative; Thought-provoking; Stylistically complex; Thoughtful

Human Raised: Nurturing Connection, Curiosity & Lifelong Learning in the Age of AI
by M.D. Suskind

GENRE: Family and relationships; Life and relationships

SUMMARY:
As AI enters nurseries, playrooms, and classrooms, parents are being sold a "smart" childhood at every turn. This book is a guide to protecting the most important label of all: human raised.

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

Sea of Charms
by Sarah Beth Durst

GENRE: Fantasy romances

SUMMARY:
Betrayed by love, Marin lives and works as a supply runner, sailing from island to island, delivering an array of goods with Perri the sea serpent and Ree the sailor shrub as her crew. On one of her routine trips, Marin finds a revolution underway - and her friend Dax in the line of fire. What starts as a rescue evolves into a deal: Marin will keep Dax on as a member of her crew if he pretends to be her boyfriend at the End-of-Harvest Festival back home. But against her better judgment, Marin finds herself intrigued by his stubbornness, his passion for stories, his charming smile - and realizes that perhaps she isn't saving him. Maybe it's the other way around.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Fake relationship; Friends to lovers; Chosen family
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Whimsical; Sweet; Richly detailed; Strong sense of place

The Final Score
by Lana Ferguson

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Jack Baker is on top of the world now that he's back on the rink where he belongs. But the high comes crashing down when he reinjures his arm immediately following his return to the ice, and this time, he might never be able to play again. Abigail Thompson feels like she's hit rock bottom. It's only been a few months since the massive scandal that finally severed the cord between her and her narcissistic father. And now, in her last weeks of grad school, she's been kicked out of her building with very short notice. The last thing she wants to do is ask her half-brother for help after what she’s put him through, but it’s looking like his best friend Jack’s spare room might be her only choice.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Best friend's sibling; Close quarters; Romance in sports; Enemies to lovers
Identities: People with mental illness
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Steamy

Love You More
by Emily Giffin

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
A woman is newly engaged to a man she adores when she receives a call from her first love with news that shatters her carefully ordered world, in this emotionally powerful novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Summer Pact.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Coping with death; Home again
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; High-drama; Atmospheric

Meet Me in Paris
by Kristin Harmel

GENRE: Relationship fiction; Love stories; Mainstream fiction

SUMMARY:
Nine Americans in Paris. Seven intertwined love stories. These stories unfold over a few breathtaking spring days, as an unforgettable group of Americans in Paris must find their way to their own versions of happily ever after in the City of Light.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Feel-good; Moving; Sweet; Strong sense of place

Getting Away with Murder
by Shari Lapena

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Jill and Ted adore their New York brownstone the way others adore their children. They have carefully, expensively, made every inch of it their own. It is the stuff of glossy magazines and real-estate dreams. So when Ted's inheritance runs out and he makes a bad investment, they panic. How can they protect their beloved home and enviable lifestyle? The answer is obvious. Or at least, it is obvious to Jill and Ted. The death of one wealthy family member--from whom they stand to inherit millions--could solve all their problems. Together, they will get away with murder.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Twisted characters; Suspenseful; Disturbing; Intensifying

The Romance Revival
by Christina Lauren

GENRE: Contemporary romances

SUMMARY:
The instant New York Times bestselling authors of The Paradise Problem and The Unhoneymooners return with an unforgettable novel in which one fateful accident erases a troubled marriage from memory--and love gets one extraordinary do-over.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Opposites attract; Loat and altered memories
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Steamy; Sweet

The Intrigue
by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

GENRE: Historical thrillers; Noir fiction; Thrillers and suspense; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico, and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. He thinks he's found it when he captivates Perla, the owner of a boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn't expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt's household. When Inés discovers Ulises' true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Latine
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Own voices; Complex characters; Flawed characters; Steamy; Suspenseful; Atmospheric; Fast-paced; Unputdownable

Most Ardently Yours
by Freya Sampson

GENRE: Romantic comedies; Adaptations, retellings, and spin-offs

SUMMARY:
Zoe Knight, a struggling romance writer, has sworn off men for good. She now curbs her loneliness with the help of the best book boyfriends in literature -- and there is no better man than Jane Austen's Mr. Darcy. So when she stumbles into a classic London bookshop and argues with the annoyingly attractive store owner, Nick, who refuses to sell romance novels, she decides to liberate him of a dusty copy of Pride & Prejudice abandoned on a top shelf. But this is no ordinary book. After reading from the pages, Zoe finds she has accidentally summoned the Mr. Darcy to the real world.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Fish out of water
Appeal Factors: Sweet; Funny; Whimsical

Extra-curricular
by Rachel Lynn Solomon

GENRE: New adult fiction; Romances; Contemporary romances; Romantic comedies

SUMMARY:
When a former pop star enrolls in college, the last thing she expects is A-plus chemistry with her psychology professor. Ramona loves the way she flusters him, taking every opportunity to push Nick's buttons, though what she really wants is to unbutton them completely. When a crisis brings them closer outside of class, they begin a tentative friendship amid an undeniable attraction. But Ramona can't be so easily finished with her old life, and they'll both have to confront their pasts if they want a chance at something real.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Moving; Steamy

Fabulous Bodies
by Chuck Tingle

GENRE: Horror

SUMMARY:
Poppy Stringer was born to be a star. An aspiring fashion influencer by day, Poppy moonlights as a grave robber to make ends meet, wheeling and dealing dead bodies across Palm Springs. When her hero, the flamboyant, piano-slamming rockstar Eddie Michaels, unexpectedly dies, Poppy gets a call to retrieve his body from the medical examiner's office for a lucrative sum. It could be the last job she'll ever need--if everything goes to plan. But the night's delivery quickly veers off course when Eddie wakes up. Now Poppy must fight for her life if she hopes to survive this blood-soaked joyride of carnage and extravagant entertainment.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Gruesome; Darkly humorous; Thought-provoking

Cool Machine
by Colson Whitehead

GENRE: Historical fiction; Crime fiction; Literary fiction; African American fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
In 1981, New York City is beginning to emerge from financial ruin and decline, energized by rampant real estate development and a Wall Street unchained by Reagan-era predatory capitalism. Up in Harlem, successful business owner/master fence Ray Carney has just been named Sterling Furniture's Dealer of the Month. When the banks won't give his beloved wife Elizabeth a loan for her new travel agency, however, Carney gambles on one last heist, and finds himself entangled with a legendary criminal mastermind.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Darkly humorous; Gritty; Haunting Suspenseful; Violent; Fast-paced; Strong sense of place; Witty

Hot Girl Murder Club
by Ashley Winstead

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Ten years ago, aspiring singer-actress Scout Sage lost the only thing that mattered: her sister, Georgia. Ever since Georgia's mysterious death, Scout's done her best to honor her memory. But when a slew of murders makes headlines, all pointing to Scout as the killer, she becomes the world's most famous (alleged) murderer. Now everything she's worked for will fall apart unless she can prove she's innocent. Meanwhile, the detective assigned to her case begins to unearth secrets - particularly about the ways Georgia's death connects to a pattern of crimes long hushed over in Hollywood - an old reign of terror that, if brought to light, could be the fuel that ignites a reckoning the world over.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Proving one's innocence; Vengeance is mine; Chosen family
Appeal Factors: Complex characters; Violent; Plot-driven; Strong sense of place; Evocative; Fast-paced

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Land
by Maggie O'Farrell

GENRE: Historical fiction; Literary fiction; Family sagas; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
In 1865, Tomás and his reluctant son, Liam, are working for the great Ordnance Survey project to map the whole of Ireland. It is not long since the country was ravaged by the Great Hunger, and the task is not an easy one. Tomás is determined that his maps will be a record of the disaster. The British soldiers in charge are due to arrive any day, but Tomás is unexpectedly sent off course by an unsettling encounter in a copse. His life, and those of his family, will never be the same again.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Novels of place
Appeal Factors: Moving; Stylistically complex; Lyrical; Evocative

The Children
by Melissa Albert

GENRE: Gothic fiction; Literary fiction; Psychological fiction; Magical realism; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
The estranged adult children of a legendary author, written into their dead mother's beloved fantasy series, must contend with the vine-like creep of legacy, memory, and magic.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Nonlinear; Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Suspenseful; Atmospheric Evocative

