Category: Read-a-likes

Online Reading Challenge – August

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Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge is focusing on classics. Our main title for August is Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

In the 1950s Paris of American expatriates, liaisons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality.

David is a young American expatriate who has just proposed marriage to his girlfriend, Hella. While she is away on a trip, David meets a bartender named Giovanni to whom he is drawn in spite of himself. Soon the two are spending the night in Giovanni’s curtainless room, which he keeps dark to protect their privacy. But Hella’s return to Paris brings the affair to a crisis, one that rapidly spirals into tragedy.

David struggles for self-knowledge during one long, dark night—“the night which is leading me to the most terrible morning of my life.” With a sharp, probing imagination, James Baldwin’s now-classic narrative delves into the mystery of loving and creates a deeply moving story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the human heart. – Vintage

Looking for some other classics? Try any of the following.

As always, check each of our locations for displays with lots more titles to choose from!

Nostalgia Reads

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If you’re feeling nostalgic for the past or want to learn more about different decades, check out any of the below nonfiction titles that dive into popular nostalgic items and trends from the last few decades. As of this writing all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions provided by the publishers.

60 Songs that Explain the ’90s by Rob Harvilla

A companion to the #1 music podcast on Spotify, this book takes readers through the greatest hits that define a weirdly undefinable decade.

The 1990s were a chaotic and gritty and utterly magical time for music, a confounding barrage of genres and lifestyles and superstars, from grunge to hip-hop, from sumptuous R&B to rambunctious ska-punk, from Axl to Kurt to Missy to Santana to Tupac to Britney. In 60 SONGS THAT EXPLAIN THE ’90s, Ringer music critic Rob Harvilla reimagines all the earwormy, iconic hits Gen Xers pine for with vivid historical storytelling, sharp critical analysis, rampant loopiness, and wryly personal ruminations on the most bizarre, joyous, and inescapable songs from a decade we both regret entirely and miss desperately. – Twelve

So Gay for You: Friendship, Found Family, & the Show that Started it All by Leisha Hailey and Kate Moennig

An intimate, hilarious memoir of art, friendship, queerness, and found family by Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey, stars of The L Word—including never-before-shared stories and photos from behind the scenes of the show and their personal lives.

“Are you comfortable with nudity?” my manager asked.

In the early 2000s, Kate Moennig and Leisha Hailey—both young artists trying to figure it all out—met at auditions for an unknown little TV show. Given that it was a show about lesbians living in Los Angeles, with the first ever ensemble cast of openly queer female characters, Kate and Leisha knew the project was going to be unlike anything else out there—that is, if it even got picked up.

Then, one million people watched the premiere. The show, which came to be called The L Word, turned into a trailblazing phenomenon. Its influence on pop culture, in the political arena, and in the lives of viewers has been lasting, impactful, even life-saving. And in addition to changing the course of television history, The L Word changed Kate and Leisha’s lives forever. Suddenly, they were the faces of lesbian culture in a society still hostile to queerness. And one of them wasn’t even out yet.

Luckily, they had each other. From their first day on set, Kate and Leisha were so inseparable that the cast joked they were like a pair of pants—you couldn’t have one leg without the other. Hence the name for their branded partnership and podcast, PANTS, launched in 2020 and downloaded over twenty million times.

This friendship has seen Kate and Leisha through their greatest triumphs and most painful moments, stumbling from closeted queer kids to LGBTQ+ activists, actors, podcasters, and business owners. Full of never-before-shared glimpses into the making of The L Word, Kate and Leisha’s real-life loves and losses, and their experiences as queer icons, So Gay for You is a heartfelt, inspiring love letter to a ride or die friendship over the decades, and a testament to the liberating power of chosen family. – St. Martin’s Press

The Genius of Judy: how Judy Blume rewrote Childhood for all of us by Rachelle Bergstein

Everyone knows Judy Blume.

Her books have garnered her fans of all ages for decades and sold tens of millions of copies. But why were people so drawn to them? And why are we still talking about them now in the 21st century?

In The Genius of Judy, her remarkable story is revealed as never before, beginning with her as a mother of two searching for purpose in 1960s suburban New Jersey. The books she wrote starred regular children with genuine thoughts and problems. But behind those deceptively simple tales, Blume explored the pillars of the growing women’s rights movement, in which girls and women were entitled to careers, bodily autonomy, fulfilling relationships, and even sexual pleasure. Blume wasn’t trying to be a revolutionary—she just wanted to tell honest stories—but in doing so, she created a cohesive, culture-altering vision of modern adolescence.

Blume’s bravery provoked backlash, making her the country’s most-banned author in the mid-1980s. Thankfully, her works withstood those culture wars and it’s no coincidence that Blume has resurfaced as a cultural touchstone now. Young girls are still cat-called, sex education curricula are getting dismissed as pornography, and entire shelves of libraries are being banned. As we face these challenges, it’s only natural we look to Blume, the grand dame of so-called dirty books. This is the “ground-breaking” (BookPage) story of how a housewife became an artist, and how generations of empowered fans are her legacy, today more than ever. – Atria/One Signal Publishers

Into Every Generation a Slayer is Born: How Buffy Staked our Hearts by Evan Ross Katz

Explore the history and cultural impact of a groundbreaking television show adored by old and new fans alike: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.Over the course of its seven-year run, Buffy the Vampire Slayer cultivated a loyal fandom and featured a strong, complex female lead, at a time when such a character was a rarity. Evan Ross Katz explores the show’s cultural relevance through a book that is part oral history, part celebration, and part memoir of a personal fandom that has universal resonance still, decades later.

Katz—with the help of the show’s cast, creators, and crew—reveals that although Buffy contributed to important conversations about gender, sexuality, and feminism, it was not free of internal strife, controversy, and shortcomings. Men—both on screen and off—would taint the show’s reputation as a feminist masterpiece, and changing networks, amongst other factors, would drastically alter the show’s tone.

