 About a Boy by Nick Hornby is one of those novels that strolls up to you with a smirk, hands jammed in its pockets, pretending it’s just here to make a few jokes about single men and awkward kids, and then suddenly it hits you right in the feels.
Will Freeman, human equivalent of an unassembled IKEA bookshelf, floats through life collecting shallow pleasures and acting like emotional detachment is a lifestyle brand. He’s the guy who would absolutely call himself “laid-back” when what he really means is “no one has ever held me accountable for anything.” And then, because life is a chaotic raccoon rifling through the dumpster of human fate, along comes twelve-year-old Marcus. This kid has the spiritual vibe of someone who has already lived three lifetimes and all of them were somewhat disappointing. Marcus looks at adults the way you look at a bad Tinder date, confused, betrayed, and reconsidering every decision that led you here. Hornby throws these two misfits together, one who’s allergic to feelings and one who’s drowning in them, and the whole thing becomes this weird, wobbling orbit of reluctant healing. The book is funny, painfully so, but with that undercurrent of “Wow, humans are awful and beautiful and exhausting.” Get the eBook with your SPL card. If you are interested in a print copy, contact us about interlibrary loan. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian
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 Grady Hendrix is one of those writers who can have you laughing out loud one minute and then staring at the ceiling wondering why your eyes are leaking the next. How to Sell a Haunted House nails that weird, wonderful balance. On the surface, it’s a story about a brother and sister stuck cleaning up their parents’ house after a loss, except the house is crammed with creepy puppets and dolls that may or may not be alive. Sounds ridiculous, right? And it is. Hendrix leans all the way into the absurd, and you’ll find yourself laughing at how over-the-top some of it gets.
But then, right when you’re laughing, he sucker-punches you with something hard: grief, regret, the way siblings wound each other and carry those scars into adulthood. The haunted house is really just a stand-in for all the baggage that gets passed down in families, the secrets, the grudges, the unspoken hurt. It’s generational trauma wrapped up in a horror-comedy package, which makes it hit that much harder. I think that’s what makes Hendrix so good. You go in for the campy horror, some killer puppets, spooky house vibes, but you leave with your heart a little bruised. This book is hilarious, creepy, and surprisingly moving all at once. Check out the book at the library or download the eBook or audiobook with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  I went into All Systems Red by Martha Wells expecting, well, more murder from Murderbot. Instead, what I found was a deeply relatable, socially awkward security unit that mostly wants to be left alone so it can binge-watch its favorite space soap opera, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. Murderbot is less about killing sprees and more about navigating human interactions with the enthusiasm of someone stuck at a party they didn’t want to attend. It’s apathetic, snarky, and somehow manages to be endearing while trying (and failing) to stay detached from the humans it’s assigned to protect. Each book is more of a mystery in space rather than a Sci-Fi adventure, although there is some of that.
I’m not usually big on series as tend to lose interest or balk at the commitment of so many books, but I tore through all of the Murderbot Diaries books. They’re fast, fun reads with just enough existential angst to keep things wildly entertaining. And now there’s a TV adaptation on Apple TV, so Murderbot finally gets to be the star of someone else’s screen for a change. I’m curious (and a little nervous) to see how they handle its glorious misanthropy on screen. I've watched the first two episodes and they were delightful, but the season isn't over yet. Start your Murderbot adventure with the book at the library or use your SPL card to download the eBook or audiobook. Aimee Clark, Library IT  The September House by Carissa Orlando is a haunting in every sense of the word. Margaret buys a beautiful old home with her husband, only to discover it’s filled with screaming ghosts, blood that seeps from the walls each September, and something terrifying in the basement. But instead of running, she stays. She cleans up the blood. She pretends nothing is wrong. When her daughter comes back into the picture, the cracks in Margaret’s carefully managed world start to widen, and the story spirals into something both emotionally raw and deeply unsettling.
