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October 2026 Staff Picks

All Treats, No Tricks: October’s Best Librarian Reads

Michelle:

Breathing Under Water by Jaqueline Friedland

I loved this book – the kind of love that keeps you turning the pages late at night because you can’t wait to find out how _____is going to get out of this mess. McKenna is a young nursing student and a D1 star athlete (can you guess what sport? Wait for it…). To cover her community service hours as part of her scholarship, she begins teaching swim lessons at the country club to a small group of kids on the spectrum. One of those kids is Berry’s son, Leo. Then something awful happens which causes the floor of McKenna’s world to drop out from underneath her. I wasn’t familiar with this author before reading this book but now I can’t wait to read her other books. Just when I thought I was getting a handle on my TBR pile….

 

Jo:

All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker

I am hooked with the tragic and gripping storyline of abduction, trauma, and healing.

 

Barb:

Death in the Jungle by Candace Fleming

How did Jim Jones convince 900 people to ‘drink the kool-aid’?? Baffling!

 

Danie:

Natural Selection by Clare Edge

The girls of Riverside are raised to grin and bear it. Until three of them can’t anymore.
And then there’s Kevin Johnson: Riverside’s Golden Boy. Only scared of two things—the dark and bears. Soon, he’ll be scared of three more.
Because Megan, Megan, and Meghan are done with Kevin, and they’re about to teach everyone in their tiny rural town the new natural order: Predator, meet prey.

 

Erin:

The Lost Souls of Saint Oda’s by Jess Armstrong

I just finished reading The Lost Souls of Saint Oda’s, the 4th in the Ruby Vaughn mystery series, which comes out Nov. 3rd. I received it as an Advanced Reader Copy from NetGalley and am happy to say that this 4th in the series does not disappoint! If you haven’t read the first three books, start with book 1, The Curse of Penryth Hall, as the characters and underlying plot lines do develop a bit throughout the series. 

 

 

 

 

Lynn:

The Unknown by Riley Sager

Sager does not disappoint with his latest spine-tingling spooky tale! The Unknown takes place on an island on Faraday Lake in Vermont where only one house stands along with some smaller cabins. The amenities are spare on New Avalon but the creep-factor is high! This island is the site of a 100 year old mystery involving the disappearance of the island occupants- a group of mediums on a retreat- nothing was left except 5 dresses hanging from the old oak tree. Now a famous director wants to make a movie all about it using one of the missing women’s original incomplete diary as guidance. However, the cast has to stay on the island for a week living just as the characters did in 1926 even going so far as dressing just like the women who disappeared. Awesomely scary and creepy. Perfect for October!

 

Amanda:

The Book that Matter Most by Ann Hood

 

Terri:

Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

Such a quirky, lovable main character who tries so hard to be a curmudgeon but can’t hide her heart of gold.  It’s mysterious, suspenseful, funny, heart-warming…all of it–loved this!