The Housewife
by Natalie Barelli

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Jodie always dreamed of being a housewife. And after a whirlwind romance, she marries renowned psychologist Dr. Roy Davies and moves into his Beverly Hills home. But the fairy tale fades fast. Roy is distant, his friends view her as a gold-digger, and the house still reveres his late wife, Deborah, whose presence looms over everyone and everything. When Jodie learns Deborah became a recluse before death, she begins to suspect Roy was behind it. And the deeper she digs, the darker Roy's past appears. Increasingly convinced he had something to do with Deborah's death, Jodie knows she should go to the police, but that would require revealing her own secret. A secret that could destroy her.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Menacing; Suspenseful

Villa Coco
by Andrew Sean Greer

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Andrew Sean Greer, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Less, showcases his wit, sophistication, and deep knowledge of focaccia in this magical and madcap tale of a young man who takes an unspecified job with a charismatic elderly Baronessa at her crumbling villa in the Tuscan hills.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Own voices; First person narratives; Feel-good; Moving; Atmospheric Evocative; Witty; Fun read

The Shampoo Effect
by Jenny Jackson

GENRE: Relationship fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town in this story of late-night parties, early mornings with small children, the dawn of midlife, and a group of old friends finally growing up despite all their best efforts to the contrary.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Well-developed characters; Atmospheric

Tropesick
by Lauren Okie

GENRE: Romantic comedies; Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
In this lush, slow-burning romance, two childhood neighbors, connected by a shared tragedy, unexpectedly reunite to ghostwrite a love story for a reclusive author. Spending the summer at her secluded Hamptons estate, they soon discover that dozens of classic romance tropes, including the ones they're crafting on page, are mysteriously playing out in real life.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Best friend's sibling; Books about books; Grumpy-sunshine; Second chance at romance; Workplace romance; Close quarters
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Feel-good; Moving; Romantic

The Disaster Gay Detective Agency
by Lev A. C. Rosen

GENRE: LGBTQIA+ fiction; Humorous stories; Mainstream fiction

SUMMARY:
From crime writer Lev Rosen comes a punchy, hilarious mystery-thriller. Meet the disaster gays: They're messy. They're queer. And they're about to solve a murder...or die trying.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Ensemble casts
Identities: Gay; LGBTQIA+; Queer
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Likeable characters; Funny; Offbeat

Marion
by Leah Rowan

GENRE: Horror; Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
A twist on Hitchcock's iconic classic Psycho--where the leading lady doesn't die, but instead turns the knife on Norm, kicking off a crime spree that turns the silver screen victim into a heroine for our times.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Action-packed; Darkly humorous; Fun read; Incisive; Witty

Scandal of the Summer
by Alexandra Vasti

GENRE: Historical romances; Regency romances

SUMMARY:
After offending yet another Very Important Marquess--and imperiling her father's diplomatic career--Ruby flees London for the holiday house of a glamorous (and absent) princess. Armed with a forged invitation, Ruby arrives at the Cornwall estate expecting a summer of blissful freedom. Instead, she discovers a derelict mansion and the most suspiciously charming man she's ever met, former privateer and current con artist Captain Malcolm Archer who's using the estate as cover for a smuggling scheme. Eventually, the scorching heat between the rakish pirate and the debutante who can see right through him becomes hard to ignore.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Love in disguise
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Likeable characters; Steamy; Banter-filled

The Jellyfish Problem
by Tessa Yang

GENRE: Magical realism; Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Dr. Jo Ness prefers jellyfish to people. She receives a call from Nadia, one of the few other humans she's loved but whom she hasn't heard from in years, asking for her help. Nadia tells her about a giant jellyfish terrorizing a tiny island near Maine and sends a grainy video. Though the footage looks fake, Jo drops everything to fly cross-country to see Nadia again, and to find this supposed sea beast. But when Jo arrives on Shattering Point, Nadia is missing, and the islanders each have something different to say about the creature they've dubbed Clementine...a jellyfish who changes all who see it.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities:LGBTQIA+; Lesbian
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Character-driven; Intensifying; Richly detailed

Sublimation
by Isabel J. Kim

GENRE: Science fiction; Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Doppelgängers, corporate intrigue, heartbreak, betrayal, and the harsh permanence of the border: Sublimation is a thrilling and provocative debut for fans of Severance that asks what you'd sacrifice for a different life from award-winning author Isabel J. Kim.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Immigrant experiences
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Own voices; Suspenseful; Stylistically complex; Thought-provoking; Leisurely paced; Richly detailed

The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss
by Robert Macfarlane

GENRE: Illustrated books; Nature and science

SUMMARY:
A great thinning of the skies is underway. Around 50% of bird species are in decline worldwide. Inspired by the classic bird-books with which the authors grew up, this is a field guide with a difference. It asks not ‘What is that bird?’, but ‘Who is that bird?’ It shows readers how to identify birds, but also how to identify with them.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Richly detailed

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

Road Trip
by Mary Kay Andrew

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Pack your bags for a summer journey with sisters Maeve and Therese, shaped by family secrets and long-buried history, that is filled with mystery, romance, intrigue, travel, cozy pubs, and charming men with Irish accents.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Family gatherings
Appeal Factors: Parallel narratives; Intricately plotted; Well-developed characters; Cozy; Atmospheric

The Unicorn Hunters
by Katherine Arden

GENRE: Historical fantasy; Literary fiction; Fantasy fiction

SUMMARY:
DESCRIPTION In a desperate gamble to save her throne, a young monarch arranges a secret marriage, conceals it in the shadows of an enchanted forest, and unknowingly alters the fate of her world.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Atmospheric; Lyrical

A Pair of Aces
by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

GENRE: Historical fiction; Biographical fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
A gripping novel about two trailblazing women on opposite sides of the law--a prosecutor and a madam--who team up to bring down notorious Mob boss Lucky Luciano in 1930s New York, from the New York Times bestselling authors of the million-copy bestseller The Personal Librarian.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Facing racism
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Intricately plotted; Multiple perspectives; Cinematic; Richly detailed; Atmospheric

Father Material
by Alexis Hall

GENRE: LGBTQIA+ fiction; Romantic comedies; Romances

SUMMARY:
As all their very grown-up-now friends begin reaching new life milestones, advancing careers and having babies, Luc and Oliver decide it's time to open their hearts and lives to something new: a tiny, squirming, adorable bundle of furry joy named Spud. And maybe now that hearts-and-lives are already open, there's room for someone else.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Gay; LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Moving

It Could Have Been Her
by Lisa Jewel

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
A lost dog, a missing teenaged girl, and a house of long buried secrets are central in this thriller featuring Jane Trevally, a supporting character in Jewell’s 2025 thriller, Don’t Let Him In.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Suspenseful

Whistler
by Ann Patchett

GENRE: Literary fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Moving; Reflective; Character-driven

The Someday Garden
by Ashley Poston

GENRE: Contemporary fantasy

SUMMARY:
The new head gardener at the enchanting Lilymoor House stumbles upon a secret garden . . . with a mysterious man trapped inside, in the next magical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Sounds Like Love and The Seven Year Slip.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Coping with death

Daughters of the Sun and Moon
by Lisa See

GENRE: Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
In 1870, three Chinese women arrive in Los Angeles. Each woman has her own desires. Dove wants to love and be loved, Petal desires freedom, and Moon seeks justice. Together they face a larger society that wishes them not one ounce of good will. Anti-Chinese sentiment is strong in Los Angeles, and this eventually leads to the Night of Horrors during which all three women are challenged in ways they could not have imagined. Brought together by hardship and heartbreak, they must use their bravery, endurance, and ability to eat bitterness to discover their voices, find freedom, and connect through solace and friendship. Together they are daughters of the sun and moon.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Immigrant experiences
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Issue-oriented; Spirited characters; Violent; Angst-filled; Character-driven; Strong sense of place

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Caller Unknown
by Gillian McAllister

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock—and finds herself on the wrong side of the law—in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in this pulse-pounding thriller from the author of Reese’s Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: On the run
Appeal Factors: Action-packed; Menacing; Suspenseful; Violent; Fast-paced

