A Universe of Stories: Reading Recommendations for Adults

Reading

Recommendations for Adults

Introduction Welcome to our annual booklet filled with great summer reads!

This year’s theme is A Universe of Stories and our librarians have selected some of their favorites for you! From classics to modern novels, and from genres such as mystery and fantasy to history and biography, we read a wide variety and you’re sure to find some great summer reads to love in these pages!

Reading Tools, Services & Programs for Adults!

WCPL has great tools for finding books on our reading page: wakegov.com/libraries/reading Our librarians offer individualized professional services such as assistance with downloading ebooks/eaudio books, scheduling and selecting book club kits, advice on cover letters and resumes, and custom book lists just for you! For information and registration: wakegov.com/libraries/services/adults We offer a variety of adult programs and book discussions at our regional libraries. From live music to monthly crafts, from small business expertise to author visits – we have programs to suit your interests! For information and registration: wakegov.com/libraries/events

1

2

Purple Hibiscus

by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie Fiction ADICHIE Kambili and Jaja live with their wealthy parents in a Nigerian city. Their successful businessman and devout Christian father gives them everything but freedom to explore the world, subjecting them to terrible psychological and physical abuse. Their soft spoken mother suffers along, afraid to confront her publicly well-acclaimed, but privately domineering husband. She takes matters into her own hands, plotting to save her children from permanent emotional damage but something goes terribly wrong. 2012

~ Mary A. Longbourn

by Jo Baker Fiction BAKER This story takes place during the events of Pride and Prejudice, but focuses on the servants at Longbourn, the home of Elizabeth Bennet and her family.

The main character is a young housemaid named Sarah. She is grateful for her job, but she longs for something more. Then, two men offer Sarah their love along with very different futures. Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this look at the everyday lives of ordinary people in Regency England. 2014

~ Sue S. Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss

by Rajeev Balasubramanyam Fiction BALASUBR Professor Chandra, a curmudgeonly character, is disappointed in all things that comprise his life.

When he is snubbed yet again for a Nobel Prize, he delves further into his misery. After suffering a heart attack, Professor Chandra begins to take note of his life. Deciding to take a sabbatical, he travels the world, visiting his children and attending a selfawareness course, all of which leads to figuring out what it truly means to live a blissful life. 2019

~ Rita B.

3

Stillhouse Lake

by Rachel Caine Fiction CAINE After discovering her husband’s secret life as a serial killer, Gina Royal must remake herself to protect her children from him and the stalkers who plague them.

She begins anew as Gwen Proctor, finally finding refuge at remote Stillhouse Lake. Just as she feels at ease, a body turns up in the lake and the threatening letters from her husband return. Gwen must keep her enemies away and avoid exposure or watch her kids fall victim to a killer. 2017

~ Morgan P. It’s Always the Husband

by Michele Campbell Fiction CAMPBELL A little deceit with your summer heat? Love and hatred are never far apart with Aubrey, Jenny, and Kate. Drawn together as Ivy League roommates, years later they are still frienemies, with one literally on the edge of the bridge as another is egging her on to leap off and die. Murder? Maybe. Riveting storyline, complex characters, and edge of your seat suspense, this novel is a must for fans of B.A. Paris, Liane Moriarty, and Glynn Flynn. 2017

~ Heidi R. Our House

by Louise Candlish Fiction CANDLISH Fiona Lawson and her husband Bram put family stability first by sharing custody of their children within the family home, despite being estranged.

Fiona returns home to find a new family moving in.

With Bram and her children missing, Fiona begins to unravel the lies surrounding the life she holds dear.

2018

~ Amy W.

4

I’ve Got You Under My Skin

by Mary Higgins Clark Fiction CLARK TV producer Laurie Moran created a series called “Under Suspicion” to investigate cold murder cases.

