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News & Stories
On September 27, nearly 300 community members celebrated the Makerplace’s 5th anniversary and the library’s 100th birthday.
Where can you check out books, movies and TV shows, attend tech classes, enjoy book discussions and more? The Reading Room at the Senior Center is open to all.
State-of-the-art library-on-wheels makes its debut, offering greater accessibility, modern features.
Your Next Great Read

Lore Olympus. 11
Smythe, Rachel (Comics artist),
"The race is on to save the Mortal Realm, but tragedy strikes when Kronos hijacks Morpheus's body and kidnaps Hades. Now alone and unsure of the right way forward, Persephone is called to a leadership meeting of the gods, only to find that Apollo can manipulate her powers. He claims the spectacle proves that in order to save humanity she must marry him. Before Persephone can even consider this cursed deal, Hera steps forward with a different solution: She will offer herself to Kronos in order to gain access to old Tartarus, wherein they'll be able to destroy the titan, save their captured friends, and restore Persephone's control over spring. Though the plan is risky, the gods agree it is the only path, and watch as the two goddesses descend into the depths to confront Kronos. Meanwhile, Hades awakens in his worst nightmare, transported back in time--and right into his father's clutches. Tortured and made to feel small, Hades thinks there is no way to escape until he meets the prisoner Kronos has been using to control the other gods. With the young goddess's help, Hades finally finds the strength to face the titan. Combined with Persephone and Hera's efforts, they are able to end Kronos's influence over Olympus once and for all. But Kronos is not the only danger the gods face. Apollo is revealed to be receiving aid from Olympus's original tyrant, Ouranos, and the Primordial God has come to collect on the debt that arrogant Apollo owes him. And if Ouranos is unleashed once more, it will be the end of everything . . . Can Hades and Persephone find their way back to each other and stop Apollo before he destroys the realms in his dangerous quest for power?"--Publisher

The little shop of merry and bright
Bayliss, Jenny,
"Three years ago, Casey declined her boyfriend's marriage proposal--and it went viral. After years of dealing with the backlash online, Casey now leads a quiet life, working as a stock replenisher for a family-owned department store. No risk of public humiliation, no stress, no possibility of love. Until she meets the Spirit of Christmas Present, Margo, who has chosen to sit this holiday out. Margo offers Casey a bargain: She will use her powers to erase the video that made Casey notorious. There's just one catch. Casey must witness five of her alternate realities, and if after all five she still wants it wiped, Margo will grant her wish. While glimpses into other lifetimes are fascinating, the question remains: What if everything Casey wants is waiting for her in the life she already has?"--Page 4 of cover

Dandadan. 3
Tatsu, Yukinobu,
"Okarun, a high school boy obsessed with supernatural phenomena, has lost his precious family jewels in a battle with Turbo Granny! His classmate Aira ends up finding one, and it awakens spiritual powers within her. Around this same time, a strange woman in a red dress appears at the school and attacks Aira, Okarun, and Momo! Who is she, and what's with her obsession with Aira?"--

A fall to remember
Alexander, Ellie,
Miranda Brown is happy running her family's grocery store in Half Moon Bay, California and has no interest in becoming famous. But when her hilariously bad vacation photos go viral, she unexpectedly becomes an internet sensation. A travel company hires Miranda to promote her hometown's Fall Harvest Festival, pairing her with charming photographer Jim Cole. As they spend more time together, Miranda begins to fall for him--but when she discovers Jim's career depends on the success of the campaign, she must decide whether she can trust his feelings or if their romance is simply part of the job

The most dangerous games
MrBeast, 1998-
"A thousand strangers receive the invitation. One hundred make the cut. An unprecedented competition from MrBeast, the world's #1 creator with more than a billion followers, and James Patterson, the world's #1 bestselling author, where the stakes couldn't be higher. The Games begin in Antarctica, where one wrong step on the ice kills you, and they never let up: Shark water off a remote Chilean island, desert heat that cooks you where you stand, storm-battered peaks, and caves so black you cannot find your own hand. No rescue. No second chances. A billion dollars to whoever is still standing. Then the terrain stops being the thing that can kill you, and the other players start. Alliances turn into ambushes. Trust becomes the sharpest weapon. And somewhere above it all, a hidden voice is watching every move, testing, deciding who deserves to survive." --

These ancient bones
Graham, Heather,
"The case is sensational. Whistle-blower investigative journalist George Maynard has been killed in his St. Augustine home, his body so badly burned the morgue is needed to verify his identity. Paranormal investigator Shelly Mahoney has been transferred to a special unit to help law enforcement. Off the books, the unit is called the Krewe of Hunters and deals with "strange" cases. At the murder scene with federal agent Grant Markham, Shelly makes an odd discovery: a stone etched with what appears to be a curse that invokes flames. If Shelly can use her ability to summon the dead--providing they have remained behind--she may unearth what happened. Grant, too, has an unique ability. By holding the hand of the recently deceased, he can see what has happened to them. Yet in this case, neither of their gifts is of any help. As they set out to question those who might have had a motive, they also study ancient "curse tablets" --often used in the Greco-Roman world to cause death or warfare. What ensues is a shocking discovery by the medical examiner and a search that takes the team to Italy where a similar murder may reveal the creators of the mystical tablets--made deadly with a little human assistance. But soon, the danger is closer than ever--because the target is Shelly" --

Target down
Steck, Ryan,
"When former deep-black operative Aaron Decker helped Matthew Redd escape both a blizzard and a team of killers, Redd promised to return the favor if he was ever needed. Now, that favor is being cashed in. Though he's been living quietly with his family in Michigan since his 'death' ended his military career and former life twenty years ago, widower Aaron Decker wakes one night to a home invasion that is clearly not random. Someone has finally found him. After narrowly escaping a Russian mafia hit team, he takes no chances with his children's safety and relocates them to a remote Upper Peninsula cabin where he awaits the arrival of his old ally and former Marine Raider, Matthew Redd. When Redd arrives, he's eager to make good on his promise to repay his debt. Redd and Decker work together under constant threat to transport Decker's kids to Redd's ranch in Montana. Then Redd convinces Aaron to leave the kids in his wife Emily's care, camping at a remote site in Yellowstone National Park under the watchful eye of FBI director Gavin Kline. Meanwhile, the two men take off to investigate the source of the mysterious leak feeding Decker's whereabouts to the Russian mob. While Redd and Decker cross the country, following leads that seem to point to a traitor in Decker's former deep-black ops unit from the early years of the War on Terror, Emily and the kids find they're not as safe in Yellowstone as they hoped. When they learn of the danger, Redd and Decker can only hope that they're not too late as they race to protect their families"-- Provided by publisher

The Chinese lady
Wang, Bo (Novelist),
"As rich in detail and emotion as Amy Tan's The Joy Luck Club and Lisa See's Lady Tan's Circle of Women, but with an exciting structure that reinvents the genre, Bo Wang's gorgeous and immersive debut historical novel immortalizes the life of the first Chinese woman to be brought to the United States in the 1800s. Little Sparrow, Julia, Afong Moy, Madame Moy, The Chinese Lady, were her many names . . . but her true name has been lost to time. In 1834 Afong Moy was brought to New York by two merchants as a live exhibit. Rising to fame as the first Chinese female in the United States, she became an oddity among curios as Americans marveled at the opportunity to observe her astonishing little feet, broken and bound to resemble lotuses. As the story moves from 1820s Canton to P.T. Barnum's American Museum, to Gold Rush San Francisco, three women introduce us to her many names. Her mother calls her Little Sparrow and sells her to a captain who sails her to New York. The captain's wife names her Julia and "graciously" treats her as her own. And when she is shunted off to P.T Barnum, her fellow human exhibitions call her China. Eventually arriving in San Francisco's Chinatown, she will at long last claim her name and her own story. Combining archival research and brilliantly imaginative storytelling, Bo Wang masterfully fills in history's gaps to weave a powerful narrative of survival in the face of hardship, tragedy, and betrayal. Told through the eyes of those around her; mirroring her life as an object on display, until we finally see the world through her own eyes"-- Provided by publisher

The Lincoln myth
Berry, Steve, 1955-
A high-stakes thriller featuring former Justice Department agent Cotton Malone finds him tackling the secrets of Mormonism, a U.S. Senator's stealthy secession plan, and a history-shaping letter that was handed down through the chief executive line

The thoroughbreds
Hilderbrand, Elin,
"September at Tiffin Academy is always a heady time, especially for the senior class--"sixth-formers," in Tiffinspeak--a season of college applications and intense pressure, of partying hard and last hurrahs. As the chapel bells ring in the students and staff, everyone has something to look forward to, but in the midst of the anticipation and excitement, nagging questions and dark secrets lurk beneath the surface... Are Charley and East, Tiffin's "It Couple," on the rocks? What sparked the rift between football star Dub and his best friend, Hakeem? Will Pippa Sacks, posh day student, topple the delicate social hierarchy--or wreak even worse havoc? Can Head of School Audre Robinson save her job--and Tiffin--after a disastrous financial mistake? And what was in that email attachment Cinnamon Peters sent to Dub before she died? Elin Hilderbrand and her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, answer these questions and more in The Thoroughbreds, a page-turning story about friendship, treachery, ambition, and growing up-- at any age"--

