For Readers: Blog

Become an Armchair Traveler

Books offer readers windows into other places. If you miss traveling, fiction and nonfiction with a rich sense of setting can transport you, without leaving home. Pick one of these titles to explore Ireland, Hawaii, or life in small-town Poland, Ohio, or Mexico.

Ireland 
  

Set on a small island off the west coast of Ireland, The Guest List by Lucy Foley centers around the luxurious wedding of an actor and a magazine publisher. Amidst the celebration and the drama that follows a wedding, someone is found dead. Who is responsible? Fans of Agatha Christie and murder mysteries will love the latest book by Lucy Foley. 

Normal People by Sally Rooney (author of Conversations with Friends) follows Connell and Marianne as they grow up in Carricklea, Ireland. They might be from the same town, but they have completely different upbringings. Their complicated relationship begins when they are in secondary school. When they both go to Dublin to attend Trinity College, their relationship evolves as they continue to circle one another. This is a powerful yet nuanced, character-driven novel for readers who love coming-of-age fiction. This book was the basis for the popular television show Normal People, on Hulu. 

In the Woods by Tana French is a riveting psychological thriller set in Dublin. In 1984, three children disappear in the woods and only one child, Rob Ryan, is found. However, he has no memory of what occurred in the woods and the case goes unsolved. Twenty years later, Ryan is working as a detective with the Dublin Murder Squad when he encounters a case that is eerily similarity to his past. A 12-year-old named Katy Devlin is found murdered in the same woods where Ryan disappeared in 1984. As he tries to solve the case, he hopes that he will finally get answers about his past. In the Woods is the first book in the Dublin Murder Squad series. It is a must-read for fans of police procedurals, thrillers, and mysteries. 
 

Hawaii

In The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren, Olive Torres needs to get through her twin sister’s perfect wedding, but she can’t avoid her nemesis—Ethan—since he is the groom’s best man and brother. When the rest of the wedding party is beset with food poisoning, Olive and Ethan are given the opportunity to go on a pre-booked "honeymoon" in Hawaii. The only catch is that they must pretend to be newlyweds. They must learn to get along when they run into Olive’s boss and Ethan’s ex-girlfriend. This is the perfect summer read for fans of romance. 

Aloha Rodeo by David Wolman and Julian Smith reveals the true story of three Hawaiian paniolos (cowboys). In 1908, the three men traveled to Wyoming to compete in the Cheyenne Roundup. Aloha Rodeo explores the American West and rodeo culture while also delving into themes of identity and imperialism as the reader gets a closer look at the paniolo culture of Hawaii. This is a must-read for fans of nonfiction, history, and stories about the underdog.

Set in the 1890s in Hawaii, Moloka’i by Alan Brennert follows the life of Rachel Kalama whose life is forever changed when she and her uncle Pono are diagnosed with leprosy. Although Rachel is only a child, she is sent to live in a settlement where people with leprosy quarantine. She comes of age in the settlement and builds a life with a man named Kenji Utagawa. Moloka’i is an incredibly moving story of survival and love, perfect for fans of historical fiction.

Small Town  

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk was the winner of the 2018 Nobel Prize in Literature. Janina is a recluse living in a rural Polish village; she prefers to spend her time with animals and avoids people. When her neighbors begin dying, she works to discover who is responsible for their deaths. Fans of thrillers and murder mysteries will enjoy this dark, literary mystery. 

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng is set in a small Ohio town in the 1970s. This novel explores how the lives of a Chinese-American family are torn apart when 16-year-old Lydia is found dead. A powerful story about race, gender, and family secrets. For fans of Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok. 

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia takes place in the 1950s. Socialite Noemí Taboada travels to the Mexican countryside to help her newlywed cousin, Catalina Doyle, who is convinced that her husband is trying to poison her in their isolated mansion, High Place. What secrets will Noemí unearth in the manor? Whom can she trust? Fans of Gothic horrors will enjoy the latest book by Moreno-Garcia. 

—Jessica