I’m excited about September’s LibraryReads list! We have the follow-up of the popular author Celeste Ng (of “Everything I Never Told You” fame), an apocalyptic novel that starts with a tick infestation and, ever the librarian’s favorite, a book of love letters to books. Oh, and a Little House reimagining! Take a look, and get ready to place holds on these librarian favorites for September:
“Little Fires Everywhere”
by Celeste Ng
“’Little Fires Everywhere’ delves into family relationships and what parenthood, either biological or by adoption, means. We follow the members of two families living in the idyllic, perfectly-planned suburb of Shaker Heights, Ohio: Mia and Pearl, a mother and daughter living a less traditional lifestyle, moving from town to town every few months, and the Richardsons, the perfect nuclear family in the perfect suburb … until Izzy Richardson burns her family home down. Ng’s superpower is her ability to pull you into her books from the very first sentence!”
~Emma DeLooze-Klein, Kirkwood Public Library, Kirkwood, MO
“Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks”
by Annie Spence
“If you could tell a book how you really feel … this is what the author has done with her collection of love letters to books. Readers (and librarians especially) will appreciate the sly stabs or ‘roasting’ that the author makes to point out fine and not-so-fine moments of key books that she is contemplating removing from her shelf. She weaves in stories from her life inside a library (which is fodder for chuckles in itself). Perfect for fans of Jenny Lawson.”
~Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Azusa, CA
“The Salt Line”
by Holly Goddard Jones
“This dystopian novel describes a future in which a tick infestation has driven humanity to barricade itself in a series of safe zones. A thrilling plot involves a group of wealthy individuals on an extreme adventure trip that doesn’t go as planned. Through chapters written from their viewpoints, the reader comes to sympathize with and understand the motivations of the people involved. While telling a story involving hostage taking, drug smuggling and the search for a solution to the bug problem, the novel raises the question of what we are willing to sacrifice for safety.”
~Michelle Geyer, Durham County Public Library, Durham, NC
“Caroline: Little House, Revisited”
by Sarah Miller
“This novel retells the story of ‘Little House on the Prairie’ from the point of view of Laura Ingalls’ mother, Caroline. In 1870, Caroline, Charles and their two young girls leave their home and extended family to travel more than 600 miles in a covered wagon. This is a fresh, deeper look at a much-loved story. 5-year-old Mary is lively and eager to please, and charming 3-year-old Laura will still delight “Little House“ fans. The relationship and personalities of Caroline and her husband Charles are more complex and fully realized, making for a wonderful reading experience.”
~Brenda O’Brien, Woodridge Public Library, Woodridge, IL
Here are the rest for your browsing pleasure:
- “Sourdough” by Robin Sloan
- “Jane, Unlimited” by Kristin Cashore
- “Love and Other Consolation Prizes” by Jamie Ford
- “The Child Finder” by Rene Denfeld
- “Hanna Who Fell From the Sky” by Christopher Meades
- “George and Lizzie” by Nancy Pearl
