Books, Movies, CDs

Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep!

Bill Martin

jE Martin
Kids, Picture Books, Music

Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep! This old car has been everywhere from the backyard to the sky, from the hills to the water. Bouncing between the mud in the ground and the clouds up high, the old car is loved by a clever young boy ... --Publisher.

This old car it's so fun, It's a hit with everyone! With a "Bing! Bang! Chugga! Beep!" You'll surely sing along, This great book's based on a song! -Casey

Slow AF run club : the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to run

Martinus Evans

796.42 /Evans
Nonfiction, Health

"Ten years ago, Martinus Evans got some stern advice from his doctor: "Lose weight or die." First defensive, but then defiant, Evans vowed that day to run a marathon, though his doctor thought he was crazy. Since then, Evans has run eight marathons and hundreds of other distances in his 300-something body, created his own devoted running community, and has been featured on the cover of Runner's World. This book is a blueprint for those who may not fit the image of a "traditional" runner-that is, someone who is larger in size, less athletic, out of shape, or dealing with any kind of health issue that slows them down-to feel empowered to lace up their shoes and embrace the body they have right now. As Evans says, the incredible benefits of running-better sleep, strong muscles and bones, better cardiovascular and mental health, and a sense of community-can and should be available to all of us. This practical handbook contains specialized advice to make getting started less intimidating, covering everything from gear and nutrition to training schedules, recovery tips, races (it's okay to come in DFL! [i.e., dead f*cking last]), and finding a running group. Full of essential advice and humor from a former newbie who fell off a treadmill on his first run (literally), The Slow AF Run Club is for anyone who wants to pick up running for the sheer joy of it"--

I'm a big guy. I've always been a big guy. I've also always enjoyed running--cycling is my exercise of choice, but running comes in close--but I'm not knowledgeable about HOW to run. I've just been freestyling this whole time. Evans is a kindred spirit--big dude who loves to run. He has great tips and attitude to spare. I recommend this to any non-traditional runners! -Brian

Witch king

Martha Wells

SCIENCE FICTION Wells Martha
Fantasy

"After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai's magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well. But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence? Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions. He's not going to like the answers"--

I picked this up because I'm a huge fan of Well's Murderbot Diaries. This is another display of her talent for world building and characters. There is a lot to keep track of, and, if you listen to the audiobook, try not to be overwhelmed by the cast of characters listed off at the beginning. -Brian

The lost sons of Omaha : two young men in an American tragedy

Joe Sexton

364.1523 /Sexton
Nonfiction, Black Lives Matter, Biographies, History

"On May 30, 2020, in Omaha, Nebraska, amid the protests that rocked our nation after George Floyd's death at the hands of police, thirty-eight-year-old white bar owner and Marine veteran Jake Gardner fatally shot James Scurlock, a twenty-two-year-old Black protester and young father. What followed were two investigations of Scurlock's death, one conducted by the white district attorney Don Kleine, who concluded that Gardner had legally acted in self-defense and released without a trial, and a second grand jury inquiry conducted by African American special prosecutor Fred Franklin that indicted Gardner for manslaughter and demanded he face trial. Days after the indictment, Gardner killed himself with a single bullet to the head. The deaths of both Scurlock and Gardner gave rise to a toxic brew of misinformation, false claims, and competing political agendas. The two men, each with their own complicated backgrounds, were turned into grotesque caricatures. Between the heated debates and diatribes, these twin tragedies amounted to an ugly and heartbreaking reflection of a painfully divided country. Here, Joe Sexton masterfully unpacks the whole twisting, nearly unbelievable chronicle into a meticulously reported and nuanced account of the two deaths, explaining which claims were true and which distorted or simply false. The Lost Sons of Omaha carefully examines some of the most pressing issues facing America today, including our country's dire need for gun control and mental health reform; the dangerous spread of fake news, particularly on social media; and the urgent call to band together in the collective pursuit of truth, fairness, and healing"--

This is really an incredible book--the best long-form journalism I've read in a while. It's not just that the sentences are smooth, direct, and propel the story forward, it's the heart-wrenching story itself. And while technically a true crime narrative, this book goes deep into the histories of two men brought into conflict during a Black Lives Matter protest. Author Joe Sexton masterfully details the little things in these men's lives that made each of them human; a Lion King tattoo for one, war-induced PTSD for another. Both men lost their lives that night, one literally, and the tragedy extends by political factions using them as martyrs for their causes. Read this book to remember to scrutinize every "black and white" story on the internet. Given the divisiveness and tribalism of online political discourse, and the multiple lies we'll all be reading in the run-up to the 2024 election, I consider this a must-read book for the year. -Melody

My dark Vanessa : a novel

Kate Elizabeth Russell

FICTION Russell Kate
Literary Fiction

2000: Bright, ambitious fifteen-year-old Vanessa Wye becomes entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her guileful forty-two-year-old English teacher. 2017: Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student, who reaches out to Vanessa. Now Vanessa finds herself facing an impossible choice: remain silent, firm in the belief that her teenage self willingly engaged in this relationship, or redefine herself and the events of her past. But how can Vanessa reject her first love, the man who fundamentally transformed her and has been a persistent presence in her life? -- adapted from jacket

This book was absolutely stunning. The writing, the phrasing alone is brilliant, and though the story can be difficult to read and process, I became as immersed into it as I could. Just beautiful. The author does a great job of getting us into the main character's headspace so you can better identify with her feelings and desires and reactions. -Amanda

Salvage this world

Michael F. (Michael Farris) Smith

FICTION Smith Michael

In the hurricane-ravaged bottomlands of South Mississippi, where stores are closing and jobs are few, a fierce zealot has gained a foothold, capitalizing on the vulnerability of a dwindling population and a burning need for hope. As she preaches and promises salvation from the light of the pulpit, in the shadows she sows the seeds of violence. Elsewhere, Jessie and her toddler, Jace, are on the run across the Mississippi/Louisiana line, in a resentful return to her childhood home and her desolate father. Holt, Jace's father, is missing and hunted by a brutish crowd, and an old man witnesses the wrong thing in the depths of night. In only a matter of days, all of their lives will collide, and be altered, in the maelstrom of the changing world.

The best word to describe "Salvage this World" is transporting. Michael Farris Smith delivers "sense of place" as he takes you to the Mississippi Delta borderland between Louisiana and Mississippi. This Southern Gothic tale will appeals to fans of S. A. Cosby or True Detective. -Anne M

The end of the world is just the beginning : mapping the collapse of globalization

Peter Zeihan

338.91 /Zeihan
Political, History, Technology

"As isolationism and realism become the dominant values of a previously interconnected world, the logic that motivated international relations and global trade must be reevaluated. Zeihan uses a mixture of geographical knowledge, political history, and sharp analysis to predict the shape of the next twenty years on the world stage"--

I couldn't put this book down, and the subtitle is the reason why. There is so much information here about how geography, agriculture, transport, finance, and demographics will shape the fate of nations for the worse in the very near future. China, in the author's view, is near collapse at any moment. Famine is inevitable. I guess I'll believe it when I see it. -Tom

Unmask Alice : LSD, satanic panic, and the imposter behind the world's most notorious diaries

Rick Emerson

813.54 /Sparks
History

In 1971, the anonymously published Go ask Alice-- the supposed diary of a middle-class addict-- reinvented the young adult genre with a blistering portray of sex, psychosis, and teenage self-destruction. In 1979 Jay's journal- the posthumous memoir of an alleged teenage Satanist-- poisoned whole communities. In reality the two books were written by Beatrice Sparks, a serial con artist who betrayed a grieving family stole a dead boy's memory, and lied her way to the National Book Awards. Emerson explores this true story of contagious deception. -- adapted from jacket.

If you've ever wondered about the true story behind Go Ask Alice... this is the book for you. You'll learn all about the author behind the famous book and similar titles, and get a better grasp of the people she based them on. I really appreciated the thorough biography of the real Jay of Jay's Journal, and that was actually the highlight for me. If you read any of those "anonymous" books as a teen, you'll want to read this as well. -Amanda

Dances : a novel

Nicole Cuffy

FICTION Cuffy Nicole
Fiction

At twenty-two years old, Cece Cordell reaches the pinnacle of her career as a ballet dancer when she's promoted to principal at the New York City Ballet. She's instantly catapulted into celebrity, heralded for her inspirational role as the first Black ballerina in the famed company's history. Even as she celebrates the achievement of a lifelong dream, Cece remains haunted by the feeling that she doesn't belong. As she waits for some feeling of rightness that doesn't arrive, she begins to unravel the loose threads of her past: an absent father, a pragmatic mother who dismisses Cece's ambitions, and a missing older brother who stoked her childhood love of ballet but disappeared to deal with his own demons. Soon after her promotion, Cece is faced with a choice that has the potential to derail her career and shatter the life she's cultivated for herself, sending her on a pilgrimage to both find her brother and reclaim the parts of herself lost in the grinding machinery of the traditional ballet world.