The family Cross
Patterson, James, 1947-
"Alex Cross is a brilliant psychologist--and a relentless hunter of killers for the FBI and DC Metro Police. To his beloved Nana Mama, he's still the boy she raised--and every morning, as he straps on his service weapon, she's reminded just how dangerous his world has become. But in Washington, DC, there are places even the police don't go--an unseen underworld where violence thrives and rules don't apply. And this time, Alex is stepping straight into it. Each move pulls him deeper into the dark--and closer to a case that could shatter the promise he made to Nana ... and cost him everything he holds most dear"--

Paper ghosts
Allen, Sarah Addison,
"Every family has its secrets...The Wester women live inside theirs. For generations, Wester House has stood as a monument to influence and mystery in a small North Carolina town, and the Wester women have held the community enthralled. People respect them, many fear them, but no one truly understands them. How do they possess such an intimate, unsettling knowledge of those around them? Why is no one ever allowed inside the house? And why is Willamena Wester finally reaching out to the granddaughter she once pushed away? The Westers have always balanced their need for control with their desire for love, but when that balance is off, disaster happens. To truly understand, you have to meet Willamena fifty years before. As a love-struck young woman trapped in a stifling, picture-perfect life, she makes a fateful choice that changes her life forever. Now Willamena's granddaughter, Bailey, is coming back to a town she tried to outrun, only to realize that the grandmother she feared was actually her fiercest protector. In a world of hidden truths, can a legacy of unhappiness be unmade? And what does it take to finally break a curse? Bailey is about to learn that even the oldest hauntings can be healed by a new spark of hope. Sarah Addison Allen's stunning prose, steeped in magical realism, will transport you to a place where enchantment is around every corner, and love finds a way of bringing us home"--

A married little Christmas
Jimenez, Abby,
"Tis the season to fall in love in this three brilliant novellas from #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Night We Met. Anna thought only the food would be a disaster at her Christmas dinner--until her high school ex shows up and they quickly have to hatch a fake-dating scheme to save face with their families. For Matty, the idea of sitting in a diner all day dressed as a zombie Santa after losing a bet has zero appeal. But his cute and funny server might just make him change his mind. And finally, will Lauren be able to convince her best friend that getting married after a three-day relationship is absolutely ridiculous? Or will the town called Little Christmas pull her in with its happily-ever-after magic once she meets the best man?"--

Billionaire unforgiven Cole
Scott, J. S. (Jan S.),
"Cole Remington was the kind of man a woman like me avoided as much as possible. The arrogant billionaire wasn't just gruff. He was rude, abrupt, and had no problem saying whatever popped into his head without a filter. I had no problem keeping my distance from a guy like him. ... Cole and I were forced into each other's company, and to my surprise, I discovered a guy who was actually likable. Even more surprising? We were ridiculously attracted to each other. ... Was I strong enough to fight for the man I loved, or would it be better if I just turned and walked away? Note: This book is part of the Montana sub-series of The Billionaire's Obsession. For maximum reading pleasure it's better to read the Montana books in order starting with Kaleb's book"--Page 4 of cover

Missing Molly
Barelli, Natalie,
"Rachel Holloway has built a quiet life in London. She has a daughter, a partner, and a steady job at the local paper. Then the paper launches a true-crime podcast, and their first case is the disappearance of twelve-year-old Molly Forster, missing since her family's brutal murder twelve years ago. But Rachel knows exactly what happened to Molly. Because Rachel is Molly. She's spent years hiding from the killer who destroyed her family, and now her own podcast is about to expose her and the truth she's buried. As the story goes viral, new evidence emerges that confirms what Rachel has known all along: The wrong person was convicted. The real killer is still free. And they're coming for Rachel"--Page 4 of cover

How not to get rich : the financial misadventures of Mark Twain
Crawford, Alan Pell,
*A Wealthmanagement.com Best Business Book of 2017* Mark Twain's lifetime spans America's era of greatest economic growth. And Twain was an active, even giddy, participant in all the great booms and busts of his time, launching himself into one harebrained get-rich scheme after another. But far from striking it rich, the man who coined the term "Gilded Age" failed with comical regularity to join the ranks of plutocrats who made this period in America notorious for its wealth and excess. Instead, Twain's mining firm failed, despite striking real silver. He ended up somehow owing money over his 70,000 acres of inherited land. And his plan to market the mysteriously energizing coca leaves from the Amazon fizzled when no ships would sail to South America. Undaunted, Twain poured his money into the latest newfangled inventions of his time, all of which failed miserably. In Crawford's hilarious telling, the familiar image of Twain takes on a new and surprising dimension. Twain's story of financial optimism and perseverance is a kind of cracked-mirror history of American business itself-in its grandest cockeyed manifestations, its most comical lows, and its determined refusal to ever give up

Cuando el Amor despierta los Dragones : Una novela sobre lo que ocurre cuando amar te obliga a verte
Medrano, César,
Cuando el Amor Despierta los Dragones Una novela sobre lo que ocurre cuando amar te obliga a verte No es una historia romántica. Es una transformación a través del amor. Ethan no buscaba cambiar su vida. Claire tampoco buscaba perder el control. Pero cuando se encuentran, algo más profundo que la atracción comienza a emerger: emociones que no pueden ignorar, heridas que ya no pueden ocultar… y una conexión que los obliga a enfrentarse a sí mismos. A medida que su relación se intensifica, descubren una verdad incómoda: amar de verdad no solo abre el corazón… también despierta todo lo que aún no ha sido sanado. En presencia del Amor, todo lo que no es amor sale a la superficie. Entre acercamientos y distancias, entre deseo y miedo, ambos deberán atravesar sus propios límites, cuestionar sus creencias y aprender a sostener lo que nunca antes habían podido sostener. Lo que comienza como una historia de atracción… se convierte en un viaje de consciencia, verdad y transformación. Una novela intensa, honesta y profundamente humana que te invita a mirarte… mientras lees. "No es una historia romántica… es una transformación a través del amor" "Amar no te cambia… te revela" "Cuando el Amor aparece, despierta todo lo que evitabas" "Lo que no sanas, lo proyectas. Lo que amas, lo revela"

I know a deadbeat judge when i see one
Francois, Wilkenson
The book is a memoir based on the author's life. It explores his broken marriage and how the discriminatory Judicial System constantly stood against him when his wife Karen wrongfully accused him of sexually abusing their daughter. Ken was constantly judged during the lawsuit process because of the color of his skin despite there being no solid evidence against him. The book shows how the American Judicial System is laced with prejudice and is clearly very different for white people and people of color

The judas gene
Pitel, Robert
The Judas Gene is a story about five people from four widely separated parts of the world who understand that their physical being is the result of eons of merged genes, but most heavily influenced by their parents and grandparents. All Dr. Richard Rip Peters wanted was to explore a cave located high in a mountain in Argentina, but his timely medical assistance to an injured priest placed him on a path that challenged his physical skills and his sanity. All Keri Sadju wanted to do after his father's death by a bomb blast was to continue their secret organizations terrorist activities against the Jews, but a discovery among his father's papers clouded this goal and altered his life journey for all time. All Dr. Elizabeth Sadju wanted was to obtain surgical expertise to take back to her native country by working with a prominent U.S. surgeon, but her brother's actions placed her in a life threatening situation. All Fr. Ortega wanted to do was be a good parish priest, but his father's death bed confession forced him to take steps that he could never have imagined as a Catholic priest. All Claire Thaddaeus wanted to do was help her father research ancient documents at the IB Ltd. laboratory in England, but a revelation of his ancestry and the secret organization he worked for presented a life that could prove irreconcilable. If you were to ask them, they would say that the circumstances that brought them into contact and the ensuing devastating events could only be explained by the existence of a Judas Gene

A Dangerous Environment
Mac, Davie
The Mexican cartels have never been busier. Drugs are flowing across the U.S.-Mexico border, but something else is flowing too-human trafficking-the "selected" ones headed for a life of sexual slavery. While on their honeymoon in Cancun, Mexico, Blake and Cindy are confronted by a distraught mother whose fourteen-year-old daughter has just been grabbed off the street in her school uniform and whisked away. While Blake still hasn't come up with a new tagline for his private investigation business, "We Find Stuff", will have to do for now as Cindy convinces him to sign on to find Isabella. His efforts will take him to Dallas, Texas, where he'll find himself trying to outsmart and outplay the very dangerous Los Zetas Cartel. How will Blake find Isabella? And if he finds her, how will he rescue her without the cartel knowing about it and retaliating against her family in Mexico? Blake will have to use all his skills to find this "stuff"

Seven Men : Memories of an Unconventional Love Life
Kaye, Elizabeth
In Seven Men: Memories of an Unconventional Love Life, bestselling author and award-winning journalist Elizabeth Kaye provides an elegant, rueful and astonishingly frank account of her search for comfort and love, and finally for meaning and peace. In the tradition of such classic memoirists as Marguerite Duras and Colette, Kaye recounts her tempestuous romantic past and the singular (and famous) men with whom she shared it.Seven Men tells the story of one woman's journey through a world peopled by society's brightest and most beautiful. As an esteemed profile writer for Esquire, Rolling Stone, and the New York Times, Kaye inhabited a world of celebrity. And though she often felt as if she was "traveling on a visa that was about to expire," the talented and attractive Kaye found herself involved with a series of handsome and powerful men.There was The Anchorman, who sent her secret messages during his newscasts and showed up in her apartment an hour later. There was The Astronaut: he'd walked on the moon; they met at a conference for recovering alcoholics. There was the Actor, known for his brilliant performances, whose greatest role may have been acting the part of a faithful husband while pursuing serial affairs. There was the Dancer, the Writer, the Movie Star, the Critic, the Musician. . .As she writes: "Falling in love is transformative, at least for a time; its early, adrenalized stages provide another of those occasions through which you can become more generous and joyous and lustrous than you would otherwise be. This is a bubble certain to burst, and until it does there is no way to accurately assess whether the object of your passion is someone you actually like, or whether you've simply fallen into yet another instance of delusion at first sight. I knew this when I met the Writer. Nonetheless, ten days after we first traded smiles, we decided to get married."In Seven Men: Memories of an Unconventional Love Life, Elizabeth Kaye conveys the hard-won lessons of one woman's journey in the fast lane. She reveals the pains and pleasures of a life spent pursuing love and calculates the costs with shivering precision. While she did not always love wisely, she concludes, her life has been rich with daring and passion

