Dive into a good book this August with our library staff picks.
Michelle:
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
Late 1920s: Clara Harrington, age 8, is devastated when her mother, a writer of some renown, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. In addition to leaving her husband and young daughter, she also leaves behind the sequel to a book that launched her into literary stardom…written when she was only twelve. The sequel was never published because it was written in a language invented by the author – with no known translation.
Fast forward to the 1950s: Clara is now all grown up, an illustrator famous in her own right, and raising Wynnie, her young daughter, in South Carolina. One day, she receives a phone call from a London stranger claiming he has discovered a handwritten dictionary for the language her mother created for her second and final work.
And across the pond they go…
Loved this story and also loved finding a new (to me) author with a few dozen other books I look forward to reading. I also look forward to searching out the true story on which this book was based.
Two thumbs up! Highly recommend!
Erin:
Thursday Murder Club by Ricard Osman
I am a little late to the Thursday Murder Club fan club, but will chime in anyway because I had so much fun reading it! With humor and suspense, laced with poignant moments, this book was thoroughly enjoyable. To boot, Netflix has a movie adaptation of the book coming out in late August starring Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, and Ben Kingsley to name a few. You’ll want to read it before you see the movie!
Lynn:
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I just finished reading Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s an emotional ride, but I’d take it all over again!
Kerry:
Briefly Perfectly Human by Arthur Alua
A moving memoir about the personal losses that shaped Alua Arthur’s journey in becoming a death doula. It is an engaging and compassionate account that draws the reader in to want to understand more about end-of-life work and the choices all of us will need to make.