May 2024

It’s May! Enjoy the warm weather with one of our Staff Picks!

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Paula – Circulation

I’m Glad My Mom Died, by Jennette McCurdy, Teen Lincoln Nominees YA 921 McCurdy, J.

I grew up watching Nickelodeon and iCarly, so when Jennette released this I knew I had to read it at some point. I just finished watching the Quiet on Set documentary, so now felt as good of a time as any to read this. It was powerful and heart-wrenching, sad and disturbing, and at times funny and enlightening. To know that all of this was going on while I sat and enjoyed iCarly almost brings me to tears. It goes to show that some people really should not be parents. The abuse and gaslighting that Jennette had to endure up until her early twenties is just heart breaking. Not to mention the awful treatment she received while working on the Nickelodeon set. The memoir is wonderfully written. The writing feels like it’s voiced from whatever age Jennette is narrating from, if that makes sense. Like when she’s talking about the events from when she was a little kid, it feels like a little kid is narrating it. The writing matures as Jennette gets older throughout the book. The details of her abuse, pain, eating disorders, and general struggles with life are hard to read sometimes because they’re so descriptive. But they are insightful into the world of stardom that so little of us know about.

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Chris – Technical Services

How to be Old: Lessons in Living Boldly from the Accidental Icon, by Lyn Slater, New Nonfiction 305.26 SLA

As you age, you don’t have to grow old in mind and attitude. As life changes, accept the challenges that face you. Look at it as a new beginning, new phase. Learn new things, meet new people, and stay connected and creative. Think of yourself as a work in progress!

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Forgotten Sisters, by Cynthia Pelayo, New Fiction Pelayo

This is tagged horror, but it also incorporates the crime and detective genre, which interests me. The author charms us with her tales of Chicago history; some lost, some forgotten. This story involves the bonds between two sisters, past and present, and a long-forgotten disaster on the Chicago river that changed the lives of many families back in 1915 Chicago.

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Leslie – Circulation

Better Things, starring Pamela Adlon, Celia Imrie, and Mikey Madison, TV Series DVD Better Things

If you are in the mood for a smart, funny series dealing with raising girls, being single, and working in the acting field, give this a try. Sam Fox is a single mom raising her girls and she encounters many real life parenting issues that are both funny and touching. I enjoyed her family and the circle of friends, while  watching Sam cook up a storm in the kitchen! I will miss this family and I was very sad to see this series come to an end.

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Carrie Soto is Back, by Taylor Jenkins Reid, New Fiction Reid

Carrie Sotto retired at the top of her tennis game, holding records for twenty Grand Slam titles. Six years later, Carrie Sotto is coming back to reclaim her title that is being challenged by the young tennis star Nikki Chan. Determined to prove she can still do it even at the age of 37, she works with her father, who was her former coach, to train and get back on the top. This story follows her training and determination to prove she still has it. She is back! I am not a sports fan but I found this story and her relationship with her father easy to get wrapped up in, not to mention love interest Bowe Huntley. The author, Taylor Jenkins Reid, is best known for her runaway bestseller, Daisy Jones & The Six, which also aired on Amazon as a limited series. 

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What You Are Looking For is in The Library, by Michiko Aoyama, New Fiction Aoyama

This book is an amazing collection of stories, full of wisdom that you may feel the need to jot down. Sayuri Komachi is a librarian with a unique ability to give patrons book recommendations that they need in their life to move forward. I love the way the stories and characters end up connected. Simply put, a gem. 

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Michelle – Administration

First Lie Wins, by Ashley Elston, New Fiction Elston

Here I am, recommending yet another Reese’s Book Club pick (after it was recommended to me by an OBPL staff member). First Lie Wins is a very twisty, fun novel about a woman who may or may not be a con artist. I don’t want to say too much and give away the plot, but if you are looking for a mystery that will keep you guessing until the end, this is the book for you!

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Maybe Next Time, by Cesca Major, Fiction Major

I just finished this book and I am writing this review with tears in my eyes. This is a moving story about a woman, Emma, who relives the same day of her life over and over again, but the kicker is that her world falls apart in the same way at the end of each day. I think almost anyone can see parts of themselves in Emma, which really makes the story feel so poignant. I would recommend picking up this book, but take my advice and have a box of tissues nearby.

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Dom – Youth Services

No Offense, by Meg Cabot, Fiction Cabot

A cute, fun romance that is second in the Little Bridge Island series about a rotating cast of characters and their stories on the island. No Offense focuses on Molly and John; a new-in-town children’s librarian who has just found an abandoned baby in her library, and John, the Sheriff investigating the case. This book is cute, soft, low stakes, and a great overall read. While they can all be read separately, this is the second book in the series and Meg Cabot, once again, delivers a wonderful cast of characters and funny/heartfelt romances.

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Katie – Circulation

Weyward, by Emilia Hart, Fiction Hart

Told from the perspectives of three different women across several centuries, this book keeps you riveted from chapter one. Altha is a young woman on trial for murder by witchcraft in 1619. Violet is 16 years old in World War II England, and has lived her entire life on her father’s estate, never leaving the grounds. Kate is a domestic abuse victim fleeing London and her abusive partner in 2019. The way the narrative shifts from each person’s story to the other, keeping the reader just on the edge of the full picture, keeping the reader fully engaged! What weaves these women together? I hope you enjoy finding out as much as I did!

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The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart, by Holly Ringland, available as an ebook/audiobook through Libby

We only own this book in electronic form (Audiobook, Ebook, and Kindle) but if you want to get it in print form, I will gladly place it on hold for you! I will say the audiobook narrator was fantastic! This debut book by Holly Ringland is a deeply moving tale about the generational effects trauma has on life choices and the uplifting, healing, and transformative power that support, love, and acceptance of those around you can have! It is told from the perspectives of a diverse cast of women who have shared life experiences, and is about the importance of seeing yourself in another’s struggles but letting them make their own way and choices. Each chapter begins with a description of an Australian flower, what the flower represents in the “Language of Flowers,” and how the women use that language to communicate, survive, and eventually thrive!

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The Color of Magic, by Terry Pratchett, Young Adult Fiction YA Pratchett 

This is the first book in the DiscWorld series, and while I had read Good Omens and Terry’s collected short stories and his Long World series, I hadn’t gotten around to this series yet. With his trademark tongue in cheek style that transcends or even blends genres, Terry weaves a whimsical tale of magic, mishaps, adventure, accidental romance, and ridiculous reluctant heroism all while poking fun at some of societies flaws along the way! This book and the follow up book, “The Light Fantastic,” are the only two that must be read in order as far as I can tell, the rest can just be read as you find them, unless, like me, you’re a slave to chronology! Enjoy!

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Hubbell – Circulation

Cold People, by Tom Rob Smith, Fiction Smith

Tom Rob Smith’s post-apocalyptic take is unique: aliens attack earth for reasons unknown, forcing any human who wants to survive to move to Antarctica within 24 hours. The premise echoes the human history of intraspecies forced relocation, in all its unjust brutality. As civilization rapidly collapses, Antarctica becomes populated by many factions: the political elite, military factions, the super-rich, and a chunk of normal folks who arrive by any means necessary. Instead of the new polar community succumbing to infighting, the Cold People manage to thrive and find a shared humanity through the challenge survival. But in their effort to overcome the elements, the humans create something new, altering their own identity in ways physical and otherwise. Will the new generations co-exist? Or will the new Cold People leave behind the last generation of humans?

April 2024

April is the month for fools, and we were fools for thinking these books and movies would be good! Take a look at our Staff Anti-Picks. These were so bad that we just had to complain about them. We didn’t enjoy them, but maybe you will!

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Paula – Circulation

It Ends With Us, by Colleen Hoover, Fiction Hoover

I was so disappointed with this book. It’s probably one of the most hyped books I’ve heard of, but it was so bad. First of all, I was told it was spicy. It is not. It’s mild spice at best. Second, Ryle is probably one of the worst characters I’ve ever read about. Even if he wasn’t an abusive jerk, there were so many red flags in the beginning that anyone in real life would’ve picked up on. Begging someone for sex because they can’t do their job? Bragging about being so good that their partner doesn’t have to do any work? I’m sorry, but if someone ever says that to you, they are not worth your time. I know the purpose of this book was to delve into how hard it can be to be in an abusive relationship, especially when you still love the abuser. But Colleen Hoover missed the mark. It’s being marketed as a romance book, which is just wrong. IT IS NOT A ROMANCE BOOK. It’s about domestic abuse! At times it almost seems like Ryle’s actions are acceptable, but they are not. At all. Why doesn’t Ryle go get actual help?? How can Lily feel comfortable maintaining a relationship with him? Also, a lot of the book was just plain boring. The first half of the book just dragged. I don’t know how I managed to get through it. The writing was just so bad. The whole relationship with Atlas started to feel irrelevant after a certain point. He’s pretty much just a plot point to fuel Ryle’s rage. If you’re looking for a good romance book that this was supposedly promised to be, you’re out of luck.