In the a.m. wilds
High Dials

Commodore Perry's minstrel show: a novel
Wiley, Richard
In 1854, Commodore Matthew Perry steamed into Edo Bay and opened Japan to trade with America. As entertainment for the treaty-signing ceremony, Perry brought a white-men-in-black-face minstrel show and thereby confirmed the widely whispered Japanese belief that trade with the American barbarians could only lead to cultural ruin. Yet the pawns in this clash of cultures the minstrels, Ace Bledsoe and Ned Clark, and the Japanese interpreter, Manjiro Okubo are just slightly more curious than cautious. Within the minstrels Manjiro sensed the subtleties of spirit that reside in all good men. When Ace and Ned are unwittingly made part of a Japanese plot to undermine the American presence, Manjiro helps them escape into the countryside. Pursued by samurai, torn between treachery and loyalty, Manjiro and the minstrels (along with family, friends, and lovers) make their way across Japan, fleeing a showdown with the samurai that gradually becomes inevitable

The Other Side of the Fence: Life on Both Sides of the Color Line
Hudgins, Cynthia,
Two people have written this book.The first person was the child who was still hurting, who hadn't reconciled the past with the present, who didn't want to be what she was.The other is the adult who has faced her demon and laid it to rest for once and for all.This story moves along like a yo-yo, up and down, forward and back. It is a mishmash of what was begone with all these other voices added which I, the obedient, eager to please, whatever I am frustrated artist, dutiful daughter, obsessive/compulsive housekeeper, possible lunatic, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, or tired old lady, am slowly working my way through the pages the painful for me, and probably boring for you, story of my life.I suppose there will be those who will fault me for writing this book. Blacks will think, "What has she got to cry about? She could have passed if she'd wanted to." Whites will think whatever I got I deserved for being deceitful, for hiding my ancestry behind a white facade (as if I could help it). I can relate to both points of view.If this book should be published, some people my age who read it may say, "That's not the way I remember those times," or "That wasn't the way I was taught in my school." This could very well be. I've written about my time and place. These are my memories of the way things were in Coronado, California, from 1924, when I was three years old until I moved away in 1940 when I was nineteen and of things that I experienced after that.The original draft of this story ended with my suicide

The prodigal son from chambers lane
Maldonado, Daniel
Will Junior's secret destroy him from the inside? The family's oldest son, Jose Luis Mendoza - Junior - battles a haunting childhood secret. Because of the burden, he hasn't been able to grow into the man he wanted to be. Soon, he must confront his unloving and hard-hearted mother - and others who have betrayed his desire to be loved. But will he be able to escape his past, and embrace his future?

Another Kind of Eden
Burke, James Lee,
New York Times bestselling author James Lee Burke brings readers a captivating tale of justice, love, brutality, and mysticism set in the turbulent 1960s. The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields, mist-filled canyons, frolicking animals. Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard has observed it from the open door of a boxcar, riding the rails for both inspiration and odd jobs. Jumping off in Denver, he finds work on a farm and meets Joanne McDuffy, an articulate and fierce college student and gifted painter. Their soul connection is immediate, but their romance is complicated by Joanne's involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult. When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron, drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders, it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power-and evil. Followed by a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human, Aaron will have to face down all these foes to save the life of the woman he loves and his own. A prequel to James Lee Burke's masterful Holland family trilogy, Another Kind of Eden is both riveting and one of Burke's most ambitious works to date. It dismantles the myths of both the twentieth-century American West and the peace-and-love decade, excavating the beauty and idealism of the era to show the menace and chaos that lay simmering just beneath the surface

Music theory for dummies
Pilhofer, Michael,
Presents an introduction to music theory, with hints and information on reading, writing, composing, and understanding music

Journey of a lifetime
Whicker, Alan
The iconic broadcasting legend dusts down his suitcase for a final journey around the globe, revisiting locations of significance to his life and career. "You might say I'm set in my airways. I'm one of those lucky people whose professional and private lives blend exactly." Alan Whicker, 2007. This sumptuous book to accompany the major BBC TV series of the same name, is a glorious celebration of 50 years in front of the camera. For as long as most can remember, Whicker has roamed far and wide in search of the eccentric, the ludicrous and the socially-revealing aspects of everyday life as lived by some of the more colourful of the world's inhabitants. Since the late 1950s, when the long-running Whicker's World documentary was first screened, he has probed and dissected the often secretive and unobserved worlds of the rich and famous, rooting out the most implausible and sometimes ridiculous characters after gaining admittance to the places where they conduct their leisure hours. The great man's legacy contains a number of genuine TV firsts. As well as landmark interviews with figures as diverse as Papa Doc, Paul Getty and The Sultan of Brunei, he was a pioneer, covering subjects like plastic surgery, gay weddings, polygamy, swinging and following gun-toting cops, fly-on-the-wall style, for British screens long before anyone else. This wonderful new book is the end product of a very personal journey. Whicker retraces his steps, catching up with some past interviewees and reflecting on how the world has changed - for good and bad - over the passing of time. Journey of a Lifetime is lyrical, uplifting and peppered with our favourite globetrotter's brand of subtle satire

Little miss starshine
Nix, Nicci

Flatmate Sessions #1
Flatmate Sessions (Musical group)

A voice like mine a memoir
Haaland, Deb, 1960-
"New Mexico 2026 gubernatorial frontrunner, organizer, congresswoman, and former cabinet secretary Deb Haaland shares her story, offering a powerful and personal look at what it means to be "the first." Nothing about Deb Haaland's upbringing or family history set her up for a life of firsts: the first Native American woman elected to chair a state political party in the United States; one of the first two Native American women elected to Congress; the first Native American to serve in a presidential cabinet. Yet Haaland has embraced every opportunity, knowing that each step forward lifts up those who are too often left out of the conversation. A 35th-generation New Mexican and member of the Pueblo of Laguna, Haaland has lived a remarkable life shaped by poverty, alcoholism, and single parenthood. After a late but meteoric rise in politics, she stepped down from her cabinet position as Secretary of the Interior in January 2025 and is now running for Governor of New Mexico in the 2026 election. In A Voice Like Mine--titled after Haaland's congressional campaign slogan, "Congress has never heard a voice like mine"--she shares the personal history that shaped her courage to organize, run for office, and lead. She tells the stories that have defined her life in politics and beyond, from her grandfather's cornfield, where she learned the importance of hard work and care for the earth, to the oak-paneled halls of Washington, D.C. Throughout her journey, Haaland has drawn on her heritage in her activism and service, leading with humility, purpose, and a commitment to "leave the ladder down" for those who follow"-- Provided by publisher

Python's kiss stories
Erdrich, Louise,
Written over the past two decades, Louise Erdrich's magnificent story collection features a range of characters--a tribal newsletter editor whose son tells her a story that nothing in her experience can encompass, immigrant farmers whose tenuous hold on the earth, and sanity, is challenged, and ordinary people, bird lovers, artists, grade-school teachers, and romantics. A girl decides to spend her life with a stone. A man is confronted with a folk-singing thief. A woman enters a corporately owned afterlife to seek revenge on her father. Accompanied by specially commissioned artwork by Aza Erdrich Abe--an intimate and revelatory creative collaboration between mother and daughter--these stories offer an opportunity to celebrate the wisdom and brilliant, wide-ranging imagination of one of America's most important writers

Vengeance the last stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull
Clavin, Tom, 1954-
"A dramatic new look at Custer's Last Stand in time for the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, by the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Heart of Everything That Is. On June 25-27, 1876, the Battle of the Little Bighorn, commonly referred to as Custer's Last Stand, was fought between combined forces of the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes and the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army. Along the Little Bighorn River in Montana Territory, the battle resulted in the devastating defeat of U.S. forces and was the most significant action of the Great Sioux War of 1876. This dramatic look at the Little Bighorn battle includes not only the Native American point of view-with two dynamic Native figures, Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse, on prominent display-but also the impact it had on the Plains Indians. It turned out to be their last stand too because a vengeful nation quashed any remaining resistance, with a conclusive massacre at Wounded Knee in 1890, almost simultaneous with the murder of Sitting Bull. In addition, Custer's character by June 1876 is at the heart of this world-famous disaster. For all his celebrated bravery, especially at Gettysburg 13 years earlier, Custer became a devout media hound, desperate to gain fame. Even, some say, his own demise was a misguided attempt at grabbing national headlines: He envisioned a massacre - just not his own. As both the camera and the tabloid came of age, George Armstrong Custer became America's first bona fide celebrity. Vengeance is a thrilling read, filled with action, legendary characters, and poignance for the impact this had on Native Americans and the shape of the American West"-- Provided by publisher

