Favorites of 2017: Books for Grown UpsLike this list

33 items

• Magpie Murders

  Horowitz, Anthony, 1955-

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  Our most recommended title with four votes! "This clever book is really a novel within a novel, and it all pays homage to the great mystery writers--Agatha Christie, Ian Fleming, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The intricate, complex plotting, and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Don't Have to Say You Love Me

  a Memoir

  Alexie, Sherman, 1966-

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  Two votes! "I listened to Sherman Alexie's memoir which he wrote after the death of his Mother. Hearing him read his work is highly recommended. A myriad of emotions (joy, sorrow, grief, anger, sadness, frustration, and humor) of his…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Stranger in the Woods

  the Extraordinary Story of the North Pond Hermit

  Finkel, Michael,

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  Two votes! "Christopher Knight lived alone in the woods for 27 years without talking to anyone, taking what he needed from nearby houses. Was he a thief? Did he deserve to just be let alone? Should he have to pay a price for living off the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Difficult Women

  Gay, Roxane,

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  Two votes! "This collection of short stories is one of my favorite reads of the year. These “difficult women” are believable and compelling and their tales are often raw and dark. The collection is well-written, smart, and haunting. Highly…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

  Reid, Taylor Jenkins,

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  Two votes! "Former Hollywood A-lister Evelyn Hugo is finally going public with the story of her seven husbands, ready to reveal the love of her life, so she calls in journalist Monique Grant to write her coveted biography. Stunned and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Bright Hour

  a Memoir of Living and Dying

  Riggs, Nina,

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  Two votes! "Beautifully written. I laughed and cried while reading this. I loved the local references, the thoughts on nature as religion, and her way of seeing the world. Reading this helped me to take extra quiet moments, kiss my babies…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Undateable

  Title, Sarah,

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  Two votes! "The premise of this contemporary romance -- a librarian is photographed looking grumpy in the background of a proposal at her library, and becomes an internet meme; the hero is a journalist who wants to write a series of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Beartown

  Backman, Fredrik, 1981-

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  "Felt transported to another familiar and yet unfamiliar land - Sweden. Touched easily to basic humanity's challenges of following a dream, fear, competition, loyalty, strength, endurance and survival. Grabbed me heart and soul." (Anita)

• The Windfall

  Basu, Diksha,

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  "The charming story of an Indian family who suddenly comes into money but isn’t quite prepared for the changes it brings about." (Tracy)

• The Accomplished Guest

  Stories

  Beattie, Ann,

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  This collection of 13 stories follows aging boomers as they face the indignities of aging. Some of these stories were O. Henry, Pushcart, and Best American Short Story selections. (Leslie)

• Marlena

  Buntin, Julie,

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  "Everything in this one is fully realized from the characters to the stetting to the narrative arc... and it all just works so well. AND it's a debut... wow. For folks who like some grit, hard knocks, and small town life in their reads."…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• An Extraordinary Union

  a Novel of the Civil War

  Cole, Alyssa,

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  "This Civil War story of espionage and romance, featuring a freed slave heroine and a white hero, is pitch perfect – the romance is believable and heartfelt, the action is exciting and suspenseful, the complications and power dynamics of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Late Show

  a Renee Ballard Novel

  Connelly, Michael, 1956-

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  "As a long time fan of both book and TV's Harry Bosch, I was thrilled to meet this new Detective Renee Ballard. From the beginning, I felt she was both interesting and complex as well as competent and driven. Had me interested in the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dragon Teeth

  Crichton, Michael, 1942-2008,

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  "Dragon Teeth was based off of a short story Crichton wrote before Jurassic Park and inspired his later novels on the subject, but instead of being about genetically engineered living dinosaurs, here we have a historical thriller about…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• This Is How It Always Is

  Frankel, Laurie,

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  "A five year old child tells his family he wants to be a girl when he grows up. How do you not want to immediately hug this character? Frankel made this the family's story. Not Claude/Poppy's, not her mother’s story, but the entire…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Black Panther. World of Wakanda

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  "I love that Marvel signed on Ta-Nehisi Coates and Roxanne Gay in the latest series of Black Panther stories--it makes for some seriously awesome comics with deep and socially conscious themes. This spin-off is even better than the main…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• A Fly Rod of Your Own

  Gierach, John, 1946-

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  "Called “the voice of the common angler” by The Wall Street Journal, and a member of the Fly Fishing Hall of Fame, the author travels to remote fishing locations, from Alaska to the Canadian Maritimes, where he, with his sharp sense of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Spoonbenders

  Gregory, Daryl,

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  "This story is packed with larger than life characters, psychic wonders, con artists, and the mob. It’s a quirky family story of love, regret, and forgiveness that’s funny, and touching. Plus psychic wonders." (Meeghan)

• The Almost Sisters

  Jackson, Joshilyn,

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  "An amazingly thoughtful consideration of the importance race plays in modern life, especially in the South. Those who love fully-fleshed, multi-leveled, neither good nor bad characters who, like the rest of us, are a bit of both, will…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sulfur Springs

  a Cork O'Connor Mystery

  Krueger, William Kent,

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  "Krueger writes a mystery series set in the north woods of Minnesota. His protagonist is Cork O’Connor, the former sheriff of Tamarack County and a man of mixed heritage—part Irish and part Ojibwe. His work has received a number of awards,…Read moreRead more of this annotation