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From Blood and Ash series, by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Fiction Armentrout

This romantasy series was recommended to me because I absolutely loved the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. I’m so mad I wasted my time reading this. I somehow got through the first three books, and each book kept getting worse and worse. It’s a cheap knock-off of ACOTAR with horrible writing and even worse characters. The main characters are just plain annoying. Poppy is a “special girl who isn’t like other girls” and is as dumb as a rock. Casteel is a bad-boy frat bro who clearly doesn’t know what consent means. He ignores what Poppy actually wants and tries to make her believe that she likes what he is doing. He’s also hundreds of years old and acts like a teenager. He’s creepy and gross and probably the worst love interest I’ve ever read about. Poppy and Casteel know each other for a handful of months but are hopelessly iN lOvE wItH eAcH oThEr, but that’s a problem because it’s “forbidden and not meant to be.” Haven’t heard that one before. Also, the world building is just terrible. There are different categories of vampires and gods but they honestly all sound the same and I couldn’t tell you the difference between them because the author barely explains what the difference is. There are whole chapters dedicated to boring info dumps that I started skipping because they really weren’t relevant to the story. The plot twists are so predictable that anyone could’ve seen them coming from a mile away. I just don’t have it in me to read any more of this series. If I do, it’s because I just want to see how badly it ends. Don’t be like me, avoid this series at all costs.

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The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho, Fiction Coelho

If there’s one thing I hate in books and movies, it’s a pointless journey. And that’s what this whole book is. A pointless journey. The main character, whose name I can’t even remember, basically goes on a treasure hunt and tries to find himself or something. Along the way, he gets beaten up, taken advantage of, and gets his money stolen multiple times. He makes it to the end just to be told the treasure is actually in the place he first started in. SO HE WENT ALL THAT WAY FOR NOTHING. People say it’s aBoUt tHe jOuRnEy, nOt tHe dEsTiNaTiOn. Nah man, if I journeyed all that way for nothing I would be extremely mad. During the journey, he also tells a girl he’s known for thirty seconds that he loves her and wants to marry her, and she’s like “sure ok I love you too you weird creepy dude I’ve only just met.” Boooo, boo the fast, ridiculous romance that has no development. I also couldn’t get into the whole “soul of the world” thing and him talking to his heart and the wind and the trees and the sky and all that. It was just too much. Overall, if someone is going on a treasure hunt, there better be treasure at the end.

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Leslie – Circulation

Everyone In My Family Has Killed Someone, by Benjamin Stevenson, Fiction Stevenson

This book received so many rave reviews but I just could not get into it. I couldn’t tell you a thing about it. I struggled through the whole book.

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Melissa – Technical Services

Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Cheryl Strayed, Biography 921 Strayed, C.

At 22, Strayed loses her mother and amidst the grief, all of her family falls apart. Siblings drift and her marriage crumbles after she repeatedly cheats on her husband. Then she turns to drugs. So she decides to hike the PCT alone, with no hiking experience, to “find herself.” Ugh. Her experiences should garner empathy, but what readers get is preachy, empty, and repetitive. Her character is unsufferable. Thumbs down.

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The Cottage on Pumpkin and Vine, by Kate Angell, Fiction Cottage

It’s dubbed a Halloween romance, so definitely for light, cozy reading. A popular decorator has hired a moving team to decorate an old mansion for a Halloween party. On page 2: “They didn’t like being bossed around by a woman, not even an attractive one.” Okay so we’ve got sexism as a tool for friction and tension. So the dude doesn’t like Halloween, and this is supposed to give him some dimension. But when, on page 4, he needs to take a break from the job because he is overwhelmed at the thought of “ghostly boos and cackling witches” and “needed to clear his head”. Just ugh. The author is going for an angsty manly mover-man, but all I see is whiny and pathetic. Page 4, and I’m out.

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Cathy – Circulation

Radium Girls, starring Joey King, Abby Quinn, and Cara Seymour, DVD Radium Girls

Interesting story but horribly acted and over all a bad movie. However the upside is the book might be good! How many of us think the book is better than the movie! 

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I Must Be Dreaming, by Roz Chast, Graphic Novel Chast

I absolutely love her work! This was not a good book! So bad didn’t finish it! Her book titled Can’t We Talk about Something Else is outstanding. She is a cartoonist for the New Yorker and is usually spot on with her observations of everyday life and such. Please choose another book by her and put this one back on the shelf! Eekks!! 

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Katie – Circulation

Wuthering Heights, by Emily Bronte, Fiction Bronte

As a teen I reveled in the tragedy and the thwarted love aspects of this book, but on re-reading it as an adult it is just annoying! Each character makes worse and worse decisions, and they make each other’s lives worse for it. The only character in it who is half-way worthwhile bears the brunt of the moody machinations of the main characters! Sorry to anyone who liked it, but it I find it just awful!

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Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff, Fiction Groff

In all honesty, I should have made this an exception to my rule of “read a book through to the end before judging it.” I should have just given up by the second or third time the main characters made me roll my eyes and harrumph. I kept waiting for the trials and tribulations to bring about some character development, some redeeming quality. It never happens. The characters are selfish, flawed, shallow, and honestly not believable either. The author seems to be trying so hard to write the “great American novel,” her prose is expansive and excessive! And don’t even get me started about the dog! Again, apologies if you liked this book, and I totally get that there are many people to whom bad things happen and it doesn’t make them better people, but I’d rather not waste my time reading about them. 

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Soha – Youth Services

Midsommar, starring Florence Pugh, Jack Reynor, and Will Poulter, DVD Midsommar

I have a background in cultural anthropology, and let me tell you, SPOILER​: they all deserve everything that happens to them (minus Florence Pugh, her poor character). These so called anthropology grad students give the rest of us a really bad name. They teach you universal rules as a cultural anthropologist in ANTH101….. 101 PEOPLE!!! And they broke every single one of them. I can’t speak for the characters who were not portrayed as Anthro students, but for those who knew better, shame on them. I enjoyed watching their demise at the end. Absolutely ridiculous. I watched it when it came out in theaters and I was marinating the entire time. Still marinating about it. Really interesting movie, highly recommend it, but I will never watch it again.

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Hubbell – Circulation

Oppenheimer, starring Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Robert Downey Jr., New DVD Oppenheimer

Was this a movie about the worst invention of all time? Or about Robert Oppenheimer’s epic sex life? Or his political persecution? Or about those down-home sensibilities of New Mexican ranching? This viewer could not see through all the muck through to the Oscar stage. The acting is fine; I found Florence Pugh’s performance the most engaging. But the film tried to touch on so much that nothing impressed.

 

February 2024

It’s February! Fall in love with one of our Staff Picks!

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Paula – Circulation

Clap When You Land, by Elizabeth Acevedo, Teen Lincoln Nominees YA Acevedo

Clap When You Land is a novel in verse about two girls who live worlds apart, but are driven together through grief. Camino Rios lives in the Dominican Republic, while Yahaira Rios lives in New York City. Neither knows the other exists, and neither know that they share the same father. When Papi is on his way from New York to the Dominican Republic, tragedy strikes and he is killed in a plane crash. Papi’s death slowly begins to reveal all of the secrets he kept as his two families navigate life without him. When Camino and Yahaira learn of each other, they realize they have more in common than they ever could have thought. I normally don’t read a lot of realistic fiction or novels written in verse, but I’m so glad I read this one. This is a truly beautiful story of two girls dealing with loss and grief. I’ve read other books where the authors don’t do a very good job of writing about grief, but Elizabeth Acevedo absolutely excels at it. There were times I had to pause while reading because the emotions were so powerful. The writing is phenomenal as well. The prose flows beautifully from one sentence to the next. I will definitely be reading more of the author’s books.

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Leslie – Circulation

Brooklyn, starring Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters, DVD Brooklyn

Saoirse Ronan stars as Ellis Lacey, a young Irish immigrant in Brooklyn, looking to find new opportunities. Ellis is extremely homesick but along the way she falls in love. When news from home calls her home, she has to decide if she will stay or go home. Enjoy this sweet love story for the Month of February! 

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Broadchurch, starring David Tennant, Olivia Colman, and Jodie Whittaker, TV Series DVD Broadchurch Season 1

This mystery drama is set in the fictional English seaside town of Broadchurch. When the body of 11-year-old Danny is found washed up on the beach, it turns this small town upside down. Detectives Ellie Miller and Alec Hardy team up to solve the mystery, and the suspect list keeps growing. I had no idea who did it and the ending was a complete gut wrenching shock. The acting is superior and you will get sucked into this small town mystery. 

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Bright Young Women, by Jessica Knoll, New Fiction Knoll

This reads like a thriller. Sadly it is based on the real crimes of a real serial killer and his attacks on a sorority in Florida. What I liked about this novel is that it focuses on the victims and the people that knew them and their quest to see justice. Pamela Schumacher, president of the sorority, teams up with Tina Cannon from Seattle, who has also lost someone thought to be by the same killer. This shows their struggles to be heard by the police and shines a light on the bright, beautiful women who lost their lives. 

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Michelle – Administration

Holly, by Stephen King, New Fiction King

After his last few books have moved into other genres, Stephen King returns to his horror roots with this creepy story. Fan-favorite character Holly Gibney returns as the main lead, investigating a series of missing persons in the college neighborhood of a midwestern town. King, once again, shows why he is one of the most successful authors around. I could not, and did not want to, put this book down. From the first few pages, I was completely drawn into the story and couldn’t wait to see it unfold. One word of caution – while the book is not graphic, it is not for the faint of heart. The subject matter is quite gruesome.

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Theresa – Youth Services

The Hiddenseek, by Nate Cernosek, Juvenile Fiction J Cernosek

A vindictive game of Hide-And-Seek turns into a nightmare. While playing, a brother and sister, Holly and Hector Thorn, find themselves in an alternate universe called the “Hiddenseek.” They are hiding from a frightening, morphing creature called “It,” which was created by witchcraft gone wrong about 100 years earlier. The reader is taken on their scary adventure as Holly and Hector struggle to find their way back home. This riveting story kept me guessing until the very end.

