Not Too Old and Not Too New

It's me, Ellen. Thank you to all the patrons who have welcomed me back- some with candy. I swear, none of us have aged a bit while I was gone.

While getting back into the swing of things, I found this useful list from Reading Group Guides, the site for book groups: the books whose guides were most requested by book groups in 2016. I've reproduced the "new favorites" half of the list below.

Behold the Goldilocks zone - these books are not too old (leaving you nobody to discuss the book with) and not too new (does anyone enjoy waiting lists? Or not being able to renew a 500 page book?).  I have linked to the library eBook versions, many of which you can start reading right now using the Overdrive app. See also: library bookshelves.

THE MAGIC STRINGS OF FRANKIE PRESTO by Mitch Albom
  
THE WIDOW by Fiona Barton
  
THE SWANS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Melanie Benjamin

 THE GUEST ROOM by Chris Bohjalian

ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr

LaROSE by Louise Erdrich

 PURITY by Jonathan Franzen

 BEING MORTAL: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

THE NIGHTINGALE by Kristin Hannah

THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN by Paula Hawkins
  
BEFORE THE FALL by Noah Hawley

DEAD WAKE: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson

GO SET A WATCHMAN by Harper Lee

CIRCLING THE SUN by Paula McLain

 COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett
  
SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult

 THE NEST by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colson Whitehead

"Ongoing favorites" requested in 2016 included The Book Thief, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, The Gold Finch, My Brilliant Friend, The Boys in the Boat, Me Before You, Big Little Lies, The Invention of Wings, Lila, and The 100-Year-Old Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, among others.