For a lot of people October means it’s time to get into the Halloween spirit with a scary book. Luckily for them this week’s best new books include 3 horror titles, and many of the others feature horror elements. Of course, for those who would rather not find themselves sleeping with the lights on, we have a sweet romance, some literary fiction, a lot of nonfiction, and even Mo Willems’ latest children’s book, so whatever you’re looking for, you should find it here!
FICTION
A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
The warm fall day starts like any other at the Center—a women’s reproductive health services clinic—its staff offering care to anyone who passes through its doors. Then, in late morning, a desperate and distraught gunman bursts in and opens fire, taking all inside hostage.
After rushing to the scene, Hugh McElroy, a police hostage negotiator, sets up a perimeter and begins making a plan to communicate with the gunman. As his phone vibrates with incoming text messages he glances at it and, to his horror, finds out that his fifteen-year-old daughter, Wren, is inside the clinic.
But Wren is not alone. She will share the next and tensest few hours of her young life with a cast of unforgettable characters: A nurse who calms her own panic in order to save the life of a wounded woman. A doctor who does his work not in spite of his faith but because of it, and who will find that faith tested as never before. A pro-life protester disguised as a patient, who now stands in the cross hairs of the same rage she herself has felt. A young woman who has come to terminate her pregnancy. And the disturbed individual himself, vowing to be heard.
Told in a daring and enthralling narrative structure that counts backward through the hours of the standoff, this is a story that traces its way back to what brought each of these very different individuals to the same place on this fateful day.
Jodi Picoult—one of the most fearless writers of our time—tackles a complicated issue in this gripping and nuanced novel. How do we balance the rights of pregnant women with the rights of the unborn they carry? What does it mean to be a good parent? A Spark of Light will inspire debate, conversation . . . and, hopefully, understanding.
Description from Goodreads.
“There are tough moments in the book; the characters face heartbreaking choices, self-doubt, and fear, but Picoult treats her subject and story with great care and respect. A Spark of Light is incredibly timely. Picoult’s latest is a thought provoking read that will inspire conversation and appeal to both the author’s existing fans and newcomers to her work.” – Amazon Book Review
“Picoult at her fearless best . . . Timely, balanced and certain to inspire debate.” – The Washington Post
“Picoult delivers another riveting yarn . . . in this carefully crafted, utterly gripping tale.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
Available Formats:
Print Book | Audiobook | Playaway | eBook
Gone So Long by Andre Dubus III
Daniel Ahearn lives a quiet, solitary existence in a seaside New England town. Forty years ago, following a shocking act of impulsive violence on his part, his daughter, Susan, was ripped from his arms by police. Now in her forties, Susan still suffers from the trauma of a night she doesn’t remember, as she struggles to feel settled, to love a man and create something that lasts. Lois, her maternal grandmother who raised her, tries to find peace in her antique shop in a quaint Florida town but cannot escape her own anger, bitterness, and fear.
Cathartic, affirming, and steeped in the empathy and precise observations of character for which Dubus is celebrated, Gone So Long explores how the wounds of the past afflict the people we become, and probes the limits of recovery and absolution.
Description from Goodreads.
“Dubus evokes a dazzling palette of emotions as he skillfully unpacks the psychological tensions between remorse and guilt, fear and forgiveness, anger and love. Susan, Daniel, and Lois are fully realized and authentic characters who live with pain and heartache while struggling to fill the tremendous void created by the tragedy. Heartrending yet unsentimental, this powerful testament to the human spirit asks what it means to atone for the unforgivable and to empathize with the broken.” – Booklist
“Rings with authenticity and evokes the texture of working-class lives. . . . This is a compassionate and wonderful novel.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“A dark and exquisitely crafted novel that views parental relationships as both a form of inherited violence and redemptive empathy. ” – Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
Available Formats:
ROMANCE
Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber
Before beginning her dream job as sous chef in one of Seattle’s hottest new restaurants, Josie Avery takes a summer position cooking at a lakeside lodge in the remote Alaskan town of Ponder. Josie falls for the rustic charms of the local community–including Jack Corcoran, the crotchety keeper of Ponder’s famed sourdough starter, and, in particular, the quiet and intense Palmer Saxon, a famed master swordsmith.
