LibGuides: What to Read Next?: Suggested Reading from Library Staff

June Staff Picks

John and Paul by Ian Leslie
ISBN: 9781250869548

Publication Date: 2025-04-08

This book is the myth-shattering biography of a relationship that changed the cultural history of the world. The Beatles shook the world to its core in the 1960's and, to this day, new generations continue to fall in love with their songs and their story.
It Seemed Like a Bad Idea at the Time by Bruce Vilanch
ISBN: 9780914091929

Publication Date: 2025-03-04

Emmy Award winner Bruce Vilanch is known as a go-to comedy writer for award shows, sitcoms, and top-heavy variety specials, but he has also been responsible for quite a few of the worst shows ever made--legendarily bad productions. From The Star Wars Holiday Special to Rob Lowe dancing with Snow White at the Oscars, Vilanch reveals how he helped create some of the worst moments in television--and beyond.
Yoko by David Sheff
ISBN: 9781982188245

Publication Date: 2025-03-25

Born into a wealthy family in pre-war Tokyo, she endured the horrors of war before becoming a pioneering figure in avant-garde art, music, feminism, and activism in London, Tokyo, and New York. The book explores how she faced intense public scrutiny, wrongly blamed for breaking up the Beatles, and yet continued to create groundbreaking work and advocate for peace.
Memento Mori by Joanna Ebenstein
ISBN: 9780593713440

Publication Date: 2024-09-10

A transformative guide to embrace your own mortality and live a more fulfilling life.
The Serpent and the Fire by Jerome Rothenberg (Editor); Javier Taboada (Editor)
ISBN: 9780520303546

Publication Date: 2024-10-22

The Serpent and the Fire breaks out of deeply entrenched models that limit 'American' literature to work written in English within the present boundaries of the United States. The Serpent and the Fire is divided into four chronological sections--from early pre-Columbian times to the immediately contemporary--and five thematic sections that move freely across languages and shifting geographical boundaries to underscore the complexities, conflicts, contradictions, and continuities of the poetry of the Americas.
Wages for Housework by Emily Callaci
ISBN: 9781541603516

Publication Date: 2025-03-18

The international story of Selma James, Silvia Federici, Mariarosa Dalla Costa, Wilmette Brown, and Margaret Prescod, whose movement demanded wages for traditionally unpaid care work, such as cleaning, child-rearing, and cooking in the home.
The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton
ISBN: 9780593641477

Publication Date: 2025-04-08

Professor Elodie Tarrant is an expert in magic disasters. Nothing fazes her-except her own personal disaster, that is: Professor Gabriel Tarrant, the grumpy, unfriendly man she married for convenience a year ago, whom she secretly loves. Gabriel is also an expert in magic disasters. And nothing fazes him either-except the walking, talking tornado that is his wife.
The Love Haters by Katherine Center
ISBN: 9781250283825

Publication Date: 2025-05-20

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past-now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole's request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom "Hutch" Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West. The catch? Katie's not exactly qualified. She can't swim-but fakes it that she can.
Murder by Cheesecake by Rachel Ekstrom Courage
ISBN: 9781368102988

Publication Date: 2025-04-15

When Dorothy's obnoxious date is found dead in a hotel freezer, it not only ruins a gorgeous cheesecake but threatens the elaborate St. Olaf-themed wedding Rose is hosting. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It's up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!
Faithbreaker by Hannah Kaner
ISBN: 9780063350144

Publication Date: 2025-04-01

The fate of Middren hangs in the balance as mighty gods and mortal heroes clash in a final battle for supremacy. War has come. The fire god Hseth is leading an unstoppable army south, consuming everything in her path. Middren's only hope of survival is to unify allies and old foes against a common enemy.
Onyx Storm (Standard Edition) by Rebecca Yarros
ISBN: 9781649377159

Publication Date: 2025-01-21

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust.
Wizard of Most Wicked Ways by Charlie N. Holmberg
ISBN: 9781662516825

Publication Date: 2025-03-04

Whimbrel House is changing. Merritt and Hulda are raising a family. Owein has signed a marriage contract with the magically compatible Lady Cora, a heavyweight of British nobility who's an ocean away. And the lovely shape-shifting druid Fallon makes a distractingly fetching friend for Owein. But another change is in the air, and this time it's something wicked.
Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn
ISBN: 9780593638514

Publication Date: 2025-03-04

After more than a year of laying low, Billie, Helen, Mary Alice, and Natalie are called back into action. They have enjoyed their time off, but the lack of excitement is starting to chafe: a professional killer can only take so many watercolor classes and yoga sessions without itching to strangle someone...literally.
My Perfect Pantry by Geoffrey Zakarian; Amy Stevenson; Margaret Zakarian
ISBN: 9780385345668

Publication Date: 2014-10-07

Forget exotic condiments and specialty foods. With a working base of 50 readily available ingredients, from oats and honey to almonds and canned chickpeas, you will always have the makings of a delicious home-cooked meal. Whether cooking in his world-class restaurants, on Iron Chef, or judging the offerings on Chopped, Geoffrey knows every great meal starts with a trip to the pantry first for inspiration.
What Is the Bible? by Rob Bell
ISBN: 9780062194268

Publication Date: 2017-05-16

Rob Bell turns to our most sacred book, providing insights and answers that make clear why the Bible is so revered and what makes it truly inspiring and essential to our lives. Rob takes us deep into actual passages to reveal the humanity behind the Scriptures. You cannot get to the holy without going through the human, Rob tells us.
The Palace of Eros by Caro De Robertis
ISBN: 9781668035238

Publication Date: 2024-08-13

A bold retelling of the traditional Greek myth of Psyche and Eros through a queer and feminist lens, grappling with the complex and thorny questions of how to harness the power of female and queer joy and cultivate freedom in a world that seeks to cage us.
Thinner by Richard Bachman (Contribution by); Stephen King
ISBN: 9780453004688