Five
by Ilona Bannister

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Five people wait on a suburban platform as a train approaches London, each carrying private pressures: a young man facing mounting debt, an older woman refusing assistance after a fall, a parent managing a child’s outburst, and a businessman observing them all. One of them will die when the train arrives - but they don't know it. Only you, the reader, knows. This novel breaks the fourth wall and invites you to judge these characters as death hangs in the balance.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Metafiction
S Appeal Factors: Unnamed narrator; Unconventional; Well-developed characters; Suspenseful; Plot-driven; Thought-provoking

I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours
by Nat Cassidy

GENRE: Horror; Short stories

SUMMARY:
There are locations in this world where the light doesn't seem to reach. Where, no matter how illuminated the place might be, shadows creep in too strongly to fight back. A suspiciously empty gas station rest stop in the middle of the night, littered with googley eyes... A doctor's office, where a bottle of booze and a tear-stained folder wait on the desk... A tech millionaire's haunted kitchen... A Bible-quoting ventriloquist's dingy apartment... A yoga retreat in the middle of the desert, silent except for the screaming... These locations and more are your destination and bestselling author Nat Cassidy will be your guide.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Disturbing; Irreverent; Creepy; Gruesome

The Burning Side
by Sarah Damoff

GENRE: Family sagas; Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
When April and Leo's house burns in the middle of the night, they escape with their two young children and the quiet knowledge that the fire is not the only thing threatening their family. They retreat to April's childhood home in Dallas, where her spirited parents and siblings provide both comfort and complication. As the family reckons with the aftermath--grief, guilt, logistics, and memories scorched and intact--the fire exposes the cracks already forming in April and Leo's marriage.

A Parade of Horribles
by Matt Dinniman

GENRE: Science fiction

SUMMARY:
As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they're forced to compete in races. It all seems a little too normal...just ignore those strange glitches that are occurring with increasing frequency. Don't listen to those whispers about what's happening on the mysterious eleventh floor, something the system AI calls A Parade of Horribles. Nobody, not even the showrunners, knows what that means.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Press play to start; Dungeon delving

The Last Page
by Katie Holt

GENRE: Contemporary romances

SUMMARY:
From the author of Not in My Book, a bookseller with a dream of running her beloved bookstore vs. the owner’s out-of-touch grandson who inherits everything. Game on.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Enemies to lovers; Books about books; Large cast of characters
Identities: Latine
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Sweet; Steamy; Banter-filled

A Fortune of Sand
by Ruta Sepetys

GENRE: Historical thrillers

SUMMARY:
Detroit, 1927. Marjorie Lennox is the youngest daughter of a powerful automotive dynasty. Dismissed by her controlling father and self-absorbed siblings, when she secretly applies to an arts program funded by an elusive benefactor, she sees a chance to redefine herself on her own terms. But something...is off. The program is uncomfortably restrictive. Doors lock at odd hours. Strange sounds echo through the halls amid whispers that women are disappearing. And the handsome benefactor - mostly absent, yet somehow everywhere - begins to unnerve her. As her sense of self begins to slip, so does her grip on the truth. What happens to women who don't fit neatly into a gilded frame?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Moving; Richly detailed; Intensifying; Strong sense of place; Character-driven; Well-researched

The Calamity Club
by Kathryn Stockett

GENRE: Historical fiction; Southern fiction; Small press standouts

SUMMARY:
Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable "big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Evocative; Strong sense of place; Character-driven

John of John
by Douglas Stuart

GENRE: Literary fiction; LGBTQIA+ fiction; Book club best bets; Small press standouts

SUMMARY:
Aimless art student Cal returns to his isolated Scottish home, forced to navigate his grandmother’s illness and a community that won’t accept his sexuality.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Reflective; Melancholy; Character-driven; Strong sense of place

Bone of My Bone
by Johanna van Veen

GENRE: Historical Horror; Dark fantasy

SUMMARY:
The year is 1635. Sister Ursula, a young nun fleeing the ruins of her convent, and Elsebeth, a sharp-witted peasant, escape a band of marauding soldiers and disappear into the Bavarian forest. War scorches the land, and no one survives it alone. Amid the devastation, they find something in the arms of a dying man: the gilded skull of a saint. It is said that if you reunite the saint's skull with her body, a wish will be granted. Desperate for salvation, and each with secret desires of their own, Ursula and Elsebeth follow a ragged map across the blighted countryside. But darkness follows them. A necromancer, drawn to the relic's power. The saint herself, whispering at night.

The Last Contract of Isako
by Fonda Lee

GENRE: Science fiction; Space opera

SUMMARY:
Live by code. Die by the knife. A battle-worn corporate samurai undertakes one last mission on a merciless planet where death is always a mere breath away, in this standalone science fiction epic from the author of the modern fantasy classic Jade City.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Evocative; Fast-paced

Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children
by Mac Barnett

GENRE: Arts and entertainment; Family and relationships; Life and relationships; Writing and publishing

SUMMARY:
An invitation to approach children's literature not only as an art form worthy of deep study and criticism, but as a portal into the lives of the children. At a time when we are faced with a national literacy crisis, Mac Barnett champions the profound joys of literature and the importance of reading for pleasure. What if children are a great audience for art? What if they are in fact better equipped to engage deeply with stories than adults? What if humans' ability to appreciate art is, if not innate, awakened early in childhood? Well, then we'd better do our best to make some good kids' books.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Incisive; Inspiring; Thought-provoking; Witty

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

The Shippers
by Katherine Center

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romantic comedies

SUMMARY:
JoJo wants Cooper, her childhood bestie, to help her woo someone else during her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. Genius. Foolproof. Can’t go wrong. Shipboard antics abound in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance, as JoJo and Cooper team up, fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, get jealous, answer long-held questions, and finally, at last, discover truths about each other that will change everything.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Friends to lovers; Close quarters
Appeal Factors: Funny; Banter-filled

The Anniversary
by Alex Finlay

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
In the aftermath of a violent May Day attack, Jules Delaney is left wrestling with survivor’s guilt, while Quinn Riley returns from juvenile detention to the shock of his mother’s unsolved murder. Each May 1st, their lives intersect again, revealing how past mistakes, buried secrets, and long-standing grief bind them together. As the years pass, two lingering mysteries begin to align—while the elusive May Day killer continues to haunt the edges of their story.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: People with mental illness
Appeal Factors: Sympathetic characters; Emotionally intense; Suspenseful; Reflective; Plot-driven; Unputdownable

Our Perfect Storm
by Carley Fortune

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Frankie and George have been best friends since they were eight years old. Both passionate, impulsive, and headstrong—they’ve always clashed...and come back together. Until now. It’s the eve of Frankie’s wedding weekend, and she doesn’t know where they stand or even if George will show up as her best man. Then, at the start of the festivities, in walks George. But it all comes crashing down when her fiancé dumps her the next morning, leaving only a note as an explanation. George has an idea and a plan for healing Frankie’s broken heart. He wants her to go on her honeymoon. With him.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Coming of age

Make Me Better
by Sarah Gailey

GENRE: Horror; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
All Celia wants is to have a family―to belong to someone. That's why she's going to Kindred Cove for the annual Salt Festival held by the secluded community that lives there. They promise that healing is possible. They promise that transformation is inevitable. There is no grief at Kindred Cove, because there is no suffering. Nothing is ever lost. Celia knows that, at that mysterious island surrounded by that impossible, ever-growing reef -- she will find herself.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Menacing; Intensifying; Evocative

The Midnight Train
by Matt Haig

GENRE: Science fiction

SUMMARY:
No one can change the past, but the Midnight Train can take you there. The chance to re-live the moments that meant most. To see what kind of person you really were. For Wilbur his best days were with Maggie, the love of his life. On his honeymoon in Venice. Before he gave it all away. He wishes he could go back and live differently. But to do so, risks everything...

