Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne

Title: Sociopath: A Memoir
Author: Patric Gagne
Genre: Memoir; Nonfiction

The author suspected she was a sociopath at an early age and received confirmation in early adulthood. This is a fascinating story about what sociopathy is, not what we've been told it is through fiction and film. Patric Gagne explains that she experiences feelings differently from most people, and some feelings are harder to access. She describes her condition as a sort of emotional learning disability. Frustrated at the lack of resources for people like her, she decides to get her PhD in psychology and focus on sociopathy with the goal of better understanding herself and helping others like her. Along with her mental health journey, she reflects on her friendships, romantic relationships and work as a manager in the music business in Los Angeles.

- Sarah

Check out Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne @ the library!

Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram

Title: Coup de Grâce
Author: Sofia Ajram
Genre: Gothic; Horror

Lonely traveler Vicken boards the subway planing to take his own life by jumping into the St. Lawrence River. Arriving at the stop he quickly discovers he's stuck. The subway station has become an endless maze of rooms and hallways. He's forced to confront as much physical danger as his mental demons. It's hard to say exactly which is worse for him, although for the reader the introspection may be more than some can bear. 

The book may or may not end happily (if it ends at all), thanks to some non-traditional structure. The book gives a small nod to the eccentric style of House of Leaves. It is a truly unique and beautiful read if you're in the correct space to do so.

- Kate

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The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Title: The Sequel
Author: Jean Hanff Korelitz
Genre: Mystery; Fiction; Audiobook

The antiheroine of The Plot returns for The Sequel. This time she is the writer who's borrowing material from her life for her work and who's receiving taunting messages suggesting someone knows the parts of her past she wants to remain hidden. But Anna is a formidable foe who intends to dig out the person responsible—maybe literally. Great fun if you're willing to suspend belief on the journey this story takes you. Plus, Julia Whelan narrates the audiobook, and she's spectacular.

- Sarah

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Open Throat by Henry Hoke

Title: Open Throat 
Author: Henry Hoke
Genre: Contemporary; Queer

Open Throat is an odd, bittersweet little novella told from the point of view of a mountain lion. The big cat lives in "ellay" not too far from the Hollywood sign actually. It routinely watches hikers, dog walkers, and keeps a protective eye on a homeless encampment. The cat, who goes unnamed for most of the novel struggles with human culture and it's own identity, and just exactly where it belongs (literally and figuratively). When tragedy strikes the homeless encampment, and the cat forms a friendship with a teenage girl it is able to put it's existence in perspective.

- Kate

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Good Inside by Dr. Becky Kennedy

Title: Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
Author: Rebecca Kennedy
Genre: Non-fiction

Parenting can feel impossible at times. It can be difficult to mold together what you’ve experienced from your own parents and the new strategies you’ve picked up along the way. Viral parenting expert and psychologist, Dr. Becky Kennedy, has written a guide to assist in those frustrating moments when you think nothing you do will change your child’s behavior. She explores how parenting starts with you and not your child. Some of the approaches Dr. Becky details may seem counterintuitive but have returned great results. She addresses situations like sibling rivalry, statements of hate, not listening, and refusal to follow directions, among many others. Good Inside will allow every parent at any stage of parenting to walk away with a clearer vision of how to reach their child.

- Tiffany

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

Title: The Wedding People
Author: Alison Espach
Genre: Fiction

Phoebe is having a rough time. Her husband left her for a colleague, and they all still teach at the same college. Then her cat dies. So she heads to a beautiful hotel on the Rhode Island coast determined to end it all. Instead, she meets a bride-to-be who ropes her into becoming one of the wedding party. And she meets a guy she has an instant connection with ... who turns out to be the groom. Funny and poignant, this story is one of my favorite reads of the year. If you like audiobooks, be sure to listen to this one!

- Sarah

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This Wretched Valley by Jenny Kiefer

Title: This Wretched Valley
Author: Jenny Kiefer
Genre: Horror; Thriller

The general plot is simple enough, a group of friends goes out to document and climb a previously un-mapped rock face in rural Kentucky. The author herself rock climbs as a hobby but the reader needs no climbing knowledge to enjoy. She never slows the story down explaining too much or looses focus on the action.

Things begin to go wrong for the group even before they set up camp. It's no spoiler that they don't make it out of the woods alive, the story is just how their bodies wound up in such strange conditions.

The woods and it's ghosts are hungry and Kiefer spares not a single vivid, gory, detail in her writing. It's both beautiful and completely disgusting. This novel is not at all for the weak of stomach.