Publication Date: 1984-11-01

When overweight Billy Halleck accidentally hits a gypsy woman as she is crossing the street, he senses a curse upon him as he begins to lose weight and it continues until he fears for his life.
West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge
ISBN: 9781542021746

Publication Date: 2021-02-01

Few true friends have I known and two were giraffes...' Woodrow Wilson Nickel, age 105, feels his life ebbing away. But when he learns giraffes are going extinct, he finds himself recalling the unforgettable experience he cannot take to his grave.
Godkiller by Hannah Kaner
ISBN: 9780063348271

Publication Date: 2023-09-12

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world--but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays "godkillers" to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows.
Good Omens by Neil Gaiman; Terry Pratchett
ISBN: 9780060853983

Publication Date: 2006-11-28

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner. So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon--both of whom have lived amongst Earth's mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle--are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist.
The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss
ISBN: 9780756419172

Publication Date: 2023-11-14

Follow the Kingkiller Chronicle's most charming fae as he schemes his way through the small town of Newarre. While Bast cares nothing for the laws of man, he is beholden to older, deeper laws. And despite his cleverness and care, Bast finds himself forced to choose between betraying his master and helping a hated enemy.
Sunbringer by Hannah Kaner
ISBN: 9780063350106

Publication Date: 2024-03-12

Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren -- but now they are stirring, whispering of war. Godkiller Kissen sacrificed herself to vanquish the fire god Hseth, who murdered her family and endangered her friends.
A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn
ISBN: 9780451476012

Publication Date: 2015-09-01

London, 1887. As the city prepares to celebrate Queen Victoria's golden jubilee, Veronica Speedwell is marking a milestone of her own. After burying her spinster aunt, the orphaned Veronica is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry--and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as she is fending off admirers, Veronica wields her butterfly net and a sharpened hatpin with equal aplomb, and with her last connection to England now gone, she intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.
Sunrise on the Reaping (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 9781546171461

Publication Date: 2025-03-18

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight...and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice: How to Discover a Shape by Amy Alznauer; Anna Bron (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781536229479

Publication Date: 2025-03-04

When Marjorie Rice was a little girl in Roseburg, Oregon, in the 1930s, she saw patterns everywhere. Swimming in the river, her body was a shape in the water, the water a shape in the hills, the hills a shape in the sky. Some shapes, fitted into a rectangle or floor tilings, were so beautiful they made her long to be an artist.
My Presentation Today Is about the Anaconda by Bibi Dumon Tak; Annemarie van Haeringen (Illustrator); Nancy Forest-Flier (Translator)
ISBN: 9781646145102

Publication Date: 2025-02-04

This is a book of oral presentations BY us animals, FOR us animals, and ABOUT us animals. The Cleaner Fish will talk about his friend the Shark and his sharp teeth. The Zebra will get to tell you about all the black-and-white animals in the world. The mole knows everything there is to know about the Daddy Long-Legs. The Southern Cassowa-yes, Fox? What is it? Yes, you'll get to talk about Geese. Huh? Yes, you'll get to talk about how delicious they are. Anyway, there's about twenty of us giving talks on twenty more. With a lot else packed in. Check us all out!
Dino Poet by Tom Angleberger
ISBN: 9781419772801

Publication Date: 2025-03-25

Get writing or get eaten! Dino Poet is on a mission: to write the first great poem--ever! His lunch, a prehistoric frog, is also on a mission: to not get eaten! So when Frog tells Dino Poet that his poems stink, he decides lunch can wait... for now. The two set off into the wide, wild world, chasing life! Chasing poetry! Until a T-Rex starts chasing them.
Nose to Nose by Thyra Heder
ISBN: 9781419757518

Publication Date: 2024-09-17

Mishaps and mix-ups hamper Toby's ability to make friends with his fellow canines.

Regional Reads Summer 2025

Regional Reads Summer 2025

This column features recent and forthcoming titles from southeastern authors or books set in the region. Place any of these titles on hold online or call any Henderson County Library for assistance.

Several popular regional authors have new titles publishing this summer, perfect for your next beach read.

Where the Rivers Merge by Mary Alice Monroe is set in Lowcountry South Carolina and follows a woman who fights against her son to save the family estate that has been held for generations.

Beach House Rules by Kristy Woodson Harvey is a story about a mother and daughter thrown into a difficult situation when they are locked out of their house by the FBI and end up staying in a beachfront home with a group of single mothers.

That Last Carolina Summer, the upcoming book from Karen White, is a standalone novel about a woman who returns home to Charleston as an adult to care for an ailing mother and is faced with some unresolved issues from her past.

After a teenage romance that ended in heartbreak, two adults are now running against each other for the office of Governor of Virginia in The Summer We Ran by Audrey Ingram.

For a fun sibling adventure story, check out Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson. Madeline and her mom have lived alone on their farm in Tennessee for 20 years until Reuben shows up and tells Maddie they have the same dad. Maddie decides to tag along on a road trip to find their other siblings.

Fans of Civil War historical fiction will be interested in Measure of Devotion by North Carolina author Nell Joslin. This novel follows a mother who travels from South Carolina to Tennessee to care for her son who was injured during the Civil War after enlisting against his parents’ wishes.

The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian is set in both Mississippi and North Carolina where two young sisters discover that one of them was adopted under mysterious circumstances.

For an interesting nonfiction read, former curator at the North Carolina Museum of Art, Jennifer Dasal, shares an engaging history of women artists in The Club: Where American Women Artists Found Refuge in Belle Epoque Paris.

Happy Reading!

Lisa Donaldson