Dead Money

 By: Jakob Kerr   

Location: FIC KER

Genre: Thriller

“A stone-cold banger of a novel—a twisty journey through Silicon Valley’s dark side, wrapped in a stunning mystery package with some wild surprises along the way.”—Blake Crouch

Jakob Kerr came out swinging and hit the first pitch out of the park. This book kicked ass. It was Blake Crouchy in its techno thrillerness. Its characters had depth and were likable and interesting. It was relentless in its pace. It was flawless in its storytelling structure. It was simply riveting from front to back cover. Court

Don’t call me a fixer. This isn’t HBO.

In her job as unofficial “problem solver” for Silicon Valley’s most ruthless venture capitalist, Mackenzie Clyde’s gotten used to playing for high stakes. Even if none of those tech-bro millions she’s so good at wrangling ever make it into her pockets.

But this time, she’s in way over her head—or so it seems.

The lightning-rod CEO of tech’s hottest startup has just been murdered, leaving behind billions in “dead money” frozen in his will. As the company’s chief investor, Mackenzie’s boss has a fortune on the line—and with the police treading water, it’s up to Mackenzie to step up and resolve things, fast.

Mackenzie’s a lawyer, not a detective. Cracking this fiendishly clever killing, with its list of suspects that reads like a who’s-who of Valley power players, should be way out of her league.

Except that Mackenzie’s used to being underestimated. In fact, she’s counting on it.

Because the way she sees it, this isn’t an investigation. It’s an opportunity. And she’ll do anything it takes to seize it.

Anything at all.

Featuring jaw-dropping twists and a wily, outsider heroine you can’t help rooting for, Dead Money is a brilliant sleight-of-hand mystery. Written by a longtime insider, it is also a dead-on snapshot of the Valley’s rich and famous—and a glimpse at the darkness lurking behind the tech world’s cheery facade.

“Janine leaned forward, her voice quiet and resolute. “Our world isn’t built on fairness. It’s not built on right and wrong, hard work, smarts. It’s built on one thing and one thing only: ruthlessness. Our system rewards those who sacrifice. Those who are ruthless enough to give things up in pursuit of their goal. Give up their friends, give up their time, give up their ideas about the way they thought their life was supposed to go.”
― Jakob Kerr, Dead Money

Day Of Now

 By: Miranda Reason  

Location: FIC REA

Genre: Dystopia

A brilliant post-apocalyptic thriller that breaks the rules

A devastating fungal pandemic has wiped out most of society. Dayna and Pax live in an isolated house in the countryside, learning to survive in the world left behind. But when their father gets sick they make a choice that changes everything- they summon help from the outside. And they're not prepared for the betrayal that follows . . .

Dayna and Pax must race against time across a ruthless landscape to save their father. They won't be able to do it on their own, but who can they trust in a world where survival is everything?

A powerful post-apocalyptic story about growing up fast and facing impossible choices.

"Overall, Day of Now is a thoughtful, character-focused read that will resonate most with readers who enjoy introspective storytelling and emotionally grounded narratives. A strong, meaningful book that leaves a gentle but lasting impression." Lily

The Pioneer

 By: Bridget Tyler  

Location: FIC TYL

Genre: Sci-Fi

 When Jo steps onto planet Tau Ceti e for the first time, she’s ready to put the past behind her and begin again. After all, as a pioneer, she has the job of helping build a new home away from Earth. But underneath the idyllic surface of their new home, there’s something very wrong. And when Jo accidentally uncovers a devastating secret that could destroy everything they’ve worked for, suddenly the future doesn’t seem so bright. With the fate of the pioneers in her hands, Jo must decide how far she’s willing to go to expose the truth—before the truth destroys them all.

Space-Opera kind of books have always been my favorite, which unfortunately means that I have read so many of them that I often don't find them satisfying anymore. This was not the case with The Pioneer. I kept on turning the pages and wanting to know more about this curious new world of Tau Ceti e. The way Bridget describes it is so magical that you just can't help but just wanting to go there to experience all of the sensations that the new world is giving.

I also loved the fact how romance wasn't in the focus, but kind of developing in the background the whole time, subtly. Bridget allowed herself enough time to invest into worldbuilding that she managed to create a magnificent world that just pulls the reader in.- Aneata

Everything Is Coming Up Rosie

 By: Courtney Walsh  

Location: FIC WAL

Genre: Romance

Sometimes what you think you want and what you actually want turn out to be different things . . .

