New & Novel: Audiobooks

Portrait of Middle Eastern woman wearing headphones. Photography. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/154_2879588/1/154_2879588/cite. Accessed 7 Jul 2017.

Audiobooks continue their meteoric rise. The Audio Publishers Association’s (APA) annual survey reports that audiobook sales in 2015 totaled more than $1.77 billion, an increase of more than 20 percent over 2014. It was the second consecutive year that audiobook sales have expanded by 20 percent, growth the APA chalks up to increasing awareness of the format and the popularity of digital downloads. The number of available titles expanded as well, from 25,944 in 2014 to 35,574 in 2015, an increase of 9,630, and the industry shows no sign of slowing down. So it’s no surprise that the tail end of 2016 and the first part of 2017 offer a dizzying array of options for audiobook fans. Some dearly departed authors will still have their voices heard in the coming months, and there’s a healthy mix of new talent and established masters in the audiobook arena.  
~Jason Puckett, "Listen & Yearn"

Whether you are looking for non-fiction crime or self-help, true stories of the famous and not-so-famous, fiction ranging from sci-fi to horror to young adult,the library system has a wide range of audiobook titles in a variety of formats! Don't limit yourself to a book on CD - you can also try a Playaway, or download an audiobook from Overdrive, hoopla, or RBDigital. Check out some of the library's more recent acquisitions, as recommended by Library Journal and BookPage (pick up a free copy of BookPage at your local library every month, while supplies last!).


Fiction

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden [eAudio]

Dragon Teeth by Michael Crichton

Universal Harvester by John Darnielle [eAudio]

The Final Day by William Forstchen [eAudio]

Caraval by Stephanie Garber [YA - Playaway, eAudio]

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey [eAudio]

The Night Ocean by Paul Lafarge [eAudio]

All Our Wrong Todays by Elan Mastai [eAudio]

Recluce Tales by L. E. Modesitt, Jr. [eAudio]

The Witch’s Vacuum Cleaner by Terry Pratchett [eAudio]

New York 2140 by Kim Stanley Robinson

Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth [eAudio]

Lucky Boy by Shanthi Sekaran [eAudio]

The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers [eAudio]

The Wingsnatchers by Sarah Jean Horwitz [J]

The Marsh King's Daughter by Karen Dionne [eAudio]

Wolf on a String by Benjamin Black [eAudio]

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce [eAudio]

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore [YA - eAudio]

Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin [Playaway]

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney [eAudio]

Non-Fiction

Dodge City: Wyatt Earp, Bat Masterson, andthe Wickedest Town in the American West by Tom Clavin [Playaway]

Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman [eAudio]

Killers of the Flower Moon: The OsageMurders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann [Playaway]

My Life, My Love, My Legacy by Coretta Scott King [Playaway]

Own It: The Power of Women at Work by Sallie Krawcheck [eAudio]

Hallelujah Anyway: Rediscovering Mercy by Anne Lamott [eAudio]

The Radium Girls: They Paid with TheirLives, The Final Fight Was for Justice by Kate Moore [eAudio]

How To Be a Bawse by Lilly Singh [eAudio]

The Blood of Emmett Till by Timothy B. Tyson [eAudio]

A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Madea Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life by Ayelet Waldman

New & Novel: Debut Fiction

Shelves full of books in a cosy library corner with two empty chairs and a lamp at night University of Toronto Canada Fiction section in Hart house library. Photo. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/167_3988032/1/167_3988032/cite. Accessed 7 Jul 2017.

For a reader, there’s something magical about picking up a first novel — that promise of discovery, the possibility of finding a new writer whose work you can love for years to come, the likelihood of semi-autobiography for you to mull over. The debut is even more important for the writer — after all, you only get one first impression. Luckily, there are a lot of fantastic first impressions to be had. 
~Emily Temple, "50 of the Greatest Debut Novels Since 1950" 

Whether you are one of the National Book Foundation's 5 Under 35 (or even famous before you were 23), Monica Ali (her book Brick Lane was shortlisted for a literary prize while still a manuscript), one-book-wonders like Margaret Mitchell and Emily Brontë, whether you were inspired to write by a writing group (Toni Morrison) or got your start as a translator (Isabel Allende), were first self-published (Virginia Woolf), didn't get your start until you were over 40 (James Michener & Raymond Chandler), or almost became a chaplain instead of a writer (John Green), or if it took you 15 years to write a book (Patrick Rothfuss), it's a big deal to get your first novel published, and especially if you make a big splash. Any of the books on this list (descriptions are taken from the library catalog) could be the next big thing, and many of these authors may have a distinguished career in letters ahead of them! Why not try out some debut fiction today? You might find your new favorite author!

