Books, Movies, CDs

Provenance

Ann Leckie

SCIENCE FICTION Leckie Ann
Science Fiction

"Following her record-breaking debut trilogy, Ann Leckie, winner of the Hugo, Nebula, Arthur C. Clarke and Locus Awards, returns with an enthralling new novel of power, theft, privilege and birthright. A power-driven young woman has just one chance to secure the status she craves and regain priceless lost artifacts prized by her people. She must free their thief from a prison planet from which no one has ever returned. Ingray and her charge will return to her home world to find their planet in political turmoil, at the heart of an escalating intergalactic conflict. Together, they must make a new plan to salvage Ingray's future, her family, and her world, before they are lost to her for good"--

Leckie returns to the world of the Imperial Radch, and does something interesting by having "Provenance" take place in a different corner of the galaxy. The events of the Imperial Radch trilogy are mentioned, but are not important to the events of this book. This is almost a coming of age book--or maybe a finding your place story--with a main character who is quite distinct from the A.I. character of the previous books. I recommend it to fans of Leckie's other books, or just someone who's looking for a solid, non-traditional sci-fi story. -Brian

Andor. The complete first season

BLU-RAY Andor s. 1
Science Fiction

Explore a new perspective from the Star Wars galaxy, focusing on Cassian Andor's journey to discover the diference he can make. The series brings forward the tale of the burgeoning rebellion against the Empire and how people and planets became involved. It's an era filled with danger, deception and intrigue where Cassian will embark on the path that is destined to turn him into a rebel hero.

I re-watched Season 1 of Andor to get ready for Season 2. I was struck again by the phenomenal writing, acting, and production design. This is my favorite Star Wars show, and some of my favorite Star Wars period! -Brian

We leap together

Christopher Silas Neal

jE Neal
Kids, Picture Books, Nonfiction, Animals, Nature

"An awe-inspiring nonfiction picture book, perfect for animal lovers, that reveals how a mama whale and a mama person care for their young in remarkably similar ways, from the illustrator of Over and Under the Snow. A little boy and his mother set off on a day trip, meanwhile, a mama whale and her calf swim towards the bay. On the way, both sing, blow bubbles, get lost--and found! Through it all, mama always stays close. The human pair board a sightseeing boat, and as the whales reach the harbor, they all converge in one spectacular scene! With lyrical text and absolutely magnificent art, here's a book that celebrates our connection to animals, and to each other"--

Beautiful illustrations and minimal text make for perfect storytime sharing! Curious readers will find backmatter that sheds more light on the comparison Neal draws between humans and whales. -Casey

The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Laurie Gilmore

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Romance

Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone. As a world-renowned chef, single dad Archer never planned on moving to a small town, let alone running a pancake restaurant. But Dream Harbor needs a new chef, and Archer needs a community to help raise his daughter, Olive. Iris has never managed to hold down a job for more than a few months. So when it's suggested that Archer is looking for a live-in nanny, she almost runs in the opposite direction. Now, Iris finds herself in a whole new world. One where her gorgeous new boss lives right across the hall and likes to cook topless... Keeping everything strictly professional should be easy, right? The Strawberry Patch Pancake House is a cozy romantic mystery with a single dad and found family dynamic, a small-town setting and a HEA guaranteed! Tropes: Single Dad, Forced Proximity, Slow Burn, Found Family

This romance novel makes for a nice and easy listening audiobook. The drama isn't too hot to handle, the scars are only emotional, and no one gets murdered. So I guess that's my way of saying I'll happily live in a strawberry pancake house for a week. Both main characters have their own way of being a hot mess. One: a scatterbrain yoga and swim instructor; the other: a perfectionist, exacting chef who can't make Bisquick pancakes right. I sometimes get so emotionally wrapped up in the mental lives of a novel's protagonists that it's hard to remember I live in the real world. This book didn't make me work so hard. It was gentle and tame with mild but interesting love scenes. -Melody

Don't trust fish

Neil Sharpson

jE Sharpson
Picture Books, Animals

Why, dear reader, must you NEVER EVER trust fish? 1) They spend all their time in the water where we can't see them. 2) Some are as big as a bus--that is not okay. 3) We don't know what they're teaching in their "schools." 4) They are likely plotting our doom. This nature-guide-gone-wrong is a hilarious, off-the-rails exploration of the seemingly innocent animals that live in the water.

This book is a riot- the perfect balance of fun fish facts, dead-pan comedy and a subtle crab protagonist. I read this at impromptu storytimes for everyone in my house, including visitors, and it received rave reviews from adults, kids and teens alike. Maybe don't trust fish, but definitely don't miss this picture book! -Victoria

Abundance

Ezra Klein

330.973 /Klein
Political

This book discusses the history of the twenty-first century as a story of unaffordability and shortage in America. It highlights the national housing crisis, labor shortages due to limited immigration, insufficient clean-energy infrastructure, and delayed, over-budget public projects. The author argues that the root cause of these problems is a lack of sufficient building and proactive planning over the decades. Many of today's issues stem from past policies and regulations that, while intended to address issues of the 1970s, now hinder progress in areas like urban density and green energy. The book stresses that while we have become more aware of these problems, our ability to solve them has diminished. The book proposes that both liberals and conservatives need to recognize when government is failing or needed, and advocates for a politics of abundance--building solutions for the future, rather than adhering to past approaches focused on scarcity. This approach aims to address current challenges and the growing dissatisfaction with the status quo.

Our ability to learn, unlearn and relearn is absolutely essential if we are to share common ground and build well-ran communities in an ever-increasingly polarized world. That pertains especially to the political ideas we hold to be true. In Abundance, Klein and Thomspon, instead of pointing fingers at a party that mostly opposes their stance on issues, they look at the follies and shortcomings of American liberalism, and how liberal policies have impeded progress. They argue that it is often the stringent red tape and policies of democratic cities that stifle issues like affordable housing and developing infrastructure. This was a very-well argued and thoughtful take sure to spark a dialogue. -Victoria

Thank you, everything

author Icinori (Publishing studio)

jE Icinori
Picture Books, Nature

"What starts as a series of "thank yous" addressed to common objects that inhabit our daily lives gradually builds into a fantastic journey across landscapes, seasons, and inner discoveries."--

If art washes away the dust of everyday life, consider your life squeaky clean after reading this one. This is one of the best wordless picture books I've read in a long time. The premise is simple: gratitude for the simplest of things. But the gratitude evolves into being thankful for so much more. There is no text, and the illustrations are divine. You'll have to covet and pore over the pages at least two or three times before returning. Stunning! -Victoria

When the Wolf Comes Home.

Cassidy, Nat.

ON ORDER BOOK
Horror, Thriller

"One night, Jess, a struggling actress, finds a five-year-old runaway hiding in the bushes outside her apartment. After a violent, bloody encounter with the boy's father, she and the boy find themselves running for their lives. As they attempt to evade the boy's increasingly desperate father, horrifying incidents of butchery follow them. At first, Jess thinks she understands what they're up against, but she's about to learn there's more to these surreal and grisly events than she could've ever imagined. And that when the wolf finally comes home, none will be spared."

If you're in the mood for classic monster horrors, this is the book for you. Not only does Nat Cassidy deliver on a novelized creature feature, but also offers readers a deep exploration of family bonds and grief navigation. -Madison C

Hope : the autobiography

Pope Francis

282.092 /Francis
Nonfiction, Memoir

"Hope is the first autobiography in history ever to be published by a Pope. Written over six years, this complete autobiography starts in the early years of the twentieth century, with Pope Francis's Italian roots and his ancestors' courageous migration to Latin America, continuing through his childhood, the enthusiasms and preoccupations of his youth, his vocation, adult life, and the whole of his papacy up to the present day"--

Pope Francis was a passionate advocate for the climate and was a papal pioneer in many other ways; LGBTQ+ rights, migration, and the atrocities of war to name a few. While this book did meander at times and is not as not as concise as it could have been, there were so many glimmers of hope and humility that would resonate with your humanity; regardless of your faith. Pair this with Conclave, in our DVD collection for a gripping thriller on the selection process for the next Pope. -Victoria

The Paris express : a novel

Emma Donoghue

FICTION Donoghue Emma
Fiction, Historical Fiction

Based on an 1895 disaster that went down in history when it was captured in a series of surreal, extraordinary photographs, The Paris Express is a propulsive novel set on a train packed with a fascinating cast of characters who hail from as close as Brittany and as far as Russia, Ireland, Algeria, Pennsylvania, and Cambodia. Members of parliament hurry back to Paris to vote; a medical student suspects a girl may be dying; a secretary tries to convince her boss of the potential of moving pictures; two of the train's crew build a life away from their wives; a young anarchist makes a terrifying plan, and much more.