Rosie Waterman has one to become a working actor. But lately, that hasn't been working out. When she loses her apartment and her job on the same day, she does what she always does--puts herself out there, ready to find the next big thing. But a trip home makes her realize that while she's been struggling to make this dream come true, all her friends have become real adults with careers and weddings and babies on the way. Rosie's been at this for years, and she has nothing to show for it. But how does she simply let go of her dream?

When she's offered a job as the director of a regional theatre's production of Cinderella, she jumps at the chance--even though she's only directed in college and the job is in Door County, Wisconsin, and not in New York. She has no other offers, and at least she'll be getting paid to do something theatrical. But when she arrives, she quickly realizes that the "regional theatre" is actually in a retirement community, and the "actors" are actually senior citizens with no acting experience whatsoever.

Working on the show presents new challenges, forcing Rosie to learn how to step up and be the leader this fledgling theatre troupe needs. The more time she spends with her new cast, the more she begins to rethink what it means to dream big, especially when that big dream hasn't turned out to be at all what she thought it would be. It's not at all what she expected, but could it be exactly what she needs?

A Million Tiny Missiles All At Once

By: Lucas Maxwell  

Location: FIC MAX

Genre: Realistic Fiction

"Moving, funny and family centric, this story about a neurodivergent teen trying to win a pizza meal for his family made me laugh and shed a few tears too. Very evocative of what it’s like growing up in a small town where everyone knows your business, the characters are relatable and addiction is dealt with very sensitively whilst still showing the effects on loved ones." Bev

Being a teen’s a tough gig, but what if one gig

could save your family?
Elias’s brain is a swamp of fears and bad things. His once-loving
brother Bo has become a stranger, and his parents are at
breaking point.


When Bo falls in with dangerous people, Elias decides he’s
the only one who can bring his family back together. But what
begins as a simple pizza-night plan quickly spirals into chaos.



Can Elias find a way to reach the people he loves the most
before it’s too late?

Dissection of a Murder

 By: Jo Murray  

Location: FIC MUR

Genre: Thriller

NILUFER: My fellow bookworms… may I?

Can I officially introduce the best legal thriller of 2026?
🥁 Drum roll, please… 🥁
The crown goes to Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray.

Nothing is as it seems—and no one is telling the truth—in this page-turning thriller about a young lawyer forced to defend a man on trial for murder against the mentor who taught her everything: her husband.

When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked by the victim: a well-known, well-respected judge, whose death sent shockwaves through the legal community. She’s also incredulous—she’s nowhere near experienced enough to handle such a high-profile assignment—but the defendant is insistent: he wants her, and only her, to represent him.

Except he’s refusing to talk. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Leila soon learns her opponent is the most ruthless prosecutor she’s ever known: her husband.

It’s an impossible situation, yet Leila is determined to sway the jury to her side—until she’s blindsided once again by a shadowy figure from her past. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only for her client and marriage, but also to keep her own secrets buried. And if she has to rewrite the rules to win, so be it.

STACY: Everyone is lying in this book, and I loved trying to figure out who was telling the truth.

Leila is assigned her first murder case to defend, but there's one major complication, she has to face off against her mentor, who also happens to be her husband.

The story is told from multiple points of view, which is a style I always enjoy because it adds depth and keeps the mystery unfolding.

Just when I thought I had everything figured out, the author threw in a twist I never saw coming.

I enjoyed this book

Whistler

 By: Ann Patchett  

Location: FIC PAT

Genre: Realistic Fiction

One of THE books of 2026 so far! Ask Barak Obama- it was on his list and his lists are stunning

"I think I can officially say this is the best fiction I’ve read this year so far, and honestly, when it comes to Ann Patchett, I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. She has this almost unfair ability to take ordinary human lives, complicated relationships, old wounds, missed opportunities, and all the things people carry silently for decades—and somehow turn them into something that feels completely extraordinary. And seeing Whistler among Barack Obama’s favorite books made me ridiculously happy because apparently my reading taste and his can occasionally have a little reunion" Nilufer

The acclaimed, prize-winning #1 New York Times bestselling writer returns with a moving, luminous novel that reminds us of the sweetness and impermanence of life and the power of connection to defy time.

When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives. Meeting again, time falls away; while their relationship was brief, it had a profound impact on them both, and now that they are reunited, they have no intention of ever being separated again.

Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.

"The only thing I don’t like about an Ann Patchett book is coming to the end of it. She is the most gentle of storytellers but her themes are always so profound. She is a master at this gig. Lest you think the story is about a horse because of the cover, it bears saying that the story is about found family, and how we are shaped by the people that matter to us in our childhood. There is a horse, and there wouldn’t be a story without it, but the story is not about a horse. It’s about love." Ssuan