The Windfall by Diksha Basu
"A heartfelt comedy of manners, Diksha Basu's debut novel unfolds the story of a family discovering what it means to make it in modern India."

Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
"When a bookshop patron commits suicide, his favorite store clerk must unravel the puzzle he left behind in this fiendishly clever debut novel from an award-winning short story writer."

Chemistry by Weike Wang
"A novel about a young Chinese woman whose graduate studies in chemistry go off track and lead her to discover the truths about her goals and desires."

Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais
"...interwoven narratives create a rich and complex tapestry of the emotions and tensions at the heart of Apartheid-era South Africa. Hum if You Don't Know the Words is a beautifully rendered look at loss, racism, and the creation of family."

Sour Heart: Stories by Jenny Zhang
"A debut collection of stories that plunge readers into the tender and chaotic hearts of adolescent girls growing up in New York City, from celebrated poet and National Magazine Award nominee Jenny Zhang."

Lola by Melissa Scrivner Love
"An astonishing debut crime thriller about an unforgettable woman who combines the genius and ferocity of Lisbeth Salander with the ruthless ambition of Walter White." 

What We Lose by Zinzi Clemmons
"An elegiac distillation, at once intellectual and visceral, of a young woman's understanding of absence and identity that spans continents and decades, What We Lose heralds the arrival of a virtuosic new voice in fiction."

Sorry to Disrupt the Peace by Patty Yumi Cottrell
"A bleakly comic tour de force that’s by turns poignant, uproariously funny, and viscerally unsettling, this debut novel has shades of Bernhard, Beckett and Bowles—and it announces the singular voice of Patty Yumi Cottrell."

Talon of God by Wesley Snipes
"The acclaimed actor makes his fiction debut with this enthralling urban fantasy in which a holy warrior must convince a doctor with no faith to help stop a powerful demon and his minions from succeeding in creating hell on earth - a thrilling adventure of science and faith, good and evil, damnation and salvation." 

Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett
"How a whip-smart young girl handles the loss of her mother and the reorientation of her family; charming and beautifully written."

Eggshells by Catriona Lally 
"Vivian doesn't feel like she fits in - and never has. As a child, she was so whimsical that her parents told her she was 'left by fairies.' Now, living alone in Dublin, the neighbors treat her like she's crazy, her older sister condescends to her, social workers seem to have registered her as troubled, and she hasn't a friend in the world. So, she decides it's time to change her life."

Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor 
"Sycamore is a coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a moving exploration of the elemental forces that drive human nature--desire, loneliness, grief, love, forgiveness, and hope--as witnessed through the inhabitants of one small Arizona town."

No One Is Coming to Save Us by Stephanie Powell Watts 
"No One Is Coming to Save Us is a revelatory debut from an insightful voice; with echoes of The Great Gatsby, it is an arresting and powerful novel about an extended African American family and their colliding visions of the American Dream. In evocative prose, Stephanie Powell Watts has crafted a full and stunning portrait that combines a universally resonant story with an intimate glimpse into the hearts of one family."

Taduno's Song by Odafe Atogun
"A stunning debut from a fresh Nigerian literary voice: a mesmerizing, deceptively simple, Kafkaesque narrative, resonant of the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice and lightly informed by the life of Nigerian musical superstar Fela Kuti--a powerful story of love, sacrifice, and courage. " 

My Sister's Bones by Nuala Ellwood
"In the vein of Fiona Barton's The Widow and Renée Knight's Disclaimer, a psychological thriller about a war reporter who returns to her childhood home after her mother's death but becomes convinced that all is not well in the house next door but is what she's seeing real or a symptom of the trauma she suffered in Syria?"

The Color of Our Sky by Amita Trasi [eBook]
"In the spirit of Khaled Hosseini, Nadia Hashimi and Shilpi Somaya Gowda comes this powerful debut from a talented new voice—a sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends in Mumbai, India, whose lives converge only to change forever one fateful night."

