Winter Reads by Mood

Cold nights can feel dark and long, perfect for cozying up with a good book. Whether you’re in the mood for a bone-chilling thriller or a fluffy romance, here are some recommended winter reads. 

Chiller Thrillers 

The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

This chilling thriller is set during a snow storm, making it the perfect winter read. A true-crime writer encounters a mysterious lost child while researching a crime that occurred in the same house years before. As they’re stuck inside due to the snow, the story slowly weaves together and the reader uncovers stories about the past and present. 

These Silent Woods by Kimi Cunningham Grant

Another thriller set in the winter season, this suspense novel is about an isolated father and daughter living in the woods. When their annual supply drop doesn’t arrive, the father has to confront ghosts from his past and debate their hidden existence while the threat of winter looms on the horizon. 

Classics By The Fire

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

A perfect classic for cold nights, Wuthering Heights explores themes of tormented love, revenge, and destruction while set on the bleak moors of Yorkshire. The dark setting and captivating story will keep readers entertained while lounging by the warm fire. 

The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

Filled with snow and magic, the timeless classic tells the story of the Pevensie children as they attempt to help Aslan break the curse and defeat the White Witch. This classic children’s novel is perfect for the cold as the land of Narnia is stuck in a permanent winter.

Cozy Romance

Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree 

This popular book blends fantasy and lighthearted romance, keeping readers warm and cozy in winter months. Viv, a retired adventurer, buys a coffee shop. A host of lovable characters help her build her dream cafe, including the cute barista she hires. 

The Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston 

Part contemporary and part paranormal romance, The Dead Romantics is a heartwarming love story perfect for reading when you’re warm and comfortable under a blanket. The story focuses on a ghostwriter who can literally see ghosts as she navigates through grief and newfound love at the same time. 

Winter Fantasy

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

This atmospheric fantasy novel is magical and intimate, ideal for reading on a long, cold night when you just want to stay home. After Adelin LaRue makes a deal with a dark god, she is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets, though in exchange she gets to live forever. The book is heartbreaking and beautifully written, contemplating what it means to live and die. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy is set in a wintery, cold land based on Russia. The novel features lots of ice and snow as Alina Starkov reveals her Grisha powers and travels to the winter court in order to train with the mysterious and powerful Darkling. Darkness looms over the land as she discovers hidden secrets about the Grisha. 

Interested in reading the titles above? They are all in our collection! Use your library card to check one out or put one on hold today.

Britt Poteet

Youth Specialist

Hampton Park Library

Adult Fiction Staff Picks: The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Jean Hanff Korelitz takes her time developing this complex family drama, beginning before Salo and Johanna, the parents of her main characters, have even met and shifting back and forth in time to explain the dynamics between Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally, triplets born in the early days of IVF. 

A childhood of togetherness leads the three siblings to try to go their own separate ways as teenagers despite the many entanglements that bind them. Struggling to maintain a happy facade after Salo’s infidelity, Johanna Oppenheimer arranges for a surrogate to deliver her fourth child from her remaining frozen embryo, then desperately tries to convince her children to bond with their sister Phoebe, the latecomer, and their biological quadruplet.

The Latecomer is a mesmerizing story that details the ways resentments build, secrets compound, lies unravel, and rifts grow and heal. The novel sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation and delivers it. But that’s by no means the end of the story in this modern family drama.   

At over sixteen hours, the audio version of the The Latecomer  is a great distraction on a long car ride for fans of richly detailed stories that show characters dealing with problems with no easy solutions. 

Jean Hanf Koreliz is the bestselling author of two of my favorite psychological suspense novels, the 2021 The Plot and its 2024 follow-up The Sequel. While it was hard to put down the more fast paced, plot-based psychological suspense novels The Plot and The Sequel, I can tell that the characters in The Latecomer, and their messy, relatable real-world issues will remain with me for much longer. 

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Adult Fiction Staff Picks: I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

 I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom by Jason Pargin

Reddit rumors spiral wildly out of control when an anxious vlogger goes offline to transport a strange woman and a mysterious sealed box from California to Washington D.C. 

Unaware that he’s the subject of internet speculation or that he's being pursued by a large, angry, tattooed motorcyclist, Abbot Coburn and the woman known to the Reddit community as GSG (Green Sunglasses Girl) bond in real life while traveling through middle America discussing their differences in this satirical novel that's equal parts smart and silly.

