Here are few of my favorite recent reads. Library staff would be happy to help you place requests on these or any other titles. If you’d like to place your own request, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog.

Billy Barringer disappeared while camping in Ethan Marsh’s backyard when they were both ten years old. Ethan still dreams of that night, including the sccrrriiiiiiiiitch noise as the tent’s side was slashed. Did someone take Billy or did he wander away on his own? What about the mysterious camouflaged man who was seen in the neighborhood that same week? Or Billy’s sudden fascination with the Hawthorne Institute, the secluded research facility located deep in the woods behind their neighborhood? Riley Sager skillfully weaves together the neighborhood’s many mysteries in his latest thriller, “Middle of the Night.” He kept me guessing until the very end.

High society is abuzz with the opening of The Manor, a new exclusive and posh English resort on the cliffs of Tome. The Manor belongs to Francesca Meadow, who inherited the estate from her wealthy grandfather. The Manor’s secrets might connect Francesca to more than one local – locals who are not pleased with the ways that the Meadows have encroached on several generations of local life. These lives converge with devastating results during The Manor’s opening weekend. Lucy Foley has crafted another intricate mystery with a fascinating host of characters in “The Midnight Feast.”

Seventeen-year-old social media influencer Evie Davis is missing. Her last Instagram post includes a glimpse of a mysterious man approaching her parked car. Does he have anything to do with her disappearance, or did Evie disappear of her own accord? Her older sister Hazel returns to Arizona to help their mother (also Evie’s manager) answer police questions and try to figure out where Evie may have gone. But as Hazel’s strained relationship with their mom intensifies, she wonders if there is more to Evie’s disappearance than meets the eye. “Such a Bad Influence” by Olivia Muenter is an interesting look at social media content creation, both from the influencer and consumer viewpoint.

When the maid of honor’s body is discovered on the Nantucket beach, the Otis-Winbury wedding is thrown into chaos. It seems as if everyone who is attending the wedding has at least one secret (if not more) and all will be revealed by the end of the wedding weekend. But whose secrets include murder? I was intrigued by this book because it was made into a Netflix limited series which was out in September. “The Perfect Couple” is the first Elin Hilderbrand novel I’ve read, and I will definitely be seeking out more.

When Jen Ruiz found herself frustrated with her job and love life, she made it her goal to take twelve trips over twelve months in order to lift her spirits. Throughout the course of the year, she traveled to Greece, Thailand, the Grand Canyon, Iceland, and more. As she got better at traveling on a budget and figured out the best way to navigate new destinations, she found herself more and more disillusioned with her 9-5 life. This travelogue describes her personal journey as well as the actual journeys she made during that pivotal year, and also gives some travel tips and tricks she learned along the way. “12 Trips in 12 Months: Make Your Own Solo Travel Magic” is a light and fascinating book. I’m already looking for my next destination!

If you’d like to request these or any other titles, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog, or call the library at 507-359-8331.

New Ulm Public Library is located at 17 North Broadway and is open from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday-Saturday. The library will close early at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 27, and is closed on Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29 for Thanksgiving.