Collections - Adult: New Books at HPL!

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're listening to

We're Celebrating National Poetry Month!

We Are All So Good at Smiling

Amber McBride

National Book Award Novelist

A beautiful young adult novel about clinical depression and healing from trauma.

"Stunning... Readers will revel in the depth of Whimsy and Faerry’s relationship, all the while finding solace and relief in the calculated messiness of their search for wholeness." —Booklist, starred review

"McBride shares visceral insights into the experience of deep clinical depression. I found reading this beautiful book to be one of the most validating experiences of my life." —Nic Stone, The New York Times

Find it HERE in our catalog

We Speak Your Names

Pearl Cleage

A beautiful keepsake book that recognizes African American women with heartfelt rhetoric celebrating their strength, magic, sensuality, kindness and faith.

"The author of the Oprah's Book Club novel What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day offers a collection of poetry, her first in two decades. The Atlanta-based writer composed the title poem specifically for Winfrey's celebration of black women."

—bn.com

"Cleage took my feelings I keep written across my heart and mind about my iconic black heroes and placed them into this poem." —Goodreads

Find it HERE in our catalog

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're listening to

We're Celebrating National Poetry Month!

Time Is a Mother

Ocean Vuong

The collection of poems explores the search for meaning after a devastating loss, navigating the complex emotions of grief while striving to move forward.

“These poems glisten and rattle, and they deftly mine a host of diverse topics—sex, privilege, beauty, art, poverty, death—to offer us a fresh way of evaluating and understanding our world.” —Vulture, “49 Books We Can’t Wait to Read in 2022”

Find it HERE in our catalog

The Strength In Our Scars

Bianca Sparacino

The book explores relatable experiences of moving on, self-love, and healing. It offers peace, a rock, understanding and hope. 

"This is the book I didn’t know I needed. Reading it is like getting a hug from a friend. Have you ever felt like you didn’t deserve the good things in your life? This entire book will remind you that you’re worthy of all the love and care that you give to other people. We cannot love others if we don’t love ourselves first." —Goodreads

Find it HERE in our catalog

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're listening to

We're Celebrating National Poetry Month!

Solo

Kwame Alexander

New York Times Bestseller

Through the story of a young Black man searching for answers about his life, Solo empowers, engages and encourages teenagers to move on from life's challenges.

“A contemporary hero’s journey, brilliantly told.” - Kirkus Reviews 

Find it HERE in our catalog

Call Us What We Carry

 Amanda Gorman

#1 New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestseller 

It captures a shipwrecked moment in time and transforms into a beacon of hope and healing while exploring history, language and identity.

“What an honor it is to witness history and to survive it, even if it doesn’t always feel that way...”- OprahDaily.com

Find it HERE in our catalog

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

We're Celebrating National Poetry Month!

Above Ground

 Clint Smith

A vibrant and compelling new collection traverses the vast emotional terrain of fatherhood and explores how becoming a parent has recalibrated his sense of the world. A remarkable new poetry collection from Clint Smith, the #1 New York Times bestselling author.

"A gorgeous book...Smith’s pivots and pacing mirror the routes of our lives, and his gentle, attentive poems are downright sacramental" —Nick Ripatrazone, The Millions

Water I Won't Drink

 Kayleb Rae Candrilli

Both radically tender and desperate for change, it's a life raft and a self-portrait, concerned with the vitality of trans people living in a dangerous and inhospitable landscape.

"Evokes the ever-changing topography of American landscapes—from Wildwood, New Jersey to the Grand Canyon—to tap into the beautiful fluidity of their own physical and metaphysical self.” —O, The Oprah Magazine



HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Celebrating women writers all month long.

On Thriving

 Brandi Sellerz-Jackson

With insightful and vulnerable storytelling, this book invites a deep, soul-stirring investigation of our past and present to gather all that we need to thrive right where we are, right now.

". . .a conversational, direct tone and tremendous empathy to guide all readers to live as the best versions of themselves.” —BookPage

“This book is a beacon of resilience. . . A must-read for anyone committed to growth.” —Erica Chidi Cohen, author of Nurture

Up to Speed

Christine Yu

Whether you are an elite athlete or someone who exercises for fun you will benefit from this book. It uses the latest research to propose better solutions to improve the active and athletic lives of women and girls, helping them achieve their athletic potential.