Emma Donoghue brings imaginative storytelling to a famous photograph: the Montparnasse derailment, the one with the steam engine hanging out of the station. Donoghue wonders who was on that train, what were their lives like, what did their interactions look like. What she creates is riveting. -Anne M

Godkiller

Hannah Kaner

SCIENCE FICTION Kaner Hannah
Diverse Characters, Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

"Gods are forbidden in the kingdom of Middren. Formed by human desires and fed by their worship, there are countless gods in the world--but after a great war, the new king outlawed them and now pays "godkillers" to destroy any who try to rise from the shadows. As a child, Kissen saw her family murdered by a fire god. Now, she makes a living killing them and enjoys it. But all this changes when Kissen is tasked with helping a young noble girl with a god problem. The child's soul is bonded to a tiny god of white lies, and Kissen can't kill it without ending the girl's life too. Joined by a disillusioned knight on a secret quest, the unlikely group must travel to the ruined city of Blenraden, where the last of the wild gods reside, to each beg a favor. Pursued by assassins and demons, and in the midst of burgeoning civil war, they will all face a reckoning. Something is rotting at the heart of their world, and they are the only ones who can stop it." -- Back cover.

"Godkiller" has wonderful, immersive world building (I want to eat, like, all of the food described in this series), and memorable characters. The cast is incredibly diverse, featuring multiple characters with disabilities, casual queerness, and thoughtfully executed fantasy racial diversity. The first novel has strong DnD vibes, but the characters quickly evolve past those initial archetypes as the series continues. This is one of my new favorite fantasy series, and I would recommend the sequels, "Sunbringer" and "Faithbreaker" as well. -Chelsea

Dream state : a novel

Eric Puchner

FICTION Puchner Eric
Fiction, Literary Fiction

"PEN/Faulkner Award finalist, Pushcart Prize winner, and Best American Stories contributor, Eric Puchner returns with an ambitious and deeply moving novel set against the backdrop of the American West that follows three lifelong friends and the betrayal at the center of their entwined fates. Cece and Charlie are in love and a few weeks away from their summer wedding. But when Cece meets Charlie's best friend from college, Garrett, her long-held expectations for her future begin to crumble. As Garrett's gruff mask slips, Cece begins to anticipate the big day with dread as her feelings for Garrett become impossible to bury. And as she decides to follow her instincts, ditching her groom for his best man, she will alter the three of their lives forever, the events of that July reverberating through marriage, parenthood, and, in the end, across generations. Years later, Cece's daughter, Lana, and Charlie's son, Jasper, meet and become fast friends, finding themselves reunited again and again throughout their adolescence. Soon enough, they find themselves enacting their parents' mistakes, falling victim to duplicity and heartbreak, with age and mortality looming. With Montana's once-warm summers growing untenably hot, and the nearby lake all but drying up, obscured only by the ceaseless smoke of wildfires, Garrett's career as a wildlife researcher feels increasingly futile. As he watches Cece begin to lose herself, Charlie wonders whether he will ever find stability, especially with a son failing to adjust to the demands of adulthood. With delicacy, precision, and enormous heart, Dream State is at once a study of the unholy catastrophe of marriage, and a tender ode to the beauty of impermanence"--

I’ve been a little stuck on “Dream State” since I’ve finished it. I have a range of feelings and lots of unanswered questions—about the book, the characters, the sequence of events, and about myself. It is one of those books that makes you self-examine your past and think more about the future. What is in our control and what is out of it? What do our relationships mean to us and what do we mean to others? “Dream State” is a heavy-lift of a novel, but if you want a book to stay with you, this one sure will for me. -Anne M

The body alone : a lyrical articulation of chronic pain

Nina Lohman

616.0472 /Lohman
Nonfiction, Health, Memoir

"The Body Alone is a lyrical nonfiction inquiry into the experience, meaning, and articulation of pain. It is a hybrid account incorporating research, scholarship, and memoir to examine pain through the lenses of medicine, theology, and philosophy. Broken bodies tell broken stories. This is why the pain experience is portrayed through an engaging but tangled, cyclical narrative of primers, vocabulary lessons, prescription records, and hypothesized internal monologues. The Body Alone is fractured not for the sake of experimentation but because the story itself demands it. A personal account of a societal problem, The Body Alone will appeal to readers who experience or are impacted by chronic illness. Like the author, the majority of the 51 million Americans who suffer chronic pain identify as women and are young or middle-aged. Research reveals the uncomfortable truth that medicine continues to be a gendered institution where 70% of chronic pain patients are women but 80% of pain studies are conducted on men or male mice. This is one of the many disparities that leave women systemically underdiagnosed, misdiagnosed, and even gaslighted on account of inequitable access to research funding, clinical trials, and effective medications. Pain is more than personal; it is a political issue prime for reformation. In both form and content, The Body Alone represents boundary-pressing work that subverts the traditional narrative by putting pressure on the medical, cultural, and political systems that impact women's access to fair and equal healthcare. The Body Alone is more than an illness narrative. It is a battle cry demanding change"--

Poetic, cutting, and accurate. This book is part memoir, part poetry, and part explanatory nonfiction. Lohman details the ways that chronic pain derailed her life and reshaped her identity. If you have chronic pain, this could be a very therapeutic read. I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia, and I appreciated untangling the snarled threads of pain alongside the author as she explored different techniques for thinking about and living with her pain. If you don't have chronic pain, this book is an excellent window into the experience of people that do. It especially elucidates the difference between acute and chronic pain, and asks the question: How much pain can you handle? -Chelsea

Why fish don't exist : a story of loss, love, and the hidden order of life

Lulu Miller

590.92 /Miller
Biographies, History, Memoir, Philosophy, Science

Nineteenth-century scientist David Starr Jordan built one of the most important fish specimen collections ever seen, until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake shattered his life's work.

One of those books that fundamentally changed how I view the world. Highly relevant today with a liberating perspective on binary thinking and the human tendency to categorize and control chaos. -Annie

The mortal and immortal life of the girl from Milan

Domenico Starnone

FICTION Starnone Domenico
Fiction, Literary Fiction

Imagine a child, a daydreamer, one of those boys who is always gazing out windows. His adoring grandmother, busy in the kitchen, keeps an eye on him. The child stares at the building opposite, watching a black-haired girl as she dances recklessly on her balcony. He is in love. And a love like this can push a child to extremes. He can become an explorer or a cabin boy, a cowboy or castaway; he can fight duels to the death, or even master unfamiliar languages. His grandmother has told him about the entrance to the underworld, and he knows the story of Orpheus's failed rescue mission. He could do better, he thinks; he wouldn't fail to bring that dark-haired up from the underground if she were dead, and it only he had the chance. A short, sharp, perfectly styled and unforgettable novel about love, desire, memory, and death by the Strega Prize winning Italian author of Ties and International Booker Prize, longlisted author of The House on Via Gemito.--

This is a book about death and coming to terms with it. How does one wrestle with loss as a child? What type of scars do they leave when we are older? How long do you carry loss with you? These are questions Starnone wrestles with in "The Mortal and Immortal Life of the Girl from Milan." Mimi's experiences and feelings strike true. -Anne M

The anxious generation : how the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness

Jonathan Haidt

305.23 /Haidt
Nonfiction, Health, Science

"From New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Coddling of the American Mind, an essential investigation into the collapse of youth mental health--and a plan for a healthier, freer childhood. After more than a decade of stability or improvement, the mental health of adolescents plunged in the early 2010s. Rates of depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide rose sharply, more than doubling on most measures. Why? In The Anxious Generation, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out the facts about the epidemic of teen mental illness that hit many countries at the same time. He then investigates the nature of childhood, including why children need play and independent exploration to mature into competent, thriving adults. Haidt shows how the "play-based childhood" began to decline in the 1980s, and how it was finally wiped out by the arrival of the "phone-based childhood" in the early 2010s. He presents more than a dozen mechanisms by which this "great rewiring of childhood" has interfered with children's social and neurological development, covering everything from sleep deprivation to attention fragmentation, addiction, loneliness, social contagion, social comparison, and perfectionism. He explains why social media damages girls more than boys and why boys have been withdrawing from the real world into the virtual world, with disastrous consequences for themselves, their families, and their societies. Most important, Haidt issues a clear call to action. He diagnoses the "collective action problems" that trap us, and then proposes four simple rules that might set us free. He describes steps that parents, teachers, schools, tech companies, and governments can take to end the epidemic of mental illness and restore a more humane childhood. Haidt has spent his career speaking truth backed by data in the most difficult landscapes--communities polarized by politics and religion, campuses battling culture wars, and now the public health emergency faced by Gen Z. We cannot afford to ignore his findings about protecting our children--and ourselves--from the psychological damage of a phone-based life"--

This book was illuminating to say the least. As someone who is just beginning my journey into parenthood, as well as someone who part of the generation who had a mostly low-tech childhood, this book was an interesting and alarming deep dive into the the long-term effects of a "phone-based childhood." I work with children every day, and I easily see the differences as the years go by and we rely more and more on social connections and experiences via online versus in person, and the way it affects children is astounding. I think all parents should consider the concerns and calls to action suggested in this book, and rethink how they want to help frame the childhoods their children experience. I particularly hope that even as we lean more and more heavily on smart phones as a society, that we don't totally lose the emphasis on a play-based childhood to support healthy child development. Obviously I use my phone and connect online all day, but I really want to be conscious of the factors that come into play when parenting a child. -Mari