People previously involved in a case are brought to the original scene and interviewed on film by the show’s host. Five years earlier, Laurie’s husband was killed while playing with their young son in the park leaving Laurie and Timmie still haunted; Timmie by the assailant’s piercing blue eyes and Laurie by his threat to come back to get them both. Will new leads emerge to solve two cold cases? 2014

~ Tess A. Natural Causes

by Barbara Ehrenreich Nonfiction 306.9 EHREN Do you want to live as long as possible or live as well as possible? This science-based autobiographical book explores the effects of aging and the choices you face when confronting your own mortality. 2018

~ Tara B.

Virgil Wander

by Leif Enger Ficti0n ENGER In Enger’s whimsical “man in transition” novel Virgil Wander, small town movie theater owner Virgil’s car flies into icy Lake Superior. Following his rescue, memory and speech issues cause him to reinvent his life. Surrounded by a collection of colorful locals dealing with their own issues and an aging kite-flying Norwegian stranger searching for his long-missing son, Virgil encounters unexpected surprises onroute to his “new normal” and a bit of wistful romance and insights along the way! 2018

~ Janet M.

5

Curious Minds

by Janet Evanovich Fiction EVANOVIC Emerson Knight is eccentric and socially inept. He’s also brilliant, rich, and handsome. Riley Moon just graduated from Harvard and landed her dream job. At least she thought it was her dream job until she was assigned to babysit Emerson Knight. An inquiry about Knight’s missing funds leads to a missing man, missing gold, and a life-and-death race across the country. In the process, an evil plan is exposed, so sinister that only a megalomaniac could think it up, and only the unlikely duo of the irrepressibly charming Emerson Knight and the tenacious Riley Moon can stop it. 2016

~ Holly H. Absalom, Absalom!

by William Faulkner Fiction FAULKNER Quentin Compson has come home from Harvard to Yoknapatawpha County in Mississippi where he gets caught up in the legend of Thomas Sutpen. A century earlier, Sutpen mysteriously arrived in town and quickly built enormous wealth and a massive plantation, a legacy that is destroyed through decades of slavery, murder, secrecy and betrayal.

Often considered one of the greatest novels about the American South, Faulkner’s masterpiece remains as gripping as it is monumental. 1936

~ Rob C. A Death of No Importance

by Mariah Fredericks Mystery FREDERIC New York City, 1910: Lady’s maid Jane Prescott is all but invisible to the high society families she moves among. When a notorious playboy is found murdered at a party, she is able to investigate without being noticed. Jane is smart, witty and not intimidated by those of higher social standing. Fans of Victoria Thompson’s Gaslight mysteries will enjoy this. 2018

~ Cathy P.

6

Lethal White

by Robert Galbraith Mystery GALBRAIT Each new entry in Robert Galbraith’s Cormoran Strike series is better than the last, and the fourth and most recent title, Lethal White, is no exception.

Private detective Strike and his partner Robin Ellacott now have a booming business thanks to the cases they’ve successfully solved in past books.

Of course, there is another crime to be solved this time around, but equally compelling is the further exploration of the characters’ personal lives and their evolving relationship with one another. 2018

~ Carrie L. Winners Take All: The Elite Charade of Changing the World

by Anand Giridharadas Nonfiction 303.409 GIRID In Winners Take All, New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas dissects the philanthropic world of individuals and companies who confront various systematic inequities, and shows the hypocrisies of their attempts to be part of the solution. These MarketWorld “power elites” trying to address and affect social and political issues are also profiting from these portfolio enhancers rather than bringing global solutions. Through individual stories, this engaging book showcases such ventures and shines a light on their illusions. 2018

~ Ashlyn B. The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter

by Theodora Goss Horror GOSS This book is a mashup like no other: Gothic-inspired steampunk takes on Victorian murder mystery. In this inventive, feminist pastiche of classic horror tales, the daughters of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, Frankenstein, Sherlock Holmes and other, lesser-known stories romp through Victorian literature with impressive wit and inventiveness. The heroines solve not only a ghastly and perplexing serial murder case, but they take on the more bewildering problem of their own origins. 2017

~Deborah H.

