SCLS Staff Picks - Summer 2024

What we're reading - all available to borrow from our branches.

Updated August 8, 2024
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All the Colours of the Dark
Whitaker, Chris.
Paper Book
A missing persons mystery, a serial killer thriller, and an epic love story - with a unique twist on each...* * * * *Late one summer, the town of Monta Clare is shattered by the abduction of local teenager Joseph 'Patch' Macauley. Nobody more so than Saint Brown, who is broken...
All the light we cannot see
Doerr, Anthony
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTIONNATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALISTNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTIONA beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation...
The antique hunter's guide to murder a novel
Miller, C. L.
Paper Book
The art of racing in the rain : meet the dog who will show the world how to be human
Stein, Garth
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling novel from Garth Stein--a heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty, and hope--a captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life . . . as only a dog could tell it. "Splendid." --People "The...
The art thief : a true story of love, crime and a dangerous obsession
Finkel, Michael
Paper Book
*The New York Times bestseller*  *Longlisted for the ALCS Gold Dagger Award for Non-Fiction* 'A breath-taking read, as compelling as a Highsmith novel. I loved it' - Maggie O'Farrell 'Brilliant' - Sunday Times ...
Ban this book
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
You're Never Too Young to Fight Censorship! In Ban This Book by Alan Gratz, a fourth grader fights back when From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg is challenged by a well-meaning parent and taken off the shelves of her...
Before the coffee gets cold
Kawaguchi, Toshikazu
Paper Book
The million-copy bestselling series about a cosy Japanese cafe that offers its visitors the chance to travel back in time. Toshikazu Kawaguchi's uplifting Before the Coffee Gets Cold, translated from Japanese, explores the age-old question: what would you do if you could...
Before the fall
Hawley, Noah.
Paper Book
On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are the painter Scott Burroughs and a four...
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse : the Animated Story
Mackesy, Charlie.
Paper Book
A book for all ages, a book for all times, treasured by millions. Charlie Mackesy's The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse was adapted into the BAFTA and Academy Award® winning animated short film. #1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER · #1 NEW YORK...
Butcher & Blackbird
Weaver, Brynne
Paper Book
Discover the serial killer romance thriller everyone is talking about! 'Hilarious, heart-warming, sexy . . . and gory. The perfect cocktail that will have you swooning and laughing. The funnest read of the year!' H. D. Carlton, international and USA...
A Calamity of Souls
Baldacci, David.
Paper Book
'This is David Baldacci at his best' - Michael Connelly 'I couldn't stop turning the pages, fascinated, moved, horrified' - Alex Michaelides 'A tour de force' - S.A. Cosby 'May be the best novel David Baldacci has ever written' - Scott Turow 'A tale of high...
Camp Zero
Sterling, Michelle Min
Paper Book
'A cold, hungry adventure story about the power of choice and the strength of solidarity' SEAN MICHAELSAmerica, 2049: Summer temperatures are intolerably high, the fossil fuel industry has shut down, and humans are implanted with a 'Flick' at birth, which allows them to remain perpetually...
Chain-Gang All-Stars
Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame
Paper Book
A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR
The children's blizzard :
Benjamin, Melanie,
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Aviator's Wife comes a story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren. ...
The Cloisters
Hays, Katy
Paper Book
The Secret Historymeets Ninth House in this sinister, atmospheric novel . . . the discovery of a mysterious deck of tarot cards lays bare shocking secrets within a close-knit circle of researchers at New York's famed Met Cloisters museum. 'Beguiling and...
Community board /
Conklin, Tara.
Paper Book
The New York Times bestselling author of The Last Romantics delivers a wise, timely, big-hearted novel of unplanned isolation and newly forged community. Where does one go, you might ask, when the world falls apart When the immutable facts of your life--the...
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop :
Yagisawa, Satoshi,
Paper Book
The wise and charming international bestseller and hit Japanese movie--about a young woman who loses everything but finds herself--a tale of new beginnings, romantic and family relationships, and the comfort that can be found in books.  Twenty-five-year-old Takako has enjoyed a...
Dear Mrs. Bird
Pearce, A. J.
Paper Book
London, 1940. Emmeline Lake and her best friend Bunty are trying to stay cheerful despite the Luftwaffe making life thoroughly annoying for everyone. Emmy dreams of becoming a Lady War Correspondent and when she spots a job advertisement in the newspaper she seizes her chance - but after a rather...
Decluttering at the speed of life :
White, Dana
Paper Book
You don't have to live overwhelmed by stuff--you can get rid of clutter for good! Decluttering expert Dana White identifies the emotional challenges that make it difficult to declutter and provides workable solutions to break through and make progress. While the world seems...
Demon Copperhead
Kingsolver, Barbara
Paper Book
A masterpiece in storytelling from the global bestselling author of Unsheltered and Flight Behaviour.
