Recommended Reads
April 2026
Judge & Jury by James Patterson, available in Libby audio, 8 hrs, or print (MeLCat)
James Patterson鈥檚 Judge & Jury is a fast-paced legal thriller that blends courtroom drama with suspenseful crime fiction, delivering exactly what fans of Patterson鈥檚 signature style expect: short chapters, relentless momentum, and high-stakes tension. The story revolves around a mafia boss and a cop with unfinished business, pulling readers into a dangerous world where past choices refuse to stay buried. This book is full of crazy twists, and not everyone makes it out alive. One of the central questions is whether justice will truly prevail鈥攐r if justice is merely a theory when it comes to powerful mafia figures and big crime. Patterson keeps readers guessing right up until the end, never allowing them to feel too comfortable or confident about who will survive. The audiobook version is also worth mentioning. Narrated by Joe Mantegna, well known for his role on Criminal Minds, the story becomes an even more engaging experience. Mantegna鈥檚 delivery makes it feel as though you are right there with the characters. His authentic Italian and mafia-style tone adds depth and realism, making the listening experience especially gripping. Judge & Jury is an intense, action-packed thriller that will appeal to fans of crime fiction, legal drama, and high-stakes storytelling. Whether you read it in print or listen to the audiobook, it鈥檚 a thrilling ride from start to finish.
Exposure: Poisoned Water, Corporate Greed, and One Lawyer鈥檚 Twenty-Year Battle Against DuPont by Robert Bilott, on shelf
Exposure is a gripping and deeply unsettling nonfiction account of environmental contamination, corporate misconduct, and the quiet perseverance required to challenge entrenched power. Written by environmental attorney Robert Bilott, the book chronicles his two鈥慸ecade legal battle against DuPont over its release of PFAS chemicals into drinking water鈥攁 fight that helped expose one of the most significant public鈥慼ealth scandals of modern times.The book excels at explaining complex science and law without losing momentum. Bilott carefully shows how regulatory loopholes, confidential settlements, and corporate influence allowed dangerous chemicals to remain unregulated for decades, even as internal company data revealed serious health risks. Unlike many expos茅s, Exposure does not offer a neat resolution. Even as PFAS chemicals gain public attention, Bilott is clear that accountability remains partial and that similar regulatory failures persist. This lack of tidy closure strengthens the book鈥檚 impact, leaving readers with a lingering sense of urgency rather than false reassurance.
Strange Piece of Paradise by Terri Jentz, on shelf
Strange Piece of Paradise is a haunting and courageous memoir that explores violence, memory, and the long shadows cast by trauma. In this deeply personal work, Terri Jentz revisits a brutal crime that nearly killed her鈥攁 random axe attack while she and a friend were camping in Oregon in 1977鈥攁nd the decades鈥憀ong search for understanding, accountability, and meaning that followed. The memoir unfolds on two timelines. One traces Jentz鈥檚 youthful idealism and the abrupt shattering of her sense of safety, while the other follows her later efforts to investigate the crime through court records, news reports, and direct contact with the man identified as her attacker. This latter strand gives the book its unusual psychological depth. Jentz is less interested in vengeance than in understanding鈥攈ow a person becomes capable of such violence, and how society processes (or fails to process) acts that don鈥檛 fit tidy narratives of motive or justice. Rather than offering resolution, Strange Piece of Paradise embraces ambiguity. Legal answers remain incomplete, emotional reckoning is ongoing, and healing is portrayed as nonlinear. This refusal to impose a triumphant ending may frustrate some readers, but it ultimately makes the memoir more truthful. Jentz respects the complexity of trauma and the reality that some questions endure.
UnSweetined by Jodie Sweetin, Libby audio, 6 hrs, or print (MeLCat)
If you had the privilege of living through the 鈥�90s, you might really enjoy this book. It鈥檚 also a great read for anyone who struggles with addiction or knows someone who does. Full House鈥檚 Stephanie Tanner鈥攌nown in real life as Jodie Sweetin鈥攄oes an authentic, raw, and unfiltered memoir in UnSweetined. This book gives insight into what younger actors go through, especially when they are as beloved as Stephanie Tanner. I mean, who can forget 鈥淗ow rude!鈥�? Jodie shares how much she loved acting, but also how much she craved a normal life. She missed out on a lot during school and was the only cast member of Full House who attended a regular public school. She also discusses something many actors know all too well: after being part of a household hit for so many years, it can be extremely difficult to be seen as anyone else. Getting jobs after Full House was hard, and many people struggled to separate Stephanie Tanner from Jodie Sweetin. She opens up about how challenging it was to be a teenager, especially while having her life play out on television at the same time. Jodie dives into the exact moment she had her first sip of alcohol and how everything changed afterward. She doesn鈥檛 shy away from discussing her lowest lows, including the people she hurt and the trouble she got into. Before reading this book, I didn鈥檛 realize that Jodie Sweetin struggled with alcohol addiction, meth addiction, and other substances, or that she had been married three times and was adopted.
She tells her story with honesty and grit, sharing how she wore a mask for years to hide her pain while she was slowly destroying herself. The audiobook is narrated by Jodie herself, which makes it even more engaging and emotionally authentic. This book is a must-read鈥攐r listen.