Sequel Alert - The Rosie Effect

In The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion, Don and Rosie are happily married and living in New York. But they’re about to face a new challenge because - surprise! - Rosie is pregnant. 

Don sets about learning the protocols of becoming a father, but his unusual research style gets him into trouble with the law. Fortunately his best friend Gene is on hand to offer advice. As Don tries to schedule time for pregnancy research, getting Gene and Claudia to reconcile, servicing the industrial refrigeration unit that occupies half his apartment, helping Dave the Baseball Fan save his business, and staying on the right side of Lydia the social worker, he almost misses the biggest problem of all: he might lose Rosie when she needs him the most. 

"Many sequels falter, but this one is pitch-perfect. It’s cute, but it isn’t cheesy. It’s extremely funny and clever, but not at the expense of the characters or as an insult to the reader. The unexpected twist in The Rosie Effect is the way Simsion manages to make marriage romantic. This book isn’t really about pregnancy or living with autism or moving to a new city. It’s about having your world rocked when you really, truly have to compromise with another person. It’s about how tricky that is, how hilarious that can be, and how beautiful it is when you pull it off."  - BookPage Review

Waiting for your chance to read this charming sequel? Why not re-read (or read for the first time) The Rosie Project and get to know how Don, a socially awkward genetics professor who had never been on a second date, set out to find the perfect wife, but instead found Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent barmaid who was on a quest to find her biological father.

Favorite of Favorites 2014

Since their inception in September 2013, LibraryReads has honored 140 books. Librarians voted for their favorites among the 140, and LibraryReads created their first ever "Favorite of Favorites" list. The top ten overall picks are shown below and are all available at the Community Library.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin 

After his rare collection of Edgar Allen Poe poems is stolen, bookstore owner A.J. Fikry begins isolating himself from his friends, family, and associates until he is compelled to change his life after receiving a mysterious package. (Publisher Summary)

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

A socially awkward genetics professor who has never been on a second date sets out to find the perfect wife, but instead finds Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent barmaid who is on a quest to find her biological father. (Publisher Summary)

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr 

A blind French girl on the run from the German occupation and a German orphan-turned-Resistance tracker struggle with respective beliefs after meeting on the Brittany coast. (Publisher Summary)

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell 

Feeling cast off when her best friend outgrows their shared love for a favorite celebrity, Cath, a dedicated fan-fiction writer, struggles to survive on her own in her first year of college while avoiding a surly roommate, bonding with a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words and worrying about her fragile father. (Publisher Summary)

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

Taken in by a wealthy family friend after surviving an accident that killed his mother, thirteen-year-old Theo Decker tries to adjust to life on Park Avenue. (Publisher Summary)

We Were Liars by E. Lockart

Spending the summers on her family's private island off the coast of Massachusetts with her cousins and a special boy named Gat, teenaged Cadence struggles to remember what happened during her fifteenth summer. (Publisher Summary)

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The sudden death of a Hollywood actor during a production of "King Lear" marks the beginning of the world's dissolution in a story told at various past and future times from the perspectives of the actor and four of his associates. (Publisher Summary)

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes

A single mom trying to raise a bullied stepson and a mathlete daughter finds an unexpected rescue in the form of an obnoxious tech millionaire named Geeky Ed. (Publisher Summary)

Landline by Rainbow Powell

Recognizing that her marriage is in deep trouble in spite of her abiding and mutual love for her husband, television writer Georgie excludes herself from a Christmas family visit before discovering a way to reconnect with the man her husband used to be. (Publisher Summary)

Longbourne by Jo Baker

A reimagining of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" from the perspectives of its below-stairs servants captures the drama of the Bennet household from the sideline viewpoint of Sarah, an orphaned housemaid. (Publisher Summary)

Click here for more information on LibraryReads.

If You Like The Rosie Project. . .

In The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, a socially awkward genetics professor who has never been on a second date sets out to find the perfect wife, but instead finds Rosie Jarman, a fiercely independent barmaid who is on a quest to find her biological father.

If you liked The Rosie Project, then you may like these title read-alikes recommended by NoveList:

Courting Greta by Ramsey Hootman: Samuel Cooke knows most women wouldn’t give him a second glance even if he were the last man on earth. So when he leaves his lucrative career to teach programming to high schoolers, romance definitely isn’t on his radar. Perhaps that’s why Greta Cassamajor catches him off guard. The sarcastic gym coach with zero sense of humor is no beauty—not even on the inside. But an inexplicably kind act toward Samuel makes him realize she is interesting. In this poignant, witty debut, Ramsey Hootman upends traditional romance tropes to weave a charming tale of perseverance, trust, and slightly conditional love.

Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas: Billionaire playboy, and all-around ladies’ man, Jake Travis has a reputation as big as the state of Texas. He drives too fast, lives too hard, and loves too many women to count. In her advice column, and her love life, Ella Varner is always practical. So when she’s left holding her reckless sister’s baby, she decides to ask Jake Travis to take a paternity test. Ella is instantly struck by Jake’s bold good looks and easy charm—but she’s not falling for his sweet talk. This big sexy tomcat needs to take responsibility for his actions, and Ella’s making him stick to his word. Now if she can only ignore the unspoken attraction that smolders between them…

Match Me if You Can by Susan Elizabeth Phillips: Annabelle is tired of being the lone failure in a family of overachievers. Now, all she has to do to become the Windy City's hottest matchmaker is to land the city's hottest bachelor as her client. How hard can that be? With his money green eyes and calculated charm, Heath Champion is the best sports agent in the country, so why does he need a matchmaker? True, Annabelle has a certain quirky appeal. But Heath is searching for the ultimate symbol of his success -- the perfect wife.  When Annabelle promises she'll do anything to keep her star client happy ... does she mean anything? If Annabelle isn't careful, she just might find herself going heart-to-heart with the toughest negotiator in town -- a man who's beginning to ask himself: Exactly how perfect does perfect have to be?

For more recommendations, feel free to stop by the reference desk on the main floor and speak with a librarian.