The kids are back at school, and maybe that has some readers feeling overwhelmed by the orientations, sports practices, rehearsals and other related events suddenly filling up the family calendar. Or perhaps the back-to-school spirit has you ready to learn something new. Whether you want to read for escape or for self-improvement, this month’s LibraryReads list has you covered. Here are the 10 titles publishing in September that librarians across the country recommend.
“Leave Me” by Gayle Forman
“Aren’t there days when you just want to leave it all behind? After a life threatening event, that’s exactly what Maribeth Klein does. Maribeth, wife, mom of 4-year old twins, and editor of a glossy magazine is told to rest. Sure! The choice she makes is not the one for most, but following Maribeth on this journey is compelling nonetheless. Fast paced narrative and terrific writing make this one hard to put down. Recommended!” – Carol Ann Tack, Merrick Library, Merrick, NY
“The Bookshop on the Corner” by Jenny Colgan
“Despite losing her job as a librarian who liked to put the right book into a patron’s hands, Nina continues her mission by moving to rural Scotland, purchasing a van, converting it into a bookmobile, and taking to the road. The plot revolves around the romance of the road, the romance of books and reading, and just plain old romance. Another marvelous book by Colgan! A gem of a book!” – Virginia Holsten, Vinton Public Library, Vinton, IA
“Commonwealth” by Ann Patchett
“The Cousins and the Keatings are two California families forever intertwined and permanently shattered by infidelity. Bert Cousins leaves his wife for Beverly Keating, leaving her to raise four children on her own. Beverly, with two children of her own, leaves her husband for Bert. The six children involved are forced to forge a childhood bond based on the combined disappointment in their parents. As adults, they find their families’ stories revealed in a way they couldn’t possibly expect. Patchett has written a family drama that perfectly captures both the absurdity and the heartbreak of domestic life.” – Michael Colford, Boston Public Library, Boston, MA
Here’s the rest of the best for your holds-placing pleasure!
- “The Tea Planter’s Wife” by Dinah Jefferies
- “Daisy in Chains” by Sharon Bolton
- “Darktown” by Thomas Mullen
- “The Masked City” by Genevieve Cogman
- “Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d: A Flavia DeLuce Novel” by Alan Bradley
- “Blood at the Root: A Racial Cleansing in America” by Patrick Phillips
- “The Secrets of Wishtide” by Kate Saunders