Treat them as buffalo
Yoxall, Blair Palmer,
"In 1885, Nikosis 'Niko' Eriksen spends his days playing buffalo hunter, even though it's been many years since a member of his tribe has actually seen one of the once-ubiquitous animals. But when beloved Cousin goes missing, things start to fall apart. With law enforcement failing--indeed refusing--to investigate the disappearance, the community members take matters into their own hands, rallying around the leadership of a sawn-off shotgun-slinging rancher named Kate McCannon. The resultant women-led coalition of freedom fighters strikes back against the Mounted Police as they investigate the boys' disappearance and take their futures into their own hands. But violence continues to haunt Niko, and boys continue to disappear. As he leaves his boyhood behind and draws closer to finding Cousin, Niko's investigation points to a harrowing revelation about his own heritage, which heels closer to violence that any boy would wish to know."--Amazon

This vast enterprise a new history of Lewis & Clark
Fehrman, Craig,
"In 1806, when Meriwether Lewis and William Clark return from their yearslong journey -- having led the Corps of Discovery across eight thousand miles of rapids, mountains, forests, and ravines -- they bring an incredible tale starring themselves as courageous explorers, skilled survivalists, underrated scientists, and peaceful ambassadors. While there is truth in those descriptions, there is also distortion. From one of the most exciting new historians to emerge in the past decade, This Vast Enterprise offers a bold and novel take on the expedition: a gripping narrative that draws on lost documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives. Craig Fehrman spent five years visiting more than thirty archives, interviewing more than a hundred sources, and collecting oral history passed down over centuries. He came to see that the success of Lewis and Clark depended on much more than just Lewis and Clark. We all know Sacajawea, and some of us know York, the Black man Clark enslaved. But This Vast Enterprise introduces us to John Ordway, a working-class soldier who fought fearsome grizzlies and towed the captains' hulking barge. It introduces us to Wolf Calf, a Blackfoot teenager who watched his friend die in a tense battle with Lewis and his men. To capture this cast of characters, each chapter in This Vast Enterprise moves to a different person's point of view, describing their desires and contradictions with an unprecedented level of care. One chapter shows Thomas Jefferson operating in an age of bitter partisan unrest -- his secret political maneuvers to fund the expedition, revealed here for the first time, are a case study in presidential power. Another chapter shows the strategy and strength of Black Buffalo, completely upending our understanding of Lakota-American diplomacy. York, in his chapters, finds ways to wield power and make choices in an era that didn't allow him much of either. Clark is not a folksy Kentuckian but a student of the Enlightenment. (Fehrman discovered his college notebook; no previous biographer even realized that he went to college.) Lewis is someone willing to sacrifice everything for his country, his mission, and his mentor, Jefferson; in Fehrman's subtle yet heartbreaking analysis, Lewis's legendary strengths are inseparable from his lifelong weaknesses. In the end, the captains are men who needed help -- from Sacajawea, from the Corps, and from each other. Mile after mile, the expedition pushes on through dramatic hailstorms and flash floods, life-threatening frostbite and infections, rattlesnakes and rabid wolves, with the Spanish cavalry in fierce pursuit. Fehrman balances the story's inherent adventure with the humanity of its protagonists." --

Beyond the glittering world an anthology of Indigenous feminisms and futurisms
"Rooted in visions of Indigenous futurisms, Beyond the Glittering World proclaims and celebrates a rising generation of storytellers. The collection brings together twenty-two emerging and established women, two-spirit people, and people of marginalized genders who immerse readers in poems, stories, and worlds that challenge and delight. From a museum heist 177 years in the making, to lyrical explorations of love and loss, to a tale where language itself becomes the force that saves the land, this boundary-breaking, genre-bending anthology illuminates the power of Indigenous voices"--

The El
Van Alst, Theodore C., 1965-
"From the co-editor of the bestselling anthology Never Whistle at Night, a semi-autobiographical novel that follows a group of teenage gang members as they trek across Chicago to a momentous meeting, inspired by the cult classic The Warriors"--

Passing through a prairie country
Staples, Dennis E.,
"For decades, a dark force has terrorized the Languille Lake reservation. Only spoken of in whispers as "the sandman," he lurks in the Hidden Atlantis Lake Resort and Casino, the reservation's main attraction and source of revenue, leeching its patrons' dreams and ambitions and also preventing the ghosts that linger there from moving on. Fleeing a breakup, Marion Lafournier, a mid-twenties Ojibwe, seeks solace in the slot machine's siren song. Here he falls afoul of the sandman, an encounter Marion barely escapes through the timely intervention of his cousins Alana and Cherie, who both work at the casino and are intimately aware of the sandman's power. Meanwhile, Glenn Nielan, only recently out of the closet and an aspiring documentarian, hopes to capture the faces of the Ojibwe land while experiencing the casino's thrills. But he will learn that all who choose to play the sandman's games are in danger of falling into his grasp"--

To the Moon and back
Ramage, Eliana,
"Steph Harper is on the run. When she was five, her mother fled an abusive husband--with Steph and her younger sister in tow--to Cherokee Nation, where she hoped they might finally belong. In response, Steph sets her sights as far away from Oklahoma as she can get, vowing that she will let nothing get in the way of pursuing the rigorous physical and academic training she knows she will need to be accepted by NASA, and ultimately, to go to the Moon. Spanning three decades and several continents, 'To the Moon and back' encompasses Steph's turbulent journey, along with the multifaceted and intertwined lives of the three women closest to her: her sister Kayla, an artist who goes on to become an Indigenous social media influencer, and whose determination to appear good takes her life to unexpected places; Steph's college girlfriend Della Owens, who strives to reclaim her identity as an adult after being removed from her Cherokee family through a challenge to the Indian Child Welfare Act; and Hannah, Steph and Kayla's mother, who has held up her family's tribal history as a beacon of inspiration to her children, all the while keeping her own past a secret"--Dust jacket

Small ceremonies
Edwards, Kyle,
"A poignant coming-of-age story following the friendships, hopes, fears, and struggles of a group of Native high school students from Winnipeg's North End illuminating what it's like to grow up forgotten, urban, poor, and Indigenous. Word on the street is that this is the Tigers' last season. For Tomahawk "Tommy" Shields, an image-obsessed high school student from a northern Indian reserve, the potential loss of his hockey team serves as a stark reminder of the fact that he is completely uncertain about his future. He can't help but feel that each of his peers has some skill or gift that he lacks, yet each of their perceived virtues hides darker truths too. Clinton is beloved by teachers, but his "good kid" disposition is a desparate attempt not to end up falling prey to the gang violence his older brother has become enmeshed in. Floyd has incredible talent on the ice, yet behind that talent lies deep insecurity about his multiracial background. And the adults that populate Tommy's life-his mother who struggles with schizophrenia; Pete, the wayward Zamboni driver; and elders Maggie and Olga-offer a mixture of well-intentioned but often misguided support and a depressing portent of what the future could hold. Set in Winnipeg's north end, a remote neighborhood at the border of Canada's eastern woodlands and central prairies, Small Ceremonies follows a community that both literally and figuratively straddles two worlds. As its richly drawn characters navigate the thrilling independence of adulthood and the loss of innocence that accompanies adolescence, one can't help but root for Tommy and his community, even as Tommy himself reckons with his place in it"--

The whistler
Medina, Nick,
"For fear of summoning evil spirits, Native superstition says you should never, ever whistle at night. Henry Hotard was on the verge of fame, gaining a following and traction with his eerie ghost-hunting videos. Then his dreams came to a screeching halt. Now, he's learning to navigate a new life in a wheelchair, back on the reservation where he grew up, relying on his grandparents' care while he recovers. And he's being haunted. His girlfriend, Jade, insists he just needs time to adjust to his new reality as a quadriplegic, that it's his traumatized mind playing tricks on him, but Henry knows better. As the specter haunting him creeps closer each night, Henry battles to find a way to endure, to rid himself of the horror stalking him. Worried that this dread might plague him forever, he realizes the only way to exile his phantom is by confronting his troubled past and going back to the events that led to his injury. It all started when he whistled at night..."--

Indigenous citizens Native Americans' fight for sovereignty, 1776-2025
Rosier, Paul C.,
A sweeping history of Native Americans' fraught relationship with United States citizenship and their efforts to protect tribal sovereignty

The chosen and the damned Native Americans and the making of race in the United States
Silverman, David J., 1971-
A historical study examining the central role of race in Native American and United States history from the colonial era to the modern period. The book traces how Euro-American and Native American racial identities were formed and contested over four centuries, including colonial wars, the creation of reservations and boarding schools, and modern Native activism. Themes include the construction of White and Native identity, the effects of racial ideology on national policy, and the resilience and resistance of Native peoples. The work situates Native Americans as integral to understanding U.S. racial history

River of bones and other stories
Roanhorse, Rebecca,
"A stunning collection of award-winning fantasy and science fiction short stories from the New York Times bestselling author of the Between Earth and Sky trilogy-- including a new novella set in the world of Trail of Lightning"-- Amazon

