Our newest recommendations are right at the top of the list. Enjoy!
"I find things." Private Investigator Roxanne Weary has lost a lot. Her father, paying clients, and her tenuous romantic relationship. So when a paying client asks her to track down the witness to an old crime, she agrees. But when the evidence begins piling up, she finds herself caught in something much larger than she ever could have predicted. A compulsively readable mystery that breathes new life into the PI genre. Recommended by Emily
Mothers, daughters, China, adoption, tea, California, dreams ... And at this story's hidden core, a grove of ancient trees. I love this book. Recommended by Alena
A fabulous southern sisters novel with many twists on the genre (and in the plot!), including a comic book, superhero, graphic novel artist who is having a baby fathered by Batman (from Comic-Con :-)). I truly care about all the women in this book, young and old. And the end is uplifting and spot-on! Recommended by Alena
In the rural landscape of Northern California, it is widely understood that the McKenna crime family rules. Harley McKenna has tried her best to distance herself from the family name - using her skills with a gun and burning anger to protect and run a women's shelter. But when a nearby crime family begins encroaching on her father's territory, Harley allows herself to be drawn back into that world to protect her charges. This novel is unflinching and gorgeously written. Fantastic. Recommended by Emily
An unputdownable police procedual with an ending I didn't see coming. CLOSE TO HOME would make an excellent book club pick -- I guarantee you'll want to talk about it! Recommended by Jane
THE JOB OF THE WASP is an eerie and haunting story that seeps into your thoughts just as you're turning out the lights at night. Truly, a must-read for lovers of Gothic ghost stories and spooky tales. Colin Winnette must be fine-tuning the art of cinematic writing in this amazingly visual novel. Recommended by Rob
This is a stunning collection of stories. They're fantastical, supernatural, and surreal, and yet all deeply true. I cannot recommend this book highly enough! Recommended by Molly
Delicious!! Dive in and enjoy. (Adult stories by the Newbery Medal winning author of THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON.) Recommended by Alena
Sharp and witty, by turns darkly hilarious and brilliantly horrifying, THE POWER is a compelling parable for our troubled times. By exploring the total reversal of our current power dynamics, Alderman exposes the falacies of gender determinism and the all too real cruelties it perpetuates. This book left a sick feeling in my gut so I can't say that I like it, only that it's important and true in the way that only good speculative fiction can be. Recommended by Molly
I consider Ward our best contemporary Southern writer, as well as a damn fine novelist in general. Recommended by Jeanette
A faith healer, a love story and a sarcastic raven set in 1953 in Pennslyvania's mountains. Appealing characters and inventive plot -- it's original. Recommended by Katy
Follow Lois, a robotics specialist, as she embarks on a most unusual journey and discovers what truly makes her happy. I loved SOURDOUGH, but be forewarned: It is zany -- wonderfully so -- and, it may just inspire you to bake -- it did me! Recommended by Jane
P.S. Boonville makes a cameo appearance.
Familiar with flash fiction? If not, this is a thoughtful introduction. If you're already a fan, you'll appreciate the succint and evocative pieces here. Recommended by Jeanette
Michael Poore, though compared to Neil Gaiman, is in a league all his own. Like Gaiman, he uses wit and humor to tackle reincarnation, spirituality, and the after-life. His style however, is entirely unique. This book is a smart, funny, fantasy love story about a guy who has been in love with Death herself for almost ten thousand lifetimes and he's running out of time. True, Gaiman fans will love this, but Michael Poore is creating his own special group of fans. Recommended by Rob
This book is packed with humor and horror and tons of nostalgia. It's a veritable "What If?" Asking the question: What if the kids from Scooby Doo grew up and got back together to fight creatures from the Cthulhu mythos of H. P. Lovecraft. It's funny and exciting. You'll love the references. Recommended by Rob
Surgeon X is part V for Vendetta, part Blade Runner. Set in a Sci-Fi future 20 years from now the medical industry is in collapse. And Surgeon X is called upon to give people medical treatment illegally! Brilliant writing, amazing art and a frightening and timely story that could be more science than science fiction. Recommended by Rob
I loved his first novel, the Reluctant Fundalmentalist, and was curious where he'd go with this one. It reads like a parable. Who would you hold closest to you if you had to flee? How would your love survive in a foreign land? What would you miss most? Hamid allows you to imagine yourself in similar circumstances. Recommended by Jeanette.
