February brings another edition of LibraryReads, also known as: new books that library folk love! Of course, with it being February, we’ve got a fair amount of romance. But if you’re not much of a romance reader, fear not! There are also some murder mystery, historical and speculative fictions, and phycological suspense.
“First-Time Caller” by B.K. Borison
This is a cute story about Lucie, whose daughter calls into a radio show for people looking for love. Aiden, the show’s host, is taken by her honesty and invites her to the show to document her quest for love. It’s a bumpy ride, but Aiden is there the whole way! Readers will love the tension between Lucie and Aiden, and the secondary characters are chef’s kiss.
~Claire Schroeder, Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, OH Continue reading “February 2025 LibraryReads”
Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in February. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“Memorial Days: A Memoir” by Geraldine Brooks (Feb 4)
Many cultural and religious traditions expect those who are grieving to step away from the world. In contemporary life, we are more often met with red tape and to-do lists. This is exactly what happened to Geraldine Brooks when her partner of more than three decades, Tony Horwitz — just sixty years old and, to her knowledge, vigorous and healthy — collapsed and died on a Washington, D. C. sidewalk. After spending their early years together in conflict zones as foreign correspondents, Geraldine and Tony settled down to raise two boys on Martha’s Vineyard. The life they built was one of meaningful work, good humor and tenderness, as they spent their days writing and their evenings cooking family dinners or watching the sun set with friends at the beach. But all of this ended abruptly when, on Memorial Day 2019, Geraldine received the phone call we all dread. The demands were immediate and many. Without space to grieve, the sudden loss became a yawning gulf. Three years later, she booked a flight to a remote island off the coast of Australia with the intention of finally giving herself the time to mourn. In a shack on a pristine, rugged coast she often went days without seeing another person. There, she pondered the various ways in which cultures grieve and what rituals of her own might help to rebuild a life around the void of Tony’s death. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: February 2025”
The book opens with a lightning bolt of a sentence: “It took three car crashes to kill Jake.” But it’s the second line that strikes the heart: “I was there for the first two.”
Jake is 17 when the story begins, and Theron is 15. We hear the story from the survivor, but Jake is no ghost. He is immediately dazzling, even before we know him as anything more than the manager of the hardware store where Theron’s father has insisted he spend the summer working. Continue reading “Staff Review: “Anyone’s Ghost” by August Thompson”
For those of you that can remember a bygone era when Quintessential Comics was last posted, then do I have a treat for you! We’re back after a long, long hiatus to cover a handful of new and upcoming graphic novel releases to coincide with a fresh start to a new year. If you’re looking for a new series or just want to keep up with upcoming releases then this is the issue for you. Onward and upward!
“Bowling With Corpses and Other Strange Tales From Lands Unknown”
This first entry is getting a lot of buzz amongst “Hellboy” fans, as author Mike Mignola has been celebrated for his work on the Dark Horse protagonist. This work is more of an anthology piece, as opposed to a linear story with congruent themes. What really makes this one so fun is that the stories draw from folklore, showcasing familiar tropes such as a search for a lost artifact, devilish deals and grim games of chance. Not to mention, as is the case with “Hellboy,” there’s plenty of occult mystery if you’re into that whole thing. If you’re a big fan of Mignola’s past work or his signature art style, I’m sure you’ll find plenty to love in these pages! Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: New Year, New Graphic Novels!”
I’ve been on a haunted house novel deep dive this year. During this reading streak, I came upon “The September House.” Most haunted house stories involve the characters trying to escape the specters haunting their abode. In this debut horror novel, author Carissa Orlando instead explores what it would be like to try and continue living in a house you love despite its being haunted.
The “September House” is a well written horror story that blends several major aspects of the haunted house genre with dark humor and reflections on what a person is willing to put up with to stay in the place they love.
Reader beware, this book contains depictions of emotional abuse, mental illness and gaslighting. The depictions of the ghosts are also very gory.
I found “The Summer House” to be a legitimately scary read. It’s perfect for those looking to add a little scary to their summer.
Three words that describe this book: Scary, Dark, Tense
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re in the mood for a summertime scare.