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Chris – Technical Services

Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio, starring Gregory Mann, Ewan McGregor, David Bradley, Ron Perlman, and Cate Blanchett, New DVD Pinocchio

If you have seen Pan’s Labyrinth (3 Oscars) or The Shape of Water (4 Oscars), you know how detailed he gets telling his stories. It is another dark telling of the tale, with twists including musical numbers!

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Katie – Circulation

A Northern Gardener’s Guide to Native Plants and Pollinators, by Lorraine Johnson, Nonfiction 635.0974 JOH

Although February is still officially winter, cold, and blah, it’s the perfect time to start planning your garden! If you want to start seeds inside, it is a great time to do that as well. If you are planning a new garden, be sure to get this book and see what lovely native plants you can add to help heal the struggling pollinators ecosystem! Many gardeners choose plants based on looks and color, and this leads to non-native and sometimes invasive species that can harm the food supply of our native pollinators! One of the best ways to help is to plant native plants that especially attract these wonderful beneficial critters!

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The City of Brass, by S. A. Chakraborty, Fiction Chakraborty

Nahri is an orphan with no memory of who she is or where she came from. She survives by her wits and her strange unexplained skill at diagnosing and sometimes healing people’s ills and ailments, as well as helping at the Apothecaries’ shop in Cairo. She dreams of saving enough money to go to Istanbul and become a real doctor, but can barely afford the rent for her street stall and food. So maybe she tries less than legal odd jobs here and there, to make ends meet. When one of these jobs goes horribly wrong, and she accidentally summons a Gin, her future is thrown into a whirlwind of magic, mystery, and maybe, the answer to her missing past. Make sure to have the next books in the series, Kingdom of Copper and Empire of Gold ready on standby!

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Nancy – Reference

A Good Person, starring Morgan Freeman, Florence Pugh, and Molly Shannon, New DVD Good Person

Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh are spectacular in this emotionally fraught movie. When a tragic accident turns their lives upside down, they must find the strength to carry on and forgive.

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The Road Dance, starring Hermione Corfield, Morven Christie, and Mark Gatiss, New DVD Road Dance

Set on the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland, The Road Dance takes a young girl’s dream of happiness and spins it on its head. Hermione Corfield is perfect as Kirsty, a young girl who longs to one day leave the island. She and her beau, Murdo (Will Fletcher), dream of traveling to America. Before their dream can take hold, Murdo and the other young men in the village are conscripted to fight in World War I. The villagers plan a road dance for the eve of their departure which, unfortunately, sets off a series of events which threaten to destroy Kirsty’s life.  

January 2024

It’s January! Spend the new year with one of our Staff Picks!

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Leslie – Circulation

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Q. Sutanto, New Fiction Sutanto

Vera Wong is the owner of a small, rarely visited tea shop in San Francisco. One day, Vera wakes up to find a dead body in her tea shop! Widowed and with too much time on her hands, Vera decides to solve the murder herself. While sleuthing, Vera takes it upon herself to befriend the suspects in hopes of digging up clues to help her solve the crime. Between interrogations, Vera is always cooking and brewing tea throughout the story. I loved the descriptions of the tea and the meals Vera cooked up. A nice, light-hearted mystery. A GoodReads top selection for 2023 in Mysteries. 

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Catch Me if You Can, starring Tom Hanks, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Christopher Walken, DVD Catch

Tom Hanks and Leonardo Dicaprio team up in this thrilling true story of the master con artist posing as a pilot, lawyer, and doctor. It is truly amazing what he gets away with, but Tom Hanks as the FBI detective is hot on his tail. Just pure fun entertainment. 

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Philomena, starring Judi Dench, Steve Coogan, and Sophie Kennedy Clark, DVD Philomena

The tragic true story of Philomena Lee, who was forced to give up her son for adoption in 1952. Fifty years later she is on a journey to Ireland to find her son. Martin Sixsmith, a former BBC reporter, joins Philomena to document her search and write his next big story. They make and unlikely pair of traveling companions but soon are bonded on their quest. Tissues required! 

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Reenie – Youth Services

The Labors of Hercules Beal, by Gary D. Schmidt, Juvenile Fiction J Schmidt

This story follows a 12-year-old boy named Hercules in the year following the tragic death of his parents. His older brother, Achilles (their parents liked the myths) moves back to town in Cape Cod, Massachusetts to take over the family farm and nursery and watch over Hercules as best he can. Achilles’s first idea in his new parental role is getting Hercules a scholarship to go to the Cape Cod Academy for Environmental Sciences to be closer to help out around the business. Hercules is assigned to the class of a stern ex-military officer, Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer. Lieutenant Colonel Hupfer is a no-nonsense teacher whose key phrase is “I don’t care” when a student complains about any assignments. He assigns the students a year-long project based on the Ancient World and of course, gives Hercules the one based on the Twelve Labors of Hercules and how they relate to his life. Having to report monthly on how his project is going, you start to see how Hercules is navigating and struggling in his life after his family tragedy. With a very descriptive cast of characters including his best friend Elly, Achilles’s girlfriend Viola, who Hercules suspects is a vampire, Mindy the stray dog he adopts, pirate cat, and a variety of other neighbors and teachers who are pivotal in his Twelve Labors, you can definitely empathize with his challenges in life. As in the myth The Labors of Hercules, just when it seems like things are smooth sailing, there are other challenges that present themselves. This story keeps you on your toes but in a good way. As Hercules repeats throughout the book, all with different meanings behind it: “Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!”

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Hubbell – Circulation

Pearl, starring Mia Goth, David Corenswet, and Tandi Wright, DVD Pearl

Mia Goth slays! No, literally, she slays. Ti West’s second installment in his horror series, X, is weird and timely. Pearl is a lonely, isolated young woman who dreams of moving picture stardom. Set in rural America during the Spanish flu outbreak, Pearl draws some parallels to our Covid shutdowns but breaks right out of that mold when Pearl discovers she has some latent murderous tendencies, all in amazing technicolor!

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Homicide: The Graphic Novel Part One, by Philippe Squarzoni, based on the book by David Simon, New Graphic Novel Simon (Graphic)

David Simon’s famed career as Baltimore Sun crime reporter turned executive producer of Homicide: Life on the Streets, The Corner, and the seminal The Wire, turns out another iteration of life in Baltimore, long the epitome of urban drug violence in the US. This graphic novel adaptation is gritty and cerebral and a good intro into the medium as well. The story focuses almost entirely on the policework, how detectives analyze a scene and winnow down a suspect list, but also the background politics which lead to some murders being given resources and others being ignored entirely. If you’ve watched The Wire, you’ll love this.

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Katie – Circulation

After the Forest, by Kell Woods, New Fiction Woods

So many fairytales reimagined and rolled into one thrilly and spellbinding tale! Set in the 1600s against the backdrop of the Catholic/Protestant wars of eastern Europe, the book follows the story of Greta. She and brother Hans have survived the loss of their mother, a traumatic event in the forest, followed by the loss of their stepmother and father. The story takes place 15 years after these events; Greta is struggling to support herself and her brother through her baking of gingerbread. She needs to make money to pay off her brother’s gambling debts and stave off the advances of the lecherous Berger of the town. She has a secret that makes her gingerbread literally irresistible, a secret that could get her killed. Her childhood friend’s return from the war and a strange other-worldly encounter in the forest starts the strange events rolling that wend the way through legend, magic, folklore, and witchcraft to a surprising conclusion! 

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Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik, Fiction Novik 

This is a perfect read for winter! Miryem, the daughter of a Jewish moneylender, decides to take over the family business to save herself, her mother, and her far too generous father from starvation and cold. The winter has been longer and harsher than ever, following years of the same, and her father has been too forgiving of the debts the people of their small town owe. She is so successful in collecting debts and selling the items used as payment from those who don’t have the coin that she soon begins to turn a pretty profit and boasts of being able to turn silver to gold. The mysterious Staryk King overhears her and demands she accomplish this task for him. How she accomplishes this task sets off a series of events that will change not only her fate, but that of the peasant girl and her brothers, who she’s hired to work; a young lonely daughter of the local Duke; the Czar; and even the whole of the kingdom! With undertones of the Rumpelstiltskin story and other magical tales, this is the perfect read for a dark and stormy night!

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Uprooted, by Naomi Novik, available as an ebook/audiobook on Libby

Agnieszka, a plain young girl raised in the shadow of the Corrupted Wood, has always known that one day the Wizard, who protects her village and all the other villages of the valley from the forest, would take her best friend as his tribute when the time comes. Kasia is everything she is not: beautiful, graceful, and skilled at all things, so she is sure to be chosen as the Wizard’s tribute. But when Agnieszka herself is chosen, she learns there is much more to the Wizard, the Wood, and the fate of her world! She must learn fast to keep them all from being corrupted! With echoes of Beauty and the Beast, as well as other fairy tale themes, this book will keep you entranced right up to the surprising conclusion!

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Melissa – Technical Services

The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz, Fiction Korelitz, also available as an ebook through Libby and Boundless

Jacob Finch Bonner is a once-successful novelist, who now teaches writing at a small college. One of his students arrogantly claims to have a plot that will be akin to the next Da Vinci Code. Hearing it, Bonner realizes he is right, and stews a bit out of envy. After some time, he learns that his student has passed, having never published that incredible book. So Bonner writes it, and it is every bit the success he knew it would be. Only someone knows its origin and threatens to reveal everything. A fun 2-in-1 book where we read the main character’s story as well as the story he wrote.