Beautiful sentences matched with haunting ideas about the universe -- mystical and practical. All wrapped in the driving stories of an aging businessman and a not quite young novelist. Their adventures are based loosely around the Tel Aviv Hilton. Brilliant. Captivating. Deeply provocative. Recommended by Alena
Whether you're grieving the loss of a beloved pet or a human, this is the novel for you. Yes, it will make you cry, but you'll also laugh. It helped me through a very mournful time in my life. Recommended by Jeanette
This one of the best Batman stories ever told. And you get the story from inside the asylum! The art on every page is fully painted and electrifying, it'll send chills up your spine. That, and some of the most compelling writing in comics makes this book my very favorite graphic novel of all time! Recommended by Rob
Are you looking for a sweet, loverly story? You won't find a more heartwarming novel than this one. Recommended by Jeanette
Like her character Ms. Marvel, author G. Willow Wilson is a superhero but with her words. In this volume, she introduces Kamala Khan, a Muslim teenager who uses her inhuman powers to protect those who need protecting. G. Willow Wilson, like Ms. Marvel, is also Muslim and relates well to young people and responds with a hero just for them. Recommended by Rob
I love the set-up -- A young family with a tragic past and an apartment building in the middle of a cemetary. It's the feeling someone is watching you. Kioke has created a modern masterpiece of Japanese horror with a minimal amount of violence and graphic content and has still managed to make me afraid of elevators. Recommended by Rob
Nick Spencer turns Cap and the Marvel universe on their heads by re-writing the character's heroic history and origin. Think Captain Amcerica couldn't possibly be an undercover agent of Hydra? Think again. Nick Spencer makes it happen in a way that is realistic and believable. This book is comic book writing at its best! Recommended by Rob
Now when so many of us could use a model of resilience, along comes this heartening novel about an indomitable girl who refuses to let atrocious circumstances break her spirit. Recommended by Jeanette
You thought Cheryl Strayed's Wild was wild? Then you've got to read this novel. A woman gets lost in a snow storm while hunting with a bow and arrow. How long can she survive? Another woman does her best to rescue her. The personal lives of both women will snare your attention, as you shiver at the perils of winter in the wilderness. Recommended by Jeanette
Grab a cup of coffee and a donut and spend some time making the rounds with Mooncop. Quirky and poignant, Mooncop may just lead your imagination to script further adventures. Recommended by Jane (P.S. For readers of any age!)
The perfect book for a comtemplative read in one sitting. A quiet reflection on time's passage. Recommended by Jeanette
I am haunted by this novel. Can't stop thinking about it. Family Stories -- dark & light ones -- How do they affect each of us? Who do they belong to? How do we find forgiveness & redemption? Recommended by Alena
Every character is indelible and full of life, and I cared deeply about them all. Both intensely personal and historic in scope, Homegoing is marvelous. Recommended by Christie
It's an irresistible 1970s road novel about runaway Mormons, but it's also an absurdly entertaining exteded monologue titled "Evel Knievel Addresses an Adoring Nation." If that's not enough to make you want to read Daredevils, then I can't help you. Recommended by Christie
Fantasy and Science Fiction.
Technology and Magic.
Talking birds, talking trees and time machines. Stories cast spells and artificial intelligence evolves by being a good listener. Intelligent. Exceptionally written. My top SciFi - Fantasy pick for 2016. Recommended by Alena
Without a doubt, one of the most beautifully written novels you'll ever read. Recommended by Jeanette
Sleeping Giants is like an episode of "The X-Files" written by Jules Verne. Imaginative, cinematic and utterly addictive -- if you love a good sci-fi thriller, you will not be disappointed! Recommended by Jane.
If you haven't read Jim Lynch yet, start now! Before the Wind epitomizes his perfectly drawn characters, immersive natural settings, and brilliant sense of humor. Plus: Boats! Recommended by Christie
Picking up this book I never expected to get a lesson in human prehistory and evolutionary biology inside a thriller. I now know more about recent advances in understanding prehistoric Neanderthals and other early humans than I ever expected to glean from an adventure story. Recommended by Katy
You know that feeling that your REAL life is occurring between the pages of a book, and having to get up and go about your own business in an interruption? That bustling, tragic, joyful, surprising life is going on without you when you can't be reading THE BOOK? Christodora is like that. I would have kept reading forever. Recommended by Christie
Agnieszka is a strong-willed and loyal friend, and she is certain her best friend will be the girl chosen to serve the Dragon, a local wizard with a fearsome reputation. But Agnieszka herself is chosen. Lushly written, enthralling. Recommended by Emily
As of today, this is my favorite book of 2015. (But, then, I am a sucker for fiercely independent, savvy seven-year-olds determined to do the right thing.) Add an eclectic cast of characters, fairy-tale wisdom, and a little mystery -- it's one of those books you want everyone to read. Recommended by Jane
For all you Dana Stabenow fans here's another good mystery writer out of Alaska -- meet trooper Nathan Active and the Inupiat Eskimo people. Recommended by Katy
