Summer has officially begun! This month’s LibraryReads brings new books to check out. Some of the favorites books by library staff from around the country include a new Maggie Stiefvater, some romance, a thriller or two, and a new book by this year’s One Read runner-up, Nicki Erlick. Read on to learn about these and more!
“The Listeners” by Maggie Stiefvater
Joan is the manager of a resort hotel in West Virginia. Life is good until the U.S. is pulled into WWII and the hotel’s only guests are detained Axis diplomats. While Joan is very good at keeping secrets, this adds strain on the staff. Readers who adored Stiefvater’s YA books will welcome this historical fiction that reads like a classic spy thriller.
~Kimberly McGee, Lake Travis Community Library, Austin, TX Continue reading “June 2025 LibraryReads”
The book “Variation” is about a elite principal ballerina and a Coast Guard rescue swimmer who were best friends for several years growing up before a tragedy struck them, severing their friendship and leading to silence between the two for a decade. Their paths end up crossing and the story follows their relationship and the unexpected connections that force them to reconsider what happened that tragic day.
I really enjoyed the romance in this book as well as the characters. It’s a great book for someone who is looking for a light and quick read that’s comedic but serious at many points and has a stereotypical romance/enemies-to-lovers plot line.
Three words that describe this book: Cheesy, Romantic, Fun
You might want to pick this book up if: I’m looking for an easy, light-hearted and romantic read.
-Tasneem
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
100 years ago, two of the top 10 most popular names in the United States were Doris and Donald. My grandmother was named Doris and the current U.S. president is a Donald. In 2024, Olivia and Liam topped the list. Times and tastes change but what does it matter? What is in a name?
Florence Knapp’s book, “The Names,” begins with a mother heading to the registry office to register her baby. She must decide upon his name. What follows is three different storylines based on what his life might have been depending on the name she chose. How will her son be treated if he is named Gordon or Julian or Bear? How will it affect his future or people’s perception of him? What burden would he carry if he is named after his abusive father, Gordon? Publishers Weekly says, “Readers won’t be able to stop talking about this intelligent exploration of a single choice’s long tail of repercussions.” Continue reading “What’s in a Name?”
As I am writing about scavenger hunts, I want to mention one of my favorite movies. “My Man Godfrey,” is a 1936 comedy starring William Powell and Carole Lombard, a comedic, witty film about social inequities of the Great Depression. The opening scenes introduces us to Godfrey, a forgotten man, who is persuaded by Irene, a bored socialite, to be a found object in a scavenger hunt. Godfrey finds himself in a lavish ballroom where people are noisily dragging goats and lamps about and who look appalled at a man dressed in dirt and tattered clothes.
Why am I thinking about scavenger hunts? The Columbia Public Library is offering our own scavenger hunt on Saturday, June 28. You won’t be looking for goats but you will be looking for a murderer! Location clues will take you through the library where you will find clues (hints) to help you determine the murderer, how they did it and where the deed was done.
Who dies? Marianne Librarian! Continue reading “Let’s Go On a Scavenger Hunt!”
Because Summer Reading 2025’s theme is “Color Our World,” for July’s First Thursday Book Discussion I aimed to select a book that revolves around art and artists. As I was searching through options, “Anita de Monte Laughs Last” jumped out at me and seemed to be a perfect pick. Trust me, it doesn’t disappoint!
Continue reading “First Thursday Book Discussion – “Anita de Monte Laughs Last””
How do you celebrate Juneteenth?
Remembering, celebrating and reflecting on Juneteenth and the end of slavery in the U.S. is done by differently by different people. Many of the traditions associated with Juneteenth trace back to original events when people first learned they were free of enslavement.
The National Museum of African American History and Culture‘s (NMAAHC) website has photographs, articles and artifacts that illustrate the history of Juneteenth. Continue reading “Celebrating Juneteenth”
Elijah Burrell is a Mid-Missouri author whose latest book is “.” It’s a book of poems that navigate the depths of human connection and disconnection, love and loss, and the spaces between. Burrell is the author of two other collections of poetry and his writing has appeared in many various publications. He is part of the faculty of Lincoln University, where he serves as a Professor of English. He was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Elijah Burrell, Author of “Skies of Blur””
Written by Kat Stone Underwood and Lauren Williams, One Read co-chairs.
This year’s One Read selection, Daniel Mason’s “North Woods,” follows an extraordinary succession of inhabitants of a single house in the woods of New England, exploring the many ways we’re connected to our environment and to one another across time, language and space. This work of historical fiction narrowly beat out Nikki Erlick’s work of magical realism, “The Measure,” in a public vote.
The remaining eight titles considered by our reading panel examine survival of all kinds, from processing grief and escaping abuse to thriving in spite of oppression and being alien in a human world. Continue reading “Literary Links: One Read Finalists 2025”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Companion” – Website / Reviews
In this science fiction thriller, a weekend getaway at a remote cabin turns to chaos when it’s revealed that one of the guests — a subservient android built for human companionship — has gone haywire.
“My Dead Friend Zoe” – Website / Reviews
A dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit, a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe, her dead best friend from the Army.
“Black Bag” – Website / Reviews
Steven Soderbergh’s spy drama about married intelligence agents. When the wife is suspected of betraying the nation, the husband faces the ultimate test — loyalty to his marriage or his country.
“Mickey 17” – Website / Reviews
Adapted from a novel by Edward Ashton, this science fiction black comedy features a man who joins a space colony as an “Expendable,” a disposable worker who is cloned every time he dies.
“Better Man” – Website / Reviews
With a mix of live-action and computer animation, this dramatic musical biopic explores the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams. Continue reading “New DVD List: June 2025”
Let me tell you about a happy accident: I was helping someone find a book in the nonfiction section and was doing the sideways-head-thing, eyeing the call numbers. Not purposely looking at titles because I was seeking the general area of the call number in question and I moving at a pretty quick pace. And yet I was stopped in my tracks by an author’s name — it was someone I follow on Substack! Someone who writes about farming and quirky situations and whom I would love to sit down and have a good conversation.
Books are almost as good. I grabbed it, confusing my library patron for a moment. Continue reading “Women Farmers”
