LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 June titles public library staff across the country love:
Favorite:
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (Harper, $27.99, 9780062645227). "Susan Ryeland is a London book editor who has just received the latest manuscript from one of her most irascible authors, Alan Conway. But the manuscript's ending appears to be missing and she learns that Conway has committed suicide. As Ryeland learns more about his death, she starts to question whether a murder has occurred and begins to investigate. Magpie Murders is a delightful, clever mystery-within-a-mystery. Horowitz shows real mastery of his craft. This is a terrific, modern take on the traditional mystery with ingenious puzzles to solve." --Andrea Larson, Cook Memorial Library, Libertyville, Ill.
Silver Silence by Nalini Singh (Berkley, $27, 9781101987797). "Silver Silence is a new chapter in the Psy/Changeling series. As the world tries to adjust after a peace accord, Silver Mercant takes center stage. As head of an aid organization reacting to rampant terrorism, she's an obvious target. But Alpha Valentin Nikolaev has already decided she's his to protect. Valentin and Silver start tracking down deadly shadow factions that want to undermine the Trinity Accords. Diverse and fascinating world-building are on full display along with a bumped up level of humor in the face of adversity." --Jessica Trotter, Capital District Area Libraries, Lansing, Mich.
The Waking Lands by Callie Bates (Del Rey, $27, 9780425284025). "Lady Elanna Voltai flees her adopted homeland when the king, who raised her like a daughter, dies under mysterious circumstances and Elanna is accused of murder. Forced to return to the magical homeland of her birth and her estranged father who was branded a traitor for inciting rebellion, Elanna must come to terms with the life she left behind and her destiny. I loved watching Elanna find her voice and her strength, and the rich world of magic around her makes this story even more fantastic!" --Jessica Perham, Schaumburg Township Library, Schaumburg, Ill.
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (Tor, $17.99, 9780765392039). "In Every Heart a Doorway we met Jack and Jill, two sisters bound together yet alienated. In this installment, we learn how these two girls escape their parents when they exit the world we know for a realm of fairy-tale horror via a magic stairway, appearing in a trunk in a locked room. This is a story about two young women and the trauma that shapes them; a story about love, hate, and the thin line between. A captivating and emotional novella that irresistibly sweeps the reader along." --Tegan Mannino, Monson Free Library, Monson, Mass.
Do Not Become Alarmed: A Novel by Maile Meloy (Riverhead, $27, 9780735216525). "Liv and Nora, who are cousins, decide to take their families on a cruise. Both have an eleven-year-old and a younger child as well. At one of the ports, the moms take the children out with another family they met on the ship. All goes well until the children, in a brief moment, aren't observed and disappear. From here the nightmare begins, and the story alternates between what is happening to the children and the adults. The story is gripping and the characters are well-developed. The book explores family and marital dynamics, race, privilege, guilt, and responsibility." --Mary Bennett, Carmel Clay Public Library, Carmel, Ind.
The Alice Network: A Novel by Kate Quinn (Morrow, $16.99, 9780062654199). "Outstanding fictional account of the Alice network, women spies in World War I, tough and determined to defeat the Germans. The story centers on Eve Gardiner, aka Marguerite, a young woman trained to spy on the Germans, and Charlie St. Clair, a young woman post World War II, pregnant, lost and finding her direction. The two meet and the story alternates chapters as Charlie is determined to find her cousin, Rose presumed dead after the war, while Eve's story of the Alice network unfolds. A fantastic book with strong female characters." --Ellen Firer, Merrick Library, Merrick, N.Y.
The Child by Fiona Barton (Berkley, $26, 9781101990483). "When a baby skeleton is unearthed at a construction site, reporter Kate Waters thinks it is a story worth investigating. As she digs into the mystery of the child, she uncovers more than she bargained for. Told from the viewpoints of various characters, Barton tells an intriguing tale about the newborn baby and all the characters involved, leaving it up to the readers to put together the connections until the very end." --Annice Sevett, New Hanover County Public Library, Wilmington, N.C.
The Little French Bistro: A Novel by Nina George (Crown, $26, 9780451495587). "Terribly depressed by the emptiness of her long marriage, Marianne decides to end it all by jumping off a Paris bridge. Her unwanted rescue and ensuing marital abandonment jolt Marianne into ditching her tour group and setting out for Finistère, the westernmost coast of Brittany. Keeping body and soul together by working at a seaside bistro, Marianne finds herself healing through the company of a diverse group of quirky locals. The Little French Bistro is merveilleux. It refreshes like the sea breeze sweeping the Breton coast." --Sarah Nagle, Carver County Library, Chaska, Minn.
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Atria, $26, 9781501139239). "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a delightful tale of old Hollywood, so full of detail, that you'll swear Evelyn was a real actor. Monique Grant is tasked with writing an article about the famous woman, so she interviews Evelyn who tells us all about her career, starting in the 1950s--and her many marriages. This novel will enchant you, and Evelyn will stay with you long after you finish reading." --Lauren McLaughlin, Wilton Library Association, Wilton, Conn.
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore: A Novel by Matthew Sullivan (Scribner, $26, 9781501116841). "Lydia Smith is enjoying her comfortable life. She has a job she loves at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. Then one of her favorite 'bookfrogs' (code word for eccentric bookstore regulars) commits suicide and leaves her his small horde of books. She discovers a strangely methodical defacement which is a kind of code. A delicate spiderweb of connections leading back to a murderous incident in Lydia's childhood is revealed. This pushed me into reading 'just one more chapter' until late into the night." --Joan Hipp, Florham Park Public Library, Florham Park, N.J.