Cece Cordell, newly promoted to principal dancer at the New York City Ballet, is facing history. She is the first Black ballerina for the company, knows she worked twice as hard as everyone else to get there, and is worried it isn’t enough. It is a lot of pressure—not to mention how incredibly difficult it is just to just be a professional ballet dancer. She also has to face her past, especially as a significant life decision might throw her off a course she has strived for her entire life. Dances is a novel that shows you the physical and psychological wear and tear of being an athlete. Nicole Cuffy shows you through the writing every muscle stretch and strain, every twitch, every sharp pain of Cece’s. All the reviews of this book comment on the physical nature of Cuffy’s writing in describing ballet steps and moves and they are right. It is stand out. However, Cuffy also successfully captures the minds relationship with the body. The control and inability to control. The thoughts of feeling not worthy, that you do not belong, and that you are being judged. It is a great read. -Anne M

John Wick. Chapter 4

DVD MOVIE ACTION John
Action

John Wick uncovers a path to defeating The High Table. But before he can earn his freedom, Wick must face off against a new enemy with powerful associations across the globe and forces that turn old friends into foes.

If you love Keanu Reeves shooting people, then this is the movie for you. Seriously, though, how do these keep getting better? Also, there's a sequence that would make Michelangelo proud. The ninja turtle, not the Italian sculptor. -Brian

Hello beautiful : a novel

Ann Napolitano

FICTION Napolitano, Ann
Fiction

"William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it's a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family's artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia's new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household. But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?"--

A beautifully tender family drama with echoes of the classic Little Women, primarily set in Chicago. Each character is tragic in their own way, and each one must face living their own truth even as it tears the family apart. A complex story that will resonate with you long after finishing. -Mari

Parachute kids

Betty C. Tang

jGRAPHIC NOVEL Tang
Graphic Novels

After their two-week family tour of Los Angeles, ten-year-old Feng Li Lin and her older brother and sister learn they will remain in California while their parents return to Taiwan, forcing them to navigate a new school, a new language, bullies, racism, and the pressures of running a household.

The "parachute kid" phenomenon dates back to the 1980s. This term refers students who are sent to live and study in the United States,in this case from Taiwan, without their parents, at probably too young an age. I didn't know what the title meant before reading the graphic and TBH I didn't read the synopsis, so it was very shocking in the story when the three sibling protagonists end up living alone in America, and even more surprising to find out there is a generation of kids with this experience. I can't imagine going through what the siblings go through, not to mention how hard it would be living without parents in a country that doesn't speak your primary language. It's illuminating to read about the hardships the protagonists go through and to see just a small window into the adversity kids must face being immigrants in America alone. -Mari

Dating Dr. Dil

Nisha Sharma

Nisha Sharma's hilarious new romantic comedy inspired by The Taming of the Shrew features a love-phobic TV doctor, who must convince a love-obsessed homebody they are destined to be together. Kareena Mann dreams of having a love story like her parents, but she prefers restoring her classic car to swiping right on dating apps. When her father announces he's selling her mother's home, Kareena makes a deal with him: he'll gift her the house if she can get engaged in four months. Her search for her soulmate becomes impossible, when her argument with Dr. Prem Verma, host of The Dr. Dil Show, goes viral. Now, the only man in her life is the one she doesn't want. Dr. Prem Verma is dedicated to building a local community health center, but he needs to get donors with deep pockets. The Dr. Dil Show was doing just that until his argument with Kareena went viral, and he's left short-changed. That's when Kareena's meddling aunties presented him with a solution: convince Kareena he's her soulmate and they'll fund his clinic. Even though they have conflicting views on love matches and arranged matches, the more time Prem spends with Kareena, the more he begins to believe she's the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with. But, for Prem and Kareena to find their happily ever after, they must admit that hate has turned into fate.

I really ate this audiobook up. It is one of those that inspired me do my chores more thoroughly just so I could keep listening. I enjoyed the debates about love marriages versus arranged marriages that Southeast Asian immigrant families must navigate, as well as the love-hate-love-love enemies to lovers trope. The characters were all likeable, and I found myself salivating at the aloo parathas our heroine has for breakfast. Why doesn't IHOP or Denny's offer these on their menu? I'd be there daily. Heads up that there are some profanity and steamy love scenes, if that's not your thing. The female narrator is Soneela Nankani, who also performs in Sonali Dev's Jane Austen-inspired The Rajes series. Worth the listen! -Melody

The house is on fire

Rachel Beanland

FICTION Beanland Rachel
Historical Fiction

Richmond, Virginia 1811. It's the height of the winter social season. The General Assembly is in session, and many of Virginia's gentleman planters, along with their wives and children, have made the long and arduous journey to the capital in hopes of whiling away the darkest days of the year. At the city's only theater, the Charleston-based Placide & Green Company puts on two plays a night to meet the demand of a populace that's done looking for enlightenment in a church. On the night after Christmas, the theater is packed with more than six hundred holiday revelers. In the third-floor boxes, sits newly widowed Sally Henry Campbell, who is glad for any opportunity to relive the happy times she shared with her husband. One floor away, in the colored gallery, Cecily Patterson doesn't give a whit about the play but is grateful for a four-hour reprieve from a life that has recently gone from bad to worse. Backstage, young stagehand Jack Gibson hopes that, if he can impress the theater's managers, he'll be offered a permanent job with the company. And on the other side of town, blacksmith Gilbert Hunt dreams of one day being able to bring his wife to the theater, but he'll have to buy her freedom first. When the theater goes up in flames in the middle of the performance, Sally, Cecily, Jack, and Gilbert make a series of split-second decisions that will not only affect their own lives but those of countless others. And in the days following the fire, as news of the disaster spreads across the United States, the paths of these four people will become forever intertwined.

Rachel Beanland got some buzz for her “Florence Adler Swims Forever.” Her second historical fiction novel is set in 1811 and follows four people who survive the Great Richmond Theatre Fire. There is Sally, the daughter of Patrick Henry who is recently widowed and grieving for her husband, Cecily an enslaved woman in an impossible situation, Jack a young stagehand who is looking for a career as an actor, and Gilbert, a blacksmith working extra hard to buy his freedom as well as his wife’s. These people end up getting caught in this horrific tragic event—and there are severe consequences as well as new opportunities that each person is handed in survival. I will say the first quarter of the book is grim and deals with death and mayhem as we see through the character’s eyes what it takes to survive. I needed some breaks while reading it. It is haunting. -Anne M

Awake, asleep

Kyle Lukoff

jE Lukoff
Picture Books, Kids

"From sunup to sundown, a young child's day is bursting with discovery and wonder-filled moments."--

Looking for a quick, sweet bedtime read? Look no further than Kyle Lukoff's latest title, "Awake, Asleep" which is bound to be a storytime favorite. -Casey

We Love Katamari Reroll + Royal Reverie

ON ORDER VIDEO GAME

I bought this game myself because I couldn't wait! I played its prequel "Katamari Damacy Reroll" last year for the first time and was hooked even after many hours of hand cramps. It's a simple but not-so-simple game of rolling up everything around you to get bigger so you can roll up more things. You're basically Prince Sisyphus, torturing your thumbs and poor Joy-Cons, in the hopes of pleasing your impossible-to-please king father. If you like whimsical games with peak world building, hilarious dialogue, an absurd art style, and a killer soundtrack, then this is the game franchise for you. Just remember to go easy on your Joy-Cons! -Annie

Mei Hua shi ji = Historical record of Chinese Americans.

973.04951 /Historical

Thanks to the generous donation from the Iowa City Area Chinese Association, ICPL acquired this whole series of the bilingual Historical Record of Chinese Americans throughout their 100+ years of exploration and adventure on this land. Tough beginning, fearless fighting, powerful contributions, all the stories documented here are informational, enlightening and inspiring. This series is definitely a good read for Chinese Americans community as well as for other groups who are keen to learn about their stories as an integral part of the whole United States. -Fang

Ab(solutely) normal : short stories that smash mental health stereotypes

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Absolute

Channeling their own experiences, sixteen exceptional authors subvert mental health stereotypes in a powerful and uplifting collection of fiction. A teen activist wrestles with protest-related anxiety and PTSD. A socially anxious vampire learns he has to save his town by (gulp) working with people. As part of her teshuvah, a girl writes letters to the ex-boyfriend she still loves, revealing that her struggle with angry outbursts is related to PMDD. A boy sheds uncontrollable tears but finds that in doing so he's helping to enable another's healing. In this inspiring, unflinching, and hope-filled mixed-genre collection, sixteen diverse and notable authors draw on their own lived experiences with mental health conditions to create stunning works of fiction that will uplift and empower you, break your heart and stitch it back together stronger than before. Through powerful prose, verse, and graphics, the characters in this anthology defy stereotypes as they remind readers that living with a mental health condition doesn't mean that you're defined by it. Each story is followed by a note from its author to the reader, and comprehensive back matter includes bios for the contributors as well as a collection of relevant resources. With contributions by: Mercedes Acosta * Karen Jialu Bao * James Bird * Rocky Callen * Nora Shalaway Carpenter * Alechia Dow * Patrick Downes * Anna Drury * Nikki Grimes * Val Howlett * Jonathan Lenore Kastin * Sonia Patel * Marcella Pixley * Isabel Quintero * Ebony Stewart * Francisco X. Stork

This is a fantastic collection of short stories that humanizes mental illness and the negative stigma that is often attached. The scope of fiction alone is impressive, but the stories are heart-felt, authentic and beautiful. I would highly recommend this collection to youth everywhere, as well and those who support them. A must-read! -Victoria

The amazing and true story of Tooth Mouse Pérez

Ana Cristina Herreros

jE Herreros
Picture Books

Though the world is very different from when his Tooth Mouse descendants worked, a Tooth Mouse named Pérez continues his ancestors' tradition and brings children their permanent teeth.

