“Sweet, wonderfully paced story about those early stages of attraction against the backdrop of high school. You feel those early emotions with them of “are we friends, or does he like me.” – Karen B., Adult & Teen Services

Quiet Charlie attends an all-boys school and was outed the previous school year. He slowly becomes friends with an older student. Watch their friendship develop into maybe something more.

“I’m a married woman in my 30s, and my husband and I (like Nate and Elena) often wonder whether life is merely a series of bills to be paid. Uncharted 4 resonated with me on so many levels. The globe-trotting is thrilling, the scenery is gorgeous, the puzzles and secret passages are atmospheric. There are car chases, cliff-scaling, (non-gore-y) gunfights, consistently funny quips and banter, bro-time with the guys, and romance. It’s Indiana Jones + Tomb Raider + Jason Bourne + Pirates of the Caribbean (the 1st one, of course!) all rolled into one. But more than that, it’s a cinematic story about being yourself while accepting new phases of your life.” – Kelly, Circulation

Nathan Drake is an ex-treasure-hunter who’s been out of the game for years. Though his marriage to journalist Elena is a happy one, the tedium of staying in one place is wearing him down. He eagerly throws himself back into an adventure to help someone from his past… even if that means lying to his wife and putting himself and (fan-favorite) Victor “Sully” Sullivan back into bad guys’ cross-hairs.

“It’s an engaging novel, perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and readers who love novels about family relationships.” – Lora, Adult & Teen Services

Liza, Maggie, and Tricia are the daughters of famous writer William Sweeney and when he passes away, they reunite at the family home to sort out his affairs. While mourning their father, the women learn that they have another sister, Serena, whom William learned about a month before he died. The Sweeney Sisters is the story of the four over the course of a summer as they come to terms with the secret, bond, and move forward.

“As a self-proclaimed nerd and amateur cosplayer, this book took me into the world of conventions that have been temporarily taken away from us. Ryan La Sala weaves the world of cosplay and conventions with an adorable romance that brought me so much joy while reading.” – Gina R., Circulation

Told between the present and in flashbacks, Be Dazzled is the story of Raffy, a dedicated crafter and cosplayer. He is entered in the biggest cosplay competition at the Controverse convention and is determined to not let anything ruin it for him, even when he finds out that his ex-boyfriend is also competing.

“In Khorram’s hands, Persian culture and the country of Iran truly shine. Darius is a sweet teenager struggling with self-identity and his place in the world. It’s for anyone who has ever felt a sense of longing for something, without knowing what that something is. This YA book is a perfect read-alike for Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe.” – Erin, Kids Room 

Darius is about to embark on a trip to Iran for the very first time. He’s never really felt Persian, doesn’t know how to speak Farsi, and is struggling with clinical depression. When he arrives in Iran, he meets his grandparents and his mother’s family for the very first time, and he meets Sohrab, the boy next door. For the very first time, Darius may feel at home.

“Stand Up, Yumi Chung! is a feel-good, laugh-out-loud story for middle-grade readers that has plenty of appeal for older readers as well. Anyone who has struggled with finding their voice, especially without their family’s support, can identify with the story’s message. The writing features tender and humorous moments between Yumi and her parents without veering into stereotypes or caricatures. Readers are touchingly reminded that we must overcome our fear of failure, not failure itself.” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

Readers follow Yumi, a shy young Korean girl who loves stand-up comedy but her immigrant parents would rather she concentrate on school.

“One of the most fun books I’ve read this year!” – IT Department

Charles Yu tells a story of an immigrant family in the style of a Law & Order teleplay. The main character Willis Wu is an actor struggling to break out of the background of the show he is on, ‘Black & White.’ Yu subverts Hollywood clichés and uses John Denver songs to build characters’ lives that are more vibrant than their tv counterparts.

“This book really held my interest with a lot of plot twists.” – Mary, Circulation

A riveting story set in two time periods surrounding the disappearance of a young boy. It kept me guessing until the end!