Adult Fiction Staff Picks: Life Hacks for A Little Alien by Alice Franklin - Adult Ficton

 Life Hacks for a Little Alien by Alice Franklin

In an effort to make sense of her world, an inquisitive young British girl compiles additional reading assignments to explain what qualifies as friendship and why her mother is so fearful of the police. When a late-night television special about the Voynich Manuscript sparks her curiosity, she becomes determined to learn as much as she can about the strange artifact which she hopes will shed some light on her own sense of alienation.

Life Hacks for a Little Alien is a thoughtful look at childhood on the autism spectrum. The story reveals the challenges of families coping with parental absence and mental illness. Language lovers and bibliophiles will appreciate the footnotes and subtext in this unique coming-of-age story.

Meet Author Will Leitch Tuesday, August 26 at Sharon Forks Library

 

Lloyd McNeil's Last Ride by Will Leitch

When an Atlanta police officer known for his de-escalation skills abruptly shifts tactics and starts charging into hot pursuits and bold showdowns wherever he can find them, the viral videos of his reckless acts of bravery raise alarm bells for his friends and family.   

Narrating his own story, Detective McNeil reveals that he's concealing a terminal diagnosis and hoping the substantial death benefit paid to families of officers killed in the line of duty will provide financial security for his thirteen-year-old son Bishop. 

Adult Fiction Staff Picks: Community Board by Tara Conklin

 Community Board by Tara Conklin 

When her husband abandons her for a professional sky diver, twenty-nine-year-old Darcy Clipper retreats to her childhood home of Murbridge, Massachusetts.  Alone in the home her parents have vacated, Darcy fills her days typing and deleting a series of angry emails to her ex, reading the local community board online, and picking up odd jobs like finding lost pets and testing playground equipment.  

Community Board is a timely story about restarting when things don’t go as planned, finding your own tribe, and the unique dramas found in small towns.  

I really enjoyed this humorous, slow building novel, especially once Darcy emerges from her self-imposed isolation and starts interacting in person with the colorful characters of Murbridge, uncovers a mystery, and helps a family facing harrassment. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Staff Picks: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - Adult Fiction

 

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

Summer reading isn't just for lighthearted, easy reads. Are you like me and prefer your summer reads to be emotionally fraught, with important themes of loss, love, family ties, and memory? If so, then The Berry Pickers might be your next read. The debut novel of Canadian writer Amanda Peters was the winner of the 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction, 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers Award, 2024 Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence, and 2024 Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction. 

The story centers around Ruthie, a four-year-old Mi'kmaq girl from Nova Scotia, who goes missing while her family is berry picking in Maine. Alternating between the point of view of Ruthie and her brother, Joe, readers journey across the years to witness the effects of  trauma and family secrets. Ruthie (later known as Norma) tries to make sense of her childhood dreams that hint at the truth. Meanwhile, Joe spends his life trying to outrun his own demons. Ultimately, The Berry Pickers is a tale of the familial ties that bind, the enduring nature of love and family, and the lasting consequences of our actions. 

The audiobook version of the book is beautifully narrated by Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch. 

Tracy MacNaughton

Information Specialist

Novel Realities Book Discussion July 8 at Sharon Forks Library The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

 

The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin

Anxiety-inducing global conflicts, overpopulation, and food scarcity weigh heavy on the mind of draftsman George Orr who believes that his nightly dreams impact reality. Guilt-stricken and terrified by the power of his subconscious, George self-medicates in an attempt to ward off sleep. When George's drug use is discovered, he's forced into a psychiatric treatment program under the care of psychiatrist and sleep researcher Dr. William Haber. 

Like everyone else, Dr. Haber is certain that George is delusional and forces him into an experimental sleep therapy. Even after awakening to a world altered by Dr. Haber’s suggestions during their session, George is unable to convince his therapist that anything has changed. Still, Dr. Haber is so fascinated by George's disorder that he decides to test his new patient's abilities.  

Staff Picks: Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

I've always been fascinated by the unique culture of Japan. Here are two of my favorite recent reads from the Land of the Rising Sun.

Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto

When Shoji Morimoto’s boss criticized his job performance and accused him of doing nothing, Morimoto wondered if doing nothing could become his life’s work. In 2018 he started accepting requests to show up and do nothing. It’s a unique hobby that’s proved worthwhile as thousands of customers in and around Tokyo have requested Morimoto’s humble presence. 

Morimoto candidly describes the types of requests he receives. He’s been asked to share meals with strangers, wave to departing vacationers, visit people in the hospital, and accompany people on various outings.  

Morimoto rejects the idea that one's worth dereives from their productivity and says, “people have a value even if they do nothing.” 

This slim memoir is an interesting look at modern Japanese culture and the universal desire for human connection. I love the fact that Shoji Morimoto found people who would appreciate his presence in silence and that he was able to author an international bestseller while “doing nothing.” 

