What Happened to Connie Chung?

- 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.

Tea and Treachery : a Tea by the Sea Mystery by Vicki Delany

- Michelle Leave a comment

Tea & Treachery is the first book in the Tea by the Sea Mystery Series by Vicki Delany.  Delany is a powerhouse in the genre of cozy mystery writing with many unique and interesting reads.  She has about a half dozen series under her belt, and you can always count on her for a fun, yet complex cozy mystery!  I was looking to start a new series and came upon Delany’s latest, and I am glad that I did.

Lily Roberts is the proprietor of the quaint tea shop, Tea by the Sea, in picturesque Cape Cod.  In this vacation mecca, Roberts stays busy with the shop thanks in part to her grandmother’s Victorian B&B next door where her tea is a hit with guests.  Her grandmother, Rose, has inspired much in Lily’s life, especially the tea shop whose British theme pays homage to Rose’s homeland.  Rose is feisty, sassy and holds no opinion back.  One of Lily’s main jobs is reining in her grandmother and keeping her out of trouble!

Both the tea shop and the B&B rely on summer tourism to keep the doors open.  A real estate developer named Jack Ford arrives in town and hints that he will be purchasing the adjacent land to the shop and B&B.  His purchase of the adjacent land would turn it into a large complex with a golf course.  With this news, Rose goes on the offense and prepares to battle against the development.  Developer Jack Ford will hear none of the objections from Lily, Rose and the other residents who fear the new development will change the charm of the cape.  Tempers flare and words are exchanged between Rose and Jack with both drawing a line in the sand.

Everything soon changes when Jack is found dead at the bottom of the beach access stairs on Rose’s property!  Law enforcement knows that she had a motive to want Jack Ford dead.  Lily steps in and plays intermediary with the police when Rose is questioned as a suspect.  After the police release Rose after questioning, Lily knows that things aren’t looking good for her grandmother and time is of the essence for her to find the real killer!

This series has a bit of everything – a beautiful setting, a fun cast of characters (especially entertaining is the banter between Lily and Rose), an interesting “who done it” and scrumptious descriptions of food and tea!  If you are looking for a new cozy series, think about Tea by the Sea!

Why We Love Football

- Bill Leave a comment

Why We Love Football is so much more than a compilation of great plays in no particular order.   Hard to accept, but in some ways, this product is superior to mere screen viewing.  In fact, you probably saw half of these historic moments live without knowing what lie behind those X’s and O’s.  There’s “The Catch”, the “Helmet Catch”, and the “Immaculate Reception”.  As this work makes clear, you only viewed the tip of the iceberg.

Posnanski frames each of these iconic football moments within their proper historical context, teaching us about all the principal characters involved and their formative influences.  Where did these scrappy upstarts come from?  What propelled them to that moment?  What formidable odds were they up against?   More than once I had to log into Youtube to see them again with fresh eyes.  Give it a shot, what else are you doing between now and the draft?

The Slow Road North

- Lynn Leave a comment

I picked up The Slow Road North: How I Found Peace in an Improbable Country by Rosie Schaap largely because it was about an American living in Ireland – and it is about that. But it’s also about growing up in New York, living in Brooklyn as an adult, becoming a widow at a young age, working as a freelance writer,  becoming a birdwatcher during the pandemic, and making peace with a mother who inspired anger, bitterness and love.

Schaap reimagines her life again and again. Enrolling in Queens College in Belfast well into middle age, she moves to a near idyllic town in Northern Ireland. There she becomes part of the community – going to the pub, yoga and school meetings.  In the spring of her first year at Queens, the pandemic hits and she finds new ways heal  – to deal with the deaths of her husband and mother.  She finds that she’s able to talk about death and loss in Ireland in ways that she wasn’t able to in New York.

An elegant writer, Schaap weaves in the history of Glenarm, its castle and surrounding forest and coastline  – as well as the complicated sectarian background of the largely Protestant town. She clearly loves embedding in new places, making lifelong friends and doing research into the political, social and historical places she finds herself.

