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 colors of the dark :
Whitaker, Chris,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * From the author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that "hits like a sledgehammer . . . an absolutely must-read novel" (Gillian Flynn, author of Gone Girl). Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as...
All the light we cannot see : a novel
Doerr, Anthony
Paper Book
*NOW A NETFLIX LIMITED SERIES--from producer and director Shawn Levy (Stranger Things) starring Mark Ruffalo, Hugh Laurie, and newcomer Aria Mia Loberti* Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist, the beloved instant New York Times bestseller...
The antique hunter's guide to murder :
Miller, C. L.
Paper Book
USA TODAY BESTSELLER In this fun, cozy, debut mystery, an antiques hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her in the high-stakes world of tracking stolen artifacts. What antique would you kill for? ...
The art of racing in the rain :
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 :
Finkel, Michael.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first century * "The Art Thief, like its title character, has confidence, élan, and a great sense of timing."--The New Yorker A...
Austenland :
Hale, Shannon.
Paper Book
For readers of Waiting for Tom Hanks and Well Met, a "gloriously satisfying" (Glamour) romantic comedy set at a Jane Austen fantasy resort from New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale. Now a major motion picture starring Keri Russell and produced by Stephenie Meyer....
Ban this book
Gratz, Alan
Paper Book
Before the coffee gets cold : a novel
Kawaguchi, Toshikazu
Ebook
*NOW AN LA TIMES BESTSELLER* *AN INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER* The first book in the five million-copy bestselling magical realism series If you could go back in time, who would you want to meet? ...
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
Mackesy, Charlie.
Ebook
From the revered British illustrator, a modern fable for all ages that explores life's universal lessons, featuring 100 color and black-and-white drawings. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" asked the mole. "Kind," said the boy. Charlie Mackesy...
Braiding sweetgrass :
Kimmerer, Robin Wall.
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller A Washington Post Bestseller A Los Angeles Times Bestseller Named a "Best Essay Collection of the Decade" by Literary Hub A Book Riot "Favorite Summer Read of 2020" A Food Tank Fall...
Butcher & Blackbird /
Weaver, Brynne,
Paper Book
#1 New York Times bestselling series and USA TODAY Bestseller "I want to ruin her so that she's mine, my beautiful disaster. My wild creature. My goddess of chaos." The viral...
A calamity of souls
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully accused Black defendants in this courtroom drama from #1 New York Times ...
Camp zero :
Sterling, Michelle Min,
Paper Book
In a near-future northern settlement, the fates of a young woman, a professor, and a mysterious collective of researchers collide in this mesmerizing and transportive debut that "delivers its big ideas with suspense, endlessly surprising twists, and abundant heart" (Jessamine Chan, New York...
Chain-Gang All-Stars /
Adjei-Brenyah, Nana Kwame,
Paper Book
A NEW YORK TIMES TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR * FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARD IN FICTION * A READ WITH JENNA BOOK CLUB PICK * NATIONAL BESTSELLER * Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from...
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
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Today Show #ReadwithJenna Book Club Pick "For fans of The Talented Mr. Ripley and The Secret History...The perfect mystery." --Jenna Bush Hager, Today In this...
Dear Mrs. Bird :
Pearce, A. J .
Paper Book
This charming, irresistible debut novel set in London during World War II about a young woman who longs to be a war correspondent and inadvertantly becomes a secret advice columnist is "a jaunty, heartbreaking winner" (People)--for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie...
Decluttering at the speed of life :
White, Dana
Ebook
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 to be in love...
Demon Copperhead : a novel
Kingsolver, Barbara
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE * WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE FOR FICTION New York Times Readers' Pick: Top 100 Books of the 21st Century * An Oprah's Book Club Selection * An Instant New York Times Bestseller * An Instant Wall Street Journal Bestseller * A #1 Washington Post...
The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections : a novel
Jurczyk, Eva
Paper Book
Anxious People meets the delights of bookish fiction in a stunning debut following a librarian whose quiet life is turned upside down when a priceless manuscript goes missing. Soon she has to ask- what holds more secrets in the library-the ancient books shelved in the stacks, or the people who...
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...
Echo
Ryan, Pam Muñoz
Paper Book
Newbery Honor Book New York Times Bestseller Children's Literature Legacy Award Winner This impassioned, uplifting, and virtuosic tour de force from a treasured storyteller follows three children, in three different times and places, whose lives...
Fairy tale : a novel
King, Stephen
Paper Book
A #1 New York Times Bestseller and New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice! 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...
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
A USA TODAY BESTSELLER! From Edgar-Award nominee Elle Cosimano, comes Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead--the hilarious and heart-pounding follow-up to Finlay Donovan is Killing It. "Cosimano skillfully combines suspense and laughs in the manner...
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 fox wife :
Choo, Yangsze.
