“The Nightingale” by Kristin Hannah has been an incredibly popular book this year with a 5 out of 5 star rating on Amazon with over 16,000 customer reviews, a 3.5 out of 4 star rating from USA Today and it was named one of the best books of 2015 by BookPage, Goodreads and Paste Magazine. The much buzzed about World War II novel has become a book club favorite and luckily the author, Kristen Hannah, has provided a very helpful discussion guide on her website. The popularity of Hannah’s novel hasn’t waned. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the rights have already been nabbed by TriStar to turn it into a major motion picture.

Critical Praise:

“A beautifully written and richly evocative examination of life, love, and the ravages of war, and the different ways people react to unthinkable situations – not to mention the terrible and mounting toll of keeping secrets. This powerhouse of a story is equally packed with action and emotion, and is sure to be another major hit.” – Sara Gruen, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Water for Elephants

“I read The Nightingale in one sitting, completely transported to wartime France, completely forgetting where I was. A historical novel – built on Kristin Hannah’s proven skill with story, complex and enduring family ties, and passion―one that will captivate readers.” – Marilyn Dahl, Shelf Awareness

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Book, Large Print, Book on CD, Pocket Audio, eBook or eAudio

Critical Praise:

“Hawkins, a former journalist, is a witty, sharp writer with a gift for creating complex female characters.” – Cleveland Plain Dealer

“A gripping, down-the-rabbit-hole thriller.” – Entertainment Weekly Hotlist

“The Girl on the Train, Hawkins’s first thriller, is well-written and ingeniously constructed.” – The Washington Post

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Book, Large Print Book, Book on CD, eBook, eAudio or Spanish language

“The Bollywood Bride” by Sonali Dev has been named one of the best books of 2015 by Kirkus Reviews, NPR and The Washington Post. It has a 3.5 star rating on Goodreads, which isn’t all that impressive. However, it did receive a starred review in Kirkus Reviews, which is indeed an honor. “The Bollywood Bride” contains rich detail, well drawn characters, witty dialogue, romance and the humor throughout will certainly appeal to Bollywood film fans.

Critical Praise:

“An exquisite, romantic novel with haunting universal themes.” – NPR

“Leaves readers with a greater understanding and appreciation of Indian traditions while beautifully capturing the struggle between familiar duty and self-discovery.” – Booklist

“Make note of the name Sonali Dev! Based on this marvelous debut, Dev is set to become a star. . .An absolute winner from beginning to end, this spellbinding tale grabs your heart and never lets go!” – RT Book Reviews, 4.5 Stars, TOP PICK

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Book, eBook or eAudio

“Uprooted” by Naomi Novik has been named one of the best books of 2015 by Amazon, BookPage, Gizmodo, Library Journal, NPR and Publisher’s Weekly. This fantasy novel has a very respectable rating on Goodreads and Amazon. Goodreads visitors have taken the time to rate this buzzworthy selection more than 24,000 times with an overall rating of 4.20 out of 5. Amazon received over 840 customer reviews with an overall rating of 4.5 out of 5. Here’s what some of the critics have said about this incredibly imaginative fantasy novel.

Critical Praise:

“Drawing on her Polish heritage and fairy-tale tropes, [Novik] has penned an original and fully realized fantastical place guaranteed to enthrall her longtime fans and attract new readers. This exceptional fantasy for adult and teen readers should appeal to those who love fairy-tale influenced stories such as Robin McKinley’s Spindle’s End.” – Library Journal (starred review)

“A very enjoyable fantasy with the air of a modern classic . . . Naomi Novik skillfully takes the fairy-tale-turned-bildungsroman structure of her premise . . . and builds enough flesh on those bones to make a very different animal. . . . The vivid characters around her also echo their fairy-tale forebears, but are grounded in real-world ambivalence that makes this book feel quietly mature, its world lived-in.” – The New York Times Book Review

“Uprooted has leapt forward to claim the title of Best Book I’ve Read Yet This Year … Moving, heartbreaking, and thoroughly satisfying, Uprooted is the fantasy novel I feel I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. Clear your schedule before picking it up, because you won’t want to put it down.” – NPR

“Novik here delivers a tale that is funny and fast-paced, laced with hair-raising battle scenes and conspiracies; it also touches on deeper ecological concerns we grapple with today.” – The Washington Post

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Book, eBook or eAudio.

“The Turner House” by Angela Flournoy has received much deserved praise and attention from many of the top critics. It has been named one of the best books of 2015 by Entertainment Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, The New York Times, Oprah.com and Publisher’s Weekly. This critically acclaimed novel has also been awarded or remains in line for so many awards it would be difficult to list them all here today, so here are just a few … National Book Award Finalist, nominated for the NAACP Image Awards – ‘Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author,’ named one of the National Book Foundation’s ’5 Under 35,’ short-listed for the 2015 Center for Fiction First Novel Prize, short-listed for the Ernest Gaines Award, and long-listed for the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction.

Critical Praise:

“Encompassing a multitude of themes, including aging and parenthood, this is a compelling read that is funny and moving in equal measure.” – Booklist, starred review

“Nobody can take you from joyful to infuriated as fast as your brother or sister. Similarly, the ups and downs of the 13 siblings that populate The Turner House, the first novel by Angela Flournoy, whip from laugh-out-loud to heart-crushing. Still, she proves even bonds that have stretched a mile long have the ability to snap back.” – Essence Magazine

“Flournoy’s writing is precise and sharp…the novel draws readers to the Turner family almost magnetically. A talent to watch.” –Kirkus

“Flournoy has written an epic that feels deeply personal…Flournoy’s finely tuned empathy infuses her characters with a radiant humanity.” – O, The Oprah Magazine

If you’re unfamiliar with the story, then you may be interested in checking out this article in The New York Times Sunday Book Review.

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library in Print, eBook or eAudio.