Author: Mary Metcalf

ADULT FICTION

“After Annie” by Anna Quindlen — “A master of exploring human frailty and resilience in the face of domestic tragedy, best-selling Anna Quindlen plumbs the depths of Annie’s survivors’ individual and collective grief in scenes that are both subtle and sharp. Exquisite in its sensitivity, breathtaking in its compassion, Quindlen’s exploration of loss and renewal will provoke both weeping and wonder.”—Booklist (starred review)

“All We Were Promised” by Ashton Lattimore — “Against the backdrop of untold history, Ashton Lattimore spins a beguiling story of friendship, deception, and women crossing boundaries in the name of freedom. Disparate and deeply real, Charlotte, Nell, and Evie struggle to fully trust one another, but ultimately discover that together they may be stronger than everything their turbulent world casts against them.”—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends

“Crook Manifesto” by Colson Whitehead — “Whitehead’s flair for texture is as sharp as ever…Ray, May, Elizabeth and Pepper in particular are by turns exasperating and aspirational. Life gets thrown at them, and they throw themselves back in return. These are people you crave to catch up with, and in Whitehead’s hands, the vast and intangible forces of society, injustice, morality, survival and love are distilled in them.” —NPR

“Hidden Pictures” by Jason Rekulak — “I read Hidden Pictures and loved it. The language is straightforward, the surprises really surprise, and it has that hard-to-achieve propulsiveness that won’t let you put it down. And the pictures are terrific!” ―Stephen King

“How to End a Love Story” by Yulin Kuang — “Screenwriter Kuang’s debut beautifully probes the lingering effects of grief and guilt while offering readers a glimpse behind the curtain of Hollywood glamour. … Kuang handles her characters’ complex emotions with sensitivity and skill, and makes the chemistry between Helen and Grant leap off the page. Readers will have no trouble rooting for these two.” — Publishers Weekly

“Lucky” by Jane Smiley — “Spellbinding . . . Smiley neatly reverses the usual story of a 1970s singer [and then] orchestrates a seismic twist of staggering magnitude . . . Every novel by Smiley is a surprise. ” —Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred)

“Mal Goes to War” by Edward Ashton — “Ashton’s vision of the future feels all too plausible and his blend of action and humor keeps the pages flying. This is sure to please the author’s fans.” ―Publishers Weekly

“The Berlin Letters” by Katherine Reay — “From the time she was a young girl, Luisa Voekler has loved solving puzzles and cracking codes. Brilliant and logical, she’s expected to quickly climb the career ladder at the CIA. But while her coworkers have moved on to thrilling Cold War assignments ― especially in the exhilarating era of the late 1980s ― Luisa’s work remains stuck in the past decoding messages from World War II.…” — Amazon.com

“The Little Liar” by Match Albom — “Beloved bestselling author Mitch Albom returns with a powerful novel of hope and forgiveness that moves from a coastal Greek city during WWII to America in the golden age of Hollywood, as the intertwined lives of three young survivors are forever changed by the perils of deception and the grace of redemption.” — Harper Collins

“The Limits” by Nell Freudenberger — “Freudenberger ably captures the sense of uncertainty and displacement during the height of the pandemic, matching the inner confusion of major life changes with the outer turmoil of a world in crisis.” –The Washington Post

“The Morningside” by Tea Obreht — “Obreht is offering a cautionary vision of what our future might look like, but she’s also asking questions that are as old as storytelling. What do we want to tell ourselves about ourselves? What do we try to hide from ourselves? And what’s the cost of our lives?”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Utopia Avenue” by David Mitchell — “Mitchell, whose novels range through different modes and genres with extraordinary facility, has a lucid, kinetic style at all times, but he is never more impressive than when writing in close third person about characters in altered mental states—captivity, physical pain, madness. . . . A conventional story of a band’s rise turns into a book on another plane entirely.”—The New Yorker

