Under the Radar

Check out this list from Flavorwire–10 Underrated Books that Everyone Should Read inspired by a plea via Twitter from Publishers Weekly asking readers what books they wished more people had read. Take a look at the Flavorwire list here and the Publishers Weekly list here. What books would you like to see on these lists?

Author Read Alike: Anne Perry

If you enjoy Anne Perry, check out some of these authors!

Sharan Newman
Val McDermid
P.D. James
Faye Kellerman
Elizabeth Peters
Anthony Trollope
Margaret Lawrence
Laurie R. King
Nevada Barr
Martha Grimes
Louis Bayard
Bruce Alexander
Gillian Linscott
David Dickinson
Tasha Alexander

Classics:
Wilkie Collins
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Remember to check out our Reading List page for more great author and book lists!

More Summer Reading! (or anytime reading, really!)

If you can’t get enough of the summer reading lists check out the following lists:

• The Millions came out with the Most Anticipated Summer Reading List 2010. There is a book for every genre on this list as well as reviews and summary links.
• Every since the launch of her Book Club, Oprah has been a popular source for reading suggestions. Check out this list from O’s 2010 Summer Reading List for more great reads.
• For those of you that may not yet be famailiar, NPR is a fantastic source for reading suggestions. They have a page dedicated to reading lists broken down by genere. There is a list for everything from science books to beach reads. Check it out here.
• For our younger readers, The Horn Book has reading lists broken down by age group.

Animal Instinct

Mysteries with animals as characters

Cats in Trouble series
By: Leann Sweeney

Chet and Bernie series*
By: Spencer Quinn

The Cat Who…series*
By: Lilian Jackson Braun

Rachel Alexander and Dash Mysteries*
By: Carol Lea Benjamin

Dog Lover’s Mysteries* (Holly Winter)
By: Susan Conant

Animal Instinct Mysteries*
By: Gabriella Herkert

Mrs. Murphy Mysteries*
By: Rita Mae Brown

Other Authors:
Dick Francis*
Michele Scott*

*Some books by these authors available at the Gray Public Library

Short and Sweet? Contemporary Short Story Collections

A lot of readers may prefer a big novel to sink their teeth into and may be hesitant to pick up a book of short stories. But as Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger, Edgar Allen Poe and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle have taught readers, much emotion, intrigue, and investment in the characters’ lives can be built in just a few short pages. Here are some contemporary short story collections to consider: 

 
Literary Fiction

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri
Fine Just the Way It Is by Annie Proulx
Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro

Nonfiction/ Humor/ Essays

Various Titles by author David Sedaris

Women’s Fiction

Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
Love Stories in This Town by Amanda Eyre Ward

Collections with Selections from Different Authors

The Best American Short Stories by Various Authors (published every year)
The Best American Mystery Stories by Various Authors

Juvenile

Best Shorts: Favorite Stories for Sharing by Various Authors

Young Adult

13: Thirteen Stories that Capture the Agony and Ecstasy of Being Thirteen edited by James Howe