Category Archives: United States

Making the best of what’s left: when we’re too old to get the chairs reupholstered (2025) by Judith Viorst

30 Friday Jan 2026

Posted by in Humor, meaning of life, Non-fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Author of Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, Viorst has written books bringing us wisdom with humor for every decade of her life.  Now she is in her nineties!

“The great humorist, poet, and observer of life passages turns her attention to the ‘Final Fifth’ of life. . . . We should all be in such fine form in our 10th decade. Viorst is as charming, and smart, as ever.” ― Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Judith Viorst has chronicled our century with wit, wisdom and an unflinching eye for the agonies and absurdities of ordinary family life. Now in her nineties, and in the shadow of her husband’s recent death, she offers an exhilarating meditation on final chapters: how to grasp the richness and grace that remains, even as much slips away.” — Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Memorial Days and March

“Writer and poet Viorst may be in what she calls the ‘Final Fifth of Life,’ but she’s every bit as witty and observant as she always was. . . . Readers of a similar age will be nodding along and be reminded to be grateful for the time they have left.” ― Booklist (starred review)

Find this book audio cd’s

Heart the Lover by Lily King (2025)

05 Monday Jan 2026

Posted by in Fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

This was such a delight to read and curl up with that I reread her earlier Lovers & Writers all over again!

“Might be her best book yet . . . It stands as one of the most emotionally devastating and soulfully wise novels I have ever read . . . Like all of King’s fiction, Heart The Lover is literary without pretension, emotional without maudlin sentimentality . . . heartrending, swoonily romantic, rigorously clear-sighted.”—Priscilla Gilman, Boston Globe

“[T]his affecting novel…questions whether a person can inhabit any moment other than the present.”—New Yorker

“King’s swoony story of love and literature, of paths taken and not taken, of the past selves we never truly leave behind, is quietly robust and nearly impossible to put down.”—Booklist (starred review)

“Intensely moving . . . The structure of Heart the Lover is so ingenious, its emotional charge so compelling . . . [A] great triangular love story . . . about screwing up, wising up, finding yourself and realizing what you may have lost in the process.”—Maureen Corrigan, NPR

“[Y]oung and intense and foolishly stubborn, this love triangle takes a redemptive turn that feels grounded, believable and quite beautiful. Jordan is a wonderful protagonist—funny, despairing, self-deprecating, lonely and determined to write novels. This is a satisfying, emotionally rich tearjerker, a book that just may make you sob out loud.”—Bookpage (starred review)

“King is a genius at writing love stories . . . Her mostly sunny version of the campus novel is an enjoyable alternative to the current vogue for dark academia. Tragedies are on the way, though, as we know they must be, as nothing gold can stay and these darn fictional characters seem to make the same kinds of stupid mistakes that real people do. Tenderhearted readers will soak the pages of the last chapter with tears. That college love affair you never got over? Come wallow in this gorgeous version of it.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Find this book large print

Atmosphere: a Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid (2025)

19 Friday Dec 2025

Posted by in 20th century, adventure, Fiction, Historical Fiction, Travel, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Selected for the Novels at Night book club at the Weston Library on January 6, 2025! Read it and join the conversation.

“A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: TIME, NPR, People, Good Housekeeping, them, Marie Claire, Book Riot, Library Journal, Chicago Public Library, She Reads”- Amazon

#1 NEW YORK TIMESBESTSELLER• GOOD MORNING AMERICABOOK CLUB PICK • From the author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Sixcomes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits. – Amazon

“Thrilling . . . heartbreaking . . . uplifting . . . the fast-paced, emotionally charged story of one ambitious young woman, finding both her voice and her passion.”—Kristin Hannah, author of The Women

“NASA? Space missions? The ’80s? This is a collection of all the things I love.”—Andy Weir, author of Project Hail Maryand The Martian

Find this book large print audio cd’s playaway

Nothing More of This Land: Community, Power, and the Search for Indigenous Identity by Joseph Lee

12 Friday Dec 2025

Posted by in Biography, History, memoir, nature, Non-fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

256 pages, lively , crisp new knowledge and perspective about our favorite Massachusetts summer island’s history and oldest residents.