ADULT MYSTERY

“An Irish Hostage” by Charles Todd — “[Readers] are bound to be caught up in the adventures of Bess Crawford . . . While her sensibility is as crisp as her narrative voice, Bess is a compassionate nurse who responds with feeling.” — The New York Times Book Review

“Death in the Details” by Katie Tietjen — “Aesthetically and morally complex . . . A compelling account of how the toll of war extends far beyond the battlefield.” —Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Pay Dirt” by Sara Paretsky — “History buffs will appreciate Paretsky’s exploration of Kansas’s violent past, while V.I. fans will be eager to read the latest in the award-winning series (after Overboard).” — Library Journal

“The Mystery Guest” by Nita Prose — “Heartwarming . . . Like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, who’s rendered invisible because she’s an old woman, Molly and her grandmother are not seen because of the kind of work they do. In this affecting and socially-pointed mystery series, however, invisibility becomes the superpower of the pink-collar proletariat.”—NPR

“Three-Inch Teeth” by C. J. Box — “Box’s pulse-pounding latest adventure for Wyoming game warden Pickett showcases the series’ strengths: high-octane action, intricate plotting, and well-drawn characters… [and] maintains expert suspense throughout, shrewdly exploiting the story’s animal and human killers to set a series of diabolical traps for his hero. It’s another high point in a series full of them.” — Publishers Weekly

ADULT BIOGRAPHY

“Somehow: Thoughts on Love” by Anne Lamott — “Beloved and best-selling author Lamott offers a joyful, feel-good read that explores the power of love—romantic, platonic, and familial—in people’s lives, with her usual grace, humor, and insight.”—Library Journal

ADULT NON-FICTION

“A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds” by Anders & Beverly Gyllenhall — “Written partially as a travelogue as the authors journeyed thousands of miles by road around the continent, the combination of personal story and scientific reportage is compelling… show[s] how new technologies of radar and radio tracking allow intimate looks at birds’ lives, and otherwise delve into the commitment and love that is demonstrated by all the disparate groups working to save the continent’s birds.” – Booklist (starred review)

“Alien Earths: The New Science of Planet Hunting in the Cosmos” by Lisa Kaltenegger — “Exquisite book is for all who have peered into the night sky pondering the mysteries of the universe … a mind-bending journey.”
―Booklist (starred)”

“Glucose Goddess Method: A 4-Week Guide to Cutting Cravings, Getting Your Energy Back, and Feeling Amazing” by Jessie Inchauspe — “Blood sugar takes center stage in biochemist Inchauspé’s clever guide to eating for ‘more energy, curbed cravings, [and] better mood’…This intelligent survey offers plenty to savor.” —PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

“How We Live is How We Die” by Pema Chodron — “Chödrön’s clarity and warmth make this book accessible to a wide array of audiences. . . . Oft-quoted, much beloved, and radiating kindness, Chödrön remains a guiding light for those seeking spiritual growth.”—Library Journal

“Normal Broke: The Grief Companion for When It’s Time to Heal but You’re not Sure You Want to” by Kelly Cervantes — “Normal Broken was born out of a desire to meet people where they are in their grief journeys, to lend a hand, or maybe to just sit in the dark with them. To acknowledge your brokenness and to feel broken together–never pressured to “move on” or “think positive” — Baker & Taylor

“Snacking Bakes: Simple Recipes for Cookies, Bars, Brownies, Cakes & More” by Yossi Arefi — “Yossy knows something fundamental about all of us. When we want something sweet, we want it now. Her treats deliver. No fuss, just easy, accessible, truly inspired deliciousness. Snacking Cakes is well-worn, batter-spattered, and beloved. Our copy of Snacking Bakes is sure to be a mess in no time.”—Samantha Seneviratne, author of Bake Smart

“Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy” by Teresa Ghilarducci — “Ghilarducci argues convincingly that how long people need to work is more about who has power in society than anything else.” — Peter Coy ― The New York Times

JUVENILE FICTION

“Hotel Flamingo” by Alex Milway