7

Rust and Stardust

by T. Greenwood Fiction GREENWOO This gripping historical fiction is set in the late 1940s, the novel is based on the true kidnapping of Sally Horner, the girl who is said to have inspired Nabokov’s Lolita. This suspenseful, beautifully written story will haunt you long after you finish reading it. For readers of true crime and literary fiction. 2018

~ Lisa L. The Hush

by John Hart Fiction HART Sequel to The Last Child but can be read as a standalone; The Hush is a novel of tragic family secrets, long held and deeply buried. Johnny Merrimon lives alone in the wilderness of his family’s land, haunted by his past and gifted with abilities bestowed at a powerful cost. A Southern gothic ghost story and testament to loyalty and friendship, The Hush will chill your bones and haunt your heart. 2018

~ Erin D. Our Homesick Songs

by Emma Hooper Fiction HOOPER What is killing the fish in the river at Big Running, a fishing village in Newfoundland where Finn and Nora grew up? As their jobless neighbors leave the village one by one, the family decides whether to stay or go. Tension centers around the family dilemma though there is a bit of romance storyline among the teen characters. Pack this lovely and slower paced book along with a picnic for some reading by a lake.

2018

~ Melissa K.

8

Monday’s Not Coming

by Tiffany D. Jackson Young Adult JACKSON Claudia spent the summer down south and can’t wait to reunite with her best friend, Monday Charles.

When Monday doesn’t show up on the first day of school, Claudia starts to worry. Claudia is questioning her teachers and Monday’s family and still can’t get any answers. She can’t understand why no one seems to care about Monday’s disappearance. Claudia and Monday are more like sisters than friends, and she’s having a very difficult time without her. Will Monday ever come? 2018

~Carla P. The Fifth Season

by N.K. Jemisin Fantasy JEMISIN This Hugo award-winning novel is set in a world where out of control tectonic movement threatens to destroy the planet. The power to still the earth is in the hands of an enslaved people, the Orogenes.

The Fifth Season follows an Orogene mother as she tries to rescue her kidnapped child. This novel is an innovative exploration of race and gender. 2015

~ Keith H. Elevation

by Stephen King Science Fiction KING In the small town of Castle Rock, Scott Carey is faced with an unsettling medical condition. He has been losing weight, but doesn’t look any different.

Oddly, he weighs the same with his clothes on and off! Scott also has neighbor problems. One half of the couple next door, dislikes him and the other half of the couple likes him. Scott comes to realize the prejudices facing his neighbors and tries to help.

The annual road race, and his medical condition ultimately bring out the best in people. A story that reminds us what we can all do to end the divisiveness in our culture. 2018

~ Laura H.

9

Maid: Hard Work, Low Pay, and a Mother’s Will to Survive

by Stephanie Land Biography LAND Could you eat on $10 or less a day with a child? In the tradition of Barbara Ehrenreich’s Nickel & Dimed, Stephanie Land shares her journey of unexpected motherhood, coordinating a complicated system of public and private aid, and earning low wages as a housekeeper. Struggling through homelessness, hunger, and sickness, she fights to find the small joys in life and keep her dream alive of attending a university and becoming a writer. Written in an engaging narrative style, Land’s biography is both moving and works to tear through society’s deep-rooted stigmas of the working poor. 2019

~ Astrid H An Unwanted Guest

by Shari Lapena Fiction LAPENA Lapena weaves an old fashioned whodunit tucked away in the woods of the Catskills. Mitchell’s Inn is the setting for a cozy, and maybe even romantic, weekend away from life. As the guests are settled in, the weather turns dangerous, the lights go out...and people start dying. Who is the murderer? Is it one of the guests? Is there someone else in the inn? 2018

~ Dayna S.

Her Body and Other Parties

by Carmen Maria Machado Fiction MACHADO There are so many adjectives I could apply to the stories in Carmen Maria Machado’s debut collection: creepy, experimental, angering, tragic, disorienting, feminist. One, though, can easily be applied across the board: haunting. This book has won a slew of awards, is in development as a television series, and you should believe the hype. 2017

~ Daniel S.