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow : a novel

Gabrielle Zevin

FICTION Zevin, Gabrielle
Diverse Characters, Fiction

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

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is my favorite book of the year, and possibly one of my favorite reads to date! If you're like me and are a gamer, you'll want to read this beautiful story about the platonic love between two lifelong friends as they collaborate on designing video games. This is a story about love, platonic love, disability, and growth -- one that will be on my mind for a long time. -Violette

Otter carries on

Maya Tatsukawa

jE Tatsukaw
Kids, Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Philosophy, Self Help

"Otter loves floating and collecting pretty, heavy rocks all by themself. When a storm comes, Otter has so many rocks that they can't swim home -- and soon, they're lost at sea. But when a few rocks accidentally slip away, Otter feels -- lighter. And with the help of a new friend, Otter realizes that maybe they don't need to carry everything alone." --

Otters, friendship, and adventures at sea! Maya Tatsukawa's latest picture book, Otter Carries On, is gorgeous and a nice conversation starter about letting things go. -Casey

The triumphant rhinoceros

Jane Kurtz

j599.668 Kurtz
Kids, Nonfiction, Animals, Science, Travel

Captain Van der Meer turns an orphaned rhinocerous named Clara into a sensation, traveling all over Europe and changing how people think about her species. Based on a true story. Includes author's note.

Fascinating story with really cool illustrations about one Dutch sea captain's efforts to bring an exotic, exciting, never-before-seen rhino around to the people of Europe! -Anne W

Little Witch Hazel : a year in the forest

Phoebe Wahl

jE Wahl
Adventure, Kids, Picture Books, Animals

"Little Witch Hazel is a tiny witch who lives in the forest, helping creatures big and small. She's a midwife, an intrepid explorer, a hard worker and a kind friend. In this four-season volume, Little Witch Hazel rescues an orphaned egg, goes sailing on a raft, solves the mystery of a haunted stump and makes house calls to fellow forest dwellers. But when Little Witch Hazel needs help herself, will she get it in time? Little Witch Hazel is a beautiful ode to nature, friendship, wild things and the seasons, that only Phoebe Wahl could create: an instant classic and a book that readers will pore over time and time again."--

I really love Phoebe Wahl's artwork, and this makes reading her books even more enjoyable. In this book, we follow the character Little Witch Hazel as she adventures through the forest, meeting many adorable critters in even more adorable outfits along the way! -Violette

Shadows on the ice : the 1972 Andes disaster

Frédéric Bertocchini

982.6 /Bertocchini
Graphic Novels

"On a fateful Friday the 13th in October 1972, a plane traveling from Uruguay to Chile, carrying a young rugby team, crashed in an inaccessible area in the heart of the Andes Mountains. For many weeks, the survivors had to endure intense cold, biting hunger, thirst, and the despair of being completely abandoned. To survive, they eventually resorted to eating the flesh from the frozen bodies of the deceased. In this harrowing and almost inhuman ordeal, they were spared nothing. This true and tragic story marks its fiftieth anniversary."--Back cover.

It's been long enough that there have been several books and films published about this event, but this is the first graphic novel I've seen. The combination of image and words lends itself nicely to the telling. The brevity of panels and speech bubbles means that word choice is important, and the story gets relayed in a more direct, yet artistic and poetic way--less detail means often more impact in this instance. -Candice

Sunrise on the reaping

Suzanne Collins

YOUNG ADULT FICTION Collins Suzanne
Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction

"As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear gripsthe districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch's name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He's torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a youngfriend who's nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he's been set up to fail. But there's something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena."--

Suzanne Collins returns to the world of Panem with a timely and brutal novel. "Sunrise on the Reaping" explores the concept of implicit submission. It asks us what motivates our acceptance of the status quo, and what it might take to change. -Chelsea

Papilio

jE Clanton
Humor, Kids, Picture Books, Animals, Nature, Science

"Told in three parts, Papilio transforms from caterpillar to chrysalis to butterfly"--

There's a new very hungry caterpillar in town, Papilio! This collaborative picture book has just enough information for young entomologists to gobble up and features a sweet story about finding your wings. Papilio is one big treat! -Casey

The Children of Jocasta: A Novel

Natalie Haynes

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction

The New York Times bestselling author of Pandora's Jar and Stone Blind returns with a powerful retelling of Oedipus and Antigone from the perspectives of the women the myths overlooked.When you have grown up as I have, there is no security in not knowing things, in avoiding the ugliest truths because they can't be faced . . . Because that is what happened the last time, and that is why my siblings and I have grown up in a cursed house, children of cursed parents . . .Jocasta is just fifteen when she is told that she must marry the King of Thebes, an old man she has never met. Her life has never been her own, and nor will it be, unless she outlives her strange, absent husband. Ismene is the same age when she is attacked in the palace she calls home. Since the day of her parents' tragic deaths a decade earlier, she has always longed to feel safe with the family she still has. But with a single act of violence, all that is about to change.With the turn of these two events, a tragedy is set in motion. But not as we've known it.

This new audioversion of Natalie Haynes' novel is compelling! Great story, great narration. And Haynes is talented in providing layers and thoughtfulness in her retelling of the Greek tragedy. -Anne M

The Jewel of the Isle

Kerry Rea

OverDrive Audiobook
Adventure, Humor, Romance

Two very indoor people rough it on a remote island after getting swept up in an archaeologist’s hunt for a famed jewel in this dazzling new adventure rom-com by Kerry Rea, author of Lucy on the Wild Side. If Emily Edwards knows one thing, it’s that you don’t go to a remote island by yourself. Ever the type A personality, Emily doesn’t want to hike around an unfamiliar island, but she’s determined to fulfill her late father’s national park bucket list, starting with Isle Royale National Park—home to wolves, bears, and hundred-year-old shipwrecks. She has no choice but to hire a tour guide, and there is only one that isn’t booked solid. Ryder Fleet, co-owner of Fleet Outdoor Adventures, wouldn’t call himself a wilderness expert, and he definitely doesn’t know how to find true north. But when his dormant adventure guide business suddenly finds life again after a random inquiry, Ryder somehow finds himself on a ferry to Isle Royale with a very beautiful, no-nonsense woman. What this woman doesn’t know is that his brother Caleb, who died two years ago, was the outdoorsman of their business, while Ryder just did the marketing. But how hard could it be to hike up a few mountains? Pretty difficult, actually, when murder is involved. Emily’s perfectly planned trek turns disastrous when she and Ryder witness a brutal crime and are suddenly forced to evade a group of archaeologists on the hunt for a jewel. As they spend nights together too close for comfort, they realize their shoddily built fire isn’t the only thing that’s kindling, and that they must trust each other if they want to escape the island with their lives—and hearts—intact.

When judging this book by its cover, I assumed it was going to be a little lame and poorly written. And how wrong I was! This book is a madcap adventure if I ever read one. I don't want to give too much away, but I chortled at every gag our heroes used in an attempt to get out of sticky situations. Who brings a slingshot to a gun fight? These guys. The setting for this book--Isle Royale National Park--was the other selling point for me. I love indulging in books that take me to faraway places. A forested island with no ticks or bears, but plenty of moose and the chance to see a wolf, equals one that will capture my daydreams. Lovers of national park hiking adventures: this one's for you! -Melody

The secret lives of numbers : a hidden history of math's unsung trailblazers

Kate Kitagawa

510.9 /Kitagawa
Nonfiction, History, Science

Mathematics shapes almost everything we do. But despite its reputation as the study of fundamental truths, the stories we have been told about it are wrong--warped like the sixteenth-century map that enlarged Europe at the expense of Africa, Asia and the Americas. In The Secret Lives of Numbers, renowned math historian Kate Kitagawa and journalist Timothy Revell make the case that the history of math is infinitely deeper, broader, and richer than the narrative we think we know.

I'm not even going to pretend that I understood everything in this book (and it's literally a book that just explains numbers and mathematics, you don't even have to do any!), but I found it full of interesting facts and tidbits nonetheless. The book is written in a very friendly fashion (math jokes, anyone?), and does a great service in highlighting brilliant people who made strides in the field of math, some of whom have been more or less lost to history because they didn't make it into the formal books. Eyeopening to the nth degree! -Candice

Arrival

Ted Chiang

SCIENCE FICTION Chiang Ted
Short Story

Ted Chiang has long been known as one of the most powerful science fiction writers working today. Offering readers the dual delights of the very strange and the heartbreakingly familiar, Arrival presents characters who must confront sudden change. In "Story of Your Life," which provides the basis for the film Arrival, alien lifeforms suddenly appear on Earth. When a linguist is brought in to help communicate with them and discern their intentions, her new knowledge of their language and its nonlinear structure allows her to see future events and all the joy and pain they may bring. In each story of this incredible collection, with sharp intelligence and humor, Ted Chiang examines what it means to be alive in a world marked by uncertainty, but also by wonder.

