The June Staff Picks can also be viewed or printed as a
PDF (.7MB)
Trailed: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles. The savage murders of Julie Williams and Lollie Winans in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park have gone unresolved for over 25 years. In May of 1996, these two young seasoned, highly skilled backcountry leaders who had fallen in love working at a world-renowned outdoor center for women the previous year, were found savagely murdered at their campsite. I never intended to read Trailed, by reporter Kathryn Miles, but great books pull you in. This is how I learned so much more about the true history of women in wild places, why crimes are so much harder to crack in the wilderness, and the painstaking 5 years of research doggedly pursued by a courageous reporter who refused to settle for what seems to be bungled investigations by the National Park Service, FBI, and Virginia state police. Trailed is an important book that I hope circulates far and wide. Kathryn Miles may just yet bring peace to the long suffering families and friends of Julie and Lollie. ~ Nancy ScheemakerFICTION
Lucky Turtle by Bill Roorbach. A tale of young love that's put to the test by centuriesold
prejudice and survival of the wilderness. Cindra
is 16 when she's sent to a reform camp, where she
meets and quickly falls in love with Lucky. Their
love story spans decades as they grow and change
together after escaping into the outback of Montana
evading the local racist cops, and their struggle to
survive amongst the elements of nature. Roorbach
is masterful at capturing the innocence and
overwhelming power of falling in love, combined
with his gorgeous visual imagery of the Montana terrain. Definitely a
contender for my favorite book of 2022! - Samantha Beitlerbook of 2022! ~ Samantha Beitler
The Summer Place: A Novel by Jennifer Weiner. Weiner is a brilliant chronicler of contemporary life,
and this is a novel that follows multiple members of
a sprawling blended family as they plan a Cape Cod
summer wedding in the summer of 2021. It is an
absolute delight. Family drama, long-buried secrets,
pandemic frustrations, and a whole lot of love and
joy - this novel has it all. ~ Rachel Person 
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. Nora is a Romance Channel writer with two kids,
nursing the wounds of being left by her layabout
husband. Until her latest autobiographical script is
arranged to be filmed on location in her backyard
"Teahouse.” A Hollywood heartthrob stays over,
begins to share the family's daily sunrise routine,
and proceeds to win over the variously challenged
hearts of Nora and the kids. Kind of too good to be
true, right? But when he leaves to do a huge movie
project and suddenly "ghosts" them all, how in the
world will this one end up with a happy ending?
There's only one way to find out. ~ Jon FinePAPERBACK FICTION
Dust Off the Bones: A Novel by Paul Howarth. A continuation of the story of Billy and Tommy McBride, who began their trek down the dusty, bloody trail of their lives in the author's superlative Only Killers and Thieves. The brothers have gone their separate ways, both trying to forget the massacre of a tribe of Aborigines they witnessed as boys. Billy is forced to relive the nightmare with the appearance of an ambitious young lawyer, who is determined to see that Native Police Inspector Noone, an arrogant villain of epic proportions, is brought to justice for ordering the mass killings. The new novel, like its predecessor, vividly recalls an era in Australia when it mirrored the lightning bolt violence that was prevalent in the Old West in America. The prose is, by turns, beautiful and brutal. ~ Alden Graves
Acts of Service: A Novel by Lillian Fishman. This novel brings up uncomfortable questions about
morality and desire. Fishman takes her readers on a
journey like no other with her razor-sharp prose and
multidimensional characters, who will both infuriate and
fascinate. The story is mostly unraveled through Eve’s
complex and intellectually stimulating internal dialogue
as she struggles with a familiar question: What if what we
should want and what we do want don’t add up? This is
the perfect new release for readers of Sally Rooney and
Ottessa Moshfegh. I loved it. ~ Madison Gallup
Bloomsbury Girls: A Novel by Natalie Jenner. Jenner's follow-up to her delightful The Jane Austen
Society is another wonderful work of historical
fiction for book lovers. Three young women in
post-war London work together to try to bring
a hide-bound small bookshop (and their often
grouchy male co-workers) into the modern era.
This book was great fun! ~ Rachel Person
The Cherry Robbers by Sarai Walker. With a writing style comparable to Shirley Jackson
and Jeanette Walls, this unforgettable gothic tale
has earned a resounding 5 stars from me. The
Cherry Robbers is an evocative and deeply emotive
exploration of intergenerational trauma and grief,
focusing on themes like family and feminism, and
featuring some of the most haunting imagery I’ve
seen to date. I loved this! ~ Madison GallupPAPERBACK FICTION
Malibu Rising: A Novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The author never fails to write a stunning, character
driven story. Told from a multigenerational perspective,
we get a look at the early days of the Riva family, as
well as the present day happenings of Nina Riva and
her siblings as they prepare for their annual end of
summer party. Reid’s biggest strength lies in her ability
to combine the often contradicting concepts of fame
and humility, and the result are characters that are so
multifaceted you can’t help but root for all of them.