Katz addresses these issues and more, including interviews with stars Sarah Michelle Gellar, Charisma Carpenter, Emma Caulfield, Amber Benson, James Marsters, Anthony Stewart Head, Seth Green, Marc Blucas, Nicholas Brendon, Danny Strong, Tom Lenk, Bianca Lawson, Julie Benz, Clare Kramer, K. Todd Freeman, Sharon Ferguson; and writers Douglas Petrie, Jane Espenson, and Drew Z. Greenberg; as well as conversations with Buffy fanatics and friends of the cast including Stacey Abrams, Cynthia Erivo, Lee Pace, Claire Saffitz, Tavi Gevinson, and Selma Blair.

Into Every Generation a Slayer Is Born engages with the very notion of fandom, and the ways a show like Buffy can influence not only how we see the world but how we exist within it. – Hachette

The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman

It was long ago, but not as long as it seems: The Berlin Wall fell and the Twin Towers collapsed. In between, one presidential election was allegedly decided by Ross Perot while another was plausibly decided by Ralph Nader. Landlines fell to cell phones, the internet exploded, and pop culture accelerated without the aid of technology that remembered everything. It was the last era with a real mainstream to either identify with or oppose. The ’90s brought about a revolution in the human condition, and a shift in consciousness, that we’re still struggling to understand. Happily, Chuck Klosterman is more than up to the job.

In The Nineties, Klosterman dissects the film, the music, the sports, the TV, the pre-9/11 politics, the changes regarding race and class and sexuality, the yin/yang of Oprah and Alan Greenspan, and (almost) everything else. The result is a multidimensional masterpiece, a work of synthesis so smart and delightful that future historians might well refer to this entire period as Klostermanian. – Penguin Books

One in a Millennial: On Friendship, Feelings, Fangirls, and Fitting In by Kate Kennedy

One in a Millennial is an exploration of pop culture, nostalgia, the millennial zeitgeist, and the life lessons learned (for better and for worse) from coming of age as a member of a much-maligned generation.

Kate is a pop culture commentator and host of the popular millennial-focused podcast Be There in Five. Part-funny, part-serious, Kate navigates the complicated nature of celebrating and criticizing the culture that shaped her as a woman, while arguing that great depths can come from surface-level interests.

With her trademark style and vulnerability, One in a Millennial is sharp, hilarious, and heartwarming all at once. She tackles AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, going out tops, Spice Girl feminism, her feelings about millennial motherhood, and more. Kate’s laugh-out-loud asides and keen observations will have you nodding your head and maybe even tearing up. – St. Martin’s Press

Other Nostalgia Reads

A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer by Maxie Dara

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“Life is for making messes, my girl. That’s living. That’s a privilege we only get for maybe eighty years at a go. We’re given this wonderful, beautiful sandbox to play in, and what a waste it is to never try and build something from it, even if the rain sweeps it away in the end.”
― Maxie Dara, A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer

In A Grim Reaper’s Guide to Catching a Killer, author Maxie Dara takes the concept of grim reapers and flips it on its head. This delightful series debut introduces readers to the employees of S.C.Y.T.H.E., also known as Secure Collection, Yielding, and Transportation of Human Essences. These employees are modern day grim reapers without the black cloaks and scythes. Instead they are handled the case files of the recently departed, tasked with finding their souls and delivering them to processing as soon as they can. They must complete their jobs within 45 days or the souls are trapped on Earth, forced to haunt as ghosts.

Kathy Valence is in her early forties going through a divorce from her almost ex-husband Simon. Her job at S.C.Y.T.H.E. is the easiest part of her life, at least until she goes to collect the soul of her latest client, seventeen-year-old Conner Ortiz, and discovers that his soul is missing. Kathy must track down Conner in 45 days, but this proves tricky. When she eventually finds Conner, he is beyond angry. He insists that someone who works with Kathy killed him. Conner refuses to go with Kathy until she figures out who killed him and why.

This series debut was hilarious. Each character’s backstory was fascinating and allowed room for growth in the next books. While this book is billed as a paranormal mystery, that was not the vibe. This book read more as introductions to each of the characters with less focus on the mystery. I would have liked more information about S.C.Y.T.H.E. though! Kathy didn’t know much about how S.C.Y.T.H.E. actually worked, which was a red flag for me, but the ending made it seem like she was interested in finding out. The relationship between Connor and Kathy, plus how Kathy’s coworker Jo played into the story, kept me reading. Solid 4 star read!

Scream for Ice Cream!

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What better way to cool off than by checking out these books about ice cream? (Well, maybe actually eating ice cream, but….) Any time of year is a time for ice cream, so chill out and read these ice cream books pack with cute stories and colorful illustrations! Below you will find a list of board books, picture books, and easy readers. As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Board Book

I’m Your Ice Cream Truck by Hannah Eliot, illustrated by Belinda Chen

From the playground to the library, see all the places your favorite ice cream truck goes in this sweet truck-shaped board book!

I am your ice cream truck!
I deliver sweet treats
that are cold and frosty
and delicious to eat!

Follow along as your ice cream truck makes its way to the playground, the pool, the library, and more! – Little Simon

You’re the Sprinkles on my Ice Cream by Laura Gehl, illustrated by Vanessa Port

This cuddly board book is packed with sweet sayings that will charm young readers—and the big readers who love them!

You’re the sprinkles on my ice cream
You’re the wind that lifts my kite
You’re the twinkle in my nighttime
I will always hold you tight

With delightful text and bright illustrations, this lovey-dovey board book is perfect to read with your little one. – Little Simon

Picture Book

The Ice Cream Vanishes by Julia Sarcone-Roach

Squirrel is an expert at making acorns disappear. But making some ice cream vanish?! “I put it right there! On that hot rock in the sun!” When Squirrel returns with Bear and finds the ice cream gone, they know there is only one explanation—Squirrel is a magician!

