The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

May 20, 2025May 15, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“You know, if mankind has one universal superpower, it’s gaslighting women into thinking they’re the problem.”
― Ally Carter, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Have you ever read a book that you’re not quite sure which genre it falls into? Such was my last read, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. (Did you know that Ally Carter is the pen name for author Sarah Leigh Fogelman? I sure didn’t until I read this book.)

Maggie Chase has hated Ethan Wyatt for as long as she’s known him. She’s a cozy mystery writer, while he is a thriller writer known for his leather jackets. The two mix like oil and water, especially when Maggie overhears Ethan make a comment about her at a holiday party. When her agent hands Maggie an invitation to her biggest fan’s home for the holidays, Maggie reluctantly agrees and boards the plane. Maggie realizes she wasn’t the only author invited, but is trapped until the plane touches down. More people are there than she expected, plus her anonymous fan seems to be hiding secrets. Day two of the trip takes a turn when someone goes missing from a locked room in the midst of a brutal winter storm. Maggie spots clues and starts wondering if something bigger is happening behind the scenes. Who can she trust? How did the missing person disappear? Is she trapped in a mansion with a killer?

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year is described as Knives Out with a rom-com twist, and honestly I’ve never read anything more apt. I absolutely adored this book. Seeing Maggie and Ethan’s relationship progress over the years through flashbacks and from both of their points-of-view was a breath of fresh air. Romance tropes, plus mystery elements, abound in this novel. Rivals-to-lovers AND a locked room mystery? My favorites! There were some plot points that I still have questions about, but I’ll have to let them go as this is a standalone. Four of five stars!

This title is also available in large print.

“so . . . Summers were the worst. Or the best?” She honestly didn’t know. “Because I had two things: a library card and time.”
― Ally Carter, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

Science Fiction Fantasy Books about Reincarnation

May 19, 2025April 22, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Have you ever discussed a topic that has stuck with you for months, leading you down a research hole to learn more? At one of the Library’s Death Cafe programs, we had discussed reincarnation. Fascinated with the topic, but wanting to look into some fiction representations before I went the nonfiction route, I started compiling a list of science fiction and fantasy books about reincarnation. Below are some of these titles. As of this writing, these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions have been provided by the publisher.

The Emperor and the Endless Palace by Justinian Huang

“What if I told you that the feeling we call love is actually the feeling of metaphysical recognition, when your soul remembers someone from a previous life?”

In the year 4 BCE, an ambitious courtier is called upon to seduce the young emperor—but quickly discovers they are both ruled by blood, sex and intrigue.

In 1740, a lonely innkeeper agrees to help a mysterious visitor procure a rare medicine, only to unleash an otherworldly terror instead.

And in present-day Los Angeles, a college student meets a beautiful stranger and cannot shake the feeling they’ve met before.

Across these seemingly unrelated timelines woven together only by the twists and turns of fate, two men are reborn, lifetime after lifetime. Within the treacherous walls of an ancient palace and the boundless forests of the Asian wilderness to the heart-pounding cement floors of underground rave scenes, our lovers are inexplicably drawn to each other, constantly tested by the worlds around them.

As their many lives intertwine, they begin to realize the power of their undying love—a power that transcends time itself…but one that might consume them both. – MIRA

Rakesfall by Vajra Chandrasekera

Some stories take more than one lifetime to tell. There are wrongs that echo through the ages, friendships that outpace the claws of death, loves that leave their mark on civilization, and promises that nothing can break. This is one such story.

Annelid and Leveret met as children in the middle of the Sri Lankan civil war. They found each other in a torn-up nation, peering through propaganda to grasp a deeper truth. And in a demon-haunted wood, another act of violence linked them and propelled their souls on a journey throughout the ages. No world can hold them, no life can bind them, and they’ll never leave each other behind.

Tracing two souls through endless lifetimes, Rakesfall is a virtuosic exploration of what stories can be. As Annelid and Leveret reincarnate ever deeper into the future, they will chase the edge of human possibility in a dark science fiction epic unlike anything you’ve read before. – Tordotcom

Reincarnation Blues by Michael Poore

First we live. Then we die. And then . . . we get another try?

Ten thousand tries, to be exact. Ten thousand lives to “get it right.” Answer all the Big Questions. Achieve Wisdom. And Become One with Everything.

