The weather might be chilly, but it’s definitely heating up at the boy (and girl!) aquarium. Hockey romances aren’t new, but with the runaway success of “Heated Rivalry” and the book series the show is based on, they are definitely a hot topic. So pick up a winter sport romance to warm your heart during these cold months!
“Winging It” by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James
“Hockey Ever After” series #1
This season isn’t going the way Dante thought it would. Gabe’s sexuality doesn’t faze him, but his own does. And he doesn’t mean to fall in love with the guy. Dante’s always been a “what you see is what you get” kind of guy, and having to hide his attraction to Gabe sucks. But so does losing, and his teammate needs him, so he puts in the effort to snap Gabe out of his funk. Getting involved with a teammate is a bad idea, but Dante is shameless, funny, and brilliant at hockey. Unfortunately, Gabe struggles to share part of himself that he’s hidden for years, and Dante chafes at hiding their relationship. Can they find their footing before the ice slips out from under them?
Continue reading “Warm Up with a Hockey Romance”
A group of five adventurers are tasked with saving the world… except they are better at bickering and stealing than they are at adventuring. “The Last Available” is silly and definitely doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s a fantasy literary role-playing game (LitRPG) that is never lacking in jokes. The humor is very central in the novel, plot and character development take a backseat.
Most of the time it worked, but sometimes I did wish for a little more detail. However, the jokes kept me entertained and I was wondering how this ragtag group of adventurers was going to save the world when they could barely work together as a group.
Three words that describe this book: silly, adventure, quick
You might want to pick this book up if: If you like fantasy RPGs, fourth wall breaking, and laughing.
-Bailey
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
portrait
noun
por·trait ˈpȯr-trət -ˌtrāt
1: picture
especially : a pictorial representation of a person usually showing the face
2: a sculptured figure : bust
3: a graphic portrayal in words
From the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary”
There are different kinds of portraits: there are realistic representations painted on canvases, photographs collected in albums and descriptions written in books; some portraits are of famous people and some are of complete strangers. Here is a delightful conglomeration. Included are some interviews and various other ways to get a glimpse at who a person is, or was, with a special focus on relative unknowns. Continue reading “Portraits of Humans”
“How to Think About AI,” by Richard Susskind will be the subject of the February First Thursday book discussion, and it’s not a moment too soon.
Maybe, if you are a literal hermit, as in living by yourself in a cave or some other hermitage, you can avoid AI seeping into your life — for the rest of us AI is here and it’s not going away. Even if you avoid using it personally, you’re almost certainly only one degree removed from its use. Continue reading “February First Thursday Book Discussion: “How to Think About AI””
In the graphic novel “Shubeik Lubeik,” wishes are commodified — wrapped up in the bureaucracy and power dynamics of our world. Author Deena Mohamed’s three stories weave together the fantastical and the ordinary. Her characters are captivating, and her commentary on colonialism and class is compelling.
I don’t want to spoil the book, but one of the character’s wishes stuck with me even two years after reading this book. I still use it to comfort and affirm myself in tough times. This book is fun for the world building, yet it is also deeply personal.
Three words that describe this book: Creative, insightful, hopeful
You might want to pick this book up if: You love thoughtful world building, beautiful art, and the human spirit.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
“I keep putting off beginning this journal because the things I must write, must admit by writing them, are hard, even threatening to me,” Alice Walker wrote on July 8, 1977. “But, to begin.”
This confession came from a courageous young woman, already an established writer and activist. Yet putting pen to paper still stirred fear in Walker, a diarist familiar with that strange truth — that the hardest conversations to start are often the ones within ourselves.
As you begin the journey through this new year, I hope the conversation between your heart and the page feels lively, honest and hopeful. Here are seven titles exploring the tender art and practice of journaling.
Continue reading “Literary Links: Journals”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“The Long Walk” – Website / Reviews
This adaptation of Stephen King’s first novel is an emotional thriller where a group of teenage boys compete in a contest where they must maintain a certain walking speed or get shot.
“Dead of Winter” – Website / Reviews
In this mystery/thriller, a grief-stricken widow finds herself in a desperate fight for survival as she encounters a murderous couple holding a young woman hostage in a remote cabin in the woods.
“Splitsville” – Website / Reviews
Dark comedy featuring a man who runs to his friends for support when his wife asks for a divorce. Chaos ensues when he crosses the line after learning about their open marriage.
“Good Fortune” – Website / Reviews
A comedic fantasy where a well-meaning but rather inept angel named Gabriel meddles in the lives of a struggling gig worker and a wealthy venture capitalist.
“The Great Escaper” – Website / Reviews
In this drama, a veteran causes alarm at the care home when, with the support of his wife, he secretly sets off for Normandy to attend the 70th anniversary of D-Day.
Continue reading “New DVD List: January 2026”
I last wrote about the first three wives of Daniel Dulany while illustrating my research process within the Columbia Public Library. Now I’m going to talk about Missouri foodway resources, and not only because of Jacintha, Mary and Ann. My own great-great-great grandmother, Barbara, was born in 1823 in Yancey County, North Carolina, in the same half-decade as these women. Before her birth, Jacintha’s father traveled from Albemarle County, Virginia, which is also part of the Appalachian area. Barbara moved with her family to Taney County, Missouri in the 1850’s. It is possible that these families would have shared similar foods and food-related experiences.
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines foodways as “the eating habits and culinary practices of a people, region, or historical period.” Let’s examine some foodways that have developed in Missouri. Continue reading “Eating Like the Dulany Wives: Historic Missouri Food Traditions”
New Year, new books! Below I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in January. 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
“Miracle Children: Race, Education, and a True Story of False Promises” by Katie Benner & Erica L. Green (Jan 13)
T.M. Landry College Prep, a small private school in Breaux Bridge, Louisiana, boasted a 100% college acceptance rate, placing students at nearly every Ivy League university in the country. The spectacle of Landry students opening their acceptance letters to Harvard and Yale was broadcast on television and even celebrated by Michelle Obama. It became a national ritual to watch the miraculous success of these youngsters — miraculous because Breaux Bridge is one of the poorest counties in the country, ranked close to the bottom for test scores and high school graduation rates. T.M. Landry was said to be “minting prodigies,” and the prodigies were often black. How did the school do it? It didn’t: It was a scam, pulled off with fake transcripts and personal essays telling fake stories of triumph over adversity. Worse, Landry’s success concealed a nightmare of alleged abuse and coercion. In a years-long investigation, Katie Benner and Erica L. Green explored the lives of the students, the school, the town, and Ivy League admissions to understand why black teens were pressured to trade in racial stereotypes of hardship for opportunity. Gripping and illuminating, “Miracle Children” argues that the lesson of T.M. Landry is not that the school gamed the system but that it played by the rules — that its deceptions and abuses were the outcome of segregated schools, inequitable education, and the belief that elite colleges are the nation’s last path to life-changing economic opportunity. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: January 2026”
I thoroughly enjoyed “Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity.” This book was just what I was looking for… a book about Korean culture with enriching insight to the Korean approach to well-being.
I’ve enjoyed similar topics for other cultures (Japanese ikigai, Costa Rican pura vida, Swedish lagom, Danish hygge) and this lived up to my interest and expectations. I also found an interview with the author on YouTube and appreciated hearing a behind the scenes perspective, and thus, I’m enjoying the book all the more upon reflection…
Three words that describe this book: Enlightening, insightful, impactful
You might want to pick this book up if: you’re interested in Korean culture or wellness and self-care.
-Tonya
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
