September is Library Card Sign-Up month. During these 30 days (or most any other day of the year that the library is open), people can visit their local library and sign up for a library card, giving them unlimited access to hundreds of novels, movies, music, and online resources. Taking a trip to the library can be overwhelming, especially if you aren’t sure what books to check out. For this month’s “Writers Who Read,” I spoke with Chris Kennedy at the Clemmons Branch Library of Forsyth County to see what novels people are reading and he shared with me the list of the library’s most checked out books. Making the top three are Sooley, A Gambling Man, and 21st Birthday.
Sooley by John Grisham
Recently published in April of this year, Sooley is a story about Samuel “Sooley” Sooleymon, a 17-year-old basketball player who has big dreams and travels to the United States with his South Sudanese teammates to play in a showcase basketball tournament. A New York Times bestseller, Sooley draws readers into the life of Samuel who is also experiencing big challenges outside of the stadium. A wonderful athlete whose game still needs some work, the trip to the United States is full of many firsts for Samuel. However, the trip quickly becomes bittersweet when he receives news that a civil war has broken out in South Sudan, killing his father, causing his sister to go missing, and placing his mother and two younger brothers in a refugee camp. Unable to go home and wanting nothing more than to bring his family to America, the coach at North Carolina Central offers Samuel a scholarship to the school and to play basketball. Will Samuel be able to succeed on a college basketball team and move his family to the United States? Read John Grisham’s newest novel to find out.
A Gambling Man by David Baldacci
A Gambling Man is the second novel in the Aloysius Archer series. A World War II veteran who is also right out of prison, Aloysius Archer is on the journey for a fresh start as the 1950s are about to begin. Heading towards California, readers are taken through Archer’s travels, stopping in places such as Reno, where he picks up some luck, some cash, a red convertible, and an aspiring actress who travels with him for the rest of the journey. Yet, things don’t go as planned when the two arrive in Hollywood and discover that Tinsel Town is not what they thought it would be and instead, brings out the worst in people. This realization is made more apparent when Archer gets a job as a private investigator and is pushed full force into the world of scandal. A Gambling Man is filled with many twists and turns, leaving readers in suspense of what will happen next.
21st Birthday by James Patterson
Part of the Women’s Murder Club series by James Patterson, 21st Birthday follows detective Lindsay Boxer who is on a mission to protect a young woman from being murdered before her 21st birthday. Tara Burke goes missing along with her baby daughter. Her husband, Lucas is instantly made a suspect who states that Tara isn’t missing; she’s just traveling. With reporters and detectives working hard on the case, evidence is found and turns the mystery into a criminal investigation. In addition, Lucas’ response to law enforcement brings about an unexpected suspect which increases the threat of all women throughout California to a serial killer.
While these books are high on the list, other highly sought reads are:
A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
The Sentinel by Lee Child
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
Daylight by David Baldacci
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
The Return by Nicholas Sparks
Ocean Prey by John Sandford
The next time you go to the library and don’t know where to begin looking for your next novel, turn to this list and see if one of these books are of interest to you.