Milo has had 9,995 chances so far and has just five more lives to earn a place in the cosmic soul. If he doesn’t make the cut, oblivion awaits. But all Milo really wants is to fall forever into the arms of Death. Or Suzie, as he calls her.

More than just Milo’s lover throughout his countless layovers in the Afterlife, Suzie is literally his reason for living—as he dives into one new existence after another, praying for the day he’ll never have to leave her side again.

But Reincarnation Blues is more than a great love story: Every journey from cradle to grave offers Milo more pieces of the great cosmic puzzle—if only he can piece them together in time to finally understand what it means to be part of something bigger than infinity. Darkly enchanting and wisely hilarious, Michael Poore’s Reincarnation Blues is the story of everything that makes life profound, beautiful, absurd, and heartbreaking. – Del Rey

Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick: The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

May 16, 2025May 13, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Join Bestsellers Club to have certain celebrity book club picks automatically put on hold for you: Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush Hager, and Oprah Winfrey. While Reese and Jenna generally announce a new title each month, Oprah’s selections are more sporadic. Reminder that if you join Bestsellers Club, you can choose to have these titles automatically put on hold for you.

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Oprah Winfrey’s latest selection is The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong.

Curious what The Emperor of Gladness is about? Check out the following description provided by the publisher.

The hardest thing in the world is to live only once…

One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to transform Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink.

Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Ocean Vuong’s writing—formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness—are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance. – Penguin Press

This title is also available in large print.

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Join Bestsellers Club to have Oprah, Jenna, and Reese’s adult selections automatically put on hold for you!

High-quality learning through library-provided Great Courses

May 15, 2025April 24, 2025 - Beth Leave a comment

Aimed at lifelong learners, The Great Courses is a series of college-level courses designed to deliver high-quality learning experiences outside of a lecture hall. Through audio and video, and with supplemental print materials, you can pursue lifelong learning and personal enrichment in science, history, literature, religion, and more, with no tests or homework.

Here is just a sampling of Great Courses available through the Davenport Public Library on DVD or streaming through Kanopy.

How to plan for the perfect retirement — (on DVD and Kanopy) — Learn how to secure your financial future and create the retirement lifestyle of your dreams with practical advice for planners of any age and income level. Professor Dana Anspach of Sensible Money, LLC will be your step-by-step guide to help you create the future you want. No matter how old you are or how far along in your working life, it’s never too early or too late to develop a plan that works for you.

Fighting Misinformation: Digital Media Literacy — (on DVD and Kanopy) — The International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX) has teamed up with The Great Courses to lead you step by step through the history, evolution, science, and impact of misinformation, and to arm you with the very skills needed to defuse the threat of misinformation media and become a more savvy media consumer. Learn how to reduce the threat of misinformation from local, national, and international sources and ensure the validity of the information you share.

When everything fails: surviving any disaster — (on DVD and Kanopy) — Living through a disaster is not a question of if, it’s a question of when. This course offers a practical guide for protecting the individual, their family, and their community. Taught by Professor Stephen Owen of Radford University, these fourteen fast-paced lectures will arm viewers with information for planning ahead so they can prepare for the effects of a disaster or catastrophe.

America’s long struggle against slavery — (on DVD and Kanopy) — Survey the history of the American anti-slavery movement, from the dawn of the transatlantic slave trade during the late 15th century to the end of Reconstruction in 1877 and beyond. Professor Richard Bell’s 30 eye-opening episodes give you an up-close view of a venal institution and the people who fought against it, and who often paid for their courage with their lives.

Brighter Than the Sun by Daniel Aleman

May 14, 2025May 8, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Sixteen-year-old Sol spends her life divided between two countries. She lives in her hometown of Tijuana, Mexico with her family, but makes the trip across the border early every weekday to go to school in the United States. Sol’s dream is to be the first person in her family to go to college, so even though her life is exhausting, she keeps trekking between Mexico and the United States to keep her dream alive.

The family has hit some rough times, throwing Sol’s dreams into question. With her mother’s recent death, Sol and her family are struggling to keep the family restaurant afloat. The restaurant was her mother’s dream, but her father and oldest brother are running into difficulties. Needing a way to add income to the family, Sol picks up a part-time job in San Diego. Doing this means that she has to move in with her friend in the United States, only coming back to Tijuana on the weekends. This new job adds complications to her life. Her schedule becomes more chaotic, her schoolwork suffers, and her relationships deteriorate.

