Category: Staff Picks

Online Reading Challenge – April

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge is focusing on coming of age, also known as bildungsroman. Our main title for April is The Topeka School by Ben Lerner. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

Adam Gordon is a senior at Topeka High School, class of ’97. His mother, Jane, is a famous feminist author; his father, Jonathan, is an expert at getting “lost boys” to open up. They both work at a psychiatric clinic that has attracted staff and patients from around the world. Adam is a renowned debater, expected to win a national championship before he heads to college. He is one of the cool kids, ready to fight or, better, freestyle about fighting if it keeps his peers from thinking of him as weak. Adam is also one of the seniors who bring the loner Darren Eberheart—who is, unbeknownst to Adam, his father’s patient—into the social scene, to disastrous effect.

Deftly shifting perspectives and time periods, The Topeka School is the story of a family, its struggles and its strengths: Jane’s reckoning with the legacy of an abusive father, Jonathan’s marital transgressions, the challenge of raising a good son in a culture of toxic masculinity. It is also a riveting prehistory of the present: the collapse of public speech, the trolls and tyrants of the New Right, and the ongoing crisis of identity among white men. – Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Looking for some other coming of age or bildungsroman? Try any of the following.

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

Online Reading Challenge – March Wrap-Up

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

How did your reading go this month? Did you read a biographical fiction novel? Share in the comments!

I read our main title: The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris. This book has been on my to-read list since its publication in 2018.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz is based on interviews that were conducted with Ludwig (Lale) Sokolov, a Holocaust survivor and Auschwitz-Birkenau tattooist. Lale’s voice is present throughout this book, something that I felt added to the depth, despair, and hope. Based on the true story of Lale and Gita, Heather Morris weaves the stories of two Slovokian Jews who survived the Holocaust with great care. As someone who has read dozens of Holocaust stories, both fiction and nonfiction, this book stands out to me. The emotions radiated through the pages, pulling me into their lives as they struggled to survive. Readers follow Lale as he is forced to Auschwitz-Birkenau in April 1942. His ability to speak multiple languages lands him a job as the tattooist, forced to permanently mark his fellow prisoners. Lale witnesses horrors for almost three years in the camps, but those horrors are also accompanied by acts of bravery and compassion. He uses his unique position to help his fellow prisoners, risking his life to secure food and medicine. While tattooing new prisoners in July 1942, Lale helps a young woman named Gita, a woman who Lale vows to marry once they survive the camp. The Tattooist of Auschwitz was a devastating, yet hopeful, read. This piece of biographical fiction is a good stepping stone to learn more about Lale and Gita Sokolov.

In addition to being the March Online Reading Challenge pick, this title was also made into a Peacock Original Series starring Harvey Keitel and Melanie Lynskey. I have plans to watch this series in the future to see how well it relates.

Next month, we will be reading a coming of age, or bildungsroman, novel!

In addition to following the Online Reading Challenge here on our Info Cafe blog, you can join our Online Reading Challenge group on Goodreads and discuss your reads!

Bride by Ali Hazelwood

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“What I am is an adult woman with agency and the tools to make choices. Feel free to, you know, treat me accordingly.”
― Ali Hazelwood, Bride

I stumbled upon a copy of Bride by Ali Hazelwood available for checkout online through Libby one night and decided to give it a try as her Love Hypothesis series is one of my favorites. Going in with no expectations, but knowing I would read a bit of spice, I was pleasantly surprised with the world-building, relationship changes, and character growth present. If you’re looking for a romance with a bit of open door spiciness, give Bride a try!

Misery Lark is the only daughter of the most powerful Vampyre councilman of the Southwest. If you think that means she has a bit of power and deference amidst the Vampyre community, you would be mistaken. When she was young, she was sent to live amongst the humans as the Vampyre collateral with the understanding that if something bad happened between the humans and Vampyres, Misery would be immediately killed. After her tenure as collateral ends, she had trouble adjusting to life amongst Vampyres, so she decided to move back amongst the humans. Misery is living and working amongst the humans with only one human, her best friend Serena, knowing she is a Vampyre.

Out of the blue, Misery’s presence is requested in front of her father. In an attempt to solidify a peacekeeping alliance between the Vampyres and their enemies, the Weres, her father is demanding Misery to once again exchange herself. She has been told she is to marry the Alpha, Lowe Moreland. He’s ruthless and unpredictable, but rules with feeling and absolute authority. He couldn’t be more different than her father. When the two first meet at their wedding, it is clear that he doesn’t trust her. He isn’t wrong. Misery has entered into this marriage with secrets that she intends to never reveal. Misery and Lowe must navigate this tenuous new relationship, one that has the power to destroy the Vampyres and Weres with the slightest misstep. Swapping one cage for another, Misery doesn’t mind being with the Weres if it means she can find the answers she is desperately searching for. She is willing to do whatever it takes to get answers. Being underestimated may work to her advantage.

*SPOILER ALERT* A second book called Mate that takes place in this world is set to be released in October 2025 (there are major spoilers for Bride in the description of Mate, so be careful looking it up!)