This was a delightful little read about a few different cultural mores surrounding the tooth mouse/ant/fairy. The illustrations are dreamy and humorous and the text is wry and witty in parts. The author delicately handles the work of the tooth mouse and wonderfully introduces a rather distinguished shining star at the top of his tooth collecting game- Tooth Mouse Pérez. Losing a tooth is a rite of passage and Tooth Mouse Pérez is a story that sanctifies the myth of who collects, barters and bestows gifts for our tiny tools of mastication. -Victoria

The Maidens: A Novel

Alex Michaelides

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Silent Patient comes a spellbinding tale of psychological suspense, weaving together Greek mythology, murder, and obsession, that further cements "Michaelides as a major player in the field" (Publishers Weekly). Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens. Mariana Andros is a brilliant but troubled group therapist who becomes fixated on The Maidens when one member, a friend of Mariana's niece Zoe, is found murdered in Cambridge. Mariana, who was once herself a student at the university, quickly suspects that behind the idyllic beauty of the spires and turrets, and beneath the ancient traditions, lies something sinister. And she becomes convinced that, despite his alibi, Edward Fosca is guilty of the murder. But why would the professor target one of his students? And why does he keep returning to the rites of Persephone, the maiden, and her journey to the underworld? When another body is found, Mariana's obsession with proving Fosca's guilt spirals out of control, threatening to destroy her credibility as well as her closest relationships. But Mariana is determined to stop this killer, even if it costs her everything—including her own life. A Macmillan Audio production from Celadon Books

This is a great, twisty, psychological thriller that's perfect for anyone looking for something in the vein of Gillian Flynn (more Dark Places or Sharp Objects than Gone Girl, though, which is a plus imho) or Ruth Ware. It's got some nice, atmospheric elements--mysterious Greek temples, old English colleges, and a somewhat shady professor with a weird, culty vibe about him. There's also some physical and emotional trauma here, but the strong and unique characters carry it well. While some of these tropes can begin to feel a little gratuitous, I think that, on the whole, this is a fresh take and worth a listen or read. -Candice

The Manningtree Witches

A. K. Blakemore

OverDrive Audiobook
Historical Fiction

England, 1643. Puritanical fervor has gripped the nation. And in Manningtree, a town depleted of men since the wars began, the hot terror of damnation burns in the hearts of women left to their own devices. Rebecca West, fatherless and husbandless, chafes against the drudgery of her days, livened only occasionally by her infatuation with the handsome young clerk John Edes. But then a newcomer, who identifies himself as the Witchfinder General, arrives. A mysterious, pious figure dressed from head to toe in black, Matthew Hopkins takes over the Thorn Inn and begins to ask questions about what the women on the margins of this diminished community are up to. Dangerous rumors of covens, pacts, and bodily wants have begun to hang over women like Rebecca—and the future is as frightening as it is thrilling. Brimming with contemporary energy and resonance, The Manningtree Witches plunges its listeners into the fever and menace of the English witch trials, where suspicion, mistrust, and betrayal run amok as a nation's arrogant male institutions start to realize that the very people they've suppressed for so long may be about to rise up and claim their freedom.

If you like your historical fiction with new perspectives on old stories with imagery for prose, look no further than "The Manningtree Witches." Blakemore takes on the history of Matthew Hopkins, 17th century witchfinder and author of "The Discovery of Witches," a text used to prosecute many English women. His arrival into Manningtree, his methods, and the consequences for the town are told in an empathetic and insightful way by Blakemore through the eyes of Rebecca West, a young woman deeply intertwined in the saga. Sofia Zervudachi's narration makes it difficult to put this one down. -Anne M

Life on delay : making peace with a stutter

John (Atlantic senior editor) Hendrickson

616.8554 /Hendrickson
Biographies

"An intimate and revealing memoir of a lifelong struggle to speak"--

This book is for anyone who stutters or who wants to know better the mind of a stutterer. -Tom

We might see

Charlie Mylie

jE Mylie
Picture Books

"Against this lively rhyming narrative text, readers will find a splash of first words on each spread, inviting little ones to identify things they might see in their own backyards. And some unexpected things, too!"--

If you take walks with a little person, then this book is for you! Just right for sharing in a lap-sit setting, "We Might See" is equal parts rhyming narrative, seek and find, sight-word recognition, and all rainbow fun! -Casey

Lore

Alexandra Bracken

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Bracken Alexandr
Fiction, Fantasy, Young Adult

Every seven years there is a hunt offering mortal descendants of gods the opportunity to claim their divinity by killing any of nine immortals made mortal for one night. Lore Perseous has no desire to participate in the Agon, embittered because her family was killed by a rival who then ascended to godhood. When a childhood friend asks her to help, and a wounded god offers an alliance, Lore overlooks the steep cost of this decision in exchange for vengeance.

I chose this book to take on a recent trip to Greece, and it was perfect! A little mythology, but very up-to-date in terms of scenario and personalities involved. This book is suitable for adults and high-level YA, and made for a great beach read. Dialogue is snappy and the main characters are likable, and very human even while being, well, not entirely human (or mortal, I guess). The action takes place in New York, but those of you looking for an exciting, modern take on what Greek myth might look like today won't be disappointed. -Candice

The Villa

Rachel Hawkins

FICTION Hawkins Rachel
Mystery, Fiction

"From New York Times bestselling author Rachel Hawkins comes a deliciously wicked gothic suspense, set at an Italian villa with a dark history, for fans of Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware. As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So when Chess suggests a girls' trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. In an attempt to reignite his creative spark, Noel invites up-and-coming musician, Pierce Sheldon to join him, as well as Pierce's girlfriend, Mari, and her stepsister, Lara. But he also sets in motion a chain of events that leads to Mari writing one of the greatest horror novels of all time, Lara composing a platinum album--and ends in Pierce's brutal murder. As Emily digs into the villa's complicated history, she begins to think there might be more to the story of that fateful summer in 1974. That perhaps Pierce's murder wasn't just a tale of sex, drugs, and rock & roll gone wrong, but that something more sinister might have occurred--and that there might be clues hidden in the now-iconic works that Mari and Lara left behind. Yet the closer that Emily gets to the truth, the more tension she feels developing between her and Chess. As secrets from the past come to light, equally dangerous betrayals from the present also emerge--and it begins to look like the villa will claim another victim before the summer ends. Inspired by Fleetwood Mac, the Manson murders, and the infamous summer Percy and Mary Shelley spent with Lord Byron at a Lake Geneva castle--the birthplace of Frankenstein--The Villa welcomes you into its deadly legacy"--

I read this while on vacation in Italy, and it was SO GOOD. I flew through it in about two days, honestly couldn't wait to get back to it when I wasn't reading it. The story is modern but with a gothic feel at times, and has twists and turns that are surprising and feel real, and real-life drama that ties you to the characters. I found the writing and dialogue to be detailed when needed, while also refreshing and humorous. I highly recommend this! -Candice

How high we go in the dark : a novel

Sequoia Nagamatsu

SCIENCE FICTION Nagamatsu, Sequoia
Science Fiction, Short Story

"For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague-a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe"--

This is an amazing and devastating novel. I had to psych myself up each time to read it, because I would always end up sobbing. I'm glad I read it though. It's beautiful and cathartic. -Brian

Simple passion

Annie Ernaux

FICTION Ernaux, Annie
Fiction

In her spare, stark style, Annie Ernaux documents the desires and indignities of a human heart ensnared in an all-consuming passion. Blurring the line between fact and fiction, an unnamed narrator attempts to plot the emotional and physical course of her two-year relationship with a married foreigner where every word, event, and person either provides a connection with her beloved or is subject to her cold indifference. With courage and exactitude, she seeks the truth behind an existence lived entirely for someone else, and, in the pieces of its aftermath, she is able to find it.

When Annie Ernaux won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2022, I had to buy several of her books for our biography collection in order to meet readers' demand. I didn't get on the reserve list right away because I like to wait for the demand to die down before checking a title out. This book is a slim 61 pages, and it's totally worth the read. It will be most appreciated by those who have felt all-consumed with the romantic yearning for another human being. Even if it's been 20 years since one has last had the feeling, Ernaux's writing entices one to contemplate those feelings, what the body demands, and what the mind rationalizes. It's funny because I picked this book up expecting to find a simple passion! And it was absolutely complex and full of mindfulness. At least in my humble opinion. There were several expressive statements that forced me to pause and reflect. The book might be in our fiction section, but the writing is real. And the feeling is most definitely real. -Melody

Dungeons & dragons. Honor among thieves

DVD MOVIE SF/HORROR Dungeons
Fantasy

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people in this hilarious and action-packed adventure.

