- 0
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
News & Stories
State-of-the-art library-on-wheels makes its debut, offering greater accessibility, modern features.
On Thursday, August 13, the library’s centennial celebration continued by Celebrating a Century of Fun at the Arlington Heights Senior Center.
Throughout 2026, we'll be sharing stories from our community that showcase the impact our library has had throughout the decades.
Your Next Great Read

Solodka Darusi︠a︡ drama na try z︠h︡ytti︠a︡
Matios, Marii︠a︡,
880-05

I hope you find what you're looking for
Mezghebe, Bsrat,
"The year is 1991. Eritrea is on the verge of liberation from Ethiopian rule and in Washington, D.C.'s tight-knit Eritrean community, change is in the air. Thirteen-year-old Lydia and her family are grappling with what peace after decades of war might mean for their future, just as they welcome Berekhet--a distant cousin newly arrived from Ethiopia to attend medical school in the States. With him comes a barrage of new ideas Lydia must confront for the first time, about the stories of nationhood and family she was raised on. Meanwhile her mother, Elsa, a former rebel fighter, and the family matriarch, Mama Zewdi, must grapple with regrets long buried in the time their country has been at war. Elsa's path from Eritrea to D.C. was paved with courage and loss, and figures from her past on the front lines of battle begin to resurface. Mama Zewdi, who runs a successful injera business out of her apartment, finds herself reexamining her place in their little family for the first time, while Lydia, emboldened by Berekhet, becomes committed to uncovering the secrets of her and her mother's past--including the truth about her father, who was martyred in the war. A loving ode to an immigrant community on the cusp of a new age, I Hope You Find What You're Looking For boldly asks: How does our past define our present? And what stories must we let go of to be truly free?"--Amazon

Clutch
Nemens, Emily,
"Clutch follows a group of five friends as they navigate the biggest challenges of their lives, asking: When you're hanging on by your fingernails, how can you extend a hand to the ones you love? As undergrads, Gregg, Reba, Hillary, Bella, and Carson formed the kind of rare bond that college brochures promise--friendship that lasts a lifetime. Two decades later, the women are spread across the country but remain firmly tethered through their ever-unfurling group chat. They've made it through COVID and childbirth and midcareer challenges, but no one can anticipate what's coming down the pike. The five women converge on Palm Springs for a long overdue reunion: Gregg, who has forged a path as a progressive Texas legislator, is facing a huge decision about her political future. Reba, who moved back to the Bay Area after decades away, is deep in IVF treatments while caring for her aging parents and navigating a San Francisco she hardly recognizes. Hillary's medical career in Chicago is going great--but at home, her husband's struggles with addiction have derailed their life. In New York City, Bella faces the biggest case in her career as a litigator while her home life crumbles around her, and across the river in Brooklyn, Carson is working on a new novel as well as forging a possible relationship with the father she's never met. Twenty years into their shared friendship, the stakes are higher than ever, and they must help one another reconcile professional ambition with personal tumult. Clutch is a big, beautiful, and deeply absorbing novel that asks how much space and heart we can give to our friends and our families, and what space we can save for ourselves." -- (dust jacket)

Final approach
Eason, Lynette,
"Air Marshal Kristine Duncan and FBI Agent Andrew Ross thwart an airplane hijacking only to uncover a complex plot of revenge. Now they must navigate a web of deception, blame, and a personal reckoning with the past to unravel the truth before it's too late"--

The heir of Whitestone
Coulter, Catherine,
"When Alex Ivanov was 12, someone tried to kill him. Now, 11 years later, they still want him dead. England, 1842. Queen Victoria reigns, Buckingham Palace is overrun with rats, and the streets of London are filled with intrigue. Alex Ivanov is a brilliant young innovator, designing cutting-edge train engines. But Alex has a secret--he isn't really Alex Ivanov. As a boy, he was pulled from the Thames, presumed drowned, with no memory of who he was. Rescued and raised by the formidable Ryder Sherbrooke, Alex has built a new life, but his past is catching up with him. Lady Camilla Rohman has problems of her own. Trapped by a scheming stepmother and a family determined to see her married off, she is as clever as she is desperate. When fate throws her into Alex's path, their connection is undeniable. But as their whirlwind romance turns into marriage, danger follows. On their honeymoon, a series of deadly attacks make one thing clear--someone wants Alex dead. As they race to uncover the truth, old enemies and long-buried secrets come to light, leading them to a shocking revelation that will change everything ..."--

It's not her
Kubica, Mary,
"Courtney Gray's tranquil family vacation is shattered when she hears a bloodcurdling scream from the lakeside cottage next door. There she finds the lifeless bodies of her brother and sister-in-law. Her teenage niece, Reese, is nowhere to be found, while her nephew, Wyatt, lies asleep upstairs, unharmed. As the police descend on the quiet resort town, disturbing secrets about Courney's family start to emerge. When she learns that the town has secrets of its own, it makes her wonder if Reese is another victim in a brutal crime or if she's the killer. Courtney begins to unravel the terrible mystery, but everyone around her has something to hide. And the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it is to see...."--

Death and the gardener
Gospodinov, Georgi, 1968-
A man sits by his father's bedside and reports radically and gently until a final winter morning. His father was one of that generation of tragic smokers born right after the World War II in Bulgaria, who clung to the snorkels of their cigarettes. A rebel without a cause, he knew how to fail with heroic self-deprecation. The garden he created out of a barren village yard first saved him, then killed him. It remains his living legacy: peonies and potatoes, roses and cherry trees - and endless stories. But without him, his son's past, with all its afternoons, began to quietly crack. Because the end of our fathers is the end of a world

Murder your darlings
Blum, Jenna,
"For every woman who's ever fallen for a bad man comes a hilarious and eviscerating tale of love, loss, and deadlines from New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum. Known for such brilliant historical novels as Those Who Save Us and The Lost Family, A Mighty Blaze co-founder and New York Times bestselling author Jenna Blum now offers a contemporary, suspenseful novel about love, loss, and revenge in the world of books. Simone "Sam" Vetiver is a mid-career novelist finishing a lukewarm publicity tour while facing a deadline for a new book on which she's totally blocked. Recently divorced, Sam is worrying where her life is going when she receives glowing fan mail from Stratospherically Successful author William Corwyn, renowned for his female-centric novels. When William and Sam meet and his literary sympathy is as intense as their chemistry, both writers think they've found The One. But as in their own novels, things between Sam and William are not what they seem. William has multiple stalkers, including a scarily persistent one named The Rabbit. He lives on a remote Maine island, where his writer life resembles The Shining. And when writers turn up dead, including from The Darlings support group William runs, Sam has to ask: Is it The Rabbit-William's #1 Stalker? Another woman scorned? Can William be everything he seems? Narrated by Sam, William, and The Rabbit, Murder Your Darlings is a wickedly witty look at today's literary landscape and down-the-rabbit-hole tale of how far people will go for love"-- Provided by publisher