Sol has to decide what she wants out of life. Although she has goals to attend college, she feels a debt to her family that she must repay. Although she is only 17, the pressure she feels to succeed and provide for her family is immense. Her future is in limbo, her present is a mess, and her past continues to haunt her. What is Sol willing to risk to help her family make it through?

Brighter Than the Sun by Daniel Aleman was a heartbreaking and exhausting read. Although this is a young adult book, the story will resonate with people of all ages.

Interested in this book? Brighter Than the Sun is the June 2025 See YA Book Club selection. We will be discussing this book on Wednesday, June 4th at 6:30pm at our Eastern Avenue branch. For more information about future See YA book picks, visit our website.

See YA Book Club

Join our adult book club with a teen book twist. See why so many teen books are being turned into movies and are taking over the best seller lists.

Registration is not required. Books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Eastern Avenue library. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at Eastern at 6:30pm. Stop by the service desk for more information.

June 4 – ‘Brighter than the Sun’ by Daniel Aleman

July 2 – The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

August 6 – Red Rising by Pierce Brown

September 3 – Man O’War by Cory McCarthy

October 1 – A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

November 5 – Rez Ball by Byron Graves

December 3 – Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

The Korean Wave: Manhwa

May 13, 2025April 28, 2025 - Elena Leave a comment

Have you heard the term “hallyu?” “Hallyu,” also called the “Korean Wave,” refers to the increasing global popularity of South Korean pop culture, including music, film, television, and comics.

Korean comics, or “manhwa,” have been largely digital since the early 2000s. As smartphones grew more common, the industry standard became full-color art and vertical formatting for easy scrolling. Manhwa really took off internationally in 2014, when Naver’s Line Webtoon app became popular with younger readers for its digital access and free chapter model. Now, some titles are popular enough for physical print editions. The following series are available at Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Villains are Destined to Die
In the Easy Mode of Daughter of the Duke Love Project!, you play as Ivonne, the duke’s long-lost daughter who quickly gains the affection of the various male characters to win the game. Very easy! In Hard Mode, you play as “villainess” Penelope Eckhart, the duke’s fake daughter who starts her adventure with negative affection points. Very hard…and filled with gruesome deaths?! Misunderstood and pining for love, one girl finds that she has much in common with Penelope and tries again and again to get her “good ending.” She is granted one more try…when she falls asleep and wakes up as Penelope herself in the hostile world of the game!

Solo Leveling
The weakest of the weak, E-class hunter Jinwoo Sung has no money, no talent, and no prospects to speak of. And when he enters a hidden dungeon that fateful day, he ends up being left to die in the aftermath of a horrendous tragedy. At death’s door, Jinwoo is suddenly invited to be a “player” by a mysterious voice. Desperate to live, Jinwoo jumps at the chance…but what is this strange new leveling system that only he can see?

Tower of God
Twenty-Fifth Bam must journey skyward in a mysterious tower if he has any chance of reuniting with his best friend Rachel, even if that means facing his own death. Before mysteriously disappearing into the tower gates before his very eyes, Rachel cautions Bam to forget all about her. Unwilling to lose her, Bam enters the Tower completely surrounded by Shinsu — a divine and magical water, at his own peril. The Tower itself contains multitudes of floors as vast as continents, each one with its unique geography, language and culture. Confronted by skillful tests each step of the way, Bam meets powerful guardians and otherworldly environments, making his quest to the top no easy feat. At each level Bam is constantly tested for his strength, dexterity and wit. With help from fellow travelers and unlikely villains, Bam makes both allies and enemies in order to find Rachel.

The Dangerous Convenience Store
College student Yeo Eui-joon works the graveyard shift at a convenience store to pay his bills. The shift sucks, but the money’s good, and the customers—mostly mobsters and hoodlums—don’t cause too much trouble. That might be due to Gunwoo, a tall, hunky gangster who frequents the store for booze and cigarettes. He’s scarier than the rest of the clientele, but seems to have a soft spot for Eui-joon, defending him from the more volatile customers. Could there be more behind Gunwoo’s protective actions? And if so, is Eui-joon prepared to be a part of Gunwoo’s violent world?