Josie and Palmer become close during the long Alaskan summer days, but Josie knows that, come fall, she’ll be returning to reality and the career she’s worked so hard for. Palmer, on the other hand, would like nothing better than to make Josie his wife and to keep her in Ponder. But Josie can’t imagine abandoning her mother back in the Emerald City and sacrificing her career to stay in this isolated town–not even for a man she’s quickly coming to love.
Fate has other plans. Josie misses the last boat out of town before winter sets in, stranding her in Ponder and putting her dream job at risk. As the holidays approach, Josie and Palmer must grapple with the complications that arise when dreams confront reality, and the Christmas magic that can happen when they put their faith in love.
Debbie Macomber is at her best in this beautiful holiday story about the far journeys we travel to find a place to call home.
Description from Goodreads.
“[Debbie] Macomber brings her signature charm to this appealing tale of an aspiring chef. . . . This charmer will please Macomber fans and newcomers alike.” – Publishers Weekly
“If you’re a fan of romance and destined love, this is the book for you. Debbie never disappoints in any book she puts out and this one delivers.” – Red Carpet Crash
“…the path to their happily-ever-after has surprising yet realistic twists. Macomber’s descriptions of the Alaskan town and Josie’s culinary adventures add fascinating details to this thoroughly charming holiday romance.” – Booklist
Available Formats:
Print Book | Audiobook | eBook
SCI-FI & FANTASY
An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
Set in a fractured United States, in the southwestern country now known as Texoma, this is a world where magic is acknowledged but mistrusted. Battered by a run across the border to Mexico, gunslinger Lizbeth Rose takes a job offer from a pair of Russian wizards.
She may be young, but Gunnie Rose has acquired a fearsome reputation and the wizards are at a desperate crossroads, even if they won’t admit it. They’re searching frantically to locate the only man whose blood they believe can save their tsar’s life.
As the trio journey through an altered America, they’re set upon by enemies. It’s clear that a powerful force does not want them to succeed in their mission. Lizbeth Rose is a gunnie who has never failed a client, but her oath will test all of her skills and resolve to get them all out alive.
The Dark Tower meets “True Blood” in this gritty and wildly entertaining tale of Gunnie Rose. A woman fighting unimaginable odds to keep her people alive after the disintegration of America, this is a surefire hit for fans of “The Walking Dead” or “Westworld.”
Description from Goodreads.
“[A] fast-paced thriller fueled by magic and gunslinging.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“This looks like another winning series from a sure-bet author.” – Booklist
“A refreshing and cinematic, weird Western starring a sharp-as-nails, can-do heroine. Harris’ many fans will surely follow Gunnie Rose anywhere.” – Kirkus Reviews
Available Formats:
HORROR
Blood Communion by Anne Rice
In this spellbinding novel, Lestat, rebel outlaw, addresses the tribe of vampires, directly, intimately, passionately, and tells the riveting story of the formation of the Blood Communion and how he became Prince of the vampire world, the true ruler of this vast force, and how his vision for all the Children of the Universe to thrive as one, came to be.
The tale spills from Lestat’s heart, as he speaks first of his new existence as reigning monarch–and then of his fierce battle of wits and words with the mysterious Rhoshamandes, proud Child of the Millennia, reviled outcast for his senseless slaughter of the legendary ancient vampire Maharet, forever wise and loving and twin to Mekare the Keeper of the Sacred Core; Rhoshamandes, a force who refuses to live in harmony at the Court of Prince Lestat and threatens all that Lestat has dreamt of.
As the tale unfolds, Lestat takes us from the towers and battlements of his ancestral castle in the snow-covered mountains of France to the verdant wilds of lush Louisiana with its lingering fragrances of magnolias and night jasmine; from the far reaches of the Pacific’s untouched islands to the 18th-century city of St. Petersburg and the court of the Empress Catherine . . .