Determined to replicate this feat, Squirrel and Bear follow the ice cream truck…and put on a show every forest animal will remember forever.

With a text that begs to be read aloud and lush paintings filled with humor, Julia Sarcone-Roach creates magical mayhem and a story so delicious, kids will be begging for second helpings. – Knopf Books for Young Readers

The Nice Dream Truck by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Brigette Barrager

When bedtime is near, you might be in luck. You might get a visit from the Nice Dream Truck!

Sample your choice of sweet dreams—from astronaut to making-the-shot and more—all served by a truck that flies on moonbeams. You may choose to swim; you may want to fly, there’s an endless assortment of flavors to try!

New York Times bestselling creators Beth Ferry and Brigette Barrager serve up a delightful twist on the lyrical bedtime romp, reminding us that there are as many ways to dream as ice cream flavors to taste. – HarperCollins

Paletero Man by Lucky Diaz, illustrated by Micah Player

A vibrant picture book celebrating the strength of community and the tastes of summer from Latin Grammy-winning musician Lucky Diaz and celebrated artist Micah Player.

Ring! Ring! Ring! Can you hear his call? Paletas for one! Paletas for all!

What’s the best way to cool off on a hot summer day? Run quick and find Paletero José!

Follow along with our narrator as he passes through his busy neighborhood in search of the Paletero Man. But when he finally catches up with him, our narrator’s pockets are empty. Oh no! What happened to his dinero? It will take the help of the entire community to get the tasty treat now.

Full of musicality, generosity, kindness, and ice pops, this book is sure to satisfy fans of Thank You, Omu! and Carmela Full of Wishes.

Includes Spanish words and phrases throughout, an author’s note from Lucky Diaz, and a link to a live version of the Lucky Band’s popular song that inspired the book. – HarperCollins

Pick Me! by Max Amato

Fudge, Mint, Berry, Bean, and Candy each think they are the MOST delicious ice cream cone around. But when Rocky Road arrives to deliver the scoop that “getting picked” means getting eaten, these silly cones earn their just desserts! – Scholastic

 

 

Readers

If I Drove an Ice Cream Truck by Alastair Heim, illustrated by Tom Brannon

The Cat in the Hat imagines driving an ice cream truck with Thing One and Thing Two as his helpers in this hilarious new Beginner Book—and follow-up to If I Were Saint Nick by the Cat in the Hat—that’s perfect for summer reading!

No one’s immune to the jingle of an ice cream truck—even the Cat in the Hat! And in this funny easy-reader, the Cat imagines driving his own. Hop on for a wild ride as he whips up magical Glow Cones that light up, wobbly Shake-a-Lot Shakes with tiny legs, super-cold Slushies that could freeze a swimming pool, and loads more yummy, zany treats!”

A perfect, cheerful choice for summer reading and gift giving, this rhymed beginning reader will delight Dr. Seuss fans, Cat in the Hat-fanciers, and ice cream-lovers young and old! – Beginner Books

Pete the Cat Screams for Ice Cream! by Kimberly and James Dean

I scream! You scream! Pete screams for ice cream!

The Just Chillin’ ice cream truck is coming today and Pete the Cat can’t wait. He runs as fast as he can to find the truck. It’s getting late, but his friends need his help.

Will Pete take a little time out of his day to help his friends?

Follow Pete the Cat as he learns that it’s always cool to be kind. – HarperCollins

Homebody by Theo Parish

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“Living authentically in a world that takes every opportunity to squeeze you uncomfortably into a box of someone else’s design…that is the most radical act of self love. Blossoming in an environment where the odds are stacked immeasurably against you is a beautiful act of defiance.”
― Theo Parish, Homebody: A Graphic Memoir of Gender Identity Exploration

In Homebody, a graphic memoir, author and artist Theo Parish discusses their journey to finding a home within themselves. Told from the perspective of current Theo looking back at younger Theo at different ages, Theo highlights the spectrum of life events that pushed them towards their true selves. The unknown and arbitrary gender rules throughout life, but especially in high school, tripped Theo up, leading them to question their gender identity and sexuality. Theo discusses finding a haircut that fit them, changing their clothing style, choosing their new name, and how trusted friends and family helped influence their everyday comfort.

This introspective memoir speaks to how gender can shape identity in a multitude of ways. Theo’s artwork is gentle and loving in their descriptions and drawings of their own journey. What struck me the most is how loving and understanding Theo is. Throughout this memoir, they reiterate that finding yourself and feeling at home in your own body won’t be the same for every person. It’s okay to change your mind, it’s okay to not know who you are, and you can take as much time as you need. These are important truths to understand.

“We are all just trying to find a place to call our own. We are all deserving of comfort and safety, a place to call home.”
― Theo Parish, Homebody: A Graphic Memoir of Gender Identity Exploration

Mysteries set in Hotels and Motels

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What is your favorite setting for a mystery? One of mine is a hotel or motel. Hotels as settings for mysteries are intriguing because they are never the same. The people who inhabit these spaces change from day to day and could come from any walk of life. Sometimes they are connected to others at the hotel, while sometimes they are all complete strangers. Regardless of circumstances, the people involved are forced to interact be it positive or negative. Add in a mystery and everything changes. Tensions run high, accusations abound, and danger rises.

Below you will find a list of mysteries set in hotels or motels. This is by no means a complete list! As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Bright and Deadly Things by Lexie Elliott

A remote back-to-basics mountaintop retreat in the French Alps turns deadly as an Oxford fellow finds herself in the crosshairs of her late husband’s dangerous secrets.

The Chalet des Anglais should be the ideal locale for recently widowed Oxford don Emily to begin cutting through the fog of her grief. With no electricity, running water, or access by car, the rustic chalet nestled at the foot of the snow-topped Alps should afford Emily space to heal. Joining her will be a collection of friends from the university, as well as other fellows, graduates, and undergraduates.