All carry
Wojciechowski, Gene,
"After the discovery of some old golf clubs at a garage sale, a down-on-his luck reporter discovers they suddenly make him hit perfectly. With the help of disgraced caddy, he competes at the Masters"-- Provided by publisher

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

Faithful of heart
Peterson, Tracie,
"Judith Ashton receives word from her estranged grandfather urging her to move to Minneapolis to prove her worth for his inheritance. Roman Turner, a local physician with a heart for the poor, harbors a grudge against the same man. When Judith meets Roman in an attempt to right past wrongs, can they overcome a shadowed history and find grace and love for the future?"--

Everything everywhere...
Kirkman, Rick,
"One of the most beloved family comic strips, Baby Blues chronicles the adventures of the McPherson parents, Darryl and Wanda, and their three children, Zoe, Hammie, and Wren. Written by Jerry Scott and illustrated by Rick Kirkman, this complete collection of 2023 Baby Blues comic strips will delight new and old parents alike." --

Risky business
Slator, Annabelle,
"When tech founder Jess Cole is struggling to gain funding for her company, she begins to wonder if it's because she's a woman in the male-dominated tech industry-especially due to a former incident and subsequent NDA that's been following her for years. In an act of financial desperation, she applies to a competition for start-ups using her twin brother Spencer's name, pretending to be a man. To her surprise, it works! As though she's discovered the ultimate industry cheat code, Jess and Spencer are invited into the exclusive world of Tech Rumble, an annual innovation competition hosted on the world's stage by tech darling Dominic Orsino. Spencer, an out-of-work actor, must pretend to be the CEO, and Jess must become his loyal "assistant," Violet. Spencer is thrust into the limelight; charming Dominic and the competition judges but making promises Jess can't keep-or afford. "Violet" is introduced to the handsome Oliver, a fellow assistant who shows her how to let her hair down and enjoy life outside the pressures of her job. But she soon discovers falling for Oliver is riskier than any mistake Spencer has made. During wild nights with Oliver in Rome, secret rendezvous in Paris, and luxurious parties in Vienna, Jess must navigate the competition and try to stay on top of her lies, especially when someone from her past comes sniffing around, putting her ruse at risk"-- Provided by publisher

The pōhaku
Hakes, Jasmin 'Iolani,
A young woman lies comatose in a hospital, watched by her estranged grandmother. Mystery surrounds the woman's fall. Did she jump off the cliff, or was she swept away by a wave? Her grandmother suspects it is linked to the pōhaku, an ancient stone that their family was tasked with protecting. It soon becomes clear that the pōhaku's story must survive if there is to be any hope of the family's reconciliation with their home, with nature, and with each other

The fountain
Scieszka, Casey,
"Vera Van Valkenburgh hasn't been home in one hundred and eighty-eight years. But now Vera, forever twenty-six and able to heal from any wound, has returned to the Catskills. Whatever made her family immortal happened here, and if she can uncover it, maybe she can reverse it. After nearly two centuries--an endless sequence of unnoticed, meaningless lives and a soul-shaking incident in the desert--she longs to be released. Posing as a newly arrived forest ranger, she quickly blends into the upstate community and learns of something curious and disturbing. A mysterious, well-funded company is snapping up local property, no matter how high the asking price. But when her brother, a fellow immortal shows up, accompanied by a woman whose face is incredibly familiar to Vera, the purpose for her return gets clouded and Vera is in a race against time to find out what has caused her condition before someone else does"--

Own your fertility from egg freezing to surrogacy, how to take charge of your body and your future
Knopman, Jaime,
"Women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, and 90 percent of them are gone by age 30. The eggs that remain will decline in both quantity and quality, making it increasingly difficult to become pregnant around the same time that many women are focused on finding a life partner, building their career, or both. But Jaime Knopman, MD, wants you to know that science has advanced, the world has transformed, and the choices available to us have changed too. For years, Dr. Knopman's practice in a thriving New York City-based fertility clinic focused on infertility; now, she is primarily a fertility specialist who helps countless women and couples understand and utilize the latest options that can offer reproductive freedom. This shift is profound, as everything about the way we can, and increasingly do, make babies has changed, with implications that extend far beyond family planning. In Own Your Fertility, Dr. Knopman and coauthor Rebecca Raphael offer an accessible modern-day overview of how advancements in the field of fertility treatment have transformed the path to pregnancy, while also sounding the alarm that women in particular can--and should--take control of their reproduction. Whether you're trying to get pregnant, thinking about having a baby in the future, or simply want to keep your options open, this book is your guide to all things reproductive planning, from egg and embryo freezing to IVF, sperm and egg donors, and surrogacy."--

I'll make me a world the 100-year journey of Black History Month
Givens, Jarvis R.,
"From one of America's leading historians of Black education and the author of American Grammar Jarvis R. Givens comes a powerful and essential meditation on the origins, evolution, and future of Black History Month"--

The legend of Wyatt Outlaw from Reconstruction through Black Lives Matter
Allen, Sylvester, Jr.,
"Wyatt Outlaw's story was one of Black success: He was a Union League leader, business owner, and the first Black town constable and commissioner in Graham, a small town located in North Carolina's Alamance County. But in 1870, Outlaw was murdered by the Ku Klux Klan, setting off a dramatic series of events: more lynchings, a Republican-led 'war' against the Klan, and a white supremacist crackdown on Black political power that continues today. As a child, Black activist, musician, and Graham native Sylvester Allen frequently passed the site where Outlaw was killed without ever learning his name. Belle Boggs, white and also from the South, taught high school in Alamance County without knowing Outlaw's importance. Allen and Boggs both sought to discover why Outlaw had been erased from mainstream history books. In The Legend of Wyatt Outlaw, they share what they found in artful detail and connect Outlaw's story to the violence against Black people in Alamance and throughout the United States, from Reconstruction through Jim Crow, the civil rights era, and Black Lives Matter. Drawing on archival research, interviews, and their own personal stories, Allen and Boggs join the conversation begun by historian Peniel Joseph and activist William Barber II about a third Reconstruction in America, but they also offer ways to move forward for any community struggling with a history of racism"-- Provided by publisher

100 questions & answers about diabetes
Poole, Simon B
"If you or someone you care about has questions about living with diabetes, 100 Questions & Answers About Diabetes For Dummies is your essential guide. This accessible resource provides clear, research-backed information on the causes, symptoms, treatments, and daily struggles for living well with diabetes, whether you're newly diagnosed or seeking to improve your long-term health"--

