Librarian’s Top Book Picks for 2016

Lo Blacklock is a journalist who has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. At first, the trip is everything it’s supposed to be — the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But when the weather gets choppy things get darker onboard and Lo witnesses a woman being thrown overboard in the middle of a storm. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so the ship sails on as if nothing happened despite Lo’s pleas that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

Commonwealth

Ann Patchett

One action sets in motion a series of events that reverberates through the lives of four parents and their six children. With grace and emotionality, Patchett weaves a domestic tale spanning five decades shedding light on secrets, relationships and tragedies. The children of Franny Keating and Bert Cousins forge a lasting bond with a genuine affection growing from their shared disillusionment with their parents.

My Name Is Lucy Barton

Elizabeth Strout

While recovering from what was meant to be a simple operation, Lucy Barton, gets a visit from her mother. After not speaking for years, this encounter lets the two reconnect over their shared memories and learn about each other’s lives, family and desires in the time they have spent apart. A tale about the love of a mother and daughter and how time can help heal wounds.

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend

Katarina Bivald

If you ever want to be reminded of how much you love and cherish books, just pick up The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend. The main character, a Swedish woman named Sara, has flown to a small town in Iowa to meet her beloved bookish pen pal, Amy. When she arrives, she discovers that her friend has passed away and the small town is in shambles. Although Sara is heartbroken, she helps the town turn the tragedy around by opening a bookstore with all of Amy’s books. Books have a way of significantly impacting our lives, and this one will remind you why you love reading as much as you do.

A Great Reckoning

Louise Penny

An intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls at a bistro in Three Pines. The villagers thought nothing of it at first but over time it becomes more strange. This map is given to Armand Gamache on the first day of his new job and leads him to an old friend and older adversary. And to places even he is afraid to go. But must. Once there, Armand discovers a dead professor with a copy of the old map. Everywhere he turns he sees the guarded and angry protege of the professor, Amelia Choquet. The investigation then turns on Armand himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia.

The Nest

Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney

The Nest is D’Aprix Sweeney’s debut novel, and it has been delighting readers everywhere since its release. The Plumb family is startlingly dysfunctional, and their story is one to which many people can relate. Each member of the family is dealing with their own issues, and it all comes to a head in a stunning turn of events. PopSugar referred to The Nest as “a compulsively readable novel that will keep you thinking about how expectations can shape our lives.”

Salt to the Sea

Ruta Sepetys

If you liked All the Light We Cannot See, then you might want to pick up the Librarian’s February Favorite. Many stories have been told about World War II, but this one addresses the tragedies of wartime from a unique and untold perspective. Rotating between several different narrators, Salt to the Sea tells the relatively unknown story of the Wilhelm Gustloff ship, which sank on its way to bringing refugees to freedom. This tale of survival is powerfully inspiring, and its compelling plot will leave you speechless.

The Summer Before the War

Helen Simonson

Fans of Simonson’s first novel, Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, will love her newest release. It’s set in a small English town right before the dawn of World War I, and it shows how the members of the town are affected by the tragedies of wartime. Despite the heavy subject matter, The Summer Before the War is witty and paints a vivid picture of this close-knit, idyllic town. Accompanied by a cozy blanket and a warm cup of tea, you might even feel like you’re in England!
Buy on Amazon 

Lilac Girls

Martha Hall Kelly

The lives of three women are set on a collision course when their peaceful lives are disrupted by Hitler’s army in the fall of 1939. New York socialite Caroline Ferriday has her hands full with her post at the French consulate and a new love on the horizon but as Hitler set his sights on France, her circumstances become even more precarious. Kasia Kuzmerick’s life as a carefree Polish teenager is slipping away as she is drawn deeper and deeper into her role as a courier for the underground resistance movement. And for one young German doctor, Herta Oberheuser, an ad for a government medical position turns from blessing to curse as she finds herself trapped in a male-dominated realm of Nazi secrets and power.