-Joe
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
“Driving Miss Norma: One Family’s Journey Saying ‘Yes’ to Living” is an inspiring memoir about 90-year-old Miss Norma, who, after a cancer diagnosis, opts for a cross-country road trip with her son Tim, daughter-in-law Ranie, and their poodle Ringo. I enjoyed reading about the love of a family as well as sights and experiences they encountered along the way. Death is portrayed as a natural part of life rather than something to dread.
Three words that describe this book: Inspiring, heartwarming, hopeful
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy road trips, appreciate reading books about families or like to read about end of life experiences.
-Kristi
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Greg Olson is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Indigenous Missourians: Ancient Societies to the Present.” The book explores the Show Me State’s Indigenous past and presents it as one spanning twelve millennia of Native presence, resilience, and evolution. Greg Olson served as the Curator of Exhibits and Special Projects at the Missouri State Archives from 2000-2018 and has also published several articles and books about the history of Indigenous people in Missouri, Kansas and Iowa. He was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Greg Olson, Author of “Indigenous Missourians””
What happens when you get a chance of a lifetime to help one of your favorite screenwriters rewrite his romance script (because he just doesn’t do romance), and you happen to have a crush on him too? “The Rom-Commers” introduces us to Emma, an aspiring screenwriter who has been the sole caretaker of her father, but passes on the duties to her sister in order to take this chance of a lifetime writing gig — it’s her sister’s turn to put her dreams on hold for now.
I do think the character arc of Emma is believable for the most part. She’s an adult who deals with the aftermath of a traumatic childhood event which leaves her wanting to be accommodating and too self-sacrificing, believing she deserves to put her needs aside for others. As a person myself who often explores her helpful oldest-daughter/sibling and people pleasing tendencies, I resonated with Emma a bit.
The main characters had great banter — they are writers after all. However, I do know that sometimes the banter of super quirky characters can rub readers the wrong way or be “too good,” and leave you wondering if they are even real people. Emma was unapologetically herself, which I value in a main character, and also contributed to the great banter.
I enjoy Katherine Center books. They are fun, loving, and offer a bit of light while also dealing with harder topics. I will say that Katherine Center’s writing style, where there are breaks in the fourth wall, is sometimes interesting and at other-times off-putting, but it’s something a reader can get use to eventually.
Three words that describe this book: Enemies-to-lovers, Funny, A+ Banter
You might want to pick this book up if: You are a fan of romance novels and Emily Henry.
-Taira
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
I’m in my Medicare Era. Dealing with signing up for the programs, researching what I need and how it affects my current group coverages. Open season. Social security. What if I get it wrong? Will I screw up the rest of my life? Then there is the inner voice that was cracking jokes at my age and my creaking knees. Dismissing that there is a future for me, repeating “too late, too late.” That’s internal ageism. I know what it is; I’m battling my inner cranky person by turning to some trusted resources, one of those being my library.
What is ageism? It is a type of discrimination based on a person’s age and usually based on stereotypes, misinformation, prejudices and lack of knowledge. It presents as elder abuse and as discrimination including in health care, the work place, language, the media and in emergency services. The term was first used in 1968 by Dr. Robert Butler, a gerontologist and the first director of the National Institute of Aging, equating ageism to racism and sexism. Although over half a century has passed, ageism remains a barrier that denies equal access to older folk, putting unfair limitations on older adults’ abilities to live to their fullest potential and devalues them as individuals.
The American Psychological Association warns that ageism is one of the last socially acceptable prejudices and this article includes some ideas to help people shift their perspective on aging. Continue reading “So When are You Going to Retire, Anyway?”
After playing the video game “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” and discovering that it originated from a book series, I’ve wanted to read them ever since — I’m glad I finally did! “The Last Wish” is a collection of short stories that follow the Witcher Geralt, who travels around fighting evil and helping people. I loved reading about the different characters, creatures and adventures that make up the Witcher universe. I also found that the little bits of humor spread throughout kept it fun. Now that I’ve read the first book, I can say that I enjoyed it immensely, and I’m looking forward to continuing the series. “The Last Wish” is a fantastic read for fantasy and Witcher fans alike.
Three words that describe this book: Fantasy, adventure, riveting
You might want to pick this book up if: You like fantasy adventure with some humor and likeable characters, or if you liked the Witcher games or show.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