Staff Picks: Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession

 

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession

Rónán Hession’s Leonard and Hungry Paul is a thoughtful and amusing story about two thirty-something male friends navigating through a few of life’s major and minor turning points. Leonard is adjusting to living alone after his mother's passing while best friend Hungry Paul, the baby of a close knit family of four, is being lightly pressured by his engaged older sister to find a real career and move out of the family home. 

The novelty of the story is that differences of opinion are handled with respect and good will. If you’re used to reading fast-paced stories full of unsavory characters and lots of conflict, Leonard and Hungry Paul is a refreshing change of pace featuring relatable characters you'll enjoy getting to know. Bibliophiles will also appreciate Leonard's literary aspirations and Hungry Paul's attempt to win a writing contest. 

Rónán Hession is an Irish writer, musician, and social worker who has released three musical albums under the name Mumblin' Def Ro. Published in 2019. Leonard and Hungry Paul was chosen for the 2021 One Dublin, One Book festival and a finalist for both the Irish Book of the Year and the British Book of the Year awards. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Dublin
Image Credit: sfabisuk from Getty via Canva

Staff Picks: Small Town Stories

I grew up in a midwestern suburb but spent each summer visiting my grandparent's rural home in Southern New Jersey.  Small towns are great for biking on country roads past picturesque farms and woodlands, exploring nature, buying farm-fresh corn at roadside vegetable stands, and spending long lazy days swimming or just enjoying the sunshine. When you aren't the one stacking hay and shucking corn, the relaxed pace of small town living offers extra time for my favorite pastime of all - reading. I still enjoy reading stories about the lives of people living in small towns. 

Stories set in small towns are on display this month at Sharon Forks Library but they don't all focus on the idyllic side. Check out Delilah S. Dawson's Bloom, a dark fantasy about a woman whose life takes a very strange turn when she makes a new friend at a local farmer's market, Jane Harper's Exiles, a mystery set in South Australia's wine country, Olga Tokarczuk's award-winning Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, or the Ray Bradbuy classic, Dandelion Wine. 

What are your favorite books set in small towns? 

Staff Picks: Slow Horses by Mick Heron

 

Slow Horses by Mick Herron

If you love quirky spy novels and British humor, check out Mick Herron's Slow Horses. His Slough House series is what Apple TV's runaway hit show Slow Horses is based upon (The series was just approved for Season Six). 

Slough House is where MI5 agents go when they turn out to be less than spectacular in their roles or make disastrous mistakes. The characters find themselves involved in a myriad of intrigue with very mixed results and often a good bit of mayhem.

Joan Dudzinski, MLIS
Branch Manager

Jewish Book Month November 24 - December 24

In honor of Jewish Book Month here are a few more of my favorite books by Jewish authors. 

The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo’s The Familiar is an immersive historical fantasy novel about a sassy scullion who hides her Jewish ancestory as well as her magical abilities during the Spanish Inquisition. I loved this mesmerizing and thought-provoking story. 

Celebrate Jewish Book Month November 24 to December 24

Jewish Book Month was started in 1925 by Fanny Goldstein at the Boston Public Library to celebrate Jewish books and promote Jewish authors.  

Here are a few of my favorite books by Jewish authors. 

People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks

This eye-opening and intricately plotted historical fiction novel chronicles the journey of an illuminated manuscript through seven centuries of Jewish persecutions. It's one of my favorite historical fiction novels. 

Local Author Spotlight: Dr. Ashley Baker, Author of The Furious Others

 

The Furious Others by Ashley Baker

In her newly released novel The Furious Others, Dr. Ashley Baker describes the final hours in the lives of ten young women who have been the victims of a serial killer.  

Rather than telling the story from the perspective of the killer, The Furious Others flips the traditional horror novel format and begins in Purgatory, where the killer stands condemned for multiple murders. Chapter by chapter, the book reveals the sinister side of Jason LeDown through the eyes of his victims and the few lucky souls who survived their encounters with the brainy, awkward, and angry young man. 

Staff Picks: The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

 

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due

Racial injustice undermines every aspect of life for African Americans living in Gracetown, Florida in 1950 and spirits, visible only to children often linger long after passings in the form of “haints”.  

When his mother passes away from cancer and his civil right activist father flees the state amid accusations and threats, twelve-year-old Robbie Stevens is left in the care of his older sister, Gloria. Defending his sister from the son of a powerful landowner earns Robbie a six-month sentence at the Gracetown School for Boys where his ability to see haints reveals a disturbing history. 