All about allergies everything you need to know about asthma, food allergies, hay fever, and more
Rubin, Zachary,
"From viral social media sensation Dr. Zachary Rubin, an in-depth look at both common and surprising allergies, spotlighting patient stories, the history and science behind allergies, common myths, treatment options, and more"-- Provided by publisher

Mend your way to sustainable style 26 patchwork and embroidery projects for personalized sewing
Parriaud, Cosabeth, 1957-
Discover a stylish and sustainable way to refresh your clothes with Mend Your Way to Sustainable Style. Featuring 26 modern upcycling ideas, this inspiring guide invites you to embrace slow stitching. Explore creativity, sustainability, and personal expression through hands-on sewing that makes the most of what you already own. Whether you're interested in boro stitching, appliqué, patchwork, or hand embroidery, each project helps you turn old garments into unique, wearable art. These techniques are approachable and focus on creativity over perfection, making the process rewarding for both beginners and experienced makers

Broad stripes, bright stars : a graphic history celebrating 250 years of America's icons
Hinrichs, Kit,
"Broad Stripes, Bright Stars is a look book of our most cherished American icons--the Flag, the Eagle, Uncle Sam, and Lady Liberty--through hundreds of patriotic objects created during the past two and a half centuries, and how these permeated the lives of Americans. The chapters are based on Kit Hinrich's collection of over 7,500 flags and flag memorabilia, assembled over the past 50 years. The book looks historically at the flag from several points of view: Celebration, Conflict, Politics, Business and Memorabilia, which collectively weave a rich visual tapestry that defines the American Spirit during its first 250 years. The collection includes Native American crafts such as handmade quilts and Navajo weavings, children's and adult's toys and games, retail marketing, folk & fine art, postal imagery including Civil War envelopes, political/propaganda posters, personal adornment, sports, and much more. Many handcrafted and one-of-a-kind objects will be published for the first time. The text not only illuminates the objects themselves but is filled with little-known historical facts and myths. The book includes a guide to the 27 official flags and the dates the states joined the union, plus the presidents that served under them."--

Unspeakable things silence, shame, and the stories we choose to believe
Nevils, Brooke,
"In 2017, Brooke Nevils made a confidential HR complaint about one of the most powerful and familiar faces in media. Twenty-four hours later, the highest paid morning news anchor in history--[Matt Lauer]--was fired, stunning millions of Americans in one of the MeToo era's defining stories. Demanding answers--and the intimate details of the most personal and painful humiliation of her life--the press soon discovered her identity ... As MeToo unfolded, Brooke learned that messy stories like hers were far from the exception, and that nearly everything she'd believed about sexual harassment and assault--and how victims react to it--was wrong ... Through ... interviews with leading clinicians, forensic professionals, attorneys, and frontline researchers, [this book] challenges our understanding of consent, power, and the lingering, often misunderstood effects of trauma and shame. Despite its rarefied setting at the height of fame, power, and American media, Brooke's story serves as a textbook example of an all-too-common scenario that continues to devastate lives and enable abusers"--

The life-changing art of self-brain surgery connecting neuroscience and faith to radically transform your life
Warren, W. Lee, 1969-
"What if it were possible for you to make structural changes to your own brain so it's healthier and less prone to depression, anxiety, grief, worry, and other issues that make you unhappy and keep you stuck? In this neuroscience-based, faith-infused, and immensely practical guide, Dr. W. Lee Warren, a practicing neurosurgeon, trauma survivor, and award-winning writer, reveals how to take control of your own mental, emotional, and physical healing by reordering your mind to change your brain-resulting in a radically transformed life that is healthier, happier, and more hopeful. Since the development of functional brain imaging in the early 2000's, we now know that thoughts can direct structural changes in the brain as or more effectively than medicines or surgery and can do so more quickly. That means, whether we know it or not, we're all brain surgeons. The Life-Changing Art of Self-Brain Surgery will help you learn and master several types of "self-brain surgery" operations to move from floundering to flourishing, heal from trauma, tragedy, and other types of hardship, overcome anxiety, depression, loneliness and other emotional struggles, conquer limiting or negative thinking, and become an empowered, hopeful person no matter what you're facing"-- Provided by publisher

The score how to stop playing somebody else's game
Nguyen, C. Thi,
"A philosophy of games to help us win back control over what we value. The philosopher C. Thi Nguyen -- one of the leading experts on the philosophy of games and the philosophy of data -- takes us deep into the heart of games, and into the depths of bureaucracy, to see how scoring systems shape our desires. Games are the most important art form of our era. They embody the spirit of free play. They show us the subtle beauty of action everywhere in life in video games, sports, and boardgames -- but also cooking, gardening, fly-fishing, and running. They remind us that it isn't always about outcomes, but about how glorious it feels to be doing the thing. And the scoring systems help get us there, by giving us new goals to try on. Scoring systems are also at the center of our corporations and bureaucracies -- in the form of metrics and rankings. They tell us exactly how to measure our success. They encourage us to outsource our values to an external authority. And they push on us to value simple, countable things. Metrics don't capture what really matters; they only capture what's easy to measure. The price of that clarity is our independence. The Score asks us is this the game you really want to be playing?"-- Provided by publisher

Sabor y fuego : the art of authentic Mexican salsa
Mendez Garcia, Sonia,
"Immerse yourself in the vibrant flavors of Mexico with Sabor y Fuego: The Art of Authentic Mexican Salsa. With more than 50 salsa recipes and meal ideas, this cookbook offers a rich exploration of Mexico's beloved culinary traditions. From the bright and tangy freshness of pico de gallo to the deep, smoky complexity of roasted salsas, this cookbook is the ultimate guide to flavorful and fiery sauces. Sonia Mendez brings you an exceptional variety of salsas that will transform any meal. Drawing on her family's cherished taqueria recipes--some passed down through generations--Sonia also introduces exciting contemporary spins that showcase the versatility of Mexican sauces. Whether you're seeking a salsa to liven up tacos, complement grilled meats, or simply serve with chips as a satisfying appetizer, this collection has you covered."--SimonandSchuster.com

Getting to reparations how building a different America requires a reckoning with our past
Brown, Dorothy A.,
"A bold manifesto arguing that there is a clear precedent for paying reparations to atone for America's original sin of slavery, offering a compelling legal strategy to achieve this goal." -- from publisher

Delicious Japanese street eats
Kié, Laure,
Take a fascinating culinary journey down the back lanes of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto in search of the tastiest street food. Then follow the easy recipes in this book to make them at home!"--Back cover