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Time and again
Appeal Factors: Authentic characters; Moving; Evocative

The Divorce
by Freida McFadden

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Naomi was living the perfect love story (Boy meets girl, they fall in love, marry, buy a dream house, start a family)...Then--he kicks her out, hires the city's best divorce lawyers, drains their accounts, and takes up with a 20-something. Should Naomi accept defeat and move into a dingy apartment and get back into the workforce? But why should she? Instead, Naomi fixates on her husband's new girlfriend. What begins as cynical curiosity soon twists into obsession--and then into something far darker. As Naomi uncovers secrets she never imagined, she realizes her own life may be in danger. But if it keeps her perfect family intact, isn't it worth it?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Creepy; Fast-paced; Intricately plotted; Multiple perspectives; Suspenseful; Unreliable narrator

Dolly All the Time
by Annabel Monaghan

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
A hardworking single mom returns to her seaside hometown and stumbles into a fake dating situationship with a wealthy, workaholic scion, from the New York Times bestselling author of Nora Goes Off Script.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Fake relationship
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Strong sense of place; Character-driven

First and Forever
by Lynn Painter

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romantic comedies; Romances

SUMMARY:
A football star and his team's die-hard fan find themselves entangled in a PR stunt--that only one side knows is fake--but it might just be the right play...

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Romance in sports; Fake relationship

The Final Target
by Nora Roberts

GENRE: Romantic suspense

SUMMARY:
He showed up at Arden Bowie's debut author appearance with a copy of her novel and an eager smile. He showered her with compliments and got her autograph. Then he came to her next event. And the one after that. Dustin was just an aspiring writer who wanted advice, Arden reassured herself. But after giving in to one of his incessant invitations and chatting with him over coffee, she discovered that ignoring her inner alarm bell had been a terrible mistake...

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Romantic; Menacing; Suspenseful; Violent; Fast-paced

Seek the Traitor's Son
by Veronica Roth

GENRE: Fantasy fiction; Epic fantasy; Dystopian fiction

SUMMARY:
Elegy Ahn did not ask for destiny to find her. But then she’s summoned to hear a prophecy–her, and the most ruthless of Talusar generals, Rava Vidar. Brought face to face, they learn that one of them will lead their people to victory over the other…but they don’t know which. And at the center of both of their fates: a man that, Elegy is told, she will fall in love with. She and Rava are destined to collide, with the fate of their nations hanging in the balance. And when they do, only one will be left standing. Elegy intends to make sure it’s her.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters

The Things We Never Say
by Elizabeth Strout

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Artie Dam is a man with a secret. He goes about his days teaching American history to high schoolers, correcting their casual ignorance, and lending a kind word to those who need it most. He spends his free time sailing the beautiful Massachusetts Bay, or with his adult son and his wife of more than three decades -- and as Artie does these things, he plans the event that will forever change the world he inhabits. But when a startling accident awakens a new perspective, and he realizes that life has its own secret it's been keeping from him, he charts another course full of grief, hilarity, and heart, to a place where the end marks the beginning.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Complex characters; Angst-filled; Character-driven

Platform Decay
by Martha Wells

GENRE: Science fiction

SUMMARY:
Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment of Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series. Having volunteered to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realises that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know. Including human children. Ugh. This may well call for... eye contact!

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Robots with emotions; Evil corporations
Appeal Factors: First person narratives; Intricately plotted; Sarcastic characters; Likeable characters; Moving; Suspenseful; Sardonic

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Yesteryear
by Caro Claire Burke

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Satire and parodies; Book club best bets; Debut title

SUMMARY:
A social media celebrity, a wife and mother who sells her fantasy pioneer lifestyle of sourdough and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of followers, suddenly wakes up cold, dirty, and hungry in the year 1805 and must uncover the nature -- hoax, reality show, test from God -- of her terrifying new existence in this sensational debut novel.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Unlikeable characters; Sympathetic characters; Irreverent; Unputdownable; Incisive; Thought-provoking

Japanese Gothic
by Kylie Lee Baker

GENRE: Gothic fiction; Horror; Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
A gothic dual-timeline novel of ghosts, hauntings and redemption. In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Nonlinear; Unreliable narrator; Own voices; Flawed characters; Haunting; Lyrical; Thought-provoking

The Ending Writes Itself
by Evelyn Clarke

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Six authors. One private island. Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives. Arthur Fletch, one of the world's bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead...and his last book is unfinished.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books; Locked room crimes
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Multiple perspectives; Suspenseful; Unputdownable; Witty

Thistlemarsh
by Moorea Corrigan

GENRE: Historical fantasy; Fantasy romances

SUMMARY:
Faeries disappeared over one hundred years ago, as suddenly as slipping through a doorway. It was only the very foolish, or the very determined, who held out hope for their return. Welcome to Thistlemarsh—a ramshackle estate where an impoverished orphan and a beguiling Faerie collide in an enchanting novel of love, revenge, and ruin set during the wake of World War I.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Enemies to lovers
Appeal Factors: Spirited characters; Whimsical; Atmospheric

The Duke
by Anna Cowan

GENRE: LGBTQIA+ romances; Regency romances; Historical romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Set in a world of powerful female nobles and the women who love them...Kate, Duke of Howard, has built a reputation for ruthless control and vows never to marry. Years earlier, she abandoned Celine Genet, a courtesan who once sought her protection during the Revolution. Now in London, Celine holds evidence of Kate’s childhood treason and demands a titled husband in exchange for silence. Forced to escort her through society, Kate confronts old betrayals and a growing attraction that threatens both her secret and her resolve.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Together again
Identities: Lesbian; LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Fun read

London Falling: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth
by Patrick Radden Keefe

GENRE: Book club best bets; True crime

SUMMARY:
From the bestselling, prize-winning author of Say Nothing and Empire of Pain, a spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their nineteen-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life which drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Thoughtful; Richly detailed

Molka
by Monika Kim

GENRE: Horror; Psychological suspense; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
In an unassuming Seoul workplace, IT technician Junyoung's network reaches throughout the entire building. He sees every entrance. Every lobby. Every bathroom. The women in this building may be cold and dismissive, but he can always pull up his favorite images of them and remember who holds the real power. Until one, Dahye, sets herself apart from the rest.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Unreliable narrator; Own voices; Disturbing; Suspenseful

The Caretaker
by Marcus Kliewer

GENRE: Cosmic horror; Horror

SUMMARY:
A supernatural horror about a young woman who accepts a caretaking job from Craigslist, only to discover the position has consequences far greater--and more dangerous--than she ever could have imagined.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Menacing; Suspenseful; Fast-paced

Go Gentle
by Maria Semple

GENRE: Relationship fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
The New York Times bestselling author of Where’d You Go, Bernadette returns to form in her most exuberant and life-affirming novel yet with the story of one woman’s cheerful determination to live a life of the mind only to have the heart force its way in.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Sardonic; Fast-paced; Witty

The Left and the Lucky
by Willy Vlautin

GENRE: Mainstream fiction;

SUMMARY:
The acclaimed Willy Vlautin returns with a heartbreaking and tender novel about two young brothers, the vicissitudes of fate, and unexpected connection--a beautiful and bittersweet portrait that illuminates the power of friendship and how it can save lives in multiple ways.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Unlikely friendships
Appeal Factors: Hopeful; Angst-filled; Moving; Character-driven

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

The Paris Match
by Kate Clayborn

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
A woman tests the limits of her so-called amicable divorce when she flies to Paris for the destination wedding of her former sister-in-law, only to butt heads with the deliciously gruff best man.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Second chance at romance; Love abroad
Appeal Factors: Complex characters; Well-developed characters; Feel-good; Romantic

Mad Mabel
by Sally Hepworth

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
They called it murder. She called it justice. 'In 1959, at just fifteen years of age, Mabel Waller became the youngest Australian in history to be convicted of murder.' In 2025, on a quiet Melbourne lane, an elderly man is found dead by his neighbour, 81-year-old Elsie Fitzpatrick. No one suspects any foul play. Until they discover Elsie's past. In the 1950s, her name was not Elsie. It was Mabel. When the police open a new investigation and the media descend upon her, the elderly Mabel decides it's time to set the record straight.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Parallet narratives; Moving; Funny; Unputdownable