Something feels off, though, and heightens Emily’s existing anxiety. Tension among the guests is palpable and as hostilities grow, Emily begins to wonder if the chalet’s dark history has cast a shadow over the retreat. When a student disappears after Emily’s room is ransacked and someone tries to hack into her computer, Emily realizes that she had better separate friend from foe and real from imagined—or the next disappearance may be her own. . . – Berkley

Dominoes, Danzon, and Death by Raquel Reyes (book 4 in the Caribbean Kitchen Mystery series)

Latina sleuth and culinary master Miriam Quiñones-Smith is cooking up a storm in the fourth installment of the Caribbean Kitchen mystery series.

It’s been three years since food anthropologist and cooking show star Miriam Quiñones-Smith had her last brush with death. Her Spanglish culinary show, Abuela Approved, is topping the charts. Her parents are back in Miami and living with her in Coral Shores. And her kids are great. But when bones start popping up in unexpected places, Miriam’s idyllic life is threatened.

Her husband Robert’s much-delayed hotel project screeches to a halt when human bones are unearthed. Tribal representatives, forensic archaeologists, and a pompous professor rain down on the possibly ancient site. Then a fake skeleton with the name “Smith” etched into it is found floating in the bay with an ominous note. Is it a threat to Miriam’s husband or her inlaws? And when Miriam’s boss Delvis is seen going off on a tour guide who marched through the crew-only area on set and is later found dead, Delvis is declared the main suspect.

To protect her family and friends, Miriam must dig up the truth that has been hiding in plain sight. – Crooked Lane Books

The Haunting of Room 904 by Erika T. Wurth

Olivia Becente was never supposed to have the gift. The ability to commune with the dead was the specialty of her sister, Naiche. But when Naiche dies unexpectedly and under strange circumstances, somehow Olivia suddenly can’t stop seeing and hearing from spirits.

A few years later, she’s the most in-demand paranormal investigator in Denver. She’s good at her job, but the loss of Naiche haunts her. That’s when she hears from the Brown Palace, a landmark Denver hotel. The owner can’t explain it, but every few years, a girl is found dead in room 904, no matter what room she checked into the night before. As Olivia tries to understand these disturbing deaths, the past and the present collide as Olivia’s investigation forces her to confront a mysterious and possibly dangerous cult, a vindictive journalist, betrayal by her friends, and shocking revelations about her sister’s secret life. – Flatiron Books

The Plus One by S.C. Lalli

The wedding of Radhika Singh and Raj Joshi, a weeklong affair at a luxury resort in Cabo, isn’t just going to be the event of the season—it will also mark the union of two highly influential and wealthy Indian-American families. No expense will be spared for what Radhika and Raj have coined “R&R,” a week of rest, relaxation, and celebrating their love.

Shaylee “Shay” Kapoor is just an outsider, but she just so happens to be dating Raj’s best friend, Caleb Prescott III, and is sucked into this world of wealth and excess. But on the morning the wedding festivities are supposed to begin, the resort’s wedding coordinator Daniela makes a frightening discovery: Raj and Radhika are dead, gunshots to the head.

Chaos descends on the hotel as the guests are turned away or sent home. Shay stays by Caleb’s side as the investigation starts to unfold, family and close friends grieve, and accusations run wild. The police believe the murders are a drug cartel hit.

But even if it was a cartel hit, even if the murderer somehow got past the resort’s security, the hotel room doors have state-of-the-art locks. There was no way for the murderer to slip into the room without a key. And only the sister of the bride, Zara; the best men, Caleb and Sean; and the wedding coordinator, Daniela, have keys.

Shay may be an outsider—and she definitely has secrets of her own—but she may be the only person with enough perspective to untangle everyone’s lies, and discover why anyone would want the bride and groom dead. . . – William Morrow Paperbacks

Scot Free by Catriona McPherson (book 1 in the Last Ditch Mystery series)

Lexy Campbell fights to prove the innocence of a client she’s been providing marriage guidance to after she is accused of murdering her husband.

It’s the Fourth of July in California and Lexy Campbell is headed home to Scotland. But first she must deliver her final dose of marriage guidance to the elderly Bombarros. They don’t turn up for the session, but the cops do. Turns out Mr Bombarro is in the morgue and Mrs Bombarro is in the jail, arrested for murder.

Certain of the old lady’s innocence, Lexy decides to stay and clear her name. But after her own recent whirlwind divorce, she’s got no money and no place to stay. So she checks into the Last Ditch Motel.

As the plucky little band of motel guests start to take over Lexy’s life, and the shady Bombarro relations come to town, one thing is for sure . . . the fireworks have only just begun.– Severn House

The Vacation by John Marrs

How far would you run to escape your past?

Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep… – Hanover Square Press

 

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron (book 1 in Golden Motel Mystery series)

New motel owner Dee Stern has checked out of the familiar comforts in Studio City and checked in to the quaint village of Foundgold. Running a rustic getaway in the woods sure beats LA traffic—until murder ruins the peace and quiet . . .

Down-on-her-luck sitcom writer Dee Stern is flipping the script. Twice divorced and wasting her talents on an obnoxious kids’ show, the lifelong Angeleno embraces the urge to jump in her car and keep driving. It’s a road trip with no destination—until she pulls into a mid-century motel filled with cobwebs and retro charm. Nestled in the shadow of a national park, it’s a time capsule of a place that, like her, could use some work. So, in the most impulsive move of her life, Dee teams up with best friend, Jeff Cornetta—who happens to be her first ex-husband—to transform the aging ranch into the Golden Motel-of-the-Mountains, a hiker’s oasis on the edge of the wilderness . . .