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Nancy – Reference

To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights, by Angela Dalton, Juvenile Nonfiction J 921 Nichols, N. Dal 

As a Star Trek fan, I was very excited to find this book on the shelves! To Boldly Go not only highlights the importance of Nichelle Nichols’ character, Lieutenant Uhura, but also the impact Nichelle Nichols had on the Civil Rights movement. Her life was truly fascinating! 

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Strange Planet: The Sneaking, Hiding, Vibrating Creature, by Nathan W. Pyle, Juvenile Graphic Novel J Pyle (Graphic) 

Nathan W. Pyle’s Strange Planet picture book is fun for kids and adults! Join in the quest to learn more about the mysterious creature which is covered in thousands of soft fibers. Expand your vocabulary with the helpful glossary in the back of the book. Want more? Check out Strange Planet and Stranger Planet also by Nathan W. Pyle. 

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Paula – Circulation

Throne of Glass series, by Sarah J. Maas, Young Adult Fiction YA Maas

Obviously I had to start off the new year with a fantasy series. Throne of Glass is an epic series full of action, adventure, magic, and romance. Celaena Sardothien is the world’s most famous assassin. After spending time for her crimes in the salt mines, Celaena is given an offer she can’t refuse. In exchange for her freedom, she can enter into a tournament to become the King’s champion and personal assassin. Celaena agrees, and is thrust into the world of royals and courtiers. The other contestants are vicious and cruel, and Celaena must learn to navigate the tournament as well as the politics and schemes of the royal court. However, there is something dark and sinister brewing within the walls of the Glass Castle, something that threatens the entire world they live in. With the crown prince and Captain of the Guard as her allies, Celaena must find a way to win the tournament and save the world before it’s too late. Sarah J. Maas has created another fantasy masterpiece. The characters and world building are outstanding, as well as the character development throughout the series. One moment you’ll absolutely hate a character, the next you’ll love them. Each book gets better and better. The first two books definitely have more of a YA feel to them, but as the characters mature, so do the books. They’re long books, but definitely worth the read.

December 2023

It’s December! Enjoy the holidays with one of our Staff Picks!

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Michelle – Administration

Christmas at the Shelter Inn, by RaeAnne Thayne, New Fiction Thayne

For my first Christmas book I chose Christmas at the Shelter Inn and was put right in the holiday spirit with this cozy, heartfelt novel. The story centers around Natalie, who is returning home for the holidays for the first time in years, since she tried to leave her sad past behind. Before she can even get into town, she runs into her childhood crush. Between reconnecting with the people from her past and forming bonds with her newest family members, she begins to wonder where she truly belongs. Add in giant inflatable decorations, a blinding snowstorm, and a festive Christmas market, and you have all the makings for a feel-good holiday read!

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Leslie – Circulation

Cookies for Christmas, by Jennifer Darling, Nonfiction 641.86 DAR

This cookbook has an amazing selection of unique recipes that are sure to be yummy! Lots of beautiful pictures that will get you off to the kitchen to bake for the holidays.

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Barrel Fever: Stories and Essays, by David Sedaris, Fiction Sedaris

If you have never heard David Sedaris read his famous story about being a Christmas elf at Macy’s during the holidays, do yourself a favor and pick this up. It is witty and laugh out loud entertainment. This is also available on audio, which is well worth it to hear the author read his own works. If you ever worked retail during the holiday you will be able to relate! 

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The Dutch House, by Ann Patchett, Fiction Patchett

Ann Patchett’s writing will grab you and pull you into the story that is beautifully written and filled with great characters. The Dutch House is not an exception. When Cyril Conroy reaches financial success, his first large investment is a lavish estate in the Philadelphia suburbs. The Dutch House is meant as a surprise for his wife, but only brings bad fortune to those in the family. Danny and Maeve soon find themselves exiled from the home and the family fortune by the stepmother. The siblings are bonded over their loss and often drive by and watch their beloved home. Together they are bound and determined to set things right and during the process they find  their relationship tested. The descriptions of home make it feel like it is its own character in the book. 

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The Sweetness of Water, by Nathan Harris, Fiction Harris 

Set during the Civil War, two brothers Prentice and Landry are freed by the Emancipation Proclamation and find themselves seeking refuge on the farm of George Walker. George and his wife Isabelle have just lost a son in the war and are grieving deeply when the brothers arrive on their homestead. The brothers stay on to help work the farm and save money to go north in search of their mother. Meanwhile a forbidden romance between two confederate soldiers is discovered and the response from the community leads to further turmoil during this already difficult time. I loved the beautiful relationship between the brothers and the Walkers in this dark and troubling story.   

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Paula – Circulation

Warmer in the Winter, by Lindsey Stirling, CD 781.72 Stirling

For those who don’t know, Lindsey Stirling is a phenomenal electric violinist and dancer. This is her first Christmas album, Warmer in the Winter. It is filled with wonderful Christmas classics as well as a few originals by Lindsey. Each song has a unique spin on it that only Lindsey can pull off. Every time I listen to her play, I am truly captivated. The sound of her violin is like a heavenly choir, but sung on strings. This album has become one of my favorites to listen to during the holiday season.

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Almost Christmas, starring Danny Glover, Mo’Nique, and Gabrielle Union, DVD Almost Christmas

If your holidays are usually filled with some kind of dysfunctional family shenanigans, this movie is for you. It’s the first Christmas since the family matriarch has died, and all widower Walter wants is for his adult children and their families to get along for the holidays. They all gather at the family home they grew up in, and it all goes downhill from there. Chaos ensues, arguments are had, and dinners are ruined. Walter can only hope that recreating his late wife’s infamous sweet potato pie can bring the family together. My family and I love watching this movie because it’s real. It’s hilarious and relatable, because not all holidays are shiny and perfect. There are so many laugh-out-loud moments that’ll reassure you that it’s ok if your holiday doesn’t go exactly as planned.

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Melissa – Technical Services

Christmas at Little Beach Street Bakery, by Jenny Colgan, Fiction Colgan

The story takes place in a Cornish coastal village, which is the perfect small-town, chilly setting. Polly and her beau bought the historic lighthouse, and live there despite the many inconveniences. That lighthouse is the pinnacle of cozy winter. Polly’s BFF is expecting her first child. Except, roughly nine months ago, she had a one-night-stand during a rough patch. So she’s fretting if the baby will come out as a “six foot Brazilian stripper” instead of a short and chubby red-head. Polly herself is engaged, but hesitant to make the final leap, worrying that she will disappoint as both a wife and mother. But of course, it all ends well and from now on, our troubles are out of sight.

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Dominique – Youth Services

I Am Still Alive, by Kate Alice Marshall, Young Adult Fiction YA Marshall

A girl fighting for her life while fighting the elements. Winter is coming fast, and Jess is all alone in the middle of nowhere with no way to contact anyone for help. Already injured and going into the wilderness with little to no knowledge of survival, this book will have readers rooting for Jess and her dog Bo as they face challenges and defeat them over and over again, just hoping they’ll make it through winter.  

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Nancy – Reference

Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, Fiction Keegan

This slim book is perfect reading for a snowy December day. Claire Keegan expertly depicts the daily life of a coal merchant, Bill Furlong, in a small town in Ireland. Bill makes his deliveries, attends church, and settles in with his family in the evenings. He struggles to find moments for reflection as he questions what “the work and the constant worry” is all for. When he stumbles upon a long held town secret, he is faced with a life changing decision.

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I Must Be Dreaming, by Roz Chast, New Graphic Novel Chast

Roz Chast brings her wacky dreams to the page in her unique style. The graphics add to the hilarity of her dreams and may just inspire you to keep your own dream journal! 

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Katie – Circulation

A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories, by Terry Pratchett, New Fiction Pratchett 

It is always sad when a great writer is taken from us too soon, and rarely has that been more true than with Terry Pratchett. Thus my delight at this latest book, a collections of stories he published under a different name, in old newspapers in England. With his customary charm and wit, he weaves tales of fantasy with aspects of such commonality that one easily could believe other worlds lay around any corner, or through any little crack in a cliff, if only we have to good luck to stumble upon them! Enjoy! 

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Black Sun, by Rebecca Roanhorse, Fiction Roanhorse

An epic fantasy that twines mystery, history, and adventure! Inspired by Native American mythologies, the book follows various rich and interestingly complex characters as they plot, scheme, fight, and aspire to greatness. All of their lives and plans are inexorably drawn together for the final show down at Winter Solstice. Who will be triumphant? Cliff hanger alert, have the second book (Fevered Star) ready and waiting when you finish. Lucky for you, you won’t have to wait a few years like I did!

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Chris – Technical Services

Murdoch Mysteries: The Christmas Cases, starring Yannick Bisson, Helene Joy, and Thomas Craig, TV Series DVD Murdoch Mysteries Christmas

If you are of fan of the many seasons of the Canadian series Murdoch Mysteries, set in turn of the century Toronto, you will enjoy the three feature length Christmas mysteries taken from the past seasons. Who doesn’t like to solve a crime at Christmas time?

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Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Juvenile Fiction J Wilder #1

During the holiday season I enjoy revisiting my favorite childhood stories like Little House In The Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Can you imagine living in a cabin and enjoying nature so close, especially when the woods are white with snow?

November 2023

It’s November! Give some thanks and enjoy our Staff Picks!

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Leslie – Circulation

Pieces of April, starring Katie Holmes, Oliver Platt, and Patricia Clarkson, DVD Pieces of April

April (Katies Holmes), the rebellious daughter of the family, offers to host the Thanksgiving dinner for the family. April soon finds that dinner is presenting many challenges and she must rely on her neighbors to  help her host the holiday dinner. A great cast and and family story for the holidays.