Description from Goodreads.
“Just the bucket of blood for die-hard Rice fans.” – Kirkus Reviews
“[T]his short tale about the ‘Prince of Vampires’ is alluring and a must-read. It’s always good to see Anne Rice and Lestat back, especially when it’s an excellent story.” – Fansided
Available Formats:
Dracul by Dacre Stoker & J.D. Barker
It is 1868, and a twenty-one-year-old Bram Stoker waits in a desolate tower to face an indescribable evil. Armed only with crucifixes, holy water, and a rifle, he prays to survive a single night, the longest of his life. Desperate to record what he has witnessed, Bram scribbles down the events that led him here…
A sickly child, Bram spent his early days bedridden in his parents’ Dublin home, tended to by his caretaker, a young woman named Ellen Crone. When a string of strange deaths occur in a nearby town, Bram and his sister Matilda detect a pattern of bizarre behavior by Ellen — a mystery that deepens chillingly until Ellen vanishes suddenly from their lives. Years later, Matilda returns from studying in Paris to tell Bram the news that she has seen Ellen — and that the nightmare they’ve thought long ended is only beginning.
Description from Goodreads.
“The prose is modern, energetic, and easy to read. Dracul reveals not only Dracula’s ‘true’ origin, but Bram Stoker’s as well. More than just a Dracula novel, it’s a great addition to the entire vampire genre.” – SF Reader
“The narrative moves fairly quickly, pulling readers into this thrilling tale, with twists that keep the pages turning, even late into the night. …A strong pick for fans of classic gothic tales, such as Dracula, but also good for anyone who appreciates gripping historical novels, including those by Carlos Ruiz Zafón.” – Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW
“A big book that will no doubt be a hit among monster-movie and horror lit fans—and for good reason.” – Kirkus Reviews
Available Formats:
Devil’s Day by Andrew Michael Hurley
In the wink of an eye, as quick as a flea,
The Devil he jumped from me to thee.
And only when the Devil had gone,
Did I know that he and I’d been one . . .
Every autumn, John Pentecost returns to the farm where he grew up, to help gather the sheep down from the moors for the winter. Very little changes in the Endlands, but this year, his grandfather—the Gaffer—has died and John’s new wife, Katherine, is accompanying him for the first time.
Each year, the Gaffer would redraw the boundary lines of the village, with pen and paper but also through the remembrance of tales and timeless communal rituals, which keep the sheep safe from the Devil. But as the farmers of the Endlands bury the Gaffer and prepare to gather the sheep, they begin to wonder whether they’ve let the Devil in after all.
Description from Goodreads.
“Like Hurley’s celebrated debut, this beautifully told gothic story of love, obligation, and legacy blends genres superbly. Hurley is considered one of the leading figures in what is called the British folk-horror revival.”—Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
“The new master of menace. This chilling follow-up to The Loney confirms its author as a writer to watch . . . Hurley doesn’t need the Devil’s help to grip you. His taut writing does that for him. Nature’s routine cruelties are caught with a fierce accuracy that Ted Hughes would have admired.” – Sunday Times
“Devil’s Day is an assured follow-up to The Loney that considers the themes of exile, mythology and rural traditions . . . In the same way that Emily Brontë allowed the Yorkshire moors to become a character unto itself in Wuthering Heights, Hurley’s depiction of the hills and grasslands of Lancashire takes on an anthropomorphic quality, representing a place removed from the outside world, a timeless land with its own rules and laws . . . Hurley has a good ear for mystery, turning the woods into a magical but dangerous place . . . Hurley is a fine writer, with concerns that place him a little to the left of the literary mainstream, a remove that makes him extremely interesting.” – Irish Times
“The nebulous presence of the Devil . . . is evoked so palpably in this novel that at times I hardly dared look up when reading for fear of seeing him grinning at me from the chair next to mine . . . Hurley’s riveting, disturbing novel is about the ways in which both communities and families create myths to make sense of their pasts, and about how the comforting embrace of these myths can turn, if they are allowed to become too powerful, into a stranglehold.” – Literary Review
Available Formats:
NONFICTION
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally & Nick Offerman
At last, the full story behind Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman’s epic romance, including stories, portraits, and the occasional puzzle, all telling the smoldering tale that has fascinated Hollywood for over a decade.