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

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire kicks off her debut Christie Bookshop Mystery series with three of my favorite things: books, a bookstore cat, and a murder. What more could a cozy mystery lover want? Maybe a quirky family? Never fear, there’s quirkiness galore!

The Christie sisters have taken over their family’s historic bookshop in the tiny Colorado hometown where they grew up. Ellie Christie is beyond ready to start a new chapter in the bookshop with her older sister Meg and their beloved shop cat, Agatha. The Book Chalet is a famed tourist and book attraction. Seated on the main street in a picturesque Swiss-style hamlet that is only accessible by ski gondola and a very twisty mountain road, the Book Chalet boasts winding shelves stacked precariously to the ceiling and a cozy reading lounge complete with a fire and comfy chairs.

When a local influencer descends upon book club to perform a seance, Ellie and Meg are skeptical of what’s in store. Their concerns prove valid when an unwelcome visitor to the seance is soon found dead in the gondola. This mysterious stranger may have visited the Book Chalet, but not much is known about him. His weird behavior set off alarm bells. Once his identity is known, the town erupts. When police focus in on friends of the Christies as possible suspects, the two know that they have to act quickly. Ellie starts poking around, summoning help from mystery novels, to seek out the killer before they strike again.

Dead and Gondola was a quirky fun read. This charming debut had me hooked from the beginning with two likeable main characters and their adorably smug sidekick cat. The supporting cast was also eclectic, but extremely entertaining. The townspeople are not shy in voicing their own opinions and aren’t afraid to dig for clues. The Book Chalet is also incredibly quaint and cozy, making me long to curl up with a book in the reading lounge for hours, reading while snow falls.

Christie Bookshop Mystery series

  1. Dead and Gondola (2022)
  2. Last Word to the Wise (2023)

Adult sibling relationships in fiction

- Beth Leave a comment

I’ve noticed a publishing trend of plots that revolve around the relationship between siblings as adults. Sometimes they share a tragic event in childhood that shape who they are as adults. More often the plot revolves around renegotiating relationships as adults, taking care of aging parents, and who gets the inheritance. Here are just a few examples of books that explore adult sibling relationships. Descriptions from the publishers. These titles are owned in RiverShare at the time this is post is published.

All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay: One afternoon in 1975, ten-year-old Miranda Larkin comes home from school to find her mother missing. So begins a mystery that will span a lifetime.  Investigators suspect Jane’s husband, but no evidence is found linking him to a crime. Jane’s three children are left to be raised by the man who may have murdered their mother. Two decades later, the remains of Jane Larkin are found. The investigation in awakened. The children, now grown, are forced to choose sides. With their father or against him? Guilty or innocent? And what happens if they are wrong? Available in regular print and large print.

 

The Liz Taylor Ring by Brenda Janowitz: In 1978, Lizzie Morgan and Ritchie Schneider embark on a whirlwind romance on the bright beaches and glamorous yachts of Long Island. Over the years, their relationship has its share of ups and downs, including a nine-month hiatus that ends with a stunning eleven-carat ring—one that looks just like the diamond Richard Burton gifted Liz Taylor after their own separation. Decades later, when the lost ring unexpectedly resurfaces, the Schneiders’ three children gather under one roof for the first time in years, eager to get their hands on this beloved, expensive reminder of their departed parents. But determining the fate of the heirloom is no simple task, unearthing old wounds and heartaches the siblings can’t ignore. They’ll have to decide whether to move forward as a family or let the ring break them once and for all. Available in regular print and audiobook on CD.

The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney: It is a warm, funny, and acutely perceptive debut novel about four adult siblings and the fate of the shared inheritance that has shaped their choices and their lives. Years of simmering tensions finally reach a breaking point after an ensuing accident endangers the Plumbs’ joint trust fund, which they are months away from finally receiving. The Plumb siblings have been counting on the money to solve a number of self-inflicted problems. Brought together as never before, Leo, Melody, Jack, and Beatrice must grapple with old resentments, present-day truths, and the significant emotional and financial toll of the accident, as well as finally acknowledge the choices they have made in their own lives. Available in regular print, large print, audiobook on CD, and ebook.

Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“to have men
in your life
who know
that the battle
we face against
men who are
wolves can only
be won
with the help
of men
who are not.”
― Olivia A. Cole, Dear Medusa

Dear Medusa by Olivia A. Cole is a novel in verse that tackles devastating topics from the point of view of a sixteen-year-old girl. Sixteen-year-old Alicia Rivers has whispers that follow her around school. Insults galore linked to a reputation that all mean she is a girl who has had sex. The vicious rumors and social outcast status she has received all started when she was sexually assaulted by a popular teacher. No one knows that though. All they see is a teenage girl who is promiscuous. Relating to the story of Medusa, readers will see Alicia as being made into a monster, instead of as the victim of sexual assault. The people around Alicia are upholding toxic patriarchal values that objectify her and lead to issues of victim shaming and double standards. This is more than a story of sexual violence, even though the violence Alicia and others go through affects every aspect of their lives. Racism, homophobia, shame, virginity stigma, and misogyny abound.

