LibraryAware March 2023

Recent Releases

Factory Girls
by Michelle Gallen

Northern Ireland, 1994: Maeve and her two best friends take summer jobs at the local shirt factory while eagerly awaiting acceptance to university.

Read it for: the engaging trio's youthful coming-of-age experiences (budding crushes, etc. ) amidst the still-smoldering violence of Ireland's religious and political "time of Troubles."

Reviewers say: "[a] sensationally entertaining novel that's deeper than it first appears" (Kirkus Reviews) and "a wonder" (Library Journal).

Upgrade
by Blake Crouch

Taking sides: When his DNA is rewritten with a genetic-engineering breakthrough beyond anything the world has seen, Logan Ramsey finds his transformation threatening everything around him as he is forced to take sides in a fight to save humankind.

How it's told: Intimate in scale yet epic in scope- an intricately plotted, lightening-fast tale.

Reviewers say: "High-octane action, some moral complexity, and a surprisingly emotional ending elevate this novel. Recommended—even for reluctant science fiction readers." (Kirkus Reviews)

The Cloisters
by Katy Hays

What it's about: Art historian Ann Stilwell finds herself helping curate an exhibition on tarot and divination at a unique museum of Medieval and Renaissance artifacts.

Read it for: a bewitching blend of psychological suspense, sexual tension, and occult mystery that will put readers on the edge of their velvet-tufted armchairs.

For fans of...Shirley Jackson's The Haunting; The Club Dumas by Pérez-Reverte; Leigh Bardugo's The Ninth House; or Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell.

The Motion Picture Teller
by Colin Cotterill

1996 Thailand: A mysterious cassette, entitled Bangkok 2010, arrives at his best friend Ali's video store, and Supot is determined to discover why it was never released.

Follow the trail: He is led deep into the Thai countryside where he learns that powerful people are dead set on keeping the film buried.

Reviewers say: "An offbeat, uplifting thriller every movie lover will cherish." (Kirkus Reviews)

Influencers and Social Media

Written in the Stars
by Alexandria Bellefleur

Meet: free-spirited social media astrologer Elle; her brother Brendon, a relentless matchmaker; and his latest choice for Elle – Darcy, an uptight pragmatist who thinks astrology is (at best) a scam.

What happens: To stall Brendon's meddling (at least until after the New Year), the unlikely pair agree to fake a short-term romance. Sugar, spice, and a little holiday magic turn their story into a sweet Pride and Prejudice-inspired LGBTQIA rom com.

Like a Sister
by Kellye Garrett

What happens: A young Black woman (former reality TV star and an Instagram icon) turns up dead in the Bronx; her death is promptly ruled a tragic drug overdose. Her estranged half-sister Lena isn't buying it, though – and she's willing to dig up family secrets and put her own life at risk to prove it.

Why you'll love it: "The writing is sharp, the commentary wry, and Lena is irresistible... [as a] whip-smart, heart-hurt, very entertaining heroine" (Kirkus Reviews).

No One is Talking About This
by Patricia Lockwood

Enter the Portal: where an unnamed female protagonist has posted, tweeted, and selfie'd herself to Portal (aka basically the internet) fame. The Portal's "netizens" participate in communities within communities, encountering both the sweetly authentic and profoundly trivial.

Is it for you? The second half sees the main character called home because her sister is facing a late-term pregnancy loss. Living up to its title, this "mighty novel screams with laughter just as it wallops with grief" (Publishers Weekly).