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Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, starring Steve Martin, John Candy, and Laila Robins, DVD Planes

This is our family favorite for the Thanksgiving holiday. Del Griffith (John Candy) and Neal Page (Steve Martin) are stranded in the airport, both trying to get home for Thanksgiving. Del offers to help Neal get home for Thanksgiving dinner, and so begins the funny escapades that leaves my family in tears from laughing. Not only is this hilarious but also heartwarming, so a great combination to watch with the family. 

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Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland, by Shauna Sever, Nonfiction 641.815 SEV

Nothing is more fun then pulling out the baking supplies and going crazy for the holidays. This cookbook is chock full of familiar and tasty treats. If you are in charge of dessert this holiday, you may want to check this book out. I love making the Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle, it is super easy and delicious. There are also several Bundt cake recipes that are yummy! 

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Chris – Technical Services

The Hidden History of Code-Breaking: The Secret World of Cyphers, Uncrackable Codes, and Elusive Encryptions, by Sinclair McKay, New Nonfiction 652.8 MCK

Don’t let the title scare you. If you enjoy puzzlers, cyphers and codes, then this very readable book will keep you turning the pages to solve puzzle after puzzle. Each chapter explores an historic cypher followed by increasingly complicated codes to break. Are you up to the task? Don’t despair, answers and explanations start on page 342.

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Melissa – Technical Services

Poverty, by America, by Matthew Desmond, Nonfiction 362.5 DES

While poverty is hardly uniquely American, it is designed differently in America (and it is definitely designed). Matthew Desmond describes the constructs and institutions that create and support poverty. He talks about taxes, corporate greed, and the housing market. He also talks about how we distance ourselves from it and reminds us that, in comparison to most other countries, even the middle class American is wealthy. For recent government action, he talks about the support given by the government during COVID. Minimizing and eliminating poverty is absolutely a possibility.

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Reenie – Youth Services

Simon Sort of Says, by Erin Bow, New Juvenile Fiction J Bow

This is one of the best books for middle schoolers I’ve read this year. It has sooo much in it! Great heartfelt story with fully developed characters and both goofy-hilarious and tragic plotlines that come together and make this book an experience. It is about a sixth grader named, of course, Simon, who opens the story by telling about how his family just moved to the National Quiet Zone and the town of Grin and Bear It, Nebraska. Really? Is there such a town and place? Simon explains that it is true and in amusing detail, recounts how they needed to move because his dad, who is a Catholic deacon at the local church, was fired because he lost control of some alpacas at his church during a blessing. Now in the town of Grin and Bear It, Simon slowly makes friends and tries to feel normal and protected from the media glare in this small town with its own quirks. The quirks are many! One quirk is the large contingent of scientists living here who are searching for signs of alien communication (Really! This is why the town cannot have internet and is designated quiet so as not to disturb the airwaves that might pick up on such extraterrestrial correspondence). Then there is the emu farm. And then there is the fact that Simon’s mother is an undertaker and they live at the local morgue that came with a very territorial peacock named Pretty Stabby. It all makes for a very interesting and fun backdrop that Simon can lose himself in and make normal friends and forget about what really happened before he moved and why he came to live in Nebraska. Until one day, one of his friends goes to another town to do research and googles Simon to find out about the alpaca incident and discovers something very different and very tragic as the larger explanation of why Simon and his family moved to a place without the internet. The twists and turns in this book and the authentic and fully developed characters, including the vulnerable Simon, make this a story that will stay in your heart for a long time.

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Paula – Circulation

Arc of a Scythe series, by Neal Shusterman, Young Adult Fiction YA Shusterman

This YA dystopian series will have you on the edge of your seat for all three books. Humanity has conquered pretty much everything: disease, war, famine, even death. That’s right, humans are now immortal. Everything is managed and balanced under the watchful eye of a benevolent AI called the Thunderhead. The only thing the Thunderhead does not oversee is population control, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Scythes. Scythes control the population by “gleaning” their victims at random, essentially killing them for good. Rowan and Citra are chosen to be Scythe apprentices, a role neither of them wants. They are forced to go through different trainings and trials in order to be successful Scythes, learning that the best Scythes do not take pleasure in their job. However, there is a new order of Scythes on the horizon that enjoy taking life a little too much. Getting caught in the war between the “Old Guard” Scythes and the “New Order” Scythes, Rowan and Citra are pitted against each other in a fight for their lives and the future of the Scythedom. I was obsessed with these books. They are insanely good! Rarely do I give every book in a series five stars on Goodreads, but this series was an exception. There were so many moments where my heart was pounding with anxiety and anticipation for what would happen next. Neal Shusterman does an amazing job of mirroring real world political corruption and selfish ideals in his characters. There were truly disturbing moments throughout the series that left chills running down my spine. I cannot recommend this series enough.

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Katie – Circulation

Migrations, by Charlotte McConaghy, Fiction McConaghy 

A haunting and poignant tale that weaves back and forth between the past, and the present, and struggling to find a future. Set in a future that seems less and less distant, Franny Stone is trying to track the migration of the Arctic Tern, the last birds in the wild. She pursues her goal with blind determination, endangering herself and sometimes others. What is driving her need to complete this task? Why is it so important? And can she heal from her past enough to find a future?

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Stone Blind, by Natalie Haynes, Fiction Haynes

An interesting twist on an old mythology. Stone Blind reimagines the story of Medusa from her own point of view, as well as from that of her gorgon sisters, as well as from that of the one who curses her with her fate – the Goddess Athena. With a similar female centered focus to her other works, Natalie Haynes keeps you engrossed and engaged, and hoping against hope that the outcome will be different somehow.  

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Homeward Bound: the Incredible Journey, starring Michael J. Fox, Sally Field, and Don Ameche, J DVD Homeward 

My family used to watch this movie every Thanksgiving when I was a little kid. Three beloved pets are left with a loving friend so their family can go on Thanksgiving vacation, but the animals don’t realize that, and are determined to find their humans! An epic cross country adventure ensues, through mountains, waterfalls and raging rivers, wild animals and more! Will Shaddow, Chance, and Sadie find their humans? Grab the popcorn and settle in!

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Michelle – Administration

Hello Stranger, by Katherine Center, New Fiction Center

Hello Stranger is the story of an artist dealing with a medical emergency, while also meeting and falling for two new men in her life. It is a rather unique twist on the rom-com genre and asks a lot of questions about people’s perceptions and first impressions. The story has more twists than I was expecting and kept me engaged throughout. Just like with Center’s previous books, this story stayed with me for a few days after I finished it. It’s a great read for someone looking for a comforting story this fall.

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Dominique – Youth Services

Down to the Bone: a Leukemia Story, by Catherine Pioli, Graphic Novel 616.994 PIO  

A poignant graphic novel about a woman’s journey with cancer and the decline of her body. This graphic novel follows the story of Catherine from when she first gets diagnosed, through all the tests and procedures she endures. An emotional and educational journey, she makes her story an opportunity to learn more about cancer, our bodies, what certain treatments do, and how it affects our bodies. 

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Brigitte – Youth Services

Strong Female Character, by Fern Brady, available as an ebook through Libby

Fern Brady isn’t like other women. Why, she can’t quite figure out. A comedian well known in the UK, she makes her way through television shows (Task Master, anyone?) and social interactions blindly. Eventually she resolves to “figure out what’s wrong” with her. Told through heartbreaking but ultimately hysterical prose, Fern comes to realize she is autistic. As she reveals her diagnosis she pulls apart layers of miscommunications throughout her childhood and young adulthood. If you are looking to read a memoir by someone who isn’t afraid to be compulsively honest, this book is for you. 

October 2023

It’s October! Check out our Special Edition Spooky Staff Picks for some good tricks and treats!

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Leslie – Circulation

Pretty Things, by Janelle Brown, Fiction Brown 

If you are looking for a book filled with twists, look no further! This is a story of two very different women, Nina and Vanessa. Meet Nina who resorts to stealing from rich kids in LA when her art degree fails to get her any further in life. Nina has learned from the best, her mother who resorted to being a con artist to give her daughter a better life. When Nina’s mother Lily gets sick, she devises her most dangerous scam yet. Vanessa is a privileged young heiress and influencer on Instagram, and Nina’s next victim. As events unfold, their paths collide and it makes for a wonderful thrilling story. Janelle Brown has created a  story that is hard to put down and made me an instant fan! 

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The Shining, by Stephen King, Fiction King

I must admit I am not much for a horror story, but this one is a classic story of hauntings at a hotel. The story is about Jack, a troubled writer who is hired as the caretaker for the Overlook Hotel for the winter.  Snowed in, the family becomes plagued by ghosts from the past. If you missed this one, give it a try, it’s a classic. Perfect for Halloween!

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Hayley – Circulation

Something is Killing the Children, by James Tynion IV, Graphic Novel Tynion

James Tynion IV has the incredible ability of taking a story we all think we’ve heard before and showing us that, no, we really haven’t. His illustrator, Werther Dell’Edera, reveals on every page the depth of the story and the character’s secrets; if you’re paying close attention, it’s clear the book’s not just about a monster or a monster hunter. Be warned: this story is graphic in it’s depiction of the kind of violence a child-hunting monster would create.