Thirty-two words for field lost words of the Irish landscape
Magan, Manchán,
"Rediscover the lost words of an ancient land in this new and updated edition of an international bestseller. The richness of the Irish language is closely tied to the natural landscape and offers a more magical way of seeing the world. Most people associate Britain and Ireland with the English language, a vast, sprawling linguistic tree with roots in Latin, French, and German. But the inhabitants of these islands originally spoke another tongue. Look closely enough and English contains traces of the Celtic soil from which it sprung, found in words like bog, loch, cairn, and crag. Today, this heritage can be found nowhere more powerfully than in modern-day Gaelic. In Thirty-Two Words for Field, bestselling Irish author Manchán Magan explores how Gaelic, a three-thousand-year-old lexicon, has imbued the natural world with meaning and magic, evoking a time-honored way of life from its thirty-two separate words for a field to terms like bróis (whiskey for a horseman at a wedding), iarmhaireacht (the loneliness you feel when you are the only person awake at dawn), and bladhmann (steam rising from a fermented haystack or idle boasting). Manchán urges readers to consider the sublime beauty and profound oddness of this ancient tongue that has been spoken in close connection to the land for thousands of years. Told through stories collected from his own life and travels, Thirty-Two Words for Field is an enthralling celebration of Irish words and a testament to the indelible relationship between landscape, culture, and language"-- Provided by publisher

The high-protein plate
DeVaux, Rachael,
"In The High Protein Plate, Rachael DeVaux, New York Times bestselling author of Rachael's Good Eats, shows how anyone at any stage of life can easily incorporate protein into their diet."--Amazon

My dream time a memoir of tennis & teamwork
Barty, Ash, 1996-
It's a tennis story. It's a family story. It's a teamwork story. It's the story of how I got to where and who I am today. I'm only in my mid-twenties, and some might think that's young to write a memoir. Who does that, right? But for me and my team it's always been important to reflect on every part of the journey, especially the end. In that context, the timing is perfect to share my story, from the first time I picked up a racquet as a 5-year-old girl in Ipswich to the night I packed up my tennis bag at Melbourne Park after winning the 2022 Australian Open. This book gives me a chance to look back at every moment of the 20 years in between, and to think carefully through the highs and lows, the work and the play, the smiles and the tears. Telling my story also gives me an opportunity to do more than simply thank those who mean the most to me - it provides a way to honour them as an integral part of that tale, as the very secret behind my success. Some of them you might know - such as my longtime coach, Craig Tyzzer - and some of them you might not - like my first childhood coach, Jim Joyce. There are mates like Casey Dellacqua and Alicia Molik. Mentors such as tennis icon Evonne Goolagong Cawley and mindset coach Ben Crowe. My parents and sisters and my husband have sacrificed as much as I have over the years - this book is also for them. My Dream Time is about finding the path to being the best I could be, not just as an athlete but as a person, and to consider the way those identities overlap and compete. We all have a professional and a personal self. How do you conquer nerves and anxiety? How do you deal with defeat, or pain? What drives you to succeed - and what happens when you do? The answers tell me so much, about bitter disappointments and also dreams realised - from injuries and obscurity and self-doubt to winning Wimbledon and ranking number 1 in the world

My broken language a memoir
Hudes, Quiara Alegría,
"Quiara Alegría Hudes was the sharp-eyed girl on the stairs while her family danced in her grandmother's tight South Philly kitchen, "frizzy hair cut short, bangs teased into stiff clouds, sweat glistening in the summer fog, pamper-butt babies weaving between legs." Quiara was awed by her aunts and uncles and cousins, but haunted by the secrets of the family and the unspoken stories of the barrio -- even as she tried to find her own voice in the sea of language around her, written and spoken, English and Spanish, bodies and books, Western art and sacred altars. Her family became her private pantheon, a gathering of powerful orishas with tragic wounds and she vowed to tell their stories--but first she'd have to get off the stairs and join the dance; she'd have to find her langauge. This is an inspired exploration of home, family, memory, and belonging, narrated by the obsessed girl who fought to become an artist so she could capture the world she loved in all its wild and delicate beauty"--

The last secret agent : my life as a spy behind Nazi lines
Latour, Pippa, 1921-2023,
"After decades of silence, the last surviving World War II British spy reveals the real, untold story of her time as a secret agent in the deadly world of Nazi France. From a unique and singular voice comes the incredible true story of the last surviving undercover British female operative in WW2. Pippa Latour parachuted into occupied France in 1944 to conduct sabotage and subversion behind enemy lines. Selling soap to German soldiers and hiding codes on a piece of ribbon, she sent back crucial information about troop positions in the lead up to D-Day, and continued her work until Paris was liberated. From her childhood as an orphan in South Africa to her years as an undercover agent, Pippa's story is that of a woman determined to honor her principles and risk her life to fight against the greatest evil of the 20th century. The Last Secret Agent is a posthumously published memoir, co-written with journalist Jude Dobson. Pippa was decorated highly for her actions, including being made a Member of the Order of the British Empire and receiving the Légion d'Honneur in France. For years, Pippa kept her involvement in the war effort secret from everyone, including her family, but for the first time, her story can now be told in full"-- Provided by publisher

Rebel queen the Cold War, misogyny, and the making of a grandmaster
Polgar, Susan, 1969-
"Born to a poor Jewish family in Cold War Budapest, Susan Polgar would emerge as the one of the greatest female chess players the world had ever seen--the highest rated female player on the planet and the first woman to earn the men's Grandmaster title. As a teenager in 1986, she became the first woman to qualify for the men's World Chess Championship cycle, later achieving the game's triple crown, holding World Championship titles in three major chess time formats. Yet at every turn, she was pitted against a sexist culture, a hostile Communist government, vicious antisemitism, and powerful enemies. She endured sabotage and betrayal, state-sponsored intimidation, and violent assault. And she overcame all of it to break the game's long-standing gender barrier and claim her place at the pinnacle of professional chess, before going on to coach other players and build two separate college chess dynasties. Before her improbable rise, it was taken for granted that women were incapable of excellence in the game of chess. Susan Polgar single-handedly disproved this belief."--Amazon

Being seen one deafblind woman's guide to end ableism
Sjunneson, Elsa, 1985-
"A deafblind writer and professor explores how the misrepresentation of disability in books, movies, and TV harms both the disabled community and everyone else"--

Blue nights
Didion, Joan
Shares the author's frank observations about her daughter as well as her own thoughts and fears about having children and growing old, in a personal account that discusses her daughter's wedding and her feelings of failure as a parent