But Dee and Jeff soon realize there couldn’t be two people more unprepared for the hospitality business. There’s also the panic-inducing reality of prowling bears and a general store as the only shopping spot for miles. Living and working in the middle of nowhere takes some getting used to—especially when a disrespectful guest ends up murdered! Now, with the motel duo topping the suspect list, Dee must steer clear of a meddling park ranger, face her past in show biz, and determine if the killer is a local or tourist. Because as she quickly finds out, there are many things worse than a one-star review. – Kensington Cozies

July’s Bestsellers Club Fiction and Nonfiction Picks

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It’s a new quarter and that means new fiction and nonfiction picks have been selected for you courtesy of Bestsellers Club! Four fiction picks are available for you to choose from: diverse debuts, graphic novel, historical fiction, and international fiction. Four nonfiction picks are available for you to choose from: biographies, cookbooks, social justice, and true crime. Our fiction and nonfiction picks are chosen quarterly and are available in regular print only. If you would like to update your selections or are a new patron who wants to receive picks from any of those four categories, sign up for Bestsellers Club through our website!

Bestsellers Club is a service that automatically places you on hold for authors, celebrity picks, nonfiction picks, and fiction picks. Choose any author, celebrity pick, fiction pick, and/or nonfiction pick and The Library will put the latest title on hold for you automatically. Select as many as you want! Still have questions? Click here for a list of FAQs.

Below you will find information provided by the publishers and authors on the titles we have selected for January from the following categories in fiction: diverse debuts, graphic novel, historical fiction, and international fiction and the following categories in nonfiction: biographies, cookbooks, social justice, and true crime.

Acronym definitions
BIPOC: Black, Indigenous, and people of color.
LGBTQ+: Lesbian, gay, transgender, queer, and more.

FICTION PICKS

Diverse Debuts:

Diverse Debuts: Debut fiction novel by a BIPOC author, LGBTQ+ author or an author from another marginalized community.

Woodworking by Emily St. James

An unforgettable and heartwarming book-club debut following a trans high school teacher from a small town in South Dakota who befriends the only other trans woman she knows: one of her students.

Erica Skyberg is thirty-five years old, recently divorced–and trans. Not that she’s told anyone yet. Mitchell, South Dakota, isn’t exactly bursting with other trans women. Instead, she keeps to herself, teaching by day and directing community theater by night. That is, until Abigail Hawkes enters her orbit.

Abigail is seventeen, Mitchell High’s resident political dissident and Only Trans Girl. It’s a role she plays faultlessly, albeit a little reluctantly. She’s also annoyed by the idea of spending her senior year secretly guiding her English teacher through her transition. But Abigail remembers the uncertainty–and loneliness–that comes with it. Besides, Erica isn’t the only one struggling to shed the weight of others’ expectations.

As their unlikely friendship evolves, it comes under the scrutiny of their community. And soon, both women–and those closest to them–are forced to ask: Who are we if we choose to hide ourselves? What happens once we disappear into the woodwork

Detransition Baby meets Fleishman is in Trouble in this remarkable debut novel from an incisive contemporary voice. A story about the awkwardness of growing up and the greatest love story of all, that between us and our friends, Woodworking is a tonic for the moment and a celebration of womanhood in all its multifaceted joy. – Zando – Crooked Media Reads

Graphic Novel:

Graphic Novel: Fiction novel for adults of any subgenre with diverse characters depicted by color illustrations, sketches, and photographs.

Feeding Ghosts: A Graphic Memoir by Tessa Hulls

An astonishing, deeply moving graphic memoir about three generations of Chinese women, exploring love, grief, exile, and identity.

In her acclaimed graphic memoir debut, Tessa Hulls traces the reverberations of Chinese history across three generations of women in her family. Tessa’s grandmother, Sun Yi, was a Shanghai journalist swept up by the turmoil of the 1949 Communist victory. After fleeing to Hong Kong, she wrote a bestselling memoir about her persecution and survival—then promptly had a mental breakdown from which she never recovered.

Growing up with Sun Yi, Tessa watches both her mother and grandmother struggle beneath the weight of unexamined trauma and mental illness, and bolts to the most remote corners of the globe. But once she turns thirty, roaming begins to feel less like freedom and more like running away. Feeding Ghosts is Tessa’s homecoming, a vivid, heartbreaking journey into history that exposes the fear and trauma that haunt generations, andthe love that holds them together. – MCD

Historical Fiction:

Historical Fiction: Historical fiction novel written by a BIPOC author, LGBTQ+ author or an author from another marginalized community, with main character(s) from a marginalized community.

The Devil Three Times by Rickey Fayne

Yetunde awakens aboard a slave ship en route to the United States with the spirit of her dead sister as her only companion. Desperate to survive the hell that awaits her at their destination, Yetunde finds help in an unexpected form—the Devil himself. The Devil, seeking a way to reenter the pearly gates of heaven, decides to prove himself to an indifferent God by protecting Yetunde and granting her a piece of his supernatural power. In return, Yetunde makes an incredible sacrifice.

Their bargain extends far beyond Yetunde’s mortal lifespan. Over the next 175 years, the Devil visits Yetunde’s descendants in their darkest hour of need: Lucille, a conjure woman; Asa, who passes for white; Louis and Virgil, who risk becoming a twentieth-century Cain and Abel; Cassandra, who speaks to the dead; James, who struggles to make sense of the past while fighting to keep his family together; and many others. The Devil offers each of them his own version of salvation, all the while wondering: can he save himself, too?

Steeped in the spiritual traditions and oral history of the Black diaspora, The Devil Three Times is a baptism by fire and water, heralding a new voice in American fiction. – Little, Brown and Company

International Fiction:

International Fiction: Fiction novel originally written in another language with main character(s) from marginalized communities.

Taiwan Travelogue by Yáng Shuāng-zǐ ; translated from the Mandarin Chinese by Lin King.

May 1938. The young novelist Aoyama Chizuko has sailed from her home in Nagasaki, Japan, and arrived in Taiwan. She’s been invited there by the Japanese government ruling the island, though she has no interest in their official banquets or imperialist agenda. Instead, Chizuko longs to experience real island life and to taste as much of its authentic cuisine as her famously monstrous appetite can bear.