10

All Our Wrong Todays

by Elan Mastai Science Fiction MASTAI Heartbroken Tom Barren lives in an alternate, kinder, better 2016, but can’t appreciate it. When he uses time travel to escape all the reminders of his lost love, he inadvertently changes time. Ending up in OUR 2016, Tom is shocked – and maybe a little intrigued - to find that people age, cars don’t fly, and war is ever-present. Is this a nightmare to escape, or perhaps where he should have been all along? This time travel romp is mind-bending and funny. 2017

~ Amy F. A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind

by Shoukei Matsumoto Nonfiction 648 MATSU A simple book about simplicity, Matsumoto explains the connections between a clean temple, a clean heart, and a clean mind in the Shin-Buddhist monastic tradition: by sweeping the floor, one also sweeps the dirt from one’s heart. Then, expanding outward beyond the monastery, he encourages his readers to realize that every act, including polishing floors or washing clothes, can be made meditative and mindful. 2018

~ Gordon J. Every Heart a Doorway

by Seanan McGuire Fantasy MCGUIRE Imagine stumbling through a door into into a strange and beguiling world, and then being sent back. How would you readjust? Would you want to hold onto your experiences or forget them?

Would you look for a way back? The perfect blend of poignant and whimsical, McGuire’s Wayward Children series explores the process of discovering who you are and deciding where you belong. Perfect for anyone who’s ever dreamed of climbing through a wardrobe or falling down a rabbit hole. 2016

~ Melissa K.

11

Small Great Things

by Jodi Picoult Fiction PICOULT With 20 years of childbirth nurse credentials, Ruth Jefferson is discharged abruptly during her care of a newborn. The parents, who are white supremacists, are against her because she is black. Alone in the nursery the next day, the baby goes into cardiac distress. Ruth hesitates, yet performs CPR, and consequently, is charged with a serious crime. Her white public defender resists the race claims. In searching for justice, Ruth and her lawyer must learn to trust each other, but how? 2016

~ Celia G.

The Second Mrs. Hockaday

by Susan Rivers Fiction RIVERS In Susan Rivers’ The Second Mrs. Hockaday, strongwilled 17-year-old Placidia Fincheris is expecting stability and comfort when she agrees to marry the recently widowed Mr. Hockaday, but instead finds herself in a battle for survival while he is away at war. He returns to the controversial discovery of the remains of a newborn child found on his property.

Placidia refuses to reveal what happened, but when the truth comes out, it is not what you would expect! 2017

~ Carol M.

Once Upon a River

by Diane Setterfield Fiction SETTERFI On a winter solstice night more than hundred years ago, a severely wounded man stumbles into a dark country pub on the banks of the Thames.

He is carrying a small girl. She appears to be dead, but miraculously awakens. She cannot speak, yet enchants all who meet her. She may be one of several different children who have disappeared. Can her return be explained by science, or is it something else? 2018

~ Lisa W.

12

Kill Creek

by Scott Thomas Horror THOMAS Four famous horror novelists are invited to spend the night in an infamous haunted house out in the Kansas prairie. The Finch House, abandoned for years, is known for its history of sadness, tragedy and death. Soon each guest begins to question what they experience and what begins as a publicity stunt turns into a fight for survival. As the darkness rises, the novelists will quickly learn about the legend of Kill Creek. 2017

~ Thad M. The Boneless Mercies

by April Genevieve Tucholke Young Adult TUCHOLKE Frey, Ovie, Juniper, and Runa are the Boneless Mercies—girls hired to kill quickly, quietly, and mercifully. Tired of the death trade they strike out to bring down an unstoppable monster ravaging a nearby town. Looking for a chance at fame, fortune and glory, their actions may change the story arc of women everywhere. Highly recommended for fans of Norse myth, The Hobbit, or winding sagas steeped in lore. 2018

~ Megan R. Until It Fades

by K.A. Tucker Fiction TUCKER In this modern day Cinderella story, Cath, a waitress and single mom, just wants to raise her daughter and be left alone. One night, after pulling someone from a burning car, Cath finds she saved the life of notorious hockey player Brett Madden. Brett and Cath are instantly drawn to one another when they meet, but she fears their relationship will put her in the spotlight and dredge up a past she fought so desperately to hide. 2017

~Jen B.

