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The talented Mr. Varg by Alexander McCall SmithA sequel to The Department of Sensitive Crimes finds detective Ulf Varg and his team investigating a playboy whose blackmailing case is complicated by Ulf's brother's questionable politics.Genre: Gentle reads; Humorous stories; MysteriesCharacter: Likeable; QuirkyTone: FunnyWriting Style: Engaging
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Golden in death by J. D. RobbHomicide detective Eve Dallas investigates the springtime murder of a beloved pediatrician by an unknown killer who hid a deadly toxin inside of a small golden egg.Genre: Police procedurals; MysteriesThemes: Urban policePace: Fast-pacedTone: Suspenseful
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A divided loyaltyby Charles ToddInvestigating the murder of an unknown victim who was found within a great prehistoric circle near Stonehenge, Rutledge follows unreliable clues to an impossible conclusion that places him on the wrong side of Scotland Yard. Genre: Historical mysteries Tone: Atmospheric; Melancholy; Moody; Suspenseful Writing Style: Compelling
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Chasing Cassandra by Lisa KleypasDetermined to marry for love, Lady Cassandra Ravenel resists the advances of compelling railroad magnate Tom Severin, who takes advantage of a situation that nearly destroys Cassandra's reputation.Genre: Historical romances; Victorian romancesCharacter: Well-developedTone: Amusing; SteamyWriting Style: Banter-filled; Engaging
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Hideaway by Nora RobertsYears after escaping a kidnapper with the help of a young man, a Hollywood hopeful pursues healing in Ireland before she is compelled to return to Los Angeles, where she encounters unexpected opportunities in love and vengeance.Genre: Romantic suspensePace: Fast-pacedTone: Heartwarming; SuspensefulWriting Style: Compelling
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The darkest king by Gena ShowalterCursed by a vengeful witch, William of the Dark will die if he ever falls in love, but he just might have found the woman who can lift the curse in unicorn shifter Sunday "Sunny" Lane.Genre: Paranormal romancesStoryline: World-buildingPace: Fast-pacedTone: Steamy
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Chick-Lit & Women's Fiction
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Big summerby Jennifer WeinerA woman confronts the dynamics of friendship and forgiveness while visiting Cape Cod to attend an old friend's increasingly disastrous wedding.Genre: Chick litStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Amusing; Atmospheric; Steamy; UpbeatWriting Style: Engaging
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The lies that bindby Emily GiffinForging an unlikely connection with a stranger at a bar who warns her against resuming a dysfunctional relationship, an aspiring reporter investigates when the man goes missing on September 11, 2001. Genre: Women's lives and relationships Storyline: Character-driven Writing Style: Engaging
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The heir affair by Heather CocksA follow-up to The Royal We finds Bex Porter and her husband, Prince Nicolas, in self-imposed exile in the wake of a scandal before a royal crisis exposes old family secrets and a brother's ongoing disgrace.Genre: Chick lit; Mainstream fiction; Romantic comediesPace: Fast-pacedTone: Amusing; GossipyWriting Style: Engaging
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Catherine house by Elisabeth ThomasA dangerously curious, rebellious undergraduate uncovers a shocking secret about an exclusive circle of students and the dark truths beneath their school’s promises of prestige.Genre: Gothic fiction; Literary FictionTone: Atmospheric; Reflective Storyline: Character-driven Writing Style: Lyrical; Spare
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If I had your faceby Frances ChaIn Seoul, South Korea, four young women make their way in a world defined by impossibly high standards of beauty and strict social hierarchies.Together, their stories tell a gripping tale at once unfamiliar and unmistakably universal.Genre: Literary fiction; Multiple perspectivesCharacter: Culturally diverse; SympatheticStoryline: Issue-oriented; Own voicesTone: Thought-provoking
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Little family by Ishmael BeahA powerful novel about young people in a conflict-scarred land, struggling to replace the homes they have lost with the one they have created together. Genre: Literary fictionThemes: Chosen familyCharacter: Complex; Culturally diverseStoryline: Own voicesTone: Atmospheric
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The library of legendsby Janie ChangSet in 1937 China, as Japanese bombs begin falling on the city of Nanking, Hu Lian and her classmates at Minghua University, entrusted with a priceless treasure, must navigate a world of danger, betrayal and love to keep a 500-year-old collection of myths and legends safe. Genre: Historical fantasy; Mythological fiction Character: Culturally diverse
Writing Style: Engaging; Compelling
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Shadow fall by Alexander FreedContinuing the search for Shadow Wing, Yrica Quell of the Alphabet Squadron teams up with the New Republic Intelligence's Caern and the legendary General Hera Syndulla to set a high-risk trap for her former Imperial mentor. Genre: Franchise books; Space opera; Star Wars fiction
Pace: Fast-paced Tone: Atmospheric; Dramatic