What Have You Done? by Shari Lapena

- Michelle Leave a comment

Shari Lapena does it again with her latest release, What Have You Done? a suspenseful, roller coaster ride of a story where the innocent veneer of a small town hides countless secrets that multiply after a violent crime.  Residents of the small town of Fairhill, Vermont love the rural feel of their community, where everyone knows each other and you can count on your neighbor if you need anything.  One fall morning, word spreads quickly that a young girl has been found murdered in a farmer’s field on the outskirts of town.  When her identity is confirmed to be that of high schooler Diana Brewer, a popular student and star athlete, no one can believe that someone would want her dead.  Authorities quickly come to the conclusion that she was murdered and the evidence at the scene point to someone she knew well.

Someone evidently did want Diana Brewer dead.  There are a handful of Fairhill residents who are hiding secrets of their own that involve the murdered student.  As the authorities begin their investigation, secrets start to trickle out with a number of suspects having a clear motive. It soon becomes apparent that the residents of Fairhill have not only their own secrets to hide but are complicit in covering up for the guilty parties as well.  Could the culprit be her boyfriend who was pressuring her to attend the same college, was it an older teacher who was suspected to have crossed the line with his students, was a schoolmate upset with Diana unbeknownst to anyone else or was it someone that no one expected?  When the pressure mounts, trusted family members, friends and colleagues begin to turn on one another and expose secrets and lies.  With the circle of suspects getting smaller and smaller the pressure on the community gets heavier and heavier.  What Have You Done? also has a slight paranormal element strung throughout that adds depth to the story.

Told in alternating narrators (who have questionable motives and reliability), Shari Lapena has an uncanny knack to cast doubt on nearly every narrator’s version of events and that leaves the reader questioning every account.  As someone who reads primarily mysteries and psychological thrillers, Shari Lapena is one of my go to authors that I can count on to tell a intricate story with an ending that catches the reader off guard.  What Have You Done? kept me guessing right until the end with its twists and turns.  A highly recommended read if you are a fan of this genre.

New Music on QCBeats

- Bill Leave a comment

Six new albums are now available on QC Beats!

Bontempi by Centaur Noir,
Music for the Next Scene by Chrash,
REVELATIONS by Connor Lyle,
Fish Out Water by Lewy Canoe,
Light of the Dark by Molly Conrad, and
and Shapes and Colors by The Textures.

 

QCBeats is an online streaming audio collection of original music featuring Quad Cities musicians and artists. QC Beats is a collaboration between Davenport Public Library, Bettendorf Public Library, and St. Ambrose University.

February 2025 Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast Wrap!

- Brittany Leave a comment

In this blog post, I will give you helpful links to area resources, Library resources, and links to the books discussed in our February 2025 episode! If you have not listened to this episode yet, you can listen to Checked In: A Davenport Public Library Podcast online or wherever you get your podcasts!

Romance Tropes!

It’s February and love is in the air! Our hosts shared some of their favorite romance tropes as well as least favorite and gave examples of some of their favorite reads! The books and tropes discussed in this segment are below!

One Bed Trope
– The People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
– Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot
– The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
Fake Relationship Trope
– A Proposal They Can’t Refuse by Natalie Caña
– Funny Story by Emily Henry
– The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
– The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas
– The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
– The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Enemies to Lovers Trope
– Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello
– The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood
– Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam (publishes in May – check back!)
Grumpy x Sunshine Trope
– Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
– The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
– It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
– My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
Forbidden Romance Trope
– The Cinnamon Bun Book Store by Laurie Gilmore
Arranged Marriages/Honorable Marriages/Political Marriages Trope
– Dark Olympus Series by Katee Robert
Forced Proximity Trope
– The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

 

 

The FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library

The FRIENDS of The Davenport Public Library! The mission of the FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library is to raise funds and manage an endowment portfolio that will provide resources to support the literary and educational purposes of the Davenport Public Library. In addition to all of this, they also operate our bookstores! To learn more about the FRIENDS and how to get involved, visit friendsofdavenportlibrary.org.  

 

 

The Librarians Celebrate Spunky Old Broads Day

Spunky Old Broads Day is a day to celebrate older women for their wisdom, courage, and vivacity, and is celebrated on February 1, but you can celebrate all month long! Below are the titles showcased in this segment!

