For Readers: Blog

Back to school

September means back to school, even if it's remotely, even if it's been a while since you attended class or had school-aged children. If the turn of the calendar makes you a little nostalgic, return to the classroom in the pages of one of these top picks; no homework required.

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry. Centered on a girls' field hockey team in the late 1980s, this novel is set in the coastal town of Danvers, Massachusetts, where the accusations began that led to the 1692 Salem witch trials. The team members feel a special bond with — and perhaps some supernatural connection to — their "bewitched" forbears, taking the season's play to the next level. [print | audiobook]

Minor Dramas & Other Catastrophes by Kathleen West interweaves wryly observed stories about the pressures at an elite prep school. The actions of two very different women, English teacher Isobel Johnson and helicopter parent Julia Abbott, make them community targets and have ripple effects in their lives, affecting their families, coworkers, and friends. [e-book | print]

At Briarwood School for Girls by Michael Knight. A portrayal of life at a fictitious Virginia boarding school, where things are complicated by Disney's plan to open an American history theme park nearby. Central to the story is one of Briarwood's famous alumnae — a reclusive, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright. After decades, the school's drama club has been given permission to perform her play. Stories of haunted dorms and teenage pregnancies swirl through the script and the novel, with a little paranormal activity and prophetic dreaming stirred in. [e-book | print]

The Gifted School by Bruce Holsinger. As a magnet school for gifted students is developed, four parents and close friends grapple with their jealousy over each others' achievements, marriages, and social standings. Good intentions and high ambitions collide with long-held secrets and lies. Will the friendships survive? [e-book | print | audiobook]

The Secret Place by Tana French. Detective Stephen Moran is called in to solve the cold case of a boy whose body was found at an all-girls boarding school. Part murder mystery, part psychological study of school cliques, friendships, and secrets, this thriller will keep you turning pages to the conclusion. Part of the acclaimed Dublin Murder Squad series. [e-book | print | audiobook]

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. The children at Hailsham don’t attend school to become the next generation’s leaders but are subject to unique rules and constant reminders that they are special. Three school friends reconnect as young adults and begin to understand their past and how it will affect their future. Ishiguro creates a dystopian world and enchanting characters that examine the existential and ethical questions that plague society today. [e-book | print | audiobook] 

Juliet the Maniac by Juliet Escoria. This autobiographical novel chronicles a girl's experience at a therapeutic boarding school, chronicling bipolar disorder and the tumultuous journey to recovery through case notes, hallucinations, and doctors' logs. The protagonist deals with unqualified medical staff and difficult diagnoses before finding the strength to thrive. [print | audiobook] 

Reputation by Sara Shepard. This is a fast-paced thriller told by alternating narrators, all of whom were affected by a release of hacked emails at an elite private college. The scandals revealed in the emails include marital infidelity, cheating on tests, and cover-ups of fraternity misbehavior. Soon a woman is murdered, sending her family and coworkers into a spiral. The victim's journalist sister unravels a web of relationships and activities to discover the killer. [e-book | print]

Watching You by Lisa Jewell. A new headmaster, called in to save a failing school in England, becomes beloved by everyone in town. Meanwhile, his neighbor's sister returns from abroad with a new husband, a student's mother is convinced he is stalking her, and his teen-aged son is fascinated with spying. Jewell intricately weaves together plot lines to arrive at a dramatic conclusion. [e-book | print | audiobook]

—Mary