Trials of the earth the true story of a pioneer woman
Hamilton, Mary Mann,
"Near the end of her life, Mary Mann Hamilton (1866 - c.1936) was encouraged to record her experiences as a female pioneer. The result is the only known firsthand account of a remarkable woman thrust into the center of taming the American South-surviving floods, tornadoes, and fires; facing bears, panthers, and snakes; managing a boardinghouse in Arkansas that was home to an eccentric group of settlers; and running a logging camp in Mississippi that blazed a trail for development in the Mississippi Delta. All this she tackled-and diligently wrote about in secrecy, in a diary that not even her family knew she kept-while caring for her children, several of whom didn't survive the perils of pioneer life. The extreme hard work and tragedy Hamilton faced are eclipsed only by her emotional and physical strength; her unwavering faith in her husband, Frank, a mysterious Englishman; and her tenacious sense of adventure." -- Amazon.com

If my heart had wings a World War II love story
Taylor, Nadine,
"It's 1943 and World War II is raging when 22-year-old Nina Raff learns that her Army pilot husband has been killed while transporting supplies over the Himalayas. To escape her grief, she instantly quits her job, moves across the country, and totally changes her life. When the war ends, Nina connects with a man she hardly knows and finds herself plunged into a dysfunctional marriage. Her alcoholic husband won't allow any talk of her first marriage, so the past stays buried for the next twenty years ... until her teenage daughter finds a picture of Nina as a bride and starts asking questions. Yielding to her daughter's burning curiosity, Nina finally reveals the story of her passionate first love, heartbreaking loss, and struggle to rebuild her life - a story of love and war that binds mother and daughter together and has surprising ramifications for both in the decades to come. One of the great love stories of World War II, If My Heart Had Wings is an in-depth look at love and war, the futility of running from grief, the cost of a hasty re-marriage, a strong woman's journey to reclaim her identity, and the everlasting bonds of true love."--Amazon.com

It wasn't meant to be perfect a memoir
Lea, Gaelynn,
Folk musician, Broadway composer, and disability advocate Gaelynn Lea's warm, funny, poignant memoir is a love letter to every kind of body, to music, and to making it work--inviting us to embrace all of life's experiences with heart and determination. Gaelynn Lea was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta. Her parents were loving, cash-strapped theater kids, and she grew up racing about in her first electric wheelchair, having adventures with her siblings, and handing out playbills at her parents' dinner theater shows. Transfixed by an orchestra performance in 5th grade, Gaelynn was determined to play the cello. When her shortened limbs made playing the instrument challenging, she employed a familiar tactic: adapting. What if she held a violin upright in her wheelchair, like the world's tiniest cello? That what if was the key that unlocked her lifelong music career. After winning NPR Music's Tiny Desk Concert in 2016, Lea became a full-time touring musician--and that's when she began to truly struggle with the inaccessibility of the music world. Out of necessity, she became a dedicated advocate and activist, pushing back against the prevailing stereotypes, assumptions, and barriers with her own gently defiant style. Lea's warm, funny, deeply-felt memoir addresses love and faith, sexuality and mortality, the frustration and the joy of difference. She shows how disability inspires and enables unique and indispensable contributions to the world, and reminds readers to think creatively, fight for what they love, and savor the journey

Cold kitchen a year of culinary journeys
Eden, Caroline,
"'With its union of practicality and magic, a kitchen is a portal offering extended range and providing unlikely paths out of the ordinary. Offering opportunities to cook, imagine and create ways back into other times, other lives and other territories. Central Asia, Turkey, Ukraine, the South Caucasus, Russia, the Baltics and Poland. Places that have eased into my marrow over the years shaping my life, writing and thinking. They are here, these lands I return to, in this kitchen.' A welcoming refuge with its tempting pantry, shelves of books and inquisitive dog, Caroline Eden finds comfort away from the road in her basement Edinburgh kitchen. Join her as she cooks recipes from her travels, reflects on past adventures and contemplates the kitchen's unique ability to tell human stories. This is a hauntingly honest, and at times heartbreaking, memoir with the smell, taste and preparation of food at its heart. From late night baking as a route back to Ukraine to capturing the beauty of Uzbek porcelain, and from the troublesome nature of food and art in Poland to the magic of cloudberries, Cold Kitchen celebrates the importance of curiosity and of feeling at home in the world"--Provided by publisher

The art of vanishing a memoir of wanderlust
Smith, Laura, 1986-
"At twenty-five, as her wedding date approached, [the author] began to feel trapped ... by the unsettling idea that it was hard to be at once married and free. [She] wanted her life to be different. She wanted her marriage to be different. And she found in the strangely captivating story of another restless young woman determined to live without constraints both an enticement and a challenge, Barbara Newhall Follett ... [who] in December 1939, when she was not much older than Laura, walked out of her apartment ... and vanished without a trace. [This memoir] is a riveting mystery and a piercing exploration of marriage and convention that asks deep and uncomfortable questions: Why do we give up on our childhood dreams? Is marriage a golden noose? Must we find ourselves in the same row houses with Pottery Barn lamps telling our kids to behave? "--Amazon.com

Burnt a memoir of fighting fire
Frank, Clare,
California's female chief of fire protection looks back at her pioneering path in a male-dominated field, taking readers inside station houses, on daily calls, and along on wildfire campaigns

Nerves of steel how I followed my dreams, earned my wings, and faced my greatest challenge
Shults, Tammie Jo, 1961-
Nerves of Steel is the captivating true story of Tammie Jo Shults's remarkable life--from growing up the daughter of a humble rancher, to breaking through gender barriers as one of the Navy's first female F/A-18 Hornet pilots, to safely landing the severely crippled Southwest Airlines Flight 1380 and helping save the lives of 148 people

The phantom prince my life with Ted Bundy
Kendall, Elizabeth,
Details the author's six-year relationship with serial killer Ted Bundy. Originally published in 1981, this expanded edition includes a new introduction and a new afterword by the author, never-before-seen photos, and a startling new chapter from the author's daughter, Molly, who has not previously shared her story

Take care of them like my own faith, fortitude, and a surgeon's fight for health justice
Stanford, Ala,
"The founder of the Black Doctors Consortium highlights the devastating racial injustices in our healthcare system in this inspirational memoir and empowering call to action"--

The tears that taught me
Olivier, Morgan Richard,
The Tears That Taught Me poetry and prose collection guides readers as they dig through the roots of their struggles, truths, faith, and life lessons

Zero at the bone fifty entries against despair
Wiman, Christian, 1966-
"Few contemporary writers ask the questions about faith, morality, and God that Christian Wiman does, and even fewer--perhaps none--do so with his urgency and eloquence. Wiman, an award-winning poet and the author of My Bright Abyss, lays the motion of his mind on the page in this genre-defying work, an indivisible blend of poetry, criticism, theology, and searing memoir. As Marilynne Robinson wrote, "[Wiman's] poetry and his scholarship have a purifying urgency that is rare in this world . . . It enables him to say new things in timeless language, so that the reader's surprise and assent are one and the same." Zero at the Bone begins with Wiman's preoccupation with despair, and through fifty brief pieces, he unravels its seductive appeal. The book is studded with the poetry and prose of writers who inhabit Wiman's thoughts, and the voices of Wallace Stevens, Lucille Clifton, Emily Dickinson, and others join his own. At its heart and Wiman's, however, are his family--his young children (who ask their own invaluable questions, like "Why are you a poet? I mean why?"), his wife, and those he grew up with in West Texas. Wiman is the rare thinker who takes up the mantle of our greatest mystics and does so with an honest, profound, and contemporary sensibility. Zero at the Bone is a revelation." -- Provided by publisher