Orlando blends supernatural horror with real-world trauma, using ghosts as a metaphor for the things we live with, bury, and pretend not to see. It’s dark, eerie, sometimes funny, and emotionally sharp. If you like horror that lingers and means something, this one’s for you. Get the book at the library or download the eBook or audiobook with your SPL card. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  Let me start with a confession: I usually avoid series. The thought of investing in six, seven, or OMG ten volumes of anything makes me feel like I'm being roped into a cult. So when I picked up Dungeon Crawler Carl, I wasn’t expecting to get hooked. I was expecting a few laughs, maybe some dumb fun. What I got was an obsessive, page-devouring spiral of pure joy, horror, and unhinged delight.
This book, this series, is absurd, brilliant, and bananas in all the best ways. Imagine if The Hunger Games got drunk with The Running Man, invited a sentient cat with a gambling addiction, and then all of them were thrown into a sadistic alien reality show dungeon designed by someone who clearly has beef with humanity. That’s the vibe. Carl is our reluctant hero, snatched from a crumbling Earth in his boxers and thrust into a dungeon where survival is livestreamed for galactic entertainment. His companion, Princess Donut, a bedazzled, talking Persian cat with the charisma of a diva and the bloodlust of a warlord, might just be one of the best-written characters in genre fiction, full stop. The tone whiplashes between comedy, gore, heart, and sheer insanity in a way that somehow works. Dinniman writes like he’s in on the joke but still deeply committed to telling a real story underneath the chaos. And, he does. The world-building is endlessly creative and unrelenting. There’s no time to catch your breath, just as you're getting used to one deranged monster or trap, the next level hits harder. It’s funny, horrifying, emotionally sincere, and yes, addictive. I devoured these books. Plural. Me. The stand-alone-book-preferring heathen. If you’re tired of Sci-fi/Fantasy/Dystopia that takes itself too seriously, or if you want to read something where the stakes are real, the satire is sharp, and the cat has better dialogue than most human protagonists, start crawling. Just don’t expect to stop. Oh, and sadness. Book Eight isn't out until this fall. Get Dungeon Crawler Carl at the library. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  I Was a Teenage Slasher is an entertaining, clever, and surprisingly funny read. It plays with all your favorite classic horror tropes like teens making questionable choices, creepy villains lurking around every corner, and plenty of suspenseful scares, but still manages to feel fresh, never taking itself too seriously. Told from the unique perspective of the sympathetic slasher himself, the narrative is packed with humor, relatable characters, and even some intriguing mystery-solving elements that keep you turning the pages. Fast-paced and genuinely fun, this book is perfect for a late-night read, especially if you're into horror novels that wink knowingly at the reader while still delivering plenty of thrills. Highly recommended!
Get the eBook or audiobook with your SPL card! Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  The Sympathizer is a thrilling mix of spy thriller and historical drama set during and after the Vietnam War. The nameless narrator, a conflicted double agent, struggles with divided loyalties between communist Vietnam and capitalist America, all while delivering sharp, sarcastic insights. With twists, dark humor, and a deep dive into identity and betrayal, this book is a solid, thought-provoking read that hooks you from the beginning and keeps you on your toes, never knowing where it will go.
Reserve the book from the library or get the eBook with your SPL card. Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Pulitzer for this novel and well as many other awards, and he certainly deserved all of them! It has since been made into an HBO series starring Robert Downey Jr. playing multiple roles that the narrator meets during his life. Hoa Xuande of Cowboy Bebop plays our narrator, and Sandra Oh also stars. The showrunner and director of several episodes is Park Chan-wook, famous for Decision to Leave and the Vengeance Trilogy (Oldboy, Lady Vengeance, and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance) which can be viewed on Kanopy with your SPL card at the time of this post. Aimee Clark, IT Librarian  This book was written way before COVID, but the way it described those early pandemic vibes was spot on! The dry humor, the office drama, the worries about foreign labor, gender issues, it was all so relatable. And I loved the story of her immigrant parents adjusting to life in the U.S., then bringing her over as a kid. Such a beautiful story, I was genuinely bummed when it ended. Can’t wait to read more from this author!
Aimee, IT Librarian Interested in this book? Click here to reserve it in the catalog! There are also digital versions for download with your library card. Click here to reserve the eBook and click here to reserve the audiobook. |
The SPL StaffWe work here at the library, and we’re into all kinds of books! How Do I Get These Books?See our Quickstart Guides page for information on how to use the online catalog and how to get eBooks and audiobooks for your specific device. You can also contact us there if you need more help!
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