June 2015 Library Reads Picks

The Truth According to Us: A Novel
by Annie Barrows

“It is 1938 in a rural West Virginia town and a young woman arrives to write the town’s history. Layla doesn’t really know what to expect from the town, and the town doesn’t know what to make of her. This is the heart of the South, the soul of small towns, where everyone looks out for you and knows your history. Sweet story tailor-made for fans of Billie Letts, Fannie Flagg, Pat Conroy and Harper Lee.”

- Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX

The Book of Speculation: A Novel
by Erica Swyler
Published: 6/23/2015/2015 by St. Martin’s Press
ISBN: 9781250054807

“A roller coaster of a read! This is the story of a librarian from a splintered family with a tragic past who is gifted a mysterious book that leads him to dive deep into his family’s history, all while his present life seems to be falling to pieces around him. If you loved Morgenstern’s The Night Circus or Kostova’s The Historian, this is a book for you.”

- Amanda Monson, Bartow County Library System, Cartersville, GA

The Little Paris Bookshop: A Novel
by Nina George

“Quirky and delightful, Nina George’s book focuses on Jean Perdu, owner of the Literary Apothecary, a floating bookshop. When a new tenant in his apartment building sets in motion events that force Jean to re-evaluate his past, he finds himself floating off down the rivers of France in search of lost love, new love, and friends he didn’t know he needed.”

- Beth Mills, New Rochelle Public Library, New Rochelle, NY

The Invasion of the Tearling: A Novel
by Erika Johansen

“The Mort are coming! Johansen introduces new characters and enticing bits of history, with the second volume of her intriguing tale of fantasy, mystery and royal politics. Kelsea, the new Tearling Queen, has broken the Red Queen’s treaty and prepares to suffer the consequences as her nation is about to be invaded. Readers will be eager for the final volume in the Tearling saga.”

- Lucy Lockley, St. Charles City-County Library, St. Peters, MO

In the Unlikely Event: A Novel
by Judy Blume

“The obvious ‘unlikely events’ of Judy Blume’s latest — the three plane crashes afflicting Elizabeth, NJ in one horrifying winter — set the framework for everyday unlikely events around love, family, friendship, relating all that can go so wrong, and so right, with all three. Readers will enjoy the period detail and relatable characters that feature in this hybrid domestic/disaster tale.”

- Becky Bowen, Kenton County Public Library, Independence, KY

The Rumor: A Novel
by Elin Hilderbrand
Published: 6/16/2015 by Little, Brown and Company
ISBN: 9780316334525

“Elin Hilderbrand has done it again! Grace is married to Fast Eddie, a successful real estate broker on the island. They live with their twin teenage daughters in a beautiful house with three manicured acres overlooking the harbor. Financial troubles, affairs or supposed affairs, teenage angst and shady deals kick the rumor mill on the island in high gear. The Rumor is the ideal beach book for this summer!”

- Claudia Silk, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield, CT

The Precipice: A Novel
by Paul Doiron

“When two women go missing while hiking a difficult part of the Appalachian Trail, Maine game warden Mike Bowditch helps in trying to determine where the women were last seen. Mike then discovers there is no shortage of people whose behaviors make them suspicious. With a puzzle that keeps the reader guessing, and a main character that you can’t help but empathize with, The Precipice is another home run for Doiron.”

- Lora Bruggeman, Indian Prairie Public Library, Darien, IL

My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry: A Novel
by Fredrik Backman
Published: 6/16/2015 by Atria Books
ISBN: 9781501115066

“From the author of one my favorite books of last year, A Man Called Ove, this book packs a similar emotional punch at the end, but has some significant differences. It is told from the point of view of Elsa, a seven-year-old child who loves Harry Potter, fairy tales, and her grandmother. Once I stopped trying to make the story fit my adult view of the world and entered into Elsa’s world, I had a whale of a time.”

- Janet Lockhart, Wake County Public Libraries, Cary, NC