Select language, opens an overlay
0 messages from the library
  • General Recommendations
  • Staff-Created List

What We're Reading: June/July 2025

From a Pulitzer Prize winner to historical fiction, biography and a short story collection, here's what JCPL staff members are reading.

User from Jefferson County Public Library

20 items

  • A social media influencer hires Elvis and Joe to find her father, who disappeared when she was young. If you're a fan of Crais' books, then you will not be disappointed with "The Big Empty"!
    Book, 2024New York : G.P. Putnam's Sons, [2024] — FICTION CRAIS
  • Narrated by Jim from "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel explores how a runaway slave survives. Everett weaves humor throughout the adventure for an interesting twist on a familiar story.
    Book, 2024New York : Doubleday, [2024] — FICTION EVERETT
  • Riveting, atmospheric and exquisitely written, "Northern Spy" is a heart-pounding story of the contemporary IRA, a moving portrait of sister and of motherhood and what it's like living in a deeply divided society of modern Northern Ireland.
    Book, 2021[New York] : Viking, [2021] — FICTION BERRY
  • Two journalists have one month to win over their next client, score their dream job and write a biography of a famously reclusive woman. Henry's book is full of unexpected plot twists and endearing characters!
    Book, 2025New York : Berkley, [2025] — FICTION HENRY
  • It's a miracle he's alive. Run over by his own snowcat, Renner details his recovery journey. A truly amazing story. Audio lovers: Renner narrates the audiobook. 
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Flatiron Books, 2025. — B RENNER
  • Jessamyn St. Germain has always known she's a musical theatre star destined for Broadway. So why can't she book anything beyond Canadian yogurt commercials? "She's a Lamb!" shows just how far some are willing to go to realize their dreams — or…
    eBook, 2025ECW Press, 2025
  • Love, Queenie

    Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star

    Sen, Mayukh,
    For those interested in Hollywood history, this lively and engaging read provides a portrait of actress Merle Oberon. It's sad and hopeful, complicated and human.
    Book, 2025New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Company, [2025] — B OBERON
  • Stag Dance

    a Novel & Stories

    Peters, Torrey,
    Ranging from speculative dystopia to horror and boarding school romance, this diverse short story collection explores desire, presentation and self-knowledge. Only got time for one? The titular "Stag Dance" is an American folk tale packed with…
    Book, 2025New York : Random House, [2025] — FICTION PETERS
  • The Other Olympians

    Fascism, Queerness, and the Making of Modern Sports

    Waters, Michael, 1997-
    For you sports fans, Waters profiles athletes from the 1930s who we might now think of as trans or intersex, and the athletic bureaucrats who attempted to legislate them out of women's sports. An immersive and sensitive look at the past and how it…
    Book, 2024New York : Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2024. — 796.0867 WATERS
  • What starts as a classic techno-horror setup — a haunted Alexa-type device is wreaking havoc — evolves into a story of migration, grief and escape after the death of the narrator's wife. A creative take on classic horror tropes and themes, with…
    Book, 2021New York : MCD x FSG Originals/Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021. — FICTION MORENO
  • This international bestseller follows Allan Karlsson, a 100-year-old man who decides to go on one more adventure. This humorous historical fiction is filled with a great cast of characters (including an elephant!) and won't disappoint.
    eBook, 2012Grand Central Publishing, 2012
  • A demon, an angel and the city caught in between. It's "Good Omens" meets "The Invisible Cities" and "This is How You Lose the Time War." Perfect for people who love when architecture and place take center stage.
    Book, 2024New York : Tordotcom, Tor Publishing Group, 2024. — FICTION VO
  • Hymns of the Republic

    the Story of the Final Year of the American Civil War

    Gwynne, S. C. (Samuel C.), 1953-
    An in-depth look at the last year of the American Civil War. Gwynne fleshes out signature characters like General Grant and Clara Barton, intermixes battles and events and examines the election of 1864. Readable, researched and compelling. You'll…
    Book, 2019New York : Scribner, 2019. — 973.7 GWYNNE
  • Cronin's heartwarming, funny and poignant story about love, hope and friendship at all stages of life. Full of satisfying twists and turns, "Eddie Winston is Looking for Love" is bound to bring a smile to your face and a few tears to your eyes.
    Book, 2024New York : Harper Perennial, [2024] — FICTION CRONIN
  • The contestants of a reality dating show find themselves on a remote resort island off the Washington coast for the season finale, and things go horribly wrong. Ridiculous, funny and surprisingly touching!
    Book, 2022New York : Zando, 2022. — FICTION ALLEN
  • Set on a fantasy continent going through an industrial revolution, magick is outlawed but might be the only thing to save the world. Full of elements of political intrigue with hints of horror, gore and steampunk magic. Perfect for "Game of Thrones"…
    Book, 2025New York, NY : Orbit, 2025. — FICTION SWAN
  • The horrors of World War I from the perspective of 17-year-old British schoolboys, and the ends they will go to help each other survive. Raw and tender.
    Book, 2023New York NY : Alfred A. Knopf, 2023. — FICTION WINN
  • Frances Perkins spearheaded the creation of Social Security, child labor law restrictions and workers' rights under her tenure as the first female and longest-serving Labor Secretary in FDR's administration. This historical fiction novel unpacks her…
    Book, 2024New York : Berkley, 2024. — FICTION DRAY
  • A beautifully written tale of four childhood friends who lift each other up during their darkest days. They encourage dreams of safety, love and discovery, and find ways to extend that care to a different generation.
    Book, 2025New York : Atria Books, 2025. — FICTION BACKMAN
  • The loses, triumphs and friendships of a woman's life unfurl in this delightful story comprised entirely of the letters she writes and receives.
    Book, 2025New York : Crown, [2025] — FICTION EVANS