We Burned So Bright
by TJ Klune

GENRE: Contemporary fantasy; LGBTQIA+ fiction

SUMMARY:
Husbands Don and Rodney have lived a good long life. Together they've experienced the highest highs of love and family, and lows so low that they felt like the end of the world. Now, the world is ending for real. A rogue black hole is coming for Earth and in a month everything and everyone they've ever known will be gone. Suddenly, after 40 years together, Don and Rodney are out of time. They're in a race against the clock to make it from Maine to Washington State to take care of some unfinished business before it's all over.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: LGBTQIA+; Gay
Appeal Factors: Emotionally intense; Moving; Bittersweet; Character-driven

Happy Ending
by Chloe Liese

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Thea and Alex have three things in common--they love food, they hate where they live, and they're both divorced. Otherwise, they couldn't be more different. Beyond a few friends in common, a couple small-world connections, their lives look nothing alike. Fast forward two years, and they're truly the best of friends, despite what friends and family seem to think. No one would ever know their friendship began as a lie... But when their exes invite them on a two-week, two family beach vacation, Alex and Thea start to wonder if this story they've spun might have gotten away from them, and if it's led them to the last place they ever thought it could: a happy ending.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Fake relationship; Close quarters; Friends to lovers
Appeal Factors: Authentic characters; Feel-good; Funny; Sweet; Well-crafted dialogue

The Name Game
by Beth O'Leary

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
A man and a woman with the same name are looking for a fresh start only to discover they have landed the same job in this charming new romance by bestselling author Beth O’Leary.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: New in town

How to Cheat Your Own Death
by Kristen Perrin

GENRE: Historical mysteries

SUMMARY:
From the gritty streets of 1960s Soho to the lofty galleries of present-day West London, two interlocking mysteries decades apart unfold in this latest instalment in the award-winning, New York Times bestselling Castle Knoll Murder Mystery series.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Parallel narratives; Likeable characters; Well-developed characters; Suspenseful; Fast-paced

The Mountains We Call Home
by Kim Michele Richardson

GENRE: Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
This standalone and companion novel to the The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek series is a powerful testament of strength, survival, and the magic of the printed word, as our heroine for the ages, legendary book woman, Cussy Lovett, returns home.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books
Appeal Factors: Thoughtful; Richly detailed

Cherry Baby
by Rainbow Rowell

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Everybody knows that Cherry's husband, Tom, is in Hollywood making a movie. Almost nobody knows that he isn't coming home. Tom is the creator of Thursday—a semi-autobiographical webcomic that's become an international phenomenon. Semi-autobiographical. That means there's a character in this movie based on Cherry—Baby. Cherry never wanted this. No fat girl wants to see herself caricatured on the page, let alone on the big screen. While her soon-to-be ex-husband is in Los Angeles getting rich and famous and being the Internet's latest boyfriend, Cherry is stuck in Omaha and wondering who she's supposed to be without him.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Bouncing back; Second chance at romance
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Sympathetic characters; Amusing; Angst-filled; Moving; Sweet

The Book Witch
by Meg Shaffer

GENRE: Fantasy mysteries

SUMMARY:
Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary, jumping in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes. Book Witches live by a strict code: Real people belong in the real world; fictional characters belong in works of fiction. Do not eat, drink, or sleep inside a fictional world, lest you become part of the story. Which is why Rainy has been forbidden from seeing the Duke of Chicago, the dashing British detective who stars in her favorite mystery series. But when her beloved grandfather disappears and a priceless book is stolen, there's only one person she trusts to help her solve the case: the Duke.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Likeable characters; Action-packed

American Fantasy
by Emma Straub

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
From New York Times bestselling author of This Time Tomorrow, an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult as the American Fantasy cruise ship sets sail for a four-day themed voyage with all five members of a famous nineties-era boy band and three thousand screaming women who have worshipped them since childhood.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Amusing; Atmospheric

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

No Matter What
by Cara Bastone

GENRE:

SUMMARY:
After a traumatic accident threatens the foundations of their happy marriage, a couple tries to rebuild and find their way back to each other—and themselves—in this tender, slow-burn romance by the bestselling author of Promise Me Sunshine.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Close quarters; Together again
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters

The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives
by Elizabeth Arnott

GENRE: Historical mysteries; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted serial killers. In California during the summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands' brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California's most infamous convicted serial killers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves. They know people look at them and think only one thing: how could they not have known, when their husbands were right under their noses, committing horrific crimes? And yet, when a string of killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Suspenseful; Plot-drive; Evocative; Atmospheric; Richly detailed

Two Kinds of Stranger
by Steve Cavanagh

GENRE: Legal thrillers

SUMMARY:
Social media influencer, Elly Parker, had the perfect life. That is until she discovered her husband had been having an affair with her best friend. But as hurt, betrayed, unmoored as Elly is, she has made it her mission to help others in need. Even strangers. When Elly meets a man on the steps to the subway platform, crutches in one hand and a yellow suitcase by his feet, she can't help but feel sorry for him. Just as he planned.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Framed! Proving one's innocence
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Intricately plotted; Suspenseful

This Story Might Save Your Life
by Tiffany Crum

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense; Debut title

SUMMARY:
Best friends Benny and Joy, hosts of a beloved podcast about “against all odds” survival stories, like to say they’ve been saving each other’s lives since the moment they met. Until the day Joy disappears and Benny is suspected of murder...

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Proving one's innocence; Books about books
Appeal Factors: Parallel narratives; Multiple perspectives; First person narratives; Intricately plotted; Suspenseful; Fast-paced; Plot-driven

Lady Tremaine
by Rachel Hochhauser

GENRE: Historical fiction; Adaptations, retellings, and spin-offs; Book club best bets; Debut title

SUMMARY:
A breathtaking reimagining of Cinderella, as told through the eyes of its iconic evil stepmother, revealing a propulsive love story about the lengths a mother will go to for her children.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Brooding characters; Cinematic; Haunting; Menacing; Violent

It Girl
by Allison Pataki

GENRE: Historical fiction; Biographical fiction

SUMMARY:
At the dawn of the twentieth century, New York's streets teem with change: electricity, automobiles, the brash young President Teddy Roosevelt--and the It Girls. While working as a shopgirl, the young Evelyn Talbot is recruited as a studio model and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of the age. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, each promising comfort, glamour, security--even love. But when Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared the Crime of the Century, she is blamed for the acts of the men in her life.

Innamorata
by Ava Reid

GENRE: Fantasy fiction; Romantasy; Gothic fiction

SUMMARY:
Once there was an island where the dead walked the earth, and seven noble houses ruled by the arcane secrets of necromancy. A conqueror’s blade brought them low. But defiant against the new order stands the House of Teeth and its last living members: beautiful Marozia, the heiress to the House, and her cousin, the uncanny Lady Agnes. Agnes has her orders. She must recapture the secrets of death magic and avenge her family’s fallen honor. But Agnes’s final order is the gravest: She must not fall in love.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Evocative

Lake Effect
by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Nest and Good Company comes a wry and tender portrait of two families forever changed by one love-struck decision that will reverberate for decades.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Flawed characters; Character-driven; Richly detailed

Seasons of Glass and Iron
by Amal El-Mohtar

GENRE: Short stories; Fantasy fiction; Poetry

SUMMARY:
With confidence and style, Amal El-Mohtar guides us through exquisitely told and sharply observed tales about life as it is, was, and could be in this book full of glimpses into gleaming worlds and fairy tales with teeth. Like miscellany from other worlds, these stories are told in letters, diary entries, reference materials, folktales, and lyrical prose.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Haunting; Lyrical; Stylistically complex

The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change
by Rebecca Solnit

GENRE: Book club best bets; Small press standouts; History and politics; Government and politics

SUMMARY:
Rebecca Solnit surveys a world transformed since 1960, where change is inevitable despite efforts to reverse it. Civilization is being dismantled and rebuilt, often by reviving old wisdoms. Interconnection emerges as a central value, though the scale of transformation is obscured by history’s long arc. Against white nationalist and authoritarian backlash fostering individualism and isolation, the new world embraces antiracism, feminism, broader gender understandings, environmental thought, scientific advances, and Indigenous and non-Western ideas - pointing toward a more interconnected, relational future.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Issue-oriented; Hopeful; Inspiring; Thought-provoking; Richly detailed; Persuasive

