LibraryReads, the nationwide library staff-picks list, offers the top 10 May titles public library staff across the country love:
Top Pick
Caller Unknown by Gillian McAllister (Morrow, $30, 9780063338470). "Simone comes to Texas from the U.K. to visit her daughter, Lucy. Lucy is kidnapped, and the perpetrators force Simone into trafficking drugs into Mexico for Lucy's safe return. When a confrontation goes wrong, Lucy and Simone are reunited, but are suddenly on the run from the law. The story is breathtaking, and readers will constantly be on edge, wondering if and when the pair will be caught--and what the consequences will be." --Cari Dubiel, Twinsburg Public Library, Ohio
Five: A Novel by Ilona Bannister (Crown, $28, 9798217088027). "Five strangers meet at a train station, but only four will leave alive. Readers are challenged to predict the victim from among a cast of flawed, unlikable characters whose backstories are unexpectedly gripping. This thought-provoking thriller is an ideal book club pick that will spark a different debate for every reader." --Marika Zemke, Commerce Township Community Library, Mich.
I Know A Place: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours by Nat Cassidy (Shortwave, $21.99, 9798897320165). "Nat Cassidy is one of horror's more unique voices. This short story collection is terrifying and filled with relatable characters. These wild, grim, violent stories unfold as if the author has sidled up to you at a bar and started sharing them. And you simply can't stop listening." --Lila Denning, St. Petersburg Library System, Fla.
The Burning Side: A Novel by Sarah Damoff (Simon & Schuster, $29, 9781668085011). "April and Leo's marriage is already on the brink when a devastating fire levels their home. Forced to retreat to April's childhood home with their children, they must navigate generational trauma and deep-seated grief alongside her parents and siblings. Amidst the literal and figurative ashes, the couple struggles to determine if their relationship is worth salvaging." --Emily Orth, Surprise Public Library, Ariz.
A Parade of Horribles (Dungeon Crawler Carl) by Matt Dinniman (Ace, $32, 9798217190065). "Coming in off the back of a complex and scope-changing Book 7, Book 8 reminds readers of the horrible truth of the Dungeon: for all of their drive and cleverness, Carl and Princess Donut are still just a man and his talking cat trapped in an AI-controlled game that is trying to kill them. This interesting shift in scope and pacing reminds readers of the players' predicament." --Aaron Mason, Radford Public Library, Va.
The Last Page: A Novel by Katie Holt (Alcove Press, $19.99, 9798892424103). "Ella thinks she's going to inherit the used bookstore where she has worked for years, but is devastated when a grandson shows up as the new owner. Now they must put aside their rivalry, and their off-the-charts chemistry, to save the store. The characters' clever book reviews at the start of every chapter also serve to carry the plot forward." --Migdalia Jimenez, Chicago Public Library, Ill.
A Fortune of Sand: A Novel by Ruta Sepetys (Ballantine, $30, 9798217093243). "When Marjorie covertly joins an artists' residency in Prohibition Era Detroit run by a secretive benefactor, she finds both inspiration and compelling secrets. Intriguing family dynamics and cons-within-cons abound in this novel set among monied families with ties to the growing auto industry." --Jessica Trotter, Capital Area District Libraries, Mich.
The Calamity Club: A Novel by Kathryn Stockett (Spiegel & Grau, $35, 9781954118812). "In Depression-era Mississippi, a girl trapped in a Dickensian orphanage and a young woman trying to lift her family out of financial ruin cross paths. Young Meg feels trapped, while Birdy is faced with family issues that run deep. This dual-narrated story is totally engrossing, and readers will be rooting for the characters." --Donna Ballard, LibraryReads Ambassador, N.J.
John of John: A Novel by Douglas Stuart (Grove Press, $28, 9780802167194). "Aimless art student Cal returns to his isolated Scottish home, forced to navigate his grandmother's illness and a community that won't accept his sexuality. The story leans into incredible dialogue and raw, evolving relationships with complicated people readers can't help but care about." --Magan Szwarek, LibraryReads Ambassador, Ill.
Bone of My Bone by Johanna van Veen (Poisoned Pen Press, $32.99, 9781615957323). "Sister Ursula, a nun fleeing brutal soldiers in 1635, meets Elsebeth, a peasant surviving the Thirty Years' War. They escape into the Bavarian forest, experiencing the horrors of the undead while followed by a necromancer. This atmospheric, haunting folk horror read is told from multiple points of view." --Kristin Skinner, Flat River Community Library, Mich.