Soon a Taiwanese woman—who is younger even than she is, and who shares the characters of her name—is hired as her interpreter and makes her dreams come true. The charming, erudite, meticulous Chizuru arranges Chizuko’s travels all over the Land of the South and also proves to be an exceptional cook. Over scenic train rides and braised pork rice, lively banter and winter melon tea, Chizuko grows infatuated with her companion and intent on drawing her closer. But something causes Chizuru to keep her distance. It’s only after a heartbreaking separation that Chizuko begins to grasp what the “something” is.

Disguised as a translation of a rediscovered text by a Japanese writer, this novel was a sensation on its first publication in Mandarin Chinese in 2020 and won Taiwan’s highest literary honor, the Golden Tripod Award. Taiwan Travelogue unburies lost colonial histories and deftly reveals how power dynamics inflect our most intimate relationships.  – Graywolf Press

NONFICTION PICKS

Biography pick

Queen of All Mayhem: the Blood-Soaked Life and Mysterious Death of Belle Starr, the most dangerous woman in the West by Dane Huckelbridge

A riveting, deeply researched, blood-on-the-spurs biography of Belle Starr, the most legendary female outlaw of the American West.

On February 3, 1889, just two days shy of her forty-first birthday, Myra Maybelle Shirley—better known at that point by her outlaw sobriquet “Belle Starr”—was blown from her horse saddle and killed by a pair of shotgun blasts, delivered by an unseen assailant, only a few miles away from her home in the Indian Territory of present-day Oklahoma. Thus ended the life of one of the most colorful, authentic, and dangerous women in the history of the American West.

While today’s household names like Annie Oakley and Calamity Jane had dubious criminal bona fides, Belle’s were not in any doubt. She led a gang of horse thieves (a very serious crime in an era when horses were often the basis of one’s livelihood); was romantically involved with two of the West’s most legendary outlaws, Cole Younger and Jim Reed (her first husband); and participated in stickups and robberies across present-day Texas and Oklahoma. When Reed was murdered, Belle crossed into Indian Territory, where she assimilated into the Cherokee tribe, a matrilineal society, and soon married Sam Starr, a direct descendant of Nanye’hi, the greatest female warrior in Cherokee history.

Dane Huckelbridge, acclaimed author of No Beast So Fierce, probes a life rich in contradictions and intrigue. Why did a woman who had considerable advantages in life—a good family, a decent education, solid marriage prospects, a clear path to financial security—choose to pursue a life of crime? The life of Belle Starr is one of almost endless trauma: the horrors of the Civil War, which destroyed her hometown and killed her beloved brother, Bud; the untimely deaths of her first two husbands, both of them murdered; a stint in Detroit’s notorious women’s prison. Her career coincided with those of Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and yet Belle Starr was a very different sort of feminist icon.

Queen of All Mayhem is a triumph of biography, revealing one of the most-mythologized figures of Western lore as she truly was. – William Morrow

Cookbook pick

The How Not to Age Cookbook by Michael Greger

New from Michael Greger M.D., FACLM, whose books have sold more than one million copies worldwide, comes a fully-illustrated cookbook filled with recipes to make you healthier as you age.

In his instant New York Times bestseller, How Not To Age, Dr. Michael Greger revealed that diet can regulate every one of the most promising strategies for combating the effects of aging. His Anti-Aging Eight streamlined evidence-based research into simple, accessible steps for ensuring physical and mental longevity. Now, in How Not To Age Cookbook, decades of scientific research are put to use in over a hundred recipes that will leave readers feeling nourished for years to come.

Each of these simple, nutrition-packed dishes uses ingredients that have been proven to promote a healthy lifespan and inspiration from the places around the world where people traditionally live the longest. Grounded in the latest nutrition science, How Not to Age Cookbook is chock-full of delicious meals, snacks, and beverages that will keep the body both nourished and youthful. – Flatiron Books

Social Justice pick

American Teenager: How Trans Kids are Surviving Hate and Finding Joy in a Turbulent Era by Nico Lang

From an award-winning journalist comes a vivid and moving portrait of eight trans and nonbinary teenagers across the country, following their daily triumphs, struggles, and all that encompasses growing up trans in America today

Media coverage tends to sensationalize the fight over how trans kids should be allowed to live, but what is incredibly rare are the voices of the people at the heart of this debate: transgender and gender nonconforming kids themselves.

For their groundbreaking new book, journalist Nico Lang spent a year traveling the country to document the lives of transgender, nonbinary, and genderfluid teens and their families. Drawing on hundreds of hours of on-the-ground interviews with them and the people in their communities, American Teenager paints a vivid portrait of what it’s actually like to grow up trans today.

From the tip of Florida’s conservative panhandle to vibrant queer communities in California, and from Texas churches to mosques in Illinois, American Teenager gives readers a window into the lives of Wyatt, Rhydian, Mykah, Clint, Ruby, Augie, Jack, and Kylie, eight teens who, despite what some lawmakers might want us to believe, are truly just kids looking for a brighter future. – Abrams Books

True Crime pick

Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

On the morning of August 12, 2022, Salman Rushdie was standing onstage at the Chautauqua Institution, preparing to give a lecture on the importance of keeping writers safe from harm, when a man in black—black clothes, black mask—rushed down the aisle toward him, wielding a knife. His first thought: So it’s you. Here you are.

What followed was a horrific act of violence that shook the literary world and beyond. Now, for the first time, and in unforgettable detail, Rushdie relives the traumatic events of that day and its aftermath, as well as his journey toward physical recovery and the healing that was made possible by the love and support of his wife, Eliza, his family, his army of doctors and physical therapists, and his community of readers worldwide.

Knife is Rushdie at the peak of his powers, writing with urgency, with gravity, with unflinching honesty. It is also a deeply moving reminder of literature’s capacity to make sense of the unthinkable, an intimate and life-affirming meditation on life, loss, love, art—and finding the strength to stand up again. – Random House

This title is also available in large print and CD audiobook.