Honor Among Thieves is funny, has a ton of heart, and it perfectly captures the thrill of a great D&D campaign. This was a surprising treat after the Dungeons and Dragons movie from the year 2000 was a dreary mess. -Brian

Zap! clap! boom! : the story of a thunderstorm

Laura Purdie Salas

jE Salas
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature

What starts as a blue-sky day begins to turn into rolling thunder as a storm brews.

I've been sharing "Zap! Clap! Boom!" with outreach sites this month, and it is a HIT! This nonfiction picture book is gorgeously illustrated, features a fabulous rhyme scheme, and includes a fun repeating phrase for storytime enjoyment. Calling all aspiring meteorologists and their caregivers, this one's for you! -Casey

The perfect couple

Elin Hilderbrand

FICTION Hilderbrand, Elin
Mystery, Fiction

It's Nantucket wedding season, also known as summer-the sight of a bride racing down Main Street is as common as the sun setting at Madaket Beach. The Otis-Winbury wedding promises to be an event to remember: the groom's wealthy parents have spared no expense to host a lavish ceremony at their oceanfront estate. But it's going to be memorable for all the wrong reasons after tragedy strikes: a body is discovered in Nantucket Harbor just hours before the ceremony-and everyone in the wedding party is suddenly a suspect. As Chief of Police Ed Kapenash interviews the bride, the groom, the groom's famous mystery-novelist mother, and even a member of his own family, he discovers that every wedding is a minefield-and no couple is perfect.

The algorithm behind all my audiobook app recommendations chooses Elin Hilderbrand books constantly. I have to check off "thriller" from my list of unread genres, and I stumbled upon this one while hunting one down. It's more of a mystery than thriller, but I did read it compulsively over one weekend. While it had a wide range of interesting characters, I would have liked more depth to the main ones. How much do I really believe the victim's motivations? Or the husband's? Or the other husband's? Or the almost husband's? But what the novel lacked in character development, it made up for in pacing and police procedural work. Do I usually read police procedurals? No! So I can cross that subgenre off the list. I did enjoy the detective work, however, which could inspire me to pick up another, more direct piece of detective fiction. Hey, look, reading options are opening up everywhere! -Melody

The secret history of home economics : how trailblazing women harnessed the power of home and changed the way we live

Danielle Dreilinger

640.922 /Dreilinger
History

"The surprising, often fiercely feminist, always fascinating, yet barely known, history of home economics. The term "home economics" may conjure traumatic memories of lopsided hand-sewn pillows or sunken cakes. But obscured by common conception is the story of the revolutionary science of better living. The field exploded opportunities for women in the twentieth century by reducing domestic work and providing jobs as professors, engineers, chemists, and businesspeople that were otherwise foreclosed. In The Secret History of Home Economics, Danielle Dreilinger traces the field's history from small farms to the White House, from Victorian suffragists to Palo Alto techies. Home economics followed the currents of American culture even as it shaped them; Dreilinger brings forward the racism within the movement along with the strides taken by Black women who were influential leaders and innovators. She also looks at the personal lives of home economics' women, as they chose being single, shared lives with women, or tried for egalitarian marriages. This groundbreaking and engaging history restores a maligned subject to its rightful importance"--

I had to pause reading this book a lot to tell anyone who happened to be nearby the interesting piece of trivia I just learned. There is a rich history of home economics, and the remarkable women involved with every aspect of its development, and every page gives you something new and fascinating. Great read! -Amanda

Heretic : a memoir

Jeanna Kadlec

277.3 /Kadlec
Memoir, Religion

Jeanna Kadlec knew what it meant to be faithful--in her marriage to a pastor's son, in the comfortable life ahead of her, in her God--but there was no denying the truth that lived under that conviction: she was queer and, if she wanted to survive, she would need to leave behind the church and every foundational building block she knew. Heretic is a memoir of rebirth. Within, Kadlec reckons with religious trauma and Midwestern values, as a means of unveiling how evangelicalism directly impacts every American--religious or not--and has been a major force in driving our democracy towards fascism. From the story of Lilith to celebrity purity rings, Kadlec interrogates how her indoctrination and years of piety intersects with her Midwest working-class upbringing. As she navigated graduate school, a new home on the East Coast, and a new marriage, another insidious truth began to reveal itself --that conservative Christianity has both built and undermined our political power structures, poisoned our pop culture, and infected how we interact with one another in ways that the secular population couldn't see. Weaving the personal with powerful critique, Heretic explores how we can radically abandon these painful systems by taking a sledgehammer to the comfortable.

Even though the author and I have lived very differently, I still found a lot of common ground with her, starting with our shared Midwest roots. You may recognize similarities in her story, too. -Amanda

Among thieves

M. J. Kuhn

SCIENCE FICTION Kuhn M. J.
Fantasy

"In just over a year's time, Ryia Cautella has already earned herself a reputation as the quickest, deadliest blade in the dockside city of Carrowwick--not to mention the sharpest tongue. But Ryia Cautella is not her real name. For the past six years, a deadly secret has kept her in hiding, running from town to town, doing whatever it takes to stay one step ahead of the formidable Guildmaster--the sovereign ruler of the five kingdoms of Thamorr. No matter how far or fast she travels, his servants never fail to track her down...but even the most powerful men can be defeated. Ryia's path now leads directly into the heart of the Guildmaster's stronghold, and against every instinct she has, it's not a path she can walk alone. Forced to team up with a crew of assorted miscreants, smugglers, and thieves, Ryia must plan her next moves very carefully. If she succeeds, her freedom is won once and for all...but unfortunately for Ryia, her new allies are nearly as selfish as she is, and they all have plans of their own"--Amazon.

This novel falls under the dark fantasy and adventure genres--one I haven't read much of, usually sticking to urban or paranormal fantasy. And it's a heist novel! A plot style I've only read in Janet Evanovich's co-authored mystery books. So that checks off three appeal factors from my list that I don't usually gravitate towards. And what did I get with this exploration? There's a whole lotta brutal killing in this book--with hatchets--but the protagonist only kills bad guys, so it's not too different from Luke blowing up all those Stormtroopers left on the Death Star. All that is a far cry from my usual rom-coms and women's fiction stories. But it's good to get out of my comfort zone! Especially during summer, when adventure can loom on every horizon. -Melody

Fatherland : a memoir of war, conscience, and family secrets

Burkhard Bilger

940.5343 /Bilger
History, Memoir

"What do we owe the past? How to make peace with a dark family history? Burkhard Bilger hardly knew his grandfather growing up. His parents immigrated to Oklahoma from Germany after World War II, and though his mother was an historian, she rarely talked about her father or what he did during the war. Then one day a packet of letters arrived from Germany, yellowing with age, and a secret history began to unfold. Karl Gönner was a schoolteacher and Nazi party member from the Black Forest. In 1940, he was sent to a village in occupied France and tasked with turning its children into proper Germans. A fervent Nazi when the war began, he grew close to the villagers over the next four years, till he came to think of himself as their protector, shielding them from his own party's brutality. Yet he was arrested in 1946 and accused of war crimes. Was he guilty or innocent? A vicious collaborator or just an ordinary man, struggling to atone for his country's crimes? Bilger goes to Germany to find out"--

As Bilger asserts in his family memoir, Fatherland, everyone will find something haunting in their own family tree. His own is his grandfather. Karl Gönner, a member of the Nazi party and schoolteacher was sent to Alsace in occupied France to "reeducate" the children of Bartenheim. He was promoted to head of the Nazi party in the town overseeing required work assignments. Grappling with this information, Bilger returns to the region, researching and seeking what his grandfather did, trying to find why he would participate. With all of these things, it's complicated. Bilger writes thoughtfully and openly, taking on a painful, hurtful subject. -Anne M

We are branches

Joyce Sidman

jE Sidman
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Nature

Branches are all around us: in butterfly wings, on gecko toes, in flowers, frost, and mud. Whether as electricity moving across the sky or rivers flowing to the sea, branches are nature's most efficient way to spread and to connect. They are even found inside our own bodies, helping us reach and grow with each breath and heartbeat. Branches--strong, hopeful, beautiful--are the shape of life. How many can you find?