A feather and a fork 125 intertribal dishes from an Indigenous food warrior
Wahpepah, Crystal,
"Chef Crystal Wahpepah has used her growing platform to tell the little-known history of Oakland's tight-knit Native American communities, which were relocated from reservations across the country to the San Francisco Bay area in the 1950s. Crystal's powerful message to reconnect to our foodways and transform generational trauma into strength as well as her healing dishes have been seen on Food Network's Chopped and Beating Bobby Flay. The rise of corporate agriculture around the world relies on singular and often genetically modified monocultures plus lots of chemicals and soil additives to produce massive crop yields. And while this approach may economically make sense on paper to feed multitudes at the lowest price point possible, it has harmed our physical health, emotional well-being, and the very creation that supports life. This truth applies not just to Indigenous people, who have been harmed by the federal commodified foods program, but to all of us who have come to rely on cheap and easy processed foods to feed our families. We no longer get the nutrients we need from our food and spend lots of money on supplementing our diets. We develop chronic diseases that can be avoided and even cured through eating habits. Eat with the seasons, cure your disconnection with the land, and cook colorful, delicious food rooted in the oldest traditions including: Three Sisters Veggie Bowls; Sweet Blue Cornbread with Huckleberry Compote; Indigenous Popcorn Balls with Edible Flowers; Strawberry-Sumac Salad with Maple-Sage Vinaigrette; Bison Roast with Chokeberry Rub; Smoked Salmon Dip with Red Chilies and Chips; Acorn Muffins, and much more. A Feather and a Fork includes 125 recipes developed in collaboration with ethnobotanist and food sovereignty advocate Linda Black Elk to explore the environmental, spiritual, physical, and social benefits of each dish as well as raise awareness of and support for indigenous food producers who are preserving heirloom foods and traditions"-- Provided by publisher

The killing spell
Kauwe, Shay,
In this spellbinding fantasy debut set in a future where language magic reigns, a young Hawaiian woman must solve a murder to clear her name. Kea Petrova is dealing with more than her fair share of trouble. At just twenty-five years old, she's the youngest of five Hawaiian clan leaders living on the Homestead in outer Los Angeles. Nearly 200 years ago, when a catastrophic flood submerged the Hawaiian islands and unleashed magic into the world, these clans forged a treaty with the city, establishing a new Hawaiian homeland. But that treaty is about to expire. Kea struggles to keep her small clan afloat, scraping together rent each month through odd jobs and selling her own crafted Hawaiian language spells. While her talent for language magic is her saving grace, she feels like a shadow of those who came before her. Just when she thinks things can't get any more complicated, the murder of Angelo Reyes--LA's most prominent Filipino activist--turns her world upside-down. Angelo was killed by a death spell--something that, due to the properties of each school of language magic, can only exist in Hawaiian. With independent spellsmithing being technically illegal, Kea quickly becomes the prime suspect, known for her spellwork on the Homestead. To clear her name, she must unravel the mystery behind Angelo's murder and confront LA's most powerful (and dangerous) players, each wielding their own type of magic. The clock is ticking--can Kea save herself, her clan, and the Homestead before it's too late?

Blood relay
Mihesuah, Devon A., 1957-
"Choctaw Detective Perry Antelope has been with her partner, Sophia Burns, for only six months. Perry is a seasoned investigator while the ex-Olympian shot putter Sophia is a former street-smart police officer. Together, they are an intrepid pair with an established record of success. But when Perry and Sophia are called to investigate the disappearance of Dels Billy, a beloved women's Indian Horse Relay rider, they quickly realize that it's not as cut-and-dry as anything they've faced before. Piece by piece, they uncover unsettling connections between Dels's disappearance and a series of unsolved abductions of women from Oklahoma reservations. But the perpetrator always seems to be one step ahead, and Perry soon finds herself--and her family--in the crosshairs of a ruthless killer. Despite her husband's pleas for her to drop the case, Perry is determined to prevent Dels from becoming another statistic. As the investigation deepens, Perry and Sophia follow a tangled web of clues that point to a close-to-home plot more chilling than they could have imagined. Torn between her family's safety and her duty to her community, Perry must race against the clock, and across tribal Nations, to find Dels before her murderous abductor can carry out their sinister plan"--

The free and the dead the untold story of the Black Seminole chief, the indigenous rebel, and America's forgotten war
Holmes, Jamie,
From 1817 to 1858, a series of conflicts known as the Seminole Wars took place between the United States and the tribes of Florida as they battled for the land. Within this unconquered territory, formerly enslaved mothers and fathers and Seminole families had lived side by side for generations, building communities in the interior, beyond the reach of the growing United States. But in 1835, the young country took up arms against them, seeking to forcibly remove all Indigenous people and return their allies to slavery. In the face of this terror, tribes and bands came together across racial lines to preserve their freedom from federal interference. As the fight waged on, two men -- Abraham, a free Black American, and the esteemed Creek warrior Osceola -- worked together to save their lands and their people, against overwhelming odds, from America's formidable Army of the South. -- Provided by publisher

The westerners mythmaking and belonging on the American frontier
Nelson, Megan Kate, 1972-
"The Westerners tells two richly detailed and interwoven stories. The first reveals the captivating lives of women and men moving through the American West -- Indigenous peoples, Black Americans, Mexican Americans, and Canadian and Asian immigrants -- in the 19th century. The second tracks the attempts of many Americans to erase these westerners from history, through a frontier myth that lionized individualism and conquest and celebrated white settlers traveling west in search of prosperity. Nelson's vivid, eye-opening account centers on seven extraordinary individuals whose lives capture the true history of the frontier: Sacajawea, not just Lewis and Clark's guide but an explorer who forged her own path; Jim Beckwourth, a biracial fur trader whose sharp cultural insight made him indispensable; María Gertrudis Barceló, a Hispana gambling saloon owner who broke every stereotype to become the wealthiest woman in Santa Fe; Ovando Hollister, a gold miner, soldier, and newspaper man who championed Western expansion; Little Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne chief whose courageous leadership secured his people's future; Canadian immigrant Ella Watson, who strove to become a ranch woman in a male-dominated world; and the defiant Polly Bemis, a Chinese immigrant who carved out a life in Idaho despite federal expulsion efforts." --

Our knives will save us dispatches from a White Mountain Apache chef
Craig, Nephi,
"From beloved Indigenous chef Nephi Craig, a searing personal and cultural reckoning about the power of food to heal intergenerational wounds When Nephi Craig enrolled in the culinary program at Scottsdale Community College, it was out of necessity-his DUI conviction had left him with three years' probation with either full-time employment or education. He chose school, expecting little more than a means to an end. But what he encountered on his first day was a profound dissonance: not a single other Indigenous person in the room and European recipes that, beneath their French and Italian names, echoed the flavors of his own Apache roots. Calling to mind his roaming childhood on the White Mountain Apache and Navajo reservations, that moment sparked a lifelong pursuit, not just of culinary mastery, but also of cultural rediscovery. Craig began tracing the buried histories of Indigenous cultivars such as the acorn, the squash, and the cacao bean, each one a portal into the violent legacy of colonization. He was hungry to not only better understand the way this history embedded itself in Native foodways but to also build Indigenous food sovereignty and to reconnect people with this rich cuisine. His mission led him around the world, from high-end kitchens in Japan, Germany, and England, to Executive Chef roles across the US. All the while, though, Craig wrestled in the shadows of his alcoholism and substance abuse, entering one addiction treatment center after another in the hopes that he could get-and remain-sober. Unexpectedly, in the heat and rhythm of professional kitchens and in the collaborative energy of top fine dining restaurants, Craig found a lifeline. However, it wasn't until he was faced with the difficult decision of choosing between a career in culinary prestige and one serving the Native communities at home that he found his true vocation. Interweaving personal reflection with searing cultural insight, Craig lays bare the ongoing traumas wrought by colonial violence, from systemic poverty and poor mental health to addiction and suicide within Native communities. At the same time, he offers a vision of hope: one where food is decolonized, history is honored, and healing is possible"-- Provided by publisher

The lost cities of El Norte Coronado's quest, the unconquered West, and the birth of American Indian resistance
Stark, Peter, 1954-
"In 1540, the grandest exploring expedition ever assembled in the Americas paraded north from the ruins of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, a glittering column of 2,000 men heading into the unknown. Their destination was El Norte Misterioso--The Mysterious North, present-day United States--where fabulous cities of gold were rumored to shine beyond the horizon. Two years later, survivors began stumbling back, half dead. Lost to poisoned arrows, brutal deserts, starvation, cold, desertion, and countless other hardships, 90% of those who left would never return. Led by Francisco Coronado and backed by the full weight of the Spanish empire, the superpower of its day, they had expected to seize the land, steal its riches, and subjugate its peoples, just as they had so recently done to the mighty Aztec and Inca empires. But instead they encountered the unconquered American West, populated by complex societies of indigenous nations, masters of a vast and unforgiving landscape who fiercely resisted this European 'incursion' onto their lands. Coronado and his people traversed 2,500 miles of unmapped terrain, ranging across the present-day U.S. states of California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, and finally Kansas. They were the first Europeans to gaze upon the Grand Canyon and the Rocky Mountains; made first contact with the Puebloan peoples; crossed the Sonoran Desert and the Great Plains, where they encountered endless herds of bison and the nomadic tribes who followed them. After leading the largest exploring cavalcade ever assembled in the New World, wearing his gilded armor and bobbing plume, Coronado retreated back to Mexico City two years later accompanied only by a hundred or so hangers-on and carried on a litter, a broken man. America's Southwest and Plains would remain unconquered for the next 300 years."--

Nothing more of this land community, power, and the search for Indigenous identity
Lee, Joseph, 1992-
"From award-winning journalist Joseph Lee, a sweeping, personal exploration of Indigenous identity and the challenges facing Indigenous people around the world"-- Provided by publisher

