Hello and welcome to the latest edition of #NewTitleTuesday, where we take a look at a new fiction release that hits the shelves this week. Today marks the debut of Piper Huguley's BY HER OWN DESIGN, a fictionalized history of a real-life person, Ann Lowe, a dressmaker who worked with some of the most famous and influential people in America but who was all but invisible herself.
Reviews
The Genius Under the Table
By Eugene YelchinThe Genius Under the Table is bleak but also strangely cozy at times. It’s hopeful, heartbreaking, occasionally laugh-out-loud funny, and may stir up tender feelings for your own strange family.
Dare to Know
By James KennedyWonderfully quirky, nerdy, and compelling.
The narrator is reflective, curious, self-conscious and insecure. He is also a washed-up former star of a fading industry, suffering a mid-life crisis and looking back on how he has gotten to where he is. It almost reads like an alternate reality autobiography, feeling confessional, personal, and true. And it features ruminations on math, science, death, ritual sacrifice, mysticism, and repeated use of the word "chthonic."
True Biz
By Sara NovićTrue Biz by Sara Nović is a book that taught me so much about Deaf culture and the breadth of deaf experiences. The narrative follows several characters at the fictional River Valley School for the Deaf. In between chapters, Nović includes excerpts of nonfiction about Deaf history and American Sign Language (ASL), complete with drawn diagrams of signing. This spotlight on Deaf culture is what makes True Biz a gem of a book, even if I thought some of the storytelling was less than perfect.
The Unknown Writing Contest Winner
By Jack VandeleuvJohnson County Library is pleased to announce that Jack Vandeleuv has won our writing contest on the theme of The Unknown with his piece "Exhibit."
Jack Vandeleuv is a longtime Kansas City resident and former employee of Johnson County Library. He has not yet published any works of fiction.
Exhibit
Take Your Breath Away
By Linwood BarclayThis week's edition of #NewTitleTuesday is written by one of the most reliable bets in the thriller genre, Linwood Barclay, a master of a kind of book you don't see much of on the shelves as you used to - the "airport thriller," shorthand for a kind of forgettable novel that one might pick up at an airport to pass the time. There's little that's forgettable about his newest, however: TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY is an excellent page-turner that is perfect for a summer thriller that will keep you glued to the pages, desperate to find out what happens next.
A Wish in the Dark
By Christina Soontornvat“Those who are born in darkness always return.”
A Wish in the Dark meshes fantasy and adventure, set in a place similar to Thailand. The journey begins for Pong, an orphan who was born in Namwon Prison, when he makes his escape when he’s 12-years- old. The next four years Pong lives in a temple with monks, which is in a village outside the city of Chattana. Father Cham becomes his father figure and mentor. He teaches Pong about trusting himself and how to navigate his new freedom.
The Hacienda
By Isabel CañasHello and welcome to #NewTitleTuesday, where we take a look at a new release in the publishing world that will hopefully be a welcome addition to your holds lists.
This is a parenting book.
Yes, the details and particulars are about libraries serving homeless patrons, and for that it is great. I think all librarians and library employees should read it. Even if they have have no homeless patrons. Because the guidance in this book should be applied to all librarian-patron interactions.
Elektra: A Novel of the House of Atreus
By Jennifer SaintHello and welcome to this week's #NewTitleTuesday, where we take a closer look at a title that makes its debut to the publishing world - and our patron's holds lists!