Beach Reads
What We’re Reading Now- Summer Edition
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
The story centers around Tova, a widow and night janitor at an aquarium; Cameron, a young man looking for his long-lost parents; and Marcellus, a wily octopus with a penchant for escaping his tank. These characters paths cross suddenly and unexpectedly. An interesting novel about finding closure and clarity after loss. Bonus- full of interesting facts about octopi! Lisa
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher
“After archaeoentomologist Sam Montgomery’s dig gets put on hold, she drives to her deceased grandmother’s house in rural North Carolina to spend some time with her mom. The vulture waiting for her on the mailbox doesn’t seem like a good omen, nor does the strange absence of insect life; her mother’s anxious, odd behavior; or Sam’s new, mysterious bouts of sleep paralysis. Sam digs into her family history in the hopes of discovering medical information and scientific explanations for the weirdness—but instead she finds deeply buried horrors that are out to destroy Sam and her mother.” Linnea
All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky
Poet Madievsky’s debut novel follows an unnamed narrator’s meandering mishaps in the LA bar scene as she continually tries and fails to free herself from the toxic sisterhood and intergenerational trauma that, ironically, seem to be all she has. Annelise
Into the Riverlands by Nghi Vo
Wandering cleric Chih returns in the third adventure in the Singing Hills Cycle, this time taking a journey into the wild riverlands. Accompanied by a motley crew of fellow travelers who may be more than they seem, Chih learns that there is always more than one side to a story. A feminist, wuxia-inspired fantasy from prolific author Nghi Vo. Shannon
A Twisted Love Story by Samantha Downing
Wes and Ivy were almost the picture-perfect couple in college, moved in together after graduation, and slowly small irritants became big issues causing them to part ways, so began their cycle of breaking up and making up. And then Ivy reported a stalker to the police, with Wes as the prime suspect. Considering their past relationship, could Ivy’s concerns be true, or did she just go too far in the troublesome game they like to play. If you enjoyed Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and you don’t mind deeply narcissistic characters, this was a fabulously wild ride! Enjoy!! Stacey
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue.
Rachel and James become fast friends working at a bookstore in Cork during the Irish recession. Young and broke, they decide to move in together, chasing love and lust as you can only do in your early 20s. When James falls for Dr. Burns, Rachel’s English professor, hiding the secret threatens to ruin their dreams. Laugh out loud funny, touching, and really well-written, it’s a delight that you won’t want to end. Dori
Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young
August Salt vowed never to return to Saorise Island off the coast of Washington state, but his mother’s last wishes changed that. He returned to the place where his first love, Emery, still lives, and where he is still suspected of the murder of a teenage girl and hated by most of the residents. He intends to spread his mother’s ashes and be on the ferry back to the mainland as soon as possible, but the island, an ancient place full of secrets and forces that some of the stronger women can tap into, has different ideas. August must face Emery, who he has never stopped loving, the murder, and the evil secrets that run deep in Saorise while fighting to survive. Sara
Quietly Hostile Essays by Samantha Irby
The most recent collection of essays from writer Samantha Irby does not disappoint. Quietly Hostile. Irby shares her wide range of experiences; everything from writing for the HBO Just like That to challenges to adopting a dog during the pandemic. Another hilarious collection from Samantha Irby. Greg
Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H (memoir)
A queer, Muslim, coming of age story about never fully being accepted in any community until they find the strength to make their own community. Christine
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
In this traditional Western, Bridget finds herself, her queer sexuality, and her destiny. Christine
Set the Stage for Summer Reading
Happily married schoolteacher Amy Trevino lives in Narragansett, Rhode Island. Amy is ready to enjoy her summer break, spending time with her daughter Sam, a former Disney star turned disgraced TikTok influencer, who has finally returned home. Amy doesn’t even care what secret Sam is hiding from her and promises not to google her.
Amy’s brother, famous actor Timothy Fleming is also home for the summer, a short ferry ride away on nearby Block Island. Timothy, in town to direct a production of “Much Ado About Nothing,” secretly fears he is washed up.
When Timothy asks always-reliable Amy to step in to manage the production, old resentments resurface. Amy has never gotten over walking in her famous brother’s shadow and the fact he whisked her daughter away to Hollywood at a young age –not to mention his absence when their mother died. With tensions already high, Sam asking to stay with her Uncle Timothy in his rented home rather than with her parents’ sets the stage for a rough opening night indeed.
Summer Stage by Meg Mitchell Moore transports its readers to the beaches of Rhode Island, and is filled with family drama, secrets and love. Fans of Elin Hilderbrand should place their hold today and get ready for the beach.
