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

September Staff Picks

Jane Austen in 41 Objects by Kathryn Sutherland
ISBN: 9781851246267

Publication Date: 2025-07-04

A fascinating insight into the life of one of Jane Austen through the biographies of objects that crossed her path in life and afterward. Among objects described in this book are a teenage notebook, a muslin shawl, a wallpaper fragment, a tea caddy, the theatrical poster for a play she attended, and the dining-room grate at Chawton Cottage where she lived.
Beautiful Dreamers by Minrose Gwin
ISBN: 9798885740364

Publication Date: 2024-08-27

Beautiful Dreamers is Gwin's finest work to date. Sweeping, dramatic, and vividly rendered, it is a novel of innocence and betrayal, love and intolerance, and the care and honesty we owe the families we choose.
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
ISBN: 9781668075081

Publication Date: 2025-03-18

A chilling historical horror novel set in the American west in 1912 following a Lutheran priest who transcribes the life of a vampire who haunts the fields of the Blackfeet reservation looking for justice. A diary, written in 1912 by a Lutheran pastor is discovered within a wall. What it unveils is a slow massacre, a chain of events that go back to 217 Blackfeet dead in the snow. Told in transcribed interviews by a Blackfeet named Good Stab, who shares the narrative of his peculiar life over a series of confessional visits.
Fox by Joyce Carol Oates
ISBN: 9780593978085

Publication Date: 2025-06-17

Who is Francis Fox? A charming English teacher new to the idyllic Langhorne Academy, Fox beguiles many of his students, their parents, and his colleagues at the elite boarding school, while leaving others wondering where he came from and why his biography is so enigmatic.
The Pretender by Jo Harkin
ISBN: 9780593803301

Publication Date: 2025-04-22

In 1480 John Collan's greatest anxiety is how to circumvent the village's devil goat on his way to collect water. But the arrival of a well-dressed stranger from London upends his life forever: John is not John Collan, not the son of Will Collan but the son of the long-deceased Duke of Clarence, and has been hidden in the countryside after a brotherly rift over the crown--and because Richard III has a habit of disappearing his nephews.
The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry
ISBN: 9781668011874

Publication Date: 2025-03-18

In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington's magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more insatiable: her beautiful mother. By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother's lost language, Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother's vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London's most deadly natural disasters -- the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson's family retreat nestled in the Lake District. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.
Strange New World by Vivian Shaw
ISBN: 9780316537971

Publication Date: 2025-05-20

After narrowly avoiding the end of the world, the leaders of Heaven and Hell are struggling to collaborate according to the terms of their new treaty-especially because angels and demons are, quite literally, allergic to each other. Seeking a solution, the powers that be decide to see if the allergy persists on Earth by sending an angel and demon on a research trip, first stop: New York City. And what better chaperone than Dr. Greta Helsing, who happens to owe Hell a few favors of her own?
Swept Away by Beth O'Leary
ISBN: 9780593640142

Publication Date: 2025-04-01

What if you were lost at sea...with your one-night stand? Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father's houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend's daughter. Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.
Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
ISBN: 9781649378545

Publication Date: 2025-08-05

One minute, Evie Sage was applying for an entry-level position that promised 'light paperwork and occasional beheadings,' and the next, she was knee-deep in magical mayhem, murder plots, and an entirely inappropriate crush on her brooding, sharp-jawed, walking disaster of a boss. Now, with a magical prophecy unraveling, assassins showing up in the break room, and a suspicious amount of frogs wearing crowns, Evie has to figure out how to survive her job without setting the kingdom on fire--or her dignity, which is hanging by a very sarcastic thread.
A Fellowship of Bakers and Magic (Deluxe Edition) by J. Penner
ISBN: 9781464243752

Publication Date: 2025-04-15

In the heart of Adenashire, where elfish enchantments and dwarven delights rule, human confectioner Arleta Starstone works twice as hard at perfecting her unique blend of baking and apothecary herbs. So when an orc neighbor secretly enters her creations into the prestigious Elven Baking Battle, Arleta faces a dilemma. Being magicless, her participation in the competition could draw more scowls than smiles. And if Arleta wants to prove her talent and establish her culinary reputation, this human will need more than just her pastry craft to sweeten the odds.
It Rhymes with Takei by George Takei; Steven Scott; Justin Eisinger; Harmony Becker (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781603095747

Publication Date: 2025-06-10

George shares the full story of his life in the closet, his decision to come out as gay at the age of 68, and the way that moment transformed everything.
When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
ISBN: 9780765389091

Publication Date: 2025-03-25

The moon has turned into cheese. Now humanity has to deal with it. For some it's an opportunity. For others it's a moment to question their faith: In God, in science, in everything. Still others try to keep the world running in the face of absurdity and uncertainty. And then there are the billions looking to the sky and wondering how a thing that was always just there is now... something absolutely impossible.
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
ISBN: 9780385534246