Ted Chiang is a master of writing short stories--usually Sci-Fi or Fantasy leaning--with an eye towards the scientific and academic. His stories stay with you. He often presents an idea, shows you the various sides of it, and then leaves it with you to come to your own conclusion. My favorite in this collection was "Hell is the absence of God." -Brian

Smithsonian handbook of interesting bird nests and eggs

Douglas G. D. Russell

598.1564 /Russell
Nonfiction, Animals, Nature

This book reveals how a simple bird's nest or egg can tell extraordinary stories about the birds behind them, help reconstruct a habitat’s flora and fauna, and offer potential answers to important evolutionary and ecological questions. From the Cape Penduline Tit nest that includes a false chamber to trick predators to the unique patterning of a Great Auk egg allowing parents to always recognize and care for their own egg, this insightful handbook peers into the brilliance and architectural skills of birds. Smithsonian Handbook of Interesting Bird Nests and Eggs is an essential read for birdwatchers and nature lovers.

Natural history is so fascinating! The extent of my bird-nest knowledge ends at my backyard, where we sometimes find house finch nests in our hanging ferns. This book has hundreds of historic nests collected from all over the world. The back cover reads, "Birds are some of nature's most innovative architects." I never knew I needed to know about birds' nests until eyeing this book on the shelf. What a fun discovery! The only drawback is that this book doesn't include illustrations of the bird species that build these nests. But have a web browser handy and that drawback is easily remedied. Two talons up. -Melody

The ogre who wasn't

Michael Morpurgo

jE Morpurgo
Humor, Kids, Picture Books, Nature

Princess Clara misses her father, the King. All Clara wants is to escape outside and make friends with the creatures that she finds there. Her best friend is a very small ogre. Ogres are usually baddies, aren't they? Not this one... and he might just be able to help make Clara's dreams come true. Maybe he isn't an ogre at all?

Morpurgo and Gravett's latest collaboration is fabulous! Pair with Munch's "Paper Bag Princess" for a wildly fun reading time. -Casey

The True Love Experiment

Christina Lauren

OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Humor, Romance

Winner of the 2024 Audie Award for Romance. Sparks fly when a romance writer and a documentary filmmaker join forces to craft the ultimate Hollywood love story—but only if they can keep the chemistry between them from taking the whole thing off script—from the "divine" (Jodi Picoult) New York Times bestselling authors of The Soulmate Equation and The Unhoneymooners. Felicity "Fizzy" Chen is lost. Sure, she's got an incredible career as a beloved romance novelist with a slew of bestsellers under her belt, but when she's asked to give a commencement address, it hits her: she hasn't been practicing what she's preached. Fizzy hasn't ever really been in love. Lust? Definitely. But that swoon-worthy, can't-stop-thinking-about-him, all-encompassing feeling? Nope. Nothing. What happens when the optimism she's spent her career encouraging in readers starts to feel like a lie? Connor Prince, documentary filmmaker and single father, loves his work but when his profit-minded boss orders him to create a reality TV show, putting his job on the line, Connor is out of his element. Desperate to find his romantic lead, a chance run-in with an exasperated Fizzy offers Connor the perfect solution. What if he could show the queen of romance herself falling head-over-heels for all the world to see? Fizzy gives him a hard pass—unless he agrees to her list of demands. When he says yes, and production on The True Love Experiment begins, Connor wonders if that perfect match will ever be in the cue cards for him, too. "Full of big laughs, a few tears, and some seriously steamy scenes" (Kirkus Reviews, starred review), The True Love Experiment is the book fans have been waiting for ever since Fizzy's debut in the New York Times bestselling The Soulmate Equation.

Once I got into this audiobook, I had to make sure I only opened it when I had a solid block of time to binge-listen. The story, the narrative performances had me so rapt that any disruption to my attention to it stoked my ire. I missed the fact that it won an Audie; the award is well deserved. And honestly, I'm not a fan of the covers of Christina Lauren's books so I passed this one by every time I saw it. But boy was I missing out! The writing is so funny too, the plot clever. The first book in this series, The Soulmate Equation, is definitely going on my To Be Read list. Can't wait! -Melody

Thank you for listening : a novel

Julia Whelan

FICTION Whelan, Julia
Humor, Romance

The days of being a star on film sets are long behind Sewanee Chester. She has found success and satisfaction as an audiobook narrator, and it allows her to care for her ailing grandmother. When she arrives in Las Vegas last-minute for a book convention, Sewanee unexpectedly spends a whirlwind night with a charming stranger. On her return home she learns one of the world's most beloved romance novelists wanted her to perform her last book-- with Brock McNight, the industry's hottest, most secretive voice. Sewanee stopped narrating romances years ago, but she works on the book under her old romance pseudonym. Hidden behind the comfort of anonymity, Sewanee and Brock forge a real connection-- until the realities of life come crashing down around her once more. -- adapted from jacket.

If you know you know...audiobook listeners of literary fiction, historical fiction, romance, and most other genres have enjoyed the voice of Julia Whalen, she has narrated over 600 titles. Generally I expect that if I see Julia Whalen as the narrator of an audio title that it's going to be a really good listen for me. Fans of Kristen Hannah, Taylor Jenkins Reid, Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry and various popular thriller writers such as Rachel Hawkins, (she even narrated Gone Girl!) will recognize her voice. I was excited to listen to her narrate her own book, appropriately about a book narrator, and even more appropriately set in the world of "HEA" or romantic comedy. I found the story to be similar to an Emily Henry book, with a mixture of witty banter, personal tragedy, ironic situational humor and some absolutely fantastic narrating by Julia herself, with a large range of characters and accents! -Mari

The other ancient civilisations : decoding archaeology's less celebrated cultures

Raven Todd DaSilva

930 /DaSilva
Nonfiction, History

"The world has always been filled with vibrant cultures and civilisations and mainstream history is dominated by only a select few. In this book, Raven Todd DaSilva invites you on an archaeological expedition across millennia and continents to discover the rich diversity of peoples that are often overlooked but have made monumental impacts that have shaped our modern world. From the world's first peace treaty to daring expeditions across the Pacific, twenty ancient and historic cultures from around the world are highlighted, offering an alternative view of history. Each chapter investigates the archaeological evidence we have for each culture, delving beyond their rise and fall and highlighting the magic in the mundance of everyday life in the past. Relive key historical events, explore ancient sites, and marvel at astounding artefacts that changed the way we understand history." -- From back cover.

This is a great little book. It reminds of the nonfiction works I'd read as a child, super quick, high-interest pieces about history, mysterious places, and events (dinosaurs! outer space! Egyptian pyramids! the Bermuda Triangle!), presented in bite-sized portions but full of all the pertinent facts. This is like that, but for an adult. DaSilva covers 20 ancient cultures in 300 pages, so there's a quick pace; he's covering lots of important details and interesting facts, but doesn't get bogged down in minutiae. Certainly not a comprehensive look at any culture, but just enough to get you on the right track and interested in finding out more. -Candice

Family romance : John Singer Sargent and the Wertheimers

Jean Strouse

759.13 /Sargent
Nonfiction, Art / Art History, Biographies

"Jean Strouse captures the dramas, mysteries, intrigues, and tragedies surrounding John Singer Sargent's portraits of the Wertheimer family"--

I really enjoy John Singer Sargent portraits--there is a great one at the Des Moines Art Center! Strouse's Family Romance tells the story of Sargent's portraits of the Wertheimer family giving context to the culture and politics of early 20th century England, the art scene, and this period of Sargent's life. -Anne M

The unworthy : a novel

Bazterrica, Agustina María, 1974- author.

FICTION Bazterri Agustina
Fiction, Dystopian, Literary Fiction, Science Fiction

"From her cell in a mysterious convent, a woman writes the story of her life in whatever she can find--discarded ink, dirt, and even her own blood. A lower member of the Sacred Sisterhood, deemed an unworthy, she dreams of ascending to the ranks of the Enlightened at the center of the convent and of pleasing the foreboding Superior Sister. Outside, the world is plagued by catastrophe--cities are submerged underwater, electricity and the internet are nonexistent, and bands of survivors fight and forage in a cruel, barren landscape. Inside, the narrator is controlled, punished, but safe. But when a stranger makes her way past the convent walls, joining the ranks of the unworthy, she forces the narrator to consider her long-buried past--and what she may be overlooking about the Enlightened. As the two women grow closer, the narrator is increasingly haunted by questions about her own past, the environmental future, and her present life inside the convent. How did she get to the Sacred Sisterhood? Why can't she remember her life before? And what really happens when a woman is chosen as one of the Enlightened?" --

Bazterrica's unsettling (perhaps better described as disturbing) fictional future shows a world ravaged by climate change and societal collapse. But our storyteller has found refuge from starvation, violence, and the harsh weather--if you can call it a refuge.This is a novel that peels back itself layer by layer revealing harsh truths and buried feelings. -Anne M

Ultimates.