Yet another soft picture book nonfiction title that is perfect for storytime sharing, don't miss this one! -Casey

Awaken your genius : escape conformity, ignite creativity, and become extraordinary

Ozan O. Varol

153.42 /Varol
Self Help, Philosophy

"From the critically acclaimed author of Think Like a Rocket Scientist comes a simple process for discarding obsolete beliefs and cultivating independent thought. A rare handful of leaders, artists, scientists, and entrepreneurs seem to have Teflon in their heads. They think and act with genuine independence, offering up ideas and insights direct from the subtle workings of their own minds. No matter how far that might take them from their social or political group. We sometimes call these people geniuses, as if they're another breed. But genius doesn't have to belong to just a few people--it can be cultivated. Great thinkers operate unconstrained by the opinions of others--or their own past opinions. They can act on new information regardless of the beliefs they once held, or identities they once adopted. They distinguish fact from manipulation. And just as importantly, they act first instead of reacting--creating new ideas and opportunities for themselves and others. This is a book for aspiring universe-denters: executives and entrepreneurs, activists and artists, individuals who want to escape groupthink, discard obsolete and harmful beliefs, generate breakthrough ideas, spot hidden opportunities, and flourish in a world of ever-increasing manipulation, change, and challenge. In short, it's a book for geniuses"--

Having been a reader of his blog posts for quite some time there was lot that was familiar in this book but also a lot that is new. My main takeaways relate to reframing the way I think and approach problems and other things that tend to pop up. Pretty inspiring, I've already been applying some of the strategies noted, and I would further recommend following up the supplement "homework" web-link he provides to keep the reframing effort moving forward. -Paul

Breadsong : how baking changed our lives

Kitty Tait

641.815 /Tait

Kitty Tait grew up a funny, chatty redhead who made everyone in her family laugh. But around the time she turned 14, Kitty began experiencing anxiety. Slowly, she disconnected from everyone around her and struggled to wake up, get dressed, and leave the house. Full of worry, her parents tried everything, from new hobbies like reading and painting to medication and visits to a specialist. Nothing seemed to help. Then, one day, as Kitty stood on a stool watching her dad mix flour, water, and salt, she determined Al's gloopy, sludgy blob of bread looked a whole lot like her brain. The next day, peaking under the tea towel as the mix gently bubbled and popped, Kitty came to a stunning realization: bread is alive. Al asked Kitty if she'd like to try baking bread herself, and their lives were never the same again. One loaf quickly escalated into an obsession, and Kitty felt better than she had for a long time. Within nine months, Kitty and Al opened The Orange Bakery--and they haven't stopped since. Featuring more than 80 recipes--including cinnamon buns, cheese swirls, and tahini brownies--Breadsong is a celebration of bread and baking, and an inspiring story of the life-saving power of discovering a passion.

This was a wonderful read; especially for young adults who get lost sometimes or feel a sense of hopelessness. I loved the winding, genuine stories around the craft of bread making.The recipes are beautiful, some are very simple to make but the wonderful community that stepped up to help Kitty when she needed it most is perhaps my favorite part of the book. Final verdict: baking enthusiasts- you knead to read this! -Victoria

The London Séance Society

Sarah Penner

FICTION Penner Sarah
Mystery, Historical Fiction, Suspense

"1873. At an abandoned château on the outskirts of Paris, a dark šance is about to take place, led by acclaimed spiritualist Vaudeline D'Allaire. Known worldwide for her talent in conjuring the spirits of murder victims to ascertain the identities of the people who killed them, she is highly sought after by widows and investigators alike. Lenna Wickes has come to Paris to find answers about her sister's death, but to do so, she must embrace the unknown and overcome her own logic-driven bias against the occult. When Vaudeline is beckoned to England to solve a high-profile murder, Lenna accompanies her as an understudy. But as the women team up with the powerful men of London's exclusive Šance Society to solve the mystery, they begin to suspect that they are not merely out to solve a crime, but perhaps entangled in one themselves..."--

Penner offers up another mystery tale involving murder and desperate circumstances for the protagonists. Although not as engaging a tale as her The Lost Apothecary was (a little too much revisiting of things already established for my tastes and a sense of it being rushed) she really develops a pretty detailed slice of Victorian England life, featuring good twists, turns and revelations, and a collection of interesting characters, both major and minor. -Paul

Loyalty

Lisa Scottoline

OverDrive Audiobook
Historical Fiction

Loyalty can save a soul—or destroy one. Franco Fiorvanti is a handsome lemon grower toiling on the estate of a baron. He dreams of owning his own grove, but the rigid class system of Sicily thwarts his ambition. Determined to secure a better future, Franco will do anything to prove his loyalty to the baron. But when the baron asks him to kidnap a little boy named Dante, Franco makes a decision that will change his life—and even the history of Sicily—forever. Gaetano Catalano is an idealistic young lawyer whose devotion to justice is tantamount to a calling. He’s a member of the Beati Paoli, a real-life secret society of aristocrats who investigate crime in Palermo, a city riddled with graft. Gaetano sets out to find the boy and punish the kidnapper, but his mission leads him to a darker place than he had ever imagined. Meanwhile, Mafalda Pancari is a new mother rejoicing at the birth of her daughter, Lucia, when disaster strikes. And Alfredo D’Antonio is a reclusive goatherd under constant threat of being discovered as a Jew. How the lives of these unforgettable characters collide makes Loyalty an epic tale of good versus evil, as the story twists and turns to its monumental showdown. Readers will be transported to the dramatic and ruggedly beautiful island of Sicily, the jewel of the Mediterranean, where lush lemon groves and mouth-watering cuisine contrast with a turbulent history of colonization and corruption. Scottoline brings her decades of thriller writing to historical fiction, creating in Loyalty a singular novel that no reader will be able to put down.

Transport yourself to the lemon orchards of 19th century Sicily with Lisa Scottoline's epic novel about the rise of the Mafia. Following the threads of several stories, the characters are engaging and novel is riveting. It is a great read for the summer. Like always, Edoardo Ballerini provides a fantastic narration. -Anne M

Cork dork : a wine-fueled adventure among the obsessive sommeliers, big bottle hunters, and rogue scientists who taught me to live for taste

Bianca Bosker

641.22 /Bosker
Nonfiction

A tech reporter describes her introduction to the world of master sommeliers and her in-depth investigation into the source of their interests and skills, an effort marked by work with elite tasting groups, encounters at exclusive New York restaurants, visits to California winemakers and more. --Publsiher's description.

This is the May read for the library's book group, BYOBook, and it's very enlightening and entertaining! I'm going to say upfront that, based on this book, there is a big mess of snark (against each other, against regular ol' wine drinkers, against restaurant-goers) and the icky feel of a boys' club about the world of wine and sommeliers, but if you're willing to get past that there's a lot in here to learn and enjoy. (If you've read Bourdain, that's not anything new, right?) I applaud the author's desire and willingness to dive into this world, and I'm appreciative of the scientific and historical info she serves up. This behind-the-scenes look at wine in our daily lives--from learning about the doings of vendors and sommeliers, to all the ways one might determine what makes wine good--is truly interesting, and while it might make me want to hop on downtown for a glass to test my skills on, it also makes me really glad it's not my job to taste and choose SO. MUCH. WINE. If you like fun schtick-lit, if you like a little science in the vein of Mary Roach, and whether or not you imbibe, this is a really good read. -Candice

The Wager : a tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder

David Grann

910.9164 /Grann
Literary Nonfiction, Nonfiction, History

"From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon and The Lost City of Z, a mesmerizing story of shipwreck, survival, and savagery, culminating in a court martial that reveals a shocking truth On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing 2500 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they had a very different story to tell. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. The first group responded with countercharges of their own, of a tyrannical and murderous captain and his henchmen. It became clear that while stranded on the island the crew had fallen into anarchy, with warring factions fighting for dominion over the barren wilderness. As accusations of treachery and murder flew, the Admiralty convened a court martial to determine who was telling the truth. The stakes were life-and-death-for whomever the court found guilty could hang. The Wager is a grand tale of human behavior at the extremes told by one of our greatest nonfiction writers. Grann's recreation of the hidden world on a British warship rivals the work of Patrick O'Brian, his portrayal of the castaways' desperate straits stands up to the classics of survival writing such as The Endurance, and his account of the court martial has the savvy of a Scott Turow thriller. As always with Grann's work, the incredible twists of the narrative hold the reader spellbound. Most powerfully, he unearths the deeper meaning of the events, showing that it was not only the Wager's captain and crew who were on trial - it was the very idea of empire"--

I actually bought my own copy of this book because I just couldn't wait...it was worth the splurge! It's no secret that I'm already a fan of David Grann's writing, so it should come as no surprise that I'm loving this book. It's not even like seafaring and wrecks are my thing, but the way he writes about it, they might as well be. The story comes alive, through the details of the souls on board the ships and everything they went through, their dreams, emotions, fears, and actions. The ships and the environments even become characters of a sort in the story, as they have their own powers over the fates of everyone on board and waiting at home. Thrilling history here! -Candice

Mother of sharks

Melissa Cristina Márquez

ON ORDER BOOK
Animals, Nature

At la Playita del Condado in Puerto Rico, Meli meets a crab, Jaiba, who takes her on a dreamlike underwater adventure, teaches her about the importance of shark conservation, and reveals Meli's ultimate destiny--to become the Mother of Sharks.

