Staff Picks Adult Fiction
July 2024
Home is Where the Bodies Are
by Jeneva Rose
Jeneva Rose’s Home is Where the Bodies Are is a quick popcorn thriller that you could easily read in a couple of sittings. The story is centered around three estranged siblings, their missing dad, and their mother who recently passed away in Midwest suburbia. The siblings, in the process of grieving the loss of their mom, decide to start cleaning out her home when they stumble upon a box of old home movies on VHS tapes. They decide to watch one of them to reminisce and see their mother again only to find something horrifying! It looks like their parents were involved in a murder cover up! Like the siblings, I wanted answers and kept turning the pages to find out if what they saw on the VHS tape was true. I really enjoyed this book and all the little details about 90s pop culture that were sprinkled throughout. The skillful and complex character development of the three siblings made them relatable with their unique flaws, motivations, and fears. Fans of psychological suspense will find this book hard to put down, as it keeps you hooked until the very last page.
This book is available at the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook.
Recommended by: Kristen Holding, Graphic Artist
Posted in: Adult Fiction
The Dallergut Dream Department Store
by Miye Lee
Miye Lee’s The Dallergut Dream Department Store is the ultimate comfort read. If you are looking for a stress free, delightful escape from the ordinary, this book will be the perfect quick read for you. Mi-ye Lee’s enchanting storytelling blends fantasy and reality, creating memorable characters and dreamscapes that are fantastical yet familiar. We follow the protagonist Penny on her journey of self-discovery and hope as she tries to get a job at the Dallergut Dream Department store; a five story building that is located in a dream world that exists in our subconscious. Mi-ye Lee paints a vivid picture of the dream world and the quirky, endearing staff who populate the store. There are creatures who have to wrangle the visitors, there are dream creators who are like movie producers, there are banks with dream currency made of feelings, and much more. I enjoyed so much of this book; like the idea that we can choose our dreams and send dreams to others, the idea of precognitive dreams, and what would happen if we lived in a world where we could govern dreams. The story was thought provoking while being whimsical and heartwarming. I found myself thinking about it even when I wasn’t reading it. The ending made me tear up, but I think that is a sign the characters and story were well written and relatable.
This book is available at the library and on Hoopla as an e audiobook.
Recommended by: Kristen Holding, Graphic Artist
Posted in: Adult Fiction
First Lie Wins
by Ashley Elston
The entire book is filled with jumps of timelines and flashbacks as well as the main character having different aliases. Once you get the hang of the flow of the writing and plot, it actually turned out be an exciting. I found listening to this book as an audiobook to be engaging, the twists were good. Also it didn’t feel thriller scary for the most part, more like drama suspenseful.
This book is available in the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Chris Schultz, Graphics Information Clerk
Posted in: Adult Fiction
The Secrets of Midwives
by Sally Hepworth
The Secret of Midwives is an easy read centered around three generations of midwives Neva, Grace and Floss, as they hide from their secrets, from each other and determine the right time to come clean with their mysteries to one another.
This book is available in the library and on Hoopla as an e audiobook.
Recommended by: Chris Schultz, Graphics Information Clerk
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Funny Story
by Emily Henry
Posted in: Adult Fiction
June 2024
The Moonshiner’s Daughter
by Donna Everhart
Set in 1960’s North Carolina. Jessie Sasser’s family has a long legacy of making and running moonshine on Shine Mountain. Seeing her mother die a horrific death when she was very young has Jessie dead set against the family business. It leaves her with many questions about her mother and a eating disorder. Running shine isn’t easy, even with Sally Sue a rocket of a car. Mayhem, rivalry and the revenuers takes it’s toll on this family leaving Jessie with a choice to make about her family legacy.
This book is available in the library and on Hoopla an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Chris Schultz, Graphics Information Clerk
Posted in: Adult Fiction
Camino Ghosts
by John Grisham
Posted in: Adult Fiction
May 2024
The Things We Cannot Say
by Kelly Rimmer
The Things We Cannot Say is a heartbreaking, heartwarming hopeful story that explores love, loss, hardship, sacrifice and the relationships that bond people together. This story was compelling and emotional by layering duel timelines and how they connected the story and the family. We see the historical side to the story and then a modern side to it. Each is strong, interesting stories with their conflicts and heartache that shape the people they are.
This book is available at the library and on OverDrive/Libby as an ebook and on Hoopla as an ebook and e audiobook.
Recommended by: Chris Schultz, Graphics Informational Clerk
Posted in: Adult Fiction
The Crystal Shard: Legend of Drizzt
by R. A. Salvatore
Dungeons & Dragons, the tabletop role-playing fantasy game, has seen a rise in popularity in the past few years with the release of the Stranger Things TV series and the 2024 video game of the year Baldur’s Gate 3. I wanted to delve deeper into the lore of D&D, and R.A. Salvatore’s books were a great starting point for me.
The Crystal Shard, the fourth book in the legend of Drizzt series, does not in fact focus solely on the iconic and popular drow elf Drizzt Do’Urden. Instead of dominating the adventure as an almighty invincible swordsman as he would come to be in later novels, Drizzt is a fantastic protagonist without stealing the spotlight from the other characters. This made the book feel more like a real game of D&D as everyone had even-handed appearances throughout the book. The novel is filled with action-packed scenes, intricate battles, and themes of friendship, redemption, and the struggle between good and evil. Drizzt emerges as a heroic figure, fighting against the norms of his society and striving to do what is right.
R.A. Salvatore’s books have been a fun way for me to explore the world of D&D outside of actually playing it, and I would suggest this series to anyone who wants to learn more about the lore of D&D or is simply interested in high-fantasy and immersive world building. It is a timeless classic in the fantasy genre.
This book is available on Hoopla as an ebook.
Recommended by: Kristen Holding, Graphic Artist
Posted in: Adult Fiction
The Overstory
by Richard Powers
In his much-admired novel “The Overstory” Richard Powers takes a profound look at the ties that link people and trees. Powers creates a huge mural of stories demonstrating the importance of trees and their influence on our lives. Powers writes in such a beautiful and evocative language that he is like a painter painting woodland scenes with words. He is a nature expert giving rich histories of events centered around trees and their habitats. “This is not our world with trees in it. It’s a world of trees, where humans have just arrived.” I don’t know how many times I have read that quote, but it continues to serve as a reminder to value what is around us and keep it safe. If you are looking for a place to be motivated to conserve trees and other things, then you must not miss it.
This book is available in the library and on Hoopla as an e audiobook.
Recommended by: Maurya Orr, Graphic Artist
Posted in: Adult Fiction