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Peace talks by Jim ButcherJoining the White Council's security team to help facilitate peace among hostile supernatural nations, wizard Harry Dresden is confronted by manipulative political forces that threaten all of Chicago.Genre: Hardboiled fiction; Urban fantasyCharacter: Flawed; Large cast of characters; Quirky; SnarkyPace: Fast-pacedTone: Haunting; Strong sense of place
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Devolutionby Max BrooksA modern retelling of the Bigfoot legend is presented as a gripping journal by a woman from a high-tech Pacific Northwest community who becomes cut off from civilization by a volcanic eruption before witnessing the flight of starving humanoid beings.Genre: HorrorThemes: Creature feature; Found footageStoryline: Action-packed; Intricately plottedTone: Atmospheric; Gruesome; Suspenseful
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The shadows by Alex NorthA dark imagination, a sinister smile--always on the outside of the group. Some part of you suspected he might be capable of doing something awful. Twenty-five years ago, Crabtree did just that.Genre: Police procedurals; HorrorThemes: Real life monstersStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Atmospheric; Creepy; Haunting; MenacingWriting Style: Compelling
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Wonderland by Zoje StageMoving to a rural farmhouse in far upstate New York, Orla, a retired dancer, must protect her family from an unknown entity that is calling to them from the land, in the earth, beneath the trees — and in their minds. Genre: Horror Storyline: Intricately plotted Tone:Disturbing; Suspenseful Writing Style:Compelling
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The guest listby Lucy FoleyAn expertly planned celebrity wedding between a rising television star and an ambitious magazine publisher is thrown into turmoil by petty jealousies, a college drinking game, the bride's ruined dress and an untimely murder.Genre: Thrillers and suspenseStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Atmospheric; Creepy; Menacing
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The girl from widow hillsby Megan MirandaRendered famous in childhood for her miraculous survival of a dangerous storm, a young woman changes her name and struggles to hide from the media before waking up one evening to find a corpse at her feet.Genre: First person narratives; Thrillers and suspenseCharacter: Well-developedPace: Fast-pacedTone: Creepy; Suspenseful
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Stranger in the Lake by Kimberly BelleWhen Charlotte married the wealthy widower Paul, it caused a ripple of gossip in their lakeside town. Everything starts to unravel when she discovers a body floating in the exact same spot where Paul's first wife drowned. As Charlotte uncovers a dark mystery, she doesn't know what to trust -- her heart or her suspicion.Genre: Psychological suspenseStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Suspenseful
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The vanishing half by Brit BennettTwin sisters, inseparable as children, ultimately choose to live in two very different worlds, one black and one white.Genre: Historical fiction; Literary fictionThemes: Facing racismCharacter: Complex; Culturally diverseStoryline: Character-driven; Own voicesWriting Style: Engaging; Stylistically complex
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The Jane Austen society by Natalie JennerA group of disparate bibliophiles bands together in the small English village of Chawton in the hopes of restoring the final home of Jane Austen, revealing their respective losses along the way.Genre: Historical fictionThemes: Life in small townsCharacter: Large cast of characters; Sympathetic; Well-developedTone: AtmosphericWriting Style:Engaging
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The pull of the stars by Emma DonoghueA novel set in 1918 Dublin offers a three-day look at a maternity ward during the height of the Great Flu pandemic.Genre: Historical fiction; Literary fictionCharacter: ComplexStoryline: Character-drivenTone: Atmospheric; MovingWriting Style: Engaging; Richly detailed; Spare; Well-researched
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A very punchable faceby Colin JostTold with a healthy dose of self-deprecation, A Very Punchable Face reveals the brilliant mind behind some of the dumbest sketches on television, and lays bare the heart and humor of a hardworking guy--with a face you can't help but want to punch. Genre: Arts and Entertainment; Humour writing; Life stories
Tone: Amusing, Reflective; Sardonic Writing Style: Conversational, Witty
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Hollywood parkby Mikel JollettThe frontman of indie band The Airborne Toxic Event reveals his upbringing in the infamous Church of Synanon cult, where he endured poverty, addiction and emotional abuse before slowly working his way toward college and a music career.Genre: Arts and entertainment; Autobiographies and memoirs; Tone: Moving; ReflectiveWriting Style: Candid; Richly detailed
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Me and white supremacy by Layla F SaadWhen Layla Saad began an Instagram challenge called #meandwhitesupremacy, she never predicted it would become a cultural movement. Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of color.Genre: Society and cultureStoryline: Issue-orientedTone: Impassioned; Thought-provoking
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