Publication Date: 2017-04-18

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, they rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off.
Pathogenesis by Jonathan Kennedy
ISBN: 9780593240472

Publication Date: 2023-04-18

A sweeping look at how the major transformations in history--from the rise of Homo sapiens to the birth of capitalism--have been shaped not by humans but by germs.
All's Well by Mona Awad
ISBN: 9781982169664

Publication Date: 2021-08-03

ALL'S WELL is about Miranda Fitch whose life is a waking nightmare after an accident ruins her acting career, and leaves her with chronic back pain, a failed marriage, and a deepening dependence on painkillers and alcohol. On the verge of losing her job as a college theater director, Miranda lives out her broken dreams through an upcoming production of Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, when the unimaginable happens. She suddenly recovers, but at what cost?
The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
ISBN: 9781982197360

Publication Date: 2023-02-07

Fifteen-year-old Ruby Pearsall is on track to becoming the first in her family to attend college, in spite of having a mother more interested in keeping a man than raising a daughter. But a taboo love affair threatens to pull her back down into the poverty and desperation that has been passed on to her like a birthright...
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
ISBN: 9780374602635

Publication Date: 2024-09-24

Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common. Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties--successful, competent, and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father's death, he's medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women--his enduring first love, Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke. Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined. For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude--a period of desire, despair, and possibility; a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
ISBN: 9780316529259

Publication Date: 2020-02-11

Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Forty fishermen, including Maren Magnusdatter's brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. The women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardo must fend for themselves. Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, but Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardo's very existence.
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
ISBN: 9780063277052

Publication Date: 2024-10-01

In this stunning novel, Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Louise Erdrich tells a story of love, natural forces and the tragic impact of big business.
Persuasion by Jane Austen; Juliette Wells (Editor, Introduction by)
ISBN: 9780143106289

Publication Date: 2011-06-28

The story concerns Anne Elliot, an Englishwoman of 27 years, whose family moves to Bath to lower their expenses and reduce their debt by renting their estate to an admiral and his wife. The wife's brother, Captain Frederick Wentworth, was engaged to Anne in 1806, but the engagement was broken when Anne was persuaded by her friends and family to end their relationship. Anne and Captain Wentworth, both single and unattached, meet again after a separation lasting almost eight years, setting the scene for a second, well-considered chance at love and marriage for Anne.
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Editor)
ISBN: 9780688077082

Publication Date: 1989-03-01

In the summer of 1953, two 11-year-old boys--best friends--are playing in a Little League baseball game in New Hampshire. One of the boys hits a foul ball that kills his best friend's mother. Owen Meany believes he didn't hit the ball by accident. He believes he is God's instrument. What happens to Owen after 1953 is extraordinary and terrifying. He is Irving's most heartbreaking hero.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
ISBN: 9780063327528

Publication Date: 2023-08-01

In the spring of 2020, Lara's three daughters return to the family's orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake.
Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? by Roz Chast
ISBN: 9781608198061

Publication Date: 2014-05-06

Spanning the last several years of their lives and told through four-color cartoons, family photos, and documents, and a narrative as rife with laughs as it is with tears, Chast's memoir is both comfort and comic relief for anyone experiencing the life-altering loss of elderly parents.
The Frugal Wizard's Handbook for Surviving Medieval England by Brandon Sanderson
ISBN: 9781250899675

Publication Date: 2023-06-27

A man awakes in a clearing in what appears to be medieval England with no memory of who he is, where he came from, or why he is there. Chased by a group from his own time, his sole hope for survival lies in regaining his missing memories, making allies among the locals, and perhaps even trusting in their superstitious boasts.
The Hexologists by Josiah Bancroft
ISBN: 9780316443302

Publication Date: 2023-09-26

The Hexologists, Iz and Warren Wilby, are quite accustomed to helping desperate clients with the bugbears of city life. Aided by hexes and a bag of charmed relics, the Wilbies have recovered children abducted by chimney-wraiths, removed infestations of barb-nosed incubi, and ventured into the Gray Plains of the Unmade to soothe a troubled ghost.
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
ISBN: 9781250868282

Publication Date: 2023-02-14

Experiencing an epiphany within the most daunting prison of the monstrous Lord Ruler, half-Skaa Kelsier finds himself taking on the powers of a Mistborn, and teams up with ragged orphan Vin in a desperate plot to save their world.
Agnes Sharp and the Trip of a Lifetime by Leonie Swann; Amy Bojang (Translator)
ISBN: 9781641295802

Publication Date: 2024-09-03

The year is rapidly drawing to an end, Hettie the tortoise is hibernating and Agnes, Charlie, Marshall, and the other elderly residents of Sunset Hall are going stir-crazy at home. They've had enough of broken heating, drafty bedrooms, and Christmas jingles on the radio. And to top it all off, another series of murders is rocking the hamlet of Duck End. It seems like every villager and his dog is trying to make up for all of the thwarted murders of the past thirty years.
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
ISBN: 9780393312836

