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The One Hundred Years of Lennie and Margot by Marianne Cronin

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. This story follows a seventeen year old and an eighty-three year old who develop a friendship in a hospital while facing death. When they discover that their ages add up to 100, they decide to do 100 paintings, one for each of their combined 100 years of life.

Members were delightfully surprised that the book was neither as sad or surface level as they had initially thought it would be. While sadness, grief, and illness are present throughout the story, the celebration of life is at the heart of the novel.

Lenni is a wise-beyond-her years seventeen year old who keeps a lot close to her chest. Readers know fairly early that Lenni is living in a terminal ward, but we are never told explicitly about what condition she is living with. For most of the book, Lenni completely omits any details about her treatment or symptoms, until they become impossible to ignore. Lenni is lonely, but she has an uncanny ability to draw the right people to her. Throughout the book, her found family is far more real and present than her biological one.

Through exchanging stories with Margot, Lenni gets a taste of the type of long and interesting life that is just beyond her reach. Cronin does a great job blending historical fiction with genuine intergenerational friendships. There are a few coincidental moments, but they blend well into the story rather than stretch the reader’s suspension of disbelief.

Our next book is The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami. Our meeting is going to be on September 14th at 6:30pm.

—EW

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My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

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In honor of our country’s semi sesquicentennial this month, the Light Bite Book Club read My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie. Most readers found this to be an enjoyable read, and they learned a lot about the Hamilton family and the time period immediately following the American Revolution.

This historical fiction novel is told from the perspective of Elizabeth Schuyler, also known as Eliza, who married Hamilton in 1780 at the age of 23. She was from a wealthy family residing near Albany, but the couple lived in New York City and Philadelphia during the course of the book. They also built a home in northern Manhattan called the Grange that can still be visited today (https://www.nationalparks.org/explore/parks/hamilton-grange-national-memorial). We particularly enjoyed the many references to local places in our tri-state area.

One of the things that surprised us in the book was the great friction between the Federalists and the Republicans, which is not so different from our two-party system today. Even then, representatives were resorting to all kinds of nasty tactics to promote their party’s agenda and candidates. It was also interesting to see the portrayal of so many other important people in the founding of our country and the establishment of government. Two of our favorites were the Marquis de Lafayette and Dollie Madison.

For further reading, some group members checked out the biography of Hamilton by Ron Chernow. And the 2025 Pulitzer Prize winner for biography was Pride and Pleasure: the Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution by Amanda Vaill, which would be another great source of information about this famous family.

In August, the Light Bite Book Club will read and discuss The Orphan’s Tale by Pam Jenoff, which is available at the circulation desk, Join us on Wednesday, August 19th at 1:00pm. New members are always welcome!

— CG

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Nightshade by Michael Connelly

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This month, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss Nightshade by Michael Connelly. Nightshade follows Stilwell, a new detective character for Connelly, who has been relegated to Catalina Island after a fight with another detective. Catalina is considered a demotion for the once successful homicide detective, but he is determined to make the best of it and has found some things to like about the island. However, he is thrown back into his old life when a murder victim is found in the harbor. Skirting the demands of Catalina’s Mayor, the police captain, and the detective assigned to the case, Stilwell is determined to bring justice for the victim. However, his determination is not without risk to his job and the new life he is building.

For those of us who remembered our discussion of Connelly’s The Burning Room, this book was a little bit of a let down. The characters were rather flat. Even a setting as unique as Catalina Island was flattened by a lack of description. Interestingly, one of the group members had been to Catalina and painted a very different picture from Connelly’s sparse description. Reading reader reviews, there was a trend of disappointment among fans of Connelly with some doubting that he even wrote the book. That being said, the book is not bad. Readers will want to untangle the mystery surfaced through the plot; they may even root for Stilwell and his budding romance with a Catalina Island resident.

Our next book is One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin. Our meeting will be on August 3rd at 6:30pm. New Members are welcome.

—EW

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Buckeye By Patrick Ryan

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Last week, the Light Bite Book Club met to discuss Buckeye by Patrick Ryan, which topped Amazon’s list of best books in 2025. While most group members like the book, some felt it could have been shortened and was a bit “soap-opera-ish” for their tastes. Others felt that the author created memorable, realistic characters dealing with the hard realities of life. Covering more than 50 years and spanning three wars, this lengthy book takes place in Ohio and centers around 6 main characters: two couples and their children.

Two of the characters in particular have some trait at birth that impacts them for their entire lives. Margaret is left at an orphanage before she is a year old, and although several foster families fail her and she is returned to the orphanage more than once, she develops a lasting relationship with the woman who runs it. When she turns 18, she moves to Cleveland, gets a job and apartment and eventually marries, but she has trouble forming lasting relationships with anyone throughout her life, even her own child. Cal was born with one leg shorter than the other, and although he compensates for this in many ways and lives a full life, he is unable to enlist during WWII and carries inside a feeling of inadequacy his whole life. These and other characters in the book struggle with a gap between who they are and who society and family expect them to be. The small town, midwestern setting contributes to the characters’ feelings of personal limitations. Other themes we discussed include the impact of war on both those who enlist and those who don’t, mistakes and forgiveness, long-term relationships, and secrets and their impact.

Next month, we’ll explore the Revolutionary War with the novel My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kaye. We’ll meet to discuss it on Wednesday, July 15th at 1 pm. New members are always welcome!

— CG

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Isola by Allegra Goodman

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss the historical fiction novel, Isola by Allegra Goodman. Isola follows Marguerite, a titled orphan who is being raised in her late parents’ estate by her devoted nurse. Her wealth and lands are entrusted to her guardian, a man who loses her fortune in failed sea expeditions. This leads to the upheaval of Marguerite’s life. A new family moves into the only home she has ever known, and she and her nurse are shipped off to live in her guardian’s home. As her guardian’s control on her life sinks in, Marguerite begins to see the precarity of her situation. Her guardian has total control over what she can and can’t do. When he takes her on his next expedition to New France, Marguerite is stripped of every protection she ever knew.

Marguerite is an impressive protagonist that everyone found themselves rooting for. She grows from a spoiled naive girl into a resourceful woman. Goodman balances rich descriptions and steady pacing throughout the book. Readers can easily imagine themselves in her settings, without being bogged down by overly detailed descriptions. Goodman also does a good job creating credibility in an incredible story.

Our next meeting is on July 6th at 6:30pm. We will be discussing Nightshade by Michael Connelly.

—EW

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How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss How To Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. Perrin’s middle grade series has been published in multiple languages, and How To Solve Your Own Murder is her adult fiction debut. It follows Annie Adams who is trying to pursue a career as a mystery writer when she is pulled into a mystery herself. Her Great Aunt Frances is found dead. Frances leaves instructions that her inheritance, which includes the house Annie’s mom lives in, will only go to the person who solves her murder. Annie tries to piece together clues surrounding the relative she didn’t know, not only to save her mother’s home, but also to find justice for Frances.

This mystery definitely leans more cozy than realistic. However, the group didn’t have trouble suspending their sense of disbelief and getting pulled into the world of Castle Knoll. If you are a fan of cozy British mystery shows, you will find familiar elements in this book: sleepy village, urban dweller showing up just in time for a mystery, charming residents who all seem to have secrets. Perrin cleverly uses journal entries to pull in Frances’s perspective. The trouble came from being bogged down by a large cast of characters and an abundance of red herrings. The legitimate clue to red herrings ratio seemed off to many in the meeting. In fact, we spent some time discussing the big reveal because some of us had trouble tracing how Annie was able to come to the conclusions she had. This book is the first in a trilogy, and it plants seeds that may grow into compelling plotlines and give readers more opportunities to visit Castle Knoll.

Our next meeting is on June 1st and we will be discussing Isola by Allegra Goodman. New members are welcome and encouraged to email [email protected] for more details.

—EW

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Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood

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This month, the Meet-Cute Book Group met to discuss Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood. This is the author’s first young adult novel. The main character is a young woman named Mallory Greenleaf, who is a former child chess prodigy, who retired from the game following the death of her father. Mallory works multiple jobs to make ends meet and provide for her family. She is pulled back into competitive chess after reluctantly agreeing to participate in a charity tournament.

It is at this tournament that Mallory wipes the floor with reigning chess champion, Nolan Sawyer. Sawyer’s loss to an unknown rookie sends shock waves through the competitive chess community. Mallory’s victory over Nolan launches her into internet stardom, bringing irresistible financial opportunities. Additionally, her meteoric rise places her directly in Nolan’s orbit, further complicating matters. What starts as a heated rivalry soon blossoms into undeniable attraction.

The group’s opinions on the book were favorable, with many appreciating the realistic dialogue and sisterly dynamics. One of the group members played chess as a child, and reading Check & Mate brought back fond memories.

Our next book for discussion is Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston. The meeting will take place on Thursday, May 14th, at 6:00pm. New members are always welcome.

—ST

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Flashlight by Susan Choi

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This month, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss Flashlight by Susan Choi. This creatively structured novel follows one family over decades and continents. Choi’s approach shines a light on a time in each character’s life, but does not give the reader all of the pieces.

This novel grew from a short story Choi originally published in the New Yorker. The book opens with the story, then dives into the past where readers are introduced to Seok, later called Serk, a child of Korean ethnicity growing up in Japan at the end of World War II. The end of the war presents his family the opportunity to return to their home country, but Seok is skeptical and longs to continue his studies in Japan. In the next section, we meet Anne, an American who runs away from home with a married man only for him to leave her and take their child to raise with his wife. Anne resigns herself to a quiet life when she meets Serk, who has found work as an academic in the United States. They marry and have Louisa. Louisa’s early childhood is tinged by her parents’ secrets and fights. When Serk reluctantly takes his family back to Japan for work, the bonds that keep them together are strained even further and the trip changes the trajectory of all of their lives.

Members of the Monday Evening Book group had trouble with these characters. Louisa is prickly, and it is difficult to read about her hostility towards her ailing mother. Serk is a demanding husband with very little regard for his wife. And, after years of hostility and struggles with her health, Anne grows cantankerous. Their unlikability, however, does not make them unsympathic. Some also found the narrative unbalanced: too much time spent on details and not enough on what happened. I think this is a symptom of the structure of the novel, which takes a unique approach to explore the theme of how we are shaped by what we do not know. If you enjoy family sagas that play over decades, Flashlight might be right for you. Just be aware, some answers are left in the dark.

Our next book is How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin. Our discussion will be in the Learning Lab on May 4 at 6:30pm. New members are welcome to join!

— EW

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Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin

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This month, the Light Bite Book Club read and discussed Home of the American Circus by Allison Larkin. The novel was set in Somers and mentioned many landmarks, restaurants, roads, and reservoirs we’re all familiar with, which was a plus for many.

The title of the book led several members to assume the book would be a historical fiction novel about Hachaliah Bailey and his elephant, Bet. However, the novel takes place in modern times and centers around Freya, a woman in her thirties who has just returned to Somers to deal with the house she just inherited from her parents who were recently killed in a car accident. The traumatic reason Freya left suddenly ten years ago is only hinted at for most of the book, but in her interactions with her older sister, niece, and close friends, we got the sense that she was still dealing with the event’s aftermath. It becomes obvious that Freya’s dysfunctional birth family is the metaphorical circus referred to in the title.

Despite all her quirks, most of us found ourselves rooting for Freya as she reestablishes her relationship with her niece Audrey, gets two part-time jobs, and starts saving money to make repairs on the house so it can be sold. The frequent mention of local spots such as Il Forno restaurant in Somers, the old Bailey Hotel (now a museum), Heritage Hills, and Dean’s Pond helped to hold our interest and made the book feel very familiar. Some turns of events seemed unrealistic, but the book ends on a positive note which was another plus.

Next month, we will read and discuss Culpability by Bruce Holsinger. The book is currently available at the circulation desk and we will meet of April 15th. New members are always welcome!