I cannot wait to see this book! Just look at that gorgeous cover... -Casey

I kick and I fly

Ruchira Gupta

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Gupta Ruchira
Young Adult

"On the outskirts of the red-light area in Bihar, India, Heera is living on borrowed time until the day her father decides to sell her into the sex trade to repay his loans. It is, as she's been told, the fate of all women in Girls Bazaar to end up there. But what if she can learn to fight back against 'fate'? When a local hostel owner presents her with the opportunity to practice kung fu, Heera begins to learn that her body isn't an object to be preyed upon, but a vessel through which she can protect herself. She will face unimaginable barriers -- expulsion from school, the unapologetic forces of nature, and a local trafficker who won't take his sights off her. But fate can change, and heroics are contagious. As Heera starts to piece together the whereabouts of a missing friend through a pen pal in the United States, and a competition takes her to New York, the desire to ensure her friend's survival might just lead her to make the ultimate risk" -- Page 2 of cover.

This is an incredibly insightful and powerful book. It tells a story of the caste system, and the how the peoples (namely women,) from the Nat tribes have endured the worst the system affords. This story is about fate, family but mostly destiny carved out by looking beyond what has been pre-ordained for you. Parts of this book are obviously difficult to read, but it is a necessary and wonderful debut. Author Ruchira Gupta is the founder-president of Apne Aap Women Worldwide and Apne Aap International, an organization committed to ending sex trafficking in India. -Victoria

Grandad's pride

Harry Woodgate

jE Woodgate
Picture Books, LGBTQ+, Diverse Characters, Kids

"After Milly discovers a pride flag in Grandad's attic, this adorable pair are motivated by the past to start a pride parade in their small town. Activism and celebration go hand in hand as the town gathers to help build a world where everyone is proud to be themselves"--

Harry Woodgate continues the story of Grandad's Camper in their second picture, Grandad's Pride. Grandad and Milly are back for another adventure, this time honoring the past and celebrating the future with a pride parade in their community. Woodgate's artwork is vibrant and colorful, making the characters bright and heartwarming. -Angie

The book of goose

Yiyun Li

FICTION Li Yiyun

"A propulsive, gripping new novel about fate, art, exploitation, and intimacy by the award-winning author of Where Reasons End"--

A haunting and weird story about friendship - also, the writing is amazing. -Heidi K

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow : a novel

Gabrielle Zevin

FICTION Zevin, Gabrielle
Fiction

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.

I loved the characters in this book, and also the little things it reminded me of from the 90s - like the PC game King's Quest! -Heidi K

Caliban's war

James S. A Corey

SCIENCE FICTION Corey James
Science Fiction

We are not alone. On Ganymede, breadbasket of the outer planets, a Martian marine watches as her platoon is slaughtered by a monstrous supersoldier. On Earth, a high-level politician struggles to prevent interplanetary war from reigniting. And on Venus, an alien protomolecule has overrun the planet, wreaking massive, mysterious changes and threatening to spread out into the solar system. In the vast wilderness of space, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante have been keeping the peace for the Outer Planets Alliance. When they agree to help a scientist search war-torn Ganymede for a missing child, the future of humanity rests on whether a single ship can prevent an alien invasion that may have already begun . . .

I'm late to the party on continuing this series, but I highly recommend it to Sci-Fi fans. I absolutely love the characters, and I'm pleasantly surprised by the scope of the story. -Brian

Lost places : images of bygone America

Heribert Niehues

779.4 /Niehues
Nonfiction, Travel

The United States has been shaped by mobility like no other nation on Earth. The automobile made possible almost limitless development, but there was a dark side: ghost towns and deserted regions emerged due to economic crises, cultural shifts, and catastrophic weather. Heribert Niehues's award-winning photographs trace these lonely places, which elicit strange fascination mixed with melancholy for a bygone era. His Hopperesque images of gas stations, diners, motels, houses, and cars document the rise and former glory of a legendary America. Over the decades, only nature has changed their visage, and the old pioneering spirit is still tangible. Hauntingly beautiful, the photos portray the poetry of transience: from east to west, America as it is rarely seen.

Armchair travelers, take heed! Let me amend that: Armchair Americana-loving road-trippers, take heed! The destination? The middle of nowhere. This photography book takes you around the rural U.S., a "decay porn" tour, if you will. The book satisfies one's fascination with abandoned cars, gas stations, and rural buildings. The subtitle for one chapter reads, "Melancholy you can reach out and touch," but melancholy can be fun, gosh darmit. Each of these photographs has picture-perfect composition and could be picked up and used as a movie still. After flipping through this book, I feel like I need to re-watch Peter Bogdanovich's The Last Picture Show or take a trip to the Kill Bill church. Who needs to build up airline miles? This book will take you places. -Melody

The adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi : a novel

S. A. Chakraborty

SCIENCE FICTION Chakraborty, Shannon
Adventure, Fantasy

"The first book of "a new trilogy of magic and mayhem on the high seas in this tale of pirates and sorcerers, forbidden artifacts and ancient mysteries, in one woman's determined quest to seize a final chance at glory--and write her own legend ... Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean's most notorious pirates, she's survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural. But when she's tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she's offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade's kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family's future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God's will. Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there's more to this job, and the girl's disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there's always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power ... and the price might be your very soul"--

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be: a swashbuckling adventure that had just enough fantasy in it to keep it from being historical fiction. I absolutely love the characters, and I'm excited to spend more time with them. I recommend this to anyone who needs more piracy on the high seas in their life! -Brian

God Emperor of Dune

Frank Herbert

SCIENCE FICTION Herbert, Frank
Science Fiction

Warner Bros released the trailer for Dune Part II, and it got me interested in continuing my re-read of the series. God Emperor of Dune has always been my favorite--and revisiting it has not disappointed. -Brian

When the moon turns to blood : Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and a story of murder, wild faith, and end times

Leah Sottile

364.1523 /Sottile
True Crime

"WHEN THE MOON TURNS TO BLOOD examines the culture of end times paranoia and a trail of mysterious deaths surrounding former beauty queen Lori Vallow and her husband, grave digger turned doomsday novelist, Chad Daybell. When police in Rexburg, Idaho perform a wellness check on seven-year-old J.J. Vallow and his sister, sixteen-year-old Tylee Ryan, both children are nowhere to be found. Their mother, Lori Vallow, gives a phony explanation, and when officers return the following day with a search warrant, she, too, is gone. As the police begin to close in, a larger web of mystery, murder, fanaticism and deceit begins to unravel. Vallow's case is sinuously complex. As investigators prod further, they find the accused Black Widow has an unusual number of bodies piling up around her. WHEN THE MOON TURNS TO BLOOD tells a gripping story of extreme beliefs, snake oil prophets, and explores the question: if it feels like the world is ending, how are people supposed to act?--

With this case in the headlines, this gives a thorough rundown of how the crimes happened and under what circumstances. It's a tough read, but is good background for those interested in true crime. -Amanda

There will be fire : Margaret Thatcher, the IRA, and two minutes that changed history

Rory Carroll

941.60824 /Carroll
History

"A bomb planted by the Irish Republican Army exploded at 2:54 a.m. on October 12, 1984. It was the last day of the Conservative Party Conference at the Grand Hotel in the coastal town of Brighton, England. Rooms were obliterated, dozens of people wounded, five killed. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher was in her suite when the explosion occurred; had she been just a few feet in another direction, flying tiles and masonry would have sliced her to ribbons. As it was, she survived--and history changed. There Will Be Fire is the gripping story of how the IRA came astonishingly close to killing Thatcher, in the most spectacular attack ever linked to the Northern Ireland Troubles. Journalist Rory Carroll reveals the long road to Brighton, the hide-and-seek between the IRA and British security services, the planting of the bomb itself, and the painstaking search for clues and suspects afterward"--Dust jacket flap.

With very compelling storytelling, journalist Rory Carroll takes on the IRA's assassination attempt of Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher at a hotel in Brighton during the Conservative Party Conference. Part-history, part-true crime, this is really a great read. Carroll provides context to the Troubles and the Irish and British political situation at the time, as well as the stories of the people involved in the attempt and the manhunt as well as the lives disrupted by the violence. -Anne M

Fit nation : the gains and pains of America's exercise obsession

Natalia Mehlman Petrzela

306.4613 /Petrzela
History, Health

"Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, a leading scholar and proselytizer for physical well-being, elucidates the political and social implications of America's exercise cult(ure). Delving into the paradox of why so many Americans are physically unfit, despite the power of the exercise industry, Petrzela shows fitness to be both a product and a marker of education, social class, wealth, power, and more. Like much in postwar American life, fitness has been privatized, and the resulting dominant ideology of exercise is a product of neoliberal political and culture choices. Petrzela reveals a story that puts Charles Atlas, Jane Fonda, the Chippendales, and so many lesser-known people at the center of American culture, media, and politics."--

This was a really fun read - giving a swift and entertaining rundown of the history of American fitness and how the culture around fitness, and how we react to it, has evolved over the decades. -Amanda

The moon tonight : our moon's journey around earth

Chang-hoon Jung

j523.3 Jung
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Science, Nature

"Astronomer Jung Chang-hoon provides easy-to-follow scientific explanations of first- and last-quarter Moons, ebb and flow tides, where the new Moon goes, and more."--

Another new picture book nonfiction title! "The Moon Tonight" is gorgeously illustrated, and the breadth of information is perfect for sharing with younger elementary students. I'm excited to try the included science experiment at home as well! Don't miss this title if you like creative nonfiction or have a little one interested in celestial bodies. -Casey

Numb to this : memoir of a mass shooting

Kindra Neely

371.782 /Neely
Nonfiction, Graphic Novels

Kindra Neely never expected it to happen to her. No one does. Sure, she'd sometimes been close to gun violence, like when the house down the street from her childhood home in Texas was targeted in a drive-by shooting. But now she lived in Oregon, where she spent her time swimming in rivers with friends or attending classes at the bucolic Umpqua Community College. And then, one day, it happend: a mass shooting shattered her college campus. Over the span of a few minutes, on October 1, 2015, eight students and a professor lost their lives. And suddenly, Kindra became a survivor. This empathetic and ultimately hopeful graphic memoir recounts Kindra's journey forward from those few minutes that changed everything. It wasn't easy. Every time Kindra took a step toward peace and wholeness, a new mass shooting devastated her again. Las Vegas. Parkland. She was hopeless at times, feeling as if no one was listening. Not even at the worldwide demonstration March for Our Lives. But finally, Kindra learned that--for her--the path toward hope wound through art, helping others, and sharing her story.