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Paula – Circulation

Young Frankenstein, starring Gene Wilder, Marty Feldman, and Peter Boyle, DVD Young Frankenstein

From the brilliant mind of Mel Brooks comes the best parody of Frankenstein to ever exist. It’s the traditional story of Dr. Frankenstein and his monster that we all know and love, but with added hilarious twists. Dr. Frederick Frankenstein, the grandson of Victor Frankenstein, just wants to prove that his grandfather wasn’t the crazy scientist that everyone believed him to be. He soon learns that he has inherited his grandfather’s estate in Transylvania, and travels there to check it out. Upon discovering Victor’s laboratory, Frederick begins to recreate his grandfather’s experiment and creates a monster of his own. Gene Wilder is as funny as ever as Frederick. I mean it’s Gene Wilder, so of course it’s going to be good. The whole cast is incredible, and every moment will have you laughing out loud. There are many call-backs and references to the Frankenstein films of the 1930s. Mel Brooks is a comedic genius, and this film will definitely make you want to watch more of his productions.

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Melissa – Technical Services

101 Horror Books to Read Before You’re Murdered, by Sadie “Mother Horror” Hartmann, New Nonfiction 016 HAR

This guide is perfect to find your next horror read. It works by dividing all horror into four categories: Paranormal, Supernatural, Human Monsters, and Natural Order Horror. Then it utilizes icons and tags to describe the book themes. You’ll know if a plot has a feature you’re way into (like found letters/manuscripts or survival) as well as things you’d like to avoid (like gore or child abuse). The summaries are great depictions of the book’s vibe without giving away plot. This is the Halloween read you didn’t know you needed.

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Dominique – Youth Services

Enchanted to Meet You, by Meg Cabot, New Fiction Cabot

A cute book with witches, romance, and the end of the world. Or rather, just the end of the town of West Harbor, if Jessica Gold and Derrick Winters can’t put a stop to it before Halloween that is. This book is not only funny and romantic, but it puts a fresh spin on the impending doom/ end of the world/ chosen one trope that I really engaged with. The characters are amazing and well developed, and so is the town and the world around them. Yes there are witches and they can do some cool stuff, but it’s not like the witches you are familiar with. Meg Cabot does an excellent job of weaving the story with romance and humor, making this a warm, cozy read; impeding doom included.

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Witch of Wild Things, by Raquel Vasquez Gilliland, New Fiction Vasquez Gilliland

This book focuses on Sage, the eldest daughter of the Flores family, who can talk to and control plants. After leaving home to forge her own path, she is forced to move back home after her life falls apart, again. With one sister who hates her and another who is dead and haunting her, Sage is forced to face hard conversations that she had long buried. A beautifully woven story about family, sacrifice, and love, Vasquez creates a beautiful, heartbreaking, and romantic story about the power of facing the truth and choosing yourself. 

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Katie – Circulation

Dead Silence, by S. A. Barnes, Fiction Barnes

Claire Kovalik is a Team Lead on a repair ship out in deep space maintaining communication system relay stations. She doesn’t want to be anywhere else. But her job and way of life are about to be rendered obsolete by new automated repair systems, and she is having to face a miserable future at a desk back on earth. There are many reasons she doesn’t want to be back on earth, or really anywhere with a lot of people. Something happened to her when she was a child on a Martian colony station, something that haunts her and keeps her searching for solitude. So when her ship picks up an old distress beacon from an old missing luxury Starliner, it’s not just the fame and fortune she’s interested in, it’s also an excuse to stay out longer. When they get to the ship, they find more questions than answers, and ghosts seem to be lurking in every corner. Is she losing her mind, or is there something supernatural on this ship, and did that cause the disaster that made it disappear more than 20 years ago? Spooky fun read for those who like space fiction but also a dash of the supernatural and horror, with a little psychology thrown in for kicks.

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The Village, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Joaquin Phoenix, Adrien Brody, and William Hurt, DVD Village

An atmospheric and haunting film by the king of the jump scare, M. Night Shyamalan. The movie opens with a burial in a small frontier town on the edge of a dark and forbidding forest. As the story progresses you learn that this community is cut off from the rest of the world and that those who attempt to find a way through the forest are found brutally murdered or are never seen again… there are creatures in the forest. But when someone falls ill and needs medicine only able to be found beyond the forest, it falls to Ivy, the blind daughter of the village elder, to find a way through the dangerous woods. What she finds, is not what one expects. 

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Reenie – Youth Services

The Scary States of America, by Michael Teitelbaum, Juvenile Fiction J Teitelbaum

Every Halloween for the last six years, I’ve read this book aloud to some thrill-seeking middle schoolers who would clamor for more of the stories in this book. It is my absolute favorite collection of scary stories. The premise is that these stories are based in fact and because of that, the stories are all the more compelling in a hands-over-your ears-still-listening way. Each of the stories is based on a supernatural story that takes place in a different state in the US. You can “google” the stories afterward and see what the true parts may be. My favorites are the stories from North Carolina: “The Headless Conductor,” Indiana: “The Edna Collins Bridge,” and Georgia: “My House is Bleeding!” I dare you to read each of these and not get chills creeping down your spine!

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Michelle – Administration

Enchanted to Meet You, by Meg Cabot, New Fiction Cabot

If you are looking for something not so spooky and much more cozy this Halloween, I would recommend Enchanted to Meet You, the first book in Meg Cabot’s new series Witches of West Harbor. It’s a witchy romantic comedy about a small-town witch and boutique owner who has to team up with a handsome stranger to save West Harbor from an impending supernatural attack, expected to occur on Halloween Eve. As usual, Cabot has created relatable characters and a charming story. It is a light and easy read that will put you in the perfect autumn mood.

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Chris – Technical Services

Flower in the River: A Family Tale, Finally Told, by Natalie Zett, New Fiction Zett

Set in 1915 and the 1990’s, the main character, Zara Vrabel, is a writer who discovers she lost a family member in the July 24, 1915 capsizing of the SS Eastland in the Chicago river. Zara is being haunted by a female ghost who wants Zara to tell the story of the tragedy so she can rest in peace. Zara takes up the challenge to research and write about a disaster that was forgotten. It is a fast read and set in the Midwest and Chicago.

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The Sixth Sense, starring Bruce Willis, Haley Joel Osment, and Toni Collette, DVD Sixth

Written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan, this film stars Bruce Willis as a child psychologist who attempts to help an 8-year-old boy, Haley Joel Osment, who is experiencing terrifying visions of the dead. It also stars Toni Collette and Donnie Wahlberg. With exciting performances by all and a real twister of an ending, I wanted to immediately watch it again to see what I missed the first time!

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Nancy – Reference

Cadejo Blanco, starring Karen Martinez, Rudy Rodriguez, and Pamela Martinez, New Foreign Film DVD Cadejo Blanco 

This is the frightening story of a young girl who never made it home after a night out. Her sister, bound and determined to find out what happened, gets caught up in a world of violence. Amazing acting by Karen Martinez. 

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Cryptid Club, by Sarah Andersen, Graphic Novel Andersen

If you are on the hunt for animals that have been claimed to exist, but never proven to exist, look no further than the pages between this glow in the dark cover! Spooky fun awaits!

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Maids, by Katie Skelly, Graphic Novel 364.1523 SKE 

Beware! Although the cover of this graphic novel may look charming, the story within is not. Katie Skelly recounts the true crime story of two sisters, employed as maids in France, and the grisly murder on February 2, 1933.  

August 2023

It’s August! Enjoy the rest of the summer with one of our Staff Picks!

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Chris – Technical Services

Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon, by Melissa Sevigny, New Nonfiction 580.92 SEV

Two women, both botanists from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, raft down the Colorado River to Lake Mead, passing through the Grand Canyon along the way, gathering plant specimens including some new species. The year was 1938 and though many men had ran the rapids, no women had ever attempted it and lived. Three boats, two boatmen, two male scientists and two female botanists attempted this feat and succeeded, to the amazement of the scientific community and the general public. The names Clover and Jotter are still remembered in the botany communities today for being in the forefront of the botany of the Southwest.

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The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy: a Story of Resistance, Courage, and Solidarity in a French Village, by Stephen G. Rabe, New Nonfiction 940.544 RAB

On June 6, 1944, transport planes dropped paratroopers off-target in northwestern France, behind enemy lines. This is a story of the impact these soldiers and the people and towns (one town in particular, Graignes) in the area had on each other. The story is written by the son of one of the paratroopers. The villagers were proud to help in the resistance and there were sacrifices and loss on both sides. 

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Melissa – Technical Services

On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good, by Elise Loehnen, New Nonfiction 248.843 LOE

The subtitle of this book is “the seven deadly sins and the price women pay to be good.” Loehnen discusses the history of the seven deadly sins and how they have been specifically molded to target women’s behavior and place in society. But this book is hardly as dry as that description may seem, and it wasn’t at all what I expected. It’s therapeutic and eye-opening and impactful. As much as women are subject to expectations of society, we are also participants. Not participating is absolutely an option. Without exaggeration, I will think of this book often for the rest of my life.

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Leslie – Circulation

Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan, Fiction Keegan

If you are looking for a small book that packs a punch, Small Things Like These is for you! Bill Furlong is a coal merchant in a small Irish town. When making a delivery he discovers something that brings up his past and challenges him to step up in the community and do the right thing no matter the cost. I am in love with this writer. She also wrote Foster, which just was released as a DVD under the title The Quiet Girl. I think they did a great job at capturing the beauty of that book in the movie. 

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The Lies I Tell, by Julie Clark, Fiction Clark

Kat Roberts is on the hunt for Meg Williams, a con artist and someone from her past who derailed her life. Soon Kat finds herself becoming closer to Meg and doubting some of the assumptions she made about her. A great thriller and very hard to put down.