The Reformatoy is a spellbinding historical fiction novel based on the true story of the infamous Dozier School for Boys which operated from 1900 to 2011 in Marianna, Florida. Despite the dark subject matter, I really enjoyed this multi-layered and suspenseful story. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Staff Picks: Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima

Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima

He was sick of being blamed for things that could be fixed,
with a little more understanding. The Devil told them about
the brain, but they only ended up with the abomination of
lobotomy. 

 From Craft: Stories I Wrote for the Devil by Ananda Lima

After meeting the devil at a Halloween party in 1999, the main character in Ananda Lima’s debut short story collection feels the presence of the fallen angel at key moments in her life for the following two decades. 

Friends of the Library Book Recommendations: Historical Fiction with Social Commentary

One Sunday morning while enjoying a warm cup of tea, I beamed over the variety of books that I devoured this spring and summer. The following books stood out to me as part historical fiction and part social commentary about how words shape and define the way the world views women. 

The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

If you have ever owned a physical dictionary you will be in awe of the behind the scenes view this book offers on what went into the process of publishing the very first Oxford English Dictionary. Set in the late 1800s, the story unfolds the coming of age journey of Esme, who is motherless and grows up with a lexicographer father surrounded by words and dictionary men. As she spends time in the Oxford shed, she realizes that not all of the public word submissions are considered and recorded by the team - especially ones based on the experiences of women and common folk. I found myself enjoying the audiobook version as I accompanied Esme in her pursuit of building her own dictionary of such lost words.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

When I first got hold of this popular book club pick (which is also a recent TV show adaptation), I was not expecting to be delighted by the cute but weird observations of a pet (a very important character) and his perspective of the humans surrounding him. All non central characters provide their peculiar thoughts and opinions on what it means to be a woman (working or not) in the 1960s. The book tells a vivid story of Elizabeth Zott whose path to becoming a scientist proves to be quite an obstacle course including plenty of twists of fate including emotional ups and downs. I enjoyed how the story sheds light on the importance of having role models that inspire people to think beyond their sense of self and allies that provide much needed support.

Dear Ijeawele, or A Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

I categorize this book as half historical fiction partly because of its small paperback size and mostly because it is more contemporary while still being informed by history. Despite its petiteness, this personal letter style response to Adhichie's friend, packs quite a punch. If you have ever been skeptic of whether or not to call yourself a feminist and its titular perception, you are more than likely to enjoy it. The book presents exceptional ideas and food for thought to discuss feminism without being preachy or over the top.

Smriti

Friends of the Library Volunteer

Staff Picks: The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

 

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill is a real treat for bibliophiles and mystery fans. This clever literary mystery revolves around four strangers who meet by chance in the Reading Room at the Boston Public Library. Friendships develop when a body is discovered at the library and the four new friends decide to investigate further. 

The novel’s first twist is that Cain, Marigold, Freddie, and Whit exist only as characters in an Australian author’s work in progress. Each chapter of Hannah Tigone’s story about the amateur sleuths is followed by a thoughtful response from an earnest beta reader living in Boston. Along with his personal observations about the emerging pandemic, fanboy Leo offers unique insights into American customs and Boston geography. As the story progresses, uncanny similarities begin to develop between Leo's correspondence with Hannah and the mystery within the story.

Just like her character Hannah, Sulari Gentil is an Australian author whose books are finding fans around the globe. The Woman in the Library is a masterfully crafted example of metafiction, a novel that emphasizes its narrative structure to remind readers they're reading a fictional work. 

Other works of metafiction include Slaughterhouse-five by Kurt Vonnegut, Hell of a Book by Jason Mott, Beatlebone by Kevin Barry, and Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth. 

Visit your local library to find your next read and maybe discover a mystery of your own. 

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Boston Public Libary Reading Room
Monica Volpin image via Canva

Friends of the Library Book Recommendations: Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

 

Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

Yes, you read that right. That is indeed the name of the short story collection written and read by actor, Tom Hanks. I didn't quite know what to expect when I first chose to dip my toes into the audio version of this book. I am happy to report that it was time well spent, whether I had it to accompany me during a walk, running errands, or driving somewhere. 

The book is a collection of sixteen short stories that encompasses themes of relationship, nostalgia, human nature, trauma, technological advancements, and immigrant experiences. Although these stories can be enjoyed independently to an extent, I would recommend reading them in order.

There are a multitude of repeated characters that are woven into some of these stories. My personal favorite, and the one that made me forget that this is a fictional story and not a memoir has to be: “Three Exhausting Weeks”, the first story in the collection. It is upbeat, funny, and keeps you hooked.