The Wages of Sin by Kaite Welsh 
"A page-turning tale of murder, subversion and vice in which a female medical student in Victorian Edinburgh is drawn into a murder investigation when she recognizes one of the corpses in her anatomy lecture."

Sonora by Hannah Lillith Assadi 
"This debut novel by Assadi, a recent MFA grad, is a hypnotic coming-of-age story set in the Southwestern Sonoran Desert and New York City. Like Assadi herself, Ahlam is the daughter of a Palestinian refugee father and an Israeli mother, and her intimate narration carries the reader effortlessly between the past and the present, through a kaleidoscope of memories, as she sits at her father's side in the hospital."

Blue Light Yokohama by Nicolás Obregón
"Nicolás Obregón balances the key components of modern detective fiction seamlessly: a damaged hero, the requisite layer of urban grittiness, a possible love interest, a taunting serial killer and a series of frustrating, misleading clues."

Almost Missed You by Jessica Strawser
"Jessica Strawser's Almost Missed You is a powerful story of a mother's love, a husband's betrayal, connections that maybe should have been missed, secrets that perhaps shouldn't have been kept, and spaces between what's meant to be and what might have been." 

The Girl from Rawblood by Catriona Ward
"Ward's layered and skillfully crafted novel weaves elements of classic gothic and horror into a remarkable story populated by unforgettable characters, palpable atmosphere, and rich lyricism. Imagine the darkest and goriest undertones of Edgar Allan Poe, the Brontës, Charles Dickens, and Shirley Jackson, and you'll have an idea of what Ward offers here."    

  

New & Novel: Mysteries

NANCY DREW COVER, 1930. - 'The Secret of the Old Clock.' 1930 jacket illustration from The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series by Edward Stratemeyer and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams.. Fine Art. Britannica ImageQuest, Encyclopædia Britannica, 25 May 2016.
quest.eb.com/search/140_1659262/1/140_1659262/cite. Accessed 3 May 2017.

While you're waiting for new titles by Paula Hawkins, Donna Leon, Anne Hillerman, and other bestsellers with long hold lists, why not check out some other mysterious and suspenseful reads you might have missed?

Standalones

Party Girls Die in Pearls: An Oxford Girl Mystery by Plum Sykes

DIS MEM BER and Other Stories of Mystery and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates

The Whole Art of Detection: Lost Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Lyndsay Faye 

What's Become of Her by Deb Caletti

What My Body Remembers by Agnete Friis 

Dreamland Burning by Jennifer Latham [YA]

I'll Eat When I'm Dead by Barbara Bourland

Never Let You Go by Chevy Stevens

I See You by Clare Mackintosh

A Fever of the Blood by Oscar De Muriel 
 

Series

The Thirst by Jo Nesbo [Harry Hole, 11]

Cold Earth by Ann Cleeves [Shetland, 7]

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths [Ruth Galloway, 9]

Duplicity by Ingrid Thoft [Fina Ludlow,4]  

Take Out by Margaret Maron [Sigrid Harald, 9]  

The Templars' Last Secret by Martin Walker [Bruno, Chief of Police, 10] 

Glass Houses by Louise Penny [Inspector Gamache, 13] 

Old Bones by Trudy Nan Boyce [Sarah Alt, 2] 

What the Dead Leave Behind by Rosemary Simpson [Gilded Age, 1] 

The Secrets of Gaslight Lane by M.R.C. Kasasian [Gower St. Detective, 4]

Alice and the Assassin by R. J. Koreto [Alice Roosevelt, 1]

The Pearl Thief by Elizabeth Wein [YA; prequel to Code Name Verity]

New & Novel: Crafts

Is there a wrong time of the year to talk about crafting? We don't think so! We've seen lots of interesting crafty titles check in and out around us, and we thought we'd give a shout out to some of the ones we thought looked most interesting. Would you like to hear more about our offerings for a particular craft? Let us know in the comments.

Also, don't forget, besides books, the library has other craft resources for you! Make sure to check out our events calendar for Art events, Fiber Arts events, and more.



