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Spotlight Books for Fall What should you read next? (Click here for a list of "What do YPL patrons like to read?" |
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NOVEMBER SPOTLIGHT BOOKS
There are lots of buzzworthy books right now. We would like to spotlight a few 2026 titles that flew under the radar that we think are just as good, by authors you might not have heard of - yet.
_____________________________. Cold Sunset by William Boyd This is the last book in the Gabriel Dax trilogy, a Cold War spy series. Gabriel, a British travel writer, is a reluctant spy, but he keeps being drawn deeper and deeper into the world of 1960s espionage. Readers of John Le Carre will enjoy the mystery and moral complexity of this series. Yes, you should read Gabriel’s Moon and The Predicament before you read Cold Sunset. Consider this a three for one recommendation if these titles are new to you. _____________________________. Every Story Is A Love Story by Imbolo Mbue Wolo Lifafa is an economist, working in New York City and living in New Jersey. His pregnant wife is tragically killed, hit by a car while jogging. Three years later, the driver of the car sends a letter to Wolo, expressing her desire to meet. Parallel story lines explore both the driver’s life and Wolo’s family history in Cameroon. This is a story of remorse and heartbreak as well as of healing and forgiveness. _____________________________. Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller In a village in China, River discovers the piano at age 4, and it is soon apparent that he is a prodigy. At age 11, he is invited to Beijing to study with a renowned teacher. But River and his mother, Song, a food delivery worker, get separated in a crowded Beijing train station. In alternating chapters, the story of how River and Song face life in an unfamiliar city and continue to search for one another over the course of many years unfolds. _____________________________. Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li This sweeping historical fiction novel tells the story of the lives and musical careers of real life 18th century pianists, John Field and Adelaide Percheron. Esteemed author and bookstore owner, Ann Patchett, has stated that this book “ … may well be the most perfectly constructed, moving, and beautiful novel I have ever read.” High praise, indeed!` _____________________________. Palaces of the Crow by Ray Naylar Set during WWII, this book combines history and fantasy. Four teenagers are on the run and find themselves caught between the Nazis and the Red Army. They take refuge in a forest, where they are helped by an unusual and highly intelligent flock of crows. Readers who may shy away from science fiction will appreciate the way Naylar blends the other worldly with humanity. _____________________________. A Tender Age by Chang-rae Lee Ten year old Jeon-Gi, son of Korean immigrants, wants to find his place in the neighborhood pack of boys. As he tries to show off, Jeon-Gi makes one poor choice after another. His parents, who want the best for their son, try everything - moving to a new neighborhood, juvenile intervention, and, finally, a Korean Christian summer camp. One of the reasons that this novel works so well is the dual perspectives - the child trying desperately to fit in and the middle aged Jeon-Gi, looking back at the many mistakes he made at the tender age of ten _____________________________. White River Crossing by Ian MaguireIn 1776, at a remote outpost of the Hudson Bay Company, English colonists and their indigenous guides set off on a dangerous and secret journey in search of rumored gold. This adventure story includes a greedy and villainous commander, the frozen landscape of the far north, and a clash of cultures. _____________________________.
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FAVORITE BOOKS 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, we looked back at the books we’d read to find our favorites. Below is a list of some of the books we loved this year. We hope you’ll use this list to find your next read or to be reminded of books you enjoyed in 2025.
Happy reading! Carrie, Carol, Susan, Leslie, and Alice FICTION
Atmosphere: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid. In the 1980’s the first women entered NASA as astronauts. Joan Goodwin has dreamed of going to space, but will the challenges of the space program and the secrets of her personal life foil that dream? The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff. For generations, the Bright family has kept secrets. Told from three different points of view, their story and their secrets unfold. Buckeye by Patrick Ryan. This novel begins with a V.E day kiss between two strangers in a small, mid-western town and then follows their interconnected lives for the next five decades. The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. This epistolary novel tells the story of Sybil’s life in letters to and from her friends, family, and even some famous writers. The Eights by Joanna Miller. In 1920, women were allowed to attend Oxford University for the first time. The Eights (named for their residence hall) are a group of four women who find a bond in being among the first women in a very male institution. The Elements John Boyne. These novellas, titled Water, Earth. Air and Fire, link intertwined characters and crimes. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong. Set against a backdrop of trauma, Hai, a teenage addict, Granzina, an elderly Lithuanian immigrant, and Hai’s quirky co-workers from Home Market form an unusual bond. A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar. In a near-future, heat-ravaged Kolkata, Ma, her daughter and father are waiting to join her husband in the United States. The ensuing events make the reader question which character is the guardian and which is the thief. Hard by a Great Forest by Leo Vardiashvili. Two brothers return to war-torn Tbilisi in search of their father. They follow a series of clues, including clues from fairy tales told as bedtime stories when they were young, to find their answers. The Heart of Winter by Jonathan Evison. Abe and Ruth have been married for seventy years. This is the story of their marriage and the challenges they face. The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai. A family epic and love story tells the story of Sunny and Sonia as they navigate life in India and The United States, touching on issues of family, race, and a sense of place. The Names by Florence Knapp. Would your life be different if you had a different name? This book follows the life of a child in alternating chapters as he lives with each of the names his mother, father, and sister chose for him. The Pretender by Jo Harkin. Historical fiction set in the Tudor period telling the story of Lambert Simnel or Edward, Earl of Warwick.
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb. Corby Ledbetter is in prison after a tragic accident. In this powerful story, Corby learns about himself, his fellow prisoners and his family. Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld. Short stories by the author of Romantic Comedy and Rodham. Sittenfeld’s characters are smart, funny, and so very real. (Readers of Sittenfeld’s first novel, Prep, will recognize the main character in the last story.) Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy. This book captures the all-consuming side of motherhood in powerful prose. What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. Set in the near future and told in two parts, the story centers around the lost copy of a poem recited by a famous poet at a birthday party for his wife. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi. When the moon turns to cheese, what will happen on earth? Wild Dark Shores by Charlotte McConaghy. A drama unfolds on a remote island near Antarctica where a seed vault protects valuable plant species during a time of extreme climate change. NONFICTION Book & Dagger by Elyse Graham. The history of the OSS, founded at the start of WWII. Cello: A journey through silence by Kate Kennedy. The story of four cellists, each one facing persecution and danger. Henry V by Dan Jones. For fans of Tudor England, a biography of Henry V. The Innermost House by Cynthia Blakely. A Cape Cod memoir. Memorial Days by Geraldine Brooks. The author tells the story of her late husband’s death alongside the story of their relationship. Paper Girl by Beth Macy. A memoir of family and place and the changes the author discovered when she moved back to the mid-western town where she had grown up. KIDS If You Make a Call on a Banana Phone by Gideon Sterer (Picture) What happens when a child makes a call to a gorilla using a banana phone? Lost Evangeline by Kate DiCamillo (J Fiction ) A fairy tale-like story about a tiny girl. |
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