By Baltimore County Public Library Staff
Librarians at Baltimore County Public Library are always ready to share recommendations to help you discover your next great read. For more book suggestions, join us for our Virtual Books and Conversation on the fourth Wednesday of each month
at 2 p.m. Find information on this and other book-related programs on our events page.
“Strange Buildings” by Uketsu
Japanese YouTuber and author Uketsu is a mystery. In public, he wears a papier-mâché mask and a black bodysuit and uses voice distortion when he speaks. He is the author of three books, with “Strange Buildings” being the newest and a loose sequel to 2025’s “Strange Houses.”
The book is a series of short stories that eventually connect, focusing on buildings where the architecture is not quite right. People come to the narrator with tales of strange structures: corridors that lead nowhere, rooms that do not seem to fit within the size of the house and doors placed in odd or illogical locations. Detailed illustrations allow the reader to study the floor plans, following the narrator’s train of thought as he uncovers the often-macabre reasons behind these unsettling designs.
An original concept with subtly creepy undertones, “Strange Buildings” is best read with the lights on. — DOUGLAS BEATTY
“Good People” by Patmeena Sabit
“Good People” is the story of the Sharaf family, a Muslim Afghan family who fled Afghanistan during the Russian invasion and came to America in search of the American Dream. Although the story centers on the Sharaf family and their oldest daughter, Zorah, the reader never hears directly from the family itself. Instead, the novel is told through a series of interviews with people who find themselves in the Sharaf family’s orbit.
As the plot moves steadily toward tragedy, everyone has an opinion — but does anyone have the whole story? Sabit explores the immigrant experience and the challenges faced by second-generation Americans. Opinions abound about Zorah: whether she was too American or too Muslim, and whether her parents were too strict or too easygoing. When the worst happens, the reader is left to sift truth from presupposition.
This debut novel is a powerful story from a contemporary voice and will give readers an understanding of how assumptions, rather than facts, so often shape the stories we tell about one another. — DOUGLAS BEATTY
“Hooked: A Novel of Obsession” by Asako Yuzuki (translated by Polly Barton)
It’s no secret that it’s difficult to make new friends as an adult, and even more so in modern Japan. Ambitious perfectionist Eriko throws herself into her work at a trading firm, currently promoting the difficult Nile perch. Despite her professional success, Eriko is unfulfilled and lonely. She wants meaningful, lasting female friendship.
Shoko has built a following as an imperfect lifestyle blogger, sharing her love of fast-food restaurants, slipshod cleaning methods and lack of enthusiasm for running the household she shares with her grocery manager husband. Eriko is obsessed with Shoko’s online persona, and manages to engineer a meetup with her idol, taking care to make it look like a casual coincidence. Soon, the two are spending copious amounts of time together, just as Eriko had hoped.
Novelist Yuzuki shows the dangers of parasocial relationships, spurred by loneliness and lack of connection in the real world. This psychological, lowkey thriller will keep you turning pages as you’re drawn into Eriko’s carefully manufactured best friendship. — PAULA GALLAGHER
“Gunk” by Saba Sams
Jules has always wanted a baby, but her efforts have been unsuccessful. Now divorced, she’s still managing the divey dance club Gunk in Brighton, owned by her oddly charismatic ex, Leon. He’s never outgrown the late-night party scene, and he revels in seducing the university students who are the mainstays at his grungy establishment. When newly hired bartender Nim shows up, Jules is intrigued.
Just 18, she lives on her own and somehow has four years of drink-pouring experience. Jules watches out for her and becomes upset when she spies Nim kissing Leon despite her warnings. Nim soon finds herself pregnant, and the two women’s lives become further entwined. Gunk explores what it means to parent and be parented, with subtle humor and insight.
Author Sams has a discerning eye and excels in describing both the gritty physical details of the down-market club and the psychological inner workings of her characters. Compelling and character-driven, “Gunk” will keep you riveted. — PAULA GALLAGHER
