Melissa's Staff Picks

I'm a librarian at Southeast Regional Library, and these are some of my favorite reads! Feel free to email me at melissa.schultz@wakegov.com if you enjoyed one of these books!
 

Showing 21 - 40 of 82  There are a total of 208 valid entries on the list.

21. The cousins

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Author:
McManus, Karen M.
Average Rating:
4 stars
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On Shelf
16 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Athens Drive Community - Young Adult
YA MCMANUS
Cary Regional - Young Adult
YA MCMANUS
Eva H. Perry Regional - Young Adult
YA MCMANUS
Description:
After receiving an invitation to spend the summer with their estranged grandmother, the Story cousins arrive at her house only to discover that she is not there, and the longer they stay on the island, the more they realize their mysterious family history has some deadly secrets.

22. The devil and the dark water

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Author:
Turton, Stuart
Average Rating:
3.5 stars
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Adult Fiction has 2
TURTON
Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Fiction has 2
TURTON
Green Road Community - Adult Fiction
TURTON
Available Online
Online OverDrive Collection has 999999
Description:
"Samuel Pipps is the greatest detective of his day--but now he's a prisoner, accused of an unknown crime by one of the world's most powerful men. Along with his faithful sidekick Arent Hayes, they're sailing back to Amsterdam from the East Indies, where he'll stand trial. But no sooner are they out to sea than devilry begins to blight the voyage"--

23. Devolution: a firsthand account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre

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Author:
Brooks, Max
Average Rating:
4.3 stars
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror has 3
BROOKS
Duraleigh Road - Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
BROOKS
Fuquay-Varina Community - Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror
BROOKS
Available Online
2 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 2
Description:
"Set in the wilds of Washington State, Greenloop was once a model eco-community--until nature's wrath made it a tragic object lesson in civilization's fragility. Offering a glorious back-to-nature experience with all the comforts of high-speed Internet, solar smart houses, and the assurance of being mere hours from Seattle by highway, Greenloop was indeed a paradise--until Mount Rainier erupted, leaving its residents truly cut off from the world,...

24. Digital minimalism: choosing a focused life in a noisy world

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Author:
Newport, Cal
Average Rating:
3.5 stars
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On Shelf
14 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
303.48 NEWPO
Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Non-Fiction has 2
303.48 NEWPO
Available Online
Online OverDrive Collection has 12
Description:
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestseller
"Newport is making a bid to be the Marie Kondo of technology: someone with an actual plan for helping you realize the digital pursuits that do, and don't, bring value to your life."—Ezra Klein, Vox
Minimalism is the art of knowing how much is just enough. Digital minimalism applies this idea to our personal technology. It's the key to living...

25. The dry

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Author:
Harper, Jane (Jane Elizabeth)
Series:
Aaron Falk novels volume 1.
Average Rating:
3.8 stars
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Large Print
LP HARPER
Eva H. Perry Regional - Large Print
LP HARPER
Southeast Regional - Large Print
LP HARPER
Description:
"A small town hides big secrets in The Dry. After getting a note demanding his presence, Federal Agent Aaron Falk arrives in his hometown for the first time in decades to attend the funeral of his best friend, Luke. Twenty years ago when Falk was accused of murder, Luke was his alibi. Falk and his father fled under a cloud of suspicion, saved from prosecution only because of Luke's steadfast claim that the boys had been together at the time of the...

26. The Dutch house: a novel

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Author:
Patchett, Ann
Average Rating:
3.9 stars
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Athens Drive Community - Audio Books - Adult Fiction
PATCHETT 8 CDs
Cary Regional - Audio Books - Adult Fiction
PATCHETT 8 CDs
Duraleigh Road - Audio Books - Adult Fiction
PATCHETT 8 CDs
Available Online
72 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 72
Description:
"At the end of the Second World War, Cyril Conroy combines luck and a single canny investment to begin an enormous real estate empire, propelling his family from poverty to enormous wealth. His first order of business is to buy the Dutch House, a lavish estate in the suburbs outside of Philadelphia. Meant as a surprise for his wife, the house sets in motion the undoing of everyone he loves. The story is told by Cyril's son Danny, as he and his older...

