Happy New Year, librarians!
We are thrilled to share our staff suggestions for the March LibraryReads list. This month, our picks include three powerful debut novels—Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore, My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell, and Lakewood by Megan Giddings—the latest from previous LibraryReads winners Louise Erdrich and Peter Swanson, and so much more. Keep reading to learn more about all of these special titles.
Remember, votes for the March LibraryReads list are due February 1st!
Happy reading!
-The LLF Team (Virginia, Chris, and Lainey)
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Librarian Praise for Elizabeth Wetmore's Valentine
Reading Suggestions for March
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
For fans of: My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent and
The Leavers by Lisa Ko
Written with the haunting emotional power of Elizabeth Strout and Barbara Kingsolver, an astonishing debut novel that explores the lingering effects of a brutal crime on the women of one small Texas oil town in the 1970s.
Listen to an audiobook sample below!
"Stirring…. Wetmore poetically weaves the landscape of Odessa and the internal lives of her characters, whose presence remains vivid after the last page is turned. This moving portrait of West Texas oil country evokes the work of Larry McMurtry and John Sayles with strong, memorable female voices."
—Publishers Weekly 
review
"Fierce and complex, Valentine is a novel of moral urgency and breathtaking prose. This is the very definition of a stunning debut."
—Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of The Dutch House
Click below to listen to an interview with Elizabeth Wetmore!
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
For fans of: My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent and
The Girls by Emma Cline
Exploring the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher, a brilliant, all-consuming read that marks the explosive debut of an extraordinary new writer.
"Russell’s debut is a rich psychological study of the aftermath of abuse…[and] a devastating cultural portrait of enablement and the harm we allow young women to shoulder. 'The excuses we make for them are outrageous,' Vanessa concludes about abusive men, 'but they’re nothing compared with the ones we make for ourselves.' A gut-wrenching debut."
—Kirkus Reviews 
review
Click below to listen to an interview between Kate Elizabeth Russell and her editor!
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Also from the author: Future Home of the Living God, LaRose, and The Round House
Based on the extraordinary life of National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich’s grandfather who worked as a night watchman and carried the fight against Native dispossession from rural North Dakota all the way to Washington, D.C., this powerful novel explores themes of love and death with lightness and gravity and unfolds with the elegant prose, sly humor, and depth of feeling of a master craftsman.
"Through the personalities and predicaments of her many charismatic characters, and through rapturous descriptions of winter landscapes and steaming meals, sustaining humor and spiritual visitations, Erdrich traces the indelible traumas of racism and sexual violence and celebrates the vitality and depth of Chippewa life."
—Booklist 
review
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
The Shape of Family by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
For fans of: A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza and Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal
From the internationally bestselling author of Secret Daughter and The Golden Son comes a poignant, unforgettable novel about a family’s growing apart and coming back together in the wake of tragedy.
Listen to an audiobook sample below!
"This beautifully written, poignant novel explores how one loving family deals with an unspeakable tragedy. It's a novel about race and culture, parents and siblings, marriage and love, but most of all, it's about finding hope after darkness. Shilpi Somaya Gowda is a compassionate and wise storyteller who keeps us riveted from beginning to end."
—Jean Kwok, New York Times bestselling author of Searching for Sylvie Lee and Girl in Translation
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
Lakewood by Megan Giddings
For fans of: The Power by Naomi Alderman and Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
A startling debut about class and race, Lakewood evokes a terrifying world of medical experimentation—part The Handmaid’s Tale, part The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
"Chilling…. Giddings is a writer with a vivid imagination and a fresh eye both of the body and of society. This eerie debut provides a deep character study spiked with a dose of horror."
—Publishers Weekly
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
Separation Anxiety by Laura Zigman
For fans of: French Exit by Patrick deWitt and How Hard Can It Be? by Allison Pearson
From the bestselling author of Animal Husbandry comes a hilarious novel about a wife and mother whose life is unraveling and the well-intentioned but increasingly disastrous steps she takes to course-correct her relationships, her career, and her belief in herself.
Listen to an audiobook sample below!
"Sometimes a book finds its way to you and you just know instantly that this is the book you need now. That’s how I feel about Separation Anxiety. I think it’s the book everyone needs right now. It is compassionate and funny, articulating with gentle humor the terrible things that we’re all grappling with. To steal a phrase from my daughter, it made me happy-cry."
—Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Lady in the Lake
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson
Also from the author: Before She Knew Him, All the Beautiful Lies, and Her Every Fear
From the hugely talented author of Before She Knew Him comes a chilling tale of psychological suspense and an homage to the thriller genre tailor-made for fans: the story of a bookseller who finds himself at the center of an FBI investigation because a very clever killer has started using his list of fiction’s most ingenious murders.
Listen to an audiobook sample below!
"A devilish premise combined with jaw-dropping execution…. Mystery fans will be salivating as the plot unfolds, trying to outsmart the confoundingly unreliable narrative…. Swanson hits every note in this homage to the old-school crime novel, and the turnabout ending will leave readers reeling in delight."
—Booklist 
review
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
88 Names by Matt Ruff
For fans of: Dark Matter by Blake Crouch
The critically acclaimed author of Lovecraft Country returns with a thrilling and immersive virtual reality epic—part cyberthriller, part twisted romantic comedy—that transports you to a world where identity is fluid and nothing can be taken at face value.
"The action inside the virtual gaming world is sleek and exciting, but the extrapolation of identity, friendship, and human relationships makes the narrative shine. Offer to readers who enjoyed the nostalgia and game action of Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One (2011) or the intricate evolution of an increasingly online population in L.X. Beckett’s Gamechanger (2019)."
—Booklist 
review
Click below to listen to an interview between Matt Ruff and LLF's Chris Connolly!
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
Privilege by Mary Adkins
For fans of: The Ensemble by Aja Gabel and That Kind of Mother by Rumaan Alam
From the beloved author of When You Read This, a smart, sharply observed novel about gender and class on a contemporary Southern college campus in the spirit of The Female Persuasion and Prep.
"Adkins' writing provides a multifaceted portrayal of campus life and politics in the #MeToo era…. A timely and resonant novel."
—Kirkus Reviews
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
For fans of: Surprise Me by Sophie Kinsella and My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan
The internationally bestselling author of Don't You Forget About Me returns with another heartfelt romantic comedy perfect for fans of Josie Silver, Sophie Kinsella, and Sally Thorne.
"Mhairi McFarlane’s voice is as clear as a bell—she makes you laugh, but she also makes you feel. I adore her!"
—Sally Thorne, USA Today bestselling author of The Hating Game and 99 Percent Mine
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LibraryReads Votes Due: February 1, 2020
For more great reading suggestions for March,
check out our March LibraryReads Suggestions Edelweiss catalog!
The deadline to submit your votes is February 1!
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We hope you enjoy the books! For more information about LibraryReads, visit their website. Remember: Vote early! Vote often!
-Chris
