For Your Consideration: July 2019 LibraryReads Titles

Download, read, and vote for your favorite July 2019 titles for the July 2019 LibraryReads list!

Votes due June 1!

BETHLEHEM by Karen Kelly

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With the writing chops of Ian McEwan and the storytelling of Lisa Wingate, “a haunting debut” about two intertwined families and the secrets they’ve kept buried during the steel boom in Bethlehem, PA.

THE LAST BOOK PARTY by Karen Dukess

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“Mixing ambivalence, nostalgia, and the power of innocence in an idyllic setting, this journey of self-discovery is an ideal summer read for those who might shun more typical ‘beach-read’ offerings.”–Booklist

STAY AND FIGHT by Madeline ffitch

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“As the stakes rise, for both the family and the preservation of the region, the novel skewers stereotypes and offers only a messy, real depiction of people who fully embody the imperative of the novel’s title. This is a stellar novel.”–Publishers Weekly, starred review

WHISPER NETWORK by Chandler Baker

Available on NetGalley. To be pre-approved for an e-galley, please email amanda.rountree@macmillan.com with the subject “WHISPER NETWORK.”

“Viciously funny and compulsively readable, Bake’s first adult novel is a feminist thriller for the #MeToo era… It’s a breezy page-turner of a book, which is the brilliance of it: Under the froth is an unmistakable layer of justified rage. Over-the-top in all the right ways.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

YOU’VE BEEN VOLUNTEERED: A Class Mom Novel by Laurie Gelman

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“Gelman gets right to the point reuniting readers with the main character they fell in love with in her debut, CLASS MOM. From a swinger proposal to a spin class epiphany to urgent diarrhea, Jen deals with it all. Her antics are laugh-out-loud funny, and she shows no signs of slowing down. The tone and pacing are excellent, and new characters, who come with their own issues and snark, are delightful. VERDICT Buy it—no questions asked.”–Library Journal, starred review

SHAMED: A Kate Burkholder Novel by Linda Castillo

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“If they haven’t already, readers looking for a fierce-female-fronted procedural should check out Catillo’s best-selling series, from the get-go.”–Booklist

WE LOVE ANDERSON COOPER: Short Stories by R.L. Maizes

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“Each succinct fictional nugget rolls inexorably along its own quirky trajectory, arrives at its own unexpected destination, and never overstays its welcome… this is a book about the heart. Breaking news: Maizes’ gently witty and vaguely weird collection is well worth reading.”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review

HEART OF BARKNESS by Spencer Quinn

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“When veteran country singer Lotty Pilgrim rather surprisingly shows up at the local bar, enthusiastic fan P.I. Bernie Little goes to hear her sing. Of course, he brings along Chet, one of the most persuasive dogs in fiction, and soon the two have something a lot bloodier to worry about than the missing $100 bill Bernie dropped in the tip jar.”–Library Journal, Pre-Pub Alert

A STRANGER ON THE BEACH by Michele Campbell

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“While the plot here is very different from that of Campbell’s last novel–SHE WAS THE QUIET ONE (2018), set in a boarding school–this believable and engrossing he-said, she-said thriller will be a hit with fans of the earlier book as well as those who enjoy Alice LaPlante.”–Booklist

THE ESCAPE ROOM by Megan Goldin

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“This novel is pure entertainment… Cancel all your plans and call in sick; once you start reading, you’ll be caught in your own escape room—the only key to freedom is turning the last page!”–Kirkus Reviews, starred review