Paper Book
Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . . Manchuria, 1908. In the last years of the dying...
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 A Novel
Hannah, Kristin.
Audiobook
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...
H is for Hawk
Macdonald, Helen
Paper Book
One of the New York Times's 100 Best Books of the 21st Century One of the New York Times Book Review's 10 Best Books of the Year One of Slate's 50 Best Nonfiction Books of the Last 25...
The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret
Ebook
Now a Hulu series starring Elizabeth Moss. The Handmaid's Tale is an instant classic and eerily prescient cultural phenomenon, from "the patron saint of feminist dystopian fiction" (New York Times) The Handmaid's Tale is a novel of such power that the reader will be unable to forget its...
Heartless
Meyer, Marissa
Paper Book
From Marissa Meyer, the #1 New York Times-bestselling romantasy of Wonderland's most notorious villain: the Queen of Hearts. Long before she was the terror of Wonderland, she was just a girl who wanted to fall in love. Catherine may be one of the most...
Home is where the bodies are /
Rose, Jeneva
Paper Book
From New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Marriage and You Shouldn't Have Come Here comes a chilling family thriller about the (sometimes literal) skeletons in the closet. After their mother passes, three estranged siblings reunite to sort out her estate. Beth, the oldest,...
The house of wolves /
Patterson, James,
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller!  James Patterson and Mike Lupica are the thriller dream team! Jenny Wolf's murdered father leaves her in charge of a billion-dollar empire--and a family more ruthless than Succession's Roys and...
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...
How to stay invisible /
Rudd, Maggie,
Paper Book
My Side of the Mountain meets How to Steal a Dog in this high-stakes and heartfelt middle-grade story of a young boy and his dog surviving on their own in the woods. Being alone is something Raymond is used to. Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley...
The hunting party :
Foley, Lucy
Paper Book
Don't miss Lucy Foley's new book, The Midnight Feast, coming June 18th! THE DEBUT THRILLER FROM THE AUTHOR OF THE REESE BOOK CLUB PICK THE GUEST LIST All of them are friends. One of them is a killer. "A ripping, riveting murder mystery -- wily as Agatha Christie, charged with...
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
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Paul Scheer delivers a deeply funny, personal and moving account of how joy and pain are the perfect ingredients for a happy and funny life."--Amy Poehler "It's a hilarious essay collection about trauma. Yes, really."--People Magazine From award...
The Kamogawa food detectives /
Kashiwai, Hisashi,
Paper Book
The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time? Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto...
Last call at the Nightingale /
Schellman, Katharine,
Paper Book
First in a captivating Jazz age mystery series from author Katharine Schellman, Last Call at the Nightingale beckons readers into a darkly glamorous speakeasy where music, liquor, and secrets flow. "Schellman is at the top of her craft and delivers a murder mystery...
Leather & lark /
Weaver, Brynne,
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "I don't just want to hear her laugh, I need to earn it. Every time I gain a little ground, I want more. I want to break out of the shade and back into her light. Without even realizing it, I've become addicted to it....
Liar, temptress, soldier, spy :
Abbott, Karen,
Paper Book
Karen Abbott, the New York Times bestselling author of Sin in the Second City and "pioneer of sizzle history" (USA Today), tells the spellbinding true story of four women who risked everything to become spies during the Civil War. Karen Abbott illuminates one of the most fascinating yet...
Love & saffron :
Fay, Kim.
Paper Book
The Instant National Bestseller and #1 Indie Next Pick In the vein of the classic 84, Charing Cross Road, this witty and tender novel follows two women in 1960s America as they discover that food really does connect us all, and that friendship and laughter are the best...
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books
Miller, Kirsten
Paper Book
"Kirsten Miller has that rare ability to take a serious subject and make it very, very funny. I enjoyed this novel and you will too."--James Patterson The provocative and hilarious summer read that will have book lovers cheering and everyone talking! Kirsten Miller, author of The Change,...
Margo's got money troubles :
Thorpe, Rufi.
Paper Book
"Margo's Got Money Troubles is the feel-good novel we need right now." --The Washington Post  "[An] enormously entertaining and lovable book." --Nick Hornby, New York Times Book Review    A bold, laugh-out-loud funny, and heartwarming story about one young woman...
The marriage act :
Marrs, John
Paper Book
What if marriage was the law? Dare you disobey? Black Mirror meets thriller with a dash of Naomi Alderman's The Power in this dark, high-concept novel by the bestselling author of The One. Britain. The near-future. A right-wing government believes it has the answer to...
The ministry of time /
Bradley, Kaliane
Paper Book
ONE OF BARACK OBAMA'S FAVORITE BOOKS OF SUMMER 2024 * A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK * ONE OF THE WASHINGTON POST'S BEST BOOKS OF THE SUMMER "This summer's hottest debut." --Cosmopolitan * "Witty, sexy escapist...