“With lucid intimacy, Lee traces the story of the Aquinnah Wampanoag across centuries and shorelines, anchoring sweeping histories in the particular texture of lived experience. The past is not background here—it presses forward, unresolved. At its core, this is a book about how to stay in relationship with a land, a people, and a culture that colonialism has scattered and strained. What begins as personal memoir opens into a broader reckoning with Indigenous identity in motion. Lee writes not to restore some lost purity, but to chart a map forward—one that embraces contradiction, survival, and the quiet force of continuity. Few books manage to feel this intimate and this expansive, this tender and this unflinching. It’s not just beautifully told—it’s deeply earned.”—Morgan Talty, national bestselling author of Night of the Living Rez and Fire Exit

“Nothing More of This Land is written with scrupulous attention to nuance and ambiguity. It is an exploration of a complex heritage that is self-searching, deeply intelligent and honest. But it is also a book about America, the public realm, what an Indigenous identity means in this country, and how this has molded the life of Joseph Lee, who is a brilliant and sensitive chronicler of his own destiny and that of his community.” —Colm Tóibín, bestselling author of Brooklyn and Long Island

“A wise meditation on belonging, Lee offers the reader a global perspective on what it means to be Indigenous. Lee’s desire for reciprocity and community will move readers to think about our planetary future. A journalistic feat, heartfelt, well-researched, and vital.”—Deborah Jackson Taffa, author of National Book Award finalist Whiskey Tender

“A potent exploration of what it means to be Indigenous. . . . A deft combination of affective memoir and keen journalism, this profound examination on identity and place impresses.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Find this book

The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett

20 Monday Oct 2025

Posted by in adventure, Fiction, Humor, Travel, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Brought together by unusual circumstances, a family sets out on a road trip from Massachusetts to the West Coast accompanied by a very perceptive cat. The characters in this novel are all dealing with pain and tragedy, yet the book is quirky, funny, and ultimately uplifting. I loved this!

“A beautiful reminder that the world is full of tragedy, but life-changing joy and connection might be just around the corner.”—Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Hartnett’s signature blend of humor and deep emotional resonance shines through on every page. Balancing whimsy with raw emotion, Hartnett has a gift for turning life’s messiest, saddest moments into something weirdly funny and downright beautiful. Hartnett’s fans will find much to love here.”—Booklist, starred review

“The Road to Tender Hearts is the ultimate road trip novel: a zany, heartfelt blend of dysfunction, humor, healing, and Annie Hartnett’s signature poignancy and wit. This story of family, forgiveness, and moving forward is a balm for anyone who’s ever been too hard on themselves, offering a compassionate reminder that we’re all just figuring it out as we go. I was moved, delighted, and captivated from start to finish.”—Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart

Find this book large print

The Quiet Damage: QAnon and the Destruction of the American Family by Jesselyn Cook

26 Friday Sep 2025

Posted by in Non-fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Weston Library Non-Fiction Discussion Book Club Choice for the October 9th 2025

Fascinating and very sad, in places this was heartbreaking and difficult to read. It turned my perception of a QAnon follower on its head.

“If you are wondering why so many people seem to be slipping into alternative and frightening realities, you have to read this brilliant book. It’s compassionate, wise, thoroughly reported—and terrifying. One of the defining books of our time.”—Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus

“Where the book shines is in creating empathy for a group of people frequently dismissed or misunderstood, and for their grieving and divided families . . . By delving into the ways people become susceptible to QAnon, Cook uncovers a deeper truth: Many of us go through life with a gaping hole caused by trauma, isolation or shame, and we find healthy and unhealthy ways to fill it. For people like Doris and Kendra, QAnon’s message, however insane it sounds (and is), makes them feel valued and valuable.”—The New York Times

“Cook illuminates vividly the experience of loving someone in crisis—a crisis you can’t fully understand and definitely didn’t anticipate—and the impossible question of how long to stand by them. . . . The stories are gripping not just because QAnon is so bewilderingly strange but also because the idea of a person you love disappearing before your eyes is so terrible—and perhaps for many readers, relatable. . . . [T]he book feels briefly hopeful. With patience and empathy, it seems to suggest, you can reach someone who once felt very, very far away.”—The Atlantic

Find this book

Jackal’s Mistress: A Novel by Chris Bojahlian

20 Saturday Sep 2025

Posted by in action, adventure, Historical Fiction, History, murder, romance, suspense, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