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Red Rising by Pierce Brown

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“I would have lived in peace. But my enemies brought me war.” ― Pierce Brown, Red Rising

In a dystopian future, Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in a color-coded society. Darrow and his fellow Reds toil all day beneath the surface of Mars, believing that they are humanity’s only hope of survival. They are working to make the surface of Mars habitable for future generations, but despite their horrific living and working conditions, the majority of Reds are happy as they know they will eventually create a better world for future generations.

Humanity has been split into a colored caste system with Golds at the top, Reds toiling at the bottom, and many other colors in-between. Not many other colors are on Mars, but the ones that Darrow meets aren’t especially kind. As Darrow works to terraform Mars, he does so grudgingly, hoping to earn his family and group more supplies with his diligent and nimble work. After a catastrophe destroys Darrow’s future, he learns the truth: all Reds have been fed lies. They have been betrayed. Desperate for justice, Darrow is recruited to infiltrate the Institute, the proving ground for the Golds. As Gold students struggle for power amongst themselves, Darrow is right alongside them, fighting for something much bigger. He wants to destroy the Golds and the very system they represent, but is he willing to give up all he knows? He’ll have to in order to have a chance of survival.

Red Rising, a first in series science fiction debut, was absolutely phenomenal. I was hooked from the start. As I was listening to the audiobook, I kept drawing parallels to Ender’s Game, Lord of the Flies, and The Hunger Games. In fact, I described this book as a bloodier Hunger Games that happens on Mars! Highly, highly recommend you read this book, specifically that you listen to the audiobook if you can as the narrator is amazing (and he sings to you)! This is the start to an epic series that I absolutely cannot wait to keep reading.

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”

“I live for you,” I say sadly.

Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.” ― Pierce Brown, Red Rising

Red Rising Series

  1. Red Rising (2014)
  2. Golden Son (2015)
  3. Morning Star (2016)
  4. Iron Gold (2018)
  5. Dark Age (2019)
  6. Light Bringer (2023)

Interested in this book? Red Rising is the August 2025 See YA Book Club selection. We will be discussing this book on Wednesday, August 6th 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.

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

Gone Fishin’

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How do you like to spend your summers? Growing up, we spent hours fishing with family along the river. As an adult, I don’t spend as much time fishing as I would like, but luckily for me (and you), the library has many resources about fishing available for checkout. Below are some of the newer titles that I found while perusing the shelves.

As of this writing, all of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library. Descriptions are provided by the publishers.

Barr Flies: How to Tie and Fish the Copper John, the Barr Emerger, and Dozens of other Patterns, Variations, and Rigs by John S. Barr

In Barr Flies, John Barr shares his “confidence” patterns, the flies he has the most faith in to catch heavily pressured trout throughout the Rockies.

John Barr is the most successful designer of commercially distributed flies in the world. He has invented a number of indispensable flies such as the Barr Emerger, an unrivaled pattern for difficult trout across the country, and the Copper John, which has evolved into the most popular fly of the millenium.

In Barr Flies, John Barr shares his “confidence” patterns, the flies he has the most faith in to catch heavily pressured trout throughout the Rockies. Barr tells how he developed each fly, gives tips on when and how to fish them, and explains how he fishes multiple-fly rigs with the Copper John as the center of a three-fly system that consistently catches more fish. Most importantly, Barr reveals his methods for tying his favorite flies, with step-by-step instructions and clear color photos by Charlie Craven that enable even inexperienced tyers to create the Copper John, Barr Emerger, B/C Hopper, Tung Teaser, Slumpbuster, and many more patterns and variations. – Stackpole Books

The Blue Revolution: Hunting, Harvesting, and Farming Seafood in the Information Age by Nicholas P. Sullivan

Overfishing. For the world’s oceans, it’s long been a worrisome problem with few answers. Many of the global fish stocks are at a dangerous tipping point, some spiraling toward extinction. But as older fishing fleets retire and new technologies develop, a better, more sustainable way to farm this popular protein has emerged to profoundly shift the balance. The Blue Revolution tells the story of the recent transformation of commercial fishing: an encouraging change from maximizing volume through unrestrained wild hunting to maximizing value through controlled harvesting and farming. Entrepreneurs applying newer, smarter technologies are modernizing fisheries in unprecedented ways. In many parts of the world, the seafood on our plates is increasingly the product of smart decisions about ecosystems, waste, efficiency, transparency, and quality.

Nicholas P. Sullivan presents this new way of thinking about fish, food, and oceans by profiling the people and policies transforming an aging industry into one that is “post-industrial”—fueled by “sea-foodies” and locavores interested in sustainable, traceable, quality seafood. Catch quotas can work when local fishers feel they have a stake in the outcome; shellfish farming requires zero inputs and restores nearshore ecosystems; new markets are developing for kelp products, as well as unloved and “underutilized” fish species. Sullivan shows how the practices of thirty years ago that perpetuated an overfishing crisis are rapidly changing. In the book’s final chapters, Sullivan discusses the global challenges to preserving healthy oceans, including conservation mechanisms, the impact of climate change, and unregulated and criminal fishing in international waters.