Deniz Camp

COMIC Ultimates 2024
Graphic Novels

Spider-Man/Ultimate Universe. A new era for the Ultimate Universe and its mightiest heroes! Six months ago, Tony Stark, A.K.A. Iron Lad, sent Peter Parker a radioactive spider to set him back on the course to become Spider-Man. Since then, Stark, Captain America, Doom, Thor and Sif have begun to do the same for others, building a network of super-powered heroes hungry for change. Now they must band together to destroy the Maker's Council and restore freedom and free will to a world ruled from the shadows! Together they are the Ultimates! But when Cap reckons with the Maker's dismantling of nations by visiting the White House, it leads to a massive brawl with the deadly Midas - who's been holding a superhuman hostage as a power source! The search for answers will lead the Ultimates to...She-Hulk!

After Ultimate Spider-man, I was excited to dive into "The Ultimates," the Avengers group of Earth-6160. Led by Iron Lad, a teenage Tony Stark, the group is framed for a terrorist attack by The Maker's Council and are on the run. Various members are recruited--including Thor, Sif, and Captain America--as we're shown how different this world is to the Marvel Universe we know. The volume ends tragically, and it makes the wait for the continuation even harder! -Brian

The five sides of Marjorie Rice : how to discover a shape

Amy Alznauer

j510.92 Rice
Picture Books, Nonfiction, Biographies

"When Marjorie Rice was a little girl in Roseburg, Oregon, in the 1930s, she saw patterns everywhere. Swimming in the river, her body was a shape in the water, the water a shape in the hills, the hills a shape in the sky. Some shapes, fitted into a rectangle or floor tilings, were so beautiful they made her long to be an artist. Marjorie dreamed of studying art and geometry, perhaps even solving the age-old "problem of five" (why pentagons don't fit together the way shapes with three, four, or six sides do). But when college wasn't possible, she pondered and explored all through secretarial school, marriage, and parenting five children, until one day, while reading her son's copy of Scientific American, she learned that a subscriber had discovered a pentagon never seen before. If a reader could do it, couldn't she? Marjorie studied all the known pentagons, drew a little five-sided house, and kept pondering. She'd done it! And she'd go on to discover more pentagonal tilings and whole new classes of tessellations." --

I'm so inspired by this book, which describes the work of self-taught mathematician Marjorie Rice, who discovered not one, not two, but THREE new tesselating five-sided shapes despite being held back from even attending college in the 1960s and 1970s by familial and societal expectations about women's roles at the time. I didn't know that a person could...discover a new shape until I read this book? (A tesselating shape, I learned, is one that fits together with itself infinitely with no gaps or overlaps.) Absolutely astonishingly beautiful illustrations tie together the themes of nature, patterns, and math that "shape" this story and give personality and verve to Rice and her life. With puzzling so popular, this book is timely, interesting, and inspiring. -Anne W

Critical hits : writers playing video games

794.809 /Critical
Nonfiction, Memoir

A wide-ranging anthology of essays exploring one of the most vital art forms on the planet today. From the earliest computers to the smartphones in our pockets, video games have been on our screens and part of our lives for over fifty years. Critical Hits celebrates this sophisticated medium and considers its lasting impact on our culture and ourselves. This collection of stylish, passionate, and searching essays opens with an introduction by Carmen Maria Machado, who edited the anthology alongside J. Robert Lennon. In these pages, writer-gamers find solace from illness and grief, test ideas about language, bodies, power, race, and technology, and see their experiences and identities reflected in--or complicated by--the interactive virtual worlds they inhabit. Elissa Washuta immerses herself in The Last of Us during the first summer of the pandemic. Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah describes his last goodbye to his father with the help of Disco Elysium. Jamil Jan Kochai remembers being an Afghan American teenager killing Afghan insurgents in Call of Duty. Also included are a comic by MariNaomi about her time as a video game producer; a deep dive into "portal fantasy" movies about video games by Charlie Jane Anders; and new work by Alexander Chee, Hanif Abdurraqib, Larissa Pham, and many more.

I found this collection of essays while looking up if ICPL had the game "Disco Elysium" (we don't), but I'm glad I got to learn about so many other games that I now want to play! -Annie

When women were dragons : a novel

Kelly Regan Barnhill

FICTION Barnhill Kelly
Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

"Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours. But this version of 1950's America is characterized by a significant event: The Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales and talons, left a trail of fiery destruction in their path, and took to the skies. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex's beloved Aunt Marla transform but her mother did not? Alex doesn't know. It's taboo to speak of. Forced into silence, Alex nevertheless must face the consequences of this disturbing event: a mother more protective than ever; a father growing increasingly distant; the upsetting insistence that her aunt never even existed; and helping to raise a beloved younger girl obsessed with dragons far beyond propriety. In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the forced limitations of girlhood. When Women Were Dragons exposes a world that wants to keep women small-their lives and their prospects-and examines what happens when they rise en masse and take up the space they deserve"--

This is a searing feminist novel that explores female rage through a lens of magical realism. This book really shines in its exploration of female relationships, especially between Alex and her family. They love each other deeply, but that love is often tempered by resentment or fear or secrecy, and Barnhill does a great job depicting that complexity. -Chelsea

Life is strange. Double exposure

VIDEO GAME Switch Life

"Two timelines. One impossible mystery. When Max Caulfield finds her friend Safi dead in the snow, she tears open the way to a parallel timeline. Here, Safi is still alive...and still in danger! With her new power to Shift between two timelines--can Max solve and prevent the same murder?"--Container.

A fascinating new adventure in the Life is Strange universe, taking place 10 years after the first game! Max is now a photographer-in-residence at Caledon University and rediscovering her powers as she travels between alternate timelines. -Violette

What to cook when you don't feel like cooking

Caroline Chambers

641.5 /Chambers
Nonfiction, Cookbooks, Health

"With three little boys less than two years apart and a packed schedule as an online creator, Caroline Chambers often doesn't feel like cooking. Inspired by her wildly popular Substack newsletter of the same name, this book is brimming with efficient recipes that take the guesswork out of dinner--in fact, each one is a complete meal: protein, veg, starch, done! The recipes are organized by the amount of time they take to cook, so whether you have 15 minutes to throw together something or a little bit more time on your hands, dinnertime is totally doable. On top of that, Caro gives you more ways to choose, so you can search by protein (chicken thighs waiting in the fridge? Make White Chicken Chili. Nothing but beans in the pantry? Cannellini Caprese with Burrata is it!) or mood (Tomato Farrotto is perfect for a cozy craving, and Crunchy Honey Harissa Fish Tacos are an excellent way to show off). Most importantly, these recipes include Caro's famously extensive swaps, riffs, tips, shortcuts, and more to be sure they work best for you, helping you save money, improvise, and even learn a thing or two"--

This book is great! I like making bulk meals on Sundays so that I can have lunch for the week. I'm not so much a sandwich gal; I like my soups and grains and baked veggies. The first thing I made was a Tater Tot Egg Bake, which was so easy that I had time to clean the kitchen while it was baking. Usually, my Sunday batch cooking means Monday kitchen cleanup. But not with the tot bake! I'm also keen on trying their garlicky grains, featuring greens, farro, and sausage, and their one pot "squash-ta." They have a nice section on ingredients to keep on hand, as well. This book is perfect for working people who don't want to spend their leisure time toiling over the stove. -Melody

A pocket full of rocks

Kristin Mahoney

jE Mahoney
Kids, Picture Books, Nature

"A sweet and soulful celebration of how a child's imagination can transform ordinary objects into extraordinary treasures. You can do a lot with a pocket full of rocks... "

Sweet, beautiful, and just the right length for sharing. What can you do with a pocket full of rocks? Watch for this one at a BookWalk near you soon! -Casey

This is how you lose the time war

Amal El-Mohtar

SCIENCE FICTION El-Mohtar, Amal
Fiction, LGBTQ+, Science Fiction

Among the ashes of a dying world, an agent of the Commandant finds a letter. It reads: Burn before reading. Thus begins an unlikely correspondence between two rival agents hellbent on securing the best possible future for their warring factions. Now, what began as a taunt, a battlefield boast, grows into something more. Something epic. Something romantic. Something that could change the past and the future. Except the discovery of their bond would mean death for each of them.

The relationship between Red and Blue reveals the false dichotomy of nature vs technology. As they write to each other, Red finds the humanity within the machine, and Blue observes the algorithms that govern the natural world. I could spend ages thinking about this book. The strands of this world have been woven into my veins. -Chelsea

Toto

Hyewon Yum

jE Yum
Kids, Picture Books

A little girl, self-conscious about her birthmark named Toto, worries her school friend will see her differently when her birthmark is revealed but is pleasantly surprised by her friend's reaction.

