One of the advantages of being a librarian is that you sometimes have the opportunity to read books before they are published and widely available. I’ve recently read some forthcoming books that are on order, so if you place holds now, you’ll be at the top of the queue for some very satisfying reads.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t begin with The Lions of Fifth Avenue. I’ve enjoyed all of Fiona Davis’s novels. In books such as The Dollhouse, The Address, and The Masterpiece, Davis interweaves a compelling fictional narrative around the history of some of New York’s most iconic buildings. Often, the story explores the lives of women living in the same space, but decades or centuries apart. The Lions of Fifth Avenue focuses on NYPL's flagship Stephen A. Schwarzman building, telling the stories of Laura, wife of the Library’s superintendent, who lives in an apartment above the Library in 1913 , juxtaposed with that of Laura’s granddaughter, Sadie, a librarian working in The Berg Collection in the early 1990s.  There’s a compelling mystery at the heart of the book, and along the way, you’ll learn about the history of the building and some of the incredible artifacts that are part of our collection.

Another new title about two women in mysterious circumstances is The Last Flight a debut novel by Julie Clark. Clarissa and Eva are both desperate to escape their wildly different but equally treacherous situations. A chance meeting in an airport bar gives them both the chance to escape, but drastic actions are never without consequences, The Last Flight is fast-paced and has several twists.  A great read for fans of Harlan Coben, Lisa Gardner or Lisa Jewell.

Lastly, I want to highlight Betty, an absolutely astounding book by Tiffany McDaniel.  Based on the life of the author’s mother, Betty is a beautiful book about some very difficult and often ugly things, including incest, racism, mental illness, and physical abuse.  But it’s also about a father’s love for his children, the grit and determination to survive, and, perhaps, most importantly about how the power of stories and imagination can lead us from darkness to light. While this is only McDaniel's second novel, it is, quite simply, one of the most powerful, beautifully written books I have ever read; the kind of book, where I felt the need to highlight sentences because they were so moving or profound, or astoundingly descriptive.  Betty is a rare book, and will stay with me for a long time.

In addition to e-books and e-audiobooks, the library is now offering grab-and-go service at select locations. Learn more here.