The Perpetual Page-Turner's Best of 2019

Fifteen-year-old Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic summer vacation with her whole life ahead of her. And then she was gone. Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It's... Read more »

If you enjoyed The Woman in the Window, then you’ll love The Silent Patient.

“The Silent Patient is a suspenseful story that reads like a Greek tragedy, bursting with unknowns and sprinkled with exciting twists. It is a brilliant novel written by a man that certainly knows how to write something gripping and dramatic, perfect for readers that liked 'The Woman in the Window". At the center of the story is the mystery that is Alicia Berenson, an incredibly gifted painter that was convicted of murdering her husband six years before the start of the book. According to those close to the Berensons, Alicia and Gabriel had a great marriage and were happy together. Then one day Gabriel was tied to a chair and shot five times in the face. Alicia was found standing over his dead body, his blood splattered on her, and the murder weapon had only her fingerprints; it was enough to arrest her for the murder of her husband of seven years. The media circled over this story not because of the actual crime, but because Alicia stayed silent throughout the trial, not even to speak up in her own defense, and has not uttered a word for the past six years. This not only made her case known nationally, but it landed her in Grove Psychiatric Hospital instead of prison. Years have passed and people have forgotten about Alicia Berenson, everyone except Theo Faber, a troubled psychotherapist that has been obsessed with her case since the very beginning and believes he can help her. When a position opens at the declining Grove Psychiatric Hospital, Theo quits his better-paying job and jumps at the chance to finally work with Alicia and get to the bottom of why she has remained silent for the past six years. It is the chance of a lifetime for him. Alex Michaelides is a talented screenwriter that was inspired by a post graduate course in psychotherapy and working part-time at a secure psychiatric unit, meaning that the writing and structure of this debut novel is brilliantly done, and the story is layered with reality. An excellent read!”

Devin, McLean & Eakin Booksellers

Daisy Jones & The Six

“Highly recommend the audiobook. It’s like being in a room with the characters telling you what it was like being in a 70’s Rock ‘n Roll band. (The books’s format is like reading a documentary script.)”

Mollie, HearthFire Books and Treats

Becoming

“I adore our former president and I miss him. Yet I cannot help but be ecstatic that Michelle is coming out with a book about her own life so that I can learn more about this powerful, intelligent, and singularly awesome woman. Barack would be the first to say that his wife is a superstar, and I can’t wait to get my hands on Becoming to read about her in her own words.”

Jax, Bookshop Santa Cruz

Monday's Not Coming

“This heartbreaking, mind-bending thriller reads like truth: Monday Charles, a young black girl who lives in poverty, whose care has been shifted from one agency to another until no one knows who is supposed be looking out for her, disappears at the beginning of a long, hot, DC summer. But only her best friend Claudia registers her disappearance. Everyone else assumes she's moved, she's living with another relative, she's dropped out of school. As Claudia struggles to find allies to help her in her search for Monday, she also struggles to reconcile the Monday she thought she knew with the girl who was fighting for her life against the ponderous bulk of an uncaring system. This book is a tragic wake-up call in an era where the lives of some missing girls are still given more weight than the lives of others.”

Emily, Inklings Bookshop

Long Way Down

“One of the best parts of listening to this audiobook was getting to hear Jason Reynolds breathe further life into the heartbreaking words he wrote. I don't doubt the emotion would have been evident in the text, but as he said in the interview at the end of the audio, only he knew the right beats in order to make sure his message wasn't lost. I highly recommend listening if you get a chance. ”

Dany, Rediscovered Books

This elegant young adult novel captures the immigrant experience for one Indian-American family with humor and heart. Told in alternating teen voices across three generations, You Bring the Distant Near explores sisterhood, first loves, friendship, and the inheritance of culture--for better or worse.

From a grandmother worried that her children... Read more »

"A 'clear your calendar' kind of one-day read." -MELISSA ALBERT, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel World

Five friends. Only one can survive the Neverworld Wake. Who would you choose?

From the acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of Special Topics in Calamity Physics and Night Film comes an absorbing psychological suspense... Read more »

National Book Award Winner, PEN America Award Winner, and New York Times Bestseller!

Perfect for fans of This Is Us, Robin Benway’s beautiful interweaving story of three very different teenagers connected by blood explores the meaning of family in all its forms—how to find it, how to keep it, and how to love it.

Being the middle child has its ups...

The Death of Mrs. Westaway

“Does Ruth Ware keep getting better and better? Yes, she does. A down-on-her-luck protagonist, a too-good-to-be-true inheritance, and a creepy old mansion combine for a deliciously suspenseful tale. The plucky heroine, Hal, believes she’s mistakenly been identified as an heir to a great estate, but she decides to play along in the hopes of scamming a couple thousand pounds out of the situation. Once she’s arrived at the reading of the will, she quickly realizes that she is in way over her head. This is a deceptive and suspense-riddled thrill ride!”

Connie Brooks, Battenkill Books

City of Girls

“City of Girls is a champagne cocktail, a tonic for anything that ails you, and the summer read you can’t miss! Vivian Morris, an upper-class, 19-year-old college dropout, finds herself in the chaotic New York City theater world of the 1940s. What ensues is a story full of sex, glamour, and witty one-liners that spans decades. All those who led a heedless youth or wish they had will fall for this book about growing into the person you’ve always wanted to be. Gilbert has written a glittering piece of fiction that subtly delivers wisdom about the nature of human connection and leaves the reader braver, freer, and, at least for the moment, happier.”

Caroline McGregor, Books & Books

The Grace Year

“Take themes from The Handmaid’s Tale, The Lord of the Flies, and add a touch of The Hunger Games and you get this tale of a dystopian patriarchal society. This is a feminist story about what happens when everyone seems to embrace the oppressive laws of a society without question, and what happens when one young woman begins to question them and begins to learn the truth as she spends a year desperately trying to stay alive when sent away with her 16 year old female peers for their Grace Year. Filled with heartbreaking twists and turns, you will be thinking about this one for a while.”

Cori, Bright Side Bookshop