The brilliance of nonfiction in graphic novel form is the depth of emotion that only images can convey. It's one thing to read a paragraph written with literary lusciousness, words that catapult you to a scene and a feeling, but its a completely different experience to look into a character's illustrated eyes and read the expression on her face. While I am a sucker for survivors' tales, I also tend to turn away from horrific news, unable to take in the violence and tragedy and still get my work done. But ignorance isn't healthy! What is healthy is taking time to sit with a survivor's story and absorb it into yourself, learning what panic attacks and PTSD look like up close. It's really hard to put this book down once you pick it up. -Melody

Your cabin in the woods

Conrad Meinecke

690.872 /Meinecke
Nonfiction, Home

"If you've ever imagined a cozy home far from the bustle of a hyperconnected life, you have found a soul mate in Conrad Meinecke. His two classic handbooks, Your Cabin in the Woods and Cabin Craft and Outdoor Living, filled with timeless practical advice and thoughtful philosophy, are combined here for the first time in an heirloom edition. From simple shelters to complex dwellings, from expert guidance on location, materials, and tools to hearty meals to cook in your handcrafted fireplace, Your Cabin in the Woods is both a step-by-step guide to realizing your dream and a vintage escape into the great outdoors for the armchair explorer. " -- Page 4 of cover.

The design of this book is pure nostalgia--the sepia pages, hand drawn illustrations, and a classic camping color scheme. It's been a fantasy of mine to live in a mountain cabin the woods since I was in high school, with 5 dogs. That's not likely to happen (expensive real estate! wildfires!! TICKS!!!), but I *can* live that fantasy out by looking through this fabbo cabin building book. This book tells me all I need to build a 12x14' cabin is 14 softwood logs that are 8" thick and 26' long. I will need a draw shave to strip the bark. Nothing to it! Ah, a girl can dream... -Melody

A fever in the heartland : the Ku Klux Klan's plot to take over America, and the woman who stopped them

Timothy Egan

322.42 /Egan
History

"A historical thriller by the Pulitzer and National Book Award-winning author that tells the riveting story of the Klan's rise to power in the 1920s, the cunning con man who drove that rise, and the woman who stopped them. The Roaring Twenties -- the Jazz Age -- has been characterized as a time of Gatsby frivolity. But it was also the height of the uniquely American hate group, the Ku Klux Klan. Their domain was not the old Confederacy, but the Heartland and the West. They hated Blacks, Jews, Catholics and immigrants in equal measure, and took radical steps to keep these people from the American promise. And the man who set in motion their takeover of great swaths of America was a charismatic charlatan named D.C. Stephenson. Stephenson was a magnetic presence whose life story changed with every telling. Within two years of his arrival in Indiana, he'd become the Grand Dragon of the state and and the architect of the strategy that brought the group out of the shadows - their message endorsed from the pulpits of local churches, spread at family picnics and town celebrations. Judges, prosecutors, ministers, governors and senators across the country all proudly proclaimed their membership. But at the peak of his influence, it was a seemingly powerless woman - Madge Oberholtzer - who would reveal his secret cruelties, and whose deathbed testimony finally brought the Klan to their knees"--

This is a gripping history of the Klan's resurgence in the United States during the 1920's--especially it's control over Indiana state and local government. Of course, I wouldn't expected anything less than an important topic that is well-researched and well-written from Timothy Egan. Yes, it is great storytelling, but it is also an important history that we cannot look away from. -Anne M

Mayumu : Filipino American desserts remixed

Balingit, Abi, author.

641.86 /Balingit
Cookbooks

"A sweet baking book of fantastically imaginative remixed Filipinx American dessert recipes, plus stories of the Filipinx American experience by baker-activist, Abi Balingit When the pandemic started her lonely work-from-home life in 2020, Abi channeled all her energy into the one thing that brought her joy: baking. She started to produce Pasalubong boxes filled with novel treats that blended the Filipino and Asian flavors Abi grew up with and her favorite Western style baked goods, each time selling out within hours and donating the proceeds to support her community in need. Now, Abi shares these cult-favorite desserts with Mayumu (which means "sweet" in one of the 8 major languages in Philippines), an incredibly fresh baking book of 75 recipes for sweet treats, organized in chapters tied to where she discovered these flavors growing up as child of immigrants in a cultural melting pot, from the Philippines, to all around California, to her now home Brooklyn, NY. And she bakes all of these in her tiny, dimly lit, urban kitchen, meaning anyone can do it, too"--

I've been following The Dusky Kitchen on Instagram for a while now, and I love her Filipino-American takes on classic Filipino dishes! Living away from my family in an area with limited Filipino cuisine has been hard, but this cookbook has helped bring a little more of home back into my kitchen as I now make a weekly batch of pandesal to have for breakfast everyday. I appreciate her recommendations for specific ingredient brands as well as different methods to make harder-to-find ingredients like ube halaya from scratch. I have yet to try the more interesting recipes like Kare Kare Cookies or Adobo Chocolate Chip Cookies! -Annie

A gentleman in Moscow

Towles, Amor, author.

FICTION Towles Amor
Fiction, Literary Fiction

From the New York Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility--a transporting novel about a man who is ordered to spend the rest of his life inside a luxury hotel

This is the book in 2023 that I am determined to tackle. It's been on my list for at least four years and I have multiple family members who adore this title. I'm coming for you, Amor Towles! -Casey

Saints of the household

Ari Tison

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Tison Ari

When brothers Max and Jay help a classmate in trouble, they struggle with the consequences of their violent actions and worry they may be more like their abusive father than they thought, so the brothers turn to their Bribri roots to find their way forward.

This is a wonderful read. The relationship between Jay and Max is uniquely explored and I think not often captured enough in YA. The back and forth chapters work really effectively to hold even a reluctant reader's attention and the writer contrasts both brother's psyche in an equal but opposite way that works. Past trauma and nature vs. nurture is a common theme throughout. Characters are well developed and I was fascinated to be introduced to and learn more about the Bribri (indigenous people of Costa Rica and Northern Panama). -Victoria

Community board

Tara Conklin

FICTION Conklin Tara
Fiction

Darcy Clipper, prodigal daughter, nearly thirty, has returned home to Murbridge, Massachusetts, after her life takes an unwelcome left turn. Murbridge, Darcy is convinced, will welcome her home and provide a safe space in which she can nurse her wounds and harbor grudges, both real and imagined. But Murbridge, like so much else Darcy thought to be fixed and immutable, has changed. And while Darcy’s first instinct might be to hole herself up in her childhood bedroom, subsisting on Chef Boy-R-Dee and canned chickpeas, it is human nature to do two things: seek out meaningful human connection and respond to anonymous internet postings. As Murbridge begins to take shape around Darcy, both online and in person, Darcy will consider the most fundamental of American questions: What can she ask of her community? And what does she owe it in return?

