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According to UNESCO, hundreds of thousands of books are published in North America each year. The County of L&A Libraries' collection includes well over 60,000 books with new titles coming in every week -- and this isn't even counting our collection of 100,000s of e-books. With so many titles to choose from, it can be challenging to make a decision. I always suggestion browsing Goodreads, NoveList or book review sites like Quill and Quire. Library staff are always a great resource and happy to help you find something to read, but you also might prefer just cruising library shelves and seeing what you discover. Of course, you also might like the self-serve option of checking out options in our e-newletters (like this one) and website. If you have any suggestions for how we can better help you match you with your next great read, please get in touch! -- Catherine
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Stay hidden by Paul DoironWhen a woman is killed in an apparent hunting accident on an island off the coast of Maine, newly promoted Warden Investigator Mike Bowditch discovers that the victim, a controversial author writing about a local recluse, died of other causes.Genre: MysteriesCharacter: Well-developedStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Strong sense of place; SuspensefulWriting Style: Compelling; Descriptive; Richly detailed
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Murder at the Flamingo by Rachel McmillanWhen a corpse is discovered at the Flamingo, Reggie and Hamish quickly learn there is a vast chasm between the haves and the have-nots in 1937 Boston—and that there’s an underworld that feeds on them both. As Hamish is forced to choose between his conscience and loyalty to his beloved cousin, the unlikely sleuthing duo work to expose a murder before the darkness destroys everything they’ve worked to build.Genre: Canadian; Historical mystery fiction; Christian mysteriesThemes: Go your own wayCharacter: Ability diversePace: Leisurely pacedWriting Style: Descriptive
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Rescued by David RosenfeltWhen a transport carrying dozens of dogs to the northeast turns up with a murdered driver, defense lawyer and dog rescuer Andy Carpenter navigates a tricky moral line to represent the chief suspect, his wife's Marine ex.Genre: Legal thrillers; Thrillers and suspenseCharacter: SnarkyStoryline: Plot-drivenPace: Fast-pacedWriting Style: Compelling; Witty
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Between you and me by Susan WiggsA lonely Philadelphia surgeon treats an injured Amish child and becomes attracted to the boy's uncle, a situation that forces her to consider if such a relationship is possible.Genre: Contemporary romancesThemes: Life outside the flockCharacter: RelatableTone: MovingWriting Style: Engaging
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About that kiss by Jill ShalvisForced to contact a seductive fixer who never called her after a passionate first kiss, a woman desperate to recover a precious stolen object makes surprising discoveries that compel both to give their relationship a chance.Genre: Contemporary romancesThemes: One night to foreverCharacter: Well-developedTone: Steamy; UpbeatWriting Style: Engaging
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His risk by Shelley Shepard GrayCalvin Fisher, who walked away from the community at 14 and is now an undercover DEA agent, returns home when his brother becomes ill. Calvin is immediately drawn to nursery school teacher Alice, who's interested if wary, but a crime wave that sweeps in Alice makes Calvin wonder whether he's endangering his new beloved.Genre: Christian romantic suspenseThemes: Life outside the flock; Prodigal returnsCharacter: Well-developedStoryline: Intricately plottedTone: Chaste; SuspensefulWriting Style: Engaging
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When life gives you lululemons by Lauren WeisbergerEmily Charlton, the beleaguered assistant-turned-successful Hollywood image consultant introduced in The Devil Wears Prada, teams up with a former ace lawyer-turned-Greenwich stay-at-home mom to retain the services of an A-list model and politician's wife.Genre: Chick lit; Multiple perspectivesTone: Gossipy; IrreverentWriting Style: Engaging
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All we ever wanted by Emily GiffinRaised in middle-class Bristol, Nina hopes that she has instilled humble values in her teenage son Finch—values that her old-money husband appears to lack. But when Finch is accused of taking and sending an explicit photo of an unconscious Latina coed, Nina wonders if she has failed her son and, ultimately, herself.Genre: Mainstream fiction; Women's lives and relationshipsStoryline: Intricately plottedWriting Style: Engaging; Thoughtful