-Carol
What We’re Reading Now
Smart, funny, and deeply affecting, Jessica George’s Maame deals with the themes of our time with humor and poignancy: from familial duty and racism, to female pleasure, the complexity of love, and the life-saving power of friendship. Most important, it explores what it feels like to be torn between two homes and cultures―and it celebrates finally being able to find where you belong. Linnea
The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins
A strange, twisting novel that resists being pigeonholed into one genre. At its simplest, this is the tale of a girl and her adopted siblings trying to find their missing father. A little bit of horror, fantasy, and science fiction are mixed with metaphysical, philosophical ponderings for a truly excellent, one-of-a-kind reading experience. Shannon
Looking for the Hidden Folk by Nancy Brown
Part memoir, part travelog, part call for conservation, part investigation into the study of belief on a material, spiritual, and conceptual level, Looking for the Hidden Folk is a book that defies sitting in a single genre. Author Nancy Marie Brown share her decades long love of Iceland by giving a historical and literal background along with her own travels and multiple visits. All of this is centered around the belief in elves. Brown takes multiple approaches to this topic but doesn’t offer a solid answer to emerge. This becomes a strength for the book, allowing readers to make their own decision or to maintain a solid position of ambiguity. A great read for someone who has visited/will visit Iceland. Greg
Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey
Vera Crowder always loved the house her father built. But the Crowder house was created to hide the secret life of a serial killer. Vera just happened to call him Dad. When her estranged mother Daphne calls to tell her she’s dying, Vera ends up back at the house where it all began. Now a twisted tourist attraction, the house has two occupants: Daphne and Duvall, an artist capitalizing on the family’s dark history. As Daphne packs up the place she once called home, she revisits the haunting moments shared inside the walls. This twisty horror novel gives new meaning to the phrase “home is where the heart is.” Melinda
The Golden Spoon by Jessica Maxwell
It’s the 10th season of Bake Week and six new amateur bakers have been selected to compete for The Golden Spoon. As before, they’ll gather under a big white tent in the mountains of Vermont on the grounds of Grafton Manor, family estate of legendary baker and host of the competition, Betsy Martin. Surprised by the addition of a co-host, supposedly to bring in younger viewers, Betsy is unhappy with how the season is going long before murder is committed. Quirky characters, fun pop culture references, and a few surprising plot twists, keep the pages turning. Readers who enjoy The Great British Bake Off and classic closed room mysteries should pick this one up asap! Stacey
The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner
I loved Sarah Penner’s book The Lost Apothecary so I am eager to crack open her latest The London Séance Society. It opens in 1873, where the unlikely pair of Vaudeline D’Allaire, a renowned spiritualist, and Lenna Wickes, a woman investigating her sister’s death, team up with the powerful men of London’s exclusive Séance Society to solve a high-profile murder. It’s sure to be a spooky and suspenseful read. Carol
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The Prettiest Star by Carter Sickels: In 1986, Brian, a gay man who has spent the last six years in NYC, comes home to Ohio. The story is about reconciliation, grief, acceptance, and home.
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A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark: In 1912, Agent Fatma of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities, along with her girlfriend, Siti, must solve the murders of a secret brotherhood. The suspected murderer is Al-Jahiz, who opened the veil between the mystical and earthly realms 50 years ago and is now vowing to destroy the world because of it’s social oppressions.
Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy: Saint Sebastian’s School is targeted by a serial arson and it’s up to Sister Holiday, of the Sisters of the Sublime Blood, to solve the case. This punk rocker nun must do all of this while confronting her checkered past and not get caught smoking…. Christine
Emily, a jaded Instagram astrologer, becomes obsessed with a client after reading his “perfect” birth chart. She pursues him romantically, with terrible consequences. In a parallel narrative, Dawn’s decades of unhinged dating behavior turn into a reputation that increasingly precedes her. Nobody is who they want you to think they are in this dark satire about image, excuses, and taking all the bad advice we can get. Annelise
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham
A psychological thriller about a desperate mother, Isabelle Drake, who’s son Mason has been missing for a year, taken from his crib while he was sleeping, and the case has never been solved. She hasn’t slept for more than minutes at a time since her son went missing, and she is beginning to lose her grip on reality and to wonder what really happened that night. Her marriage has fallen apart and a true-crime podcaster has come to town offering to interview her and help bring publicity to the case. However, Isabelle has secrets in her past that may not stand up to the scrutiny of a podcast. Isabelle is desperate to know what happened to Mason, but will her deepest fears be true? Sara
New Books Tuesday @ RRPL
There are tons of new releases that come to our shelves every week. With all the books being unique in their own ways, it is hard to choose between the ones that are suitable for your taste. Here are some books we picked out for you!
The Match by Harlan Coben – From the creator of the #1 hit Netflix series Stay Close comes a gripping new thriller in which Wilde follows a tip that may finally reveal the truth behind his abandonment—only to end up in the sights of a ruthless killer.
The Summer Getaway by Susan Mallery – One woman takes the vacation of a lifetime in this poignant and heartwarming story about the threads that hold a family together from #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery.
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James – A true crime blogger gets more than she bargained for while interviewing the woman acquitted of two cold case slayings in this chilling new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Sun Down Motel.
Nine Lives by Peter Swanson – If you’re on the list, someone wants you dead. From the New York Times bestselling author of Eight Perfect Murders comes the heart-pounding story of nine strangers who receive a cryptic list with their names on it—and then begin to die in highly unusual circumstances.
Citizen K-9 by David Rosenfelt – In Citizen K-9, bestselling author David Rosenfelt masterfully blends mystery with dogs and humor to create an investigative team that readers will be rooting for book after book.
Give Unto Others by Donna Leon – As a favor Brunetti investigates the accountant son-in-law of his mother’s friend after he alarmed the family by suggesting they might be in danger because of his line of work in the latest novel of the series following Transient Desires.
Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi – When an old acquaintance desperately needs her help, Jamie Gray is transported to an alternate dimension where she must save large creatures called Kaiju from others who have found their way to the world—and who threaten humankind back on Earth with their carelessness.
Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft – During World War I, Rose Hamilton escorts a young orphaned boy to Australia, where his cattle station home isn’t anything like either of them were told to expect, and is unable to part with this boy she has come to love—or his wounded fighter pilot uncle.
~Semanur
Discover RRPL’s Shared Shelf
Each month a staff member will share a glimpse into their reading shelf in hopes that you will discover that next great read.
Read it or Weep 