October 2017

On the heels of the LibraryReads announcement yesterday, I am so excited to share even more librarian love for Felicity Hayes-McCoy's U.S. debut The Library at the Edge of the World.  Check out this glowing review from Jill Fuller, a librarian at Bridges Library System in Wisconsin!

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Hanna Casey has returned to her hometown on the Irish peninsula of Finfarran after the failure of her marriage but has not been successful in rebuilding her life. Living with her opinionated, prickly mother and working at the local library in the town of Lissbeg, she struggles to find a way to start over. When her job—and her dreams to renovate a small cottage by the ocean—are threatened by plans to shut down the library, Hanna unwittingly leads a community-wide plan to save the lifeblood of the town. As the library gains new purpose, so too does Hanna forge a new identity, gaining connection, confidence, and a sense of belonging in a place that was always hers. Ultimately, Hanna takes control of her own life and in so doing, transforms the library and her Irish peninsula.

If beauty is in the details, then The Library at the Edge of the World is nothing short of lovely. Though it has similar ingredients as other feel-good novels, the book distinguishes itself by author Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s attention to the little particulars that set each scene. From the crunch of Wellington boots on gravel and the scent of fuchsia in the hedgerows, to the unique turns of phrase peppering each conversation, the book fully immerses the reader in the distinct nuances of life in a rural Irish town. It also boasts an interesting and memorable cast of characters, all experiencing and coping with the loss of work, wages, and social support to their region of Ireland. Hayes-McCoy skillfully considers the repercussions of these changes through the experiences and opinions of Finfarran’s colorful residents, each of whom will leave you wanting to know them better.

Though The Library at the Edge of the World is a refreshing armchair journey to Ireland, the reader is never made to feel like a tourist. Instead, you are ushered into the community, privy to the winks and the jests between neighbors, and the subtle intrigues and dramas of rural life. A lighthearted and inspiring read, The Library at the Edge of the World makes you feel as if you have always belonged.

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Thank you, Jill, for sharing these lovely words.  Have you read The Library at the Edge of the World?  We'd love to hear what you think!

-Amanda

You voted, they counted, and the winners have been announced.  A huge congratulations to the titles on November's LibraryReads list!

The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty: Step into The City of Brass, the spellbinding debut from S. A. Chakraborty—an imaginative alchemy of The Golem and the Jinni, The Grace of Kings, and One Thousand and One Nights, in which the future of a magical Middle Eastern kingdom rests in the hands of a clever and defiant young con artist with miraculous healing gifts.

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy: In the bestselling tradition of Fannie Flagg and Jenny Colgan comes Felicity Hayes-McCoy’s U.S. debut about a local librarian who must find a way to rebuild her community and her own life in this touching, enchanting novel set on Ireland’s stunning West Coast.

Future Home of the Living God by Louise Erdrich: Louise Erdrich, the New York Times bestselling, National Book Award-winning author of LaRose and The Round House, paints a startling portrait of a young woman fighting for her life and her unborn child against oppressive forces that manifest in the wake of a cataclysmic event.

Join us in three cheers for these amazing titles.  You can see the full list here, and don't forget to submit your votes for the December/January list by November 20!

-Amanda

Hey there, friends!

Our December / January LibraryReads suggestions pack a wallop in the form of 
The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn. Sure to be one of the biggest books of 2018, this debut psychological thriller has garnered more librarian and industry buzz than any title in recent memory. If the outpouring of love on The Woman in the Window Edelweiss page is any indication, the excitement won't be slowing down any time soon.

Need more great suggestions? We have you covered! Exciting January releases include Robin MacArthur's beautifully immersive debut novel Heart Spring Mountain, librarian-favorite Alafair Burke's brilliant new thriller The Wife, and rising star and cultural critic Morgan Jerkins's powerful essay collection This Will Be My Undoing.

So much to do, so much to READ. We hope you love the books! 

Don't forget: the deadline to vote for the December / January LibraryReads list is November 20th. Happy reading!

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The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn
For fans of: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware and
The Good Girl by Mary Kubica 
This brilliantly twisty and propulsive debut psychological thriller follows a damaged and agoraphobic psychologist who spends her days spying on her neighbors from her New York City townhouse, only to witness the murder of a woman who seemingly doesn't exist. 
"Astounding. Thrilling. Lovely and amazing. I could weave in more superlatives but you get the idea. Finn has created a noir for the new millennium, packed with mesmerizing characters, stunning twists, beautiful writing and a narrator with whom I'd love to split a bottle of pinot. Maybe two bottles—I've got a lot of questions for her." 
—#1 New York Times bestselling author Gillian Flynn

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads voting deadline: November 20th

Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur
For fans of: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
In this evocative first novel, a young woman returns to her rural Vermont hometown in the wake of a devastating storm to search for her missing mother and unravel a powerful family secret.
"Robin MacArthur renders both the Vermont landscape and Vale’s family tree with poetic precision and gutting realism. I fell in love with these women and their mountain." 
—Alexis M. Smith, author of Marrow Island

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
LibraryReads voting deadline: November 20th

The Wife by Alafair Burke
For fans of: Behind Closed Doors by B. A. Paris and The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware
From the New York Times bestselling author, a stunning domestic thriller in which a woman must make the impossible choice between defending her husband and saving herself.
"A subtly sneaky, emotionally complex, and utterly addictive novel of psychological suspense, The Wife delivers on all fronts." —New York Times bestselling author Lisa Scottoline

Click here to download the egalley from Edelweiss
                                   LibraryReads voting deadline: November 20th

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LLF Staff Suggestions for December / January LibraryReads ListRead More »

“I see with ever greater clarity that our spiritual well-being depends not on religion, but on our innate human nature, our natural affinity for goodness, compassion, and caring for others.” —from An Appeal to the World

In An Appeal to the World, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama provides an inspiring message of love and optimism in our time of division, calling on us to draw upon the innate goodness of our shared humanity to overcome the rancor, mistrust, and divisiveness that threaten world peace and sustainability.

An Appeal to the World is already a major bestseller across the world with its message of goodness, and this is the kind of book we need now more than ever.  Whether you find it on a library shelf or give it to a friend as a holiday gift, this is a message that deserves to be heard.

-Amanda

Elise Hooper’s debut novel The Other Alcott conjures the fascinating, untold story of May Alcott—Louisa’s youngest sister and an artist in her own right.  On sale now, it's already gotten a great review from the New York Times, which says, "Her adventures illuminate the world of intrepid female artists in the late 1800’s, a milieu too little appreciated today…. The Other Alcott comes alive in its development of the relationship between Louisa and May." 

People calls The Other Alcott an "irresistible novel," and you definitely won't want to miss this story of the siblings and the forgotten sister.  The world of historical women is perennially fascinating, especially characters who have traditionally been overlooked.  But these women always have a story to tell, and Elise Hooper's debut dives right into this unknown world.  You can aslo read more about this story in an article Hooper wrote for Literary Hub about writing complex female characters.

The author came to ALA Annual with us this summer to speak on a historical fiction panel, but if you weren't able to learn about this fascinating woman there, run to the nearest library and dive into The Other Alcott.

-Amanda