“The true story of a wounded Union officer saved by a Confederate woman… adding imaginative twists to the original story line… when Capt. Jonathan Weybridge is severely wounded in battle and left to die… Libby feels honor bound to do for him what she hopes a Union woman would do for her husband. Thus ‘the Jackal…’ becomes a secret member of their household and a perilous friendship blossoms.”—Alida Becker, The New York Times Book Review

“This page-turner from bestselling Bohjalian…will not disappoint fans of American Civil War narratives. The vividly drawn characters and historical details make for a compelling read.”—Library Journal, Starred Review

“Top-notch…. Based on a true story, The Jackal’s Mistress brings all the propulsive plot and sensitive character development one has come to expect from Bohjalian; here, he spins a tale of unlikely romance between a wounded Union soldier from Vermont and a gritty Virginia woman.”—Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe

“Elegant, poignant, and richly atmospheric….Bohjalian once again demonstrates his profound respect for women, endowing his female protagonists with depth and nuance.”— Booklist, Starred Review

Find this book large print audio cd’s

Culpability by Bruce W. Holsinger

12 Friday Sep 2025

Posted by in detective, Fiction, suspense, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

“I was riveted until the very last shocking sentence!”—Oprah Winfrey

“If you want an engaging novel sure to spark great discussion about that thorny [AI] future, this is it.”—Ron Charles, The Washington Post

“A fascinating, thought-provoking novel. Bruce Holsinger is a master at combining revelatory social commentary about important, timely issues (AI this time) with deeply moving insights about family dynamics. I highly, highly recommend this book.”—Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls

“Holsinger seems to have created his own subgenre of psychosocial thriller, spinning super-smart, propulsive page-turners out of zeitgeisty worries . . . If you are not already hooked on Holsinger, it’s time to join the club.”—Kirkus (starred review)

“In Culpability, Bruce Holsinger brings his sharp eye and fearless storytelling to one of the most urgent questions of our time: What does it mean to be responsible in a world shaped by systems we no longer fully control? Part family drama, part techno-thriller, this riveting novel traces the moral fallout of a self-driving car crash through the lens of a fractured family. With piercing insight and deep compassion, Holsinger captures the unsettling drift between human intention and algorithmic consequence—never losing sight of the fragile, fallible people at the heart of the story. Gripping, wise, and eerily prescient, Culpability is a family novel for the age of AI.”—Christina Baker Kline, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Orphan Train

Find this book

Heartwood : a Novel by Amity Gaige

08 Friday Aug 2025

Posted by in action, adventure, detective, Fiction, mystery, nature, suspense, thriller, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

“A literary thriller of the highest order” (Elin Hilderbrand, New York Times bestselling author of The Perfect Couple), Heartwood takes you on a gripping journey as a search and rescue team race against time after an experienced hiker mysteriously disappears on the Appalachian Trail in Maine. (Amazon)

“A crackling adventure story, a meditation on the fraught human connection to nature, and a subtle examination of the rocky relationships between mothers and daughters that shape the lives of its women characters, the novel tightens its grip as it moves toward uncovering its central mysteries.”—BOOKLIST, Starred Review

“The best thriller of 2025.” —The Boston Globe 

“Heartwood by Amity Gaige shines as a gritty, evocative and heart-stopping wilderness thriller. Yet this journey into the harshness of nature and the horror of being lost, is also a beautifully crafted eulogy to human survival and an ode to the power of the spirit as it echoes between the generations. An unforgettable treat from first page to last.”—JANICE HALLETT, bestselling author of The Twyford Code

Find this book large print audio cd’s

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

21 Monday Jul 2025

Posted by in History, Non-fiction, United States

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , ,

Goodreads Choice Award Winner in History & Biography One of Time’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2024

“An affectionate and engaging history of the American bookstore and its central place in cultural life, from department stores to indies, from highbrow dealers trading in first editions to sidewalk vendors, and from chains to special-interest community destinations.” (dust jacket blurb)

“A series of thirteen mini-profiles of notable bookstores and their owners. . . . Friss sees the small bookstore in contemporary America as a haven from commercialism—a place where books are treated as more than mere merchandise—and as a community-building space. . . . In Friss’s account, the bookstore survives by redefining itself.”—The New Yorker

“It is a delight to wander through the bookstores of American history in this warm, generous book.” —Emma Straub, New York Times bestselling author and owner of Books Are Magic

“Upbeat and immersive. . . . An entrancing deep dive into the book industry.”—Publishers Weekly (STARRED review)

Find this book