— CG

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The Sequel by Jean Hanff Korelitz’s

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This month, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The Sequel, Jean Hanff Korelitz’s follow-up to The Plot. The book group read and discussed The Plot about a year ago, and some were curious about what was in store for Anna. If you loved The Plot, The Sequel will either hit all the right notes or feel like a repetitive imitation. The Story follows a similar series of events: main character goes on a book tour, and then covertly starts investigating the source of the messages. The main difference is the main character, Anna, who proves to be a more than capable protagonist than her late husband. Her capability, which sometimes requires a reader’s suspension of disbelief, does not translate into likeability. Through Jake’s eyes, Anna was intelligent, enigmatic, and interesting. Seeing the world through her eyes, reveals her narcissism and shallowness. Quick to judge everyone and everything, Anna’s inner monologues proclaiming justification for her actions become tiresome.

That being said, there were some surprising and different twists. If you finish The Plot wanting more, The Sequel might be worth a try.

Our next book is Flashlight by Susan Choi. We will be meeting on Monday April 6th at 6:30pm. New members are always welcome.

—EW

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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“In every generation there is a Chosen One. She alone will stand against the vampires, the demons, and the forces of darkness. She is the Slayer.”

This post is my elevator pitch for one of the greatest shows ever written: Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It is the story of a sixteen-year-old girl named Buffy Summers, who is descended from a long line of female warriors. Buffy battles the forces of darkness (vampires, werewolves, demons, and the occasional witch) while attending Sunnydale High, which happens to have been built atop a Hellmouth (it’s a thing).

Thankfully, Buffy can vent about the struggles of slayage with her best friends, Willow and Xander. Willow and Xander never hesitate when following Buffy into dark sewers or eerie mausoleum. Oh, and the love of her life is a two-hundred year-old vampire named Angel. Check out The Caffeinated Librarians podcast, where Simona, Louis, Katie, and Joe chat about Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Copies of seasons one through seven of Buffy the Vampire Slayer are available for checkout through the MHLS catalog.

—ST

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Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors. This novel is told in the perspectives of three sisters in the wake of the death of their fourth sister, Nicky. Nicky, in a lot of ways, seemed to be the heart that kept them together. Without her, the remaining sisters retreat into their own corners of the world to grieve or destroy their lives, depending on how you look at it. A year later they are pulled back together, forced to confront their sister’s death, and each other.

This well written, heartfelt book was well received by group members. Some did find it predictable, but the writing and strong character development overshadow the spare plot. When aske who was their favorite sister, group members unanimously agreed on Bonnie. Bonnie’s easy to love, as she channeled her addictive tendencies into the disciplined life of a boxer. She ran away, but she comes back and you can’t help but cheer for her love story. Avery, a decade sober, and Lucky, in active addiction, are more complicated characters and engage in more dangerous and erratic behaviors. Lucky’s chapters, in particular, were difficult for some members to read. Yet, you root for them all, and Mellors rewards readers with a hopeful epilogue.

Our next Book is The Sequel, Jean Hanff Korelitz’s follow-up to The Plot. Our meeting is on March 2nd at 6:30pm.

—EW

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By the Book by: Jasmine Guillory

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This month, the Meet-Cute Book Group met to discuss By the Book, by Jasmine Guillory. This is the second novel in the Meant to Be series. The main character, Isabelle, is a young publicist who is desperately seeking her big break. She is overjoyed when she is given the opportunity of a lifetime to travel to Santa Barbara, California, and meet with one of her firm’s most successful-albeit crabby-authors, Beau Towers. Beau Towers is less than thrilled when Isabelle arrives at his mansion and flat out refuses to cooperate with her. Isabelle, however, is not one to give up easily, and she convinces Beau to begin working on his manuscript.

The group’s opinions on the book were mixed, with some members enjoying the subtle call back to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, and others feeling that the story lacked what made the Disney film enchanting and magical. Our next book for discussion is Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil, by V.E. Schwab.

The meeting will take place on Thursday, February 12th, at 6:00 pm. New members are always welcome.

—ST

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The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. Cam is the adopted son of the scandalous heiress, Ruby McTavish. Ruby has been in the news since she was kidnapped as a baby, and her notoriety did not end with her return home. Despite multiple marriages (and dead husbands) and to the chagrin of her sister, Nelle, Ruby is the sole heir of her father’s fortune and their family home. When she dies, Cam escapes escapes the McTavish home to start over on the west coast. Ten years later, Cam with his wife, Jules, must return home to deal with the covetous family who never really accepted him. Jules has plans of her own for Ashby house, if only she can make Cam understand.

Told through Jules and Cam’s alternating perspectives, news clippings, and letters from Ruby, The Heiress has a multifaceted complex plot and minimal character development. Most members could not put this book down when they started, and a few didn’t finish due to disinterest in the characters. Our discussion was very full and, even after a full hour, we probably could have kept talking about it. We barely talked about Ruby’s husbands except to consider they were superfluous to an already overburden plot. There may have been simpler ways to make Ruby notorious, even enigmatic, than what was portrayed in the book. Overall, if you like plot driven thrillers that take place over duel timelines, this might be the right book for you.

Our next meeting is on February 2nd at 6:30pm. We will be discussing Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors.

–EW

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A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

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This Thursday, the Meet-Cute Book Group met to discuss A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston. Eileen Merriweather is on her way to meet-up with members of her book group when her car unexpectedly breaks down. Eileen finds herself in a picturesque town that is strangely familiar. Imagine her surprise when she discovers that she has entered Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series. Eileen believes that she has been sent to Eloraton to provide each of the inhabitants with the storybook ending they deserve. There’s just one tiny hiccup in her plans: Anders, the handsome and grumpy bookstore owner. He isn’t happy with Eileen’s meddling and is determined to see her leave Eloraton for good.

Most of the attendees enjoyed the novel’s premise of a fan getting the opportunity to inhabit the world of her favorite novel. Some attendees did not find the immediate attraction between the leads believable, especially since they spent the majority of the time at odds with one another. I was of the opinion that the novel could’ve been shorter and that the plot dragged. However, the overall consensus was that A Novel Love Story was an entertaining read. Our next book for discussion is By the Book by Jasmine Guillory. The meeting will take place on Thursday January 8th at 6:00 pm. New members are always welcome.

—ST

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The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl

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This month, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. Stella has lived a very quiet, simple life, determined to be the complete opposite of her extravagant, attention seeking mother. When her mother unexpectedly dies, Stella is left with an interesting inheritance: a one way ticket to Paris. Reluctantly, Stella goes to Paris resolved to get it over with and return to the life she understands. Paris has different plans, however, and Stella’s sighting of an alluring dress opens a whole new world to her.

This book had a mixed reception from group members. Some relished in the descriptions of Paris, the food, and clothes, while other found the story lacking in plot and a little contrived. We all agreed that Reichl’s rich descriptions of food were a highlight. The history woven into the story was also greatly appreciated and inspired some members to do their own research. We had a great discussion about food and travel.

Our next meeting is on January 5. We will be discussing The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins. New members are always welcome.

—EW

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The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

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This moth, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. As Joe nears the end of his life, he recounts his life from the summer his younger sister, Ruthie, disappeared to the present. The guilt he carries from his childhood, turns into a rage that poisons his life as an adult until he is able to return home and face the damage he has done. In altering chapters, Norma recounts a lonely childhood with a sneaking feeling that her parents are keeping something from her.

The whole truth of what happened to Ruthie lingers in the back of your mind throughout the novel, however, this story is not a mystery. Instead, it is a book about cause and effect, forgiveness, and family. Our discussion included adoption and how it was handled in the 60s, the impact of DNA testing has had on families with secrets, and mental health. It was a lively discussion for a well-written book. Some thought the ending came a together a little too neatly, but, overall, the group enjoyed the book.

Our next book it The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl. Our discussion will be on December 1 at 6:30pm. New members are welcome.

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This Spells Love by Katie Robb

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Last Thursday, the Meet-Cute Book Group met to discuss This Spells Love by Katie Robb. After a rather hard breakup, Gemma meets up with her sister, her best friend Dax, and her eccentric aunt to eat, drink, and wallow in self misery. Gemma’s aunt states that she knows a spell that will enable Gemma to get over her heartbreak. Gemma doesn’t believe in spells, but she’s a little drunk, and decides that it can’t hurt to indulge her aunt. The spell works, and Gemma is thrust into an alternate reality in which she never dated her ex, and Dax no longer remembers her. Gemma learns that the spell is reversable if she can convince Dax to kiss her. Attendees enjoyed the book and agreed that the characters were likeable and relatable.

Our next book is Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. Our discussion will be on Thursday, November 3rd at 6:00 pm.

—ST

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Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li

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Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li, the Monday Evening Book Group’s October pick, has an intriguing premise, but doesn’t quite stick the landing. Harvard senior, Will Chen, is trapped to put together a team of unlikely thieves. Their job is to conduct multiple heists at museums around the world with the ultimate goal of returning art, looted from the Summer Palace in Beijing, to China. In between plotting heists, the team ponder what life after college will look like, what their dreams for the future are, their responsibilities to their families, and the nature of their identities as Chinese-Americans.

Li’s writing style was difficult for some group members to get into. At times, it felt repetitive and the pacing was off. With the premise, some of us were expecting more humor, but the book and the characters took everything very seriously. The repatriation of stolen art is a serious topic, but some humor may have lightened-up the first half of the book. The last half of the book is better developed and redeems the book as a whole. It is clear that Li knew how she wanted to end the story and she does a great job at it. The characters find their footing and the twist ending satisfies.

Our next book is The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters. Our discussion will be on Monday, November 3rd at 6:30.

—EW

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Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

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This month the Meet-Cute Book Group discussed Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli. Heartless Hunter is the first group in Ciccarelli’s young adult series, The Crimson Moth. It is a fantasy novel about a young noble woman named Rune, who masquerades as the vigilante known only as the Crimson Moth, in order to save witches from government execution. Rune’s identity as the Crimson Moth is compromised when she attracts the attention of an infamous witch hunter, Gideon Sharpe.

Our next meeting is on Thursday, October 9th at 6:00pm. We will be discussing This Spells Love by Kate Robb. A digital copy of this is available on Libby.

—ST

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Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

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Clean Sweep is book one in the Innkeeper Chronicles by the husband and wife duo, Ilona Andrews. Dina Demille is an unasuming woman who runs an inn in a small Texas town. None of her neighbors would ever guess that Dina’s inn caters to a very specific, easily offended and highly erratic clientele: extraterrestrials. This is an entertaining science fiction story that is packed with humor, heart, adventure, and romance.

—ST

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The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

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This month the Monday Evening Book Group discussed The Briar Club by Kate Quinn. This historical fiction novel weaves together the stories of the women living in the Briarwood House, a boarding house. The main story takes place in the early 1950s and the Red Scare looms over the house. Additionally, Quinn spends time with each of her characters delving into their pasts and experiences with the Great Depression, World War II, and more.

Grace March is the heart of the Briar Club and the heart of the novel with her ability to pull her neighbors together and inspire the best in them even though they all have something to hide. The murder mystery woven between sections devoted to each character keeps you guessing until the end. When the truth is revealed, readers were surprised and satisfied.

Our next meeting is on October 6 at 6:30pm. We will be discussion Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li. New members are welcome.

— EW

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For those who are looking for stories about the Fair Folk that are dark and twisted, check out these books!!!!

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Isobel, a gifted painter, gets into trouble after she paints a portrait of Rook, the fairy autumn prince, with sorrow in his eyes, an image that threatens both of their lives as they find themselves on the wrong side of the law for their love.

— Summary taken from MHLS

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They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Carden is even more beautiful then the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breath.

— Summary taken from MHSL

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Brie hates the Fae and refuses to have anything to do with them, even if that means starving on the street. But when her sister is sold to the sadistic king of the Unseelie court to pay a debt, she’ll do whatever it takes to get her back-including making a deal with the king himself to steal three magical relics from the Seelie court.

—Summary taken from MHSL

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Liska knows that magic is monstrous, and its practitioners are monsters. She has done everything possible to suppress her own magic, to disastrous consequences. Desperate to be free of it, Liska flees her small village and delves into the dangerous, demon-inhabited spirit-wood to steal a mythical fern flower. Liska is caught by the demon warden of the wood-called The Leszy- a bargain seems better than death: one year of servitude in exchange for the fern flower and its wish.

