Made in Massachusetts

A selection of local reads.

Updated April 14, 2026
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1776
McCullough, David G
Paper Book
America's beloved and distinguished historian presents, in a book of breathtaking excitement, drama, and narrative force, the stirring story of the year of our nation's birth, 1776, interweaving, on both sides of the Atlantic, the actions and decisions that led Great Britain to undertake a war...
All souls : a family story from Southie
MacDonald, Michael Patrick
Paper Book
Michael Patrick MacDonald grew up in "the best place in the world"--the Old Colony projects of South Boston--where 85% of the residents collect welfare in an area with the highest concentration of impoverished whites in the U.S. In All Souls, MacDonald takes us deep into the secret heart of Southie....
Black mass : Whitey Bulger, the FBI, and a devil's deal
Lehr, Dick
Paper Book
The Borden murders : Lizzie Borden and the trial of the century
Miller, Sarah
Paper Book
Lizzie Borden took an axe, gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one. Here's middle-grade nonfiction that reads like a thriller. With murder, court battles, and sensational newspaper headlines, the story of Lizzie Borden is...
The Boston girl : a novel
Diamant, Anita
Paper Book
New York Times bestseller An unforgettable novel about a young Jewish woman growing up in Boston in the early twentieth century, told "with humor and optimism...through the eyes of an irresistible heroine" (People)--from the acclaimed author of The Red Tent<...
A break with charity : a story about the Salem witch trials
Rinaldi, Ann
Paper Book
Susanna desperately wants to join the circle of girls who meet every week at the parsonage. What she doesn't realize is that the girls are about to set off a torrent of false accusations leading to the imprisonment and execution of countless innocent people. Susanna faces a painful choice. Should...
Caleb's crossing
Brooks, Geraldine
Paper Book
A richly imagined new novel from the author of the New York Times bestseller, People of the Book. Once again, Geraldine Brooks takes a remarkable shard of history and brings it to vivid life. In 1665, a young man from Martha's Vineyard became the first Native...
The departed
DiCaprio, Leonardo
DVD
Legendary director Martin Scorsese takes the helm for this tale of questionable loyalties and blurring identities set in the South Boston organized crime scene and inspired by the wildly popular 2002 Hong Kong crime film Infernal Affairs. As the police force attempts to reign in the increasingly...
Flour
Chang, Joanne
Ebook
Every day 1,500 Bostonians can't resist buying sweet, simple treats such as Homemade Pop-Tarts, from an alumna of Harvard with a degree in economics. From Brioche au Chocolat and Lemon Raspberry Cake to perfect croissants, Flour Bakery-owner Joanne Chang's repertoire of baked goods is deep and...
Girl, interrupted
Kaysen, Susanna
Paper Book
30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * In 1967, after a session with a psychiatrist she'd never seen before, eighteen-year-old Susanna Kaysen was put in a taxi and sent to McLean Hospital. Her memoir of the next two years is a "poignant, honest ... triumphantly funny ... and...
The glass universe : how the ladies of the Harvard Observatory took the measure of the stars
Sobel, Dava
Paper Book
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dava Sobel, the "inspiring" (People), little-known true story of women's landmark contributions to astronomy A New York Times Book Review Notable Book Named one of the best books of the year by...
Good Will Hunting
Van Sant, Gus; Williams, Robin, 1952 July 21; Damon, Matt; Affleck, Ben, 1972-; Skarsga?rd, Stellan; Driver, Minnie; Miramax Films; Miramax Home Entertainment Firm; Buena Vista Home Entertainment
DVD
As director Gus Van Sant observes in the introduction to Matt Damon's and Ben Affleck's screenplay Good Will Hunting, the two young actors somewhat resemble the characters they play in the film: they're best friends, and Affleck (who plays Chuckie) habitually chauffeurs Damon (Will), who doesn't...
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret
Paper Book
The stunning graphic novel adaptation * A must-read and collector's item for fans of "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (New York Times).   Look for The Testaments, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale   In Margaret...
The Hotel Nantucket
Hilderbrand, Elin
Paper Book
"The queen of beach reads" (New York Magazine) and #1 New York Times bestselling author delivers an immensely satisfying page-turner in this tale about a summer of scandal at a storied Nantucket hotel. Fresh off a bad breakup with a longtime...
Jaws
Spielberg, Steven
DVD
The 30th anniversary edition of the classic 'I'm Never Going in the Water Again' story of a killer shark that has taken over the waters near a seaside community, and the three men who set out to kill it. Includes loads of brand new bonus materials.
Legally blonde
Platt, Marc E; Kidney, Ric; Lutz, Karen McCullah; Smith, Kirsten; Luketic, Robert; Witherspoon, Reese, 1976; Wilson, Luke, 1971; Blair, Selma; Davis, Matthew, 1978; Garber, Victor; Coolidge, Jennifer; Taylor, Holland; Larter, Ali; Richmond, Anthony B., 19
DVD
When a blonde sorority queen is dumped by her boyfriend, she decides to follow him to law school to get him back. Once there, she learns she has more legal savvy than she ever imagined. Based on the book by Amanda Brown.
Louisa May Alcott
Cheever, Susan
Paper Book
Susan Cheever's comprehensive and definitive biography sheds new light on of life of Louisa May Alcott, whose work has inspired generations of women.
My most excellent year : a novel of love, Mary Poppins & Fenway Park
Kluger, Steve
Paper Book
Dear Anthony: I appreciate your recent interest, but I?m not accepting applications at this time. Your letter will be kept in our files and someone will get back to you if there is an opening. Thank you for thinking of me. Respectfully, Alejandra Perez P.S. It?s...
Nightbird
