Here are a few of the most notable adult fiction debuts coming out in April. These have all received positive reviews in library journals. For a longer list, please visit our catalog.
Daiyu never wanted to be like the tragic heroine for whom she was named, revered for her beauty and cursed with heartbreak. But when she is kidnapped and smuggled across an ocean from China to America, Daiyu must relinquish the home and future she imagined for herself. Over the years that follow, she is forced to keep reinventing herself to survive. From a calligraphy school, to a San Francisco brothel, to a shop tucked into the Idaho mountains, we follow Daiyu on a desperate quest to outrun the tragedy that chases her. As anti-Chinese sentiment sweeps across the country in a wave of unimaginable violence, Daiyu must draw on each of the selves she has been — including the ones she most wants to leave behind — in order to finally claim her own name and story.
Baseball is happening folks! We can all exhale now. Let’s celebrate by checking out what our library has to offer on the topic of this great national pastime.
Perhaps ideally I’d only wield my immeasurable influence in service of bringing attention to lesser known writers and compelling people to mail me treats, but often a famous writer’s work will insist that I type about it instead. In this case, while Oprah and the Pulitzer committee and the world of literary critics may have done the heavy lifting, I’m here to gently tug and encourage those that have yet to read Colson Whitehead to remedy this. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Colson Whitehead”
Posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2022 by patron reviewer
“Frontier Follies” is written by the author, blogger, and chef Ree Drummond. She talks about life, marriage, motherhood and her adventures in the book. I love how down-to-earth and relatable it is. There were moments that had me laughing and a couple times tearing up. She seems so genuine and I loved hearing stories about her husband, their four kids and their adventures on the ranch. She shared some yummy recipes that were fun to try as well!
Three words that describe this book: Geniune, light-hearted, comical
You might want to pick this book up if: You are a wife or mother looking for a quick, easy read that is relatable. You wont want to put it down!
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2021. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
The subject of this blog was initially inspired by reading a coworker’s work. I wanted to find books that combined two of my loves: music and cooking. So, I searched the catalog for “cookbook” and “music.” The first result was “That Sounds So Good” by Carla Lalli Music. What did I expect, right? Though it was clearly not what I was looking for, the title did interest me. Sigh, the focus of the blog changed, again. There are musicians with their own cookbooks, here is a short list with some of those titles, which includes choices ranging from Sammy Hagar to Snoop Dogg. Continue reading “Read the Recipe! Vol. 7: “That Sounds So Good””
Posted on Friday, March 25, 2022 by Reading Addict
“Houses are really quite odd things. They have almost no universally defining qualities: they can be of practically any shape, incorporate virtually any material, be of almost any size. Yet wherever we go in the world we recognize domesticity the moment we see it.”
― Bill Bryson, “At Home: A Short History of Private Life”
Posted on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 by patron reviewer
Whatever its reputation may be now, for much of the last century Hot Springs, Arkansas was a wide-open town and the undisputed gambling mecca of America, surpassing even Las Vegas. “The Vapors,” which takes its title from a Hot Springs casino that featured nationally known celebrities, fine dining and, of course, gambling, intertwines the author’s own family history with a chronicle of the gambling and vice-saturated culture of Hot Springs from the 1930s through the 1960s. Interestingly, gambling was never legal in Hot Springs, but as the book details, nonetheless operated completely in the open and seemingly dominated every aspect of life in Hot Springs — political, business and cultural — through the 1960s. Hot Springs was a company town, and, like Las Vegas today, gambling was the company. And, because gambling was illegal (though open and obvious), this small town in Arkansas also attracted some of the most notorious organized crime figures in the country. It’s a fascinating story told well.
Three words that describe this book: Absorbing, journalistic, historical
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy reading about 20th Century American culture or organized crime.
-Jeff
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2021. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Once upon a time I had an indigo dye pot: a ten gallon bucket in the shed under the walnut trees in my back yard. It was the star of any crafting party I held. Sometimes we were overdyeing a yellow and then a quick dip would pop a green color. I remember one afternoon where one table was dyeing with red madder, another was carding wool for spinning and a circle under the beechnut tree had gathered to spin. Then there was my indigo pot with its pungent smell and colorful drying racks. Continue reading “As Blue As Indigo”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Summer of Soul” Website / Reviews
Playing at last year’s True False Film Fest, this music documentary is part music film, part historical record created around an epic 1969 event that celebrated Black history, culture and fashion. Directed by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson, it features unpublished footage of performances by Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Sly and the Family Stone, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Mahalia Jackson, B.B. King, The 5th Dimension, and more. Continue reading “New DVD List: Summer Of Soul, King Richard, & More”
Follies