Did you hear about Kitty Karr? :
Paul, Crystal Smith,
Paper Book
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths...
Fairy tale : a novel
King, Stephen
Paper Book
" Legendary storyteller Stephen King goes into the deepest well of his imagination in this spellbinding novel about a seventeen-year-old boy who inherits the keys to a parallel world where good and evil are at war, and the stakes could not be higher--for that world or ours.
Finlay Donovan is killing it /
Cosimano, Elle.
Paper Book
"Getting the job done" for one single mom takes on a whole new meaning in Finlay Donovan is Killing It. A USA Today bestseller! One of Suspense Magazine's "Best Thrillers of 2021" One of New York Public Library's Best Books of 2021 Nominated for...
Finlay Donovan jumps the gun /
Cosimano, Elle.
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER! From USA Today bestseller and Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun--the hilarious and heart-pounding next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series. "Fresh,...
Finlay Donovan knocks 'em dead
Cosimano, Elle
Paper Book
Finlay Donovan rolls the dice /
Cosimano, Elle.
Paper Book
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! From New York Times bestseller Elle Cosimano comes Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice--the fiercely anticipated next installment in the beloved Finlay Donovan series. "Finlay Donovan is...
The forgotten girls : an American story
Potts, Monica
Paper Book
Growing up gifted and working-class in the foothills of the Ozarks, Monica and Darci became fast friends. The girls bonded over a shared love of learning as they navigated the challenges of their declining town and tumultuous family lives - broken marriages, shuttered stores and factories. They...
The fox wife
Choo, Yangsze
Paper Book
Longlisted for the Historical Writers' Association Gold Crown Award 'Vivid, enigmatic, enchanting' M. L. Rio 'Irresistible' Sunday Times Some people think foxes go around collecting qi, or life force, but nothing could be...
A gentleman in Moscow
Towles, Amor
Paper Book
A New York Times "Readers' Choice: Best Books of the 21st Century" Pick The mega-bestseller with more than 2 million readers--Now a Paramount+ with Showtime series starring Ewan McGregor as Count Alexander Rostov From the #1 New York Times...
The great alone
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Instant Bestseller In Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, a desperate family seeks a new beginning in the near-isolated wilderness of Alaska only to find that their unpredictable environment is less threatening than the erratic behavior found in...
The guest list
Foley, Lucy
Paper Book
Don't miss Lucy Foley's new book, The Midnight Feast, coming June 18th! A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER ONE OF THE NEW YORK TIMES BEST THRILLERS OF THE YEAR "I loved this book. It gave me the same waves of happiness I get from curling up with a...
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret
Paper Book
One of the most powerful and most widely read novels of our time in display-worthy hardcover: A gripping vision of our society radically overturned by a theocratic revolution--from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (The New York Times). * Now an award-winning Hulu...
Heartless
Meyer, Marissa
Paper Book
From Marissa Meyer, the #1 New York Times-bestselling story of Wonderland's most notorious villain: the Queen of Hearts. Long before she was the terror of Wonderland--the infamous Queen of Hearts--she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine...
Home is where the bodies are
Rose, Jeneva
Paper Book
After their mother dies, Beth, Nicole and Michael are forced to reunite to sort out their childhood home. Beth, the oldest, never left, caring for their mum until the very end. Nicole, the middle child, is drowning in her destructive drug addiction. Michael, the youngest, has moved far...
The house of wolves
Patterson, James
Paper Book
'Simply put: nobody does it better.' Jeffrey Deaver 'A writer with an unusual skill at thriller plotting.' Guardian 'James Patterson is The Boss. End of.' Ian Rankin __________________________________ The dynamics are simple in...
How to read now :
Castillo, Elaine,
Paper Book
"How to Read Now explores the politics and ethics of reading, and insists that we are capable of something better: a more engaged relationship not just with our fiction and our art, but with our buried and entangled histories." "A book that doesn't seek to shut down the...
The hunting party
Foley, Lucy
Paper Book
*The Sunday Times No.1 bestseller*EVERYONE'S INVITED.EVERYONE'S A SUSPECT.AND EVERYONE'S TALKING ABOUT IT. âe~Ripping, rivetingâe(tm) A. J. Finn âe~Clever, twisty and sleekâe(tm) Daily Mail âe~Unputdownableâe(tm) John Boyne âe~Foley is superbâe...
Ikigai : the Japanese secret to a long and happy life
García, Héctor
Paper Book
INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER * 2 MILLION+ COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE "Workers looking for more fulfilling positions should start by identifying their ikigai." ―Business Insider   "One of the unintended--yet positive--consequences of the [pandemic] is that it is...
