Award winners are a great resource to turn to when you are looking for a sure-bet title to please your reading palate. Aside from some obvious sources like the National Book Awards and the Mystery Writers of America’s Edgar Awards—there is a group of librarians (RUSA) who choose the best genre fiction of the year—fantasy, historical, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, suspense, and women’s fiction. Often this list intersects with other “best” lists, but what is always compelling about this group of titles is that often it is the under-appreciated writer that gets a nod. These writers often experiment with different ways of telling stories, in addition to producing books that readers will savor for a long time.
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Historical novels abound this fall for those of you who enjoy a compelling tale with crisp details that enliven the story and make the characters seem real whether they are based on fact or completely fictional.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows is all the rage right now for readers of historical novels. As London is emerging from the shadow of World War II, writer Juliet Ashton discovers her next subject in a book club on Guernsey (in Great Britain. The letters comprising this small charming novel begin in 1946 and what makes this novel so appealing is its delightful wit, quirky characters that truly care about one another, and its celebration of the written word as a means of bringing people together. If this interests you, give us a call (781-246-6334, x102) to place your name on this popular request list.
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