27. Exiles

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Author:
Harper, Jane (Jane Elizabeth)
Series:
Aaron Falk novels volume 3.
Average Rating:
4 stars
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On Shelf
Athens Drive Community - Mystery
HARPER
Cary Regional - Mystery
HARPER
Duraleigh Road - Mystery has 2
HARPER
On Shelf
17 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Large Print has 2
LP HARPER
East Regional - Large Print
LP HARPER
Leesville Community - Large Print
LP HARPER
Available Online
Online OverDrive Collection has 25
Description:
"At a busy festival site on a warm spring night, a baby lies alone in her stroller, her mother vanishing into the crowds. A year on, Kim Gillespie's absence casts a long shadow as her friends and loved ones gather deep in the heart of South Australian wine country to welcome a new addition to the family. Joining the celebrations is federal investigator Aaron Falk. But as he soaks up life in the lush valley, he begins to suspect this tight-knit group...

28. Furious hours: murder, fraud, and the last trial of Harper Lee

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Author:
Cep, Casey N.
Average Rating:
4.1 stars
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction has 2
364.152 CEP
Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Non-Fiction has 2
364.152 CEP
Holly Springs Community - Adult Non-Fiction
364.152 CEP
Available Online
3 copies, 3 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 3
Description:
"The stunning true story of an Alabama serial killer, and the trial that obsessed the author of To Kill a Mockingbird in the years after the publication of her classic novel--a complicated and difficult time in her life that, until now, has been very little examined. Willie Maxwell was a Baptist reverend in Alabama; he also happened to be a serial killer. Between 1970 and 1977, his two wives and brother all died under suspicious circumstances -- each...

29. Go to sleep (I miss you): cartoons from the fog of new parenthood

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Author:
Knisley, Lucy
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
306.874 KNISL
East Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
306.874 KNISL
Green Road Community - Adult Non-Fiction
306.874 KNISL

30. The gown: a novel of the royal wedding

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Author:
Robson, Jennifer, 1970-
Average Rating:
4.4 stars
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On Shelf
Cary Regional - Large Print
LP ROBSON
East Regional - Large Print
LP ROBSON
Oberlin Regional - Large Print
LP ROBSON
Available Online
Online OverDrive Collection has 10
Description:
London, 1947: Besieged by the harshest winter in living memory, burdened by onerous shortages and rationing, the people of postwar Britain are enduring lives of quiet desperation despite their nation's recent victory. Among them are Ann Hughes and Miriam Dassin, embroiderers at the famed Mayfair fashion house of Norman Hartnell. Together they forge an unlikely friendship, but their nascent hopes for a brighter future are tested when they are chosen...

31. Grit: the power of passion and perseverance

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Author:
Duckworth, Angela
Average Rating:
4.4 stars
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On Shelf
16 copies, 1 person is on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
158.1 DUCKW
Eva H. Perry Regional - Adult Non-Fiction has 2
158.1 DUCKW
Fuquay-Varina Community - Adult Non-Fiction
158.1 DUCKW
Available Online
15 copies, 2 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 15
Description:
"In this must-read book for anyone striving to succeed, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows parents, educators, athletes, students, and business people--both seasoned and new--that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a focused persistence called "grit." Why do some people succeed and others fail? Sharing new insights from her landmark research on grit, MacArthur "genius" Angela Duckworth explains why talent is hardly...

32. The guest list: a novel

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Author:
Foley, Lucy (Novelist)
Average Rating:
3.8 stars
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On Shelf
24 copies, 4 people are on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Adult Fiction
FOLEY
Holly Springs Community - Adult Fiction
FOLEY
Oberlin Regional - Adult Fiction
FOLEY
Available Online
60 copies, 9 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 60
Available Online
9 copies, 6 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 9
Description:
"On an island off the coast of Ireland, guests gather to celebrate two people joining their lives together as one... The cell phone service may be spotty and the waves may be rough, but every detail has been expertly planned and will be expertly executed. But perfection is for plans, and people are all too human. As the champagne is popped and the festivities begin, resentments and petty jealousies begin to mingle with the reminiscences and well wishes....