Joyful recollections of trauma /
Scheer, Paul,
Paper Book
From award-winning actor and comedian Paul Scheer, a candid and humorous memoir-in-essays on coming to terms with childhood trauma and finding the joy in embracing your authentic self. Paul Scheer has entertained countless fans and podcast listeners with stories about the odd...
The Kamogawa food detectives
Kashiwai, Hisashi
Paper Book
Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant called the Kamogawa Diner run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare. Customers who can find the hidden diner are treated to an extravagant meal, but it's not the main reason for visiting . . .The father-daughter duo have started...
Leather & Lark
Weaver, Brynne.
Paper Book
From the author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy - a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat. 'Brynne is a master weaver of words in this...
Lula Dean's Little Library Of Banned Books
Miller, Kirsten.
Paper Book
'Clever and astute ... a cracking read' The Belfast Telegraph'One by one, residents read the books and find their lives changed in unexpected ways' Hello Magazine* * * From the author of The Change, comes a novel about book banning and those brave enough to stand up against this...
Margo's Got Money Troubles
Thorpe, Rufi.
Paper Book
'An audacious, wildly funny, completely unpredictable novel . . . absolutely brilliant'Kevin Wilson, author of Nothing to See HereMargo Millet's got money troubles. As the child of a Hooter's waitress and an ex-Pro-Wrestler, she's always known she'd have to make it on her own....
The marriage act
Marrs, John (Freelance journalist)
Paper Book
From the bestselling author of THE ONE, now an eight-part NETFLIX series. Set in the same world as THE ONE, THE MARRIAGE ACT is a dark, high-concept thriller.'One of the most exciting original thriller writers' Simon KernickWhat if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey?Britain. The near-future. A...
The Ministry of Time
Bradley, Kaliane.
Paper Book
A 2024 literary highlight in the Sunday Times, BBC, Grazia, Dazed, Sunday Express, GQ, i-D, Stylist, Bookseller and Literary Friction'Outrageously brilliant' ELEANOR CATTON'Make room on your bookshelves for a new...
North Woods
Mason, Daniel
Paper Book
When a pair of young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become the home of an extraordinary succession of human and inhuman characters alike. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to...
One puzzling afternoon
Critchley, Emily
Paper Book
On a suburban street filled with secrets, 84 year old Edie Green must look back into the past to discover what happened to her friend Lucy, who went missing years before . . .
The pillars of the Earth
Follett, Ken
Paper Book
A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett's classic historical masterpiece.The Pillars of the Earth tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven...
Power of habit : why we do what we do in life and business
Duhigg, Charles.
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * MORE THAN 3 MILLION COPIES SOLD * This instant classic explores how we can change our lives by changing our habits. "Few [books] become essential manuals for business and living. The Power of Habit is an exception."--Financial...
The power of now : a guide to spiritual enlightenment
Tolle, Eckhart
Paper Book
**CHOSEN BY OPRAH AS ONE OF HER 'BOOKS THAT HELP ME THROUGH'** The international bestselling spiritual book, now with a new look for its 20th anniversary. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier, happier, mindful life by living in the present moment.<...
Project Hail Mary
Weir, Andy
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE STARRING RYAN GOSLING AND DIRECTED BY CHRISTOPHER LORD AND PHIL MILLER From the author of The Martian, a lone astronaut must save the earth from disaster in this "propulsive" (Entertainment...
Really good, actually
Heisey, Monica
Paper Book
THE NO. 2 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERThe Times Popular Fiction Book of the Year'A heartbreaker of a book' THE TIMES'Alarmingly relatable' MARIAN KEYES'Hilarious and profound' DOLLY ALDERTON The hottest debut novel of 2023 from Schittâe(tm)s Creek and Smothered screenwriter and an...
Remarkably bright creatures
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK OVER 60,000 5 STAR REVIEWS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF 2022 GLAMOUR BEST BOOKS OF 2022 'Remarkably Bright...
Rules of civility
Towles, Amor
Paper Book
The New York Times bestseller 'Achingly stylish' Guardian 'Irresistible' Daily Telegraph 'Impossibly glamorous' The Times 'Fabulous' Observer
Salt houses /
Alyan, Hala,
Paper Book
 Lyrical and heartbreaking, Salt Houses follows three generations of a Palestinian family and asks us to confront that most devastating of all truths: you can't go home again. Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award On the eve...
The secret book of Flora Lea
Henry, Patti Callahan
Paper Book
In the war-torn London of 1939, fourteen-year-old Hazel and five-year-old Flora are evacuated to a rural village to escape the horrors of the Second World War. Living with the kind Bridie Aberdeen and her teenage son, Harry, in a charming stone cottage along the River Thames, Hazel fills their days...
The secrets of Wishtide
Saunders, Kate
Paper Book
A LibraryReads SelectionA Laetitia Rodd MysteryMrs. Laetitia Rodd, aged fifty-two, is the widow of an archdeacon who makes her living as a highly discreet private investigator. Her brother Frederick Tyson, a criminal barrister, finds the cases. Dickensian in scope and characters, The Secrets of...