The love of my life
Hanson, Whitney,
From Instagram phenomenon Whitney Hanson, a brand-new collection of poems exploring themes of identity, loss, and what it means to rediscover yourself the love of my life is a poetry collection that traces the process of rediscovering a love of life after change, disconnection, and personal upheaval. Using the metaphor of fires, the book is structured in three sections--Burning, Ashes, and Reclamation--to reflect the cycles of destruction, numbness, and renewal that accompany deep inner work. Through themes of identity, loss, healing, and emotional reconstruction, the collection explores what it means to unlearn inherited beliefs, confront the weight of the past, and slowly rebuild a relationship with oneself, others, and the world. This is a book not primarily about romantic love but about reengaging with life by confronting the past and reconnecting with a sense of self

The Norton introduction to poetry

I hope this finds you well poems
Baer, Kate,
"I'm sure you could benefit from jumping on a treadmill" "Women WANT a male leader . . . It's honest to god the basic human playbook" These are some of the thousands of messages that Kate Baer has received online. Like countless other writers--particularly women--with profiles on the internet, as Kate's online presence grew, so did the darker messages crowding her inbox. These missives from strangers have ranged from "advice" and opinions to outright harassment. At first, these messages resulted in an immediate delete and block. Until, on a whim, Kate decided to transform the cruelty into art, using it to create fresh and intriguing poems. These pieces, along with ones made from notes of gratitude and love, as well as from the words of public figures, have become some of her most beloved work. I Hope This Finds You Well is drawn from those works: a book of poetry birthed in the darkness of the internet that offers light and hope. By cleverly building on the harsh negativity and hate women often receive--and combining it with heartwarming messages of support, gratitude, and connection, Kate Baer offers us a lesson in empowerment, showing how we too can turn bitterness into beauty

Heart talk poetic wisdom for a better life
Wade, Cleo,
"A beautifully illustrated book from Cleo Wade--the artist, poet, and speaker who has been called "the Millennial Oprah" by New York Magazine--that offers creative inspiration and life lessons through poetry, mantras, and affirmations, perfect for fans of the bestseller Milk & Honey. True to her hugely popular Instagram account, Cleo Wade brings her moving life lessons to Heart Talk, an inspiring, accessible, and spiritual book of wisdom for the new generation. Featuring over one hundred and twenty of Cleo's original poems, mantras, and affirmations, including fan favorites and never before seen ones, this book is a daily pep talk to keep you feeling empowered and motivated. With relatable, practical, and digestible advice, including "Hearts break. That's how the magic gets in," and "Baby, you are the strongest flower that ever grew, remember that when the weather changes," this is a portable, replenishing pause for your daily life. Keep Heart Talk by your bedside table or in your bag for an empowering boost of spiritual adrenaline that can help you discover and unlock what is blocking you from thriving emotionally and spiritually"--

Came the lightening twenty poems for George
Harrison, Olivia, 1948-
A autobiographical collection of poems by Olivia Harrison, the wife of the Beatles' George Harrison, about their love, family, and life together

Spoon River anthology
Masters, Edgar Lee, 1868-1950,
The dead arise from their sleep in the cemetery of a small Midwestern town to tell their individual stories about an entire community caught in a web of scandal, sin, and vice in the early twentieth century

A great gay book stories of growth, belonging, & other queer possibilities
"A Great Gay Book is a gorgeously designed collection of art, essays, short fiction, poetry, interviews, profiles, and photography from the archives of the beloved queer magazine Hello Mr., as well as new material from many of today's biggest LGBTQ+ creatives. In these pages, the magazine's founder, Ryan Fitzgibbon, has curated the most evergreen written and visual content from the publication's archives, and showcases work from a class of contributors--the result is a vibrant compendium of celebrated and emerging queer voices."--

And yet poems
Baer, Kate,
"The second full-length poetry collection from the ... author"--Back cover

The selected poems of Wendell Berry
Berry, Wendell, 1934-

You are here poetry in the natural world
"For many years, "nature poetry" has evoked images of Romantic poets standing on mountain tops. But our poetic landscape has changed dramatically, and so has our planet. Edited and introduced by the twenty-fourth Poet Laureate of the United States, Ada Limón, this book challenges what we think we know about "nature poetry," illuminating the myriad ways our landscapes--both literal and literary--are changing. You Are Here features fifty previously unpublished poems from some of the nation's most accomplished poets, including Joy Harjo, Diane Seuss, Rigoberto González, Jericho Brown, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Paul Tran, and more. Each poem engages with its author's local landscape--be it the breathtaking variety of flora in a national park, or a lone tree flowering persistently by a bus stop--offering an intimate model of how we relate to the world around us and a beautifully diverse range of voices from across the United States. Joyful and provocative, wondrous and urgent, this singular collection of poems offers a lyrical reimagining of what "nature" and "poetry" are today, inviting readers to experience both anew."--

Blessings for the long night poems and meditations to help you through depression
Kantrowitz, Jessica,
A beautiful collection of poems and meditations for those experiencing the long night of depression, when the days and weeks can feel like an eternity. Jessica Kantrowitz's moving poetry acknowledges the pain and relentlessness of depression and offers gentle presence and hope. You are not alone, you are loved, and this will not last forever

Adultolescence
Hanna, Gabbie,
"From Teen Choice Award-nominated comedian and vlogger Gabbie Hanna, known on YouTube as The Gabbie Show, an astounding debut poetry collection that captures the essence of what it means to come of age in today's world. Gabbie Hanna disarms the sacred and elevates the mundane in this exhilarating debut collection of illustrated poems. Ranging from the sing-song rhythms of children's verses and a sophisticated confessional style, Gabbie explores the emotionally charged space between childhood and womanhood, revealing her own longings, obsessions, and insecurities along the way. Adultolescence heralds the arrival of an artist with a magical ability to connect through alienation, bury truth bombs within observations about pizza cravings and social media, and detonate wickedly funny jokes between moments of existential dread. You'll turn to the last page because you get her, and you'll return to the first page because she gets you"--

I knead my mommy and other poems by kittens
Marciuliano, Francesco

Brawler stories
Groff, Lauren,
"Ranging from the 1950s to the present day and moving across age, class, and region--from New England to Florida to California--these nine stories reflect and expand upon a shared theme: the ceaseless battle between humans' dark and light angels"--