Soft as bones a memoir
Sage, Chyana Marie,
"A poetic memoir as intricately woven as a dreamcatcher about overcoming the pain of generational trauma with the power of traditional healing. In her deeply affecting memoir, Soft as Bones, Chyana Marie Sage shares the pain of growing up with her father: a crack dealer who went to prison for molesting her older sister. She details the shame and guilt she carried for years after her family's trauma as she went from one dysfunctional relationship to another, from one illegal drug to another. In revisiting her family's history and weaving in the perspectives of her mother and sisters, Chyana examines the legacy of generational abuse, which began with her father's father, who was forcibly removed from his family by the residential schools and Sixties Scoops programs. Yet hers is also a story of hope, as it was the traditions of her people that saved her life. In candid, incisive, and delicate prose, Chyana braids personal narrative with Cree stories and ceremonies, all as a means of healing one small piece of the mosaic that makes up the dark past of colonialism shared by Indigenous people throughout Turtle Island."--

Horses poems
Skeets, Jake,
"Navajo Nation Poet Laureate Jake Skeets's highly anticipated second collection patiently tracks the impacts of climate change on the land and its myriad inhabitants"-- Provided by publisher

How to defend books and why book bans and how we fight them
Caine, Danny,
"Fight back against censorship and empower your community with this close look at the book banning movement"-- Provided by publisher

Sold
McCormick, Patricia, 1956-
Thirteen-year-old Lakshmi leaves her poor mountain home in Nepal thinking that she is to work in the city as a maid only to find that she has been sold into the sex slave trade in India and that there is no hope of escape

Banning books in America not a how-to
"This is a book about banned books in the U.S. - about reading them, teaching them, and assigning them under the shadow of political pressure not to. Banning Books in America features novelists on banning and being banned, arguments about the histories and politics of book banning, readings of banned books in national and international contexts, and responses to new legislation by anti-censorship advocates, teachers, and librarians. Together, these writers and educators provide a view from the trenches of the wars on reading and on educational freedom"-- Provided by publisher

Empire of storms
Maas, Sarah J.,
"The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don't. As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world"--

On censorship a public librarian examines cancel culture in the US
LaRue, James, 1954-
"In America today, more books are being banned than ever before. This censorship is part of a larger assault on such American institutions as schools, public libraries, and universities. In On Censorship: A Public Librarian Examines Cancel Culture in the US, respected longtime public librarian James LaRue issues a balanced and reasonable call to action for all citizens. LaRue, who served as director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and executive director of the Freedom to Read Foundation, highlights the dangers of book banning and censorship in our public and educational spaces. Synthesizing his more than twenty-five years of experience on the front lines of these issues, he takes the reader through attempts he encountered to remove or restrict access to ideas, while placing the debate in the greater context about the role of libraries and free expression in a democratic society. By examining past efforts at censorship and their dangerous impacts, LaRue asks the reader to reflect on how those times are not so different from today. This book is essential reading for all those who believe in free expression, who support libraries, and who cherish the central freedoms that American democracy represents." --

That librarian the fight against book banning in America
Jones, Amanda (Librarian),
One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss "book content," she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing. Amanda Jones has been called a groomer, a pedo, and a porn-pusher; she has faced death threats and attacks from strangers and friends alike. Her decision to support a collection of books with diverse perspectives made her a target for extremists using book banning campaigns--funded by dark money organizations and advanced by hard right politicians--in a crusade to make America more white, straight, and "Christian." But Amanda Jones wouldn't give up without a fight: she sued her harassers for defamation and urged others to join her in the resistance. Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers

Gender queer a memoir
Kobabe, Maia,
"In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity--what it means and how to think about it--for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere."--Amazon

Banned together our fight for readers' rights
"A multi-genre, young adult anthology that spotlights the transformative power of books while equipping teens to fight for the freedom to read, featuring the voices of 15 diverse, award-winning authors and illustrators"--

A court of thorns and roses
Maas, Sarah J.,
"Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from stories, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin, a High Lord of the faeries. As her feelings toward him transform from hostility to a firey passion, the threats against the faerie lands grow. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose Tamlin forever"--

Last night at the Telegraph Club
Lo, Malinda,
In Chinatown in 1954, McCarthyism and the Red Scare are very real threats to Lily's family; her father is already at risk of deportation despite his valid citizenship. Chinese American Lily could lose everything just for dating anyone white -- let alone Kathleen Miller -- but she could lose herself if she doesn't risk everything to be true to her feelings

Read dangerously the subversive power of literature in troubled times
Nafisi, Azar,
Drawing on her experiences as a woman and voracious reader in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a multi-award-winning New York Times best-selling author explores the most probing questions of our time, arming readers with a resistance reading list that includes Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, James Baldwin, and Margaret Atwood

Looking for Alaska
Green, John, 1977-
Sixteen-year-old Miles' first year at Culver Creek Preparatory School in Alabama includes good friends and great pranks, but is defined by the search for answers about life and death after a fatal car crash

On book banning, or, how the new censorship consensus trivializes art and undermines democracy
Wells, Ira, 1981-
"A lively, accessible survey of literary censorship through the ages. The freedom to read is under attack. There are, today, more efforts to ban books from libraries than ever before. The supposed "dangers" posed by books including The Handmaid's Tale, Gender Queer, Huckleberry Finn, and the works of Dr. Seuss--leading children down a path of sexual deviance, or harming them with racist language or non-inclusive narratives--fuel the puritanical zeal of De Santis Republicans and progressive educators alike. On Book Banning argues that today's culture warriors proceed from a misunderstanding of literature as instrumental to the pursuit of their ideological agendas. In treating libraries as sites of contagion and exposure, censors are warping our children's relationship with literature and teaching them that the solution to opposing viewpoints is cancellation or outright expurgation. On Book Banning provides a lively, accessible survey of literary censorship through the ages--from the destruction of libraries in ancient Rome, to the Catholic Church's attempts to tamp down religious dissent and scientific innovation, to state-sponsored efforts to suppress LGBTQ literature in the 1980s and beyond. Throughout, Ira Wells demonstrates how today's book bans stem from the ineradicable human impulse toward social control. In a whistle-stop tour of landmark legal cases, literary controversies, and philosophical arguments, we discover that the freedom to read and publish is the aberration in human history, and that censorship and restriction have been the rule. At a moment in which our democratic institutions are buckling under the stress of polarization, On Book Banning is both rallying cry and guide to resistance for those who reject the conflation of art and propaganda, for whom books remain sacred vessels of our shared humanity, and who will always insist upon reading for ourselves."--

A clockwork orange
Burgess, Anthony, 1917-1993
Told through a central character, Alex, the disturbing novel creates an alarming futuristic vision of violence, high technology, and authoritarianism. A modern classic of youthful violence and social redemption set in a dismal dystopia whereby a juvenile delinquent undergoes state-sponsored psychological rehabilitation for his aberrant behavior

The perks of being a wallflower
Chbosky, Stephen

Wake now in the fire a story of censorship, action, love and hope
Dapier, Jarrett,
"In this empowering graphic novel based on a true story, a group of high schoolers in Chicago work to overturn the system-wide ban of Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis. It starts as an update at one Chicago high school: copies of a certain book are no longer allowed in the classrooms or the library. But it's not just one high school--it's all Chicago public schools. Not even the principals know why this is happening; they just know they must comply with the order. One thing is clear: The book, which tells a story of oppression, survival, and resistance against authoritarian power, is seen as a threat, dangerous enough to ban. One other thing is clear: Some of the students aren't going to let this go without resistance of their own. As the extent of the ban becomes known, the students rise up. They organize a school-wide walkout and library sit-in. They publicize the banning in every forum they can: social media, the press, classes, clubs, the school paper. And most of all, they get everyone they know to read the book: Persepolis, by Marjane Satrapi. Told from multiple perspectives, based on extensive interviews with the real-life students and teachers who were affected, and written by the librarian who exposed key information about the Chicago Public Schools censorship decision, Wake Now in the Fire is a fictionalized account of a true event that galvanized a community. With illustrations by Alex Award-winner AJ Dungo that perfectly capture the everyday joys, heartbreak, and stresses of high school, this graphic novel is an inspiring portrayal of student activism taking on one of the most urgent issues of our time, and a passionate reminder of why protecting the books we love matters."--Publisher

Storm and fury
Armentrout, Jennifer L.,
"Eighteen-year-old Trinity Marrow, who is losing her sight, has a well-kept secret. She can see and talk to the dead and must remain in a compound that is guarded by Wardens who are shape-shifting gargoyles. They must protect her from demons who want to capture her to take on her special powers. However, a new threat arrives, and Trinity joins forces with Zayne, a Warden from another clan, in order to save her family."--

The handmaid's tale
Atwood, Margaret, 1939-
"Margaret Atwood's best-loved novel has taken the world by storm again. Riding high on bestseller lists for months and the basis for Hulu's Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning smash hit series, The Handmaid's Tale is everywhere--and it's primed for a stunning new graphic novel adaptation. The story is iconic: In the Republic of Gilead, a Handmaid named Offred lives in the home of the Commander, to the purpose that she become pregnant with his child. Stripped of her most basic freedoms, (work, property, her own name), Offred remembers a different time, not so long ago, when she was valuable for more than her viable ovaries, when she was mother to a daughter she could keep, and when she and her husband lived and loved as equals. Darkly prescient, scathingly sarcastic, and eminently frightening, The Handmaid's Tale has only gained relevance since it was originally published, and remains one of the most powerful, widely read stories of our times. This illustrated edition is a must-have for Atwood's growing legions of fans"--

