Langley-Adams Library Recommendations

In the 1800s, Elsie is pregnant and recently widowed. Her late husband Rupert left her his family's estate, which comes with servants, mysteries, and a whole lot of horror. She meets Sarah, who is related to Rupert and fascinated by her family's history. When they find diaries written in the 1600s by Rupert and Sarah's ancestor Anne, Sarah immediately wants to read them. In alternating chapters, we read Anne's story along with Sarah, finding out the circumstances that led to a tragic and terrifying paranormal horror that she experienced. Meanwhile, we also find out about a related terror Elsie experiences two-hundred years later and what it all leads to. Overall, The Silent Companions is a chilling read. It was perfect for the Halloween season, but it's also great for a cold night when you're in the mood for something a little different. Darcy Lepore Library Director Available at the Langley Adams Library

Sethe was born a slave and escaped to Ohio, but eighteen years later she is still not free. She has too many memories of Sweet Home, the beautiful farm where so many hideous things happened. Her new home is haunted by the ghost of her baby, who died nameless and whose tombstone is engraved with a single word: Beloved.* If you read one Morrison novel, let it be this one. Recounts the years following a woman's horrific escape from a plantation that resulted in the murder of her child. This wise and poetic novel muses on a plethora of ideas including: "Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another". A must-read. Sergei Franson Library Assistant Available at the Langley Adams Library *Beloved by Toni Morrison - Goodreads

10% of FBI special agents are trained and certified to work undercover. A Fourth of these agents work more than one undercover assignment. By the end of his 30 year long career, Mike McGowan worked more than 50! Luckily for us, after Mike retired, he wrote this fascinating autobiography about his career. A second generation cop, Mike shares how he went from police work to FBI SWAT and later to undercover work.  Mike then lays out some of his biggest cases-from international drug busts, contract killers, corrupt unions, to infiltrating the Russian and Italian mobs (just to name a few).* Already a fan of The Godfather movies, Donnie Briscoe- you name it, I was curious of the cases Mike worked on. More importantly, how had he survived?! Hooked after reading the first chapter, I found this page turner an eye opening experience.   I totally get why Balboa Productions (owned by Sly Stallone) bought the movie rights. But don’t wait for the movie! Read Mike’s book now. Better yet, come a

The book follows a team of four women (a biologist, an anthropologist, a psychologist, and a surveyor) who set out into an area known as Area X. The area is abandoned and cut off from the rest of civilization. They are the 12th expedition. The other expeditions have been fraught with disappearances, suicides, aggressive cancers, and mental trauma. This is the first book of the Southern Reach trilogy and won the Nebula Award for Best Novel in 2014.* This is the most original science fiction book I have read this year. It is a thrilling book that borders on horror at times. VanderMeer’s writing is very descriptive with small details that really matter. The book also delivers a cast of complex female characters that are good, bad and everything in between. The story will keep you guessing until the very end. Kelsey Fitzgerald Library Assistant Available on Libby in  eBook  and  audio book  format. *Annihilation (VanderMeer Novel) - Wikipedia

Welcome to Langley-Adams Library's Reader's Advisory blog! For anyone who doesn't know us, we are a small library in Groveland, Massachusetts. We have a small, dedicated staff with all kinds of favorite books to read!  We will be posting reviews of recommendations of books that we have our library collection! No spoilers, we promise!  Sincerely, The Langley-Adams Library Staff

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close is about a nine-year-old Oskar Schell, who’s father is killed in the September 11th attacks. He is on a journey to solve the mystery of a key discovers in his father’s closet. This journey leads him into the lives of strangers all over New York City as well as into the history of the Dresden and Hiroshima bombings.* Whenever people ask me what my favorite book is my answer is always Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. It is a book that I keep coming back to for a few different reasons. The first being how the book is set up, it is beautifully written with accompanying pictures. The other reason is no matter how many times I read it I find something new to relate to because there are multiple narrators. The book has sad parts but there are also moments that are happy, humorous, touching and philosophical. Kelsey Fitzgerald Library Assistant Available at the Langley Adams Library *Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Goodreads