True Beauty
After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy comic book fan masters the art of makeup and sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl overnight. But will her elite status be short-lived? How long can she keep her real self a secret? And what about that cute boy who knows her secret? Caught in a love triangle between a mystery man and a bad boy, Jugyeong navigates high school and her personal life while her self-esteem and romantic life are constantly in flux.

During the month of May, look for the “Hallyu: The Korean Wave” displays at all three branches for more Korean pop culture recommendations.

What Happened to Connie Chung?

May 12, 2025April 30, 2025 - Bill Leave a comment

But first, her trajectory to the top. The glass ceiling Connie obliterated was thick and two-paned. She so embodied the American dream that thousands of Generation Y Asian girls bear her name. Not only was she a driven woman in the very real Ron Burgundy era of broadcast news, but also the daughter of Chinese immigrants. Connie implies the secret of her success was simply not giving a damn about anyone’s taunts. Walter Cronkite was a supportive influence. Also, shocking to no one, Bryant Gumbel is a diva.

And how did she end up with a more sophisticated Jerry Springer? Connie promises he’s actually quite an intellectual. Well as it turns out, when he wasn’t determining America’s paternity for our amusement, Maury was a suave (and married) anchor in DC in 1969. She was the copy girl. When they met again in California in 1977, she was a single newswoman running in Hollywood circles….with Ryan O’Neal, and one of the Eagles…you get the idea.

Time had passed and the tables had turned. Maury started getting called Mr. Chung. He loved her so much at the age of 56 he decided to start his second family. For those keeping score, Connie was 49. Dan Rather’s final temper tantrum got her the axe in 2005. Serendipitously, she exchanged said red-faced fit for the analogous wails of an adopted newborn a mere two weeks later. When one door closes, another opens. She’s been there ever since. With nothing more to prove, she has persevered in our hearts.

Sew Your Own Wardrobe

May 9, 2025April 28, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Did you know that the Davenport Public Library Main Street location has a Studio 321 Makerspace full of different equipment available for our patrons to use? Today I wanted to focus on the sewing machines available for you to use in our Makerspace! You can find information about the sewing machines as well as the link to make an appointment on our website. Looking for a project to do? Below you will find a list of materials about how to sew your own wardrobe. As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

The Dressmaking Companion by Laure Guyet

The practical, pocket-sized dressmaking manual that every sewist needs.

Tips, techniques and trusted advice on everything from threading your machine and selecting your fabric to fitting zips, darts, pockets and vents.

Whether you are making your first garment or your fiftieth, this comprehensive mini guide is a treasure trove of knowledge, perfect for dipping in and out of for quick reference and trusted advice. Inside you’ll find:

Sewing machine anatomy: a tour through a machine’s anatomy along with advice on choosing needles, threads and feet.
An overview of essential tools: everything you need to get going, including cutting tools, marking and measuring aids and pressing tools.
A complete guide to fabric: understand construction, grain and bias, and discover an indispensable photographic library of 30 key dressmaking fabrics, each given with suitable garment use and care instructions.
Patterns demystified: understand pattern language and symbols, how to take key body measurements and learn how to arrange your pattern pieces on fabric most efficiently.
40 key hand and machine sewing techniques: discover 40 essential techniques, each shown clearly step by step. Start with hand-sewing, seams and hems; discover more advanced techniques such as adding bias binding and piping; before moving on to adding details and features such as darts, pleats, pockets and gathers. – Search Press

Not Your Gran’s Sewing Book: Easy Alterations for the Perfect Fit at any Size by Allie Luecke

It’s finally here: The holy grail for creating clothes that celebrate your body and let all your curves and swerves sing! In this guide to easy alterations, flip-thrift guru Allie Luecke shares all the top tips to have your clothes fitting like a glove. Perfect for beginners, Allie’s book has got you covered with easy-to-follow guides and fantastic projects including:

Starting Strong: Learn how to hem and dart everything you own
Take It All In: Turn oversized into just-the-right size
Let It All Out: Seam rip the shit out of too-tight clothes
Mind the Button Gap: Close the gaps on a button down shirt (buh-bye, peeking bra!)
Zipper-ty Doo Dah: Add zippers to form-fitting pieces (or any piece, really)

Whether you’re tailoring the fit of a waistband or adding a pocket, Allie’s clear tutorials guide you through the process with ease, and her signature voice and sense of humor will have you smiling while you sew. So don’t give up on those unworn pieces haunting you from the closet; join Allie and let your clothes adorn your body the way they were destined to! – Page Street Publishing

The Perfect Fit: Creating and Altering Basic Sewing Patterns for Tops, Sleeves, Skirts, and Pants by Teresa Gilewska

Design, draw, and alter sewing patterns to achieve the perfect fit in your homesewn garments!

