Staff Picks

Check here every month to see what the HPL staff recommends based on our reading.  You can also  find your next good book by stopping by or calling the Reference Desk, or by using our online form:  Your Next Good Book

Alison's Picks

A Darker Shade of Magic By Schwab, V. E. 2015-02 - Tor Books 9780765376459 Check Our Catalog A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab Kell is one of the last Antari--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes--Red London--and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling …More

Susan's Picks

After on: A Novel of Silicon Valley By Reid, Rob 2017-08 - Del Rey Books 9781524798055 Check Our Catalog The definitive novel of today's Silicon Valley, After On flash-captures our cultural and technological moment with up-to-the-instant savvy. Matters of privacy and government intrusion, post-Tinder romance, nihilistic terrorism, artificial consciousness, synthetic biology, and much more are tackled with authority and brash playfulness by New York Times bestselling author Rob …More

Lydia's Picks

Scythe By Shusterman, Neal 2016-11 - Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers 9781442472426 Check Our Catalog Awards: Michael L. Printz Award (2017) Two teens must learn the "art of killing" in this Printz Honor-winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology. A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life--and they are commanded …More

Wizard's First Rule By Goodkind, Terry Author Goodkind 1994-08 - Tor Books 9780312857059 Check Our Catalog Wizard's First Rule marks the debut of a new fantasy writer. Truly epic in scope and filled with burning intensity, it is the story of Richard Cypher, a modest woodsman in a world achingly beautiful, alive with the joys of nature: a world the reader comes to love as fiercely as do Richard and those around him. Though a mere woodsman, he is the one destined to battle the ultimate adversary - Darken …More

Diana's Picks

The Company of Cats By Babson, Marian 1999-01 - Thomas T. Beeler Publisher 9781574902099 Check Our Catalog A millionaire is found murdered in his mansion and his relatives are suspected of foul play. When they learn that the cat is the main beneficiary and whoever looks after her will control the money, the relatives try to win the cat's affections. Martin's Press. …More

I Heard That Song Before By Clark, Mary Higgins 2007-04 - Simon & Schuster 9780743264914 Check Our Catalog Kate Lansing is a 28-year-old attractive, smart, and gifted gardener who has just married Peter Carrington, 42, and head of his familys fortune. Soon, re-emerging memories threaten her marriage--and her life--as Kay begins to question the suspicious drowning death of Peters first wife. Simon & Schuster …More

Delphine's Picks

Mind Hacking: How to Change Your Mind for Good in 21 Days By Hargrave, John 2016-01 - Gallery Books 9781501105654 Check Our Catalog Have you ever wished you could reprogram your brain, just as a hacker would a computer? In this 3-step guide to improving your mental habits, learn to take charge of your mind and banish negative thoughts, habits, and anxiety--in just 21 days A seasoned author, comedian, and entrepreneur, Sir John Hargrave once suffered from unhealthy addictions, anxiety, and poor mental health. After …More

The Four Tendencies: The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too) By Rubin, Gretchen 2017-09 - Harmony 9781524760915 Check Our Catalog In this groundbreaking analysis of personality type, bestselling author of Better Than Before and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin reveals the one simple question that will transform what you do at home, at work, and in life. During her multibook investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I …More

Liz's Picks

Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food By Herz, Rachel 2017-12 - W. W. Norton & Company 9780393243314 Check Our Catalog In Why You Eat What You Eat, acclaimed neuroscientist Rachel Herz examines the sensory, psychological, neuroscientific, and physiological factors that influence our eating habits. Herz, who's been praised for her "ability to cite and explain academic studies in a conversational manner" (Washington Post), uncovers the fascinating and surprising facts that influence food …More

Jocelyn's Picks

Uncommon Type: Some Stories By Hanks, Tom 2017-10 - Knopf Publishing Group 9781101946152 Check Our Catalog A collection of seventeen wonderful short stories showing that two-time Oscar winner Tom Hanks is as talented a writer as he is an actor. A gentle Eastern European immigrant arrives in New York City after his family and his life have been torn apart by his country's civil war. A man who loves to bowl rolls a perfect game--and then another and then another and then many more in a row …More

The Nest By Sweeney, Cynthia D. 2016-03 - Ecco Press 9780062414212 Check Our Catalog *SOON TO BE A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE* Instant New York Times Bestseller; named a Best Book of 2016 by People, the Washington Post, the San Francisco Chronicle, Refinery29, NPR and LibraryReads. "Hilarious and big-hearted, The Nest is a stellar debut." -- People "Her writing is …More

The Crossover By Alexander, Kwame 2014-03 - Houghton Mifflin 9780544107717 Check Our Catalog Awards: Black-Eyed Susan Award (2016), Capitol Choices: Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens (2015), Charlotte Huck Award for Outstanding Fiction for Children (2015), Coretta Scott King Award (2015), Cybils (2014), Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award (2016), Kentucky Bluegrass Award (2016), Nene Award (2016), Newbery Medal (2015), Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award (2016), Texas Lone Star Reading List (2015) In this middle grade novel in verse that's "Love That Dog" meets "The Watsons Go to Birmingham" meets "Slam," twelve-year-old twin basketball stars Josh and Jordan wrestle with highs and lows on and off the court as their father ignores his declining health. …More

The Maze at Windermere By Smith, Gregory Blake 2018-01 - Viking 9780735221925 Check Our Catalog "A dazzling high-wire act. I turned every page with a sense of wonder and excitement." --RICHARD RUSSO A richly layered novel of love, ambition, and duplicity, set against the storied seascape of Newport, Rhode Island A reckless wager between a tennis pro with a fading career and a drunken party guest--the stakes are an antique motorcycle and an heiress's diamond necklace--launches …More