Hyewon Yum is one of my favorite author illustrators and her new story is a delight! Be sure to check out all of her other books and the Hazel Westgate Collection in the Children's Room to see one of her beautiful originals. -Casey

Save our souls : the true story of a castaway family, treachery, and murder

Matthew Pearl

910.452 /Pearl
History

In this true story, on December 10, 1887, the Walker family's shark fishing boat was split in two by a storm, and they awoke in the morning on an island inhabited by a ragged man named Hans who seemed helpful but had a dark secret.

Save Our Souls is a shipwreck survival book. It has all the elements of a thrilling adventure--being lost at sea, foraging on a deserted island (in this case one of the Midway Islands), and faction-based mutiny. But there is a twist. Someone is already on the island that makes things far more complicated--he knows the island, but why is he there by himself? And there is also the context of the late-19th century. Pearl deftly explains the economics and politics of a European shark fishing boat in the middle of the Pacific.It is a fascinating read. -Anne M

Waifs and Strays

Helen Harper

OverDrive Audiobook
Fantasy, Romance

Nobody is just a cat lady. Kit McCafferty's life is quiet, unremarkable, and filled with cat hair. In the magical city of Coldstream, located on the border between Scotland and England, Kit is viewed as little more than mildly eccentric and mostly harmless. She passes her days caring for her family of five cats, feeding the local feral moggies, and maintaining relatively good relations with her neighbors. All that changes, however, when a teenage werewolf shows up at her door in the desperate hope of renting out a nearby vacant flat. Kit knows that the smart move is to tell him to leave. The last thing she needs is to become embroiled in complicated shapeshifter politics. But something about the secretive young werewolf tugs at her heartstrings. It's not long before Kit ends up caught in a maelstrom of mysterious crime and magical wrong-doing. Fortunately, there's far more to Kit McCafferty than meets the eye and she has a few dark secrets of her own. Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that you underestimate a cat lady at your own peril.

I haven't picked up a Helen Harper novel for a few years, but I used to burn through her books like nobody's business. Her characters are cheeky and irreverent, getting into all sorts of hijinks and having a range of magical abilities. She is one of my favorite urban fantasy writers, and while the person reading her audiobooks has a rather thick alto brogue, it is well worth training your ear for a listen. -Melody

A sorceress comes to call

T. Kingfisher

SCIENCE FICTION Kingfisher, T.
Fiction, Fantasy

"From New York Times bestselling and Hugo Award-winning author T. Kingfisher comes A Sorceress Comes to Call--a dark reimagining of the Brothers Grimm's "The Goose Girl," rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. Cordelia knows her mother is . . . unusual. Their house doesn't have any doors between rooms--there are no secrets in this house--and her mother doesn't allow Cordelia to have a single friend. Unless you count Falada, her mother's beautiful white horse. The only time Cordelia feels truly free is on her daily rides with him. But more than simple eccentricity sets her mother apart. Other mothers don't force their daughters to be silent and motionless for hours, sometimes days, on end. Other mothers aren't evil sorcerers. When her mother unexpectedly moves them into the manor home of a wealthy older Squire and his kind but keen-eyed sister, Hester, Cordelia knows this welcoming pair are to be her mother's next victims. But Cordelia feels at home for the very first time among these people, and as her mother's plans darken, she must decide how to face the woman who raised her to save the people who have become like family." --

The characters in this book really shine, especially Hester. I love that one of the co-protagonists is a grumpy, disabled old woman, and that she uses her wit and cleverness to win the day. There are some real moments of horror in this book as well, and they were vivid enough to make me shiver. -Chelsea

Smelly Peggy

Helen Stephens

jE Stephens
Kids, Picture Books

Meet Peggy--a very naughty dog who gets into a lot of trouble. Some of the things she loves doing: leaping on the bed in the morning and sticking her hairy bottom in Dad's face. Sweeping her human family off their feet with her favorite sticks. And most of all, rolling in everything stinky and smelly she can find! And that's not even the naughtiest thing she does . . . But do you think her family loves her anyway? Open the windows for this happy, bighearted story about a beloved puppy named Peggy--a story that delights in the smelly but cherished canine family members that we couldn't do without.

Pet owners will be charmed and feel seen while reading this funny book about all the ways Peggy, an adorable terrier, is naughty and annoying. Interactive text makes the book a great read-aloud, as does the straight-shooter narrator, a red-haired little girl, who frankly discusses gross doggy behaviors. The highlight of the bright, fun illustrations are the dog's adorable facial expressions on each page. -Anne W

Balatro.

VIDEO GAME Switch Balatro

"Balatro is a hypnotically satisfying deckbuilder where you play illegal poker hands, discover game-changing jokers, and trigger adrenaline-pumping, outrageous combos"--Container.

This is highly addictive and unique poker-themed roguelike with a low learning curve, great for long flights. It also won Best Independent Game, Best Debut Indie Game, and Best Mobile Game, and was nominated for Game of the Year at The Game Awards 2024. Playing on the Nintendo Switch might be a more mindful option, if you find that you get addicted to phone games easily. -Annie

The serviceberry : abundance and reciprocity in the natural world

Robin Wall Kimmerer

581.6 /Kimmerer

In The Serviceberry, Robin Wall Kimmerer reflects on the practice of harvesting serviceberries and the concept of reciprocity central to Indigenous wisdom. She contrasts this with the dominant economic system rooted in scarcity, competition, and resource hoarding. Kimmerer highlights how the serviceberry tree, by sharing its abundance with its ecosystem, embodies a model of interdependence and mutual support. This ethic of reciprocity, she argues, shows us that true wealth arises from relationships, not self-sufficiency, and encourages us to reimagine our values in a way that nurtures both people and the planet.

Kimmerer has written another gem of a book. Though not as hefty in nature as Braiding Sweetgrass, this tiny book has some provocative ideas based on understanding reciprocity in nature, being part of a gift economy (which does not necessarily need to be scaled up). This book really highlighted what it means to be content with having enough, while also appreciating everything nature provides for us, with never asking for anything in return. When we take stock in everything nature "does" for us, we are more inclined to revere it and may tend it a little more carefully. When we buy from a store, the process is transactional. When we take a zucchini from our neighbor's free stand, make zucchini bread, and pass a loaf to another neighbor, we have created an authentic connection. This was a beautiful, hopeful read. Pro tip: you can likely get it right away on our Express shelf and easily be able to read it in the two weeks needed. -Victoria

Dare to bird : exploring the joy and power of birds

Melissa Hafting

598.022 /Hafting
Nonfiction, Animals, Nature

"Melissa Hafting is an ethical, passionate, and respected birder, photographer, and mentor. Her love for birding has helped shape who she is and has helped with her mental health, along with enabling her to cope with the difficult aspects of grief and loss after the death of her mother and father. Showcasing some of Melissa's most stunning bird images from the continental United States, Hawaii, and Canada, Dare to Bird explores the joy that birding and photography has brought to her life and how both have allowed her to foster meaningful connections with young birders from diverse backgrounds, along with the conservation community, eco-travel advocates, rare bird enthusiasts, and ethical wildlife viewing practitioners in order to preserve bird habitats that are constantly under threat. At the same time, she is determined to expand birding to include more BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour), women, and LGBTQIA+ through youth outreach and talking about the barriers (racism and sexism) she herself has faced in her journey to become part of the birding community"--

Okay. I'll admit it. I just checked this book out for the pictures. When did I get into birds? Probably at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when I would sit and stare out the window all the time. The Merlin Bird ID app taught me to appreciate all the different bird songs around me, and now, I just like looking at photos of beautiful birds. When I'm reading a book set in the British Isles and puffins make their way into the text, I tend to imagine the penguins I've seen at the zoo. But a puffin is not a penguin! And a book like Dare to Bird shows me the delightfully bright beak of a bird who lives half a world away. -Melody

Can't spell treason without tea : a cozy fantasy steeped with love

Rebecca Thorne

SCIENCE FICTION Thorne Rebecca
Fiction, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance

"All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters ... all complemented by love and good company. Thing is, Reyna works as one of the Queen's private guards, and Kianthe is the most powerful mage in existence. Leaving their lives isn't so easy. But after an assassin takes Reyna hostage, she decides she's thoroughly done risking her life for a self-centered queen. Meanwhile, Kianthe has been waiting for a chance to flee responsibly -- all the better that her girlfriend is on board. Together, they settle in Tawney, a town nestled in the icy tundra near dragon country, and open the shop of their dreams. What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm's biggest temper tantrum. In a story brimming with hurt/comfort and quiet fireside conversations, these two women will discover just what they mean to each other ... and the world."--Back cover.

So many romance novels are about the opening stages of a relationship, and it was really refreshing to watch Reyna and Kianthe navigate the conflicts that can arise in an established relationship. Thorne does a great job balancing the cozy atmosphere with intriguing political drama and world building. The sequel, "A Pirate's Life for Tea," was also a great read, and I'm excited to see what else this series has in store later this year! -Chelsea

It's hard to be a baby

Cheryl B. Klein

jE Klein
Kids, Picture Books

While adults assume life as a baby is easy, a young child sympathizes with babies and recognizes that life as a baby is harder than it seems.

