FICTION
On the Oregon Trail by Robert Vaughan
When 16-year-old Matt Logan and his friend Danny Duggan run away from an orphanage, they go west. There, they meet mountain men and become fur trappers. But the market for beaver pelts dies out, and the two friends take on jobs as wagon train guides. On the journey west, they rescue two travelers from other trains: Nonnie Hughes, a widow who had been going west with her brother and nephew when their wagon train was attacked by a gang of white outlaws, and beautiful, young, Darci Clinton, who had been captured by Indians after her family was slain.
Good Husbands by Cate Ray
Jessica, Stephanie and Priyanka are complete strangers, but they have one thing in common: they’ve each received a letter accusing their husbands of committing a sexual assault more than two decades prior. Is the accusation true or is there more to the story? It was a secret that remained buried for years. With their worlds suddenly turned upside down, they don’t know who to trust — a complete stranger or the men they love and built their lives with.
By Her Own Design: A Novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register by Piper Huguley
1953, New York City: Less than a week before the society wedding of the year where Jacqueline Bouvier will marry John F. Kennedy, a pipe bursts at Ann Lowe’s dress shop and ruins 11 dresses, including the expensive wedding dress, a dress that will be judged by thousands. A Black designer who has fought every step of the way, Ann knows this is only one struggle after a lifetime of them.
Under Fortunate Stars by Ren Hutchings
Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven’s freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue — until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future.
The Gallion’s chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen.
NONFICTION
The Other Side of Nothing: The Zen Ethics of Time, Space, and Being by Brad Warner
In the West, Zen Buddhism has a reputation for paradoxes that defy logic. In particular, the Buddhist concept of nonduality — the realization that everything in the universe forms a single, integrated whole — is especially difficult to grasp. Zen teacher Brad Warner untangles the mystery and explains nonduality in plain English.
The Case of the Married Woman: Caroline Norton and Her Fight for Women’s Justice by Antonia Fraser
Caroline Norton dazzled 19th-century society. After her marriage in 1828 to the MP George Norton, she continued to attract friends and admirers to her salon in Westminster, which included the young Disraeli. Most prominent among her admirers was the widowed Prime Minister Lord Melbourne. Racked with jealousy, George Norton took the prime minister to court, suing him for damages on account of his ‘Criminal Conversation’ (adultery) with Caroline. A dramatic trial followed.
Out of the Corner: A Memoir by Jennifer Grey
Throughout this intimate narrative, Grey richly evokes places and times that were defining for a generation—from her preteen days in 1970s Malibu and wild child nights in New York’s club scene, and her breakout performance in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. With self-deprecating humor and frankness, she looks back on her unbridled, romantic adventures in Hollywood. And with enormous bravery, she shares the devastating fallout from a plastic surgery procedure that caused the sudden and stunning loss of her professional identity and career.
Travels with Trilobites: Adventures in the Paleozoic by Andy Secher
Trilobites were some of the most successful and versatile organisms ever to exist. Among the earliest forms of complex animal life, these hard-shelled marine invertebrates inhabited the primal seas of the Paleozoic Era. Their march through evolutionary time began in the Lower Cambrian, some 521 million years ago, and lasted until their demise at the end of the Permian, more than 250 million years later. During this vast stretch of planetary history, these adaptable animals filled virtually every available undersea niche, evolving into more than 25,000 scientifically recognized species.
CHILDREN’S
Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman
Charlie Spring is in Year 10 at Truham Grammar School for Boys. The past year hasn’t been too great, but at least he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is in Year 11 and on the school rugby team. He’s heard a little about Charlie — the kid who was outed last year and bullied for a few months — but he’s never had the opportunity to talk to him. They quickly become friends, and soon Charlie is falling hard for Nick, even though he doesn’t think he has a chance. But love works in surprising ways, and sometimes good things are waiting just around the corner …
Ages: 13 and up