Every body is different, and standard sizes certainly do not fit all! You’re going to spend hours making your homesewn garment, so you want to be sure the final product will fit flawlessly. This starts with a pattern that is drawn to your (or your model’s) exact measurements. With The Perfect Fit as your guide, you’ll learn the necessary skills for altering “off-the-rack” patterns to measure, and even drafting your own creations.

For amateur sewists who want to bring their craft to the next level in accuracy, The Perfect Fit offers detailed explanations of the role and meaning of each line on a pattern, and how to build basic patterns for tops, sleeves, skirts, and pants that you can alter for ideal style and fit.

Discover the skills necessary to draw the patterns that will bring your imagined garments to life! – Rocky Nook Inc.

Sewing Clothes: Elevate Your Sewing Skills: A Master Class in Finishing, Embellishing, and the Details by Joi Mahon

Elevate Your Sewing is comprehensive book featuring more than 30 different techniques from changing design lines to honeycomb smocking. Includes clear and easy instruction with illustration or photo step outs to guide you as you work. Includes a stitch dictionary for both couture work and unique embroidery detailing including monograms and a chart for handling and sewing a variety of couture fabrics. Nothing is forgotten in this comprehensive book. Chapters include zippers, edge finishing and embellishments, beading, bead and sequins, stitches and seams, and more! There’s even a new stitch dictionary for couture work and unique embroidery detailing including monograms. Revisit some well-known techniques with a new twist on style. – Fox Chapel Publishing

The Tailoring Book: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Custom Garments by Alison Smith

Whether you want to alter a vintage jacket or create a full-tailored suit, this tailoring reference guide has everything you need to produce elegant, bespoke garments that last a lifetime.

With over 80 step-by-step techniques on measuring, cutting, altering, and finishing, this is the only book you will need to create and alter a tailored garment.

Alison Smith MBE is one of the world’s leading tailoring experts, and in her new book, she reveals trade secrets and all the practical know-how necessary to master this heritage craft. The Tailoring Book is the latest title in Smith’s best-selling sewing series. It covers everything from choosing patterns and fabrics to fitting and construction, including techniques that can be applied to both womens- and menswear.

With this book, you can learn how to:

Tailor garments by selecting the right tools to create a toile and picking the perfect hand stitch.
Follow 10 detailed garment projects to create shirts, jackets, coats, and trousers
Master the techniques of tailoring with step-by-step instructions and downloadable patterns that guide you through every part of the process

This book includes key equipment and techniques, garment projects with clear step-by-step processes and downloadable patterns, and tips on repairs and alterations. It takes the reader from the basics through to couture techniques. – DK

Gather by Kenneth M. Cadow

May 8, 2025April 29, 2025 - Stephanie Leave a comment

“Stories aren’t for shocking, in my opinion. They’re for chewing on longer than you would a meal. That’s not to say things you tell about don’t come as a surprise, and sometimes the things you tell about suck. But it’s what you do with what sucks that makes it worth listening to, or not.”
― Kenneth M. Cadow, Gather

Ian Gray knows the woods in rural Vermont better than he knows the town. He lives on land that has been in his family for generations. Ian spent his younger years walking through the woods with his grandfather, learning anything and everything about the nature around him. Growing up with his grandparents and his parents in the same house afforded Ian the privilege to learn from many adults, but then the troubles started.

While outside one day cracking nuts, Ian is startled by the bark of a large dog that has walked into his yard and is standing right by him. Ian isn’t supposed to have a dog, but since this one has showed up, he figures he may as well keep him. The issue is his mom. Ian names the dog Gather and stows him in the back shed, hoping to keep him hidden for as long as possible. Ian is glad Gather has come into his life since he has to help his mom defeat her opioid addiction and find a job. He also had to quit the basketball team because getting to school on a timely basis is proving hard. The house is in disrepair, not a lot of money is coming in, plus his grandpa died, his grandma moved away, and his dad left too. Ian won’t let his mom down though. He makes friends, finds a job, spends time outdoors, and is able to put his skills fixing things to use by finding more work helping his neighbors.