– My Name is Barbara by Barbara Streisand
– Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Irin Carmon and Shana Knizhnik
– The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton
– The Marlow Murder Club Series by Robert Thorogood
– The Thursday Murder Club Series by Richard Osman
– Mrs. Plansky Series by Spencer Quinn
– Agnes Sharp Murder Mysteries by Leonie Swann
– Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino
– The Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich
– Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello

DavenportU Citizens Academy with Allie McWilliams

DavenportU Citizens Academy is a ten-session program aimed at connecting citizens to their local government. If you have ever been curious about how the City prioritizes projects or how heavy a firefighters turnout gear is – this academy could be for you!

“I look forward to meeting Davenport’s most engaged citizens in each year’s cohort,” said Davenport Mayor Mike Matson. “Even long-time residents of Davenport can learn something new at DavenportU.”

Each session of DavenportU takes citizens behind the scenes of City government with interactive experiences, tours, and presentations. From community and economic development to public safety and parks, DavenportU participants move around the City to learn about the inner workings of each department. DavenportU concludes with a graduation ceremony at the City Council Meeting on May 28, 2025.

Be sure to apply by February 21st here! 

Show Your Love for Our Library

Davenport Public Library is proud to be supported by our vibrant and diverse community! The resources on this page are intended to make it easy for you to share information about the value of The Library with your friends and family and to advocate with your elected officials and other community stakeholders.
Advocacy is critical for public libraries! By telling others about The Library, you are:
  • Showing how The Library positively impacts Davenport by connecting a diverse community to resources that educate, enrich, and entertain.
  • Spreading awareness of free services that many in our community may not otherwise know about or have access to.
  • Advocating for funding to meet our community’s needs through The Library’s resources.

To get more involved or to learn more about how to share your love, visit our Advocacy Page! 

Black History Month Reading Suggestions

February is Black History Month! Below are some titles that the hosts have enjoyed and hope that you will too!

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
James by Percival Everett
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Becoming by Michelle Obama
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Monday’s Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson
Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas

What Our Hosts Read In January

Beth’s Reads:
The Story of Arthur Truluv by Elizabeth Berg
Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend by John E. Miller

Brittany’s Reads:
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
Being Henry: The Fonz… and Beyond by Henry Winkler, narrated by Henry and Stacey Winkler
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle, narrated by Megan Hilty
The Love of My Afterlife by Kirsty Greenwood, narrated by Sofia Oxenham
A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña
The Last Love Note by Emma Grey, narrated by Leeanna Walsman
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Stephanie’s Reads:
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai, narrated by Michael Crouch
Girl Forgotten by April Henry
The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong, narrated by Ocean Vuong
Buried in a Good Book by Tamara Berry
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont, narrated by Lucy Scott
Honey Mead Murder by Dahlia Donovan (Not Available in Rivershare)
Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala, narrated by Danice Cabanela
The Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore
The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak
Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, narrated by Jeanette Illidge & Tapiwa Mugweni
On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

If you would like to listen to our episode, it can be found wherever you get your podcasts. If you prefer listening on the web, it can be found here!

We love hearing from our listeners, please feel free to comment on this blog post, on our socials, or email us at checked.in@davenportlibrary.com.

February 2025 QCL (Quad Cities Live) Book Club Selections

- Brittany Leave a comment

In January, Morgan and I read The Last Love Note by Emma Grey in honor of Thank a National Handwriting Day on January 23rd. Below is a short synopsis of the book.

Kate’s husband, Cam receives a diagnosis with no cure that progresses quickly leaving her a 39-year-old widow with a small son. Quickly in survival mode, Kate jumps into caring for her son, and dives into her new job. Living through her grief every day, Kate finds it hard to move on from losing the love of her life.

When a work trip presents itself, Kate and boss/friend Hugh jump on a plane but end up stranded on the other side of the continent. The first time away from her son, Kate has the ability to deal with her grief head-on and decide where she wants her life to go and who will be joining her on this next journey.

This book gutted me, it was so beautiful and sad and full of hope. Emma Grey dove headfirst into the grieving process and did so with many little snippets of comical relief with mix of beautiful characters.

Morgan and I have a very exciting lineup of book options for February. Below are our 4 options including our winning title: Just Another Missing Person. Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library! 