Sociopath : a memoir
Gagne, Patric
Paper Book
'Deliciously wicked and insightful.' - Guardian Books of the Year 'A surprising, thoughtful and deeply personal exploration of what it means to be a sociopath.' - Pandora Sykes 'Addictively page-turning.' - The Telegraph Sociopath: A...
The spellshop
Durst, Sarah Beth
Paper Book
Perfect for fans of Travis Baldree and TJ Klune, The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst is a cosy fantasy tale full of stolen spellbooks, unexpected friendships, sweet jams and even sweeter romance. 'Reading this book was like sitting in the sun . . . a warm, peaceful...
The stationery shop of Tehran
Kamali, Marjan
Paper Book
*** If you read The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul and enjoyed The Beekeeper of Aleppo, you will love The Stationery Shop of Tehran *** 1953, Tehran. In a small shop in a country on the brink of unrest, two people meet for the very first time.
Stay sexy & don't get murdered :
Kilgariff, Karen,
Paper Book
The instant #1 New York Times and USA Today best seller by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the voices behind the hit podcast My Favorite Murder! Sharing never-before-heard stories ranging from their struggles with depression, eating disorders, and...
The stranger in the lifeboat :
Albom, Mitch,
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller What would happen if we called on God for help and God actually appeared? In Mitch Albom's profound new novel of hope and faith, a group of shipwrecked passengers pull a strange man from the sea. He claims to be "the Lord." And he says he can only save them if...
Table for two fictions
Towles, Amor
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller "A knockout collection. ... Sharp-edged satire deceptively wrapped like a box of Neuhaus chocolates, Table for Two is a winner." --The New York Times "Superb ... This may be Towles' best book yet. Each tale is as...
Tell me everything :
Kelly, Minka,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Washington Post best celebrity memoir of 2023 An Audible best celebrity memoir of 2023 "A timely, urgent portrait of working-class American women." --Gabrielle Union In her...
That's not my name /
Lally, Megan,
Paper Book
An instant bestseller! She thought she had her life back. She was wrong. A gripping debut thriller perfect for fans of Natalie D. Richards and Vincent Ralph. It was a mistake to trust him. Shivering and bruised, a teen wakes up on the side of a dirt road with no memory of how...
The Thursday Murder Club
Osman, Richard
Paper Book
THE FIRST NOVEL IN THE RECORD-BREAKING, MILLION-COPY BESTSELLING THURSDAY MURDER CLUB SERIES. ---------- 'Smart, compassionate, warm, moving and so VERY funny' Marian Keyes 'So smart and funny. Deplorably good' Ian Rankin 'Thrilling,...
The trials of Morrigan Crow /
Townsend, Jessica,
Paper Book
A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world--but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any...
The Underground Library
Ryan, Jennifer.
Paper Book
When the Blitz threatens the heart of a London neighbourhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to keep their community together in this heartwarming novel from the author of The Kitchen Front. On the day Juliet Lansdown reports to work for the first time at Bethnal Green Library, it...
An untidy death /
Brett, Simon
Paper Book
When the body of a prospective client is discovered in her burned-out home, declutterer Ellen Curtis is drawn into a baffling investigation where nothing is as it first appears. "My mother's going to kill herself . . . That is, if I don't kill her first."When Alexandra Richards approaches...
The war that saved my life /
Bradley, Kimberly Brubaker.
Paper Book
* Newbery Honor Book * #1 New York Times Bestseller * Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award  * Forbes 25 Top Historical Fiction Books Of All Time selection * Wall Street Journal Best Children's Books of the Year selection * New York...
We have always lived in the castle
Jackson, Shirley
Paper Book
Merricat Blackwood lives on the family estate with her sister Constance and her uncle Julian. Not long ago there were seven Blackwoods until a fatal dose of arsenic found its way into the sugar bowl one terrible night. Acquitted of the murders, Constance has returned home, where Merricat protects...
Why we swim
Tsui, Bonnie
Paper Book
'Glorious' The New York Times 'A jewel of a book, a paean to the wonders of water and our place within it' James Nestor, bestselling author of Breath Take a dive into the deep with writer and swimmer Bonnie Tsui and discover what...
The women a novel
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
"Women can be heroes, too." When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances "Frankie" McGrath hears these unexpected words, it is a revelation. Raised on idyllic Coronado Island and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing, being a good girl. But in...
Yellowface
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
The Number One Global Sensation*Foyle's Fiction Book of the Year**Amazon Book of the Year**Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year**Fiction Book of the Year 2024 - British Book Awards* âe~Addictiveâe(tm) Grazia âe~Hugely entertainingâe(tm) Observer âe~Provocativeâe...

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