Right when it seems like he has everything worked out, it all splinters apart. Tragedy rocks Ian, leaving him and Gather with only one choice: to go on the run. Desperate to escape a future that would separate them from each other and would force Ian to lose his land and the house forever, Ian and Gather take to the woods. Their new isolation has Ian wondering who cares for him. What will their futures look like? Even if someone actually helped him, would he be able to return his home and land?

This emotional and hopeful story had me on the edge of my seat. The chapters are short, but I took my time to absorb all the tragedy and confusion Ian goes through every day. He is forced to grow up too quickly, but he is incredibly resourceful and capable when it comes to finding ways to survive. This book taught me about how resilient one can be in the face of unimaginable hardships. I recommend you read this book, but be sure to go in with an understanding and careful heart. This story will pull at your heartstrings the whole read.

“You want my voice, but you want my voice to be out there using somebody else’s rules, somebody else’s voice. Otherwise, they ignore me. Isn’t that what you call censorship or oppression or whatever? Don’t you see how screwed up that is?”
― Kenneth M. Cadow, Gather

LEARN A LANGUAGE — Part 5 — JAPANESE

May 7, 2025April 7, 2025 - Jill Leave a comment

Not surprisingly, Japan is home to 99% of first-language Japanese speakers. But, as is the case with most languages, the Japanese language is not limited to the people of the archipelago nation. Japanese (also known as Nihongo) is the 9th most spoken language in the world with about 126 million speakers. There are another 5 million people outside of Japan who speak Japanese with some proficiency (todaytranslations.com). At least part of the populations in a number of countries and about 18 territories speak the language including in the United States, the Philippines, and Brazil. Japanese is also spoken in other parts of Asia and the Pacific: Guam, American Samoa, People’s Republic of China, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, and Australia. Japanese speakers can also be found in Canada, Mexico, and Europe – notably the United Kingdom – and many major world cities have Japanese speaking communities as well (worlddata.info).

The origins of the Japanese language are not fully understood. It is believed that Japanese began to emerge and develop into its own unique language somewhere between the 4th and 2nd centuries BC when the Yayoi people migrated from the Korean peninsula to the Japanese islands. The language was exclusively oral until contact with China in the 4^th century and the development of the Kanji writing system. Chinese characters were adapted, expressing Japanese words as well as grammatical elements. This led to the further development of both the Hiragana and Katakana kana writing systems, both around the 9^th century (dynamiclanguage.com).

In the United States, there are nearly a half million Japanese speakers, mainly concentrated in the states of California (141k), Hawaii (45k), New York (35k), Washington (26k), and Texas (18k). However, Hawaii has the highest percentage of Japanese speakers with about 17% of Hawaiian residents speaking it at home (statisticalatlas.com). While not as commonly spoken in Iowa as are Spanish, German, or Chinese, Japanese is also spoken here. Japanese affiliated organizations in Iowa, such as the Japan America Society of Iowa (JASI), offer language and cultural programs including drumming workshops and demonstrations (Soten Taiko) and even a Japanese language school (Kanaijuku) for both beginners and advanced learners. The Iowa State Japanese Association (Japanese Club) offers language and cultural programs as well. And, the University of Iowa supports a four-year Japanese program offering comprehensive language classes and courses in linguistics, communications, visual culture, popular culture, literature, film, theater, and translation. There is even a Kimono club which gives those interested in Japanese traditional wardrobe an opportunity to share their interests through fashion shows and workshops. Annual events such as Anime demo ii and Tanabata (star gazing festival) are also popular cultural activities.

While there are not very many Japanese speakers in Davenport or Scott County, there are many reasons to consider learning the language. In the US alone, there are nearly 162,000 people learning the Japanese language (babble.com). This includes almost 67,000 students in higher education, along with another 56,000 in grades K-12 (asiasociety.org). According to nippon.com, there were nearly 3,800,000 students worldwide learning Japanese in 2021. Popular culture has spurred the interest in all things Japan. From Anime series to catchy J-pop tunes, there are many intriguing reasons to explore the unique Japanese language and culture.

Would you like to give the Japanese language a try? Try some of the FREE resources available to you at The Library as you begin (or continue) learning Japanese. See our online catalog or ask a Librarian for more resources.