Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For November, we’re looking at historical fiction about libraries (both the gothic kind and the WWII espionage kind), a modern literary homage to a 19th century classic, a brooding mystery set in 1950s small-town Minnesota, an Atlanta-based contemporary romance, and a nonfiction audiobook that ponders the mysteries of knitting.
If you love historical fiction:
Hester Fox’s The Last Heir to Blackwood Library (2023)*
In post-WWI England, Ivy is startled to learn she has inherited an ancient house and title in the atmospheric Yorkshire moors. She relocates to the less-than-welcoming manor house she now owns but finds solace in its magnificent library. She often does not feel alone in the library, though, and the local village is rife with rumors of ghosts, a mysterious manuscript, and more. Complications ensue.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Paula Brackston, Diane Setterfield, and Daphne du Maurier.
*Also available as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
Alan Hlad’s The Book Spy (2023)
This book is based on how, during WWII, the OSS (the forerunner to the CIA) used librarians to aid the war effort in neutral countries like Portugal. Maria is an American librarian posted to Lisbon. Her work involves photographing Axis publications, so intelligence specialists in London can analyze the data. She works closely with a local bookstore owner, Tiago, who also provides forged papers to Jewish refugees. Maria is enjoying her work and her growing relationship with Tiago, until her superiors order her to also work as a double agent, feeding false intelligence to a Nazi money launderer. . . .
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Kate Quinn, Madeline Martin, and Marie Benedict.
If you like literary fiction inspired by classics:
Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful (2023)**
William had a lonely childhood with his distant parents, so he was relieved to move away for college. His life seems to change for the better when he meets Julia, a quietly spirited young woman. Julia’s family, including her three younger siblings, embrace William as their own. But will it be enough to stave off the darkness of William’s past? This book is billed as an homage to Louisa May Alcott’s classic Little Women.
**Also available as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Gabrielle Zevin.
If you prefer historical mysteries:
William Kent Krueger’s The River We Remember (2023)***
William Kent Krueger is perhaps best known for his Cork O’Connor mystery series, but he also writes standalones, such as his latest book. Set in the small town of Jewel, Minnesota, during the 1950s, The River We Remember chronicles the fallout after a wealthy resident is found murdered during the town’s Memorial Day celebrations. Suspicion soon falls on a Native American veteran, and it’s up to Sheriff Brody Dern, a WWII veteran himself, to figure out what happened as tensions in the community reach a boiling point.
***Also available as an ebook and audiobook on Libby.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Wiley Cash.
If you want a romance:
Kennedy Ryan’s Before I Let Go (2022)
The first in a series, this book follows divorced couple Yasmen and Josiah. After their split, the two have found a way to peacefully co-parent their children and still run their successful Atlanta restaurant together. But a kiss leads them both to start wondering if they made the right decision to separate, shortly before all the issues that ended their marriage reemerge. Is it too late for them to work out their issues and have a second chance at love with each other?
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Colleen Hoover, Emily Henry, Christina Lauren, and Abby Jimenez.
If you enjoy nonfiction and/or audiobooks:
Peggy Orenstein’s Unraveling: What I Learned About Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World’s Ugliest Sweater (2023)
This funny memoir focuses on how the author went deep into the world of knitting. During the early days of the pandemic, a lot of people adopted hobbies to cope with the difficult times. Some people baked and others knitted. For Peggy Orenstein, already an avid knitter, she went even further, resolving to make a sweater from scratch. As she learns how to shear sheep and spin and dye yarn, she also ponders issues ranging from family to sustainability, all with a wry sense of humor.
Recommended for those who enjoy the work of Mary Roach.
What’s your favorite new-ish books? What books are you buzzing about these days? Have you read any of these books? Tell us in the comments! As always, please follow this link to our online library catalog for more information on any of these items or to place them on hold.
Berryville Book Buzz 