Now that we can finally say goodbye to 2020, it is time to start planning for the new year. Whether you are looking to read more during the new year or you are a seasoned book lover, new book recommendations are always welcomed. Here are 10 books to dive into in 2021, as recommended by local experts
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke
“Here at the bookstore one of the great joys of 2020 was Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi. The titular character lives to explore his labyrinth of a house and unravels the secrets leading to a new world. We each read it in turn. And as the days grow cold and dark, the atmosphere of this book is an appropriate one. And it’s always fun to explore new worlds with new characters.” – Lindley Estes, social media director, Riverby Books
The Splendid and The Vile by Erik Larson
“I’m a huge fan of Larson and his ability to retell history with such eloquence and empathy. His latest work does not disappoint. In The Splendid And The Vile, we are given an inside look at Churchill’s personal experiences during The Blitz. Reading about what they endured and how Churchill led them through it gave me perspective about the sacrifices we have had to make in 2020. This should definitely be on your TBR (to be read) pile.” – Jen Morrow, owner, Bards Alley
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
“Irish coast destination murder, oh I mean wedding, anyone? This book is more of a slow burn and about building characters which has a powerful draw for any good storyteller. Foley certainly is off to the races on this whodunnit in the midst of a destination wedding gone oh so wrong. Get ready to love or hate everyone involved.” – Alexandra Heidler, Adult Services Librarian, Middleburg Library
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton
“Whether or not you are a fan of her music, the fascinating tales here of Parton’s six decades as a central figure in American music are linked to the lyrics of her well-known songs. As a songwriter, Parton has long been acknowledged as a major talent, and the stories here support that entirely.” – Jean Ross Chief, Materials Services Division, Prince William Public Libraries
Crossings by Alex Landragin
“If you are looking for something magical, this debut novel is a must read! Spanning 150 years, Crossings is both an adventure through history and a love story woven through time. You will not want to put this one down. But there’s more. The novel can be read in two ways, either traditionally from page 1 to the end or in the Baroness’s sequence (yes, a totally different story!), starting at page 150. This unique and absorbing tale is not to be missed.” – Jen Morrow, owner, Bards Alley
Emma by Jane Austen
“I, personally, enjoy revisiting old favorites. For me, that means an annual read of Jane Austen’s Emma, which follows Emma Woodhouse as she match-makes and meddles in her friends’ lives. It’s my favorite of her novels and is such a study of place. Being stuck in one place during 2020 made me really appreciate her characterization of the town of Highbury, where Emma lives and never wants to leave. And looking to 2021, I hope the lessons learned about the joys of home stay with me.” – Lindley Estes, social media director, Riverby Books
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
“After the success of her first novel, Homegoing, Gyasi’s second novel has been eagerly awaited and deservedly so. The story of a Ghanaian family’s immigration to Alabama, the novel focuses on daughter Gifty as she struggles to recover from the upheaval of her childhood. Her father left the family, her brother overdosed, and Gifty must take care of her mother and manage to survive as she works to complete medical school.” – Jean Ross Chief, Materials Services Division, Prince William Public Libraries
The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley
“This book makes you feel good all over and it takes place around the holidays, which is a bonus in my mind. I adore all of the characters, but admittedly I may have grown to love some of them. Pooley anchors their stories around a little green notebook, The Authenticity Project, which finds its way to each of their hands. A tale of love, loss, hope and finding one’s true self, I truly enjoyed this one.” – Jen Morrow, owner, Bards Alley
Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz
“This author does it all: He’s written new 007 novels, children’s books and a fine trilogy of mysteries so far beyond the normal tropes employed by mystery writers that these novels are in a class by themselves. Moonflower Murders brings back a character from an earlier novel who suddenly finds herself in the middle of yet another mystery. The clever use of a book within the novel gives readers two mysteries for the price of one.” – Jean Ross Chief, Materials Services Division, Prince William Public Libraries
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
“What happens when you go to a school to learn survival skills, but the cost of learning your very own survival comes at your own potential … survival? Welcome to the conundrum and frantically terrifying fantasy of Novik. This first part in a trilogy is worth warming up to for some serious snark and horror mixed in with a magical school setting. What fantasy lover could resist?” – Alexandra Heidler Adult Services Librarian, Middleburg Library
Erosion: Essays of Undoing by Terry Tempest Williams
“Speaking about reflection, the end of the year and the beginning of the next one is a great time for essays that make you rethink what you know. Terry Tempest Williams is a perennial favorite here and her most recent collection of essays Erosion can be read in small increments or in one long winter afternoon. In these nonfiction works, she shows through a desert landscape how things must change and calls on the reader to find a way forward through difficult times, too. Joan Didion is another favorite. And though we don’t sell new books-only used- I’m very much looking forward to the January 2021 release of Let Me Tell You What I Mean, a collection of her early works. Didion is always insightful, darkly comic and great fun.” – Lindley Estes, social media director, Riverby Books
The Last Days of John Lennon by James Patterson
“Yes, it’s THAT James Patterson, the prolific thriller writer, who turns his hand here to the story of John Lennon’s final days. It might initially seem odd for a best-selling thriller writer to turn to this subject. However, Patterson and his co-authors have the right background for chronicling this story of music, true crime, and the mind of a murderer.” – Jean Ross Chief, Materials Services Division, Prince William Public Libraries
A Swim In A Pond In The Rain by George Saunders (Releasing Jan. 12, 2021)
“A collection of seven essays based on his experiences through many years of teaching a class on the Russian short story to his MFA students at Syracuse University. Marvelous!” – Jen Morrow, owner, Bards Alley
Caste: The Origins of our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson
“This book is eye opening in that it is giving vocabulary and written experience to much of the discontent and social pressures that have become more pressing. It’s an educational if uncomfortable read that everyone could benefit from and can help lighten the load when it comes to painting a full picture of how power structures work, how they are maintained, and how they function. Painful read but worth getting through.” – Alexandra Heidler Adult Services Librarian, Middleburg Library
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