The year: 2000. The setting: Los Angeles. A gorgeous virtuoso of an actress had agreed to star in a random play, and a basement-dwelling scenic carpenter had said he would assay a supporting role in the selfsame pageant. At the first rehearsal, she surveyed her fellow cast members, as one does, determining if any of the men might qualify to provide her with a satisfying fling. Her gaze fell upon the carpenter, and like a bolt of lightning, the thought struck her: No dice. Moving on.
Yet, unbeknownst to our protagonists, Cupid had merely set down his bow and picked up a rocket launcher. Then fired a love rocket (not a euphemism). The players were Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, and the resulting romance, once it ignited, was . . . epic. Beyond epic. It resulted in a coupling that has endured to this day; a sizzling, perpetual tryst that has captivated the world with its kindness, athleticism, astonishingly low-brow humor, and true (🔥) passion.
How did they do it? They came from completely different families, endured a significant age difference, and were separated by the gulf of several social strata. Megan loved books and art history; Nick loved hammers. But much more than these seemingly unsurpassable obstacles were the values they held in common: respect, decency, the ability to mention genitalia in almost any context, and an abiding obsession with the songs of Tom Waits.
Eighteen years later, they’re still very much in love, and have finally decided to reveal the philosophical mountains they have conquered, the lessons they’ve learned, and the myriad jigsaw puzzles they’ve completed, in a book. Featuring anecdotes, hijinks, interviews, photos, and a veritable grab bag of tomfoolery, this is not only the intoxicating book that Mullally’s and Offerman’s fans have been waiting for, it might just hold the solution to the greatest threat facing our modern world: the single life.
Description from Goodreads.
“Both partners come across as likable, grounded, unpretentious, and flawed enough to be believable…Those hoping that Hollywood couples are just like the rest of us, only maybe a little bit nicer and richer, should be pleased.” – Booklist
“Readers are likely to enjoy the authors’ company almost as much as they seem to enjoy each other’s.” – Kirkus Reviews
“The book is packed with hilarious, honest and wacky details… the affection that Megan and Nick have for each other is the recipe for an amazing love story. Some might argue it’s the greatest one ever told.” – The Washington Post
Available Formats:
Reagan: An American Journey by Bob Spitz
From New York Times bestselling biographer Bob Spitz, a full and rich biography of an epic American life, capturing what made Ronald Reagan both so beloved and so transformational.
More than five years in the making, based on hundreds of interviews and access to previously unavailable documents, and infused with irresistible storytelling charm, Bob Spitz’s Reagan stands fair to be the first truly post-partisan biography of our 40th President, and thus a balm for our own bitterly divided times.