Anything more would spoil the fun, there are plenty of surprises to keep horror fans on their toes.

- Kate

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Neither Snow Nor Rain by Devin Leonard

Title: Neither Snow Nor Rain: A History of the United States Postal Service
Author: Devin Leonard
Genre: Non-fiction

A fun, readable history of the long, sometimes wild history of the USPS. This is a story that really hammers home what a miracle the post office is, even if you find yourself frustrated by lost packages or stamp prices. What they manage to accomplish--and some of the unbelievable things they used to do to get the mail to people all over the US--will astonish you.

- Meagan

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The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer

Title: The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee: Native America from 1890 to the Present
Author: David Treuer
Genre: Non-fiction

In looking at what happened after the massacre at Wounded Knee, and with the closing of the frontier and the end, at least in the public's imagination, of a certain Indian life, Treuer sets a huge task for himself. The history is complicated not only by the sheer scope of Indian life in the US, but also by the diverse way that the various tribes interacted with the US government. Overall, the theme that made me cry most is summed up in this question he asks: "At what point do we cease to be Indian and just be people descended from Indians?" He eloquently and heartbreakingly exposes the deep philosophical questions of what it means to be Indian today, and how some people are trying to understand that. This is a beautiful, important book.

- Meagan

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Youth Group by Bowen McCurdy & Jordan Morris

Title: Youth Group
Author: Bowen McCurdy & Jordan Morris
Genre: Graphic Novel

Kay reluctantly agrees to go to youth group at her Mom’s new church, even though she’s pretty sure it isn’t the place for her. The cheesy music and the overly peppy youth leader are just not her vibe.

Imagine her surprise when she catches Meg and Cortland, the youth group leaders, exorcising a demon in the woods with Pastor Doug. It turns out that after the church service is over, they fight lessor demons that can’t inhabit their own form who possess unsuspecting people.

Kay joins them, as she is a blight, a person who is immune to being possessed. They quickly discover that these lessor demons have a plan, and only they can stop it!

Youth Group is a nostalgic read for fans of shows like Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Anyone who came of age in the ‘90s will enjoy the pop culture mentions, and if you ever attended a super church youth group and felt out of place, this book is for you!

- Katie

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A Country Road, A Tree

Title: A Country Road, A Tree
Author: Jo Baker
Genre: Fiction

This is the fictionalized story of Samuel Beckett, working with the Resistance and the maquis in France during WWII. It's really the story of survival, not only of the human body but of the creative spirit in the face of the worst sorts of pain, betrayal, fear, and hopelessness.

- Meagan

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Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

Title: Tangled Up in You
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance

Ren is very excited to start Corona Collage, and nervous about leaving the homestead for the first time ever. She is staring as a 22 year old, and has always lived with Gloria and Steve away from the rest of the world. Starting college will be her first time in the real world, and she can’t wait to learn.

When Fitz meets Ren he can’t help but think she is never going to make it on campus. She knows everything about the building on campus, yet has little knowledge of the real world. But there is something that sets him a bit off, and he can’t afford to be blown off track. He needs to graduate at the top of his class to start his life fresh, and Ren is a temporary distraction.

Then an assignment for an immunology class brings up a surprise from Ren’s past, and catches Fitz in a compromising position, the two embark on a reluctant road trip to find out who they really are.

This modern take on Rapunzel will delight fans of fairy tales. While this entry into the Meant To Be series requires a bit more suspension of belief, you will find yourself rooting for Fitz and Ren.

Tangled Up in You is a light read, perfect for those last summer weekends. 

- Katie

Check out Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren @ the library!

She's Nice Though by Mia Mercado

Title: She's Nice Though
Author: Mia Mercado
Genre: Humor; Essay Collection; Memoir

Mia Mercado hails from Glendale, Wisconsin. This sets the foundation to her essay collection about the turbulent existence of attempting to achieve peak Midwestern Niceness. From absorbing others’ embarrassment to not telling a date that you’re just not that into them, Mia nails the expectations women encounter in a male dominated world. Women are expected to not make a mess and clean up the messes around them without taking the credit. Mercado’s essays explore how she is aware of her follies and the importance of demonstrating change for future generations. This collection is full of snarky sarcasm and rich feminism.