Knitting

Knitlandia: A Knitter Sees the World by Clara Parkes

Beginner's Guide to Writing Knitting Patterns: Learn To Write Patterns Others Can Knit by Kate Atherley 

Learn How to Knit With 50 Squares: For Beginners and Up, a Unique Approach to Learning to Knit by Che Lam 

Arm Knitting: 30 Home and Fashion Projects For All Your No-Needle Needs by Amanda Bassetti 

Free Spirit Knits: 20 Knitted Garments and Accessories Inspired By the Southwest by Anne Podlesak 

Reversible Scarves: Curing the Wrong Side Blues by Audrey Knight


Quilting 

Fat Quarters: Small Fabrics, More Than 50 Big Ideas 

Constantinople Quilts: 8 Stunning Appliqué Projects Inspired By Turkish Iznik Tiles by Tamsin Harvey 

Dreamy Quilts: 14 Timeless Projects to Welcome You Home by Lydia Loretta Nelson 


Crochet

A Year of Dishcloths: 52 Designs to Celebrate All Four Seasons With Everyone on Your Gift List! by Maggie Weldon 

Crochet Stories: Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland by Pat Olski 

Mandalas to Crochet: 30 Great Patterns by Haafner Linssen

Creepy Crawly Crochet: 17 Creatures That Go Bump in the Night by Megan Kreiner 

Once Upon a Time in Crochet: 30 Amigurumi Characters From Your Favorite Fairytales by Lynne Rowe 

 

Origami 

Nick Robinson's Beginning Origami: An Origami Master Shows You How to Fold 20 Captivating Models by Nick Robinson  [eBook]

LaFosse & Alexander's Essential Book of Origami: The Complete Guide For Everyone by Michael G. LaFosse and Richard L. Alexander, Origamido, Inc  

Origami Ikebana: Create Lifelike Floral Sculptures From Paper by Benjamin John Coleman

 

Sewing and Needlecraft

Rainy Day Sewing: 18 Sewing Projects to Brighten Every Day by Amy Sinibaldi [eBook]

Sewing Happiness: A Year of Simple Projects For Living Well by Sanae Ishida  

Subversive Cross Stitch: 50 F*cking Clever Designs For Your Sassy Side by Julie Jackson

  

Half yard gifts : easy sewing projects using left-over pieces of fabric by Debbie Shore

New Tatting: Modern Lace Motifs & Projects by Tomoko Morimoto 

Tatted Snowflakes by Jennifer Williams
 

Miscellaneous 

Kaffe Fassett's Bold Blooms: Quilts and Other Works Celebrating Flowers by Kaffe Fassett  

Strange Material: Storytelling Through Textiles by Leanne Prain

Woolbuddies: 20 Irresistibly Simple Needle Felting Projects byJackie Huang
 

Crafting a Colorful Home: A Room-By-Room Guide to Personalizing Your Space With Color by Kristin Nicholas  

DIY Woven Art: Inspiration and Instruction For Handmade Wall Hangings, Rugs, Pillows and More! by Rachel Denbow 

Materially Crafted: A DIY Primer For the Design-Obsessed by Victoria Hudgins

A Year Between Friends : 3191 Miles Apart - Crafts, Recipes, Letters, and Stories by Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes

  

Supercraft: Easy Projects For Every Weekend by Sophie Pester, Catharina Bruns

Cattastic Crafts: DIY Projects For Cats and Cat People by Mariko Ishikawa

Hope, Make, Heal: 20 Crafts to Mend the Heart by Maya Pagán Donenfeld 

Beading: Learn It, Love It by Jean Power

The Big Book of Mod Podge: Decoupage Made Easy by Plaid Enterprises

The Maker's Manual: A Practical Guide to the New Industrial Revolution by Andrea Maietta and Paolo Aliverti
  
  

On Our Radar: Young Adult Books of 2017

2017 is going to be a great year for young adult books. From debut authors to authors we know and love, here's a list of some the books being published next year that are on my radar.*

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli
King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard
Once and For All by Sarah Dessen
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
The Edge of Everything by Jeff Giles

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

The Secret History of Us by Jessi Kirby
Fall Boys & Dizzy in Paradise by Jandy Neslon
Dreamfall by Amy Plum
Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth
The Truth Beneath the Lies by Amanda Searcy
The Gauntlet by Megan Shepherd
History is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr


*Some of these books won't come out until summer and fall of 2017, which means they don't have covers yet. You can still check them out on Goodreads, though! Also, some of these books have expected publication dates of 2017, but publication dates can change.