"Illuminating. . . a valuable contribution to the growing science on women in sports." —Publishers Weekly

"A brisk, well-researched study of athletic performance.” —Kirkus

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Celebrating women writers all month long.

Twice as Hard

 Jasmine Brown

Beginning in 1860, this is a fascinating account of the long-erased stories of nine pioneering black women physicians.

"This immersive tribute to a group of pioneering women will inspire readers of all backgrounds.” —Publishers Weekly



"Well-researched reclamation of neglected yet invaluable history...”

—Booklist, Starred Review

The Many Lives of Mama Love

Jessica George

New York Times Best Seller

Oprah Book Club Pick

Lara Love Hardin tells her gripping (and funny) life story of how she overcame addiction, a criminal record, and social ostracism to lovingly embrace her “beautiful mess of a life.”

"A courageous and inspiring memoir."

—Kirkus Reviews

“Grips you as suddenly as any psychological thriller...” —BookPage

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Celebrating women writers all month long.

Viral Justice

 Ruha Benjamin

A passionate and inspiring book on how we can build a more just and joyful world one small change at a time.

 "[A] brilliant and impassioned book."

—Paradigm Explorer



"There’s no one better to light the way out and guide us in building a just future than Ruha Benjamin." —-Ms. Magazine

Maame

Jessica George

New York Times Best Seller

Smart, funny, and poignant novel that shares one young woman's journey to independence and self-discovery.

 "...tender and comic, this portrait of a young woman's journey to self-understanding is triumphant." —People

"A pitch-perfect debut. Readers will revel in this." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

It's Women's History Month.

The Soul of a Woman

 Isabel Allende

In a memoir with enormous spirit and heart, Isabel Allende presents a rich and intimate account of her lifelong commitment to feminism. 

“[Isabel] Allende is a genius.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

“Allende teases, tempts and titillates with mesmerizing stories.” —The Washington Post

Let Us Descend

Jesmyn Ward

Oprah’s Book Club Pick

A beautifully written and lyrical novel that tells the story of an enslaved girl in the years before the Civil War.

"A devastating, deeply moving masterpiece." —Good Housekeeping

“Superb . . . Angry, beautiful, raw, visceral, and heartfelt.” —NPR

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

We're celebrating Black History Month.

This week is for our YA Friends

How to Live Without You

 Sarah Everett

A heart-wrenching coming-of-age story about sisters, family, grief, and second chances.

“A riveting, thought-provoking read.” 

—Kirkus Reviews

“Comprising equal parts mystery and tender coming-of-age story.” —School Library Journal

I Rise

Marie Arnold

A powerful and engaging story about systematic racism and a strong and determined young woman.

"Smart and funny and full of heart. "

—Kwame Alexander, New York Times best-selling author

"A powerful read for justice-minded teens." —ALA Booklist

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

We're celebrating Black History Month.

Rediscover important and beloved literature

Their Eyes Were Watching God

 Zora Neale Hurston

 PBS Great American Read Top100 Pick

Originally published in 1937 and a classic of the Harlem Renaissance, this novel has become one of the most important and enduring works of modern American literature.

"A deeply soulful novel that comprehends love and cruelty, and separates the big people from the small of heart, without ever losing sympathy for those unfortunates who don't know how to live properly."

—Zadie Smith

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

"All-TIME 100

Non-Fiction Books" Time Magazine

Originally published in 1969, this modern-day classic is filled with joy, pain, poetry and mystery. It will touch the hearts of all who read it for the first time or over and over again.

“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings liberates the reader into life simply because Maya Angelou confronts her own life with such a moving wonder, such a luminous dignity.” —James Baldwin

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

We're celebrating Black History Month.

(We are loving the author Kiley Reid this week)

Come & Get It

 Kiley Reid

 An Indie Next Pick

Paper thin walls between dorm rooms sets the stage for intrigue and bad behavior in this spellbinding novel about race, class, and privilege.

"An emotionally intense exploration of power dynamics within relationships that doesn’t settle for easy villains and victims." —Library Journal

"Reid is a genius of mimicry and social observation." —Kirkus Reviews

Such a Fun Age

Kiley Reid

Longlisted for the 2020 Booker Prize

A riveting story about race and privilege with a young black babysitter, her well-intentioned employer, and a surprising connection that threatens to undo them both.