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Paula – Circulation

Lore Olympus, by Rachel Smythe, Graphic Novel Smythe (Graphic)

Lore Olympus tells the epic tale of Hades and Persephone, though it’s a little different than the one we’re used to. Persephone is brand new to the world of gods and immortals. Raised in the mortal realm, Persephone is very young and naïve. Her mother, Demeter, agrees to let her live in Olympus after she receives a scholarship to train as a celibate goddess. However, one night at a party changes Persephone’s life forever. There she meets Hades, ruler of the Underworld, and the rest is history. I am thoroughly enjoying this twist on classic Greek mythology. The chemistry and awkward flirting between Hades and Persephone is absolutely adorable. Though cute and uplifting, Lore Olympus also includes heavier topics, such as sexual assault and abuse. Originally published as an on-going series on Webtoons, these graphic novels so far have compiled the first 102 “episodes” of the series.

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The Last of Us, starring Pedro Pascal, Bella Ramsey, and Nick Offerman, New TV Series DVD Last of Us Season 1

This sci-fi/horror series, based on the video game of the same name, stars internet daddy Pedro Pascal, so you already know it’s going to be good. Twenty years ago, a parasitic fungus attacked the world, and anyone who was infected turned into a monster. Now, anyone who remains only has one goal: survive. Pedro Pascal is Joel, a grizzled lone wolf with a chip on his shoulder. Avoiding involvement in any kind of post-apocalyptic politics, Joel only wants one thing: to find his brother. However, Joel gets dragged into a mission to smuggle a teenaged girl named Ellie across the US. What’s so special about this girl? She just might hold the cure to resist infection. As Joel and Ellie venture across the ruins of the US, they must rely on each other to survive. As if I couldn’t love Pedro Pascal any more, he delivers a powerful performance that is Emmy-worthy. Bella Ramsey also knocks it out of the park as Ellie. The heart-wrenching side stories will leave you in tears. The Last of Us is definitely one of the best series to come out this year.

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Reenie – Youth Services

The Blackbird Girls, by Anne Blankman, Caudill Award J Blankman

A powerful middle grade story based on the real life Chernobyl nuclear plant explosion in 1986 and the effect that it had on its citizens. Told in alternating chapters with different character viewpoints, the action mostly centers on school girls Valentina and Oksana, who begin their ordeal as enemies but must learn to understand and trust each other if they are to survive. Both of their fathers were working in the nuclear plant when it exploded, and now their families are being broken up to escape the radiation that has been unleashed from the explosion. Interestingly, their biggest obstacle is not just the nuclear explosion, but the prejudice that follows Valentina and her family because of their Jewish heritage. To provide a parallel for their situation, some chapters also go back in time and follow the flight for survival of Valentina’s grandmother when she was young during World War II. Their journey is both emotional and physical as the girls travel by bus and train to a safer place in a place of strangers where they begin to find comfort in their friendship. I loved this book and how such a terrible experience was made bearable by friendship and love, and I learned a lot about the devastating effects of nuclear radiation and how the Soviet Union did not provide a lot of information to support the people closest to the plant. This book would be a great book for readers who enjoy survival stories and historical fiction. It has the same feel as many of Jennifer A. Nielsen and Alan Gratz’s books as well. This book is on the 2023 Rebecca Caudill Reader’s Choice Award list.

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Dominique – Youth Services

The Only Purple House in Town, by Ann Aguirre, New Fiction Aguirre 

This book has a wonderful cast of characters with strong voices and a wonderful dynamic. While I was originally looking for a paranormal romance, I got a lot more than I bargained for. This cast of characters instantly captures your heart and has you rooting for them. Told from a dual perspective of Iris and Eli, this sweet and subtle romance is perfect for people new to the romance genre, or someone looking for something a bit more focused on found family, rather than romance. While the romance is a significant part of the plot, there is so much more depth to this book and to the characters. Aguirre did a wonderful job in creating a magic world without overwhelming readers with backstory and world building and I highly recommend picking up this book for a quick read.  

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Nancy – Reference

Number One is Walking: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions, by Steve Martin and Harry Bliss, New Adult Graphic Novel 921 Martin, S. (Graphic)

If you’re in need of some levity, try this book on for size. Steve Martin’s wit is expertly paired with drawings by cartoonist and illustrator Harry Bliss. Number One is Walking opens with Steve Martin’s reflections on his life in movies. After 17 years as a stand-up comedian, Steve Martin threw himself “onto the movie train.” Steve Martin reflects on his life in movies and includes hilarious anecdotes which are captured by Harry Bliss as comic strips. The second part of the book, “And Other Diversions,” gallops through mostly one panel comics that keep the laughs coming! 

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Please Look After Mom, by Kyung-Sook Shin, Fiction Shin

This book is a wake-up call to care for those around you. How many things do we take for granted? How many people? When do our lives become so busy and self centered that we fail to see the needs of those closest to us? While reading, I was constantly reminded of the tree from The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. That tree just gave and gave and gave…

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Love Everlasting Volume 1, by Tom King and Elsa Charretier, New Adult Graphic Novel King (Graphic)

Follow Joan Peterson as she falls in love again and again. She can’t help but fall in love no matter the time or the place. Will she find her one true love?

 

 

July 2023

It’s July! Celebrate summer and the 4th of July with some of our Staff Picks!

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Paula – Circulation

The Weight of Blood, by Tiffany Jackson, Teen Lincoln Nominees YA Jackson

This modern retelling of Stephen King’s Carrie had me on the edge of my seat. Maddie has always been an outsider and a target for bullies. It doesn’t help that her crazy father keeps a tight leash on her and controls everything in her life. One fateful day with an unexpected rain storm is the day everyone learns Maddie’s closely guarded secret, the day that would eventually lead to the town’s darkest moment in its history. Her secret: Maddie is biracial. In a town that has held on to its racist traditions, being able to pass as white was the only thing keeping Maddie somewhat under the radar. But now, Maddie is all everyone can talk about. As Maddie tries to survive in this new world, she learns that she carries other secrets deep inside of her. I was fully immersed in this book. It’s chilling, unnerving, and sometimes uncomfortable. It keeps the classic horror elements of Carrie, while also incorporating the horrors of racism in today’s society. It’s no wonder this book ended up on the Teen Lincoln Award nominee list.

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Michelle – Administration

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, Fiction Van Pelt

I came across the description of this book unexpectedly and my first thought was that the book sounded crazy. Then I was intrigued and decided that I had to read it. It is the story of how an octopus (who is remarkably bright) changes the life of Tova, the lonely night janitor at the aquarium. It is a very unique story that is, at times, told from the octopus’s point of view, though somehow never veers into the ridiculous. It ended up being a more heartwarming story than I expected and I very much enjoyed reading it.

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The Christie Affair, by Nina de Gramont, Fiction Gramont

Reese’s Book Club does it again! I saw that this book was part of the club and decided to give it a try. It is the story of the ten days Agatha Christie went missing, told from the point of view of her husband’s mistress. The main story takes place after World War I, but includes flashbacks into the years before and during the Great War. Though Christie really did go missing for ten days while going through a divorce from her husband (who had a mistress), this mistress and her backstory are fictional. In true Christie form, there is also a murder mystery waiting to be solved. I found this story to be quite intriguing and found myself reading up on the true story when the fictional one was finished.

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Melissa – Technical Services

Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt, Fiction Van Pelt

Tova lives in a small town in Washington and works nights at the aquarium where she befriends an octopus named Marcellus. Marcellus is more intelligent than humans can know, and he takes a liking to Tova as well. He learns of the holes in her life that come from the disappearance of her son thirty years ago, and more recently, the loss of her husband. Marcellus, witty, snarky, and “remarkably bright”, is able to help her piece things together. A cute summer read.

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Chris – Technical Services

A Fever In the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to take over America, and the Woman who Stopped Them, by Timothy Egan, New Nonfiction 322.42 EGA

In the mid-1920’s, a hate group was re-forming. Not in the south, but in the Midwest in Indiana, and it was led by David C. Stephenson. A look at a terrifying time in American history when a domestic terror group, the KKK gained control of the state of Indiana. It was the largest and the most powerful of the secret societies among Americans; bigger than the Odd Fellows, the Elks, or the Freemasons.

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Dominique – Youth Services

Flowerheart, by Catherine Bakewell, New Young Adult Fiction YA Bakewell

A cozy, cottage-core, magical book that follows a young girl struggling to control her magic. This book has a deep and rich magic system that readers easily pick up on and a beautiful, heartfelt story to keep you engaged. The tagline says it all, “A power she can’t control. A curse she can’t undo. A boy she can’t forget.” With light moments of romance and a brilliantly simple magic system, I was enthralled by this book and how light and easy it was to read while dealing with potentially heavy topics in a graceful way. 

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Leslie – Circulation

The Way Way Back, starring Steve Carrell, Toni Collette, Sam Rockwell, and Allison Janney, DVD Way, Way Back

When 14-year-old Duncan is forced into a vacation with his family, he starts hanging out at the local pool. Owen, the local manager at the pool, gives him a job. Soon Duncan is coming into his own, making friends and having a place where he belongs. It is a great cast with Allison Janney as his mother, and Sam Rockwell as Owen, and they are just perfect! A perfect summer film and family story. 

