LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 April titles public library staff across the country love:
Favorite
Circe by Madeline Miller (Little, Brown, $27, 9780316556347). "Circe follows the banished witch daughter of the Titans as she practices her powers for an inevitable conflict with one of Olympus's most vindictive gods. I found myself pondering motherhood, mortality, and feminism. For readers of historical and mythological drama or anyone who loves a strong female lead." --McKelle George, Salt Lake City Public Library, Salt Lake City, Utah
Other People's Houses by Abbi Waxman (Berkley, $16, 9780399587924). "The story follows a stay-at-home mom. There is a satisfying rhythm to the book. Crazy things happen, and the next day the kids have to get to school and soccer practice. The shifting point of view, from the mother to various people living in the town is successful in imparting a snarky tone, bringing to life the gossipy small town setting." --Claire Sherman, Clearwater Countryside Library, Clearwater, Fla.
All the Beautiful Lies: A Novel by Peter Swanson (Morrow, $26.99, 9780062427052). "The latest from psychological thriller master Swanson is a whirlpool of darkness, taboos, and secrets. When his father commits suicide, Harry Ackerson returns home to Maine. Harry finds more questions than answers as he faces his attractive young stepmother, the attentions of a seductive stranger, and the many questions posed by the local investigators." --Sharon Layburn, South Huntington Public Library, Huntington Station, N.Y.
How to Be Safe: A Novel by Tom McAllister (Liveright, $24.99, 9781631494130). "This novel uses fiction as a tool to show how guns and violence are affecting contemporary society. Anna's fictional experiences illustrate the real-life hypocrisy, lack of leadership, and fear of expressing controversial opinions. Great fiction for readers who tend to stay in the nonfiction lane." --Marilyn Sieb, L.D. Fargo Public Library, Lake Mills, Wis.
Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell (Atria, $26, 9781501154645). "Part psychological fiction, part ghost story, both tragic and uplifting. A decade after the disappearance of her teenage daughter, Laurel Mack meets a charming single father with two daughters, the youngest of whom reminds Laurel deeply of her lost daughter Elle, and she becomes obsessed with her unanswered questions." --Linda Quinn, Fairfield Public Library, Fairfield, Conn.
Unbury Carol: A Novel by Josh Malerman (Del Rey, $27, 9780399180163). "This horror novel, set in the Old West, is creepy, atmospheric, and suspenseful. A husband has nefarious plans for his comatose wife Carol. James Moxie, a legendary outlaw, sets off on The Trail to save her. Hot on James' tail is a sinister hit man with a thirst for murder-by-fire and a supernatural entity, Rot, who wants to collect Carol." --Sonia Reppe, Stickney-Forest View Public Library, Stickney, Ill.
The Female Persuasion: A Novel by Meg Wolitzer (Riverhead, $28, 9781594488405). "A complex coming of age story. A college student finds herself transformed by her experience with a renowned feminist and activist in the center of the women's movement. This is a story of women finding their way and making mistakes in the world of men. This is a novel that makes you feel and think in equal measures." --Chris Markley, Hawkins County Libraries, Rogersville, Tenn.
You Think It, I'll Say It: Stories by Curtis Sittenfeld (Random House, $27, 9780399592867). "A collection of ten short stories from the author of Eligible. Literary fiction with young adult appeal. Well-developed characters in fascinating circumstances. Poignant, timely, sad, funny, and cohesive. Sittenfeld shows her craft in a new form." --Leanne Milliman, Charlevoix Public Library, Charlevoix, Mich.
My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel by Kitty Curran and Larissa Zageris (Quirk Books, $14.99, 9781683690139). "A choose-your-own-adventure romance with Jane Austen flair. You are a spirited but penniless heroine in eighteenth-century society and courtship season has begun. Go!" --Victoria Catron, Neva Lomason Memorial Library, Carrollton, Ga.
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya and Elizabeth Weil (Crown, $26, 9780451495327). "Wamariya has written a heartbreaking account of her survival of the Rwandan genocide. In 1994, she and her sister fled Rwanda and spent the next six years migrating through Africa, looking for a safe haven. Told in alternating chapters, between her harrowing escape and her arrival in the U.S. as a refugee." --Janet Kowal, Connetquot Public Library, Bohemia, N.Y.