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me
by Ilona Andrews

GENRE: Epic fantasy; Romantasy; Novels-within-novels

SUMMARY:
The page-turning politics of Game of Thrones meets the worlds-spanning romance of Outlander in this epic fantasy where Maggie wakes cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, quickly realizing she’s in Kair Toren, the city from the unfinished dark fantasy series she’s obsessed with. Armed only with her encyclopedic knowledge of its plot, setting, and characters, she discovers she cannot be killed, though many try. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes - and attentions - of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Court intrigue
Appeal Factors: Spirited characters; Action-packed; Richly detailed; Witty; Character-driven

Daughter of Egypt
by Marie Benedict

GENRE: Biographical fiction; Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
In the 1920s, archeologist Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon made headlines with the discovery of the treasure-filled tomb of the boy Pharaoh Tutankhamun. But behind it all stood Lady Evelyn Herbert--daughter of Lord Carnarvon--whose daring and curiosity made the momentous find possible. 3,000 years earlier, another woman defied the expectations of her time: Hatshepsut, Egypt's lost pharaoh. Her reign was bold, visionary--and nearly erased from history. When Evelyn becomes obsessed with finding Hatshepsut's secret tomb, she risks everything to uncover the truth about her reign, but finds herself facing an impossible choice: protect her father's legacy--or forge her own.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Southwest Asian and North African (Middle Eastern)
Appeal Factors: Parallel narratives; Atmospheric; Richly detailed

Life: A Love Story
by Elizabeth Berg

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Full of Elizabeth Berg's characteristic mix of warmth, humor, and poignancy, Life: a Love Story is a reminder that whatever your circumstances, as long as you're alive, you can keep on investing in life. The joy will inevitably follow.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Second act

The Keeper
by Tana French

GENRE: Mysteries

SUMMARY:
On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she’s dead in the river. In a close-knit small town, a death like this isn’t simple. It comes wrapped in generations-old grudges and power struggles, and it splits the townland in two in this the third and final book in the Cal Hooper trilogy.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Well-developed characters; Suspenseful; Well-crafted dialogue; Strong sense of place

A Girl Like Her
by Talia Hibbert

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
After years of military service, Evan Miller wants a quiet life. The small town of Ravenswood seems perfect--until he stumbles upon a vicious web of lies with his new neighbour at its centre. Ruth Kabbah is rude, awkward, and--according to everyone in town--bad news. ... The more Evan's isolated, eccentric neighbour pushes him away, the more he wants her. Her--and all her secrets.

The Night We Met
by Abby Jimenez

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
In everyone’s life, there’s a split-second decision that can change everything. For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert in this beautiful, compelling novel that revels in laughter, friendship, and the messy choices life can throw our way.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Friends to lovers
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Moving

Wolf Worm
by T. Kingfisher

GENRE: Historical horror; Gothic fiction

SUMMARY:
Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator with no prospects as a woman of science in 1899 after her scientist father's death. So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house and put her talents to use. Once there though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light, like what happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thiefs?”

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Playing god
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Gruesome; Creepy; Richly detailed

How to Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips and Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, and Creative in Spite of Myself
by Jenny Lawson

GENRE: Self-Help

SUMMARY:
Author Jenny Lawson shares more than one hundred humorous, heartfelt, and genuine tools and tricks that she relies on to keep her going even when her brain isn't working properly due to depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She also offers tips to stay passionate and focused on creative endeavors, especially when everything around you is saying to give up.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Inspiring; Upbeat; Funny; Irreverent; Witty; Accessible; Candid

Want to Know a Secret?
by Freida McFadden

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Everyone has secrets. Some are worse than others. Baking sensation April Masterson knows the secret to the perfect gooey brownies, or key lime squares that melt in your mouth. But if you keep watching her offline, you may find out some other secrets about April. Secrets she'd rather you didn't know, like… where did her son go when he snuck out late at night? What was she doing with the local soccer coach behind fogged windows? And what's buried in her backyard? April's secrets are enough to destroy her. I'll make sure of that.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Toxic relationships
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Character-driven; Complex characters; Twisted characters; Unlikeable characters; Unreliable narrator

A Ghastly Catastrophe
by Deanna Raybourn

GENRE: Historical mysteries

SUMMARY:
Veronica and Stoker are practically dying for a new adventure but when their wish is granted, they find themselves up against a secret society and a darkly seductive duo in the tenth title in the Veronica Speedwell series.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Atmospheric

Star Shipped
by Cat Sebastian

GENRE: LGBTQIA+ Romances; Contemporary romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
Simon and Charlie, co-stars on a long-running sci-fi show, have spent a decade feuding. Simon’s ready to leave for New York and start fresh—but first, he agrees to fake a friendship to protect his reputation. When a family emergency sends Charlie on a road trip, Simon tags along. Unexpectedly, he enjoys himself—and begins to see Charlie in a new light. After seven years, could the person he’s always clashed with be the one who knows him best?

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Opposites attract; Enemies to lovers
Identities: People with mental illness; LGBTQIA+; Gay
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Feel-good; Steamy; Banter-filled; Plot-drive; Witty; Fun Read

Once and Again
by Rebecca Serle

GENRE: Love stories; Relationship fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
Lauren has spent a lot of her life waiting. She waited a long time for her husband Leo. Now she and Leo are together waiting for those two lines on a pregnancy test that will tell Lauren she's finally pregnant. But Lauren has also spent her life waiting to use the gift that only the women in her family have: the opportunity, just once, to turn back time and reverse a bad decision, or a moment of catastrophic luck. When Leo takes a six-week job in New York, Lauren temporarily moves back to her childhood house. What Lauren doesn't expect is to run into the love of her youth. Now Lauren's thinking about all of her life's choices--and wondering if one of them should be undone.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Time slip
Appeal Factors: Sympathetic characters; Sardonic; Feel-good; Whimsical; Witty; Strong sense of place

Everyone in This Bank Is a Thief
by Benjamin Stevenson

GENRE: Mysteries

SUMMARY:
I've spent the last few years solving murders. But a bank heist is a new one, even for me. I've never been a hostage before. The doors are chained shut. No one in or out. Which means that when someone in the bank is murdered, hostages become suspects. Ten heists, ten suspects in this new title in the Ernest Cunningham mysteries series.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Locked room crimes
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Darkly humorous; Witty; Fast-paced

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Operation Bounce House
by Matt Dinniman

GENRE: Science fiction

SUMMARY:
A man must fight for his planet against impossible odds when gamers from Earth attempt to remotely annihilate it in this epic, fast-paced novel from the New York Times bestselling author of the smash-hit Dungeon Crawler Carl.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Cinematic; Action-packed; Fast-paced

Her Last Breath
by Taylor Adams

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
After years of excuses, Tess finally agrees to go caving with her best friend Allie, now a globe-trotting influencer. Deep underground, a stranger harasses them; Allie fights back, and Tess ends up trapped, struggling to survive. Twenty-four hours later, hospitalized Tess learns shocking secrets about Allie’s past. Was the attack random—or something far darker? And did Tess truly escape the danger when she left the cave?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Suspenseful; Haunting; Menacing; Atomospheric; Richly detailed; Intensifying; Unputdownable; Plot-driven

Cleopatra
by Saara El-Arifi

GENRE: Biographical fiction; Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
Cleopatra tells her own story in this evocative and sensuous historical epic from the bestselling and award-winning author of Faebound and The Final Strife.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Cinematic; Reflective; Richly detailed

This Is Not About Us
by Allegra Goodman

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Was it just a brief skirmish—or the start of a thirty-year feud? In the Rubenstein family, either is possible. When their beloved older sister dies, Sylvia and Helen are left adrift. A misunderstanding over apple cake spirals into decades of silence. Meanwhile, their children—busy with divorces, careers, college apps, bat mitzvahs, and ballet recitals—avoid taking sides. And the grandchildren? Forget it.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Unhappy families
Identities: Jewish
Appeal Factors: Own voices; Multiple perspectives; Amusing; Moving; Thoughtful; Character-driven

Keeper of Lost Children
by Sadeqa Johnson

GENRE: Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
Toggling between the lives of three individuals, this story about identity, belonging and the ties that endure explores how one American woman’s vision in post WWII Germany changes the course of countless lives, and demonstrates that love in its myriad of forms—familial, parental, and forbidden, even love of self—can be transcendent.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Black; Multiracial
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Thought-provoking

Kin
by Tayari Jones

GENRE: Relationship fiction; African American fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood but are fated to live starkly different live in this novel about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Black
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Own voices; Complex characters; Funny; Moving; Lyrical

This Book Made Me Think of You
by Libby Page

GENRE: Relationship fiction

SUMMARY:
Tilly Nightingale is stunned to learn her late husband left her a birthday gift: twelve books, one for each month, to help her through her first year without him. With help from Alfie, the kind bookshop owner, Tilly begins a reading-inspired journey of healing. As she vlogs her adventures and connects with others, her story becomes bigger than she imagined. Can a year of books help her turn the page and learn to love again?