Normal family : on truth, love, and how I met my 35 siblings
Bilton, Chrysta
Paper Book
This riveting, nuanced memoir about unforgettable individuals thrown together by chance and DNA tells a story of nature, nurture, and coming to terms with one's true inheritance. What is a "normal family," and how do you go about making one? Chrysta Bilton's magnetic, larger-than...
North woods :
Mason, Daniel
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR A WASHINGTON POST TOP TEN BOOK OF THE YEAR * FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD AND THE MARK TWAIN AMERICAN VOICE IN LITERATURE AWARD A sweeping novel...
The pillars of the earth /
Follett, Ken
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller Oprah's Book Club Selection The "extraordinary . . . monumental masterpiece" (Booklist) that changed the course of Ken Follett's already phenomenal career--and begins where its prequel, The Evening and the Morning<...
The power of habit :
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 :
Tolle, Eckhart,
Ebook
Celebrating 25 Years as a New York Times Bestseller -- Over 16 Million Copies Sold It's no wonder that The Power of Now has sold over 16 million copies worldwide and has been translated into over 30 foreign languages. Much more than simple principles and platitudes, the book takes...
Project Hail Mary : a novel
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
NATIONAL BESTSELLER "Every sentence of Monica Heisey's writing is a treat. No one makes me laugh like she does." --Dolly Alderton, New York Times bestselling author of Everything I Know About Love Recommended by Los Angeles Times * Washington Post * GQ * Elle * Good Morning America...
Remarkably bright creatures :
Van Pelt, Shelby,
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER A Read With Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! NAMED A BEST BOOK OF SUMMER by: Chicago Tribune * The View * Southern Living * USA Today "Remarkably Bright Creatures [is] an ultimately feel-good but deceptively...
Rules of civility /
Towles, Amor.
Ebook
From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Lincoln Highway and A Gentleman in Moscow, a "sharply stylish" (Boston Globe) book about a young woman in post-Depression era New York who suddenly finds...
Salt houses /
Alyan, Hala,
Paper Book
Winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award A Best Book of the Year: NPR * NYLON * Kirkus * Bustle * BookPage "What does home mean when you no longer have a house--or a homeland? This beautiful novel traces one Palestinian family's struggle with...
The secret book of Flora Lea :
Henry, Patti Callahan.
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed. In the war-torn London of...
Sociopath :
Gagne, Patric
Paper Book
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling memoir of the author's struggle to understand her own sociopathy and shed light on the often maligned and misunderstood mental disorder. "A cross between a podcast by relationship therapist Esther Perel and a salacious tell-all."...
The spellshop /
Durst, Sarah Beth.
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES, USA TODAY AND INDIE BESTSELLER! A #1 LibraryReads pick! An Indie Next pick! A gorgeous hardcover edition featuring lavender sprayed edges! The Spellshop is Sarah Beth Durst's romantasy debut-a lush...
The stationery shop /
Kamali, Marjan.
Paper Book
A poignant, heartfelt new novel by the award-nominated author of Together Tea--extolled by the Wall Street Journal as a "moving tale of lost love" and by Shelf Awareness as "a powerful, heartbreaking story"--explores loss, reconciliation, and the quirks of fate.
Stay sexy & don't get murdered :
Kilgariff, Karen,
Audiobook
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 :
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,
Audiobook
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 she got there--or who she is. The police don't know where she came from until a frantic man arrives at the station. He's been searching for her for hours....
The Thursday murder club
Osman, Richard
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller | Soon to be a major motion picture from Steven Spielberg at Amblin Entertainment "Witty, endearing and greatly entertaining." --Wall Street Journal   "Don't trust anyone, including the four septuagenarian...
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 imperils the heart of a London neighborhood, three young women must use their fighting spirit to save the community's beloved library in this novel based on true events from the author of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir. When the new deputy...
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
Part of the Penguin Orange Collection, a limited-run series of twelve influential and beloved American classics in a bold series design offering a modern take on the iconic Penguin paperback Winner of the 2016 AIGA + Design Observer 50 Books | 50 Covers competition ...
When women ran Fifth Avenue :
Satow, Julie,
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * An Amazon Best Book of 2024 * A glittering portrait of the golden age of American department stores and of three visionary women who led them, from the award-winning author of The Plaza. * "Ms. Satow's carefully researched book is compulsively...
Why we swim
Tsui, Bonnie
Paper Book
A Time Magazine Must-Read Book of 2020 A Best Book of the Season: BuzzFeed * Bustle * San Francisco Chronicle A Best Book of the Year: NPR's Book Concierge * Washington Independent Review of Books
The Women A Novel
Hannah, Kristin.
Ebook
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women--at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a...
Yellowface :
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK "Hard to put down, harder to forget." -- Stephen King, #1 New York Times bestselling author White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences... Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she...

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