The Italian summer kitchen timeless recipes for la dolce vita
Whims, Cathy,
"For a culinary tour of Italy, or a master class in creating the nation's many regional gems in your home kitchen, you couldn't ask for a better tour guide than Cathy Whims. Cathy brings together dishes from Italy's many and varied regions, united by her masterful interpretation of cucina povera - literally 'food of the poor', which means fresh produce, local meats, handmade pasta and pizza and simple cooking methods. These recipes for drinks, appetisers, pasta, pizza, risottos, meat and fish and desserts are united not by region but by feeling: everything is authentically Italian yet easy for the home cook to create no matter where they live"--

A proposal to die for
Harper, Molly,
"A fast-paced, witty, and delightful new mystery about a former wedding planner whose biggest job yet is threatened by a dead body (or two). Jessamine Bricker loves a plan. Contingencies and pros and cons lists are her love language, and because of that, her proposal planning business is thriving. But with rising rent costs, she jumps at the chance to plan a proposal between her snobby high school classmate, Diana, and her very wealthy boyfriend, Trenton Tillard ... the Fourth. Jess joins Diana's bachelorette retreat at the family-run Golden Ash resort. But their first day is anything but relaxing: Diana is furious about the spa's "no cell phone" rule, the couple next door is fighting, and Jess swears she just saw a drug deal go down. To top it all off, she's warned to stay out of the woods by the gruff and sexy chef, Dean Osbourne. Is this a retreat or a horror movie? As Jess tries to do her job while placating the bride-to-be and her increasingly over-the-top demands, she finds herself spending time with Dean-just to avoid the drama, of course. But when an "accident" claims the life of one guest and Jess discovers another body (in the sauna of all places), it's clear secrets abound at the Golden Ash. Now it's up to Jess to unravel the mysteries here in the mountains--before she's silenced for good"--

The mother-daughter book club
Patterson, Susan, 1957-
"Between their busy lives and their far-flung residences, the Mother-Daughter Book Club--four longtime college friends and their five daughters--more often discuss the books on their nightstands via 2 a.m. texts than in-person meetings. And maybe it's just as well, after what happened at their last get-together... So it's an emotional reunion when they finally gather again, this time on the spectacular shores of Italy's Lake Como. Sightseeing excursions, reminiscing fueled by "Como-politans," and a hint of vacation romance all build toward the book club's trademark "Night of Secrets." These friends, and sometimes rivals, are close readers--of novels, memoirs, and of each other. But as the years and the distance cast shadows and doubt, confidences and sympathies turn into surprising revelations"--

Die for me
Obuobi, Shirlene,
"A stay-up-all-night, smart, spicy romance following a doctor who finds herself falling for an alluring, much-younger man with a deadly secret. Sean's not in the market for love. The only female, let alone Black, interventional cardiologist at her hospital, she's watched too many of her male colleagues divorce their first wives to marry younger models-and then there's the abusive relationship she's spent the better part of her early 30s healing from. Her passions are reserved for her best friend, her goddaughter, and her job. Then she meets Julian. Brooding, beautiful and eleven years her junior. In short: A bad idea. Julian pursues her in a way that sets off alarm bells in her mind, but she finds herself unable to resist their undeniable chemistry-even starts fantasizing about him in dreams that feel altogether too real. They also have a lot in common despite their age gap. So, to hell with it: If men can date younger, why can't she? But the more Sean gets to know him, the more impossible Julian seems: He has a depth and sorrow to him that's beyond his years, and sometimes there's a look in his eyes that's less than human, and leaves her feeling more like prey. Plus, Sean herself has been exhibiting odd symptoms-memory lapses, a lack of restraint that's unlike her, persistent exhaustion-that all trace back to Julian, making Sean feeling more than a little afraid. Who-or what-is she falling, irrevocably, in love with? Extraordinarily transfixing, suspenseful, and addictive, Die for Me is nothing short of a seduction"--Provided by publisher

The ultimate meal prep cookbook one grocery list. a week of meals. no waste.
America's Test Kitchen (Firm),
The experts from America's Test Kitchen offer a selection of varied, quick-prepare meal plans designed to save both time and money, outlining recommendations for pre-making vegetables and grains, organizing bulk pantry ingredients and effectively storing leftovers

The brittle age
Di Pietrantonio, Donatella,
In the Maiella mountains of Central Italy, a brutal crime shatters the peace of a small town. It is the 1990s and Lucia is twenty years old at the time. The only survivor of the crime is her best friend. Years later, Lucia is a physiotherapist separating from her husband. When the pandemic forces her daughter Amanda to return from Milan to the family home, Lucia's memories are reawakened, and with them the impact of past trauma. This gripping family drama weaves together Lucia and Amanda's personal struggles with the mysteries surrounding the tragedy that scarred their family land decades earlier. Inspired by true events.

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

And the crowd went wild
Phillips, Susan Elizabeth,
"After a mortifying--and very public--humiliation, Dancy Flynn is desperate to find sanctuary far from the crowd. But where can a washed-up sex symbol hide? How about making an unannounced appearance at the secluded lake house of the sweet, sensitive high school boyfriend she hasn't seen in almost twenty years? But Chicago Stars quarterback Clint Garrett is no longer the kid Dancy remembers. Now he's a grid iron superhero, still holding a massive grudge against her for breaking his teenage heart. With no room in his life for either complexity or distractions, he banishes Dancy to a refurbished old railroad caboose tucked away in the woods--and out of his sight"--

I'm a lot surviving myself and all the people I've been
Leiby, Alison,
"Have you ever frozen when someone asks, 'So, tell me about yourself?' If so, take a page from I'm a Lot. Alison Leiby proudly embraces the identities we're often encouraged to hide: Housewives stan. Discount shopaholic. Former jock. Happily single. Childless by choice and proud cat mom. Through these different roles and identities, Leiby reveals her hard-earned wisdom about what it's like to be a woman who does it all (except for the things that make her say 'uh, no thank you'). When she was nineteen years old, a complication from back surgery left Leiby on her deathbed. After a surprising recovery, you might assume Leiby was ready to seize life by the you-know-whats. But instead of letting this one miraculous experience define her, Leiby's brush with death made her realize there is nothing more beautiful in this life than just getting to be yourself. And while women are still expected to conform to many patriarchal labels, Leiby ignores the pressure to be palatable and instead champions all the joyful, weird, and complicated selves she brings to the world. In fourteen personal essays full of deadpan jokes, tender moments of candid introspection, and insightful social commentary, Leiby encourages us to ditch the manufactured Instagram persona and embrace the fact that sometimes the puzzle pieces don't always fit to create a perfect picture, but that doesn't mean we are incomplete." --