- Tiffany

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Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter

Title: Murder in the Family
Author: Cara Hunter
Genre: Mystery

In 2003 the stepfather of a wealthy British family is killed, and his case goes cold. (20 years later) In the present day a team of experts has been assembled for a true crime show hoping to solve the case. The book is told mostly as transcripts from the episodes as they "air" on tv. Other information is delivered as forum posts, or text messages. So while the formatting may take some getting used to, the mystery itself is lots of fun. It's hard to say more without spoiling anything but what can be said is: Nothing is straight forward and nobody is who they say they are! There are so many zig-zags you may get a little lost, but everything comes together in the end.

- Kate

Check out Murder in the Family by Cara Hunter @ the library!

Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky

Title: Just Add Water: My Swimming Life
Author: Katie Ledecky
Genre: Memoir

Released just before Katie Ledecky's fourth Olympic Trials, this memoir shares the journey of one of the best of America's Olympians. She has dominated the distance races in swimming, and many sports fans who have followed swimming even at only a surface level in the past 12 years know her name. But this goes beyond the races, and shares where Katie's love of the water was first discovered, and her admiration of her older brother that led her into the pool and at least began her drive to improve her skills and her times in order to impress her brother. The part of the story that I found the most interesting was her trouble trying to figure out how to continue to practice as the COVID pandemic truly spread around the country, but before the 2020 Olympics had been postponed! Here is a fantastic book to read as you enjoy the international sporting event that always is demonstrated through the Olympic Games in Paris, France.

- Katrina

Check out Just Add Water by Katie Ledecky @ the library!

The Grief Cure by Cody Delistraty

Title: The Grief Cure
Author: Cody Delistraty
Genre: Non Fiction; Grief; Traditions

The Grief Cure follows the author on his journey grieving the loss of his mother. He explores options given to the grieving like laugh therapy, pricey retreats, and memory deletion. In the process, he uncovers how grief has evolved over time from a public activity to a private one. Readers in all stages of grief will feel drawn to this heavily researched memoir-ish book.

- Tiffany

Check out The Grief Cure by Cody Delistraty @ the library!

The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy Reichert

Title: The Kindred Spirits Supper Club
Author: Amy Reichert 
Genre: Romance

This is a sweet, light, fun read about two people trying to escape their respective family legacies, and the complicated ways these haunt them. (Hint!) With a touch of the supernatural, lots of local small town politics and feuds, and some sweet romantic gestures, this is a delightful little concoction of a book. Set in the Wisconsin Dells, it has a lot of local flavor and references that were wonderful to see!

- Meagan

Check out The Kindred Spirits Supper Club by Amy Reichert @ the library!

Cold by Mariko Tamaki

Title: Cold
Author: Mariko Tamaki
Genre: Young Adult

Told through two alternating points of view, Cold shares the story of a teenager who died too young as well as the story of the teenagers around town discovering what happened to him. The narrators are Georgia, a young lady who didn't know the dead teen, but can't seem to shake the feeling that she had seen him before - at her own house; and Todd, the ghost? spirit? of the boy who died, trying to piece together his own memories of what happened leading up to his death outside, overnight, left in a cold park. This book was an interesting exploration of what it means to be missing some of the information, and what worth there may be in putting it all together for yourself.

- Katrina

Check out Cold by Mariko Tamaki @ the library!

Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham

Title: Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
Author: Adam Higginbotham
Genre: Non-fiction

This goes through the Chernobyl nuclear disaster almost moment by moment, but also provides detailed context and history of the Soviet nuclear program. It's truly horrifying, and makes you realize how much worse things could have been if only a few things had been different. It's a really great read for anyone who likes disaster books!!

- Meagan

Check out Midnight in Chernobyl by Adam Higginbotham @ the library!

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

 

Title: One Dark Window
Author: Rachel Gillig
Genre: Fantasy; Dystopia

Elspeth Spindle should not still be alive. In her society, anyone who catches a specific disease has a tendency to develop magical abilities, and magic is forbidden in this society. Her father hid her and kept her safe...but in order to do so, he shipped her off to live with her aunt and uncle in the country, where she could be more easily sheltered and kept from society's prying eyes.

Elspeth has another entity trapped in her head, known as The Nightmare. It's a peculiar type of magic, and has brought her to the attention of the king's cousin who needs her help. But in order to help, Elspeth will have to share many of her long-protected secrets, and has to decide - is this the cause, and the person, who is worth the risk?

- Katrina

Check out One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig @ the library!

