Smile Beach Murder by Alicia Bessette

 

 5/5 ⭐

This first in a new cozy mystery will leave you desperate for more. 

It hits all the marks of a great cozy, small town life, a bookstore cat, and murder. 

A once journalist turned bookshop employee, Callie Padget is surrounded by supportive family and friends as she looks into the sudden death of a popular local. Who just so happened to die in the same place and manner as Callie's own mother decades before. 

As she travels across the beautiful scenery that is Cattail Island, experience every twist and turn and wait for an ending you won't expect. 

I cannot wait to see what happens next with this series. 

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer

Ashton Hall by Lauren Belfer 

June 2022

Part mystery, part historical fiction with fascinating characters and insights into life in the 1500's, situated in a historic English manor in the present. Hannah and her precocious and troubled son Nicky, are staying with their Uncle Christopher in the manor, when Nicky discovers a body in a bricked-up forgotten section of Ashton Hall in Cambridge, England. This book has so many layers of engagement! What begins as a mystery morphs into a woman's journey to freedom. If you are a fan of historical fiction with a twist, this is for you. I learned so much about Tudor England. The author uses the discovery of a body, the time of difficult religious turmoil (Catholics vs Protestants), and pestilence as the backdrop for an intense family drama unfolding in the present. Belfer explores many relevant topics including sexual identity, fidelity, and neurodiversity which she does with great power and finesse through well-drawn characters. The Audible narration was especially captivating! I highly recommend this book!

Jaema Berman

LGBTQIA+ Titles

* Librarian Recommended 

Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg

Book Boyfriend by Kris Ripper

Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters

Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune  *

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

Felix Ever After by Kacen Callender

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers * 

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis J Hall 

Queerly Beloved by Susie Dumond

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake *

Payback is a Witch by Lana Harper *

These are just a few LGBTQIA+ titles in our collection. If you have any recommendations you can let us know here! 

Staff Picks - Chelsea's Top 5 for the First Half of 2022

We are halfway through 2022 and I thought I would share my top 5 titles I have read so far. I read a lot for my work and for myself. So, trying to narrow the list down seemed impossible. Which is why I decided to pick 5 for the first half of 2022 and another 5 at the end of the year. 

Without further ado, here is my list!

Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney - This title will be released on 8/30/22. 

This mystery/thriller takes inspiration from one of Agatha Christies more challenging stories And Then There Were None and it does a fantastic job at it. I could not put this title down and read it in just one sitting.

I can't wait for you to get your hands on it. 

If you like Agatha Christie, challenging puzzles, and incredible twists, you'll like this one. 

From Below by Darcy Coates - 

Another incredible horror from my favorite author in the genre, From Below, takes us out to sea and the mysteries that lie below in the deepest parts of the ocean water. 

Join this crew of adventurers as they uncover horrible secrets of what happened to the SS Arcadia all those moons ago. 

If you like atmospheric horror and ghost stories, this one is for you.

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree - 

If you like coffee, pastries, and fantasy, I have news for you. This cozy fantasy follows Viv, the retired barbarian orc looking to settle down and open a coffee shop. 

And if you think that it might be too laid back and gentle, you've got another thing coming. There is just enough action and challenges they have to face to make it engaging up until the end. 

Suffice to say I am hoping to see more from these characters!

Perfect for those new to fantasy and looking for an introduction to the genre.

A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - 

I love Becky Chambers's work a lot. And this sci-fi novella series is no exception. I have recommended it to almost everyone I know that reads actively. 

This cozy sci-fi takes the reader on a journey of self-discovery and learning what is important to you and how to manage that with what is expected of you. I learned a lot about myself by reading this and I hope you do as well. 

If you like thought-provoking reads or are looking for something easy to get into the sci-fi genre, pick this one up. 

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake - 

Now, for me, this one was a surprise, because I am not the biggest fan of romances. But there was more than just romance here. There was a lot of self-reflection and familial events that made it feel much more fleshed out and solid. 

This was the first in a new series and I am excited to read the next one when it is out!

A positive LGBT+ romance for all. 

*All titles are available to check out through the library or are in the process of being ordered for the collection. 

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott

Hell of a Book by Jason Mott 

Superb, chillingly darkly hilarious and heartbreakingly horrific. A black author is on a book signing tour for his best selling novel, Hell of a Book. He is experiencing loads of anxiety-out of body experiences- as he travels from city to city presenting in books stores, TV studios, and Town Hall venues essentially to discuss the success of his book, the plot and the reasons he wrote it. His brain literally becomes more and more unhinged as he pushes himself into discomfort and his behavior/persona gradually unravels. He is haunted by his brutally violent past resulting in flashbacks to personal tragedies that cloud his ability to function and remember details about his life. The writing is superb, chillingly, darkly hilarious and the story heartbreakingly real and horrifying. 

I could not put it down. The writing is mature and powerful. I appreciate reading about social topics that give me insight and understanding and I feel like in this case, Mott highly succeeded. It did win the 2022 National Book Award. My rating:

JB