Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuzo

"I selected it because it is a novel about Nigeria by a Nigerian writer." — Jeff Pike

Circe by Madeline Miller

"I selected this book because I recently heard the first sentence and it is brilliant. I had also heard many sing its praises since its publication." — Erica Belanger

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

"A true account of a large family with 6 of their 12 children diagnosed with schizophrenia. This is set over the backdrop of the history of diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Sounds clinical, but actually incredibly readable and compelling." — Nancy Dumont

How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States by Daniel Immerwahr

"This is a fascinating account of how and why our nation acquired its various territories and the uses to which they were put, including Guam, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, etc. I never learned any of this in school, and the author keeps it interesting throughout!" — Kathy Reiff

A Sitting in St. James by Rita Williams-Garcia.

"The reviews are outstanding and I found it to be both delightful and devastating." — Deb Dowson

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

"So grateful for this compelling contemporary Native American story told through the eyes of an incredible young woman." — Deb Dowson

No Exit by Taylor Adams

"No Exit was a fun and 'hard to put down' read. It moved along at a quick pace and kept me intrigued the entire time." — Nicole Irvin

The Virgin River Series by Robyn Carr

"I watched the Netflix series an escapist read/listening experience. This series is exactly what I needed!" — Lauren Sanchez

Akata Witch Series by Nnedi Okorafor

The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza

"I've noticed a common theme in the reading I enjoy the most: books that transports me to another time, place, or culture. Particularly in a time when we are experiencing our own culture wars, I feel that these books have helped me grow in my journey to understand those I share the world with." — Beth Dalal

August's Featured Reviews

For the Love of Books: Stories of Literary Lives, Banned Books, Author Feuds Extraordinary Characters, and More by Graham Tarrant

Book Love by Debbie Tung