—Summary taken from MHLS

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Sixteen-year-old Rue Sliver, whose mother disappeared weeks ago, believes she is going crazy until she learns that the strange things she had been seeing are real, and that she is one of the faerie creatures, or Good Neighbors, that mortals cannot see.

—Summary taken from MHLS

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The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

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August was the perfect time to read and discuss The God of the Woods by Liz Moore because the story’s main timeline is set at a sleep-away camp in the Adirondacks during the summer of 1975. The novel begins when Louise, a 23-year-old counselor, awakens to find one of her campers is missing.

The mystery of the missing camper, Barbara Van Laar, unfolds through many characters’ points of view across years going back as far as the 1950s. Chapters jump around in time, leading the reader to experience a disorientation similar to being lost in the woods. Early in the book, the title is explained as “the origins of the word panic … she explained that it came from the Greek God Pan: the god of the woods. He liked to trick people, to confused and disorient them until they lost their bearings, and their minds.”

Early on, the reader learns that this is the second of the Van Laar children to go missing. Bear, an 8-year-old boy, was lost in 1961 and never found. The Van Laars are a wealthy family of bankers, whose public image of being trustworthy is all-important. This contrasts with Louise, Judyta (the young female detective assigned to the case), T.J. (the young female camp manager), and many of the people from the nearby town who work at the camp or who helped build Self-Reliance, the large estate owned by the Van Laars where the campground is located. Themes of wealth, privilege, corruption, motherhood, and identity and independence are explored. Most readers enjoyed the suspense and mystery that the author was able to sustain to the very end, although some readers felt the ending was not believable. Personally, I think this novel could be developed into a suspenseful and intriguing TV series!

Next month, the Light Bright Book Club will meet on September 10th (the 2nd Wednesday, a departure from our regular week) to discuss How to Read a Book by Monica Wood. The book is available at the circulation desk or on Hoopla as an ebook. Feel free to register to attend, as new members are always welcome!

–CG

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If You like K-Pop Demon Hunters, K-Pop and K-dramas, then check out these books!

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Gu Miyoung is a gumiho, a nine-tailed fox who must devour the energy of men in order to survive. After feeding one full moon, Miyoung crosses paths with Jihoon, a human boy, being attacked by a goblin deep in the forest. She violates the rule of survival to rescue the boy, losing her fox bead — her gumiho soul — in the process. Jihoon saw her nine tails, but he’s drawn to her anyway. Their tenuous friendship blossoms into something more … until a young shaman tries to reunite Miyoung with her bead. Now Miyoung must choose between her immortal life — and Jihoon’s.

–Summary taken from MHLS

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In this contemporary fantasy, the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god-turned-detective to track down a wrathful demon before it can destroy the mortal world.

–Summary taken from MHLS

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Deadly storms have ravaged Mona’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

–Summary taken form MLHS

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In a kingdom gripped by turmoil, privileged seventeen-year-old Iseul defies danger to rescue her sister Suyeon from the absolute power of tyrannical King Yeonsan, while Prince Daehyun, desperate to overthrow his his despotic half brother, forms an uneasy alliance with Iseul, leading them to join forces in a perilous gamble against the oppressive regime.

–Summary taken from MHLS

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Instead of going to prom, seventeen- year-old Elena Soo wants to spend her time saving the local community center, and she is determined to keep her priorities straight even when her childhood best friend — who is now a K-Pop superstar — returns to make good on their old pact to go to prom together.

– Summary taken from MHLS

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The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

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This Thursday, the Meet-Cute Book Group read and discussed The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center. Emma Wheeler is a young scriptwriter who is waiting for her big break. She has always put the needs of other above her own, and is the primary caregiver for her father. Emma receives the break of a lifetime when she is asked by an old friend to assist a popular screenwriter, Charlie Yates, in rewriting his disastrous rom-com script. Needless to say, Charles Yates is less than enthused when Emma shows up at his California home. What Charles doesn’t realize is that Emma never backs down from a challenge. All in all the book club members found the book sweet and enjoyable.

The Meet-Cute Book Group will meet on Thursday, September 18th, to discuss Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli.

–ST

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Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

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Deep End is another romantic gem by New York Times best selling author, Ali Hazelwood. Deep End tells the story of two college athletes who are on their way to the Olympics: Scarlett Vandermeer and Lukas Blomqvist. Scarlett is a diver who specializes in platform diving. Lukas is an athletic champion and captain of the swim team. Lukas assists Scarlett on her  journey of recovery from an injury that ended her season during the Olympic trials. Now coming back into a new season, and with the pressure of the up coming Olympics, Scarlett and Lukas find each other. What had once been only an arrangement between them becomes something more. Scarlett becomes a more confident person and diver. I found the romance between the two leads to be fun and authentic. I had such a fun time with this book and would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a different type of sports romance with just the right amount of spice.

–KR

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How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

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This month the Monday Evening Book group met to discuss How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley. This story follows Daphne, Art, Lydia, and Ziggy, four characters pulled together for a common cause of saving their community center. Lydia is an empty nester trying to find herself and her new place in the world by taking on the job of running a social club for seniors. When a falling piece of the community center celling disrupts her first meeting. Lydia begins to doubt her ability to run a successful social group. Good thing Lydia’s seniors have more spark in them than she expected, particularly Daphne who is always ready with a plan and Art who who has a flair for showmanship. Better yet, Lydia’s seniors aren’t the only people who rely on the community center. Without the community centers’ free daycare, Ziggy wouldn’t have a chance at finishing school, never mind go to university. Will they be able to come together to save the community center from developers? This was an uplifting read that the entire group enjoyed. Our next meeting is on September 8th at 6:30. We will be discussing The Briar Club by Kate Quinn.

–EW

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Erie Canal at 200

Image by Barton & Loguidice; courtesy of Schoharie Crossing, NYS Office of Parks, Recreation, & Historic Preservation

The Erie Canal is celebrating its bicentennial! Join David Brooks from the Schoharie Crossing Historic Site as he outlines the story of the canal and how it has been herald in pop culture, folklore, and history books. Discover how it was recognized at 100, and what celebrations the corridor has planned for its 200th! Register now at mahopaclibrary.org or call (845)628-2009 ext. 100.

–DS

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The Ghostwriter by Julie Clark

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Teenaged siblings Danny and Poppy Taylor were brutally murdered in their home in 1975. The killer was never found, but most people believed that it was their brother, Vincent.

The daughter of Vincent Taylor, Olivia Dumont was 10 years old when she found out about the murders. She then understood why her friends could not come to her house, and why her family were treated like outsiders. As a young teen she was sent away to boarding schools in Europe, neglected by Vincent for years, leading to a decades long estrangement.

Now old and sick, Vincent is a famous horror author who wants to write his memoir, and he requests that Olivia, a successful ghostwriter, work on it with him. She doesn’t want anything to do with him, but she’s had a bad year professionally and needs the money. Olivia takes the job, knowing her father will have to talk about the murders. She soon learns that Vincent has Lewy Body Dementia, and his memory is not reliable, and she also realizes that he might be hiding things from her, so Olivia begins to dig deeper into her family’s story.

The Ghostwriter goes back and fourth between the present day and the past, and the story from 1975 is told from various points of view recounting family drama, fierce sibling rivalry, teen romance, and secrets. Very well written, with good, believable characters and a riveting, satisfying mystery that kept me guessing. I couldn’t put this down! Highly recommended.

–CH

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The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner

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If you’ve ever wanted to scuba dive off the Amalfi coast with a hunky Italian dive partner, you should read The Amalfi Curse by Sarah Penner!

Before Haven Ambrose’s father died, he gave her the dive coordinates for what he thought were jewels sitting on the sea floor. The area off the coast of Positano is littered with shipwrecks, and Haven wants to locate the treasure before her father’s friend does.

What caused these ships to go down? Some say it’s the currents surrounding Capri and the other small islands off the coast. But there are rumors that a group of red-haired women known locally as the streghe can recite ancient incantations that turn the sea warm or cold, create waves or whirlpools, and they might be responsible for some of the wrecks.

The novel moves back and fourth in time between two characters, Haven in the present and Mari, one of the streghe, in 1821. An enjoyable example of magical realism, The Amalfi Curse is the perfect escape on a hot summer day!

–CG

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Gale Presents: Udemy

Stay Ahead of the Learning Curve

Did you know studies show that, on average, workers change jobs 12 times in their lifetime? That’s why it’s important to stay competitive. But how do you learn new technologies and keep up with a full-time job? The solution is the newest resource offered by The Mahopac Public Library: Gale Presents: Udemy.

With this online learning platform, users can explore thousands of continuously updated, on-demand video courses across 75 categories in business, technology, design, and more to learn anytime, anywhere. All courses are taught by world-class instructors and, best of all, you can feel good knowing that the content is fresh. Courses are updated or replaced monthly with new material on emerging topics, so learners develop skills in the most relevant, in-demand areas.

Give Yourself Some “Me Time”

Work-life balance hasn’t been overlooked in this content collection. Discover hundreds of courses for personal enrichment, whether its learning a new language, tapping into your creative side, or exploring ways to be happy and healthy.

How to Get Started

All it takes is a library card to gain access to thousands of online courses. With this resource’s intuitive platform, finding the right course is easy. You can filter search results by courses features, competency level, duration, topic, and ratings — and pave your own learning journey. You can also see top courses and trending skills. Plus, smart recommendations provide you with suggested courses based on the previous interaction you’ve had with the platform. When courses are completed, you can download a certificate of course completion.

Preview a Course

Before enrolling, users can review key information about a course, its instructor(s), and read student reviews on the course landing page. Every Gale Presents: Udemy course offers lecture videos the instructor has selected for preview, allowing you to sample the course content and the instructor’s teaching style. Take a look at this example.

The employment landscape may be continuously changing, but you can keep up with it. Learn anywhere, at any time, with Gale Presents: Udemy — on-demand learning for in-demand skills. Enroll Today!

–LJC

click here to get started

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Air Awakens by Elise Kova

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I would like to recommend the teen fantasy series Air Awakens by Elise Kova. This is a completed fantasy series consisting of five books. The protagonist is a seventeen year old library apprentice named Vhalla Yarl. Vhalla’s peaceful existence is shattered when she saves the life of Crown Prince Aldrik, and learns that she is an Air Walker, a class of sorcerers believed to have been hunted into extinction. Air Awakens by Elise Kova is perfect for fans of Avatar the Last Airbender.

–ST

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The Wedding People by Alison Espach

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This month, the Light Bite Book Club read and discussed The Wedding People by Alison Espach. Set in a fancy hotel in Newport, RI, the novel manages to be touching, thoughtful, amusing, and ridiculous all at the same time.

The novel centers around Lila and Gary’s wedding, which will take place after a full week of pre-wedding celebrations and activities. They have reserved the entire hotel for this, but somehow, Phoebe, a divorced, childless English Literature professor from St. Louis, had booked a room and is planning to kill herself there. Lila and Phoebe meet and are so blatantly honest with each other that they end up hitting if off and developing a friendship. Phoebe does not go through with the suicide but gets drawn into the lives of the family members and their histories. She feels an immediate connection with Gary, the groom, and his teenage daughter from another marriage.

Most of the group enjoyed the book for its setting and craziness, so different from our own lives. We talked about weddings and how they can become so expensive and overdone, and how sometimes the bride and groom seem so mismatched, as in the novel. We discussed how Phoebe and some of the characters were only just learning to truly be themselves, and to show their true selves to others. The novel was a bit like a soap opera, a bit like Bridezilla, but was an enjoyable read for most group members.

For August, we will be reading The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, and will meet on August 20th at 1:00pm for a spirited discussion. New members are always welcome!

–CG

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Long Live the Pumpkin Queen by Shea Ernshaw

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This New York Times Best Seller is perfect for fans of Time Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas. Have you ever wondered what happened to Sally after she married Jack the Pumpkin King? In Ernshaw’s imaginative narrative, reader’s will once again enter the magical world of Halloween Town, and they will discover that there is more to Sally than first meets the eye.

