We are happy to share the wonderful news that public library staff across the nation have selected five Penguin Random House titles for the January 2016 LibraryReads Top Ten list, including the top pick!
Click to prepare for your January Readers’ Advisory.
My Name Is Lucy Barton: A Novel (Top Pick!)
By Elizabeth Strout (Random House)
“Set in the mid-1980s, Lucy Barton, hospitalized for nine weeks, is surprised when her estranged mother shows up at her bedside. Her mother talks of local gossip, but underneath the banalities, Lucy senses the love that cannot be expressed. This is the story that Lucy must write about, the one story that has shaped her entire life. A beautiful lyrical story of a mother and daughter and the love they share.”―Catherine Coyne, Mansfield Public Library, Mansfield, MA
The Swans of Fifth Avenue: A Novel (#3)
By Melanie Benjamin (Delacorte Press)
“Benjamin transports readers to 1960s Manhattan. This story gives us the chance to spy on Truman Capote’s close friendship with Babe Paley and his society “swans,” and the betrayal and scandal that drove them apart. I loved the description of the Black and White Ball.”―Emily Weiss, Bedford Public Library, Bedford, NH
Ashley Bell: A Novel (#4)
By Dean Koontz (Bantam)
“This is a thrilling novel that caught me by surprise. Bibi Blair was diagnosed with brain cancer and astounds her doctor by being cured the day after her diagnosis. Why was she saved? A girl named Ashley Bell can provide the answers she seeks. Reality and dreams mix together in this unique narrative. Readers will be compelled to rush through to get to the ending.”―Andrienne Cruz, Azusa City Library, Azusa, CA
American Housewife: Stories (#5)
By Helen Ellis (Doubleday)
“In a series of short stories, Helen Ellis picks up the rock of American domesticity and shows us what’s underneath. While it’s not always pretty, it is pretty hilarious, in the darkest, most twisted of ways. The ladies in these stories seem to be living lives that are enviable in the extreme, but then slowly, the layers are pulled away, and the truth is revealed.”―Jennifer Dayton, Darien Library, Darien, CT
The Road to Little Dribbling: Adventures of an American in Britain (#6)
By Bill Bryson (Doubleday)
“A slightly more curmudgeonly Bill Bryson recreates his beloved formula of travel writing and social commentary. This book is a lovely reminder of all the amazing natural beauty and historically significant sites found in the United Kingdom. Even though Bryson extols the virtues of his adopted homeland, he never lets up on the eccentricities and stupidity he encounters. Bryson’s still laugh-out loud funny and this book won’t disappoint.”―Susannah Connor, Pima County Public Library, Tucson, AZ
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For more information about the program, or to learn how to vote for your favorite upcoming books, visit LibraryReads.org. And, don’t forget, voting for the February LibraryReads list ends 12/20/15!