13

On a Sunbeam

by Tillie Walden Young Adult WALDEN Mia, a quiet girl with an unspoken mission, joins a team of deep space renovators who travel to farflung galaxies to restore beautiful old colonies. As she settles in the crew, she flashes back to school and one special relationship that haunts her, informing her decisions and character. Striking graphics and exquisite, imperfect quiet moments laced throughout the story create an epic both transcendent and personal in scope. Recommended for fans of both space opera and universe spanning romance. 2018

~ Jenn H. My Real Children

by Jo Walton Science Fiction WALTON Dementia-care patient Patricia Cowan is sure she lives between two realities, but she’s not sure which one is true. When Mark called her in 1949 to issue an ultimatum - marry me now or never - did she choose now or never? Did she have four children with Mark and call herself Tricia, or did she meet Bee and raise three children as Pat? And does the moon she watches every night house a harmless research station, or an arsenal of nuclear weapons? 2014

~ Kate B. The Death of Mrs. Westaway

by Ruth Ware Fiction WARE Hal Westaway receives a mysterious letter stating that she is a benefactor of the late Mrs. Westaway.

Knowing that this is not possible, but facing serious trouble with debt collectors, Hal decides to accept the inheritance despite the error. What she finds, however, is a family dysfunction that has her wondering if the massive inheritance is worth her life. 2018

~ Cris E.

14

All Systems Red

by Martha Wells Science Fiction WELLS The protagonist of this humorous, award-winning novella is a SecUnit, a security agent cyborg.

Accompanying a team of scientists on an exploratory mission should be a fairly straightforward assignment. Except that it’s not. The humans are blissfully unaware that their SecUnit has managed to hack its own system, refers to itself as “Murderbot,” and would love nothing more than to spend its time binge-watching TV shows. When another research team goes missing, will Murderbot prove to be friend or foe? 2017

~ Elizabeth D.

A Long Time Until Now

by Michael Z. Williamson Science Fiction WILLIAMS Suddenly thrust into the Stone Age, soldiers in a military convoy in Afghanistan must overcome their shock and work with the Paleolithic population if they are to return home. Among many surprises, they meet Ancient Romans, Neolithic Europeans, and others who are also lost in time. As they work to get home, their efforts are hindered by the arrival of two sinister time travelers who seem to want to stop everyone from leaving. Williamson writes with sheer authenticity and plausibility, making this a time travel novel worth reading! 2014

~ Edward W. Yesternight

by Cat Winters Fiction WINTERS In 1925, child psychologist Alice Lind travels to Oregon to administer IQ tests at a local school, where she encounters 7-year old Janie O’Daire. Janie is strikingly good at math and stands out among her peers, but she also tells a strange story. She says that her name was Violet, she grew up in Kansas, and she drowned at age 19. As Alice investigates the mysteries of reincarnation and past histories, their stories take a dark twist in the end. 2016

~ Joy J.

15

Blood Red Road

by Moira Young Young Adult YOUNG In a parched, post-apocalyptic future, 18-year-old Saba’s father is killed and her twin brother Lugh is kidnapped. Saba, trailed by her younger sister Emmi, leaves her homestead and sets off across the treacherous Sandsea to get her brother back.

When slavers capture the girls and sell Saba as a cage fighter, she survives through fierce cunning and earns the nickname “Angel of Death.” Can Saba overcome impossible odds to escape her chains and rescue her brother and sister? 2012

~ Helen Y.

Have a great summer!

16

Looking for more good books?

We can help.

Book Advisor

Meet with your own personal book advisor and learn insider tricks and tips for finding your next great read.

Custom Book List

Enhance your reading experience, discover new authors or series. Fill out a quick survey and a librarian will curate a reading list tailored to you.

Device Advice

Learn to download eBooks and audiobooks and how to navigating your device.

Express Book Bag

Read more of what you want when you want it. Books handpicked just for you.

For more information ask staff or visit us online wakegov.com/libraries/services/adults

wake county public libraries wakegov.com/libraries wcplonline