Dangerous fictions the fear of fantasy and the invention of reality
Gold, Lyta,
"Fictional stories have long been imagined to hold an uncanny power over hearts and minds. These days, everybody frets about fiction: according to the National Coalition Against Censorship, the current wave of book bans is the worst since the 1980s, and our cultural debates are consumed by questions about the politics and moral responsibility of storytelling. Can readers and viewers, at any age, be harmed by what they read and see? In Dangerous Fictions, Lyta Gold traces arguments both historical and contemporary that have labeled fiction as dark, immoral, frightening, or poisonous; within each she asks, how "dangerous" is fiction, really? And what about it provokes waves of moral panic and even censorship?"--

They came for the schools one town's fight over race and identity, and the new war for America's classrooms
Hixenbaugh, Mike (Journalist),
"Award-winning journalist Mike Hixenbaugh delivers the immersive and eye-opening story of Southlake, Texas, a district that seemed to offer everything parents would want for their children--small classes, dedicated teachers, financial resources, a track record of academic success, and school spirit in abundance. But after a series of racist incidents became public, a plan to promote inclusiveness was proposed in response--and a coordinated, well-funded conservative backlash erupted, lighting the fire of a national movement on the verge of changing the face of public schools across the country. They Came for the Schools pulls back the curtain on the powerful forces driving this crusade to ban books, rewrite curricula, limit rights for minority and LGBTQ students--and, most importantly, to win what Hixenbaugh's deeply informed reporting convinces is the holy grail among those seeking to impose biblical values on American society: school privatization, one school board and one legal battle at a time. They Came for the Schools delivers an essential take on Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis, as they demean public schools and teachers and boost the Christian right's vision. Hixenbaugh brings to light fascinating connections between this political and cultural moment and past fundamentalist campaigns to censor classroom lessons. Finally, They Came for the Schools traces the rise of a new resistance movement led by a diverse coalition of student activists, fed-up educators, and parents who are beginning to win select battles of their own: a blueprint, they hope, for gaining inclusive and civil schools for all"--Dust jacket flap

Tricks
Hopkins, Ellen
Five troubled teenagers fall into prostitution as they search for freedom, safety, community, family, and love

Read dangerously the subversive power of literature in troubled times
Nafisi, Azar,
Drawing on her experiences as a woman and voracious reader in the Islamic Republic of Iran, a multi-award-winning New York Times best-selling author explores the most probing questions of our time, arming readers with a resistance reading list that includes Toni Morrison, Salman Rushdie, James Baldwin, and Margaret Atwood

The Calamity Club
Stockett, Kathryn,
"Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one. Now one of the unadoptable 'big girls' at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum, she fights each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates--and Meg's--converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences"--Inside jacket flap

Theo of golden
Levi, Allen, 1956-
"Questions linger about Theo, a pleasant but mysterious stranger, after his arrival in the southern city of Golden. Who is he, and why is he here? He arrives early one spring and by chance -- or is it? -- he visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits are on display. Inspired, Theo sets out on a mission of purchasing all the portraits one at a time and quietly bestowing them on their 'rightful owners.' Stories are told; friendships are born; and lives are changed. Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness."--

Dungeon Crawler Carl the graphic novel. Volume one
Dinniman, Matt,
"You know what's worse than breaking up with your girlfriend? Getting stuck on a sadistic alien game show with her cat"--Page 4 of cover

Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone
Rowling, J. K
Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry

My friends
Backman, Fredrik, 1981-
"#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, who "captures the messy essence of being human" (The Washington Post), returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger's life twenty-five years later. Most people don't even notice them-three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it's just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There's Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there's the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa's care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting's birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don't always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art"--

Lady Tremaine
Hochhauser, Rachel,
"Twice-widowed, Lady Etheldreda Verity Isolde Tremaine Bramley is solely responsible for her two children, a priggish stepdaughter, a razor-taloned peregrine falcon, and a crumbling manor. Fierce and determined, Ethel clings to the respectability her deceased husband's title affords her, hoping it will secure her daughters' future through marriage. When a royal ball offers the chance to change everything, Ethel risks her pride in pursuit of an invitation for all three of her daughters--only to see her hopes fulfilled by the wrong one. As an engagement to the future king unfolds, Ethel discovers a sordid secret hidden in the depths of the royal family, forcing her to choose between the security she craves and the wellbeing of the stepdaughter who has rebuffed her at every turn. As if Bridgerton met Circe, and exhilarating to its core, Lady Tremaine reimagines the myth of the evil stepmother at the heart of the world's most famous fairy tale. It is a battle cry for a mother's love for her daughters, and a celebration of women everywhere who make their own fortunes"-- Provided by publisher

Yesteryear
Burke, Caro Claire,
"A social media celebrity, a wife and mother who sells her fantasy pioneer lifestyle of sourdough and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of followers, suddenly wakes up cold, dirty, and hungry in the year 1805 and must uncover the nature - hoax, reality show, test from God - of her terrifying new existence in this sensational debut novel. "My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive." Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the Republican equivalent of a Kennedy? What Natalie's followers - all 8 million of them - don't know won't hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an anti-feminist iconoclast? They're sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn't simply living the good life, she's living the ideal - and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn't hers. Her home, her husband, her children - they're all familiar, but something's off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she's expected to haul firewood andhand washh clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a brutal reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible. A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood"-- Provided by publisher

The two towers being the second part of The lord of the rings
Tolkien, J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel), 1892-1973
Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord

Dolly all the time
Monaghan, Annabel,
"If they start by pretending, can they end with something real? Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn't solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home. So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield: annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family: with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it's in her nature to help. But Stewart's proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She's never relied on anyone besides herself, can she really start now?"--Provided by publisher

Dolly all the time
Monaghan, Annabel,
"If they start by pretending, can they end with something real? Dolly Brick has never met a problem she couldn't solve. Not when her mom left when she was twelve, and not at thirty-nine when she moves with her son back to Whitfield, Rhode Island for the summer to keep her dad and brother from losing the family home. So when she comes across Stewart Whitfield: annoyingly handsome scion of the Whitfield family: with a flat tire and at the wrong end of a very public, very humiliating breakup, it's in her nature to help. But Stewart's proposed arrangement ends up being more than either of them bargained for, because as public dinners and high society benefits turn into sunset boat rides and kisses that hit her bloodstream like a ghost pepper, Dolly starts to feel something more than helpful. She's never relied on anyone besides herself, can she really start now?"--Provided by publisher

Remarkably bright creatures
Van Pelt, Shelby,
"For fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widow's unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium-and the truths she finally uncovers about her son's disappearance 30 years ago"--

Harry Potter and the chamber of secrets
Rowling, J. K
When the Chamber of Secrets is opened again at the Hogswart School for Witchcraft and Wizardry, second-year student Harry Potter finds himself in danger from a dark power that has once more been released on the school

Kingdom of ash
Maas, Sarah J.,
With Aelin locked in an iron coffin by Queen of the Fae Maeve, Aedion and Lysandra struggle to defend Terrasen, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian face their own fates, and Rowan seeks his captured wife and queen. The series concludes in a final epic battle

The possession of Alba Díaz
Cañas, Isabel,
"When a demonic presence awakens deep in a Mexican silver mine, the young woman it seizes must turn to the one man she shouldn't trust... from bestselling author Isabel Cañas. In 1765, plague sweeps through Zacatecas. Alba flees with her wealthy merchant parents and fiancé, Carlos, to his family's isolated mine for refuge. But safety proves fleeting as other dangers soon bare their teeth: Alba begins suffering from strange hallucinations, sleepwalking, and violent convulsions. She senses something cold lurking beneath her skin. Something angry. Something wrong. Elías, haunted by a troubled past, came to the New World to make his fortune and escape his family's legacy of greed. Alba, as his cousin's betrothed, is none of his business. Which is of course why he can't help but notice her every time she enters a room or the growing tension between them... and why he notices her deteriorate when the demon's thirst for blood grows stronger. In the fight for her life, Alba and Elías become entangled with the occult, the Church, long-kept secrets, and one another... not knowing that one of these things will spell their doom"--

My name is Emilia del Valle
Allende, Isabel,
"In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman. To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of seventeen, she begins to publish pulp fiction using a man's pen name. When these fictional worlds can no longer satisfy her sense of adventure, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan. As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, as does Eric, and while there, she meets her estranged father and delves into the violent confrontation in the country where her roots lie. As she and Eric discover love, the war escalates and Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny." --

The Grand Paloma Resort
Natera, Cleyvis,
"The Grand Paloma Resort is a lush paradise in the Dominican Republic where the guests enjoy incredible luxury, and the staff is always eager to please-that is, until they are pushed to the brink"-- Provided by publisher

Hombrecito
Sanchez, Santiago Jose,
"A novel by a brilliant new voice, Hombrecito is a queer coming-of-age story about a young immigrant's complex relationships with his mother and his motherland."--