Hoffman, Alice
Paper Book
Bestselling author Alice Hoffman's bewitching Nightbird is perfect for ages 10-13: love and friendship empower a lonely girl to embrace her uniqueness and discover her strengths.   Twig lives in Sidwell, where people whisper that fairy tales are real. After all,...
The Penderwicks : a summer tale of four sisters, two rabbits, and a very interesting boy
Birdsall, Jeanne
Paper Book
With over one million copies sold, this series of modern classics about the charming Penderwick family from National Book Award winner and New York Times bestseller Jeanne Birdsall is perfect for fans of Noel Streatfeild and Edward Eager. A PARADE BEST KIDS BOOK OF ALL...
Remain : a supernatural love story
Sparks, Nicholas; Shyamalan, M. Night
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A one-of-a-kind novel that grapples with the supernatural mysteries of life, death, and human connection--an unprecedented collaboration between the globally bestselling author of love stories like The Notebook and the renowned writer and director of...
Run
Patchett, Ann
Paper Book
"Engaging, surprising, provocative and moving...a thoroughly intelligent book, an intimate domestic drama that nonetheless deals with big issues touching us all: religion, race, class, politics and, above all else, family." -- Washington Post From New York Times bestselling author Ann...
The Salem witch trials : an unsolved mystery from history
Yolen, Jane
Paper Book
In this spooky book from the nonfiction An Unsolved Mystery from History picture book series, tragedy strikes Salem, Massachusetts, in 1692 as the community is torn apart by accusations of witchcraft. When a group of girls came down with a horrible, mysterious bout of illness,...
The scarlet letter
Hawthorne, Nathaniel
Paper Book
Introduction by Kathryn Harrison Commentary by Nathaniel Hawthorne, W. D. Howells, and Carl Van Doren A stark tale of adultery, guilt, and social repression in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Nathaniel...
Show me a sign
LeZotte, Ann Clare
Paper Book
Don't miss the companion book, Set Me Free CRITICS ARE RAVING ABOUT SHOW ME A SIGN Winner of the 2021 Schneider Family Book Award * NPR Best Books of 2020 * Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020 * School Library Journal Best Books of 2020 *...
Since we fell
Lehane, Dennis
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Barnes and Noble Best Book of the Year Bookpage Best of 2017 Booklist Best Crime Novel PopSugar Best Book of 2017 The new novel from New York Times bestseller Dennis Lehane, author of Mystic River and Shutter Island "Lehane is...
Small mercies
Lehane, Dennis
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller "Small Mercies is thought provoking, engaging, enraging, and can't-put-it-down entertainment." -- Stephen King The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival...
The summer of broken rules
Walther, K. L.
Ebook
A romance novel inspired by the songs of Taylor Swift! *NOW A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* This BookTok sensation is perfect for fans of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty and Sarah Dessen's Along for the Ride. Meredith's family's annual game of assassin at Martha's...
Summer sisters : a novel
Blume, Judy
Paper Book
No writer captures the seasons of our lives better than Judy Blume.  Now, from theNew York Timesbestselling author ofWifeyandSmart Women,comes an extraordinary novel of reminiscence and awakening--an unforgettable story of two women, two families, and the friendships that shape a lifetime. When...
That old cape magic
Russo, Richard
Paper Book
Following Bridge of Sighs--a national best seller hailed by The Boston Globe as an astounding achievement and a masterpiece--Richard Russo gives us the story of a marriage, and of all the other ties that bind, from parents and in-laws to children and the promises of youth. Griffin has been...
This land is their land : the Wampanoag Indians, Plymouth Colony, and the troubled history of Thanksgiving
Silverman, David J.
Paper Book
Ahead of the 400th anniversary of the first Thanksgiving, a new look at the Plymouth colony's founding events, told for the first time with Wampanoag people at the heart of the story.In March 1621, when Plymouth's survival was hanging in the balance, the Wampanoag sachem (or chief),...
Thoreau at Walden
Thoreau, Henry David
Paper Book
I am convinced, both by faith and experience, that to maintain one's self on this earth is not a hardship, but a pastime, if we will live simply and wisely. So said Henry David Thoreau in 1845 when he began his famous experiment in living on Walden Pond. In this graphic masterpiece, John Porcellino...
The trial of Lizzie Borden : a true story
Robertson, Cara
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE NEW ENGLAND SOCIETY BOOK AWARD In Cara Robertson's "enthralling" book, The Trial of Lizzie Borden, "the reader is to serve as judge and jury" (The New York Times). Based on twenty years of research and recently unearthed evidence, this true crime...
We keep the dead close : a murder at Harvard and a half century of silence
Cooper, Rebecca H.
Paper Book
FINALIST FOR THE J. ANTHONY LUKAS BOOK PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION NATIONAL BESTSELLER Named One of The Best Books of 2020 by NPR's Fresh Air * Publishers Weekly * Marie Claire *...
The witches : Salem, 1692
Schiff, Stacy
Paper Book
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the #1 national bestseller Cleopatra unpacks the mystery of the Salem Witch Trials. "The Witches is the fullest and finest story ever told about Salem in 1692, and no one else could tell it with the otherworldly flair...
Writers & lovers
King, Lily
Paper Book
#ReadWithJenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today Emma Roberts Belletrist Book Club Pick A New York Times Book Review's Group Text Selection "I loved this book not just from the first chapter or the first page but from the first paragraph... The voice...

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