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Jean – Reference

The Whispers, by Ashley Audrain, New Fiction Audrain

Whitney is the neighborhood queen-bee mom. She’s a hard-driven career woman with the biggest house on the block, a husband who adores her, and three perfect children. During a summer backyard party she hosts for the neighbors, the façade starts to crack. Whitney is heard ripping into her pre-teen son through the open windows of her mansion, and later that night, he falls out a window and lands in a coma. The night is recalled through the perspectives of the various neighbors, and the reader finds out just exactly what secrets the neighbors are hiding from each other.

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Nancy – Reference

The Wind Knows My Name, by Isabel Allende, New Fiction Allende

The Wind Knows My Name takes the reader on a nightmare around the world through some of the darkest moments in history; the Nazi seizure of Vienna (1938), the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador (1981), and the United States border separations (2019). Isabel Allende clearly illustrates the horror of these events with a special focus on the devastating effects endured by innocent children as they are separated from their homes and families. The author expertly tackles this difficult topic, weaving the events together in such a way that alongside the brutality, we also witness the compassionate nature of human beings.

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The Rachel Incident, by Caroline O’Donoghue, New Fiction O’Donoghue  

Caroline O’Donoghue covers a lot of ground in this fascinating coming-of-age book of love, friendship, deception, heartbreak, anguish, and forgiveness. The protagonist, Cork-born-and-raised Rachel Murray, hears some startling news in a bar and reaches into her past to recall her first meeting with James Devlin. She and James were bookstore co-workers who quickly became inseparable. Their co-dependence proved challenging for not only sustaining relationships outside of this close-knit partnership, but also for making the transition into adulthood. Their carefree lifestyle is turned on its head when a series of events forces them to examine their lives and make some life changing decisions. 

June 2023

It’s June! Summer is just around the corner! Grab a good read and enjoy the warm weather.

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Michelle – Administration

The Authenticity Project, by Clare Pooley, Fiction Pooley

After seeing another staff member’s recommendation on this blog, I read Pooley’s more recent book Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting and thoroughly enjoyed it. Naturally, I looked to see what else the author had written and came across The Authenticity Project. This is a really wonderful, multi-generational story of people who are just trying to fit in. It all starts with a found notebook that is passed on once that person adds their own truth to it. These people find their way into each other’s lives in ways both positive and complicated. True to the book’s title, the characters feel like very authentic, everyday people trying to do their best but not always succeeding. It is an uplifting story, if not a light read.

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The Love Wager, by Lynn Painter, New Fiction Painter

If you are looking for a great light read, this is the book for you. After a one-night-stand, Hallie and Jack decide to just be friends – friends who help each other find the true love they are looking for. To motivate themselves, they make a wager on who can find love first. While the story may be a bit predictable, it is an entertaining read with likeable characters.

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Jean – Reference

You are Here, by Karin Lin-Greenberg, New Fiction Lin-Greenberg

In the waning days of a dying shopping mall, the lives of those who remain working there intersect in ways that will affect them like they could never have imagined. We learn about Tina who harbors dreams of being an artist, but as a single mom supporting her son, is the sole hairdresser with one regular client; her 9-year old son Jackson who spends every day after school helping her and doing his homework; her 90-year old cantankerous client Ro; Maria, a high school senior and aspiring actress who works in the food court wearing a chicken costume; and Kevin, a father of twins who can’t seem to finish his PhD, works in the bookstore, and lives with his family in a tiny house in his mother-in-law’s backyard, next door to Ro. Their lives draw the reader in and will leave you thinking about them long after you finish the last page.

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Karen – Reference

The Lazy Genius Way, Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done, by Kendra Adachi, available as an ebook through Libby

A self-help book of a different kind. This book focuses on determining what matters to you, before laying out a bunch of processes or ideal rules to follow. Actually, other than her Lazy Genius principles, there is no process that she defines. The focus is on defining what matters most, ditching what isn’t important, and then creating your own process. There is also a really nice emphasis throughout the book on being kind to yourself and accepting who you are and the world you live in right now, as everything has a season. Highly recommend.

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Leslie – Circulation

The Magnificent Lives of Marjorie Post, by Allison Pataki, Fiction Pataki

A great historical novel based on the life of Marjorie Merriweather Post. Going into this book I knew nothing about Marjorie Post. The novel takes us through her work growing C.W. Post’s Cereal Company into the General Foods empire. This is no small task in the era that she ran the company and she showed incredible instincts for what consumers wanted. Most impressive was her advocacy work and adventurous spirit which makes for a fascinating read! 

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Paula – Circulation

Pride and Premeditation, by Tirzah Price, Young Adult Fiction YA Price

Jane Austen’s classic tale turns murder mystery. In this reimagined Pride and Prejudice, Lizzie Bennet is an aspiring lawyer who dreams of getting the open position at her father’s law firm. When she hears of a mysterious murder, Lizzie takes on the case in order to prove herself worthy of the position. To her dismay, she finds the man accused of the crime already has a lawyer, a Mr. Darcy from a rival law firm. True to the original story, Lizzie and Darcy butt heads on pretty much everything. But if they want justice to prevail, they must put aside their differences and find the real killer before time runs out. I love anything that has to do with Pride Prejudice, and this was no exception. The murder mystery addition was a fun spin on the story, and the characters were just as entertaining.

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Laura – Circulation

Sourdough, by Robin Sloan, Fiction Sloan

If you are in the mood for a light read, this is the book for you! Quirky and quite unbelievable, you will admire Lois Clary as she moves from her overly stressful day job into a part-time baker and lover of sourdough bread. How did this transformation begin? When the owners of her favorite restaurant (who provided daily delivery for Lois!) are forced to leave the country, they leave Lois their sourdough starter. She vows to keep it alive for them. In the process, a whole new world opens up for Lois. If you like audiobooks, this one is a great listen and very addictive.

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A Woman is No Man, by Etaf Rum, Fiction Rum

While a work of fiction, this amazing story provides a look into Palestinian culture, and the place that women hold in it. Isra was born in Palestine, and her arranged marriage brought her to America. Pressured by her mother-in-law to have a son, Isra only has daughters and is made to feel ashamed of them, and herself. After Isra’s and her husband’s deaths, her mother in law raises Isra’s children. Deya, Isra’s oldest daughter, must deal with the same pressures that her mother once faced. As we alternate between Isra and Deya, an unimaginable story unfolds. A story of pain, love, culture, traditions, lies, betrayal, expectations, and ultimately finding your own path. Please join us on July 27^th at 7pm as we discuss A Woman is No Man.

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Nancy – Reference

Heart and Brain: Onward to Good Things!, by Nick Seluk, New Graphic Novel Seluk (Graphic)

This was my introduction to the Heart and Brain Collection and I have no idea how I missed the earlier titles. Not only are Heart and Brain super cute, but the colors just pop! The constant tug-of-war between the frolicsome heart and the overthinking brain is a gentle and hilarious reminder to seek balance in life and go easy on yourself. With every turn of the page, I found myself calling out to whoever was near and insisting that they take a look at this one! 

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Lars the Awkward Yeti: Volume 1, by Nick Seluk, New Graphic Novel Seluk (Graphic)

Have you ever felt awkward and/or anxious? Nick Seluk’s caffeine addicted Yeti, Lars, takes the awkward and anxious experience to a new level as he navigates the “real” world. Lars tries his best to fit in, but sometimes you just have to order a “Frooty-Tooty Dancy Islandy Refresher”…in a coconut.

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Living, starring Bill Nighy, Aimee Lou Wood, and Alex Sharp, New DVD Living

This movie captured my attention for a number of reasons. First, Bill Nighy is amazing and was perfectly cast as Mr. Williams. Although he didn’t win an Academy Award for his performance, he was nominated for Best Actor. Second, Living is an adaptation of the 1952 film, Ikiru, which was directed and co-written by the legendary Japanese director, Akira Kurosawa. Finally, the screenplay was written by Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day, Klara and the Sun, etc.). If you’re looking for a movie that explores the meaning of work and life, check out Living and/or Ikiru. 

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Reenie – Youth Services

The Shape of Thunder, by Jasmine Warga, Caudill Award J Warga

This is a heartfelt middle grade book that alternates chapters between the voices of two former best friends, Cora and Quinn, who are dealing with the aftermath of a tragedy. Cora’s older sister Mabel was killed in a shooting at her high school and Quinn is the sister of the shooter. Their different chapters allow the reader to get into the unique way each girl is grieving and struggling with what happened. Quinn gets the idea to travel back in time to before the event occurs and tries to convince Cora to work with her to do it. Cora is a scientist at heart and is curious about the possibility of “undoing” the shooting and begins to read research on wormholes and if time warping is possible. She is learning that time might not be linear, but as elusive as the shape of thunder. However, Quinn is keeping a secret from Cora, one that could change how their time-changing plan could work. She believes that revealing it could change their relationship forever, but if Quinn doesn’t tell the secret, the possibility of time travel is in jeopardy. Should she tell Cora? Read to find out what happens in this deeply moving novel!

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Snow and Poison, by Melissa de la Cruz, New Young Adult Fiction YA De La Cruz

This YA story is based on the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves with some definite twists and turns. It has the same romance element and is set in a forested kingdom with a castle. However, Sophie, aka Snow White, can certainly take care of herself. She practices target skills with a dagger, dismisses potential marriage suitors, and wears a disguise to go out in the village unnoticed. Her prince charming is great but she definitely can hold her own. The “dwarves” in this version are actually children involved in the village’s unfair labor practices and the traditional evil stepmother storyline creates danger that is clouded by a lot of bad gossip. If you are a teen romance fan who enjoys Sanditon or Bridgerton, or you just want a grown-up version of Snow White, this book is for you!