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September 2026 Staff Picks

Falling for Fresh Reads: September Staff Recommendations

Michelle:

Meet Me in the Garden by Nina LaCour

Writer Nina LaCour (Yerba Buena) returns with her sophomore adult novel, Meet Me in the Garden. Odette is the youngest of three sisters in their Creole family. Her cousin Delphine might as well be her sister given how close they are—close enough to share tightly held secrets: one is in love with a woman, the other is in love with a white man. Neither romance is acceptable in 1940s New Orleans. A beautifully written saga that spans the tumultuous decades of 1940s-1960s and incorporates themes of identity; family; and friendship. Featured on NPR’s “All Things Considered” and named a “Most Anticipated” book by Harper’s Bazaar, People, Library Journal and more!

 

Jo:

Calamity Club by Kathrynn Stockett

Just Finished Kathrine Stockett’s Calamity Club. Set in the 1930’s down South, it is a story of redemption and courage.  I wasn’t as enthralled as I had hoped to be, given I adored The Help.  I did love the three main characters as well as the supporting ones, but I found it was not as well-woven as The Help.  I was left wanting a bit more.  

 

Devin:

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel

Often when I read speculative fiction I think, I know what I’m getting.  Robots, space, ghosts, imaginary universes, mythical creatures, or some other trope. With Emily St. John Mandel, I always feel like I’m reading an excellent novel, with vivid protagonists and settings, that just happen to be speculative. Exit Party is no different. I primarily read for characters, and all of hers felt like flawed friends rather than a genre rerun. She describes alternate realities as adeptly as she handled alternate timelines.  Overall just an amazing, thoughful, well-crafted novel.

 

Erin:

The Book of Lost Hours by Hayley Gelfuso

 

 

 

 

 

Lynn:

Whistler by Ann Patchett

I had an advanced listening copy so I made quick use of it!
Daphne Fuller, now 53, and her husband Jeffrey, reunite by chance with her former step-father from many years ago while visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Eddie Triplett was only married to Daphne’s mom for little more than a year back when Daphne was 9. Eddie Triplett was gone from her life suddenly after the two of them bonded during a life-changing event. While their relationship was brief, it deeply impacted them both and now that Daphne has found Eddie, they vow to never be separated again. Whistler is about lasting familial love and the feeling of someone truly knowing you.