33. The huntress: a novel

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Author:
Quinn, Kate
Average Rating:
4.2 stars
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On Shelf
34 copies, 2 people are on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Adult Fiction has 2
QUINN
Duraleigh Road - Adult Fiction
QUINN
East Regional - Adult Fiction
QUINN
Available Online
47 copies, 12 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 47
Description:
Stranded behind enemy lines, brave bomber pilot Nina Markova becomes the prey of a lethal Nazi murderess known as the Huntress and joins forces with a Nazi hunter and British war correspondent to find her before she finds them.

34. I'm glad my mom died

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Author:
McCurdy, Jennette, 1992-
Average Rating:
4.2 stars
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On Shelf
37 copies, 7 people are on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Biography
B MCCURDY
Morrisville Community - Biography
B MCCURDY
Oberlin Regional - Biography
B MCCURDY
Description:
"A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor--including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother--and how she retook control of her life"--

35. I'm still here: black dignity in a world made for whiteness

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Author:
Brown, Austin Channing
Average Rating:
4.3 stars
Formats:
Book, OverDrive eAudiobook, OverDrive eBook
Description:
An "account of growing up Black, Christian, and female in middle-class white America ... [that looks] at how white, middle-class, evangelicalism has participated in an era of rising racial hostility, inviting the reader to confront apathy, recognize God's ongoing work in the world, and discover how blackness--if we let it--can save us all"--Amazon.com.

36. The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks

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Author:
Skloot, Rebecca, 1972-
Average Rating:
4.1 stars
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On Shelf
9 copies, 7 people are on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
616 SKLOO
Description:
Documents the story of how scientists took cells from an unsuspecting descendant of freed slaves and created a human cell line that has been kept alive indefinitely, enabling discoveries in such areas as cancer research, in vitro fertilization, and gene mapping.

37. The inheritance games

Book cover for "The inheritance games"
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Author:
Barnes, Jennifer Lynn
Series:
Inheritance games volume 1.
Average Rating:
4.3 stars
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On Shelf
29 copies, 8 people are on the wait list.
Cary Regional - Young Adult
YA BARNES
Holly Springs Community - Young Adult
YA BARNES
Wake Forest Community - Young Adult
YA BARNES
Description:
When a Connecticut teenager inherits vast wealth and an eccentric estate from the richest man in Texas, she must also live with his surviving family and solve a series of puzzles to discover how she earned her inheritance.

38. The it girl

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Author:
Ware, Ruth
Average Rating:
3.9 stars
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On Shelf
Athens Drive Community - Adult Fiction
WARE
Cary Regional - Adult Fiction
WARE
Duraleigh Road - Adult Fiction
WARE
Description:
"April Clarke-Cliveden was the first person Hannah Jones met at Oxford. Vivacious, bright, occasionally vicious, and the ultimate It girl, she quickly pulled Hannah into her dazzling orbit. Together, they developed a group of devoted and inseparable friends--Will, Hugh, Ryan, and Emily--during their first term. By the end of the year, April was dead. Now, a decade later, Hannah and Will are expecting their first child, and the man convicted of killing...

39. The Jane Austen Society

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Author:
Jenner, Natalie
Average Rating:
3.8 stars
Formats:
Book, OverDrive eAudiobook
Description:
""Fans of The Chilbury Ladies' Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society... A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal." -Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people...

40. Killers of the Flower Moon: the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI

Book cover for "Killers of the Flower Moon"
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Author:
Grann, David
Average Rating:
4 stars
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On Shelf
40 copies, 5 people are on the wait list.
Athens Drive Community - Adult Non-Fiction
976.6 GRANN
Cary Regional - Adult Non-Fiction
976.6 GRANN
Duraleigh Road - Adult Non-Fiction
976.6 GRANN
On Shelf
Cary Regional - Large Print Non-Fiction
LP 976.6 GRANN
Eva H. Perry Regional - Large Print Non-Fiction
LP 976.6 GRANN
Morrisville Community - Large Print Non-Fiction
LP 976.6 GRANN
Available Online
17 copies, 10 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 6
Available Online
14 copies, 5 people are on the wait list.
Online OverDrive Collection has 14
Description:
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A twisting, haunting true-life murder mystery about one of the most monstrous crimes in American history, from the author of The Wager and The Lost City of Z, “one of the preeminent adventure and true-crime writers working today."—New York Magazine • NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NOW A MARTIN SCORSESE PICTURE
“A shocking whodunit…What...