August 2026 Great Reads Ocean County Library banner featuring a rainbow and a photo of a women reading on a bus
September's Recommended Reads
All books mentioned in this edition of the Great Reads Newsletter are available in the Ocean County Library's Libby by OverDrive Collection and/or in our catalog. 
 
On mobile devices you can download the Libby App from the device's app store to browse the OverDrive Collection.
 
For help and support visit the library's help page and click on the Libby by OverDrive tab.
Adult Fiction
Deeper Than The Ocean
by Mirta Ojito
1919 Spain, Catalina Quintana is the eldest daughter in a family of silkworm farmers on the tiny island of La Palma in the remote Canary Islands. Fiercely independent, Catalina dreams of building a life with her childhood love. But when a devastating fire ruins her family's silkworm farm, she's forced into a loveless marriage and a journey across the sea to Cuba aboard a doomed ocean liner. A century later, in 2019, journalist Mara Denis travels to La Palma to cover a modern-day disaster near the island. But the trip becomes personal when her mother asks her to find a long-lost birth certificate. Long haunted by the sea and plagued by dreams of a daughter she's never had, Mara begins to uncover a hidden family history that centers on Catalina, her great-grandmother who, she soon discovers, is listed among the dead in the infamous Valbanera shipwreck. 

You Should Have Been Nicer to My Mom
by Vincent Tirado
When Papi Ramon, the patriarch of the wealthy Abreu family dies, he gives the family one last message in his will: "One of you is el bacà, the demon that I made a deal with. Get rid of them or you will be damned." Xiomara, the uncontested favorite of Papi Ramon, watches as everyone dismisses this as the joke of a senile old man and demands the lawyer obtain the previous will Papi wrote. While the lawyer drives back to his office, a storm breaks out, forcing the entire family to remain in the house. And the words of Papi's will hang over their heads even heavier than the rain clouds. Over the course of the night, scandal after scandal is revealed to the public about the family. Suddenly a tense few hours of surviving her family turns into a vicious night of recrimination, violence, accusations...and murder.
Young Adult Fiction
If We Never End
by Laura Taylor Namey
Sylvie Castellano is used to goodbyes. Every summer, her friends leave to vacation at faraway beaches and her parents jet off to work on a luxury yacht, dumping her with her tia Vivian. Sylvie may love her aunt Viv, but just once, she wishes the summer held a big adventure for her, too. When Sylvie scores the thrift find of a lifetime-a vintage gold watch worth thousands-she thinks maybe her luck is turning around. Then a turn of the watch's dial summons a ghost boy. With no idea who he is or why he's attached to the watch, and only his name to go off of -Penn, Sylvie offers to help him unravel the mystery of his death. Sylvie's summer is suddenly full of road trips, beach bonfires, and ferris wheel rides as she and Penn try to piece together the life he lost. 

Together We See
by Ari Tison
Told in multiple points of view, Together We See follows Ulá Dominguez, a Bribri-American teenager, searching for the truth behind her land-activist father's mysterious death on their Native territory in Costa Rica. Ulá and her brother, Kabék, uncover secrets and corruption as they face off against illegal loggers, kidnappers, settlers, and the local government in the hunt for clues. Their only allies are a few family friends and relatives still living in Bribri, as well as a young journalist, who may be in danger himself. But as details of their father's death emerge, long-held trust is broken. And in this sinister web of deception, no one is safe.
Middle Grade Fiction
Queso, Just in Time
by Ernesto Cisneros
Quetzalcóatl Castillo, Queso for short, has had an ache in his heart that won't go away ever since his father's death. More than anything, he wishes he could spend time with his dad again. After whispering that wish one night under the light of the moon, Queso wakes up the next morning in 1985. With twelve-year-old Pancho, the kid who will grow up to be his dad. Even though he has no idea how to move though this weird timeline, Queso is just happy to be by his dad's side again. But while Pancho is confident when scoring on the foosball table or standing up to bullies, he doesn't think he's smart enough to reach for his dreams. If only Pancho believed in himself the way Queso does, who knows what his story could be?

No Way Never Sisters
by Chantel Acevedo & Natalia Sylvester
Melisa Flores and Roxy Romero are not fans of each other. Roxy is sporty while Meli is artsy. Meli keeps her friend circle small while Roxy is pals with everyone. Their little brothers might get along like fruit in a delicious smoothie, but Meli and Roxy do not mix. So when their parents announce their engagement, the girls are horrified. Previous experience has told them they'll never be friends, much less sisters. Meli and Roxy decide they have to do something to prevent this future blended family from ruining all their lives. The girls scheme to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are by sabotaging the renovations of the house they're supposed to live happily ever after in. As the girls plot to show their parents exactly how incompatible their families are, they start to actually like each other.
Picture Books
Sundust
by Zeke Peña
Following a blazing trail of sundust, two curious siblings hop the wall into a place that’s endless and free. Here, prickly old nopal trees beg to be climbed, empty turtle shells invite a closer look, enormous rocks model how to sit still and listen, and a colibrí offers an unexpected ride. In the desert, where life revolves around the Sun, brother and sister explore, imagine, and wonder, What if Sun’s power was inside me? until their mom’s whistle calls them back home again.

Ways Papi Says I Love You
by Delia Ruiz
When Papi, who is always busy working at el rancho, asks Maricruz to jump in the truck with him to go get groceries for Mami, she grabs the list and sprints! During the drive, they wave to the people in their community and enjoy each other's company. But when they make a turn down a particularly bumpy road, they lose their grocery list. Fortunately, an unexpected friend shows up to save the day!
Check This Out
October Online Author Talks: The Sixth Faction, Breaking the Rules, and The Ascent of Rauschenberg
Ocean County Library showcases a virtual author talk series each month featuring bestselling, award-winning, and highly acclaimed authors from around the world. The featured writers and thought leaders will cover a wide range of fiction and nonfiction genres. This free, virtual series takes place a few times a month and includes the opportunity to ask questions to the author. A complete list of events is available on our virtual author talk series website. Miss a talk you were looking forward to? No problem! Past recordings are available to watch.
Register for Upcoming Author Talks on our Website

One Book OCL
The Book Club for Troublesome Women
by Marie Bostwick
Reading Period: July 31 - October 2
Book cover of The Book Club for Troublesome Women on an iPad
By 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan is living the American woman's dream. She has a husband, three children, a station wagon, and a home in Concordia. On paper, she has it all. So why doesn't that feel like enough? Margaret is thrown for a loop when she first meets Charlotte Gustafson, Concordia's newest and most intriguing resident. As an excuse to be in the mysterious Charlotte's orbit, Margaret concocts a book club get-together and invites two other neighborhood women—Bitsy and Viv—to the inaugural meeting. As the women share secrets, cocktails, and their honest reactions to the controversial bestseller The Feminine Mystique, they begin to discover that the American dream they'd been sold isn't all roses and sunshine—and that their secret longing for more is something they share.

Follow Us On Social Media
2AnsSPYQM8x social icon
k0IlJfa-nZU social icon
instagram social icon
youtube social icon
XTD4Hyt-4tK social icon
GMw7iFHQQgX social icon
NFyXBVFwQeN social icon

Click here to unsubscribe

Please do not reply to this message. Replies will not be routed to or seen by library staff. If you have any comments, please contact us at question@theoceancountylibrary.org or 732-349-6200.

Ocean County Library
101 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ 08753
Phone: 732-349-6200

Can't see this email? Click here to view this message in browser window.
My company logo