Conklin stretches her legs as a writer here through this funny and endearing novel. Darcy and the small town of Murbridge encapsulates a lot of what Americans are experiencing post-pandemic: disconnection, polarization, disillusion, anger, fear, and resentment. But Conklin's tale isn't one of despair. This book is about making connections with others, creating community around common goals, and finding meaning in your life through the process. But this novel also doesn't take itself too seriously. It is laugh-out-loud funny. -Anne M

The climate book

Greta Thunberg

363.73874 /Thunberg

"Greta Thunberg has gathered the wisdom of over one hundred experts - geophysicists, oceanographers and meteorologists; engineers, economists and mathematicians; historians, philosophers and indigenous leaders--to equip us all with the knowledge we need to combat climate disaster"--

I always appreciate Greta's no-nonsense, pragmatic approach to climate change. In this comprehensive manifesto, she's gathered a myriad of inter-disciplinary experts to drop their sage wisdom on a solution-oriented approach to dealing with a rapidly changing climate. I think young adults and fully-fledged adults interested in climate adaptation would enjoy this read. -Victoria

Shadow of the Sith

Adam Christopher

SCIENCE FICTION Star Wars

"The Empire is dead. Nearly two decades after the Battle of Endor, the tattered remnants of Palpatine's forces have fled to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. But for the heroes of the New Republic, danger and loss are ever-present companions, even in this newly forged era of peace. Jedi Master Luke Skywalker is haunted by visions of the dark side, foretelling an ominous secret growing somewhere in the depths of space, on a dead world called Exegol. The disturbance in the Force is undeniable ... and Luke's worst fears are confirmed when his old friend Lando Calrissian comes to him with reports of a new Sith menace. After Lando's daughter was stolen from his arms, he searched the stars for any trace of his lost child. But every new rumor leads only to dead ends and fading hopes--until he crosses paths with Ochi of Bestoon, a Sith assassin tasked with kidnapping a young girl. Ochi's true motives remain shrouded to Luke and Lando. For on a junkyard moon, a mysterious envoy of the Sith Eternal has bequeathed a sacred blade to the assassin, promising that it will answer the questions that have haunted him since the Empire fell. In exchange, he must complete a final mission: Return to Exegol with the key to the Sith's glorious rebirth--Rey, the granddaughter of Darth Sidious himself. As Ochi hunts Rey and her parents to the edge of the galaxy, Luke and Lando race into the mystery of the Sith's lingering shadow and aid a young family running for their lives" --

I am not a fan of "The Rise of Skywalker," but this book goes a long way to fill in information that should've been in that movie. Also, it's fun to have Luke and Lando go on a mission together, and the connections to other Star Wars stories--in the comics and elsewhere--are a great payoff. I consider this essential reading for Star Wars fans. -Brian

Metroid Prime Remastered

ON ORDER VIDEO GAME

Get behind the visor of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran in her critically-acclaimed first-person adventure Step into the boots of Samus Aran as you navigate the winding paths and interconnected environments of an alluring-yet-dangerous alien planet. Use powers like the iconic Morph Ball and Grapple Beam to revisit hard-to-reach areas and find a path forward. With revamped graphics, sound, unlockable art, and updated control schemes, Samus’ 3D platforming debut has reached greater heights. Calm and capable, Samus takes on this solo mission…but she is far from alone.

Metroid Prime quickly became one of my favorite games ever when I played it 20 years ago. Remastered shows that the gameplay has aged well while the visuals have gotten an upgrade. Playing this game in handheld mode is immersive and the updated control scheme is a welcome change. This is the best way to experience Metroid Prime. -Brian

A bed of stars

Jessica Love

jE Love
Picture Books

A reassuring picture book about finding one's place in the world follows a father as he takes his child on their first camping trip where he shows, under a blanket of stars, that the universe is a friendly place.

Jessica Love (author of Julián is a mermaid and Julián at the Wedding,) has created another wonderful picture book. A Bed of Stars follows a child's first camping adventure into the desert with his father. I especially love the way Love creates warm and familiar inter-generational relationships that are so authentic and addresses core fears children have, while also presenting real ways to address them (via loving and patient family members). As an added bonus, you can learn about desert flora and fauna; "we say hello: ocotillo, globemallow, agave". -Victoria

Infinity gate

M. R. Carey

SCIENCE FICTION Carey, M. R.
Science Fiction, Adventure

"The Pandominion: a political and trading alliance of a million worlds. Except that they're really just one world, Earth, in many different realities. And when an A.I. threat arises that could destroy everything the Pandominion has built, they'll eradicate it by whatever means necessary. Scientist Hadiz Tambuwal is looking for a solution to her own Earth's environmental collapse when she stumbles across the secret of inter-dimensional travel, a secret that could save everyone on her dying planet. It leads her into the middle of a war on a scale she never dreamed of. And she needs to choose a side before every reality pays the price."--Provided by publisher.

Truly a sweeping epic, Infinity Gate is a face paced read, packed with lots of action and many memorable characters. Taking a different approach to how the multiverse works, there is no effective space travel and movement between realities, using what's termed Step technology, takes travelers to the exact same spot on a variant Earth to where they departed from on there own version Earth. Thrown into the mix are different cultural, historical, and evolutionary paths on each world, some fairly similar, others wildly different. To keep everything from getting out of hand, there is a very larger and extensive government/control structure in place, the Pandominion, which calls all the shots and has a well developed enforcement army. Unfortunately, there is also another force out in the multiverse that has a very different approach to things, especially the idea of sentience. -Paul

Hell bent

Leigh Bardugo

SCIENCE FICTION Bardugo, Leigh
Fantasy, Horror

"Alex Stern returns in #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo's Hell Bent, another tale of murder and dark magic set among the Ivy League elite."

Hell Bent was worth the wait! If you enjoyed Ninth House or the Grishaverse series I highly recommend Hell Bent. -Casey

Star Wars. The Mandalorian, Season 1

Rodney (Producer) Barnes

COMIC Star Wars Mandalorian Season 1
Graphic Novels, Science Fiction, Adventure

"Din Djarin, the armored bounty hunter known to friend and enemy as simply the Mandalorian, has agreed to track down a target for a mysterious ex-Imperial client who offers to pay in Beskar, a rare metal revered by Mandalorians. But when Djarin locates the target--an adorable green toddler--all bets are off! Will Djarin follow his Mandalorian code and turn over the Child? And if he doesn't, what will the consequences be?"--Back cover of Season 1, part 1.

This is a beautiful comic version of the hit series. Learn to love Baby Yoda all over again! -Mykle

A library

Giovanni, Nikki, author.

jE Giovanni
Picture Books, Kids

In what other place can a child "sail their dreams" and "surf the rainbow" without ever leaving the room? This ode to libraries is a celebration for everyone who loves stories, from seasoned readers to those just learning to love words, and it will have kids and parents alike imagining where their library can take them. This inspiring read-aloud includes stunning illustrations and a note from Nikki Giovanni about the importance of libraries in her own childhood.

Lyrical and visually pretty the text will keep you and your child entertained to the end. A great book to discuss what makes your local library great. -Angie

Dewey : there's a cat in the library!

Myron, Vicki.

jE Myron
Kids

Tells the story of Dewey Readmore Books, a kitten abandoned in the Spencer Library return box and nursed back to health by a librarian, who discovers that (like his librarian friends) helping people big and small is what he is meant to do.

A book list about Libraries wouldn't be complete without the most famous library cat from an Iowa Library! -Angie

The golden spoon : a novel

Jessa Maxwell

MYSTERY Maxwell, Jessa
Fiction, Humor, Mystery

“This delicious combination of Clue and The Great British Bake Off kept me turning the pages all night!” —Janet Evanovich, #1 New York Times bestselling author Only Murders in the Building meets The Maid in this darkly beguiling locked-room mystery where someone turns up dead on the set of TV’s hottest baking competition—perfect for fans of Nita Prose, Richard Osman, and Anthony Horowitz. Every summer for the past ten years, six awe-struck bakers have descended on the grounds of Grafton, the leafy and imposing Vermont estate that is not only the filming site for “Bake Week” but also the childhood home of the show’s famous host, celebrated baker Betsy Martin. The author of numerous bestselling cookbooks and hailed as “America’s Grandmother,” Betsy Martin isn’t as warm off-screen as on, though no one needs to know that but her. She has always demanded perfection, and gotten it with a smile, but this year something is off. As the baking competition commences, things begin to go awry. At first, it’s merely sabotage—sugar replaced with salt, a burner turned to high—but when a body is discovered, everyone is a suspect. A sharp and suspenseful thriller for mystery buffs and avid bakers alike, The Golden Spoon is a brilliant puzzle filled with shocking twists and turns that will keep you reading late into the night until you turn the very last page of this incredible debut.

I reserved this book after I read that it was like as if The Great British Baking Show written with the cast of Clue. Okay, so there's no Professor Plum or Colonel Mustard (savory mustard plum pie, anyone?), but the characters are as hyperbolical and hilarious as the original ensemble. I let out some cackles during the beginning monologues of each character, fully in on the inside jokes of reality TV baking and cooking show fandom. Don't go into this book looking for nuance and subtlety. You will want over-the-topness with this story. -Melody

The devil and Sherlock Holmes : tales of murder, madness, and obsession

David Grann

364.1 /Grann
Nonfiction, True Crime

Collection of the journalist's articles previously published in varous periodicals.

I love David Grann's long-form writing (Lost City of Z, Killers of the Flower Moon), and the short pieces in this collection are like delicious little snacks to tide me over while waiting for my hold on his newest work (The Wager: A tale of shipwreck, mutiny and murder) to come up. I think a lot of folks who find themselves in the business of libraries are really just interested in a little bit of everything, and Grann shows himself to be of a similar ilk here, chasing down random, elusive, interesting stories that he'd heard about and taken note of. His writing is both detailed and effusive, and of course, well-researched. Reading this book is like being told the best stories from a super-smart, congenial friend! -Candice