“This is a book about learning who you are and learning to love who you are and not needing outside validation. You don’t need love to be happy, but it is a nice bonus if you have it. I loved this book because there aren’t enough books out there with this underlying message. Love is not the “end-all-be-all” but this book gives you hope that love is out there and you don’t have to be perfect to get it.” – Gina, Circulation

Felix Love, ironically, has never been in love, but he wants to know what it’s like. He believes that he doesn’t deserve love because he’s “one marginalization too many.” He’s black, queer, and transgender. When an anonymous student publicly outs him by posting old pictures and his name from before he transitioned, Felix wants to find out who did it and get revenge. His revenge plot unexpectedly throws him into a love triangle and everything about his life is suddenly more complicated.

“I loved how well Taylor’s writing was able to transport the reader into Wallace’s mind and body and feel his deep alienation, loneliness, desire, and pain. Taylor’s words are poignant and purposeful, and give a powerful voice to so many experiences, feelings, and emotions that ought to be heard.” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

Wallace, a gay, Black biochem graduate student at a predominantly white Midwestern graduate school, navigates tokenism, racism, and biases in academia while struggling with his own internal conflicts and trauma.

“Brown has this mostly realistic but slightly magical, totally mundane but kind of absurd feeling to it, that reminds me of Roald Dahl’s stories!” – Lisa, Kids Room

Rusty is having a tough time. His family moved, his grandfather died, and now the local bullies are wrecking his fort! He finds some paint, gathers an all-brown outfit, and becomes BROWN, a superhero who… paints things brown. Can Brown and the other Guardians of the Fort get even, without getting in trouble?

“The alternating perspectives and flashbacks to events throughout the summer create a suspenseful web of mystery and twists. The audio is a full-cast recording and lends itself well to the nature of the storytelling, where the podcast feels like your typical true-crime podcast. As a lover of true crime and the many podcasts that are devoted to the subject, this book was right up my alley and a good read-a-like to Sadie by Courtney Summers.” – Amanda, Adult & Teen Services

When Anna Cicconi arrives in the small Hamptons village of Heron Mills for a summer nanny gig, she has high hopes for a fresh start. What she finds instead is a community on edge after the disappearance of Zoe Spanos, a local girl who has been missing since New Year’s Eve. Anna delves deeper into the mystery, feeling that she is somehow connected to Zoe. Two months later, Zoe’s body is found and Anna is charged with manslaughter, although something still does add up for Martina Green, teen host of the Missing Zoe podcast. Did Anna really kill Zoe? If not, can the truth be uncovered?

“I loved this short, sweet, well-written book! It is a feel-good book that will make you smile, and the book reminded me of the essential goodness of people. It was a perfect book for the quarantine, and I am looking forward to reading Elizabeth Berg’s next two books in the series.” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services

Arthur Truluv is a kindhearted, lonely widower who meets Maddy, a troubled teen with a difficult family life, at the cemetery where Arthur’s wife is buried. Arthur and Maddy, along with Arthur’s eccentric neighbor, Lucille, form a friendship and then a family.

“Ellen’s reckless quest to archaeologize (and maybe redeem?) her family’s flawed and tragic history (and her own role in it) is relentlessly readable. Replete with timeless themes of filial responsibility (“Am I my brother’s keeper,” Ellen asks); the notion of a place beyond forgiveness (literally the land of Nod); and the impenetrability of the past. Quirky and compelling.” – DGPL Staff

Ellen Burns’ brother Royce died ten years ago when the FBI raided his white supremacist compound. Or so everyone thought. But when his daughter shows up on the news claiming he’s kidnapped her children, Ellen impulsively travels to New Mexico to decipher the truth about her brother, and her family’s past.

“I loved the characters. They are so realistic and so perfectly imperfect!” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services 

This is the story of Frances and Bobbi, two college students in Dublin, Ireland. Frances is the quiet one, while Bobbi is the beautiful, ebullient one. The novel explores their friendship as well as their friendship with a well-known photographer and the photographer’s husband. Things get complicated when Frances’ relationship with the photographer’s husband crosses a line.