I Know What You Read Last Summer
Do your reading habits change with the season? Many people’s do. The number of books borrowed from the library ebbs and flows depending on the time of year. We also notice that the types of books people borrow is affected by various factors including the season, trends, and global events.
Summer reading is often characterized as the season of “beach reads”— fiction you can flip through without much focus. Burlington’s summer reading taste was right on track this year with top choices reflecting a desire for page-turning thrills and reliable plot lines.
Have you checked out these top choices?
July’s Top Picks
Coming in at the top of our most-borrowed adult fiction list for July were The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley and The Maid by Nita Prose. Both of these mysterious novels follow female leads as they are forced to play detective when they happen upon crime scenes.
The Paris Apartment has been borrowed 210 times since it entered our collection. It is a hot item, with a bit of a wait list. The same goes for The Maid with 283 borrows to its name. Add these titles to your holds for future reading and check out these similar hits while you wait.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
This popular title will keep you on the edge of your seat. Arriving in Paris to stay with her brother Ben, Jess learns that he has gone missing, and to find him, starts digging into his life, realizing even though she has come to the City of Lights to escape her past, it's his future hanging in the balance. Find it in our catalogue
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
While you wait for The Paris Apartment, check out this read-alike.
Prepare to be scared. Filmmaker, Alice, returns to the spooky mining town where her grandmother's entire family vanished decades ago. Their adventure quickly turns sinister as the mysterious events of the past bubble back up to the surface. Find it in our catalogue
The Maid by Nita Prose
Part social commentary, party murder mystery. Molly's job as a hotel maid lands her in a predicament when she stumbles on the body of a wealthy hotel guest and becomes a suspect in his murder. Find it in our catalogue
Pretty as a Picture by Elizabeth Little
While you wait for The Maid, check out this read-alike.
This murder mystery doesn't take itself too seriously, making for an excellent vacation read. Film editor Marissa travels to a small island for a film shoot, only to discover the editor she is replacing mysteriously disappeared. She and her fellow crew set out to solve the mystery before more people are harmed. Find it in our catalogue
August’s Top Picks
August’s most-borrowed title has been a BPL favourite since it was released. The Last Thing He Told Me features a quirky furniture designer who is thrust into the role of caregiver for her scowly stepdaughter when her husband suddenly disappears. The pair must unravel the mystery of the missing man’s past to discover whether they will ever see him again. This book has racked up 416 borrows since it joined our collection.
The Hotel Nantucket is the epitome of beach reads. It is set at a rundown hotel whose wayward staff stumble through personal dramas while they attempt to keep the failing business afloat. Published in June, this title has been borrowed from BPL 114 times.
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
This book is a hit for a reason. Its characters lure you into their unique world as they figure out the biggest mystery of their lives, and how to build a family when you feel like you've got no one left. This is a page turner, that will leave you satisfied and also a little sad. Find it in our catalogue
Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone
While you wait for The Last Thing He Told Me, check out this read-alike.
Gripping. "A dazzling literary thriller about a woman whose husband is kidnapped and held for ransom while they are visiting Portugal, leaving her no choice but to reach out to the one person she fears most." Find it in our catalogue
The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand
Follow a fantastic cast of characters in this classic beach read. The staff of this rundown hotel have complicated pasts. Can they move beyond their personal history to overcome the bad reputation The Hotel Nantucket has held since a young chambermaid died on the job decades ago? Find it in our catalogue
The Cafe by the Sea by Jenny Colgan
While you wait for The Hotel Nantucket, check out this read-alike.
This delightful vacation romance will have you fantasizing about what might have been if you had chosen a different path. We follow Flora who returns to her sleepy hometown and is forced to confront hard decisions about who she is and who she wants to be. Find it in our catalogue
Fall Into A Good Book
With summer coming to a close, we’ve got our sights set on cozy fall reads. What’s on your list for the cooler months? Craving a spooky story about witchcraft? Or maybe a spicy fall romance? Check out our recommendations for books that will warm you up like a cup of hot apple cider.
Check out some Cozy Autumn Reads