It is the quintessential American triumph, brought to life with cinematic vividness: a young man is born into poverty and raised in a series of flyspeck towns in the Midwest by a pious mother and a reckless, alcoholic, largely absent father. Severely near-sighted, the boy lives in his own world, a world of the popular books of the day, and finds his first brush with popularity, even fame, as a young lifeguard. Thanks to his first great love, he imagines a way out, and makes the extraordinary leap to go to college, a modest school by national standards, but an audacious presumption in the context of his family’s station. From there, the path is only very dimly lit, but it leads him, thanks to his great charm and greater luck, to a solid career as a radio sportscaster, and then, astonishingly, fatefully, to Hollywood. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Bob Spitz’s Reagan is an absorbing, richly detailed, even revelatory chronicle of the full arc of Ronald Reagan’s epic life – giving full weight to the Hollywood years, his transition to politics and rocky but ultimately successful run as California governor, and ultimately, of course, his iconic presidency, filled with storm and stress but climaxing with his peace talks with the Soviet Union that would serve as his greatest legacy. It is filled with fresh assessments and shrewd judgments, and doesn’t flinch from a full reckoning with the man’s strengths and limitations. This is no hagiography: Reagan was never a brilliant student, of anything, and his disinterest in hard-nosed political scheming, while admirable, meant that this side of things was left to the other people in his orbit, not least his wife Nancy; sometimes this delegation could lead to chaos, and worse. But what emerges as a powerful signal through all the noise is an honest inherent sweetness, a gentleness of nature and willingness to see the good in people and in this country, that proved to be a tonic for America in his time, and still is in ours. It was famously said that FDR had a first-rate disposition and a second-rate intellect. Perhaps it is no accident that only FDR had as high a public approval rating leaving office as Reagan did, or that in the years since Reagan has been closing in on FDR on rankings of Presidential greatness. Written with love and irony, which in a great biography is arguably the same thing, Bob Spitz’s masterpiece will give no comfort to partisans at either extreme; for the rest of us, it is cause for celebration.
Description from Goodreads.
“This captivating and evenhanded biography of America’s first celebrity president, Ronald Reagan, reads like a novel but doesn’t skimp on the scholarship… Impressive research, including numerous interviews with a wide array of Reagan cohorts, from 1930s movie star Olivia de Havilland to national security adviser Robert ‘Bud’ McFarlane, undergirds the exceptional writing. Spitz synthesizes other scholars’ analyses, the firsthand memoirs of key players, original press coverage, and archival holdings. Readers need not be Reagan fans or Republicans to enjoy this outstanding biography.” – Publisher’s Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“The strictly chronological approach is easy to track, and because the author is such a skilled stylist, the narrative flows smoothly. The major strength of this version is Spitz’s consistently diligent effort to provide context beyond just his main subject… Spitz also skillfully portrays numerous supporting characters, especially Reagan wives Jane Wyman and Nancy Davis. A solid entry in the realm of presidential biography.” – Kirkus Reviews
Available Formats:
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
What are the consequences if the people given control over our government have no idea how it works?
“The election happened,” remembers Elizabeth Sherwood-Randall, then deputy secretary of the Department of Energy. “And then there was radio silence.” Across all departments, similar stories were playing out: Trump appointees were few and far between; those that did show up were shockingly uninformed about the functions of their new workplace. Some even threw away the briefing books that had been prepared for them.
Michael Lewis’s brilliant narrative takes us into the engine rooms of a government under attack by its own leaders. In Agriculture the funding of vital programs like food stamps and school lunches is being slashed. The Commerce Department may not have enough staff to conduct the 2020 Census properly. Over at Energy, where international nuclear risk is managed, it’s not clear there will be enough inspectors to track and locate black market uranium before terrorists do.
Willful ignorance plays a role in these looming disasters. If your ambition is to maximize short-term gains without regard to the long-term cost, you are better off not knowing those costs. If you want to preserve your personal immunity to the hard problems, it’s better never to really understand those problems. There is upside to ignorance, and downside to knowledge. Knowledge makes life messier. It makes it a bit more difficult for a person who wishes to shrink the world to a worldview.
If there are dangerous fools in this book, there are also heroes, unsung, of course. They are the linchpins of the system—those public servants whose knowledge, dedication, and proactivity keep the machinery running. Michael Lewis finds them, and he asks them what keeps them up at night.
Description from Goodreads.
“[A] civics lesson worth taking. It’s a canny book, in many ways the antithesis of Bob Woodward or Michael Wolff’s bombshell reenactments of life inside Trump’s Oval Office. It won’t sell as many copies, but its message is more enduring.” – The Times
“…a fast and riveting read…” – Quartz
“This is an illuminating primer on some of the government projects most crucial to the well-being of the populace, and its relevance to readers won’t end with the Trump era.” – Publishers Weekly
Available Formats:
God Is Young: A Conversation by Pope Francis
Pope Francis examines the role of millennials in the future of the Catholic Church in this urgent call to believers of all generations to work together to build a better world.