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books; Coping with death
Identities:
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Moving; Hopeful; Plot-driven

The Red Winter
by Cameron Sullivan

GENRE: Historical fantasy; Debut title

SUMMARY:
A devastating love story. A bewitching twist on history. A blood-drenched hunt for purpose, power, and redemption. Debut author Cameron Sullivan tears the heart out of history with this retelling of the hunt for the Beast of Gévaudan.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: LGBTQIA+
Appeal Factors: Nonlinear; Parallel narratives; Flawed characters; Gruesome; Atmospheric; Witty; Richly detailed

The Halifax Hellions
by Alexandra Vasti

GENRE: Historical romances; Regency romances; Novellas; Romances

SUMMARY:
From the day of their debut, when Matilda smoked a cheroot and Margo tied a cherry stem in a knot with her tongue, the Halifax twins have flouted convention at every turn. But when Matilda runs off with the dangerous Marquess of Ashford-who has every reason to hate her-she may have gone a bit too far. Determined to stop Matilda's inexplicable elopement, her sister Margo turns to her oldest friend for help: because if anyone can get her to Scotland in time, it's starchy solicitor Henry Mortimer.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Well-developed characters; Steamy; Funny; Incisive

Good People
by Patmeena Sabit

GENRE: Psychological suspense; Debut title

SUMMARY:
Zorah Sharaf could do no wrong. Zorah Sharaf brought shame upon her family. What’s the truth? Depends on who you ask. Told through a kaleidoscope of perspectives, this is a riveting, provocative, and haunting story of family—sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, and the communities that claim us as family in difficult times.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Immigrant experiences; Too good to be true
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Own voices

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

And Now, Back to You
by B.K. Borison

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romances
SUMMARY:
Two competing meteorologists are forced to find common ground in this opposites attract, When Harry Met Sally inspired romance, from #1 New York Times bestselling author B.K. Borison.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Opposites attract
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Steamy; Sweet; Chracter-driven; Witty; Banter-filled

Agnes Aubert's Mystical Cat Shelter
by Heather Fawcett

GENRE: Fantasy fiction; Historical fantasy; Historical romances; Romances

SUMMARY:
A woman who runs a cat rescue in 1920s Montréal turns to a grouchy but charming magician to help save her shelter in this heartwarming cozy fantasy from the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Wilde series.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Enemies to lovers
Appeal Factors: Feel-good

Brawler: Stories
by Lauren Groff

GENRE: Literary fiction; Short stories

SUMMARY:
Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region-from New England to Florida to California-these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans' dark and light angels.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Haunting; Lyrical

It's Not Her
by Mary Kubica

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Courtney Gray’s peaceful vacation shatters when she finds her brother and sister-in-law dead, niece Reese missing, and nephew Wyatt unharmed. As police swarm the quiet resort town, dark secrets about Courtney’s family—and the town—emerge. Is Reese a victim or a killer? The deeper Courtney digs, the more everyone seems to be hiding. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Complex characters; Suspenseful; Menacing; Fast-paced; Plot-driven

When I Kill You
by B.A. Paris

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Who is watching Nell Masters? Fourteen years ago, Nell Masters’ obsession with a man she believed responsible for murder led her down a dangerous path. Now, Nell tries to convince herself that this new, unnerving feeling of being watched is just her mind playing tricks on her. Has the stalker become the stalked ... or is there something even more deadly at play?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Creepy; Menacing

More Than Enough
by Anna Quindlen

GENRE: Relationship fiction; Book club best bets

SUMMARY:
A woman confronts the surprising results of an ancestry test and begins to question the meaning of family and friendship in this wise, tender novel teeming with life—from the beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author of After Annie

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Likeable characters; Candid; Character-driven

The Astral Library
by Kate Quinn

GENRE: Urban fantasy; Gateway fantasy

SUMMARY:
From New York Times bestselling author Kate Quinn comes a gorgeously written fantastical adventure which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books
Appeal Factors: Spirited characters

Where the Wildflowers Grow
by Terah Shelton Harris

GENRE: Relationship fiction; African American fiction

SUMMARY:
Leigh is the only survivor of a prison bus crash who finds unexpected sanctuary on a flower farm in rural Alabama with the found family there who have built something from the wreckage of their own lives. Jackson, the farm's owner, offers her tenderness and encourages her to face her own tragedies. Slowly, Leigh finds peace with the hard pace and soft nature of the farm and starts to heal, but the past isn't so easily buried in this poignant story of survival and redemption that questions what it means to stop existing and start living.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Chosen family
Appeal Factors: Emotionally intense

The Top 10 Plus Bonus Titles

Titles from this month's top ten along with the bonus pick and notable nonfiction title owned by the Carrollton Public Library.

Is This a Cry for Help?
by Emily Austin

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Follows a librarian who comes back to work after a mental breakdown only to confront book-banning crusaders in an empowering story of grief, love, and the power of libraries.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books; Bouncing back
Identities: Lesbian; LGBTQIA+; People with mental illness
Appeal Factors: Character-driven; Introspective characters; Reflective; Serious

The Bookbinder's Secret
by A. D. Bell

GENRE: Historical mysteries; Debut title

SUMMARY:
In 1901 Oxford, a young bookbinder, Lily Delaney, begins a hunt for the truth when a confession hidden beneath the binding of a burned book reveals a story of forbidden love, lost fortune, and murder. As sinister forces close in, Lily must decide if solving the mystery is worth risking her life.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Books about books
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Sympathetic characters; Suspenseful; Richly detailed; Unputdownable; Atmospheric; Evocative; Plot-driven

All the Little Houses
by May Cobb

GENRE: Historical thrillers

SUMMARY:
From the author of The Hunting Wives comes a deliciously wicked new thriller about mean girls, mean moms, and the delicious secrets inside all the little houses of the tiny town of Longview, Texas in the mid-1980s.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Action-packed; Gossipy; Suspenseful

Anatomy of an Alibi
by Ashley Elston

GENRE: Thrillers and suspense

SUMMARY:
Camille believes her husband, Ben, has been hiding dirty secrets for years. Aubrey has been haunted by the terrible night that changed her life a decade ago and is convinced Ben knows something about it. Aubrey and Camille hatch a plan. For twelve hours, Aubrey will take Camille’s place. Camille will spy on Ben, and the two women will get the answers they desperately seek. Except the next morning, Ben is found murdered. Two women. One dead husband. And only one alibi.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Too good to be true
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Suspenseful

Women of a Promiscuous Nature
by Donna Everhart

GENRE: Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
Based on the long-buried history of the American Plan, this powerful and shockingly timely story of resistance and resilience exposes the real government program designed to regulate women’s bodies and sexuality throughout the first half of the 20th century.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Disturbing; Moving; Thought-provoking; Richly detailed

No One Would Do What the Lamberts Have Done
by Sophie Hannah

GENRE: Mysteries

SUMMARY:
When a neighbor’s accusation shatters Sally Lambert’s world, she’ll do the unthinkable to protect her family -- and their beloved dog. In this twisty psychological thriller, loyalty and desperation collide, forcing the Lamberts into a nightmare no one could imagine.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Amusing; Offbeat

It Should Have Been You
by Andrea Mara

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
When a woman accidentally sends a private message meant for her sister to the entire neighborhood group chat, it results in rumors spreading like wildfire and death threats for the woman. The next day, a woman has been murdered that has the same address as woman – 26 Oakpark – but in a different part of town. Did the killer get the wrong house?