–ST

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Never Flinch by Stephen King

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This was a great thriller without all the gore for which King is known. It has two plots running simultaneously that converge in the end. In one, there is a serial killer out killing random people that are acting as surrogates for jury members from a recent trial. In the other, a well-known female celebrity speaker is being targeted. Holly Gibney from one of King’s previous novels is hired on as a bodyguard to protect the speaker while the police in Buckeye City struggle to catch a killer before 14 people are murdered. In the end the two stories will collide with a massive bang and the answers are revealed.

–HA

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Getting Reel – with Louis: July 2025 Movie Highlight: Drop

One of the many films we are adding to our DVD collection in July is the 2025 thriller, Drop. Drop stars Meghann Fahy as Violet who is dealing with some serious ex trauma, and is trying to get on with her life, not just for her, but for her son, Toby. Violet meets photographer Henry Campbell on a dating site and after three months of courtship, the two finally go on their first date. Chaos ensues on the date as Violet receives mysterious messages from a stranger in the restaurant telling her to do certain things, otherwise Toby will be killed. Violets first date in years turns into a nightmare and she doesn’t even get to enjoy her dinner.

If you’re like me, you will watch the first few minutes of Violets interactions with Toby and her sister, Jen, and think it’s corny and cheesy and wonder if any of the actors have had acting lessons, but trust me, get through that part. Meghann Fahy (The White Lotus) is great as Violet, and you feel her tension throughout the movie. Brandon Sklenar (It Ends with Us) is there as the patient, calm, deep-voiced, exceptionally grown mustached date. This movie is a fun, whirlwind that will keep you entertained and leave you feeling satisfied at the end. Make sure you come to the library to check it out!

Some other new movies we have coming to the library this month are Sinners (which was fantastic, by the way), Final Destination: Bloodlines (wasn’t the last Final Destination movie the LAST Final Destination movie?), Hell of a Summer, In The Lost Lands, Rust, The Wedding Banquet, Thunderbolts, and Until Dawn.

–LJC

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The Authenticity Project Review – Monday Evening Book Group

This month the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley. This novel follows six protagonists who find and contribute to the Authenticity Project, a notebook started by Julian to break out of the isolation of his life. In the notebook, each character writes something they find difficult to admit. Then the notebook is left for someone else to find it. After finding the notebook, they find each other and ways to create their own sense of community.

This uplifting book was well received by the Monday Evening Book Group. The Authenticity Project notebook brings together the six protagonists and helps them all find a cure for their loneliness. While the characters are all different from each other and have their own flaws, group members found them all likable.

The author uses multi-perspective storytelling to show the reader how differently the characters view the same events. This is best demonstrated in a scene where Monica and Alice view each other through a window. Monica, who is struggling with her desire to be a mother, sees a happy mom and her perfect child, while overwhelmed Alice sees a confident woman enjoying her life.

Overall, this is a good pick if you are looking for a heartwarming read and enjoy stories told in multiple perspectives.

Our next meeting is on Monday, December 2 at 6:30pm. We will be discussing The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino. New members are always welcome.

-EW

THE AUTHENTICITY PROJECT – CLARE POOLEY

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THE DEVOTION OF SUSPECT X – KEIGO HIGASHINO

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My Sister, the Serial Killer Review – Monday Evening Book Group

This month’s pick, My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite, gave the Monday Evening Book Group with a lot to talk about. As the title suggests, the main character, Korede, has a sister, Ayoola, who may be a serial killer. The story opens with Ayoola calling Korede to ask for help cleaning up after Ayoola stabs her boyfriend in what she claims is self defense. Korede is doubtful. After all, this is the third time this has happened. In the weeks that follow, Korede tries to make sense of Ayoola’s behavior and keep her away from Tade, the doctor Korede has her own eye on.

Braithwaite surprised us with this book. While not everyone liked it, and some found the characters difficult to understand, everyone had something to say. With this macabre premise, Braithwaite weaves together themes surrounding family dynamics, abuse, and pretty privilege. Since the book was not what we expected, we talked a little bit about how the book is described as “darkly humorous.” While none of us laughed while reading it, we did chuckle while discussing some of the more outlandish events in the story.

Our next meeting is on September 9 at 6:30PM. We are meeting on the second Monday because the library is closed on the first Monday of the month for Labor Day. We will be discussing Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. New members are always welcome.

-EW

MY SISTER, THE SERIAL KILLER – OYINKAN BRAITHWAITE

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TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW – GABRIELLE ZEVIN

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15 New Summer Thrillers You Don’t Want to Miss!

THE PARIS WIDOW – KIMBERLY BELLE

A dream vacation turns deadly when secrets from the past catch up to a married couple in Paris in this new edge-of-your-seat thriller.

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THE UNWEDDING – ALLY CONDIE

Ellery Wainwright is traveling solo at the luxurious Resort at Broke Point in Big Sur, California, where she was supposed to spend her twentieth wedding anniversary with her husband, but now she’s only certain of her love for her kids and her growing realization that this place, though beautiful, is unsettling. To add insult to injury, there’s a wedding at Broken Point scheduled during her stay. When Ellery discovers the body of the groom floating in the pool in the rain, she realizes that she is not the only one whose future is no longer guaranteed. . .

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THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM – LAURA DAVE

When the patriarch of a famed hotel empire dies under suspicious circumstances, his daughter and her estranged brother join forces to find out what happened, unraveling a larger mystery about who their father really was.

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THE MIDNIGHT FEAST -LUCY FOLEY

During the opening weekend of The Manor, a luxe coastal retreat built on top of old secrets, those in attendance all have an agenda but not everyone will survive.

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THE TRAP – AVA GLASS

British spy Emma Makepeace races against the clock to stop the Russians from carrying out a high-profile assassination in this gripping thriller from the author of Alias Emma.

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WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? – SHARI LAPENA

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

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THE FINAL ACT OF JULIETTE WILLOUGHBY – ELLERY LLOYD

Everybody knows that in 1938, runaway heiress artist Juliette Willoughby perished in an accidental studio fire in Paris, alongside her masterpiece Self Portrait As Sphinx. Fifty years later, two Cambridge art history students are confounded when they stumble across proof that the fire was no accident but something more sinister. . .

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TELL ME WHO YOU ARE – LOUISA LUNA

When Nelson, a troubled young man, confesses he’s going to kill someone and that he knows who she really is, psychiatrist Dr. Caroline Strange, when a woman goes missing, becomes the prime suspect, and to prove her innocence, must confront a past she’s spent her entire life trying to forget.

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THE HOUSEMAID IS WATCHING – FREIDA MCFADDEN

From New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Freida McFadden comes the next installment of the unbelievably twisty, tension-packed and globally bestselling Housemaid series. This book can be enjoyed as a standalone read: and once you start, it will have you up all night racing through the pages until the final explosive twist.

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ONLY ONE SURVIVES – HANNAH MARY MCKINNON

Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead. . .

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WORST CASE SCENARIO – T.J. NEWMAN

When a pilot suffers a heart attack at 35,000 feet, a commercial airliner filled with passengers crashes into a nuclear power plant in the small town of Waketa, Minnesota, which becomes ground zero for a catastrophic national crisis with global implications.

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HOUSE OF GLASS – SARAH PEKKANEN

A young nanny who plunged to her death, or was she pushed? A nine-year-old girl who collects sharp objects and refuses to speak. A lawyer whose job it is to uncover who in the family is a victim and who is a murderer. But how can you find out the truth when everyone here is lying?

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MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT – RILEY SAGER

Returning to his childhood home 30 years after his friend Billy’s disappearance, Ethan, plagued by strange occurrences, sets out to find out what really happened that night and, reunited with former friends and neighbors, finds his investigation leading him to a mysterious institute where clandestine research is performed.

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THE BUTCHER GAME – ALAINA URQUHART

From the New York Times bestselling author and cohost of chart-topping true crime podcast Morbid comes the thrilling book two in her national bestselling series, told from the dueling perspectives of a notorious serial killer and a medical examiner seeking justice.

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THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL – STEPHANIE WROBEL

A Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel in this fiendishly clever, suspenseful new novel.

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Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.

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New Fiction Coming in July

Here is a list of books coming out in July!

THE MATCH – SARAH ADAMS

Working with Southern Service Paws, Evie meets Jacob at a client consultation meeting and convinces him that a service dog is just what his ten-year-old epileptic daughter needs, and as she helps them find their perfect match, she longs for something she’s never had before–loving family.

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THE FIANCE DILEMMA – ELENA ARMAS

A fake engagement, second chances, and newfound family members come together in this new romance from the New York Times bestselling author of the “swoon-worthy” (Business Insider) The Spanish Love Deception.

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THIS GREAT HEMISPHERE – MATEO ASKARIPOUR

A speculative novel about a young woman-invisible by birth and relegated to second-class citizenship-who sets off on a mission to find her older brother, whom she had presumed dead but who is now the primary suspect in a high-profile political murder.

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THE AU PAIR AFFAIR – TESSA BAILEY

Jumping at the opportunity to be a live-in nanny for hockey veteran and newly single dad, Burgess, 26-year-old aspiring marine biologist Tallulah, while helping her tween charge fit in, helps Burgess get back on the dating scene, but when boundaries are crossed, they find their hearts on thin ice.

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THE HAUNTING OF HECATE CAVENDISH – PAULA BRACKSTON

New York Times bestselling author Paula Brackston returns with a new, magic-infused series about Hecate Cavendish, an eccentric and feisty young woman who can see ghosts.

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A NOVEL SUMMER – JAMIE BRENNER

Author Shelby Archer found inspiration for her novel from her coastal town, but its residents feel exposed. Heartbroken, she tries to focus until a friend requests help at their bookstore. With every every customer served, Shelby comes closer to gaining back the trust of those she hurt. But as the deadline for submitting the manuscript for her next novel nears, she is forced to choose between success and second chances

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BAD RIVER – MARC CAMERON

From a remote village perched on Arctic permafrost to the Badlands of South Dakota, searching for answers about his brother sets Arliss Cutter on an icy trail of murder and madness into the darkest heart of the Alaskan wilderness.

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BAD TOURISTS – CARO CARVER

Three tight-knit friends embark on an extravagant divorce trip to the Maldives where they can unwind and celebrate a new chapter in midlife – until they realize the resort of their dreams is harboring a killer.

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THE BURNING – LINDA CASTILLO

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder investigates a gruesome murder that reveals a little-known chapter of early Amish history in this next riveting installment of the bestselling series by Linda Castillo.

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GHOST CAMERA – DARCY COATES

When Jenine finds an abandoned polaroid camera, she playfully snaps a photo without a second thought. But there’s something wrong with the image: a ghostly figure stands in the background, watching her. Fixated on her. Moving one step closer with every picture she takes. . .

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THINGS DON’T BREAK ON THEIR OWN – SARAH EASTER COLLINS

Four couples gather at a dinner party. Some are ex-lovers, some are old friends, and two have a secret that threatens to undo all of their carefully crafted illusions before dessert is served in this thrilling suspense debut.

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ONE BIG HAPPY FAMILY – JAMIE DAY

The Precipice is a legendary, family-owned hotel on the rocky coast of Maine. With the recent passing of their father, the Bishop sisters—Iris, Vicki, and Faith—have come for the weekend to claim it. But with a hurricane looming and each of the Bishop sisters harboring dangerous secrets, there’s murder in the air—and not everyone who checks into the Precipice will be checking out.

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THE WOMAN WHO LIED – CLAIRE DOUGLAS

Emilia Ward is just an ordinary mum living happily in suburban London with her husband and two children – a teenager from her first marriage, a little boy from her second. She also happens to be the bestselling author of the Miranda Moody detective novels. But when Emilia embarks on her tenth novel, life takes a disturbing turn: an incident straight out of the plot of one of her novels occurs in real life.

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THE SPELLSHOP – SARAH BETH DURST

Kiela has always had trouble dealing with people. Thankfully, as librarian at the Great Library of Alyssium, she and her assistant Caz–a magically sentient spider plant–have spent the last decade sequestered among the empire’s most precious spellbooks, preserving their magic for the city’s elite. Then a revolution begins and the library goes up in flames. She and Caz flee with all the spellbooks they can carry and head to a remote island Kiela never thought she’d see again: her childhood home.