Since his election in 2013, Pope Francis has reinvigorated the Catholic Church and become one of the most popular global leaders. Now, in this extraordinary interview, His Holiness challenges millennials to lead a “sweet revolution” that unites young and old in a mission to remake the world. Pope Francis reminds Catholics of all ages that “God is young, He is always new.” He has energy, spontaneity, and the desire for change–youthful qualities that can be rallied to fight the many problems facing the Catholic Church, and the world at large. In this inspiring interview, published in English for the first time, Pope Francis’s solution to these problems is simple: a bridge between generations, between the wisdom of experience and the courage of youth.
Description from Goodreads.
“[A] beautiful book of hope and inspiration . . . Pope Francis speaks frankly about problems facing the young and the elderly, Catholic and non-Catholic.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Enlightening . . . The interview is extremely wide-ranging. [Pope Francis’s] answers contemplate not only philosophy but such quotidian things as plastic surgery, pets, cell phones, consumerism, and more. The pope’s answers are generous in their length, some being even mini homilies. But all are thoughtful and thought-provoking, of interest and benefit to readers of all ages.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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On Desperate Ground: The Marines at The Reservoir, the Korean War’s Greatest Battle by Hampton Sides
On October 15, 1950, the vainglorious General Douglas MacArthur, Supreme Commander of U.N. troops in Korea, convinced President Harry Truman that the communist forces would be utterly defeated by Thanksgiving. The Chinese, he said with near certainty, would not intervene in the war.
As he was speaking, 300,000 Chinese soldiers began crossing the border. Led by the 13,000 men of the 1st Marine Division, the Americans moved far north into the trap Mao had set for the arrogant MacArthur at the Chosin Reservoir. What followed was one of the most heroic – and harrowing – operations in American military history. Faced with annihilation, and temperatures plunging to 20 degrees below zero, the surrounded Marines fought through the enemy forces with ferocity, ingenuity and nearly unimaginable courage.
Hampton Sides’s superb account of the battle relies on years of archival research and interviews with scores of Marines and Koreans who survived the siege. While expertly chronicling the follies of the American leaders, this is an immediate, grunt’s-eye view of history, enthralling in its narrative pace and powerful in its portrayal of what ordinary men are capable of in the most extreme circumstances.
Description from Goodreads.
“To this pantheon [of the best books on the subject of the Korean War] we can now add Hampton Sides’ On Desperate Ground, which hits all the right notes in the novelistic way that histories are written today. Mr. Sides does an admirable job of balancing the book’s two storylines, explaining the upper-echelon politics that put the Marines in such a precarious position, and the on-the-ground planning, execution and sheer bravery that helped them escape…It’s a story Marines are rightly proud of and one that should be of interest to anyone who wants to know more about the remains that just returned home from Korea, and why those men deserve to be remembered.” – The Wall Street Journal
“Sides’ brilliant reporting and crisp storytelling provides a backdrop for events on the world stage almost 70 years later…It’s an epic worthy of Homer…In their will to survive the Americans are just as crafty as their Greek forebears.” – Santa Fe New Mexican
“Sides has done incredible work: the action is cinematic, with the detailed insights and character development of a novel. And it is all real….A masterpiece of storytelling about a war that is often given short shrift in American history. Readers will feel the fierce cold, the constant threat of death, and the desperation of being trapped and under siege felt by the U.S. Marines in Sides’ vivid and invaluable history.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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Always Look on the Bright Side of Life: A Sortabiography by Eric Idle
From the ingenious comic performer, founding member of Monty Python, and creator of Spamalot, comes an absurdly funny memoir of unparalleled wit and heartfelt candor.
We know him best for his unforgettable roles on Monty Python–from the Flying Circus to The Meaning of Life. Now, Eric Idle reflects on the meaning of his own life in this entertaining memoir that takes us on an unforgettable journey from his childhood in an austere boarding school through his successful career in comedy, television, theater, and film.