On Rotation by Shirlene Obuobi (In Honor of Black History Month & Women Physicians Day February 3rd )  

For fans of Grey’s Anatomy and Seven Days in June, this dazzling debut novel by Shirlene Obuobi explores that time in your life when you must decide what you want, how to get it, & who you are, all while navigating love, friendship, and the realization that the path you’re traveling is going to be a bumpy ride.– provided by Goodreads

 

The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner (In Honor of International Day of Women in Science February 11th )

A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them – setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.– provided by Goodreads

 

Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (In Honor of Galentine’s Day February 13th ) 

Cuban-American cooking show star Miriam Quinones-Smith becomes a seasoned sleuth in Raquel Reyes’s Caribbean Kitchen Mystery debut, a savory treat for fans of Joanne Fluke and Jenn McKinlay.– provided by our Goodreads

 

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister (In Honor of Missing Day February 20th )

From the author of the Reese’s Book Club Pick and the New York Times bestseller Wrong Place Wrong Time comes a new heart-stopping thriller in which a missing-person case unravels deeper, darker secrets that lead a detective to an impossible moral choice.– provided by Goodreads

 

If you are interested in any of these titles, or have read them, I want to talk about them! Please consider leaving a comment!  

Want to converse with other QCL Book Club followers? Consider joining our Goodreads Group!  

You can also access our recorded interviews by visiting the QCL Book Club Page! 

If you missed the segment, you can watch it here!

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

- Stephanie Leave a comment

The Nightmare Before Kissmas is book 1 in the Royals and Romance series by Sara Raasch. This book is a mix between The Nightmare Before Christmas, Red, White, & Royal Blue, and The Santa Clause and I absolutely LOVED it. 5/5 stars. It was delightful and raunchy and messy and adorable. The world building isn’t overwhelming, the characters are well-developed, and the relationships are realistic. The second book, Go Luck Yourself, is set to be published in March 2025. I can’t wait!

Nicholas ‘Coal’ Claus may be the heir apparent to Christmas, but that doesn’t stop him from being on the naughty list. His father, the reigning Santa, has turned Christmas into a PR stunt, hauling Coal and his younger brother out in front of the news media whenever he has the chance. Determined to find some normalcy, Coal isn’t afraid to bend the rules, even when his escapades end with him drunkenly making out with a random dark stranger in a bar alley after some devastating news breaks.

His attempts to escape are soon quelled by his father when Coal, his brother and his best friend Iris are brought together for Christmas kick-off festivities. Coal is shocked to discover that his father has decreed that he is to marry Iris. This whole situation is bound to end in disaster, given that his brother is secretly in love with Iris. When Halloween unexpectedly shows up with their own suitor for Iris, Coal is at a loss. His rival is the Prince of Halloween, who also happens to be the stranger he made out with behind that bar. This messy situation keeps devolving, leading Coal and his friends to have to fight for what their holidays and they themselves deserve.

Adventures in Carsonia

- Bill Leave a comment

Reliable, dependable, and comforting when not on prolonged vacations, Johnny Carson tucked a nation of millions in for three decades.  “The Prince” stuffed his hands in his pockets and cornerstoned his career as the impish smirking naughty kid.  He constructed a godlike level of cool, descending from his everyman persona. The key?  His unabashed knack for self-deprecation, routinely forking over his dignity for the audience.  And they revered him for it.  It was funnier when the joke didn’t work, and when he skewered his failed nuptials.  Johnny was in on the joke, contrary to all the prior self-serious talking heads.

When I thought I had enjoyed the definitive tell-all of Johnny, lo and behold Carson the Magnificent came out this past November.   You get to hear the origins of everything….from the pantomimed golf swing to the iconic “heeeeere’s Johnny.”  And then there’s experienced pitchman Ed, gameshow host and emcee with the boisterous guffaw, second only to that Dick Clark kid.  Fun fact: fans expected Johnny to be diminutive, since he always stood next to his 6’ 4” WWII Naval Aviator second banana.

At times the late author Bill Zehme desperately wants you to know he had a high SAT verbal score.  And I guess that’s okay for the New Yorker crowd.  We learn when you get past the starlets and palatial estates he was just a journeyman Nebraska magician with a ca-ca eating grin.  His mother’s cold-hearted cruelty ruined his adult relationships.  After a couple drinks, he inherited this maternal trait.    And when he said he was done, he meant it.

Not to belabor the point, but sample the magic Monday through Friday on antenna tv WQAD 8.2 at 9PM.  And Saturdays at 10p!

Bad Behavior has blocked 3016 access attempts in the last 7 days.