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PINK GLASS HOUSES – ASHA ELIAS

A seductive social satire about the wealthy PTA moms of an elite elementary school in Miami Beach, Pink Glass Houses is very Big Little Lies and Pineapple Street, but with diamonds, a tan, and a glass of rosé.

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THE WEDDING PEOPLE – ALISON ESPACH

Mistaken for a wedding guest while staying at the grand Cornwall Inn, Phoebe Stone, at rock bottom, is determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself, and unexpectedly becomes bride’s confidant and through her, meets a cast of surprising characters who help her start anew.

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THE GAME CHANGER – LANA FERGUSON

A hockey player and a baker shoot their shot in this steamy new romantic comedy.

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ROBERT LUDLUM’S THE BOURNE SHADOW – BRIAN FREEMAN

When secrets from Bourne’s past come to light, he may be the next thing that’s buried in this latest entry in the legendary New York Times bestselling series.

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THE SUMMER PACT – EMILY GIFFIN

Four freshmen arrive at college from completely different worlds: Lainey, a California party girl with a flair for drama; Tyson, a brilliant scholar and law school hopeful from D.C.; Summer, a recruited athlete and perfectionist from the Midwest; and Hannah, a mild-mannered southerner who is content to quietly round out the circle of big personalities. Soon after moving into their shared dorm, they strike up a conversation in a study lounge, and the seeds of friendship are planted.

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THE LOST BOY OF SANTA CHIONIA – JULIET GRAMES

Calabria, 1960. Francesca Loftfield, a twenty-seven-year-old, starry-eyed American, arrives in the isolated mountain village of Santa Chionia tasked with opening a nursery school. There is no road, no doctor, no running water or electricity. And thanks to a recent flood that swept away the post office, there’s no mail, either. Most troubling, though, is the human skeleton that surfaced after the flood waters receded. Who is it? And why don’t the police come and investigate?

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THE LOVE OF MY AFTERLIFE – KIRSTY GREENWOOD

For readers of Seating Arrangements and The Most Fun We Ever Had, a gorgeous and gripping story of two families brought together to celebrate an unexpected marriage, twelve years after a devastating tragedy upended their lives

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ZERO OPTION – W.E.B. GRIFFIN

Dick Canidy races to stop an assassin from disrupting a vital conference that will shape the course of World War II in the latest electrifying entry in W.E.B. Griffin’s New York Times bestselling Men at War series.

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THE BRIGHT SWORD – LEV GROSSMAN

A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a spot on the Round Table, only to find that he’s too late.

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THE BLACK BIRD ORACLE – DEBORAH HARKNESS

Diana and Matthew receive a formal demand from the Congregation: They must test the magic of their seven-year-old twins, Pip and Rebecca. Concerned with their safety and desperate to avoid the same fate that led her parents to spellbind her, Diana decides to forge a different path for her family’s future and answers a message from a great-aunt she never knew existed. . .

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THE MOONLIGHT MARKET – JOANNE HARRIS

Walking the streets of London, capturing whatever catches his eye, Tom–after a negative develops, revealing something unseen by the eye–is drawn further into a hidden war, forcing him to piece fragments of the truth to fight his own battle: both for the woman he loves, and for himself.

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THE BOOK OF BILL – ALEX HIRSCH

Bill Cipher, the demon that terrorized Gravity Falls, is back to tell his side of the story. Bill sheds light on his origins, his roles in many historical events, and more.

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BREAKING THE DARK – LISA JEWELL

In her most imaginative novel yet, #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Jewell (None of This Is True) launches the Marvel Crime series of thriller books for adults with an original story starring the private detective Jessica Jones.

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THE SAME BRIGHT STARS – ETHAN JOELLA

An uplifting and emotionally resonant novel set in a Delaware beach town about a local restaurant owner at a turning point.

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I WAS A TEENAGE SLASHER – STEPHEN GRAHAM JONES

1989, Lamesa, Texas. A small west Texas town driven by oil and cotton-and a place where everyone knows everyone else’s business. So it goes for Tolly Driver, a good kid with more potential than application, seventeen, and about to be cursed to kill for revenge.

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THE EX VOWS – JESSICA JOYCE

Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

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THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN – MARJAN KAMALI

When Homa, a girl from her childhood, reappears in her privileged world, Ellie, amidst Iran’s political turmoil, joins her in pursuing their goals for meaningful futures until one earth-shattering betrayal has far-reaching consequences, altering the course of both their lives.

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THE UNRAVELING – VI KEELAND

When she encounters a man with whom she has a tragic connection, New York City psychiatrist Meredith McCall becomes obsessed with Gabriel Wright who becomes her patient, and crossing all ethical and moral bounds to treat him, she finds herself spiraling dangerously out of control.

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WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? – SHARI LAPENA

Nothing ever happens in sleepy little Fairhill, Vermont. But this morning that will change. And one innocent question could be deadly. What have you done?

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A REFINER’S FIRE – DONNA LEON

In the thirty-third installment of Donna Leon’s magnificent series, Commissario Guido Brunetti confronts a present-day Venetian menace and the ghosts of a heroism that never was

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LIARS – SARAH MANGUSO

After marrying filmmaker John Bridges, who wants the same things she does—to be in love and live a successful, creative life, writer Jane becomes subsumed by his ambitions, whims and ego until her career flourishes, causing him to leave her, giving her a much-needed opportunity to live life her way.

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THE FAMILY EXPERIMENT – JOHN MARRS

When the company behind Virtual Children creates a reality TV show called “The Substitute,” 10 couples compete to raise a Virtual Child from birth to age 18 in a nine-month period where the prize is the right to keep their virtual child or risk it all for the chance of a real baby.

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THE FACULTY LOUNGE – JENNIFER MATHIEU

By the acclaimed author of Moxie, a funny, big-hearted adult debut that is at once an ode to teachers, a timely glimpse at today’s pressing school-place issues, and a tender character study, following a sprawling cast of teachers, administrators, and staff at a Texas high school.

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LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER – KIMBERLY MCCREIGHT

A gripping, moving novel about a daughter racing to uncover the truth about her mother in the wake of her disappearance.

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ONLY ONE SURVIVES – HANNAH MARY MCKINNON

Becoming the star is easier when the rest of your band is dead. . .

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THE GOD OF THE WOODS – LIZ MOORE

When a teenager vanishes from her Adirondack summer camp, two worlds collide. . .

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THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST – AMY NEFF

Unforgettable and utterly romantic, The Days I Loved You Most is an emotional, life-affirming novel that asks, What if you could write the final chapter of your own love story?

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CONFESSIONS OF THE DEAD – JAMES PATTERSON

Hollows Bend, New Hampshire, is a picture-perfect New England town where weekend tourists flock to see fall leaves and eat breakfast at the Stairway Diner. The crime rate–zero–is a point of pride for Sheriff Ellie Pritchett. The day the stranger shows up is when the trouble starts.

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HARD TO KILL – JAMES PATTERSON AND MIKE LUPICA

Attorney Jane Smith is mounting an impossible criminal defense. Her client, Rob Jacobson, is the unluckiest of the lucky. No sooner is he accused of killing a family of three in the Hamptons than a second family is gunned down. It’s not double jeopardy. It’s not double murder. It’s double triple homicide. Jane’s career has spanned from NYPD beat cop to Hamptons courtroom. She’s tough to beat. She’s even tougher to kill. The defense may never rest.

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THE WILDS – SARAH PEARSE

Since the dark events that scarred her childhood, Kier Templer escaped her hometown to live life on the road. She and her twin have never lost contact until, on a trip to a Portuguese national park, Kier vanishes without a trace. Detective Elin Warner arrives in the same park ready to immerse herself in its vast wilderness – only to hear about Kier’s disappearance, and discover a disturbing map she left behind.

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THE BRIAR CLUB – KATE QUINN

In 1950 Washington, DC, at an all-female boardinghouse called Briarwood, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic room, drawing her oddball collection of neighbors into unlikely friendship, but when a shocking act of violence tears the house apart, the women must expose the true enemy in their midst.

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THE BOOK OF ELSEWHERE – KEANU REEVES AND CHINA MIEVILLE

An epic from Keanu Reeves and China Miéville, inspired by the world of the BRZRKR comic books.

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STORM CHILD – MICHAEL ROBOTHAM

When the bodies of 17 migrants wash up on shore, Evie, who, as a child, was discovered hiding in a secret room where a man had been tortured to death, discovers, with the help of psychologist Cyrus Haven, she is linked to this tragedy that could unlock the secrets of her past.

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SLOW DANCE – RAINBOW ROWELL

Shiloh fled Omaha as soon as she could. So when a high school friend invites Shiloh to his wedding, the last thing she wants is to catch up with the old gang. But she buys a new dress, puts on some makeup, and pins a silk flower over her heart, hoping–and also worrying–that she might see Cary, the boy she never realized she loved until he was lost.

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HATE TO FAKE IT TO YOU – AMANDA SELLET

A waitress masquerading as an influencer and a wildlife photographer are on a collision course with romance-and chaos-in Hate to Fake It to You, a zany modern twist on a screwball comedy classic about figuring out what you really want-by pretending to besomeone you’re not.

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THE LOST STORY – MEG SHAFFER

An inventive new novel about a woman who wins the chance to rewrite every mistake she’s ever made… and how far she’ll go to find her elusive “happily ever after.” But there’s a twist: the reader gets to decide what she does next to change her fate.

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HUMOR ME – CAT SHOOK

For fans of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld, a hilarious, heartfelt novel about the healing power of female friendship, unexpected love, and stand-up comedy.

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A DEATH IN CORNWALL – DANIEL SILVA

Art restorer and legendary spy Gabriel Allon has slipped quietly into London to attend a reception at the Courtauld Gallery celebrating the return of a stolen self-portrait by Vincent van Gogh. But when an old friend from the Devon and Cornwall Police seeks his help with a baffling murder investigation, he finds himself pursuing a powerful and dangerous new adversary.

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THE NIGHT ENDS WITH FIRE – K.X. SONG

When her opium-addicted father plans to sell her to a violent, ill-tempered man, Mellin, with the Three Kingdoms at war, disguises herself as a boy and enlists in the army where she has visions of a sea dragon spirit that offers her true power and freedom, but with a deadly price.

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LOOK IN THE MIRROR – CATHERINE STEADMAN

When Nina’s father dies, she is left something in his will: a gleaming dream vacation home in a balmy tropical paradise. She’ll find out the hard way that what you inherit from those you love can end up costing your life in this heart-pounding thriller.

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THE CLIFFS – J. COURTNEY SULLIVAN

A novel of family, secrets, ghosts, and homecoming set on the seaside cliffs of Maine.

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BURY YOUR GAYS – CHUCK TINGLE

Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell. But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, “for the algorithm,” in the upcoming season finale.

PLACE A HOLD

Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.

Featured

Take My Hand Review – Light Bite Book Club

The Light Bite Book Club met on June 19th to discuss the novel Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.  This was an appropriate book to discuss on Juneteenth, as it was based on the true story of two young black girls, aged twelve and fourteen, who were sterilized without their consent by a federally funded agency in Montgomery, Alabama.

The story is told through a fictitious black nurse, Civil Townsend, who works for the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, which offered birth control to young women in the city.  In her work, Civil begins to question why girls who are not even menstruating or sexually active should be given birth control, and what types of birth control they are given.  She takes these girls and their family under her wing and helps them escape the abject squalor in which they’ve lived since their mother died.  

Some people in the group felt that Civil was not a well-developed character, and they did not feel very sympathetic towards her, while others noted that she was really the vehicle the author used to tell the true story from the perspective of someone closely involved.  Some group members were already familiar with the real case of Relf vs. Weinberger, while others only learned of it through reading this book.  Many of us were more interested in the girls’ story than in Civil’s story, and this kept us reading to the end.  We all agreed that the book was worthwhile reading, simply because it exposed some facts about past practices right here in the US that many may not be aware of.

Next month, we will travel to Michigan during cherry season with Ann Patchett’s Tom Lake.  Join us on July 17th at 1 pm for a lively discussion.  New members are always welcome!

-CG

TAKE MY HAND – DOLEN PERKINS-VALDEZ

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TOM LAKE – ANN PATCHETT

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Featured

The Librarianist Review – Monday Evening Book Group

What is a librarianist? This is one of the questions the Monday Evening Book Group explored during this month’s discussion of Patrick DeWitt’s The Librarianist. The word ending “ist” denotes someone who follows a distinctive practice, system, or philosophy, typically a political ideology or an artistic movement. The novel follows a retired librarian who had had a fairly quiet life shaped by the routine of his job. Briefly married once, Bob Comet has lived a mostly solitary life. This changes when a chance encounter gives him a new purpose.

Overall, this book was enjoyed by the group, particularly the second part which follows how Bob met and lost both his wife and best friend. The part of the book that was the least favorite were the chapters about Bob’s time as a runaway. This part of the story could have been fun, but didn’t seem to be meaningful to the rest of the story. Most didn’t think it added anything to the book at all and struggled through it.

Our next meeting is on July 1 and we will be discussing The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis. New members are always welcome.

-EW

THE LIBRARIANIST – PATRICK DEWITT

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THE MASTERPIECE – FIONA DAVIS

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Featured

New DVDs Coming in May

ANATOMY OF A FALL

Justine Triet’s masterful Palme d’Or winner, a riveting courtroom thriller starring Sandra Hüller as a writer who is put on trial for her husband’s suspicious demise, is a mystery that is less about a death than about the hidden lives we lead.

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ARTHUR THE KING

An adventure racer adopts a stray dog named Arthur to join him in an ambitious endurance race.

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BETTY’S BAD LUCK IN LOVE

Cursed from childhood to fail at romance, Betty’s relationships have always ended in disaster. But when she meets Alex, she’s tempted to try once more. Can true love prevail over a curse?

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BOB MARLEY: ONE LOVE

Celebrates the life and music of an icon who inspired generations through his message of love and unity. On the big screen for the first time, discover Bob’s powerful story of overcoming adversity and the journey behind his revolutionary music.

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DUNE: PART TWO

The mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

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FRASIER: SEASON ONE

The new series follows Frasier Crane in the next chapter of his life as he returns to Boston, Massachusetts, with new challenges to face, new relationships to forge and an old dream or two to finally fulfill.

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IMAGINARY

After Jessica moves back into her childhood home in Louisiana with her family, the reappearance of an imaginary friend from her youth sets in motion a threatening scavenger hunt with Jessica’s stepdaughter, Alice. As Jessica’s memories begin to surface, aided by cryptic stories from an elderly neighbor about a portal to the spirit world, she realizes the imaginary friend she left behind is very real, and very unhappy she left.

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KUNG FU PANDA 4

Po is gearing up to become the spiritual leader of his Valley of Peace, but also needs someone to take his place as Dragon Warrior. As such, he will train a new kung fu practitioner for the spot and will encounter a villain called the Chameleon who conjures villains from the past.

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MY ADVENTURES WITH SUPERMAN

My Adventures with Superman follows Clark Kent, Lois Lane, and Jimmy Olsen, three twenty-somethings figuring out who they are, who they want to be, and saving their city! Clark spent his whole life hiding his powers and wondering where he came from. But now, he’ll have to embrace his powers to keep Metropolis safe, all while falling in love with Lois and trying to uncover who he is.

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ONE LIFE

Tells the truet story of Nicholas Winton, who organized the rescue of hundreds of predominantly Jewish children from the Nazis on the verge of World War II. Half a century later, he is haunted by the memory of those he could not save.

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THE PRESENCE OF LOVE

Adjunct professor Joss travels to England to visit the farm where her late mother grew up and bonds with single-father, Daniel, whose family now runs it.

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SLEEPING DOGS

In this gripping crime thriller, Roy Freeman, an ex-homicide detective with a fractured memory, is forced to revisit a case he can’t remember. As a man’s life hangs in the balance on death row, Freeman must piece together the brutal evidence from a decade-old murder investigation, uncovering a sinister web of buried secrets and betrayals linking to his past. With only instincts to trust, he faces a chilling truth: sometimes, it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.

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THE TASTE OF THINGS

Cook Eugenie and her boss Dodin have grown fond of one another for over 20 years, and their romance gives rise to dishes that impress even the world’s most illustrious chefs. When Dodin is faced with Eugenie’s reluctance to commit, he begins to cook for her.

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Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.

Featured

New Fiction Coming in May

Here is a list of books coming out in May! If you missed April’s list, you can click here.

SUMMERS AT THE SAINT – MARY KAY ANDREWS

Welcome to the St. Cecelia, a landmark hotel on the coast of Georgia, where traditions run deep and scandals run even deeper. . . .

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THE GODDESS OF WARSAW – LISA BARR

From the New York Times bestselling author of Woman on Fire, the harrowing and ultimately triumphant tale of a Jewish WWII assassin turned Hollywood star.

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THE MINISTRY OF TIME -KALIANE BRADLEY

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible–for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time. She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore.

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MISTAKES WE NEVER MADE – HANNAH BROWN

Emma Townsend’s whole history with Finn Hughes can be summed up as a series of “almosts” and “nearlys,” and now they just kind of can’t stand each other. But this weekend, one of their mutuals is getting married … and Emma and Finn will have to pretend they don’t remember how disastrous it was the last time they were in a room together. Emma’s doing a stellar job of playing it cool–until the bride goes missing…

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REDNECKS – TAYLOR BROWN

A historical drama based on the Battle of Blair Mountain, pitting a multi-ethnic army of 10,000 coal miners against mine owners, state militia, and the United States government in the largest labor uprising in American history.

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THE LOST LETTERS FROM MARTHA’S VINEYARD – MICHAEL CALLAHAN

A tantalizing novel of two women bound by blood but divided by a long-buried secret, and the island that holds the key to the fateful summer that changed everything forever.

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ONE LAST SHOT – BETTY CAYOUETTE

A debut romance about a supermodel and a photographer with a past marriage pact who meet again ten years later on a photoshoot…

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A CYCLIST’S GUIDE TO CRIME AND CROISSANTS – ANN CLAIRE

Vicariously tour the sundrenched Mediterranean Coast in this perfectly escapist new cozy mystery series starring American expat-turned-bike tour company owner in Southern France.

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THINK TWICE – HARLAN COBEN

When his former client, renowned basketball coach Greg Downing, who is deceased, has been placed at the scene of a double homicide, sports agent Myron Bolitar and Win, his longtime friend and colleague, search for answers, but the more they discover about Greg, the more dangerous their world becomes.

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BAD MEN – JULIE MAE COHEN

Saffy Huntley-Oliver has a secret. A secret that she is deeply ashamed of. It’s not the fact that she’s a serial killer in her free time. In fact, she’s quite proud of that. After all she’s only killing the bad men. She is making the world a better place. No, her secret is far worse than that. Saffy has a messy, inexplicable, uncontrollable crush. So while she’s busy plotting her next murder, she also has the much harder task of figuring out how to get a boyfriend. But if there’s one thing Saffy knows, it’s how to get her man . . .

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SAVOR IT – TARAH DEWITT

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon…But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win – something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

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LONG TIME GONE – CHARLIE DONLEA

When DNA results reveal a disturbing connection to the mysterious disappearance of a famous baby nearly three decades ago, a woman’s search for answers draws her to an ominous small town in Nevada and a dangerous web of corruption, power, and lies.

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HOUSEMATES – EMMA COPLEY EISENBERG

Two young housemates embark on a road trip to discover themselves in this “beautiful novel about art, community and connection” (Rachel Khong) in a fractured America, by the award-winning author of The Third Rainbow Girl

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IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO ME – ALEX FINLAY

From “one of the genre’s most exciting voices” (E! News) comes one of the year’s most-anticipated thrillers.

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THE RED GROVE – TESSA FONTAINE

When her mother goes missing, a young woman uncovers the secrets beneath her protected community. What kind of world might we have, who might we become, if everyone were truly safe? What price would we pay for that kind of freedom? There are secrets beneath every community—even those founded with the purest of intentions—secrets as strong and reaching as the roots that keep us connected to one another and anchored to home.

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THIS SUMMER WILL BE DIFFERENT – CARLEY FORTUNE

When her best friend flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy follows her to Prince Edward Island to help her through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

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THE MAIN CHARACTER – JACLYN GOLDIS

A bestselling thriller author arranges a luxury train trip that is not what it appears to be in this electrifying modern homage to Agatha Christie

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WOMEN AND CHILDREN FIRST – ALINA GRABOWSKI

Nashquitten, MA, is a decaying coastal enclave that not even tourist season can revive, full of locals who have run the town’s industries for generations. When a young woman dies at a house party, the circumstances around her death suspiciously unclear, the tight-knit community is shaken. . . blame is cast, secrets are buried deeper. Some are left to pick up the pieces, while others turn their backs, and all the while, a truth about that dreadful night begins to emerge.

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THE HOUSE THAT HORROR BUILT – CHRISTINA HENRY

A single mother working in the gothic mansion of a reclusive horror director stumbles upon terrifying secrets in the captivating new horror novel from the national bestselling author of Good Girls Don’t Die and Horseman.

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LOOK ON THE BRIGHT SIDE – KRISTAN HIGGINS

From the author of Pack Up the Moon comes a funny, romantic, and deeply moving novel about the unexpected rewards that come from life’s detours.

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THE RETURN OF ELLIE BLACK – EMIKO JEAN

It’s been twenty years since Detective Chelsey Calhoun’s sister vanished when they were teenagers, and ever since she’s been searching: for signs, for closure, for other missing girls. But happy endings are rare in Chelsey’s line of work. Then a glimmer: local teenager Ellie Black, who disappeared without a trace two years earlier, has been found alive in the woods of Washington State. But something is not right with Ellie. She won’t say where she’s been, or who she’s protecting, and it’s up to Chelsey to find the answers.

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EVERY TIME WE SAY GOODBYE – NATALIE JENNER

The bestselling author of The Jane Austen Society and Bloomsbury Girls returns with a brilliant novel of love and art, of grief and memory, of confronting the past and facing the future.

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ALL FOURS – MIRANDA JULY

A semi-famous artist announces her plan to drive cross-country, from LA to NY. Twenty minutes after leaving her husband and child at home, she spontaneously exits the freeway, beds down in a nondescript motel, and immerses herself in a temporary reinvention that turns out to be the start of an entirely different journey.

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LIES AND WEDDINGS – KEVIN KWAN

From the iconic internationally bestselling author of the Crazy Rich Asians trilogy: A forbidden affair erupts volcanically amid a decadent tropical wedding in this outrageous comedy of manners.

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LOVE, LIES AND CHERRY PIE – JACKIE LAU

A charming rom-com about a young woman’s desperate attempts to fend off her meddling mother…only to find that maybe mother does know best.

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THE PARADISE PROBLEM – CHRISTINA LAUREN

A delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.

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LOVE AT FIRST BOOK – JENN MCKINLAY

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence. Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series – after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block – is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy…

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WHEN WE WERE SILENT – FIONA MCPHILLIPS

An outsider threatens to expose the secrets at an elite private school in this suspenseful debut novel for readers of My Dark Vanessa and Dare Me

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OYE – MELISSA MOGOLLON

When Miami residents are ordered to evacuate before a hurricane, everyone in Luciana’s family complies, except for her beloved yet batty grandmother, Abue. Abue, normally glamorous and full of energy, is given a devastating medical diagnosis. Luciana, and the rest of the family, are heartbroken, but Abue is about as interested in getting treatment as she was in evacuating. Soon, Abue moves into Luciana’s bedroom to recuperate, and though their approaches to life couldn’t be more different, their complicated bond intensifies…

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WHALE FALL – ELIZABETH O’CONNOR

In 1938, when a dead whale washes up on the shores of a remote Welsh island, Manon, seeing this as a sign of things to come, is drawn to two English ethnographers who are studying their cultures, reckoning with a sensual awakening inside herself, despite her misgivings that her community is being misconstrued.

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GODDESS OF THE RIVER – VAISHNAVI PATEL

A powerful reimagining of the story of Ganga, goddess of the river, and her doomed mortal son.

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A WEDDING IN LAKE COMO – JENNIFER PROBST

Best friends Ava, Madison, and Chelsea made a pact to reunite for each other’s weddings when their careers sent them in different directions. But after one of them makes a choice that tears the group apart, an upcoming wedding might be their last chance to heal old wounds.

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MIND GAMES – NORA ROBERTS

As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother’s. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie’s handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they’re about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb…

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VERY BAD COMPANY – EMMA ROSENBLUM

A gripping, darkly comic novel from the national bestselling author of Bad Summer People about a team of wealthy and powerful executives on retreat in Miami when one of them goes missing . . .

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WHEN AMONG CROWS – VERIONICA ROTH

When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear.

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THE BLAST FROM THE PAST – LUCY SCORE

Lucy Score’s suspenseful reluctant psychic Riley Thorn series features hapless Riley and her hot tattooed PI boyfriend Nick Santiago who’s determined to keep her safe at all costs. They’re are all moved in to their new fixer-upper, finally have their own place, and no new dead bodies for some time. But then a woman from Nick’s past shows up and throws a wrench into everything

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LAST HOUSE – JESSICA SHATTUCK

Spanning multiple generations and nearly 80 years, this emotional tour de force follows one American family, during the radical movement of the 1968 against Big Oil, as they are forced to reckon with the consequences of the resources that built their fortune and fueled their greatest tragedy.

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THE LIBRARY THIEF – KUCHENGA SHENJE

A strikingly original and absorbing mystery about a white-passing bookbinder in Victorian England and the secrets lurking on the estate where we she works.

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THE HONEY WITCH – SYDNEY J. SHIELDS

Twenty-one-year-old Marigold Claude has always preferred the company of the spirits of the meadow to any of the suitors who’ve tried to woe her. So, when her grandmother whisks her away to her cottage on the tiny Isle of Innisfree with an offer to train her as the next Honey Witch, she accepts immediately. But her newfound magic and independence comes with a price: no one can fall in love with the Honey Witch.

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THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB – HELEN SIMONSON

Constance Haverhill is without prospects. Her mother has just passed away, her brother is newly married, and now that the Great War is over, she has been asked to give up managing the estate she helped to run when the men all joined the army. It is suggested to her that she become a governess. But first, she will act as caretaker to Mrs. Fog, an old family friend who is convalescing at a seaside resort.

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THE MEDICINE WOMAN OF GALVESTON – AMANDA SKENANDORE

A downtrodden female doctor takes up with a traveling medicine show to support her disabled son, joining a German giantess, a bowlegged musician, an indentured Creek poet, and a handsome tinker under the thumb of a charismatic but menacing swindler on a collision course with the deadliest natural disaster in American history – the Galveston Hurricane of 1900.

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I HOPE THIS FINDS YOU WELL – NATALIE SUE

In this wildly funny and heartwarming office comedy, an admin worker accidentally gains access to her colleagues’ private emails and DMs and decides to use this intel to save her job—a laugh-till-you-cry debut novel you’ll be eager to share with your entire list of contacts, perfect for fans of Anxious People and Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine.

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LONG ISLAND – COLM TOIBIN

From the beloved, critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author comes a spectacularly moving and intense novel of secrecy, misunderstanding, and love, the story of Eilis Lacey, the complex and enigmatic heroine of Brooklyn, Tóibín’s most popular work in twenty years.

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ONE PERFECT COUPLE – RUTH WARE

Harkening to Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None, this high-tension and ingenious thriller follows five couples trapped on a storm-swept island as a killer stalks among them.

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THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM – KATE WHITE

A woman is left reeling when her former fiancé appears to take his own life, and she becomes desperate to prove it was actually murder.

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HOW TO READ A BOOK – MONICA WOOD

From the award-winning author of The One-in-a-Million Boy comes a heartfelt, uplifting novel about a chance encounter at a bookstore, exploring redemption, unlikely friendships, and the life-changing power of sharing stories.

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Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.

Featured

The Traitor’s Wife Review – Light Bite Book Club

In May, the Light Bite Book Club read The Traitor’s Wife by Allison Pataki and took a trip to West Point to see the historic site which has been an active military base since 1780.  Those who came really enjoyed the trip and book, mainly because the author was able to document many of the details and events surrounding the main characters, Benedict Arnold and his wife Peggy Shippen.

The story is told through a fictional character, Peggy Shippen’s maid, Clara.  Through her, we learn about Peggy’s romance with a British officer, John Andre, and her Loyalist tendencies.   We learn how she met and married Major General Arnold and seemed to be the influence behind his traitorous actions.  At West Point, there are maps naming the fort Fort Arnold, after the war hero and favorite of George Washington.   Because of her thorough research and attention to detail, the author makes a strong case that Peggy Shippen was the ambitious and materialistic mastermind behind the whole plot to turn over West Point and General Washington to the British in September of 1780.  If you have not taken the West Point Story public tour, we highly recommend it, along with a visit to the military museum there.

Next month, the Light Bite Book Club will read Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez and we will meet in the library on June 19th to discuss it (yes, the library is open!).  The books are available at the Circulation Desk and we encourage you to register in advance on our Events Calendar.  New members are always welcome.

-CG

THE TRAITOR’S WIFE – ALLISON PATAKI

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TAKE MY HAND – DOLEN PERKINS-VALDEZ

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I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Review – Monday Evening Book Group

This month, the Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. This book was met with mixed reception. It was the group’s first memoir and nonfiction book, which came as a surprise to many members. Angelou shares details of her life, starting with her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas and ending with the birth of her son. This is her first of seven memoirs. Some of us were struck by the concise nature of the book, which, at times, read like a chronological list of events. However, those who listened to the audiobook found that Angelou’s voice brings her story to life.

Many events in this book have stuck with me, particularly the moments when Angelou’s gumption shines. One example of this is when she drives her father’s car down a mountain in Mexico. Another is when she sets her sights on a cable car job. She makes a decision and acts. Many of us, regardless of how we felt about the book, found Angelou to be an exceptional person.

Our next meeting is on June 3 at 6:30pm. We will be discussing The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt. New members are always welcome.

-EW

I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS – MAYA ANGELOU

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THE LIBRARIANIST – PATRICK DEWITT

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New Fiction Coming in April

Here is a list of books coming out in April! If you missed March’s list, you can click here.

THE RULE BOOK – SARAH ADAMS

Representing famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, her college ex-boyfriend, agent Nora MacKenzie, when he tries to make her life miserable, sets in motion a scheme of her own, but when a wild night in Vegas leads to marriage, their rule book goes out the window.

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THE CEMETERY OF UNTOLD STORIES – JULIA ALVAREZ

When celebrated writer Alma Cruz inherits a small plot of land in the Dominican Republic, she turns it into a place to bury her untold stories–literally. She creates a graveyard for manuscript drafts and revisions and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her. Alma wants her characters to rest in peace, but they have other ideas, and the cemetery becomes a mysterious sanctuary for their true narratives

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THE GIRL FROM THE GRAND HOTEL – CAMILLE AUBRAY

A dazzling historical novel that brings readers into the glamorous world of the first (and doomed) Cannes Film Festival and the deadly atmosphere of Europe on the brink of war.

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A CALAMITY OF SOULS – DAVID BALDACCI

Set in the tumultuous year of 1968 in southern Virginia, a racially-charged murder case sets a duo of white and Black lawyers against a deeply unfair system as they work to defend their wrongfully-accused Black defendants.

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THE FAMILIAR – LEIGH BARDUGO

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a spellbinding novel set in the Spanish Golden Age.

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FELINE FATALE – RITA MAE BROWN

Politicians fight like cats and dogs, but when things take a deadly turn at the Virginia House of Delegates, Mary Minor “Harry” Haristeen calls on her beloved pets to help her crack the case and stop the fur from flying in this latest mystery from Rita Mae Brown and her feline co-author Sneaky Pie Brown.

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THE FELLOWSHIP OF PUZZLEMAKERS – SAMUEL BURR

Clayton Stumper might be in his twenties, but he dresses like your grandpa and fusses like your aunt. Abandoned at birth on the steps of the Fellowship of Puzzlemakers, he was raised by a group of eccentric enigmatologists and now finds himself among thelast survivors of a fading institution. When the esteemed crossword compiler and main maternal presence in Clayton’s life, Pippa Allsbrook, passes away, she bestows her final puzzle on him: a promise to reveal the mystery of his parentage and prepare him for life beyond the walls of the commune.

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THE MUSEUM OF LOST QUILTS – JENNIFER CHIAVERINI

Jennifer Chiaverini’s beloved and bestselling Elm Creek Quilts series returns with the first Elm Creek Quilts novel since 2019’s The Christmas Boutique.

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IT HAD TO BE YOU – MARY HIGGINS CLARK & ALAFAIR BURKE

In the latest thrilling entry of the bestselling Under Suspicion series by Queen of Suspense Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke, television producer Laurie Moran investigates the unsolved murder of a beloved couple celebrating the college graduations of their successful twin sons.

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SHARPE’S COMMAND – BERNARD CORNWELL

“If any man can do the impossible it’s Richard Sharpe…and the impossible is exactly what the formidable Captain Sharpe is asked to do when he’s sent on an undercover mission to a small village in the Spanish countryside, far behind enemy lines. For the quiet, remote village, sitting high above the Almaraz bridge, is about to become the center of a battle for the future of Europe. Two French armies march towards the bridge, one from the North and one from the South. If they meet, the British are lost. Only Sharpe’s small group of men stand in their way.

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THE HOUSE ON BISCAYNE BAY – CHANEL CLEETON

As death stalks a gothic mansion in Miami, the lives of two women intertwine as the past and present collide in New York Times bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s atmospheric new novel.

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ONE OF US KNOWS – ALYSSA COLE

A riveting thriller about the new caretaker of a historic estate who finds herself trapped on an island with a murderer–and the ghosts of her past.

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AN UNFINISHED MURDER – JUDE DEVERAUX

Sara Medlar may be retired as a bestselling author, but her career as an amateur detective is facing one final mystery–and it’s a killer.

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A KILLING ON THE HILL – ROBERT DUGONI

The Great Depression. High-level corruption. And a murder that’s about to become Seattle’s hottest mystery. It’s the kind of story that can make a reporter’s career. If he lives to write about it.

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CROW TALK – EILEEN GARVIN

Nationally bestselling author of The Music of Bees Eileen Garvin returns with a moving story of hope, healing, and unexpected friendship set amidst the wild natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest.

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THE HUSBANDS – HOLLY GRAMAZIO

When Lauren returns home to her flat in London late one night, she is greeted at the door by her husband, Michael. There’s only one problem–she’s not married. She’s never seen this man before in her life. But according to her friends, her much-improved decor, and the photos on her phone, they’ve been together for years. As Lauren tries to puzzle out how she could be married to someone she can’t remember meeting, Michael goes to the attic to change a lightbulb and abruptly disappears. In his place, a new man emerges…

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FUNNY STORY – EMILY HENRY

Daphne always loved the way her fiancé Peter told their story. How they met, fell in love, and moved back to his lakeside hometown to begin their life together. He really was good at telling it…right up until the moment he realized he was actually in love with his childhood best friend Petra. Which is how Daphne begins her new story: Stranded in beautiful Waning Bay, Michigan, without friends or family but with a dream job as a children’s librarian, and proposing to be roommates with the only person who could possibly understand her predicament: Petra’s ex, Miles Nowak.

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DARLING GIRLS – SALLY HEPWORTH

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life. But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. . .

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LOST BIRDS – ANNE HILLERMAN

From New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman, a thrilling and moving chapter in the Leaphorn, Chee & Manuelito series involving several emotionally complex cases that will test the detectives in different ways.

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CLOSE TO DEATH – ANTHONY HOROWITZ

Detective Hawthorne is once again called upon to solve an unsolvable case–a gruesome murder in an idyllic gated community in which suspects abound.