Coming of age as a writer and comedian during the Sixties and Seventies, Eric stumbled into the crossroads of the cultural revolution and found himself rubbing shoulders with the likes of George Harrison, David Bowie, and Robin Williams, all of whom became dear lifelong friends. With anecdotes sprinkled throughout involving other close friends and luminaries such as Mike Nichols, Mick Jagger, Steve Martin, Paul Simon, Lorne Michaels, and many more, as well as the Pythons themselves, Eric captures a time of tremendous creative output with equal parts hilarity and heart.
In Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, named for the song he wrote for Life of Brian (the film which he originally gave the irreverent title Jesus Christ: Lust for Glory) and that has since become the number one song played at funerals in the UK, he shares the highlights of his life and career with the kind of offbeat humor that has delighted audiences for five decades. The year 2019 marks the fiftieth anniversary of The Pythons, and Eric is marking the occasion with this hilarious memoir chock full of behind-the-scenes stories from a high-flying life featuring everyone from Princess Leia to Queen Elizabeth.
Description from Goodreads.
“Thanks to his many witticisms, acting as asides to more informative memories, “Always” is a breezy read . . . It’s also the kind of book you’ll want to read twice — once when the genius of Python sketches are fresh in your memory, and once when those scenes have faded so you can be reminded how these comedy rebels shook up an art form that was due for a dose of surreal silliness.” – The Washington Post
“What you see in Always Look… is what you get: A very funny Englishman with a wicked sense of humor, a long and happy marriage and, despite intimations of mortality that crop up now and then, a sunny, agreeable disposition. To quote from one of Idle’s more legendary Python routines: Say no more.” – USA Today
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YOUNG ADULT
Dry by Neal Shusterman & Jarrod Shusterman
The drought—or the Tap-Out, as everyone calls it—has been going on for a while now. Everyone’s lives have become an endless list of don’ts: don’t water the lawn, don’t fill up your pool, don’t take long showers.
Until the taps run dry.
Suddenly, Alyssa’s quiet suburban street spirals into a warzone of desperation; neighbours and families turned against each other on the hunt for water. And when her parents don’t return and her life—and the life of her brother—is threatened, Alyssa has to make impossible choices if she’s going to survive.
Description from Goodreads.
“[The authors] have crafted a world of dark thirst and fiery desperation, which, despite the tendrils of hope that thread through the conclusion, feels alarmingly near to our future.” – Kirkus Reviews, STARRED REVIEW
“…the palpable desperation that pervades the plot as it thunders toward the ending feels true, giving it a chilling air of inevitability. It is also thoroughly effective as a study of how extreme circumstances can bring out people’s capacity for both panic and predation, ingenuity and altruism.” – Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
“Lovers of horror action fiction will feel right at home with this terrifyingly realistic story of our tenuous relationship with the environment and of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of desperate situations.” – Booklist, STARRED REVIEW
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CHILDREN’S
I Lost My Tooth by Mo Willems
Mo Willems, creator of the revolutionary, award-winning, best-selling Elephant & Piggie series, is back with another breakout beginning-reader series. This time, an ensemble cast of Squirrels, acorns, and pop-in guests host a page-turning extravaganza! Each book features a funny, furry adventure AND bonus jokes, quirky quizzes, nutty fact formats, and so, so many squirrels!
In I Lost My Tooth!, Zoom Squirrel has lost his front tooth. The Squirrels leap to the rescue to find the lost tooth. When they discover it is a baby tooth that is lost, the stakes are even higher. What will become of the poor, lost, sad, hungry, baby tooth!?
Description from Goodreads.
“Elephant & Piggie sure are a tough act to follow, but readers will more than likely want to squirrel these new friends away with equal fervor.” – Kirkus Reviews
“Full of signature Willems hilarity, this beginning reader series opener stars 16 squirrels whose cheerful energy bursts from the pages.” – Publishers Weekly
Available Formats: