Category: Read-a-likes

Black Queer Horror Titles

- Stephanie Leave a comment

I’m not a horror person (horror movies make me jump out of my skin), but recently I have been gravitating towards more queer horror books. For some reason, I can manage these! I’ve selected a list of young adult and adult horror titles published in 2024 and before. This list features black queer main characters fighting against monsters and the system that they live.

At the time of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions provided by the publisher.

The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington

Devon is always being left behind by her genius twin sister, Drew. At this point, it’s a fact of life. But Devon has one last plan before Drew leaves for college a whole year early—The Best Summer Ever. After committing to the bit a little too much, the twins and their chaotic circle of friends learn why you don’t ever mess with a Ouija board if you want to actually survive the Best Summer Ever, and soon find themselves being hunted down by…a demon?

But while there’s no mistaking the creeping, venomous figure is not from around here, their method doesn’t feel very demonic at all. In fact, it’s downright human—going after them in typical slasher movie kill order. And that means Devon, the blonde, is up first and her decade-long crush, Yaya, is the Final Girl who must kill or be killed to end the cycle.

Devon has never liked playing by anyone else’s rules though, not even a demon’s, and the longer this goes on, the more she feels Drew and Yaya slipping away from her even as she tries to help them all survive. Can they use their horror movie knowledge to flip the script and become the hunters instead of the hunted? Or will their best summer ever be their last? – Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Model Home by Rivers Solomon

The three Maxwell siblings keep their distance from the lily-white gated enclave outside Dallas where they grew up. When their family moved there, they were the only Black family in the neighborhood. The neighbors acted nice enough, but right away bad things, scary things—the strange and the unexplainable—began to happen in their house. Maybe it was some cosmic trial, a demonic rite of passage into the upper-middle class. Whatever it was, the Maxwells, steered by their formidable mother, stayed put, unwilling to abandon their home, terrors and trauma be damned.

As adults, the siblings could finally get away from the horrors of home, leaving their parents all alone in the house. But when news of their parents’ death arrives, Ezri is forced to return to Texas with their sisters, Eve and Emanuelle, to reckon with their family’s past and present, and to find out what happened while they were away. It was not a “natural” death for their parents . . . but was it supernatural?

Rivers Solomon turns the haunted-house story on its head, unearthing the dark legacies of segregation and racism in the suburban American South. Unbridled, raw, and daring, Model Home is the story of secret histories uncovered, and of a queer family battling for their right to live, grieve, and heal amid the terrors of contemporary American life. – MCD

The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptiste

In a country divided between humans and witchers, Venus Stoneheart hustles as a brewer making illegal love potions to support her family.

Love potions is a dangerous business. Brewing has painful, debilitating side effects, and getting caught means death or a prison sentence. But what Venus is most afraid of is the dark, sentient magic within her.

Then an enemy’s iron bullet kills her mother, Venus’s life implodes. Keeping her reckless little sister Janus safe is now her responsibility. When the powerful Grand Witcher, the ruthless head of her coven, offers Venus the chance to punish her mother’s killer, she has to pay a steep price for revenge. The cost? Brew poisonous potions to enslave D.C.’s most influential politicians.

As Venus crawls deeper into the corrupt underbelly of her city, the line between magic and power blurs, and it’s hard to tell who to trust…Herself included.

The Poisons We Drink is a potent YA debut about a world where love potions are weaponized against hate and prejudice, sisterhood is unbreakable, and self-love is life and death. – Sourcebooks

Something Kindred by Ciera Burch

Welcome to Coldwater. Come for the ghosts, stay for the drama.

Jericka Walker had planned to spend the summer before senior year soaking up the sun with her best friend on the Jersey Shore. Instead she finds herself in Coldwater, Maryland, a small town with a dark and complicated past where her estranged grandmother lives—someone she knows only two things about: her name and the fact that she left Jericka’s mother and uncle when they were children. But now Jericka’s grandmother is dying, and her mother has dragged Jericka along to say goodbye.

As Jericka attempts to form a connection with a woman she’s never known, and adjusts to life in a town where everything closes before dinner, she meets “ghost girl” Kat, a girl eager to leave Coldwater and more exciting than a person has any right to be. But Coldwater has a few unsettling secrets of its own. The more you try to leave, the stronger the town’s hold. As Jericka feels the chilling pull of her family’s past, she begins to question everything she thought she knew about her mother, her childhood, and the lines between the living and the dead. – Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)

Tender Beasts by Liselle Sambury

Sunny Behre has four siblings, but only one is a murderer.

With the death of Sunny’s mother, matriarch of the wealthy Behre family, Sunny’s once picture-perfect life is thrown into turmoil. Her mother had groomed her to be the family’s next leader, so Sunny is confused when the only instructions her mother leaves is a mysterious note: “Take care of Dom.”

The problem is, her youngest brother, Dom, has always been a near-stranger to Sunny…and seemingly a dangerous one, if found guilty of his second-degree murder charge. Still, Sunny is determined to fulfill her mother’s dying wish. But when a classmate is gruesomely murdered, and Sunny finds her brother with blood on his hands, her mother’s simple request becomes a lot more complicated. Dom swears he’s innocent, and although Sunny isn’t sure she believes him, she takes it upon herself to look into the murder—made all the more urgent by the discovery of another body. And another.

As Sunny and Dom work together to track down the culprit, Sunny realizes her other siblings have their own dark secrets. Soon she may have to choose: preserve the family she’s always loved or protect the brother she barely knows—and risk losing everything her mother worked so hard to build. – Margaret K. McElderry Books

Books published in 2023 and before

Readalikes for The Crash by Freida McFadden

- Stephanie Leave a comment

If you’ve been online lately, you may have noticed Freida McFadden gaining popularity amongst psychological thriller readers. A common theme I have noticed in her books is that just when you think you know the end, she adds a twist that surprises us all. Her latest book, The Crash, was released in January 2025. Interested in what this book is about? Check out the description below.

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn’t realize she’s heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she’s made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn’t right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn’t what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child. – Sourcebooks

If you’re anxiously waiting for a copy of McFadden’s latest book, The Crash, we’ve curated a list of books by other authors that are similar to tide you over. These books have been published between 2025 and 2023.

All books listed below are owned by the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Welcome to Eris: an island with only one house, one inhabitant, one way out. Unreachable from the Scottish mainland for twelve hours each day.

Once home to Vanessa: A famous artist whose notoriously unfaithful husband disappeared twenty years ago.

Now home to Grace: A solitary creature of the tides, content in her own isolation.

But when a shocking discovery is made in an art gallery far away in London, a visitor comes calling.

And the secrets of Eris threaten to emerge…. – Mariner Books

The Business Trip by Jessie Garcia

IT WAS THEIR CHANCE TO GET AWAY, NOT GO AWAY . . . FOREVER.

Stephanie and Jasmine have nothing and everything in common. The two women don’t know each other but have boarded the same plane. Stephanie is on a business trip and Jasmine is fleeing an abusive relationship.

After a few days, they text their friends the same exact messages about the same man—soon, the messages become stranger and more erratic. And then the two women vanish. The texts go silent, red flags go up, and panic sets in.

When Stephanie and Jasmine are each declared missing and in danger, it begs the question: Who is Trent McCarthy? What did he do to these women—or what did they do to him?

Twist upon twist, layer upon layer, nothing is as it seems. The Business Trip takes you on a descent into the depths of a mastermind manipulator. But who is playing whom? – St. Martin’s Press

Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda

Her father was the town detective. Her mother its most notorious criminal. Now the secrets of Mirror Lake are coming to the surface…and changing everything.

When Hazel Sharp, daughter of Mirror Lake’s longtime local detective, unexpectedly inherits her childhood home, she’s warily drawn back to the town—and people—she left behind almost a decade earlier. But Hazel’s not the only relic of the past to return: a drought has descended on the region, and as the water level in the lake drops, long-hidden secrets begin to emerge…including evidence that may help finally explain the mystery of her mother’s disappearance. – Simon & Schuster / Marysue Rucci Books

Has Anyone Seen Charlotte Salter? by Nicci French

On the day of Alec Salter’s fiftieth birthday party, his wife, Charlotte, vanishes. Most of the small English village of Glensted is at the party for hours before anyone realizes she is missing. While Alec brushes off her disappearance, their four children—especially fifteen-year-old Etty—grow increasingly anxious as the cold winter hours become days and she doesn’t return. Then Etty and her friend Morgan find the body of Morgan’s father—and the Salters’ neighbor— Duncan Ackerley, floating in the river. The police conclude that Duncan and Charlotte were having an affair before he killed her and committed suicide.

Thirty years later, Morgan Ackerley returns to Glensted with his older brother to make a podcast based on their shared tragedy with the Salters. Alec, stricken with dementia, is entering an elder care facility while Etty helps put his affairs in order. But when the Ackerleys ask to interview the Salters, the entire town gets caught up in the unresolved cases.

Allegations fly, secrets come to light, and a suspicious fire leads to a murder. With the podcast making national news, London sends Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor to Glensted to take over the investigation. She will stop at nothing to uncover the truth as a new and terrifying picture of what really happened to Charlotte Salter and Duncan Ackerley emerges. – William Morrow Paperbacks

A Killing Cold by Kate Alice Marshall

A whirlwind romance.
When Theodora Scott met Connor—wealthy, charming, and a member of the powerful Dalton family—she fell in love in an instant. Six months later, he’s brought her to Idlewood, his family’s isolated winter retreat, to win over his skeptical relatives.

Stay away from Connor Dalton.
Theo has tried to ignore the threatening messages on her phone, but she can’t ignore the footprints in the snow outside the cabin window or the strange sense of familiarity she has about this place. Then, in a disused cabin, Theo finds something impossible: a photo of herself as a child. A photo taken at Idlewood.

I’ve been here before.
Theo has almost no recollection of her earliest years, but now she begins to piece together the fragments of her memories. Someone here has a shocking secret that they will do anything to keep hidden, and Theo is in terrible danger. Because the Daltons do not lose, and discovering what happened at Idlewood may cost Theo everything. – Flatiron Books

The Last Days of Kira Mullan by Nicci French

Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she’ll do anything to get back to normal. She and her partner Felix—who has been a saint through her recent troubles—move into a new flat for a fresh start.

Nancy is taking her pills, seeing her therapist, and avoiding unnecessary stress. She’s doing absolutely everything right, but something is still very, very wrong. On the first day in the new flat, she hears them again; the mysterious voices that triggered her first episode. It could just be the unfamiliar sounds of water in the pipes, or the screaming baby across the hall, but deep down she knows something more sinister is going on. Her fears are confirmed when the young woman in the downstairs flat, Kira, is found dead. Felix, her neighbors, and even the police insist it’s a tragic suicide, but the pieces aren’t adding up for Nancy. Can she trust her own instincts, or is it all in her head?

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Maud O’Connor has misgivings about her colleagues’ investigation of Kira’s death. The boys club at the top seems intent on closing the case as quickly as possible, especially since the only person who thinks it could be anything other than suicide is known to be unreliable. But Maud knows what it’s like to be dismissed as an overemotional woman and isn’t so quick to discount Nancy’s claims. As tensions reach an explosive breaking point, the line between fact and delusion becomes dangerously blurred, but Maud will stop at nothing to ensure that the truth comes to light. – William Morrow Paperbacks

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

What if you thought you murdered your best friend? And if everyone else thought so too? And what if the truth doesn’t matter?

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life.

But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast “Listen for the Lie,” and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it.

The truth is out there, if we just listen. – Celadon Books

No One Can Know by Kate Alice Marshall

Fourteen years ago, the Palmer sisters—Emma, Juliette, and Daphne—left their home in Arden Hills and never returned. But when Emma discovers she’s pregnant and her husband loses his job, she has no option but to return to the house that she and her estranged sisters still own . . . and where their parents were murdered.

Emma has never told anyone what she saw the night her parents died, even when she became the prime suspect. But her presence in the house threatens to uncover secrets that have stayed hidden for years, and the sisters are drawn together once again. As they face their memories of the past, rivalries restart, connections are forged, and, for the first time, Emma starts to ask questions about what really happened that night.

The more Emma learns, the more riddles emerge. And Emma begins to wonder just what her siblings will do to keep the past buried, and whether she did the right thing staying quiet about what was whispered that night: “No one can know.” – Flatiron Books

A Very Bad Thing by JT Ellison

A great writer knows when to deliver a juicy plot twist. But for one author, the biggest twist of all is her own murder.

With twenty hit titles, and a highly anticipated movie tie-in, celebrated novelist Columbia Jones is at the top of her game. Fans around the world adore her. But on the final night of her latest book tour, one face in the crowd makes the author collapse. And by the next morning, she’s lying dead in a pool of blood.

Columbia’s death shocks the world and leaves Darian, her daughter and publicist, reeling. The police have nothing to go on—at first. But then details emerge, pointing to the author’s illicit past. Turns out many people had motive to kill Columbia. And with a hungry reporter and frustrated cop on the trail, her secrets won’t stay buried long. But how many lives will they shatter as the truth comes out? – Thomas & Mercer

Similar Books Published in 2024

Similar Books Published in 2023

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 Spirituality Books

- Stephanie Leave a comment

If you’re looking for a book about spirituality, you may be surprised at all the different types of books that fall under this category. If you’re unsure where to start, I recommend you look at our new spirituality books. Below you will find a list of new spirituality books that have just hit our new shelves. If you’re looking for more, don’t hesitate to reach out and ask!

These titles are currently owned by the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions have been provided by the publishers.

Finding God’s Will for Your Life: Discovering the Plans God Has for You by Joyce Meyer

Did you ever dream about what you would be when you grew up? We think naturally about our purpose because God tells us that He created us to do great things. But how do we know when we have truly found God’s calling for our lives? Many people live most of their lives striving to find and follow God’s will but still wondering whether they’ve gotten it right. The many pressures, expectations, and distractions we experience can create confusion and anxiety and cause us to doubt whether we are following God’s will or if He even has a plan for us at all.

Beloved Bible teacher Joyce Meyer invites us on a journey to confidence, freedom, and peace through exploring the wisdom of what the Bible tells us about God’s character and about His love and purpose for us. She also offers practical steps to discovering how to build your trust in God, seek His guidance, and overcome the fear of missing out on His best for you.

If you’re struggling to have confidence that you can hear God’s voice and know what He’s created you to be and do, Finding God’s Will for Your Life will leave you with more peace and more confidence to live joyfully in God’s love and walk the path He has for you. – FaithWords

In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife by Sebastian Junger

A near-fatal health emergency leads to this powerful reflection on death—and what might follow—by the bestselling author of Tribe and The Perfect Storm.

For years as an award-winning war reporter, Sebastian Junger traveled to many front lines and frequently put his life at risk. And yet the closest he ever came to death was the summer of 2020 while spending a quiet afternoon at the New England home he shared with his wife and two young children. Crippled by abdominal pain, Junger was rushed to the hospital by ambulance. Once there, he began slipping away. As blackness encroached, he was visited by his dead father, inviting Junger to join him. “It’s okay,” his father said. “There’s nothing to be scared of. I’ll take care of you.” That was the last thing Junger remembered until he came to the next day when he was told he had suffered a ruptured aneurysm that he should not have survived.

This experience spurred Junger—a confirmed atheist raised by his physicist father to respect the empirical—to undertake a scientific, philosophical, and deeply personal examination of mortality and what happens after we die. How do we begin to process the brutal fact that any of us might perish unexpectedly on what begins as an ordinary day? How do we grapple with phenomena that science may be unable to explain? And what happens to a person, emotionally and spiritually, when forced to reckon with such existential questions?

In My Time of Dying is part medical drama, part searing autobiography, and part rational inquiry into the ultimate unknowable mystery. – Simon & Schuster

Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart by Brian D McLaren

A deeply insightful exploration of how to live with wisdom, resilience and love in our turbulent times

For the last quarter-century, author and activist Brian D. McLaren has been writing at the intersection of religious faith and contemporary culture. In Life After Doom, he engages with the catastrophic failure of both our religious and political leaders to address the dominant realities of our time: ecological overshoot, economic injustice, and the increasing likelihood of civilizational collapse. McLaren defines doom as the “un-peaceful, uneasy, unwanted feeling” that “we humans have made a mess of our civilization and our planet, and not enough of us seem to care enough to change deeply enough or quickly enough to save ourselves.”

Blending insights from philosophers, poets, scientists, and theologians, Life After Doom explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times. If you want to help yourself, your family, and the communities to which you belong to find courage and resilience for the deeply challenging times that are upon us — this is the book you need right now. – St. Martin’s Essentials

The False White Gospel: Rejecting Christian Nationalism, Reclaiming True Faith, and Refounding Democracy by Jim Wallis

It is time says Jim Wallis, to call out genuine faith—specifically the “Christian” in White Christian Nationalism—inviting all who can be persuaded to reject and help dismantle a false gospel that propagates white supremacy and autocracy. We need–to raise up the faith of all of us, and help those who are oblivious, stuck, and captive to the ideology and idolatry of White Christian Nationalism that is leading us to such great danger. Wallis turns our attention to six iconic texts at the heart of what genuine biblical faith means and what Jesus, in the gospels, has called us to do. It is time to ask anew: do we believe these teachings or not?

This book isn’t only for Christians but for all faith traditions, and even those with no faith at all. When we see a civic promotion of fear, hate, and violence for the trajectory of our politics, we need a civic faith of love, healing, and hope to defeat it. And that must involve all of us–religious or not. Learning to practice a politics of neighbor love will be central to the future of democracy in America. And more than ever, the words of Jesus ring, “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – St. Martin’s Essentials

More New Spirituality Books

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 Picture Book Spotlight: Friendship Reads

- Brittany Leave a comment

Happy February! In February, I usually read books about love or hugging and kissing. This year, I wanted to focus on the people that get us through this crazy and beautiful life, our friends. February is centered around love but it is also centered around friendship and who doesn’t love a good story about friends?! Below are the titles that I am sharing in my storytime outreach stops!

You Will Be My Friend
by Peter Brown

Lucy wakes up excited, today is the day that she will make a new friend! After sharing her big news with her mom, Lucy sets out on her journey through the forest to find a new friend who will do cartwheels, have a picnic, climb trees, go swimming, and have a dance party with her! After many unsuccessful attempts at making friends, Lucy is about to give up when she is greeted with an unexpected friend!

Peter Brown is so popular right now with his hit The Wild Robot becoming a box office smash! This story not only highlights Brown’s artistic talent but also how he can make a reader feel all emotions in one sitting! I highly recommend this title and really, honestly, anything written by Peter Brown is going to be absolute gold!

My Best Friend
by Rob Hodgson

Mouse introduces readers to his very best friend, Owl. Owl is so attentive, making sure that Mouse is always fed and is always there when Mouse needs him. In fact, sometimes, Owl is there even when Mouse doesn’t need him. Sometimes Mouse just wants some space and alone time. Oh well, I guess that is what happens when you have a very best friend, they are just always there for you.

This tongue in cheek book has grownups snickering while explaining to children the circle of life. Don’t worry, no mice were harmed in the creation of this book.

 

Fiona’s Friends
by Dr. John Hutton, photographs by Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Fiona, the adorable hippo calf introduces readers to all of her little friends living in the Cincinnati Zoo in this short board book. Young readers will have the opportunity to identify animals that they know (tigers, cheetahs) and meet some less known animals as well!

The photographs in this short story are adorable! My favorite part is at the end, there is a wrap up of all of the baby animals the readers met in the story to help associate names and animals.

Flora and Friends ABC
by Molly Idle

Join the adorable Flora as she introduces readers to the ABC’s through birds! This beautifully illustrated lift and flap book engages readers young and less young!

As I share this story with my partners, it is fun to see the teachers also get excited. We have also learned about some new birds together! Did you know that there is an umbrella bird? So cute!

 

 

Let’s Be Friends
by Leah Osakwe, illustrated by Becky Paige

Friends make everything better. In this beautiful board book, follow children as they share all of the amazing ways friends make the world brighter.

With colorful illustrations, my storytime kiddos have really enjoyed this title!

 

My Best Friend is a Giraffe
by Siân Roberts

In this touch and feel book, young readers are able to engage with the book while learning about Giraffe’s characteristics.

While reading this title, we discussed opposites while touching the different textures on the pages. This is a quick read and very cute!

 

Making a Friend 
by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Alison Friend

Beaver is great at making things. Exhibit A: he made his own lodge! Exhibit B: he constructed a slide outside of the lodge leading directly into the lake. Exhibit C: he knitted his own stripy socks! What Beaver struggles with is making a friend. For some reason, he has a hard time connecting with others. One day, Beaver decides that he is going to make a friend out of snow and enlists Raccoon for help.

This is a wonderful story of friendship and a great life lesson. Sometimes it just takes connecting with one person to create a bond that lasts a lifetime.

My New Friend is so Fun!
by Mo Willems

Gerald and Snake become really concerned that their best friends are hanging out without them. At first it is totally fine, Brian the Bat is super great and so is Piggie, then all of a sudden, Gerald and Snake begin to worry that their best friends will decide that they have more fun with each other than they do with Gerald and Snake. Intent to put a stop to this new friendship, Gerald and Snake are met with a surprise!

I love Elephant and Piggie books. I love narrating them and I love the joy that they spark in young people!

 

 

Have you read any of these titles? I would love to hear about what you thought of them in the comments!

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!

Queer Cozy and Traditional Mysteries

- Stephanie Leave a comment

What’s on your to-read list? I have quite a long list of queer mysteries that I’ve either discovered through review journals or have been recommended to me by friends. I have gathered up a list of recently published queer cozy and traditional mysteries, all first in series, to share with you all. Let me know in the comments if you have read any of these titles or of any queer mysteries that you have enjoyed!

All the items in the list are owned by the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions provided by the publishers.

A Killing in Costumes by Zac Bissonnette (Book 1 in Hollywood Treasures Mystery series)

Jay Allan and Cindy Cooper were soap opera stars in the late ’90s, a wholesome young husband-and-wife duo who combined musical talent with humor and charisma. When the truth about their sexual orientations came to light, their marriage and TV careers ended, but decades later they have remained friends. Together, they open Palm Springs’ chicest movie memorabilia store, Hooray for Hollywood–but no customers and dwindling finances spell trouble.

A Hail Mary arrives in the form of Yana Tosh, a ninety-year-old diva of the silver screen who has amassed a valuable collection of costumes and props and is looking to sell. But first, Jay and Cindy have to beat their competition, a vice president from a mega-auction house with ten times their resources. And when he winds up dead, they become prime suspects in the murder.

With their freedom and livelihoods on the line, Jay and Cindy desperately need to clear their names. There are plenty of other potential suspects, but they’ll have to solve it soon before they’re forced to trade in their vintage costume collection for two orange jumpsuits. – Crooked Lane Books

Board to Death by C.J. Connor (Book 1 in Board Game Shop Mystery series)

Back in his hometown of Sugar House running his family’s board game shop and café, Ben Rosencrantz just can’t seem to get his life to pass go, much less collect $200. Once he was a happily married English professor in Seattle. Now he’s a divorced caregiver, looking after his ill father and a Chihuahua named Beans while still figuring out the rules of retail management. At least the town has become more LGBTQ+ friendly than when Ben was a teenager—and that flower shop owner, Ezra McCaslin, enjoys flirting with him.

But despite his usual clientele of gamers, Ben is barely earning enough to keep the store running and stay on top of his father’s medical bills. Then a local toy and game collector named Clive offers him a winning strategy—to purchase a turn-of-the-twentieth-century edition of The Landlord’s Game, the realty and taxation game that inspired Monopoly, at a tenth of the rare edition’s true value. Suspicious of Clive’s shady, low-priced deal, Ben turns the offer down.

Then Clive turns up dead at the front door of Ben’s and a backpack full of $100 bills appears on his doorstep. Now Ben is the #1 suspect in Clive’s death, and unless he and Ezra can prove his innocence and find the real killer, he’ll go to jail for murder—and no amount of double dice rolls will set him free . . . – Kensington Cozies

Death Drop by Greg Herren (Book 1 in Killer Queen Mystery series)

Glam artist Jem Richard loved making New Orleans’ society mavens feel beautiful-but doesn’t like being stiffed. He reluctantly agrees to help with the make-up for the fall fashion show for the House of Mercereau, but demands payment up front after what happened the last time-when designer Marigny Mercereau’s check bounced. But no one warned him before he arrives, brushes and make-up palettes in hand, that the models he’ll be working on are drag queens! Pressed into service when one of the queens doesn’t show Jim wows the crowds and slays his fellow queens with his style and presentation on the runway. But between trips down the runway (and tequila shots for courage), Jim starts noticing bits and pieces of conversations and arguments showing all is not well behind the scenes of the House of Mercereau, and everyone seems to want Marigny dead. When her body is discovered the next morning, Jim finds himself in the sites of a killer! Jim puts on his best Shirley Holmes deerstalker cap and starts tracing the clues to help that handsome police detective-who may or may not be flirting with him-catch the killer before the killer catches Jem. – Provided by publisher.

Devil’s Chew Toy by Rob Osler (Book 1 in Hayden & Friends series)

Seattle teacher and part-time blogger Hayden McCall wakes sporting one hell of a shiner, with the police knocking at his door. It seems that his new crush, dancer Camilo Rodriguez, has gone missing and they suspect foul play. What happened the night before? And where is Camilo?

Determined to find answers, pint-sized, good-hearted Hayden seeks out two of Camilo’s friends—Hollister and Burley—both lesbians and both fiercely devoted to their friend. From them, Hayden learns that Camilo is a “Dreamer” whose parents had been deported years earlier, and whose sister, Daniela, is presumed to have returned to Venezuela with them. Convinced that the cops won’t take a brown boy’s disappearance seriously, the girls join Hayden’s hunt for Camilo.

The first clues turn up at Barkingham Palace, a pet store where Camilo had taken a part-time job. The store’s owner, Della Rupert, claims ignorance, but Hayden knows something is up. And then there’s Camilo’s ex-boyfriend, Ryan, who’s suddenly grown inexplicably wealthy. When Hayden and Hollister follow Ryan to a secure airport warehouse, they make a shocking connection between him and Della—and uncover the twisted scheme that’s made both of them rich.

The trail of clues leads them to the grounds of a magnificent estate on an island in Puget Sound, where they’ll finally learn the truth about Camilo’s disappearance—and the fate of his family. – Crooked Lane Books

Renovated to Death by Frank Anthony Polito (Book 1 in Domestic Partners in Crime mystery series)

Real-life domestic partners and stars and producers of the new hit reality home renovation show Domestic Partners, bestselling mystery author Peter “PJ” Penwell and actor JP Broadway are enjoying work and life in their sleepy Detroit suburb of Pleasant Woods—until a suspicious death makes an unscripted appearance…

After a successful first season of Domestic Partners chronicling the renovation of their historic Craftsman Colonial, Peter and JP are taking on a renovation of a local Tudor Revival inherited by identical twin brothers Terry and Tom Cash. But linoleum floors and a pink-tiled bathroom aren’t the only unwelcome surprises awaiting inside the house…

Just as the show is set to start filming, Peter and JP discover Tom Cash dead at the foot of the house’s staircase. And when the police ruling changes from accidental death to homicide, the list of suspects grows fast. Could the killer be the crabby next-door-neighbor, the Realtor ex-boyfriend, the bartender ex-boyfriend, the other, much younger, ex-boyfriend, or even renovation-reluctant brother, Terry? And what’s that awful smell coming from the basement? Now Peter’s mystery writer skills, and JP’s experience as the former star of a cop show, will be put to the test—as will their relationship while they uncover the secrets of the house and its owners. With a killer on the loose, this is one fixer upper that may prove deadly… – Kensington

The Body in the Back Garden by Mark Waddell (Book 1 in Crescent Cove Mystery series)

Crescent Cove, a small hamlet on Vancouver Island, is the last place out-of-work investigative journalist Luke Tremblay ever wanted to see again. He used to spend summers here, until his family learned that he was gay and rejected him. Now, following his aunt’s sudden death, he’s inherited her entire estate, including her seaside cottage and the antiques shop she ran for forty years in Crescent Cove. Luke plans to sell everything and head back to Toronto as soon as he can…but Crescent Cove isn’t done with him just yet.

When a stranger starts making wild claims about Luke’s aunt, Luke sends him packing. The next morning, though, Luke discovers that the stranger has returned, and now he’s lying dead in the back garden. To make matters worse, the officer leading the investigation is a handsome Mountie with a chip on his shoulder who seems convinced that Luke is the culprit. If he wants to prove his innocence and leave this town once and for all, Luke will have to use all his skills as a journalist to investigate the colorful locals while coming to terms with his own painful past.

There are secrets buried in Crescent Cove, and the more Luke digs, the more he fears they might change the town forever. – Crooked Lane Books

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Ruta Sepetys’s latest book, The Bletchley Riddle, is a middle grade historical fiction written with Steve Sheinkin. The cover caught my eye, but the description hooked me even further.

It’s summer 1940 and fourteen-year-old Lizzie Novis has found herself in a quandry. Her grandmother is determined to ship Lizzie from London back to Ohio to live with her, but Lizzie has other plans and believes her nineteen-year-old brother Jakob can help her. They have a shared love of puzzles and riddles, something that Lizzie believes is the key to her current problem.

Jakob is working at Bletchley Park, one of Britain’s codebreaking factories. He is currently working to crack Germany’s Enigma cipher, which isn’t going well. When he is summoned to pick up Lizzie, Jakob is not pleased. When he discovers that Lizzie will also be working at Bletchley Park, he is even more concerned as Lizzie isn’t one to follow rules and the Official Secrets Act binds everyone at Bletchley. Jakob is right to be concerned as Lizzie is determined to solve her own problem: the disappearance of their mother. They have been told that their mother died in Poland, but that story doesn’t seem believable to her at all. When codes and messages start arriving addressed to Jakob and Lizzie, she actively begins searching. Add in a mysterious investigator who is threatening Jakob and Lizzie and her hackles are up. Someone isn’t telling the truth and Lizzie isn’t having any of that. Jakob and Lizzie soon start deciphering codes at work and outside of work as they race to find answers.

What hooked me is that The Bletchley Riddle is told from both Jakob and Lizzie’s points of view. Having dual points of view showcases the emotions each character is feeling as well as their motivations for behaving the way they do. Given the differences in age, gender, and interests between the two characters and this book certainly lends itself relatable and readable to readers of all types! This is one title that I would love to see made into a series! The ending certainly leads itself that way.

This title is also available in large print and as a Playaway audiobook.

January 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 January 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!

Online Reading Challenge

Stephanie has a new amazing theme this year for our annual Online Reading Challenge (ORC). For those new to ORC, this is a low stakes, high fun reading challenge that allows members to participate from the comfort of their own home and consume whatever they would like just as long as it fits the monthly prompt. This challenge originated in this blog and has since grown to also be available through beanstack!

This year, the theme is GENRES. Below are the themes for each month as well as a reading suggestion! Make sure to tell us what you are reading each month! We want to know!

January: Literary fiction – On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
February:  Mystery – The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex
March: Biographical Fiction – The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris
April: Coming of Age/Bildungsroman – The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
May: Graphic Novel – Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
June:  Queer Fiction – Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
July: Domestic Fiction – All This Could Be Yours by Jami Attenberg
August: Classic – Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin
September: Young Adult Literature – The Cousins by Karen McManus
October:  Fantasy – She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker Chan
November: Detective/Crime Fiction – The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie R King
December: Historical Fiction – Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez 

Cold Weather Reads

As we cozy up inside and outside begins (allegedly) to cool down, we compiled a list of titles that will chill you to the bone! 

Beth’s Books:
The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
Blankets by Craig Thompson

Brittany’s Books: 
Goodbye Autumn, Hello Winter by Kenard Pak
Wilfred by Ryan T. Higgins
Snow Falls by Kate Gardner

Stephanie’s Books:
Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes
A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke
Only One Survives by Hannah Mary McKinnon
The Gathering by Anne Enright
The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon
The Prospectors by Ariel Djanikian

2025 Rock Island Arsenal Series

Join us for a monthly lecture series commemorating the 250th anniversary of the creation of the United States Army in 1775. All talks in this series are presented by a member of Army Sustainment Command’s Office of the Historian, based on the Arsenal

This program is jointly hosted by the Davenport Public Library and the Rock Island Public Library. If you are unable to attend the Davenport Public Library’s session, another session will be offered earlier in the day at 2:00 PM at Rock Island Public Library.

Below are the themes and dates for this year!

January 8th, 2025: Foundations of the Nation and the Revolutionary War
February 12th, 2025: 1784 – 1860: A New Nation, A New Army
March 12th, 2025: 1861 – 1865: The Army and the Civil War
April 9th, 2025: 1866 – 1917: The Army as an Expeditionary Force
May 14th, 2025: The Army and a World at War
June 11th, 2025: The Interwar: Downsizing & Celebration of the Army
August 13th, 2025: World War II, Reorganization, and the Dawn of the Atomic Age
September 10th, 2025: 1949 – 1975: The Army in East Asia
October 8th, 2025: DESERT SHIELD & DESERT STORM
November 12th, 2025: Building the Army of the Future

2025 New Releases and Favorite Reads from 2024!

A new year brings new books to get excited about! Brittany, Beth, and Stephanie discussed titles that they are excited for that are publishing this year and reminisced over some of their favorite reads of the past year!

Beth’s Favorite Read from 2024:
Last Entry Point: Stories of Danger and Death in the Boundary Waters by Joe Friedriches

Brittany’s Favorite Reads from 2024:
The Long Game by Elena Armas
Summertime Punchline by Betty Corello
Funny Story by Emily Henry
Don’t Forget to Write by Sara Goodman Confino
Love You a Latke by Amanda Elliot

Brittany’s 2025 Excitement:
Ride with Me by Simone Saltani (second book in the Lights Out Series)
32 Days in May by Betty Corrello
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry

Stephanie’s Favorite Reads from 2024:
Weyward by Emilia Hart
Heartstopper (all volumes) by Alice Osman
Assistant to the Villain Series by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard (5 star nonfiction read! If you follow our discussions, this is a big deal!)

Stephanie’s 2025 Excitement:
Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave by Elle Cosimano (fifth book in the Finlay Donovan Series)
Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (third book in the Assistant to the Villain Series)
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (.5 in The Hunger Games Series)

Board Game and Puzzle Collection!

As it gets cold, people are finding themselves indoors more often. We are here to help beat the cabin fever and winter boredom with our robust board game and puzzle collection at each Davenport Public Library branch! In this episode, Beth, Brittany, and Stephanie each selected a board game and talked about why each sounded appealing! 

Stephanie’s Suggestion:
Hues and Cues

Beth’s Suggestion:
The Floor is Lava

Brittany’s Suggestion:
The Settlers of Catan

2024 Goodreads Choice Award Winners:

Below are the winning titles of 2024! Have you read any??

Fiction – The Wedding People by Alison Espach
Historical Fiction – The Women by Kristin Hannah
Mystery & Thriller – The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Romance – Funny Story by Emily Henry (AND Audiobook – Funny Story by Emily Henry)
Romantasy – House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J. Maas
Fantasy – Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune
Science Fiction – The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
Horror – You Like It Darker: Stories by Stephen King
Debut Novel – How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang
Young Adult Fantasy – Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Young Adult Fiction – Heartstopper: Volume 5 by Alice Oseman
Nonfiction – The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt
Memoir – The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop
History & Biography – The Bookshop: The History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

What Our Hosts Read In November

Beth’s Reads:
Navigate Your Stars by Jesmyn Ward
New Kid by Jerry Craft
Hey Kiddo: How I Lost My Mother, Found My Father, and Dealt with Family Addiction by Jarrett Krosoczka
What is a Girl Worth?: My Story of Breaking the Silence and Exposing the Truth About Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics by Rachel Denhollander
The Less People Know About Us: A Mystery of Betrayal, Family Secrets, and Stolen Identity by Axton Betz-Hamilton

Stephanie’s Reads:
The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen, narrated by Nicol Zanzarella (second book in the Hart and Mercy Series)
Polar Vortex: A Family Memoir by Denise Dorrance
Games Untold by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, narrated by Christie Moreau, Maxwell Hamilton, and Juliette Goglia (4.5 in The Inheritance Games Series)
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune, narrated by Daniel Henning (second book in the Cerulean Chronicles)
Dinner for Vampires: Life on a Cult TV Show (While Also in an Actual Cult) by Bethany Joy Lenz, narrated by Bethany Joy Lenz
The Queen of Poisons by Robert Thorogood, narrated by Nicolette McKenzie (third book in Marlow Murder Club Series)
A Winter in New York by Josie Silver
The Singer Sisters by Sarah Seltzer, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, Helen Laser, and Stephanie Németh-Parker

Brittany’s Reads:
The Other Mrs. by Mary Kubica, narrated by Piper Goodeve and Jeremy Arthur
The Girls in Navy Blue by Alix Rickloff, narrated by Dylan Moore and Carlotta Brentan
The Fiancé Dilemma by Elena Armas (second book in the Long Game Series)
Bad Publicity by Bianca Gillam (releases in 2025)
Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler, narrated by Jenna Lamia

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.