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Multiple persepectives; Intricately plotted; Nonlinear; Suspenseful

How to Commit a Postcolonial Murder
by Nina McConigley

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
A bold, inventive, and fiercely original debut novel that begins with an uncle dead and his tween niece's private confession to the reader--she and her sister killed him, and they blame the British.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Asian; Multiracial
Appeal Factors: Child narrator; Emotionally intense; Moving; Stylistically complex; Character-driven; Strong sense of place; Thought-provoking

Vigil
by George Saunders

GENRE: Literary fiction

SUMMARY:
Anovel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of Lincoln in the Bardo, taking place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next in this tale that encompasses life and death, good and evil, and the thorny question of absolution.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Issue-oriented; Unlikeable characters; Reflective; Darkly humorous; Character-driven; Witty; Thought-provoking

The Elsewhere Express
by Samantha Sotto Yambao

GENRE: Contemporary fantasy; Isekai

SUMMARY:
When you lose your way in life, the Elsewhere Express just might find you. Step on board the train that may take you to your life’s purpose in this wistful, Ghibli-esque fantasy from the bestselling author of Water Moon.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Emotionally intense; Whimsical; Suspenseful

The Poet Empress
by Shen Tao

GENRE: Romantasy; Dark fantasy; Debut title

SUMMARY:
Wei Yin is desperate. After the fifth death of a sibling, with her family and village on the brink of starvation, she will do anything to save those she loves. Even offer herself as concubine to the cruel, dissolute heir of the blood-gutted Azalea House—where poetry magic is power, but women are forbidden to read. But in a twist of fate, the palace now stands on the knife-edge of civil war, with Wei trapped in its center...with a violent prince. To save herself and the nation, she must survive the dangers of court, learn to read in secret, and compose the most powerful spell of all. A ballad of love. . . and death.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Asian-influenced fantasy; Laws of magic
Identities: Asian
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Own voices; Emotionally intense; Haunting; Suspenseful; Character-driven; Intensifying; Lyrical; Unputdownable

When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy
by Beronda L. Montgomery

GENRE: Autobiographies and memoirs; Nature Writing; Society and culture; History writing; Life stories

SUMMARY:
Award-winning plant biologist Beronda L. Montgomery explores the ways seven trees—as well as the cotton shrub—are intertwined with Black history and culture. She reveals how knowledge surrounding these trees has shaped America since the very beginning. As Montgomery shows, trees are material witnesses to the lives of enslaved Africans and their descendants.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Issue-oriented; Reflective; Persuasive; Well-researched; Richly detailed

Hall of Fame Titles

The LibraryReads Hall of Fame designation honors authors who have had multiple titles appear on the monthly LibraryReads list since 2013. When their third title places on the list via library staff votes, the author moves into the Hall of Fame.

Twelve Months
by Jim Butcher

GENRE: Urban fantasy

SUMMARY:
Harry Dresden, Chicago's only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day-but, in this powerful entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling Dresden Files, can he save himself?

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Large cast of characters
Appeal Factors: Sarcastic characters; Flawed characters; Haunting; Fast-paced; Strong sense of place

The First Time I Saw Him
by Laura Dave

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Picking up where the epilogue to The Last Thing He Told Me left off, it's five years after her husband, Owen, disappeared, and Hannah Hall and her stepdaughter, Bailey, have settled into a new life in Southern California. But when Owen shows up at Hannah’s new exhibition, she knows that she and Bailey are in danger again. Hannah and Bailey are forced to go on the run in a relentless race to keep their past from catching up with them. As a thrilling drama unfolds, Hannah risks everything to get Bailey to safety—and finds there just might be a way back to Owen and their long-awaited second chance.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: On the run
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Nonlinear; Sympathetic characters; Suspenseful; Fast-paced

My Husband's Wife
by Alice Feeney

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife. One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Atmospheric; Suspenseful

The Storm
by Rachel Hawkins

GENRE: Gothic fiction; Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town, the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms, and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984. Geneva Corliss, current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hopes the true crime writer coming to town to research the murder can somehow help the struggling inn’s bottom line, but the author is not alone. Lo Bailey has returned with him to clear her name. As the summer heats up and another monster storm begins twisting its way towards St. Medard’s Bay, Geneva learns that some people can be just as destructive—and as deadly—as any hurricane, and that the truth of what happened to Landon Fitzroy may not be the only secret Lo is keeping…

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Multiple perspectives; Suspenseful; Stylistically complex; Fast-paced; Atmospheric

Dear Debbie
by Freida McFadden

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. But these days, Debbie's life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, it's time to take her own advice. It's time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most. Sometimes, enough is enough…

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Love on the rocks
Appeal Factors: Sympathetic characters; Darkly humorous; Intensifying; Plot-driven

Through Gates of Garnet and Gold
by Seanan McGuire

GENRE: Fantasy fiction; Gateway fantasy

SUMMARY:
After Nancy was cast out of the Halls of the Dead and forced to enroll at Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children, she never believed she'd find her door again, and when she did, she didn't look back. Years have passed. A darkness has descended on the Halls, and the living statues who populate them are dying at the hands of the already dead. The Lord and Lady who rule the land are helpless to stop the slaughter, forcing Nancy to leave the Halls again, this time on purpose, as she attempts to seek much-needed help from her former schoolmates.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Physically disabled; Using mobility or assistive device.
Appeal Factors: Haunting; Suspenseful; Fast-paced; Atmospheric; Plot-driven

Skylark
by Paula McLain

GENRE: Book club best bets; Historical fiction

SUMMARY:
The New York Times bestselling author of The Paris Wife weaves a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below—where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940s, revealing a story of courage and resistance that transcends time.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Emotionally intense; Inspiring; Parallel narratives; Richly detailed; Well-developed characters

Fundamentals of Being a Good Girl
by Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romantic comedies

SUMMARY:
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Murphy and USA Today bestselling author Sierra Simone comes a brand-new college town raunch-com about a sexy single dad professor and a feisty law school grad turned nanny in this steamy tale of Academic Affairs...Class is in session.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: One night to forever
Appeal Factors: Feel-good; Funny; Intricately plotted; Steamy

A Box Full of Darkness
by Simone St. James

GENRE: Horror

SUMMARY:
Siblings return to the house they fled 18 years before, called back by the ghost of their long-missing brother and his haunting request: Come home.

STORY TRAITS:
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Creepy; Suspenseful; Witty

The Lust Crusade
by Jo Segura

GENRE: Contemporary romances; Romantic suspense

SUMMARY:
A plucky librarian and an archaeologist on the run fake an engagement to save their lives, leading them into the labyrinth of their own desires.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Best friend's sibling; Fake relationship
Identities: Latine
Appeal Factors: Intricately plotted; Action-packed; Intensifying; Likeable characters; Steamy

Missing Sam
by Thrity Umrigar

GENRE: Psychological suspense

SUMMARY:
A tense and twisty story of a woman who goes missing on a morning run and her wife’s determination to both find her and clear her own name—from the bestselling author of Honor. Missing Sam captures the terror manifested in today’s political climate, and the real dangers, both physical and psychological, of being brown and queer in America.

STORY TRAITS:
Identities: Asian; Lesbian; LBBTQIA+; Muslim
Appeal Factors: Issue-oriented; Own voices; Sympathetic characters; Cinematic; Emotionally intense; Suspenseful; Thought-provoking

The Future Saints
by Ashley Winstead

GENRE: Mainstream fiction; Small press standouts

SUMMARY:
When record exec Theo finds the Future Saints floundering after their manager’s death, he bets his career on their comeback. Hannah, the fiery lead singer, shocks everyone with a raw new sound that goes viral, sparking a tour and a shot at fame. But grief drives Hannah into chaos, straining her bond with sister Ginny and her growing closeness with Theo. As the world watches, the Saints’ big break could tear them apart.

STORY TRAITS:
Themes: Coping with death; Life in music
Appeal Factors: Multiple perspectives; Plot-driven; Angst-filled; Likeable characters; Lyrical