Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister On a beautiful June morning, literary agent Cam Deschamps has just arrived at work when she receives shocking news. Her husband Luke is involved in a hostage situation – not as a victim, Cam soon learns, but as the hostage taker in a standoff with police. The news is … Read more
The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens To most people, Hana Babić is an unassuming librarian, easily overlooked. Only her friend Amina knows the truth: that Hana is a survivor of the war in Bosnia who garnered a fierce reputation as a militia fighter following an unspeakable personal tragedy. After fleeing Bosnia, Hana cast aside her … Read more
Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham Mention the word “spy” and most people picture an action hero, not a professor combing through dusty archives. Yet that is exactly who extracted the intelligence necessary for the Allies to win World War II: librarians and … Read more
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon In the face of struggle it sometimes feels like the odds are insurmountable and that we cannot make an impact on our own. But the people in The Small and … Read more
Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out by Shannon Reed Why do you read? Is it to find companionship, escape, adventure? If you’re Shannon Reed, it’s for all those reasons and plenty more. As a child with a hearing impairment, books became Reed’s lifeline. That connection strengthened with time, … Read more
I’ve Tried Being Nice: Essays by Ann Leary Ann Leary is done being nice. No one can say she hasn’t tried, but after a lifetime of people-pleasing, and with her children finally launched, Leary has stopped bending over backwards. In this relatable essay collection, the novelist sheds her always-agreeable image and shares the nitty-gritty details of … Read more
Tell It to Me Singing by Tita Ramirez Life is not turning out the way Mónica Campo intended. Pregnant with her first child and newly engaged to a nice guy, Mónica can’t stop thinking about her ex-boyfriend Manny, despite all the ways their relationship went wrong. But things get even more complicated when Mónica’s mother develops … Read more
After Annie by Anna Quindlen Annie Brown dies at dinnertime, struck down by an aneurysm as she’s making the mashed potatoes. Her death is a shock; to those who love her, Annie is the heartbeat of life, and absent her steady sensibility, their lives are immediately upended. Husband Bill fumbles through his grief, incapable of parenting … Read more
The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai From childhood favorites to special meals with friends or family, few things bring us back to the past as immediately as the smell or taste of a particular dish. But sometimes foods become lost to time and circumstance, and that’s where Nagare and Koishi Kamogawa come in. From their … Read more
The French Ingredient: Making a Life in Paris One Lesson at a Time by Jane Bertch Midwesterner Jane Bertch wasn’t much of a world traveler when her job in finance took her overseas. But after spending several years in London, she felt ready to sign on to life in Paris. It wasn’t long before she fell … Read more