Surpise hits you may have missed

I was interested to see an article in Publishers Weekly of September 7, 2009 about summer midlist titles whose sales suddenly far exceeded expectations. The article analysed why each book stands out and what media trigger caused each book to draw ahead of the mid-list pack in sales. All of these are remarkable books, but none of them drew six- or seven-figure advances or were considered "big books", so it's possible you missed them. Why not check one or two of them out of the Harford County Public Library now? Then let me know why you think they stand out!

The Girls from Ames : a story of women and a forty-year friendship / Jeffrey Zaslow Find this book in our catalog

From the co-author of the bestselling "The Last Lecture" comes a moving tribute to female friendships, with the inspiring story of 11 girls and the women they became. (catalog notes)

All We Ever Wanted Was Everything : a novel / Janelle Brown Find this book in our catalog

In Brown's withering Silicon Valley satire, a family wakes up on a June day to realize that patriarch Paul's company has hit the big time with a phenomenal IPO. But instead of rejoicing about being newly rich, the family's three women each find themselves in the throes of a major crisis. (catalog notes)

The Girl Who Stopped Swimming / Joshilyn Jackson Find this book in our catalog

While Laurel's life seems neatly on track... everything she holds dear is suddenly thrown into question the night she is visited by the ghost of a her 13-year old neighbor Molly Dufresne. The ghost leads Laurel to the real Molly floating lifelessly in the Hawthorne's backyard pool. Molly's death is inexplicable--an unseemly mystery Laurel knows no one in her whitewashed neighborhood is up to solving. Only her wayward, unpredictable sister is right for the task, but calling in a favor from Thalia is like walking straight into a frying pan protected only by Crisco. Enlisting Thalia's help, Laurel sets out on a life-altering journey that triggers startling revelations about her family's guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the girl who stopped swimming. (publisher's notes in our catalog)

Shop Class as Soulcraft : an inquiry into the value of work / Matthew B. Crawford Find this book in our catalog

In this wise and often funny book, a philosopher/mechanic systematically destroys the pretensions of the high-prestige workplace and makes an irresistible case for working with one's hands. (catalog notes)