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Playing with matches by Hannah OrensteinSasha Goldberg, a recent college graduate, lands a job with a New York City dating service for the city's elite, and with her own relationship on the rocks, becomes involved with a charming Southern writer.Genre: Chick lit; Women's lives and relationshipsThemes: Love on the rocks; Technical difficultiesCharacter: Flawed; LikeablePace: Fast-pacedTone: Amusing; Romantic; UpbeatWriting Style: Engaging
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European travel for the monstrous gentlewoman by Theodora GossThe Athena Club races to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue a kidnapped Lucinda Van Helsing, who has been subjected to horrific experimentation by her own father.Genre: Historical fantasyThemes: Found footage; Playing God; To the rescue!Character: Likeable; Strong femaleStoryline: Intricately plotted; UnconventionalPace: Fast-pacedTone: AmusingWriting Style: Engaging; Witty
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Vox by Christina DalcherIn her provocative debut, linguist Dalcher imagines a near future in which speech and language—or the withholding thereof—are instruments of control. The election of a conservative president with a charismatic (and psychotic) religious advisor results in women in the United States being limited to speaking no more than 100 words per day or face painful consequences. Genre: Dystopian fiction Tone: Suspenseful; Thought-provoking
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The end of the world running club by Adrian J. WalkerWhen the world ends and you find yourself stranded on the wrong side of the country, every second counts. No one knows this more than Edgar Hill. 550 miles away from his family, he must push himself to the very limit to get back to them, or risk losing them forever... His best option is to run. But what if your best isn't good enough?Genre: Apocalyptic fiction; Science fictionCharacter: FlawedTone: Menacing; SuspensefulWriting Style: Compelling; Gritty; Richly detailed
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The anomaly by Michael RutgerHosting a documentary that is discredited by his colleagues but loved by conspiracy theorists, a rogue archaeologist retraces a 1909 expedition in search of a mysterious Grand Canyon cave, where his team is targeted by malevolent forces.Genre: S uspenseThemes: Ancient enigmasCharacter: FlawedPace: IntensifyingTone: Creepy; Darkly humorous; Suspenseful
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The last time I lied by Riley SagerAn artist who witnessed the disappearance of her bunkmates at summer camp as a young girl accepts an opportunity to return to Camp Nightingale as a painting instructor and tries to discover what really happened to her friends.Genre: Psychological suspenseThemes: Unreliable narratorTone: Atmospheric; Menacing; Suspenseful
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Baby teethby Zoje StageA fragile woman struggles against her mute daughter’s schemes for her father’s undivided attention. This twisty first novel has been aptly compared to The Omen and Lionel Shiver's We Need To Talk About Kevin, which is especially apparent in Stage's exploration of the dark side of modern motherhood. Genre: Multiple perspectives; Psychological suspense Themes: Creepy clowns and bad seeds Character: Twisted Storyline: Intricately plotted Tone: Disturbing; Suspenseful Writing Style: Compelling
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The summer wives by Beatriz WilliamsOn sun-kissed Winthrop Island life is filled with lazy days playing tennis and having lunch at the club. When Miranda spends her first summer on the island, she falls instantly in love with Joseph. But Joseph is a yearlong resident—a lobster fisherman—and the two are torn apart by class rivalries. When they defy the rules, they find themselves caught up in the previous generations’ secrets.Genre: Historical fiction; Love storiesCharacter: Well-developedStoryline: Character-driven; Intricately plottedTone: High-drama; Romantic; Thought-provokingWriting Style: Descriptive; Engaging
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River to redemption by Ann H. GabhartHaving been orphaned in a cholera epidemic, and raised by a slave named Louis who gave up an opportunity for escape to care for her, nineteen-year-old Adria Starr seeks to repay Louis by buying his freedom.Genre: Christian historical fictionThemes: Chosen family; Facing racismCharacter: ComplexTone: Heartwarming; MovingWriting Style: Compelling
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All the ever aftersby Danielle TellerA reimagining of the classic fairy tale, presented from the stepmother's perspective, traces her escape from a life of harsh servitude before single motherhood forces her to take a job as a nursemaid to an otherworldly infant, who eventually becomes her stepdaughter and a princess celebrated for her beauty.Genre: Adaptations; Historical fictionCharacter: Strong femaleStoryline: Plot-drivenTone: ReflectiveWriting Style: Engaging; Lyrical
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