Publication Date: 1995-04-17

Told through a central character, Alex, the disturbing novel creates an alarming futuristic vision of violence, high technology, and authoritarianism. A modern classic of youthful violence and social redemption set in a dismal dystopia whereby a juvenile deliquent undergoes state-sponsored psychological rehabilitation for his aberrant behavior.
The End of All Things by John Scalzi
ISBN: 9780765376077

Publication Date: 2015-08-11

Humans expanded into space ... only to find a universe populated with multiple alien species bent on their destruction. Thus was the Colonial Union formed, to help protect us from a hostile universe. The Colonial Union used the Earth and its excess population for colonists and soldiers. It was a good arrangement ... for the Colonial Union. Then the Earth said: no more.
Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
ISBN: 9780441788385

Publication Date: 1991-10-01

A young man from Mars comes to Earth & must learn our strange ways. After his arrival on Earth from his home on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith becomes the founder and pastor of a new religious sect and the sensation he creates teaches Earth some unforgettable lessons, including grokking, watersharing, and love. One of the greatest science fiction novels ever published, Stranger in a Strange Land's original manuscript had 60,000 words cut. Here at last, is the complete, uncut version of Heinlein's all-time masterpiece, the brilliant novel that grew from a cult favorite to a best seller to a classic in a few short years.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (a Hunger Games Novel) by Suzanne Collins
ISBN: 9781338635171

Publication Date: 2020-05-19

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.
A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway
ISBN: 9780684801469

Publication Date: 1995-06-01

An American's love for an English nurse during the First World War ends in tragedy.
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.
Ada and the Goat by Heidi Aubrey
ISBN: 9780823450800

Publication Date: 2025-08-05

Ada seeks a peaceful, solitary life in a remote fixer-upper cottage, but her plans are disrupted by a capricious goat.
Little Freddie Two Pants by Drew Daywalt; Lucy Ruth Cummins (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9780593691427

Publication Date: 2025-02-25

One pair of pants? Two pairs? Three? How many pants should Little Freddie wear? And where should he put them? What about underpants? Where do they go? In a book with text and art that are sure to induce giggles, Drew Daywalt and Lucy Ruth Cummins settle the age-old question: Do a dog's front legs deserve pants, too?
These Little Feet by Hayley Rawsthorne; Briony Stewart (Illustrator)
ISBN: 9781958325285

Publication Date: 2025-03-25

These little feet, so tiny and new. The places they'll go, the dances they'll do. The mountains they'll climb, the dreams they'll pursue. These little feet, so tiny and new.

Regional Reads Fall 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.

As the leaves begin to turn and the air chills, it's the perfect time to curl up with a book. This season, a diverse array of titles offers mystery, romance, history, and inspiration.

Asheville author Terry Roberts returns to Madison County in his seventh novel, In the Fullness of Time. The story follows a veteran who becomes the local sheriff, expecting a quiet tenure. He soon finds himself entangled in more serious affairs, unearthing family secrets that will keep readers guessing until the end.

In a unique collaboration, North Carolina author Nicholas Sparks teams up with filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan to bring readers Remain. Set against the backdrop of Cape Cod, this novel intertwines love and mystery with supernatural elements.

Fans of the Mitford series will rejoice as Jan Karon returns with My Beloved. When Father Tim's love letter to his wife goes astray, the community of Mitford finds itself reflecting on love and relationships.

In Peace Like a River, Scott Gould takes readers to the Lowcountry of South Carolina, where a man returns home to reconcile with his dying father. This story explores themes of family, forgiveness, and the complexities of coming home.

Set against the backdrop of the North Carolina mountains in 1932, These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas tells the story of a German woman on a quest to uncover the fate of her husband, who had been imprisoned during the war.

Michelle Shocklee's The Women of Oak Ridge transports readers to World War II-era Tennessee, where women unknowingly work on the atomic bomb in Oak Ridge. This historical novel sheds light on the pivotal roles women played during the war and the secrets they kept.

A bookstore owner in a small North Carolina town is confronted with long hidden family secrets in The Stories We Carry by Christy award winning author Robin W. Pearson.

Also set in a small North Carolina town, The Second Story Bookshop by Denise Hunter is a tale of unexpected partnerships and second chances where a woman inherits her grandmother’s bookstore, only to discover she must share ownership with the man who once broke her heart.

Mailman is the story of Stephen Grant, who finds new purpose as a rural letter carrier in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia after being laid off at age 50. Through strange deliveries and heartfelt connections, Grant becomes a lifeline to his community, offering a unique perspective on rural life.

For readers who enjoy nature, The Fabulous Ordinary by Georgann Eubanks provides a tour of seasonal phenomena of nature throughout the Southeast.

Part memoir and part writing guide, North Carolina author Sue Monk Kidd explores how she became a writer and was inspired by other writers in Writing Creativity and Soul.

Happy Reading!

Lisa Donaldson