In a fast-growing world where more people are eating more fish than ever before, The Blue Revolution brings encouraging news for conservationists and seafood lovers about the transformation of an industry historically averse to change, and it presents fresh inspiration for entrepreneurs and investors eager for new opportunities in a blue-green economy. – Island Press

Casting Onward: Fishing Adventures in Search of America’s Native Gamefish by Steve Ramirez

In writing this book, author, naturalist, and educator Steve Ramirez traveled thousands of miles by plane, motor vehicle, boat, and foot. In the course of this journey, Ramirez explores and fishes mountain streams, alpine lakes, National Wild and Scenic Rivers, desert canyons, brackish water estuaries, and the rolling ocean off the coast of Cape Cod. About half of this book was written while traveling through the COVID-19 pandemic and it touches on the lessons that COVID can teach us about nature and human nature. In Casting Onward, the author expands beyond the geographical scope of Casting Forward by fishing for native fish across American, within their original habitats and telling the story in part through the eyes of the people who have lived alongside, and come to love, these waters and fish. Woven throughout these adventures are the stories of the people he meets and befriends while pursuing a mutual love of nature as the first criterion for finding common ground. This is a hopeful story, in an all-too-often seemingly hopeless time. It is a story of fishing and friendship. It is a story of humanity’s impact on nature, and nature’s impact on humanity. – provided by the author

Illuminated by Water: Fly Fishing and the Allure of the Natural World by Malachy Tallack

In its blending of nature writing and memoir—also touching on the connection of time, beauty, and memory—Illuminated by Water is an elegiac tribute to fly fishing and the natural world.

Illuminated by Water is a book about the author’s own decades-long passion for ­fly fishing and how it has shaped the way he sees and thinks about the natural world. That passion is shared and made legible here, not just for other anglers, but for those who have never yet cast a line in the water. Why is it that catching ­fish—or even thinking about catching fish—can be so thrilling, so captivating? Why is it that time spent beside water can be imprinted so sharply in the memory? Why is it that what seems a simple act of casting a line and hoping can feel so rich in mystery?

Alternating between regional and thematic chapters, Tallack considers ‘wildness’, its pursuit, and its meanings; the compulsive appeal of tying flies; the ethics of catching and killing; the allure of big ­fish; and beauty—where it’s sought and where it’s found. He describes ­fly fishing trips to America, Canada, Shetland, and England. Throughout the book, certain themes recur—environmental harm and healing; the relationship between fishing and time; hope and its manifestations; and the ways in which angling can deepen engagement with the natural world. – Pegasus Books

Stillwater Fly Fishing: Competition-Inspired Strategies for Everyday Anglers by Devin Olsen

Stillwaters not only provide fishing opportunities for some of the largest trout in the United States, but they often provide the only dependable fishing (save some tailwaters in Colorado and New Mexico) in the early season (from ice-out to after runoff) for anglers in New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, California, Oregon, and Washington. Many anglers prefer to continue to fish lakes after the rivers drop to experience epic hatches of midges, Callibaetis mayflies, and damselflies, which all provide exceptional fly fishing for large trout. This is the definitive guide to fly fishing lakes and reservoirs fishing (written by the author of the best-selling book, Tactical Fly Fishing) and the only book on the market that covers competition and loch-style techniques used around the world. – Stackpole Books

The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing by Mark Kurlansky

From the award-winning, bestselling author of Cod-the irresistible story of the science, history, art, and culture of the least efficient way to catch a fish.

Fly fishing, historian Mark Kurlansky has found, is a battle of wits, fly fisher vs. fish–and the fly fisher does not always (or often) win. The targets–salmon, trout, and char; and for some, bass, tarpon, tuna, bonefish, and even marlin–are highly intelligent, wily, strong, and athletic animals. The allure, Kurlansky learns, is that fly fishing makes catching a fish as difficult as possible. There is an art, too, in the crafting of flies. Beautiful and intricate, some are made with more than two dozen pieces of feather and fur from a wide range of animals. The cast as well is a matter of grace and rhythm, with different casts and rods yielding varying results.

Kurlansky is known for his deep dives into the history of specific subjects, from cod to oysters to salt. But he spent his boyhood days on the shore of a shallow pond. Here, where tiny fish weaved under a rocky waterfall, he first tied string to a branch, dangled a worm into the water, and unleashed his passion for fishing. Since then, a lifelong love of the sport has led him around the world to many countries, coasts, and rivers-from the wilds of Alaska to Basque country, from the Catskills in New York to Oregon’s Columbia River, from Ireland and Norway to Russia and Japan. And, in true Kurlansky fashion, he absorbed every fact, detail, and anecdote along the way.

The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing marries Kurlansky’s signature wide-ranging reach with a subject that has captivated him for a lifetime–combining history, craft, and personal memoir to show readers, devotees of the sport or not, the necessity of experiencing nature’s balm first-hand. – Bloomsbury Publishing

Murder Runs in the Family by Tamara Berry

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On the run from an ex, former private investigator in training Amber Winslow flees to her estranged grandmother’s house in Tamara Berry’s latest mystery, Murder Runs in the Family. This book combines elements of detective fiction and cozy mysteries to tell the story of found family and the road to forgiveness.

After a blow up with her ex-boyfriend, Amber impulsively heads to Arizona and the retirement community where her estranged grandmother lives. Growing up, Amber’s mother had nothing positive to say about her grandmother and forbid contact between them. It’s a shock when Amber runs to her grandma in her time of need, given all she knows is the woman’s name and where she is currently living. After sneaking into Seven Ponds and dropping in on her grandma, Amber is ready to learn more about Grandma Jade and what caused the massive family fallout.

Before Amber can start quizzing Jade, she is introduced to Jade’s friends and their quirky habits. They each have their own reasons for living at Seven Ponds, but they are all deeply connected. One morning, all of their lives are changed when they learn that one of their friends has been found dead in the group’s podcast studio. That’s right – Jade and her friends are responsible for a successful true crime podcast! Their friend’s death shocks everyone, especially Amber when the authorities are quick to focus on Jade as the murderer. Amber may not know her grandmother well, but there’s no way this eccentric woman would be a murderous villain. Putting her private investigator skills to use, Amber and the other podcast members work to prove Jade’s innocence.

This is a delightfully quirky cozy mystery full of compelling elements. Each character has their own independent backstory that eventually weaves into the plot, while the physical place, the retirement community itself, also plays a role. Bonus: there is a lost tortoise with an adorable name! I hope that the author decides to turn this into a series.