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JUST FOR THE SUMMER – ABBY JIMENEZ

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it’s now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They’ll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

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REAL AMERICANS – RACHEL KHONG

How far would you go to shape your own destiny? An exhilarating novel of American identity that spans three generations in one family and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?

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THE STONE HOME – CRYSTAL HANA KIM

Inspired by real events, told through alternating timelines and two intimate perspectives, this hauntingly poetic family drama and coming-of-age story, capturing a shameful period of South Korean history, explores the legacy of violence and the psychology of power, while highlighting extraordinary acts of devotion and friendship that can arise in the darkness.

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HOW TO END A LOVE STORY – YULIN KUANG

Two writers with a complicated history end up working on the same TV show… Can they write themselves a new ending? A sexy and emotional enemies-to-lovers romance guaranteed to pull on your heartstrings and give you a book hangover from brilliant new voice Yulin Kuang

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SHE’S NOT SORRY – MARY KUBICA

Meghan Michaels is trying to find balance between being a single mom to a teenage daughter and working as a full-time nurse. While on duty at the hospital one day, a patient named Caitlin arrives in a coma with a traumatic brain injury, having jumped from a bridge and plunging over twenty feet to the train tracks below. But when a witness comes forward with shocking details about the fall, it calls everything they know into question.

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ALL WE WERE PROMISED – ASHTON LATTIMORE

A housemaid with a dangerous family secret conspires with a wealthy young abolitionist to help an enslaved girl escape, in volatile pre-Civil War Philadelphia.

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THORN TREE – MAX LUDINGTON

A beautifully wrought novel on the aftershocks of the heady but dangerous late 1960s and the relationship between trauma and the creative impulse.

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EVERY TIME I GO ON VACATION SOMEONE DIES – CATHERINE MACK

Ten days, eight suspects, six cities, five authors, three bodies . . . one trip to die for.

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A GAME OF LIES – CLARE MACKINTOSH

Stranded in the Welsh mountains, seven reality show contestants have no idea what they’ve signed up for. Each of these strangers has a secret. If another player can guess the truth, they won’t just be eliminated – they’ll be exposed live on air. The stakes are higher than they’d ever imagined, and they’re trapped.

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ONE BY ONE – FREIDA MCFADDEN

A heart pounding, twisting thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of The Housemaid and The Coworker!

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INDIAN BURIAL GROUND – NICK MEDINA

A man lunges in front of a car. An elderly woman silently drowns herself. A corpse sits up in its coffin and speaks. On this reservation, not all is what it seems, in this new spine-chilling mythological horror from the author of Sisters of the Lost Nation.

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PATCHWORK QUILT MURDER – LESLIE MEIER

During a heatwave in Tinker’s Cove, Maine, part-time reporter Lucy Stone becomes unseasonably entangled in handmade quilts–and a twisted case of murder . . .

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DAUGHTER OF MINE – MEGAN MIRANDA

When Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake’s longtime local detective, unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she’s warily drawn back to the town–and people–she left behind almost a decade earlier. But Hazel’s not the only relic of the past to return: a drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge…including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother’s disappearance.

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YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID – K.T. NGUYEN

In this heart-pounding debut thriller for fans of Lisa Jewell and Celeste Ng, a first-generation Vietnamese American artist must confront nightmares past and present. . . .

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GRANITE HARBOR – PETER NICHOLS

A small town in coastal Maine is shaken to its core by a serial killer in this crime novel from Peter Nichols.

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TOURIST SEASON – BRENDA NOVAK

Trapped alone in her fiancé’s family ‘cottage’ as a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island, Ismay Chalmers, as she prepares for the storm, discovers some disturbing items hidden in a closet that have her questioning everything she knows about the seemingly perfect Windsor family-especially her fiancé.

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PAY DIRT – SARA PARETSKY

Legendary detective V.I. Warshawski uncovers a mystery with roots dating back to the Civil War in this edge-of-your-seat thriller.

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THE MURDER INN – JAMES PATTERSON & CANDICE FOX

Bill Robinson returns to the rocky shores of Massachusetts where he must solve a string of murders if he wants to save his inn.

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THE SICILIAN INHERITANCE – JO PIAZZA

Inheriting a plot of land in Sicily, along with a bombshell family secret—her great-grandmother Serafina didn’t die of illness but was murdered—Sara Marsala races all over the picturesque Italian countryside to solve a mystery and learn the real story of Serafina, putting her in the crosshairs of a killer.

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EXTINCTION – DOUGLAS PRESTON

A page-turning thriller in the Michael Crichton mode that explores the possible and unintended dangers of the very real efforts to resurrect the woolly mammoth and other long-extinct animals.

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THE PARIS NOVEL – RUTH REICHL

A dazzling, heartfelt adventure through the food, art, and fashion scenes of 1980s Paris–from the New York Times bestselling author of Save Me the Plums and Delicious!

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HOME IS WHERE THE BODIES ARE – JENEVA ROSE

After their mother’s death, estranged siblings Beth, Nicole, and Michael reunite to settle her estate. Beth cared for their mother till the end, Nicole battled addiction, and Michael distanced himself. Discovering old home videos, they stumble upon a forgotten night in 1999. The tapes reveal their father covered in blood, a dead body, and a pact. Confronting the disturbing secret, they face a choice: leave the past buried or unearth the truth their mother concealed.

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NOSY NEIGHBORS – FREYA SAMPSON

Nothing brings neighbors together like someone else’s secrets… At Shelley House, the walls have ears, and they’re attached to a ragtag duo of busybodies ready to pry, snoop, and generally annoy their neighbors into solving a crime.

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TOXIC PREY – JOHN SANDFORD

Lucas Davenport and his daughter, Letty, team up to track down a dangerous scientist whose latest project could endanger the entire world.

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MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE – JANET SKESLIEN CHARLES

The New York Times and internationally bestselling author of the “captivating, richly drawn” (Woman’s World) The Paris Library returns with a brilliant new novel based on the true story of Jessie Carson–the American librarian who changed the literary landscape of France.

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LUCKY – JANE SMILEY

From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning writer, a soaring, soulful novel about a folk musician who rises to fame across our changing times

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ONLY THE BRAVE – DANIELLE STEEL

In Nazi-era Berlin, Sophia Alexander shoulders immense responsibility after her mother’s death, managing her family and aiding the resistance. Amidst Hitler’s tyranny, Sophia assists in her sister’s daring escape from Germany, endures personal losses, and joins the Sisters of Mercy. Despite danger, she persists in rescuing Jewish children, defying surveillance and persecution, determined to help those in need, even at the risk of her freedom.

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THE SUMMER WE STARTED OVER – NANCY THAYER

Two sisters reconnect and pursue their dreams on the beautiful island of Nantucket, overcoming life’s challenges and finding new love, in this heartwarming and hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.

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TABLE FOR TWO – AMOR TOWLES

The New York Times best-selling author shares six stories based in New York City, which consider the fateful consequences that can spring from brief encounters, and a novella set in Golden Age Hollywood, told from seven different viewpoints, which stars the indomitable Evelyn Ross.

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THE GATHERING – C.J. TUDOR

A detective investigating a grisly crime in rural Alaska finds herself caught up in the dark secrets and superstitions of a small town in this riveting novel from the acclaimed author of The Chalk Man.

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CHRISTA COMES OUT OF HER SHELL – ABBI WAXMAN

Just when she thought she’d gotten far enough away . . . a life-changing phone call throws an antisocial scientist back into her least favorite place–the spotlight.

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A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD – DOUGLAS WESTERBEKE

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue meets Life of Pi in this dazzlingly epic debut that charts the incredible, adventurous life of one woman as she journeys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving.

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THE HEMLOCK QUEEN – HANNAH WHITTEN

In the second installment of New York Times bestselling author Hannah Whitten’s lush romantic epic fantasy series, the glittering and dangerous world of the Sainted King’s royal court is upended when Prince Bastian seizes control and a mysterious dark force begins to take over.

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THE HOUSE OF BROKEN BRICKS – FIONA WILLIAMS

Every marriage has its seasons…It’s autumn when we meet Tess, but her relationship with Richard is in a deep, cold winter. A winter so harsh, their union may never see the bright light of spring.

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Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.

Featured

Hello Beautiful Review – Monday Evening Book Group

This month Monday Evening Book Group met to discuss Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano, bestselling author of Dear Edward. This story follows four sisters and William Waters who is pulled into the sisters’ orbit by Julia, the oldest sister. Julia is the practical and ambitious sister, who always has a plan. Sylvie, the second sister and the closest to Julia, is the dreamer. Cecelia is the free-spirited artist and her twin Emeline is the nurturer of the family. The sisters are both different and the same, and William observes that they seem to be four versions of the same person. These tight knit relationships are forever changed after a devastating event sets off a chain of events that challenges what each character knows about each other and themselves.

Everyone at this well attended meeting agreed that this is a beautifully written book. While some of the characters’ actions and motivations can be challenging to understand, Napolitano does a good job of creating space for the gray areas of life. The book is billed as a homage to Little Women. Some found the Little Women connections to be forced. Others were inspired to return to the classic or read it for the first time.

Our next book is I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Our meeting is on May 6 at 6:30pm in the third floor meeting room. New members are always welcome.

HELLO BEAUTIFUL – ANN NAPOLITANO

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I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS – MAYA ANGELOU

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Featured

10 New YA Books to Check Out

WHERE SLEEPING GIRLS LIE – FARIDAH ABIKE-IYIMIDE

A girl new to boarding school discovers dark secrets and coverups after her roommate disappears.

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ICARUS – K. ANCRUM

Icarus Gallagher is a thief. He steals priceless art and replaces it with his father’s impeccable forgeries. For years, one man–the wealthy Mr. Black–has been their target in revenge for his role in the death of Icarus’s mother. To keep their secret, Icarus adheres to his own strict rules to keep people, and feelings, at bay: Don’t let anyone close. Don’t let anyone touch you. And, above all, don’t get caught. Until one night, he does. . .

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THE BLACK GIRL SURVIVES IN THIS ONE

A collection of fifteen horror stories centering on Black girls who battle monsters–both human and supernatural–face down death, and survive.

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THE BOY LOST IN THE MAZE – JOSEPH COELHO

From the UK Children’s Laureate comes a spellbinding YA novel in verse blending the ancient myth of Theseus and the Minotaur with the quest of a modern-day teen in search of his father.

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ARIEL CRASHES A TRAIN – OLIVIA A. COLE

Ariel grapples with her fear of her own mind and violent fantasies, driven by her desire to meet her parents’ expectations and societal norms, until a summer job at a carnival leads her to new friends who help her discover her struggle with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and find acceptance and support for her true self.

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THE REAPPEARENCE OF RACHEL PRICE – HOLLY JACKSON

When her mother, who disappeared 16 years before, reappears while a true crime documentary about her case is being filmed, 18-year-old Bel, not buying her mom’s unbelievable story about what happened to her, must uncover the real reason Rachel Price is back from the dead.

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THE BREAKUP LISTS – ADIB KHORRAM

A high school stage manager has to face his complicated feelings about love when he catches himself falling for the same guy as his sister.

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UNDER THIS RED ROCK – MINDY MCGINNIS

Neely’s monsters don’t always follow her rules, so when the little girl under her bed, the man in her closet, and the disembodied voice that shadows her every move become louder, she knows she’s in trouble. With a history of mental illness in her family, and the suicide of her older brother heavy on her mind, Neely takes a job as a tour guide in the one place her monsters can’t follow—the caverns.

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THE NO-GIRLFRIEND RULE – CHRISTEN RANDALL

When her boyfriend excludes her from participating in a roleplaying game, high school senior Hollie joins an all-girls group where an in-game romance has the potential to be more than just pretend.

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INFINITY KINGS – ADAM SILVERA

This electrifying conclusion to the Infinity Cycle finds Emil, the Infinity Son, and Brighton, the Infinity Reaper, facing off in an epic battle that threatens to destroy them both and everyone they love.

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Summaries are provided by MPL staff and the Mid-Hudson Library System catalog.