LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 August titles public library staff across the country love:
Top Pick
Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood (Berkley, $17, 9780593336847). "Bee's worked hard to get her big break leading a NASA project. However, she learns that she'll be working with Levi, an old acquaintance who detests her. Or does he? Hazelwood's done it again with another fantastic romance filled with the real-world struggles of being a woman in STEM. For fans of Helen Hoang and Christina Lauren." --Brenna Timm, High Plains Library District, Greeley, Colo.
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution by R.F. Kuang (Harper Voyager, $27.99, 9780063021426). "What power do words really have? Kuang explores this question in a unique standalone fantasy where a magical system drawn from translation and silverwork fuels colonialism. With beautiful writing and well-developed characters, this is a fabulous book. For readers of Katherine Addison, Zen Cho and N.K. Jemisin." --Danielle Deaver, Montgomery County Public Libraries, Bethesda, Md.
The Couple at Number 9: A Novel by Claire Douglas (Harper, $26.99, 9780063246324). "Pregnant Saffy and her partner Tom are thrilled when her ailing grandmother gives them a cottage to make their home--until they find two bodies buried on the property. Featuring multiple points of view and realistic characters, the latest twisty thriller from Douglas will appeal to fans of taut page-turners like The Turn of the Key and The Guest List." --Amy Medeiros, Westport Free Public Library, Westport, Mass.
Daisy Darker: A Novel by Alice Feeney (Flatiron, $28.99, 9781250843937). "Darker isn't just Daisy's surname: it's the mood of this closed-room mystery as Daisy's family members die one by one at a remote island home. Deftly told, this nod to Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None mixes suspense and secrets with heartbreaking and poignant observations about family and childhood." --Jennifer Ohzourk, West Des Moines Public Library, West Des Moines, Iowa
The Hookup Plan by Farrah Rochon (Forever, $15.99, 9781538716687). "Dedicated pediatric surgeon London looks to de-stress through a no-strings-attached hookup with her former high school nemesis (and current millionaire) Drew. But Drew wants more than a one-night stand. London jumps off the page with her vibrant personality, and it's fun to see a man pursuing a woman in an enemies to lovers tale. For fans of Abby Jimenez and Talia Hibbert." --Hannah Spratt, New York Public Library, New York, N.Y.
Husband Material by Alexis Hall (Sourcebooks Casablanca, $15.99, 9781728250922). "Luc has grown up and feels the pressure to get married. Oliver is still a devoted boyfriend, but his problems are now acknowledged. It's great to see character development even in minor characters, and how they've progressed in the two years since Boyfriend Material." --Claire Sherman, Clearwater Countryside Library, Clearwater, Fla.
The Last Housewife: A Novel by Ashley Winstead (Sourcebooks Landmark, $27.99, 9781728229911). "When yet another of her college roommates turns up dead, Shay investigates with the help of her BFF true crime podcaster. Will Shay find answers in her past, which includes a misogynistic sex cult, or will she be lured back in? Psychological thriller fans, take this to the beach! For fans of I'll Be You or This Might Hurt." --Lori Hench, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, Md.
Other Birds: A Novel by Sarah Addison Allen (St. Martin's Press, $27.99, 9781250019868). "To keep a connection to her late mother, Zoey moves into her old apartment on Mallow Island, S.C. The complex and its residents are characters, too. This book is a quick and sweet read about the stages of love from the tickle of a spark to the longing its absence can bring." --Sara Schettler, Scottsdale Public Library, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Soho Crime, $25.95, 9781641293334). "Rita Todacheene, a crime scene photographer for the Albuquerque PD, can communicate with the dead. Her latest job involves a woman who allegedly killed herself... but she won't leave Rita alone. A cinematic thriller set on the edge of the Navajo Nation, Emerson's debut is a must-read." --Erin Downey Howerton, Wichita Public Library, Wichita, Kan.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (Berkley, $17, 9780593439357). "Mika is one of the few witches secretly living in Britain when someone reaches out for help teaching three young witches. She becomes entangled in the lives of her pupils and the household, including the handsome yet grouchy librarian Jaime. A cozy romance for fans of The House in the Cerulean Sea." --Danielle Geiger, Brentwood Public Library, Brentwood, Tenn.
