Fall Reading Recommendations
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Dietlandby Sarai WalkerA fresh and provocative debut novel about a reclusive young woman saving up for weight loss surgery when she gets drawn into a shadowy feminist guerilla group called "Jennifer". |
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Euphoriaby Lily KingAnthropologist Andrew Banson has been alone in the field for years, haunted by the memory of his brothers' deaths and increasingly frustrated by his research. Bankson is on the verge of suicide when a chance encounter with colleagues, the controversial Nell Stone and her mercurial husband, Fen, pulls him back from the brink. |
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The Firemanby Joe HillWhen a bizarre virulent plague breaks out in the world's major cities, causing victims to spontaneously combust, a dedicated nurse resolves to survive until her baby is born and receives protection from a mysterious infected man who uses his fire symptoms to help others. |
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And I Darkenby Kiersten WhiteIn this first book in a trilogy a girl child is born to Vlad Dracula, in Transylvania, in 1435--at first rejected by her father and always ignored by her mother, she will grow up to be Lada Dragwlya, a vicious and brutal princess, destined to rule and destroy her enemies. |
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The Fifth Seasonby N.K. JemisinA first entry in a new trilogy by the award-winning author of The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms finds the sole continent of the earth threatened by murder, betrayal, a super-volcano and overlords who use the planet's power as a weapon. |
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Hexby Thomas Olde HeuveltStill haunted by a 17th-century witch, the townspeople of Black Spring try to contain the curse, but a group of bored, rebellious teenagers go viral with the story, in this English-language debut from the award-winning Dutch author. |
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The Headmaster’s WifeBy Thomas Christopher GreeneFound wandering naked and mentally traumatized in Central Park, the headmaster of an elite boarding school imparts a story that is shaped by complicated memories, the evolution of a loving relationship, and a tragedy he cannot comprehend. |
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The Book that Matters Mostby Ann HoodAva's twenty-five-year marriage has fallen apart, and her two grown children are pursuing their own lives outside of the country. Ava joins a book group, not only for her love of reading but also out of sheer desperation for companionship. The group's goal is for each member to present the book that matters most to them. |
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Sepulchreby Kate MosseThe stories of two women separated by more than a century are brought together by a series of visions that are related to the tarot and a small church, known as a Sepulchre in the grounds of the Domaine de la Cade. |
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Dog DaysBy Elsa WatsonWhen Jessica Sheldon and Zoe, her newly adopted white German Shepherd, are struck by lightning and switch bodies, they must work together to set things right during Woofinstock, Madrona's annual canine festival. |
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Before I Go to Sleepby S. J. WatsonAn amnesiac attempts to reconstruct her past by keeping a journal and discovers the dangerous inconsistencies in the stories of her husband and her secret doctor. |
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Britt-Marie Was Hereby Fredrik BackmanWalking away from her loveless marriage and taking a job in a derelict, financially devastated town, 63-year-old Britt-Marie uses her fierce organizational skills to become a local soccer coach to a group of lost children, becoming a vital community member along the way.. |
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The Passengerby Lisa LutzChanging her name and appearance to flee town after leaving her husband dead, a fugitive woman forges an uneasy alliance off the grid at the side of a female bartender with whom she races from city to city to escape her past. |
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Hitman Anders and the Meaning of It AllBy Jonas JonassonA disgraced priest, an ex-millionaire's grandson and a murderer newly released from prison forge an unlikely public relations and fixer company and rapidly build a clientele of rich gangsters before the former inmate discovers religion, causing his erstwhile partners to plot his death. |
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Wit’s Endby Karen Joy FowlerVisiting her mystery writer godmother in California after losing her father to cancer, Rima Lanisell endeavors to learn the nature of her godmother's and father's relationship, while her godmother struggles to keep secrets from both Rima and a host of intrusive fans. |
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M TrainBy Patti SmithReflections on the inner life of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee and National Book Award-winning writer is presented from the unique perspectives of the cafés and cultural haunts she has visited and worked in around the world. |
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Girls and Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscapeby Peggy OrensteinPresents an analysis of the new sexual landscape faced by girls in today's high schools and colleges, revealing hidden truths, hard lessons, and important possibilities in girls' modern-world sex lives. |
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Tribe: On Homecoming and BelongingBy Sebastian JungerCombining history, psychology, and anthropology, TRIBE explores what we can learn from tribal societies about loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human quest for meaning; explains why we are stronger when we come together; and how that can be achieved even in today's divided world. |
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The Nordic Theory of Everything: In Search of a Better LifeAnu PartanenA Finnish journalist and naturalized American citizen compares and contrasts life in the U.S. with life in the Nordic region to encourage Americans to draw on practices from the Nordic way of life to create a fairer, happier, more secure, and less stressful society. |
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Double Down: Game Change 2012by Mark HalperinThe authors of the best-selling Game Change present an account of the 2012 presidential election that draws on hundreds of insider interviews to illuminate what the election meant to both parties, covering such topics as the dramatic Republican nomination fight, and Barack Obama's Election Day triumph. |
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Furiously Happy: A Funny Book about Horrible Thingsby Jenny Lawson#1 New York Times bestselling author Jenny Lawson explores her lifelong battle with mental illness. A hysterical, ridiculous book about crippling depression and anxiety? That sounds like a terrible idea. But terrible ideas are what Jenny does best. |
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Finding Me: A Decade of Darkness, a Life Reclaimed - A Memoir of the Cleveland Kidnappingsby Michelle KnightDescribes the details of the abduction and decade-long captivity of one of the three survivors of notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro, and how she found the courage to endure unimaginable circumstances and never lose hope for the future. |
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Patriot Pride : My Life in the New England Dynastyby Troy BrownSpotlighting a New England sports icon, this authorized biography chronicles the extraordinary life and career of Troy Brown, the talented athlete who played 15 seasons with the New England Patriots. |
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When Breath Becomes Airby Paul KalanithiA Ivy League-trained, award-winning young neurosurgeon describes his how after receiving a terminal diagnosis with lung cancer he explored the dynamics of his roles as a patient and care provider, the philosophical conundrums about a meaningful life and how he wanted to spend his final days. |
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Siddhartha’s Brain: Unlocking the Ancient Science of Enlightenmentby James KingslandLooks at the science behind the ancient practices of Buddhism through the story of the spiritual life and teachings of Siddhartha, the man who would become the Buddha, and how his discoveries anticipated the findings of modern neuroscience. |
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The Joy of Less: A Minimalist Guide to Declutter, Organize, and Simplifyby Francine JayA redesigned and repackaged edition of the previously self-published best-seller shares the author's philosophical approaches to decluttering a home, outlining practical steps for cultivating a minimalist mindset and developing healthier organizational habits. |
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Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the HeartBy James R. Doty, MDPart memoir, part science, and part practical instruction, a fascinating volume, drawing on the author’s childhood experiences during which he was taught exercises to ease his suffering and manifest his greatest desires, shows readers how they can change their lives by changing their brains and their hearts. |
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Alexander HamiltonBy Ron ChernowThe personal life of Alexander Hamilton, an illegitimate, largely self-taught orphan from the Caribbean who rose to become George Washington's aide-de-camp and the first Treasury Secretary of the United States, is captured in a definitive biography. |
Book Club in a Bag
If you’ve ever considered starting a book club, check out a WPL tote bag filled with eight copies of any of the titles below. A binder with suggested discussion topics and paperwork to stay organized is included. It’s never been easier!
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
Outliers the Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The China Study by T. Colin Campbell