“A plot so beautifully intricate and real and fascinating...” ­—Washington Post

“[A] hilarious, uncomfortable and compulsively readable story about race and class.” —Time

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Non-fiction that reads like a great novel.

Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

Lori Gottlieb

 New York Times Bestseller

Poignant, smart, and funny. This insightful book explores what it means to be human and our path to happiness.

"Authentic . . . raw . . . an irresistibly candid and addicting memoir” —New York Times

"Written with grace, humor, wisdom, and compassion, this [is a] heartwarming journey of self-discovery." —Library Journal

Bad Blood

John Carreyrou

National Bestseller

Proving truth is stranger than fiction, this is a compelling and wild story of how Theranos founder and CEO Elizabeth Holmes was able to hoodwink so many with her lies.

“Chilling . . . Reads like a thriller . . . Carreyrou tells [the Theranos story] virtually to perfection.” —The New York Times Book Review

". . . riveting, read-in-one-sitting tour de force . . ." —Booklist (Starred Review)

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Original and thoughtful novels for the times we live in.

Klara and the Sun

Kazuo Ishiguro

 The New York Times Bestseller

A haunting, hopeful novel about life and love in the time of AI.

“A delicate, haunting story, steeped in sorrow and hope.” —The Washington Post

"A masterpiece that will make you think about life, mortality, the saving grace of love: in short, the all of it.” —NPR

The Glitch

Elisabeth Cohen

A funny and smart novel about an overscheduled, overworked woman who has lost control when a "glitch" enters her life.

"Razor-sharp…a hilarious send-up of tech culture and the notion of women 'having it all'." —The New York Post

"Clever, original, and unabashedly silly fun." —Kirkus (Starred Review)

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Celebrating The Best of 2023

The Bee Sting

Paul Murray

 The New York Times Top 10 Books of 2023

An epic saga that follows an Irish family through many struggles and fortunes, and the discovery of what it means to be a good person.

"Every paragraph is marked by Murray’s stylistic brilliance and daring.” —The Washington Post

“Murray’s writing is pure joy . . . "

—The New York Times Book Review

If I Survive You

Jonathan Escoffery

The 2023 Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction

A beautiful collection of linked short stories about a Jamaican family struggling to survive and to remain hopeful at the same time.

"Escoffery's debut is nothing short of breathtaking." —The Today Show

"Remarkable . . . [there is an] immense talent on display in this debut." —Cory Oldweiler, Minneapolis StarTribune

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

It's cold outside.

The perfect time to sink into a good mystery.

Like a Sister

Kellye Garrett

 Shortlisted for the 2023 Edgar Allan Poe Awards

This suspense novel will remind you of Alfred Hitchcock at his best. A mystery filled with murder and intrigue for today's modern times.

"A twisty murder mystery with nuance and heart.” —BookPage

"Sharp, smart, and heartbreaking."

—Reader's Digest

None of This is True

Lisa Jewell

New York Times Bestseller

A psychological thriller filled with dark secrets, a crime podcast, and birthday twins. (Yes, that is a thing.)

"The book’s unreliable narrator, dark twists and unending suspense will keep you on edge until the very last page.” —NPR

"... a gloriously dark, glittering creepfest..." —Amazon Book Review

HPL Weekly Book Recommendations:

Check out what we're reading

Starting the year of with the laugh

You Can't Touch My Hair

Phoebe Robinson

New York Times Bestseller

A hilarious (seriously, you will LOL) and timely essay collection about race, gender, and pop culture from comedy superstar and 2 Dope Queens podcaster Phoebe Robinson.

"…a promising debut by a talented, genuinely funny writer.” —Publishers Weekly

"Honest, touching, laugh-out-loud funny.” —Kevin Bacon, actor and musician

My Sister, the Serial Killer

Oyinkan Braithwaite

Booker Prize Nominee

You will fly through the pages of this rapidly paced dark comedy that tells the story of two sisters, one who is a killer and the other who is protecting her.

"It’s the wittiest and most fun murder party you’ve ever been invited to.”

—Marie Clare

"...a bombshell of a book—sharp, explosive, hilarious." —The New York Times Book Review