Action-packed and human, this is one you won’t want to miss. ~ Madison Gallup
Beautiful World, Where Are You: A Novel by Sally Rooney.
never want Rooney’s books to end–the writing
is such a delight. This is another deep dive
into relationships, and the characters are so
well realized that they seep into your thoughts
well after you’ve finished the book. But what
I appreciated the most from this novel was
the philosophizing that Rooney indulges in,
via long emails between the two protagonists,
making this an extremely satisfying novel. ~ Becky DohertyMYSTERY
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon. This gothic novel is creepy, monstrous, and
wonderfully told, an excellent take on the monster
genre. Heavily influenced by Frankenstein,
this thriller takes the gloomy atmosphere of a
small Vermont town with a dark history and
brings forth monsters, dread, and literal and
metaphorical shocks. Each chapter strengthens
that voice in your head telling you: something's not quite right. And as
for the plot twist, I can guarantee you will not be disappointed – you will
be delighted! ~ Kirstin Swartz
Two Nights in Lisbon: A Novel by Chris Pavone. If a book could embody a poker face, it would
be this one. This is an incredible international
thriller that keeps you in disbelief. Ariel Pryce
wakes up alone in Lisbon, her new husband
gone missing. What comes from this is not the
traditional black-ops thrill Pavone is known for,
but instead a deeply personal story about Ariel,
the trouble she is in now, and the problems she ran from in the past.
I loved how much this book surprised me, and Ariel is definitely one
of my top mystery protagonists of all time now. Read it, and enjoy the
ride. ~ Kirstin SwartzPAPERBACK MYSTERY
The Retreat: A Novel of Suspense by Sherri Smith. This mystery centers around four women who go
to a weekend wellness retreat. It is meant to be an
escape, but it winds up with a dead body, stalkers,
and betrayal. The characters are three-dimensional
and flawed. This book is not as predictable as the
plot may sound and has a twist ending you might
not have seen coming! ~ Kirstin SwartzPAPERBACK NONFICTION
Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City by Andrea Elliot. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott
shows in the most vivid detail possible the day to day
reality of poverty and homelessness through the lives
of one family in New York City. It is nearly impossible
to encapsulate what this family endures. The focus
is on Dasani, the oldest child in the family, as she
and her siblings are moved from homeless shelter to
public housing to the homes of family members to
foster homes. It is a story full of contradictions, heroes and villains, hope and
heartbreak. Elliott has written an impossible to ignore masterpiece about this
country and our neighbors. ~ Stan Hynds
Eat a Peach: A Memoir by David Chang. I'm a big fan of David Chang's restaurant
Momofuku and was extremely interested in
learning a bit about his backstory. Chang
combines a self-deprecating sense of humor with
the hard truths of his mental health journey as he
discusses the various obstacles of growing up in a
Korean-American household, finding your place
in a cutthroat profession, and opening up a successful culinary business
in NYC. ~ Samantha BeitlerPAPERBACK NONFICTION
Last Call: A True Story of Love, Lust, and Murder in Queer New York by Elon Green. A particularly vicious serial killer was preying upon
gay men in New York. Body parts were found stuffed
in trash bags in areas around the city. The victims
frequented various bars that catered to Manhattan's
gay community, and the consensus was that the killer
was very likely a patron, too. The police placed a low
priority on the investigation into the grisly crimes
and, during the years when AIDS was cutting its
own swath of death across the city, there was little
outcry from the public. This painstakingly researched book about the hunt for
a monster is also a concise, fascinating history of the period when gay people
cast off the shadows of secrecy and denial and found the voice, the courage, and
the political power to demand equality. ~ Alden Graves 
The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell. This is Gladwell's first foray into a straight historical
subject, yet his trademark incisive revelation of
unexpected truths is on full display. I was mortified,
actually, physically revolted by the facts revealed here.
His thematic elements regarding the beginnings of
the Air Force in the years immediately before and
then during WWII draw the reader into these
“founding aviators” abiding goal to use aerial combat
as a significant force for the benefit of all, including combatants, to shorten
wars and lessen overall casualties through the use of targeted aerial assault.
What actually happened will stay with me forever ~ Jon FineHARDCOVER NONFICTION
The Summer Friend: A Memoir by Charles McGrath. Summer memories
of youth and adulthood alternate in McGrath's
congenial memoir. A new friendship forged later in
life and its inevitable conclusion make the summer
reminiscences all the more poignant. ~ Mike Hare
River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard. Millard brings her vigorous research and readability
to the 19th Century quest to find the source of the
Nile. Two Englishmen, Richard Burton and John
Speke, collaborated, then competed with each other
in the search, where the raw beauty and danger of
the unexplored African subcontinent is palpable,
and where survival, and sanity, are not guaranteed. ~ Mike Hare