The widow
Grisham, John,
"#1 New York Times bestselling author John Grisham is the acclaimed master of the legal thriller. Now, he's back with his first-ever whodunit, even more suspenseful than his courtroom dramas, as a small-time lawyer accused of murder races to find the real killer to clear his name. Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it. Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn't commit: murder. Simon knows he's innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer..."-- Provided by publisher

Nothing tastes as good
Dumas, Luke,
"Retail worker Emmett Truesdale has never fit the Southern California mold of six-pack, suntanned masculinity. Over three hundred pounds, he carries the weight of his childhood trauma and millennial ennui around his waist and in his soul. After trying every diet under the sun, he remains stuck--in his dead-end job, in love, and in his body. Desperate for help, he enrolls in a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. The treatment is as horrifying as the results are miraculous and as Emmett sheds pounds at superhuman speed, every part of his life improves overnight. Unfortunately, Obexity comes with some killer side effects, including lost stretches of time and overwhelming cravings. Worse, people who were cruel to him have started disappearing and when the police warn of a cannibalistic killer on the loose, he fears that Obexity is turning him into a monster. But how can he give it up now that people are finally starting to treat him like he's human?"--

The summer table : recipes and menus for casual outdoor entertaining
Lemke, Lisa, 1981-
"Summertime--and the outdoor entertaining is easy! Warm the grill, whip up some sides and sweets, and prepare to share these simple, delicious dishes. Festive menus feature a Mexican Grill Party, Father's Day Barbecue, Beach Buffet, and Cocktail Party, along with picnics, pizza, lunches, and brunches. Filled with cooking tips and ideas for marinades, sauces, salsas, and more, The Summer Table celebrates the season's best"--

An American beauty
Abé, Shana,
"When a railroad baron falls for a uniform girl at a gambling parlor thirty years his junior, he moves her to New York posing as a well-heeled Southern widow where her shrewd investing instincts build her a fortune"--

After the fall
Ashton, Edward (Science fiction writer),
"Part alien invasion story, part buddy comedy, and part workplace satire, After The Fall by Edward Ashton, author of Mickey7 (inspiration for the film Mickey 17), asks an important question: would humans really make great pets? Humans must be silent. Humans must be obedient. Humans must be good. All his life, John has tried to live by those rules. Most days, it's not too difficult. A hundred and twenty years after The Fall, and a hundred years after the grays swept in to pick the last dregs of humanity out of the wreckage of a ruined world, John has found himself bonded to Martok Barden nee Black Hand, one of the "good" grays. Sure, Martok is broke, homeless, and borderline manic, but he's always treated John like an actual person, and sometimes like a friend. It's a better deal than most humans get. But when Martok puts John's bond up as collateral against an abandoned house in the woods that he hopes to turn into a wilderness retreat for wealthy grays, John learns that there are limits to Martok's friendship. Soon he finds himself caught between an underworld boss who thinks Martok is something that he very much is not, a girl who was raised by feral humans and has nothing but contempt for pets like John, and Martok himself, whose delusions of grandeur seem to be finally catching up with him. Also, not for nothing, something in the woods has been killing people"-- 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

Before I forget
Henwood Hoen, Tory,
"A funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory in holding us back-and in moving us forward-for fans of The Collected Regrets of Clover and Maame. Call it inertia. Call it a quarter-life crisis. Whatever you call it, Cricket Campbell is stuck. Despite working at a zeitgeisty wellness company, the 26-year-old feels anything but well. Still adrift after a tragedy that upended her world a decade ago, she has entered early adulthood under the weight of a new burden: her father's Alzheimer's diagnosis. When Cricket's older sister Nina announces it is time to move Arthur from his beloved Adirondack lake house into a memory-care facility, Cricket has a better idea. In returning home to become her father's caretaker, she hopes to repair their strained relationship and shake herself out of her perma-funk. But even deeply familiar places can hold surprises. As Cricket settles back into the family house at Catwood Pond-a place she once loved, but hasn't visited since she was a teenager-she discovers that her father possesses a rare gift: as he loses his grasp of the past, he is increasingly able to predict the future. Before long, Arthur cements his reputation as an unlikely oracle, but for Cricket, believing in her father's prophecies might also mean facing the most painful parts of her history. As she begins to remember who she once was, she uncovers a vital truth: the path forward often starts by going back. With laugh-out-loud humor and profound grace, Before I Forget explores the nuances of family, the complexities of memory, and how sometimes, the people we know the best are the ones who surprise us the most"-- Provided by publisher

A horse's world a neuroscientist's journey into the equine mind
Jones, Janet L. (Neuroscientist),
In the spirit of An Immense World and Soul of an Octopus, an award-winning neuroscientist and veteran horse trainer illuminates the mysteries of equine cognition and behavior, through her own extraordinary bond with a horse named True North

Upon a starlit tide
Woods, Kell,
"Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven. While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taughtto sail by Samuel, her best friend--and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning, Luce rescues a drowning man from the sea. Immediately drawn in by the stranger's charm, Luce is plunged into a world of glittering balls and faerie magic, seduction and brutality. Secrets that have long been lost in the shadowy depths of the ocean begin to rise to the surface, but as Luce wrestles with warring desires, she finds that her own power is growing brighter and brighter, shining like a sea-glass slipper--or the scales of a sea-maid's tail"--

Play nice
Harrison, Rachel, 1989-
"Clio Louise Barnes leads a picture-perfect life as a stylist and influencer, but beneath the glossy veneer she harbors a not-so-glamorous secret: she grew up in a haunted house. Well, not haunted. Possessed. After Clio's parent's messy divorce, her mother, Alex, moved Clio and her sisters into a house occupied by a demon. Or so Alex claimed. That's not what Clio's sisters remember or what the courts determined when they stripped Alex of custody after she went off the deep end. But Alex was insistent; she even wrote a book about her experience in the house. After Alex's sudden death, the supposedly possessed house passes to Clio and her sisters. Where her sisters see childhood trauma, Clio sees an opportunity for house-flipping content. Only, as the home makeover process begins, Clio discovers there might be some truth to her mother's claims. As memories resurface and Clio finally reads her mother's book, the presence in the house becomes more real, and more sinister, revealing ugly truths that threaten to shake Clio's beautiful life to its very foundation"--

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"--
Upcoming Programs
Sep
7
Mon
9:30–10 a.m.
Sep
7
Mon
10–11:30 a.m.
Sep
7
Mon
10:30–11 a.m.
Sep
8
Tue
9:30 a.m.–noon
Sep
8
Tue
9:30–11:30 a.m.
Sep
8
Tue
10–11 a.m.
Sep
8
Tue
1–2:30 p.m.
Sep
8
Tue