Such a sweet, funny story, with gorgeous, diverse illustrations of babies and families. Get this for new parents and new babies in your life! -Anne W

The favorites : a novel

Layne Fargo

FICTION Fargo Layne
Fiction

"She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family's support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating-and each other-to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and rollercoaster relationship. Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end. As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the "real story" through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary. But she can't stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy either. So, after a decade of silence, she's telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines"--

If you are counting down the days until the next Winter Olympics, explore the drama and determination of getting a gold in The Favorites. It is filled with drama. It's a nod to Wuthering Heights, but with ice dancing. There are the figure skating rivalries, the international intrigue, the off-rink backstabbing, the on-rink backstabbing, the oscillation of love and hate between partners, and many angry walks through the rain. Honestly, there is too much drama. This book is packed with it. But I don't care--I enjoyed it. It was a great winter distraction. -Anne M

The comfy cozy witch's guide to making magic in your everyday life

Jennie Blonde

133.43 /Blonde
Nonfiction, Crafts, Health, Nature, Religion

"From the host of the beloved podcast The Comfy Cozy Witch comes an accessible two-color illustrated guide resonant with cozy fall vibes, featuring spells, recipes, meditations, and practices to bring good magic into your daily life. Whether you're a novice curious about witchcraft but aren't sure where to start, or a seasoned witch interested in deepening your practice, this warm, accessible, and nurturing interactive guide shows you the way. The Comfy Cozy Witch's Guide to Making Magic in Your Everyday Life combines the practical charm of The Little Book of Hygge with the down to earth wisdom of The Spell Book for New Witches and the practical advice of Grimoire Girl, Drawn from decades of popular podcaster Jennie Blonde's experience, she shares seven tenets to help you begin and develop your own authentic practice."--

I was drawn to this cover the moment I eyed this book on the shelf! It has a beautiful and welcoming embroidered look to it. I'm enjoying how accessible Blondie makes dipping ones toes into spiritual mysticism. I am usually such a techno-realist, but this is the year I start loving crystals and meditation again. This is a self-care book in its essence, a way to practice mindfulness while focusing respect on the natural world all around you. -Melody

Quiet girl in a noisy world : an introvert's story

Debbie Tung

BIOGRAPHY Tung, Debbie
Diverse Characters, Graphic Novels, Memoir

This illustrated gift book of short comics illuminates author Debbie Tung's experience as an introvert in an extrovert's world. Presented in a loose narrative style that can be read front to back or dipped into at one's leisure, the book spans three years of Debbie's life, from the end of college to the present day. In these early years of adulthood, Debbie slowly but finally discovers there is a name for her lifelong need to be alone: she's an introvert.The first half of the book traces Debbie's final year in college: socializing with peers, dating, falling in love (with an extrovert!), moving in, getting married, meeting new people, and simply trying to fit in. The second half looks at her life after graduation: finding a job, learning to live with her new husband, trying to understand social obligations when it comes to the in-laws, and navigating office life. Ultimately, Quiet Girl sends a positive, pro-introvert message: our heroine learns to embrace her introversion and finds ways to thrive in the world while fulfilling her need for quiet.

Debbie Tung's "Quiet Girl in a Noisy World" presents an accurate depiction of the role that anxiety plays in the lives of highly sensitive people and how this introversion can, in turn, be embraced. I would recommend Tung's comic book memoir to anyone who is suffering from debilitating anxiety and wanting to find their quiet place in a noisy world. -Violette

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle

VIDEO GAME Xbox Series X Indiana

Set in 1937, play as Indiana Jones and keep the Great Circle and its ancient power safe by staying one step ahead of the sinister forces also in pursuit.

One last favorite of 2024! "Indiana Jones and the Great Circle" is one of the most fun games I've played in a long time. It really makes you feel like the famed archeologist, and it has a story that's better than the last two Indiana Jones films they've released. -Brian

Penguin Season 1

ON ORDER DVD
Action, Drama

Following the events of The Batman (2022), Oz Cobb, a.k.a. the Penguin, makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham.

This was my favorite TV series of last year. It has electric performances and sharp direction throughout. I highly recommend it. -Brian

Under cover of darkness : murders in blackout London

Amy Helen Bell

940.5341 /Bell
Nonfiction, True Crime

"Fear was the unacknowledged spectre haunting the streets of London during the Second World War; fear not only of death from the German bombers circling above, but of violence at the hands of fellow Londoners in the streets below. Mass displacement, the anonymity of shelters, and the bomb-scarred landscape offered unprecedented opportunities for violent crime. In this absorbing, sometimes shocking account, Amy Helen Bell uncovers the hidden stories of murder and violence that were rife in wartime London. Bell moves through the city, examining the crimes in their various locations, from domestic violence in the home to robberies in the blacked-out streets and fights in pubs and clubs. She reveals the experiences of women, children, and the elderly, and focuses on the lives of the victims, as well as their deaths. This groundbreaking study transforms our understanding of the ways in which war made people vulnerable-not just to the enemy, but to each other"--

Amy Helen Bell's exploration of murders during London's Blitz and blackout is staggering--a murder rate skyrockets when disruption to everyday life (and established law) happens. From fear, opportunity, and need to bombed out buildings, dark streets, and an overwhelmed police force, London faced much more than German bombs--they faced a threat from their own people. Bell does not revel in her subject's fates, but uses the book to show that the people of London were not as cohesive or resolved as we thought. -Anne M

The sinners all bow : two authors, one murder, and the real Hester Prynne

Kate Winkler Dawson

364.1523 /Dawson
Nonfiction, History, True Crime

"On a cold winter day in 1832, Sarah Cornell was found hanging in a barn, four months pregnant, after a disgraceful liaison with a charismatic Methodist minister, Reverend Ephraim Avery. Some (Avery's lawyers) claimed her death was suicide--but others weren't so sure. Determined to uncover the real story, intrepid Victorian writer Catharine Williams threw herself into the investigation and wrote what many claim is the first American true-crime narrative: Fall River. The case and Williams's book became a sensation--one that divided thecountry and inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. But the reverend was not convicted, and questions linger to this day about what really led to Sarah Cornell's death. ... In [this account], ... true-crime historian Kate Winkler Dawson travels back in time to 19th century small town America, emboldened to finish the work Williams started nearly two centuries before."--

Kate Dawson takes a deep dive into a historical death, using today's methods of investigation to deduce what happened. Along the way, she takes a look at another author who covered the same crime shortly after it happened (possibly the first American work of true crime writing, and one that Dawson clearly finds well-done and admirable), teasing out what their motives were. Dawson does a great job of being up-front with details and facts (which this librarian finds admirable!), while at the same time bringing an empathetic understanding to what was, and still is, a shocking crime. -Candice

Every dog deserves an adventure : amazing stories of camping with dogs

L. J. Tracosas

796.54 Tracosas
Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Travel

"From the backcountry to car camping, mountaintop hikes to beach-day hikes, learn how to keep your dog safe and happy while on an adventure. In Every Dog Deserves an Adventure, the Camping With Dogs team shares stories, photos, safety tips, and hiking bucket lists to inspire you to get outside and enjoy nature with your dog. From the Camping With Dogs team, Every Dog Deserves an Adventure encourages people everywhere to go on outdoor adventures with their dog. Whether it's camping or hiking, kayaking or skiing, dogs love spending time with their humans in nature. If you have a furry friend, it's time to go out and find a trail you both love. With stunning photography and heartwarming stories of how people got into camping with their dogs, this book is a love letter to dogs around the world, from the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Organized by season, each section features photos with various types of dogs, hikes, terrain, and activities, as well as: -- Tips on camping with your pups -- A bucket list of great hikes and trips -- Key items you need to keep your dog safe and happy on the trail. Delighted dog lovers will learn the power of camping--how it strengthens family bonds and transforms relationships. On top of that, Camping With Dogs is partnered with local animal rescues to help adoptable dogs find their forever home, so your purchase will support rescue dogs and their mission to help dogs blossom out on the trail."--

Attention dog lovers! This book has gorgeous photos of canine companions on wonderous romps. The book is organized by season, featuring dogs enjoying spring wildflowers, summer lake jumping, and snowy runs. Check it out for the photography alone, or sit and share it with a young reader. The sentences are short and accessible for grades 3 and up. -Melody

Piranesi

Susanna Clarke

FICTION Clarke Susanna
Fiction, Fantasy

"From the New York Times bestselling author of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell, an intoxicating, hypnotic new novel set in a dreamlike alternative reality. Piranesi's house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house. There is one other person in the house-a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known. For readers of Neil Gaiman's The Ocean at the End of the Lane and fans of Madeline Miller's Circe, Piranesi introduces an astonishing new world, an infinite labyrinth, full of startling images and surreal beauty, haunted by the tides and the clouds"--

