I’m so excited to share with you October’s LibraryReads list — one of my favorite authors (Alice Hoffman) is releasing a new book! We also have a perfectly-timed book about the traditions surrounding death that looks incredibly interesting, and, interestingly enough, a book by Tom Hanks (yes, that Tom Hanks) about typewriters. Enjoy!
“Seven Days of Us” by Francesca Hornak
“The Birch family will be spending the Christmas holiday in quarantine, thanks to eldest daughter Olivia’s recent relief work in a disease-infested Liberia. She has returned to England but must be in quarantine for seven days. This family has never spent that much time in each other’s company. Each person has secrets that are slowly revealed over the course of the seven days. It is particularly interesting to watch them become the family that they should have been all along: supportive and loving. An enjoyable read.”
~Cheryl Braud, Iberia Public Library, New Iberia, LA
“From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death” by Caitlin Doughty
“America’s favorite mortician takes you on a tour of death cultures around the world in her latest book. Sharing what she’s learned, Doughty presents everything from composting bodies to ma’nene’, a ritual of periodically exhuming corpses to clean and redress them as a sign of respect. She encourages us to consider our options and become less distant from physically caring for the deceased and ultimately our own mortality. We’ve all got it coming. Honest, yet gentle and with the appropriate amount of humor, Doughty makes the morbid very readable.”
~PJ Gardiner, Wake County Public Libraries, Raleigh, NC
“The Rules of Magic” by Alice Hoffman
“’The Rules of Magic’ is the prequel to Hoffman’s ‘Practical Magic.’ Here we learn the background of sisters Franny, Jet and their brother Vincent. The story begins with all three as teens, ostracized for being witches. Their mother sets up rules designed to suppress their natural ability. When the siblings are sent to visit their aunt they learn family secrets and find out who they truly are. I was enraptured by this fabulous book, which is filled with magic and charm.”
~Terri Smith, Cornelia Habersham County Library, Cornelia, GA
“We’re Going to Need More Wine” by Gabrielle Union
“Union writes with such heart and energy that it really does feel like she’s talking to you while you share one (or several) bottles of wine. She touches on so many topics, including infidelity, women’s sexual health and teaching young black men to protect themselves in a world that fears them. She also manages to talk about multiple famous people without sounding fawning, with the exception of Prince, which makes sense because … it’s Prince. I thoroughly enjoyed this title and can’t wait to put it in the hands of others.”
~Lisa Hoffman, Bloomfield Public Library, Bloomfield, NJ
Here are the rest for your holds-placing pleasure:
- “The Last Mrs. Parrish” by Liv Constantine
- “The Stolen Marriage” by Diane Chamberlain
- “The Last Ballad” by Wiley Cash
- “Uncommon Type: Some Stories” by Tom Hanks
- “Strange Weather: Four Short Novels” by Joe Hill
- “Manhattan Beach” by Jennifer Egan