The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey

Title: The Widowmaker
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Genre: Mystery; Fiction; Suspense

Morgan heads back to her hometown of Black Harbor, a city in Wisconsin along Lake Michigan. She takes a job photographing the area's wealthiest family whose patriarch mysteriously vanished years before. Then she witnesses the death of a police officer who had been investigating the man's disappearance. As she becomes more involved with the family, she teams up with Ryan Hudson, the new lead investigator of the cold case. Great characters and an atmospheric setting make this mystery hard to put down.

- Sarah

Check out The Widowmaker by Hannah Morrissey @ the library!

The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr

Title: The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers
Author: Samuel Burr
Genre: Fiction

A young man raised by a group of eccentric puzzlemakers is sent off on a puzzle of his own, determined to find his birth parents. This sweet mystery has all the highlights of a cozy book: eccentric older characters, gentle mysteries, and a super sweet happy ending.

- Meagan

Check out The Fellowship of Puzzlemakers by Samuel Burr @ the library!

Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar

Title: Counting the Cost
Author: Jill Duggar
Genre: Memoir

This was an interesting recounting of a specific, rather unique, story of a child growing up - but what I found fascinating is the universality that was captured in this story.

Jill Duggar spent many of her teenage years on her family's reality television show. Her parents garnered the public interest with their very large family (currently 19 kids) and saw their fame as a chance to spread their own views on raising children and families under rather more strict conservative Christian ideals than are commonly followed in America. It was a chance for the public to see something a little unusual, but it also exposed their family to a world full of ideas and ideals that the children - especially the girls - had been very sheltered from.

This tells the story of which of those ideals Jill eventually began questioning as she grew up and moved out, forming a family of her own. While few of us can relate to having our lives splashed across tabloids and told through headlines, there is a commonality to the idea of having to begin looking at - and re-evaluating - those rules that we just accepted, for years, because that was what our parents said was true.

- Katrina

Check out Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar @ the library!

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

Title: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Author: Ocean Vuong
Genre: Fiction

If you love books that are beautifully written, this is for you. It is evident that “On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous” is written by a poet. The novel is a coming of age story of a queer boy in a Vietnamese family that immigrated to America. It is a love letter, of sorts, to his single mother. He breaks the rules of what he has learned of “masculinity.” He leaps into the rocky territory of vulnerability and honesty with family. He reclaims the reins of his story despite the traumas it holds. It will make you love harder and think about forgiving yourself.

- Tiffany

Check out On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong @ the library!

The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith

Title: The Running Grave
Author: Robert Galbraith
Genre: Mystery; Fiction

The seventh novel in the Cormoran Strike series shows Robin going undercover to investigate a cult. While she tries to get close to a client's son without arousing suspicion, she learns of the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of the cult leader's daughter. Was her death just an accident like his wife's death? Meanwhile, Cormoran interviews former cult members and sidesteps former girlfriend Charlotte's calls for help. Another enjoyable story following two of the most engaging detective partners in contemporary fiction.

- Sarah

Check out The Running Grave by Robert Galbraith @ the library!

A Paradise of Small Houses by Max Podemski

Title: A Paradise of Small Houses: The Evolution, Devolution, and Potential Rebirth of Urban Housing
Author: Max Podemski
Genre: Non-fiction

Do you love small houses, urbanism, walkable communities, history, or architecture? All of the above? Then this is the book for you!! Podemski looks at different cities in the United States and the ways that urban housing evolved in these cities, what it teaches us about mixed use neighborhoods and urban development, and why it was able to build such strong and vibrant communities. It also points to a future of smaller, more dense housing as a real possibility and bright spot in development and as a possible answer to some of our most pressing problems. I love my small, urban house, and I loved reading this book about other small urban homes!

- Meagan

Check out A Paradise of Small Houses by Max Podemski @ the library!

Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

Title: Kiss the Girl
Author: Zoraida Córdova
Genre: Romance

Ariel del Mar is ready to step away from the limelight and take a break after her last concert as one of the Siren Seven. With the promise of a year off, Ariel walks off the stage, and into another opportunity presented by her father, a solo career. Seeking any kind of normal life, Ariel sneaks out with her sisters to a concert by an up and coming band, and runs into dreamy lead singer Eric Reyes. 

Eric Reyes’ band is about to hit big, and when he runs into the girl of his dreams. He only knows her as Melody, and offers her a job on his tour. His band is everything, and he promises the rest of the crew that he won’t “Eric Reyes” it up, and break this girl’s heart. 

A modern musical retelling of the Little Mermaid, this book will have romance readers cheering Ariel/ Melody to find her voice, and for Eric to realize what is in front of him.

- Katie

Check out Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova @ the library!