Catalina
Cornejo Villavicencio, Karla,
"Catalina is trying to work out her own life as she leaves her undocumented family behind to enter Harvard. Suffering from bouts of PTSD, she struggles to connect to her new world just as she struggled to make sense of her old one. She infiltrates the subcultures of elite undergrads-internships and college newspapers, parties and secret societies-and observes them like an anthropologist, but then falls in love, or something like love, with a fellow student, an actual anthropology scholar who wants to teach her about the Andean world she was born in but never knew. They are drawn to each other by the strange attraction of exocticized fascination-she, a real live Latin American, becomes a subject of academic interest; he, in turns, draws her fascination as a white legacy admit born into the strange world she now navigates. Catalina is uncertain: should she let herself become what he wants her to be and take up residence in his secure and privileged world? Or should she return to the life she's known, with all its thorny precarity? Who is she anyway?"--

The dance and the fire
Saldaña París, Daniel, 1984-
"After years apart, three high school friends return to Cuernavaca, Mexico, where an intense love triangle once left an indelible mark on their adolescence. The city, surrounded by a ring of claustrophobic wildfires, brings out the past and confronts them with their present: they must once again face the entanglement of friendship and desire, the seemingly distant discovery of sexuality, complex parental relationships, and the daunting task of artistic fulfillment. In the background, two forces of chaos and destruction are a constant presence. As fires ravage the physical landscape, one of the friends begins choreographing an ecstatic dance inspired by the German expressionist Mary Wigman and medieval Danse Macabre. What starts as a coping mechanism for the anxieties of youth and climate catastrophe becomes an overpowering, all-consuming hysteria. Mysterious powers are awakened, the boundary between reality and myth begins to blur, and the friends find themselves immersed in an increasingly turbulent and uncertain universe"--

Loca
Heredia, Alejandro, 1994-
"It's 1999, and best friends Sal and Charo are striving to hold on to their dreams in a New York determined to grind them down. Sal is a book-loving science nerd trying to grow beyond his dead-end job in a new city, but he's held back by tragic memories from his past in Santo Domingo. Free-spirited Charo is surprised to find herself a mother at twenty-five, partnered with a controlling man, working at the same supermarket for years, her world shrunk to the very domesticity she thought she'd escaped in her old country. When Sal finds love at a gay club one night, both his and Charo's worlds unexpectedly open up to a vibrant social circle that pushes them to reckon with what they owe to their own selves, pasts, futures, and, always, each other." --

Speak to me of home
Cummins, Jeanine,
"What does it mean to call a place home? From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jeanine Cummins comes a deeply felt multigenerational family story On her wedding day in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1968, Rafaela Acuña y Daubón has mild misgivings, but she marries Peter Brennan Jr. anyway in a blaze of romantic optimism. She has no way of knowing how dramatically her life will change when she uproots her young family to start over in the American Midwest, unleashing a fleet of disappointments. In the 1980s, against the backdrop of her mother's isolation in St. Louis, Missouri, Rafaela's daughter, Ruth Brennan, wants only to belong. Eager to fit in, Ruth lets go of her language, habits, and childhood memories of Puerto Rico. It's not until decades later when Ruth's own daughter, Daisy, returns to San Juan that her mother and grandmother begin to truly reflect on the choices that have come to define their lives. When a hurricane ravages the island in 2023, leaving Daisy critically injured, Rafaela and Ruth return to the city where it all began. As they gather at Daisy's bedside, we follow them back into the pasts that brought them to this point: we watch as they come of age, fall in love, take risks, and contend with all the heartbreaks, triumphs, and reversals of fortune--both good and bad--that make up a meaningful life. As old memories come to light, so do buried secrets, leaving everyone in the family wondering exactly where it is that they belong. A striking, resonant examination of marriage, family, and identity, Speak to Me of Home is ultimately a story of mothers and daughters that asks: How can three women who share geography and genetics have such wildly different ideas of where they come from? And, more importantly, can they discover a common language to find their way back home?"--

The intrigue
Moreno-Garcia, Silvia,
"Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters to steal their money, but money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won't last forever, and he's desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. He thinks he's found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn't expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt's household. When Inés discovers Ulises' true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They'll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. Easy, fast and clean. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. She harbors secrets. And although Ulises does not believe in true romance, Inés is more alluring than he bargained on. Suddenly, a simple plan may become perilously complicated. Venture into the streets of a small town where the patina of convention and good manners conceals a cauldron of avarice and lust"--

Last night in Brooklyn
Gonzalez, Xochitl, 1977-
"New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor's secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000's Fort Greene, Brooklyn. SPRING, 2007 At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She's in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother's beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in. No one embodies this more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza's life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself. But when Alicia's wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza's precarious lives. Against the backdrop of a potentially life-changing presidential election and a looming once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis, Last Night in Brooklyn explores the dark compromise of the American Dream for people of color living, unknowingly, in the twilight of a cultural moment. It is a story about everything money can buy--and the destruction of what it can't"--

I give you my silence
Vargas Llosa, Mario, 1936-2025,
"In his final novel, the Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa returns to his native Peru"-- Provided by publisher

Autobiography of cotton
Rivera Garza, Cristina, 1964-
"In 1934, a young Jose Revueltas traveled to Tamaulipas to support the cotton workers' strike in Estacion Camaron, which became the basis of his landmark novel Human Mourning. In her own groundbreaking novel, Autobiography of Cotton, Cristina Rivera Garza recounts her grandparents' journey from mining towns to those same cotton fields as it intersects with Revueltas's life in a vivid and evocative history of cotton cultivation along the Mexico-US border. Through archival research and personal narrative, Rivera Garza chronicles the way cotton transformed the borderlands by reconstructing the cotton workers' strike and reveals how cycles of deprivation and ecocide persist across generations. Deeply personal and politically acute, Rivera Garza crafts a new kind of border novel that tells how a brittle land radically altered her grandparents' lives and the territories they helped develop. An intimate fictionalization, Autobiography of Cotton reveals a rich social history of agricultural colonization, labor activism, environmental degradation, and cross-border migration"-- Provided by publisher

Frida's cook
Etcheves, Florencia, 1971-
"This colorful, emotive historical debut whisks us to the home of Frida Kahlo, where food, art, and love weave together an unforgettable story of friendship and loyalty, with a bright Coyoacán as a vivid background. A hidden painting. A buried past. A legacy waiting to be uncovered. Mexico City, 1939: Young and determined Nayeli Cruz flees from her Oaxaca home to arrive in Mexico City with neither friends nor prospects. Alone and armed only with her sharp wit and extraordinary talent in the kitchen, she finds herself in front of La Caza Azul, the home of Frida Kahlo. As she begins work as the artist's cook, Nayeli is pulled into Frida's world of pain, passion, and defiance. But it isn't long before amid the vibrant tapestry of flavors, scents, and colors, the two women form a deep bond--one that will shape the course of Nayeli's life and leave behind a secret buried in art. Buenos Aires, Present Day: Paloma, Nayeli's granddaughter, stumbles upon a mysterious painting depicting her grandmother as a young woman. The artist's identity is unknown, but the artwork's existence threatens to unravel long-held family secrets. As Paloma delves into her grandmother's past, she uncovers a tale of passion, betrayal, and resilience that challenges everything she thought she knew about the one woman who raised her"--

My name is Emilia del Valle
Allende, Isabel,
"In San Francisco in 1866, an Irish nun, abandoned following a torrid relationship with a Chilean aristocrat, gives birth to a daughter named Emilia del Valle. Raised by a loving stepfather, Emilia grows into an independent thinker and a self-sufficient young woman. To pursue her passion for writing, she is willing to defy societal norms. At the age of seventeen, she begins to publish pulp fiction using a man's pen name. When these fictional worlds can no longer satisfy her sense of adventure, she turns to journalism, convincing an editor at The Daily Examiner to hire her. There she is paired with another talented reporter, Eric Whelan. As she proves herself, her restlessness returns, until an opportunity arises to cover a brewing civil war in Chile. She seizes it, as does Eric, and while there, she meets her estranged father and delves into the violent confrontation in the country where her roots lie. As she and Eric discover love, the war escalates and Emilia finds herself in extreme danger, fearing for her life and questioning her identity and her destiny." --

Deeper than the ocean
Ojito, Mirta A.,
"One hundred years after the shipwreck of the Valbanera, known to history as the 'poor man's Titanic', Mara Denis gets an assignment to report on the Canary Islands, where her ancestors lived before they moved to Cuba. Unexpectedly, she discovers that the grandmother her mother cherished was listed among the dead of the Valbanera, years before Mara's mother was even born. This fateful twist changes everything Mara thought she knew about her family and herself, and sends her on a quest to find the truth. If her great grandmother is a ghost, who is she and where did she come from?"--

Malinalli
Chapa, Veronica,
An imaginative retelling of the triumphs and sorrows of one of the most controversial and misunderstood women in Mexico's history and mythology

Last night in Brooklyn
Gonzalez, Xochitl, 1977-
"New York Times bestselling author Xochitl Gonzalez delivers a captivating story about a young woman whose life becomes ensnared in her glamorous neighbor's secret past, laying bare the mounting tensions at play in a rapidly gentrifying, early 2000's Fort Greene, Brooklyn. SPRING, 2007 At twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She's in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother's beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and possibility that the striving crowd of creatives holds, and moves in. No one embodies this more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer whose epic house parties fuel neighborhood lore. La Garza's life, observed by Alicia from her apartment across the street, seems to hold the allure and fearlessness Alicia has never dared to imagine for herself. But when Alicia's wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza's precarious lives. Against the backdrop of a potentially life-changing presidential election and a looming once-in-a-generation fiscal crisis, Last Night in Brooklyn explores the dark compromise of the American Dream for people of color living, unknowingly, in the twilight of a cultural moment. It is a story about everything money can buy--and the destruction of what it can't"--
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