| FICTION |
| Recommended by Ann
“I didn’t feel like I was reading this novel — I felt like I was living it.” That was the blurb I wrote for the jacket. It’s true. This book is magic. |
| Recommended by Ann
Five Tuesdays in Winter moved me, inspired me, thrilled me. It filled up every chamber of my heart. I loved this book. |
| Recommended by Karen
For fans of Daisy Jones and the Six, this book may at first seem similar: A dynamic female singer joins forces with a talented musician-songwriter. Keep reading. Opal is a Black rock singer in a time when that was relatively rare and the relationship between her and Nev is complicated. This is a smart, entertaining read. |
| Recommended by Lindsay
The experience of reading Lauren Groff’s Matrix is what I imagine it’s like to tour the Medieval wing of the Louvre after taking hallucinogens–vividly surreal, a bit disorienting, and overwhelmingly beautiful. I got lost in the story of Marie, a young woman charged with overseeing an abbey in twelfth century England. This novel is every bit as strange and compelling as I’ve come to expect from Lauren Groff. |
| Recommended by Ben
There’s a reason this made it onto the 2021 National Book Award shortlist for fiction! The subject matter is weighty, but it fits the bill if you’re looking for a novel that is timely, literary, historical, and is seasoned with magical realism. Fans of James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, Colson Whitehead, and Yaa Gyasi will find much to admire here. |
| Recommended by Elyse
The Sentence is timely, passionate, mysterious, and a great read! It has so many twists and turns, but it’s all relevant and cohesive — like so many branches belonging to the same tree. Life is complicated and beautiful — two words I can use to describe the characters and themes of the book. I loved every page! |
| Recommended by Kathy
What really happened in the 10 days when Agatha Christie went missing during the height of her popularity? This fictional re-telling tries to answer the question of how much her unfaithful husband was to blame… |
| Recommended by Ben
Set in multiple centuries, and following five protagonists who are each overlooked in their own ways, Doerr has once again brought his magic to the page—or should I say 600 pages? The writing is imaginative, confident, vivid, and compassionate as he wonders boldly about the connectedness of stories, people, nature. Here’s your invitation to join in this epic tale! |
| Recommended by Sissy
I love books about books. Hawkins injects a bit more of her humor into this literary thriller. Her timing is flawless and brings sparks of light into a dark mystery. Several of the characters are so well-drawn that I missed them when they weren’t on the page. There are SO many motives – plagiarism, jealousy, alcoholism, dreams dashed, and futures destroyed. Fans of Elly Griffiths and Anthony Horowitz will love it. |
| Recommended by Andy
The master of spy fiction’s last novel. A retired spy is running a bookstore in a small English coastal town and can’t escape the past. |
| Recommended by Aly
Two best friends on the verge of their 30s correspond about their disenchantment with the world around them, while romance offers them both confusion and clarity. As in Normal People, Rooney offers heart-achingly relatable prose to help us rediscover the beauty in existing. |
| Recommended by Elyse
Strout’s iconic heroine Lucy Barton recounts her complex, tender relationship with William, her first husband–and longtime, on-again-off-again friend and confidante. |
| Recommended by Andy
Whitehead brings Harlem in the sixties to life in this fantastic crime novel. |
| Recommended by Patsy
Franzen’s latest tour de force novel introduces the Hildebrandt family in 1970’s suburban Chicago. Pastor father Russ and three children all face dilemmas of being good people versus following their desires while wife Marion comes into her own independence with the burgeoning feminist movement. This book will appeal to anyone alive during the 70’s; those who participated in church youth groups will find hearty laughs. |
| Recommended by Rae Ann
Atomic Love is a story of espionage, love, and a woman battling danger to make a better tomorrow. The paperback edition will be released on November 30, so pre-order it now! |
| NONFICTION |
| Recommended by Ann
Saunders discusses seven Russian stories in order to help us become better readers, better writers, and (amazingly) better people. The seven stories are included. This book is pure joy on paper. |
| Recommended by Karen
Margaret Renkl is my favorite essayist. Every week I look for her column in the opinion pages of the New York Times. In a time when the country has such deep divisions, I can rely on her writing to be all heart, no snark. I’m so proud to have this fellow Nashvillian’s newest collection on my shelf. |
| Recommended by Andy
Veteran sportswriter Joe Posnanski list the 100 greatest baseball players of all time. Guaranteed to start arguments. |
| Recommended by Chelsea
An exploration of how the narrative of slavery has been remembered, or purposefully forgotten, this was the most important book I read all year. |
| Recommended by Hannah
Easily my favorite memoir I’ve ever read. Ford’s gorgeous writing unapologetically reckons with some of the hardest truths life has to offer, and she is masterful in doing so. If there ever was a must-read memoir, I would wager this is it. |
Musing 