The atmosphere in "Piranesi" is so calming; the waves, the clouds, the statuary its a perfect balance of stillness and movement terrible secrets and inevitable knowledge- a stillness disrupted- reread and edit this -Chelsea

Atlas obscura : Wild life : an explorer's guide to the world's living wonders

Cara Giaimo

570 /Giaimo
Nonfiction, Animals, Nature, Science

"From the bestselling authors of Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura, comes Wild Life, an over-the-top, dazzling collection of the world's most fascinating, most unusual, and least-understood natural wonders. It's more than a field guide--it's an adventure. From the curious minds of Atlas Obscura, authors of #1 New York Times bestselling Atlas Obscura and Gastro Obscura, comes an unputdownable tour through the world's most extraordinary natural wonders and curiosities. Learn how dung beetles navigate by the stars and trees communicate through their roots. Meet one of the strongest animals in the world: the puny peacock mantis shrimp. Visit a 44,000 year old shrub, float along flying rivers, and explore a garbage dump teeming with endangered storks. There are first-person interviews: hear from a honey hunter and his avian partners, a scientist working to understand the hidden language of prairie dogs, an offshore radio DJ who is at the heart of the local fishing community. Examine old examples of bird song notation written on sheet music. Featuring over 500 extraordinary plants, animals, and natural phenomena with illustrations and photos on every page, first-person interviews, and engaging infographics, the book takes readers around the globe, with stops in every continent--from Arctic deserts to lush jungles, to the deepest fathoms of the ocean, and into the heart of our densest cities. In a time where the world that feels more knowable than ever, where can access anything with the click of a mouse or a swipe of a finger, and where nature documentaries are a dime a dozen, Wild Life finds a way to reinvigorate our send of wonder about the natural world"--

This book is gorgeous! I am the lucky cataloger who got to see this book before the labels were delicately affixed and it was placed on the Hold shelf. This book is perfect for the curious, for those who love indulging in wonder. Pick this book up if you want your mind to take a walk on the wild side. -Melody

Super Mario party jamboree

VIDEO GAME Switch Super

"A party jam-packed with fun! 7 boards. 112 minigames. Get in the groove with 3 motion modes! Cook to the beat! Flap to fly! Roll to the goal! It's Bowser vs. the world in 2 online modes!: Koopathlon; Bowser Kaboom Squad"--Container.

This is a fantastic party game if you and your friends love boardgames and you're snowed in (even if you're by yourself)! I love the gameplay mechanics, unique twists that come with the different game venues, and cute but challenging minigames. Just make sure you set aside enough time for each game depending on the amount of turns you choose. Guaranteed hours of endless entertainment for kids and adults alike! -Annie

The Martian : a novel

Andy Weir

SCIENCE FICTION Weir Andy
Science Fiction

"Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?"

If you ever find yourself stranded on Mars, "The Martian" would be an excellent "how to survive" guide to keep on hand...plus a fully-fueled rocket to get you back home. This character-driven story is told with incredible wit and humor, despite the dire circumstances astronaut Mark Watney finds himself in. If you are looking for a book about surviving against the odds and the unbreakable human spirit, "The Martian" is the perfect read! -Madison C

The one hundred years of Lenni and Margot : a novel

Marianne Cronin

FICTION Cronin Marianne
Fiction

Seventeen-year-old Lenni Pettersson has been told she's dying, but still has plenty of living to do. She lives on the Terminal Ward at the Glasgow Princess Royal Hospital. In their arts and crafts class she meets Margot, an 83-year-old, purple-pajama-wearing, fruitcake-eating rebel. Their friendship blooms, and though their days are dwindling both are determined to leave their mark on the world. With the help of Lenni's doting palliative care nurse and Father Arthur, the hospital's patient chaplain, Lenni and Margot devise a plan to create one hundred paintings showcasing the stories of the century they have lived: stories of love and loss, of courage and kindness, of unexpected tenderness and pure joy. -- adapted from jacket.

Do you ever find yourself asking, "Is there a book that is capable of making me ugly-cry into a wad of tissues?" Well, "The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot" will surely help. Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this novel explores the power of friendship and the preciousness of life. A novel that will be sure to stay with you for years after reading! -Madison C

The sixth extinction : an unnatural history

Elizabeth. Kolbert

576.84 /Kolbert
History, Science

Provides a moving account of the disappearances occurring all around us and traces the evolution of extinction as concept, from its first articulation by Georges Cuvier in revolutionary Paris up through the present day. The sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

Who would have thought that humans might actually be the problem? Elizabeth Kolbert, apparently. "Sixth Extinction" is a compelling, eye-opening read about the human-led "sixth extinction" event taking place before our eyes. Part-history on the evolution of the scientific understanding of extinctions, part-commentary on the extinctions actively taking place, this novel forces readers to ask the question: "What will be humankind's lasting legacy?" -Madison C

Jurassic Park : a novel

Michael Crichton

SCIENCE FICTION Crichton, Michael
Adventure, Science Fiction

On a remote jungle island, genetic engineers have created a dinosaur game park. But as always there is a dark side to the fantasy and after a catastrophe destroys the park's defence systems, the scientists and tourists are left fighting for survival.

A novel that further captivated readers since the release of the 1993 cinematic masterpiece (in this staff person's opinion), "Jurassic Park" is perfect for any reader who has long imagined what it would be like for dinosaurs to roam the Earth...and why cloning ancient dino-dna may not be the best plan. A story of dinosaurs sprinkled in with commentary of the downsides to greedy capitalism, "Jurassic Park" is a must-read! -Madison C

Anxious people : a novel

Fredrik Backman

FICTION Backman Fredrik
Diverse Characters, Humor, Mystery

Taken hostage by a failed bank robber while attending an open house, eight anxiety-prone strangers--including a redemption-seeking bank director, two couples who would fix their marriages, and a plucky octogenarian--discover their unexpected common traits.

As a self-proclaimed "anxious person," I can attest that this Fredrik Backman novel is perfect for readers looking for a relatable story that explores the complexities of being human in a world that won't stand still. With a wonderfully diverse cast of characters, "Anxious People" is rich in humor, wit, and surprise twists. -Madison C

Boys in the valley

Philip Fracassi

FICTION Fracassi Philip
Horror

"St. Vincent's Orphanage for Boys. Turn of the century, in a remote valley in Pennsylvania. Here, under the watchful eyes of several priests, thirty boys work, learn, and worship. Peter Barlow, orphaned as a child by a gruesome murder, has made a new life here. As he approaches adulthood, he has friends, a future...a family. Then, late one stormy night, a group of men arrive at their door, one of whom is badly wounded, occult symbols carved into his flesh. His death releases an ancient evil that spreads like sickness, infecting St. Vincent's and the children within. Soon, boys begin acting differently, forming groups. Taking sides. Others turn up dead. Now Peter and those dear to him must choose sides of their own, each of them knowing their lives - and perhaps their eternal souls - are at risk"

If you thought the struggles of adolescence was enough to make you shudder, try mixing in a malevolent spirit and a setting where no one can hear you scream, and you have "Boys in the Valley." This novel is a gripping and suspenseful read that will speak to fans of dark, atmospheric horrors in a story that is "Lord of the Flies" meets "The Exorcist." A book to read with the lights on! -Madison C

The rise and fall of the dinosaurs : a new history of a lost world

Stephen Brusatte

567.9 /Brusatte
Nature, Science

A sweeping narrative scientific history that tells the epic story of the dinosaurs, examining their origins, their habitats, their extinction, and their living legacy.

For anyone who is still a child at heart and misses being asked what their favorite dinosaur is, "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs" is the book for you! As someone who grew up wanting to be the next Dr. Alan Grant of paleontology, I can say with confidence that Steve Brusatte's book is the perfect fit for anyone fascinated by the wonders of paleontology and golden age of dinosaur discoveries. -Madison C

Vicious

Victoria Schwab

SCIENCE FICTION Schwab Victoria
Science Fiction

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates-- brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

If you're a fan of morally ambiguous main characters, superpowers in the real world, and destructive journeys of vengeance, "Vicious" is just the book for you! For any reader that is a fan of dark, action-packed stories that sprinkle in superheroes (and villains you can't help but root for). -Madison C

The way of kings

Brandon. Sanderson

SCIENCE FICTION Sanderson, Brandon
Diverse Characters, Fantasy

A new epic series by the best-selling writer of Robert Jordan's final Wheel of Time novels introduces the world of Roshar through the experiences of a war-weary royal compelled by visions, a highborn youth condemned to military slavery and a woman who would save her impoverished house.

The first in a series, "The Way of Kings" is full of epic adventures, complex characters, and richly detailed world-building. Set in a world already in the midst of a war, readers will soon learn that there are far worse things on the horizon for the protagonists of Roshar. This high fantasy novel is full of acts of heroism, self-discovery, and the difficult choices people must make in times of crisis. "The Way of Kings" will transport any reader into this world of unforgettable characters. The Knights Radiant will stand again! -Madison C