Alicia’s trauma runs through her life, leaving her isolated and feeling invisible. Through this novel in verse, Alicia is abandoned by her best friend, leaves her hobbies, and has outbursts in class that land her in in-school suspension. Amongst the bad, Alicia also finds mysterious letters left in her locker, that lead her to believe that there may be other student victims. Alicia’s struggles have some bright spots as she starts making friends and even has a growing attraction to a new girl at her school. Life is changing around her, leading Alicia to start branching out. The characters in Dear Medusa are representative of a wide variety of people. This is queer young adult fiction with bisexual, lesbian, and asexual characters, plus characters of different races and ethnicities.

Dear Medusa destroyed me. I have noticed a trend of novels in verse that deal with tough topics. Writing a novel in verse about hard topics allows readers to take a step back and see the story from a more relatable perspective. This relates to Dear Medusa specifically in the sense that readers follow Alicia as she works through her feelings about the past and the present. Dear Medusa covers a wide variety of topics and as a result can become quite heavy, but the poetic style allows the author to shift seamlessly and quickly between topics while also presenting them in an accessible and easier way. This book is very well written and effectively brings these topics to attention.

“I’m starting to realize
that a woman doesn’t get that mad
so mad that her hair turns to snakes
so mad that her rage turns blood to boulder
all on her own.”
― Olivia A. Cole, Dear Medusa

New Wellness Books

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Looking for new wellness books? The Library has new books covering this topic hitting our shelves every month. Below you will find a list of some of our newest wellness titles!

These titles are available at the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions have been provided by the publisher.

How Not to Get Sick: A Cookbook and Guide to Prevent and Reverse Insulin Resistance, Lose Weight, and Fight Chronic Disease by Benjamin Bikman PhD and Diana Keuilian

Internationally renowned scientist Benjamin Bikman and fitness coach and recipe developer Diana Keuilian translate the latest research into actionable, easy-to-follow steps to help the nearly 9 in 10 American adults affected with insulin resistance.

In this companion guide featuring 70 low-carb and keto-friendly recipes, Bikman has teamed up with the fitness expert and recipe developer Diana Keuilian to help the nearly 9 in 10 American adults affected with insulin resistance. Together, they translate the latest research into actionable, easy-to-follow steps. You can make dramatic improvements in your insulin sensitivity, resist chronic illness, attain a healthy weight, and improve your energy.

In part one, learn how to assess your health and understand the science behind insulin resistance. In part two, discover a three-pronged approach to reversing insulin resistance or maintaining insulin sensitivity, plus meal plans incorporating intermittent fasting. And in part three, get the tools to put the plan into action, with beginner-friendly exercises and more than 70 low-carb and keto-friendly recipes.

Illustrated with stunning full-color photography and chock-full of knowledge and encouragement, How Not to Get Sick is an essential resource for healthy living. – BenBella Books

The New Whole30: The Definitive Plan to Transform Your Health, Habits, and Relationship with Food by Melissa Urban

A modern guide to the Whole30, featuring an updated approach to food freedom, the Original and Plant-Based programs, and over 100 new recipes.

Since its debut in 2009, the #1 New York Times bestselling Whole30 program has helped millions of people radically transform their health, habits, and relationship with food and discover lasting food freedom. Grounded in nutrition and behavior change science and 15 years of clinical evidence, the Whole30 has been praised by countless doctors and dietitians and is supported by thousands of glowing testimonials.

Inspired by her community, the newest research, and the ever-changing food landscape, Whole30 co-founder Melissa Urban has expanded the program to be even more accessible, supportive, and effective. In The New Whole30, you’ll find completely updated rules, language, and success strategies for every phase of your journey.

In her signature direct and empathic style, Melissa distills more than a decade of expert knowledge and experience into the essential resource for Whole30 alumni and first timers alike. The New Whole30 is sure to be your ultimate guide to success. – Rodale Books

Plantifully Simple: 100 Plant-Based Recipes and Meal Plans for Health and Weight-Loss (a Cookbook) by Kiki Nelson

Reclaim your health with Kiki Nelson’s all-new super simple plant-based recipes and a 28-day meal plan that will kickstart new habits and enable you to maintain your health and weight loss.

Whether you want to prevent diabetes and stroke, sleep better, heal PCOS, resolve any number of health concerns associated with weight, are trying to shed those last ten pounds, or you are simply in a maintenance stage, Plantifully Simple is for you.

Kiki Nelson, who lost seventy pounds on a plant-based diet and eliminated her risk for diabetes and stroke, shares the recipes, meal plans, plate-building, and mindset she adopted to reclaim her health—and keep off the weight. Here, she offers 100 all-new recipes that are as delicious as they are satisfying: they depend on luscious fruits and vegetables as well as comforting and satisfying carbs so you will never be bored or hungry—or feel restricted. Kiki knows that to lose weight you need a plan, and here she offers two foolproof plans. Both can deliver results, and offer freedom and peace of mind when it comes to making food choices. – S&S / Simon Element

Take Control of Your IBS: The Step-By-Step Guide That Actually Works by Kirsten Jackson

Take Control of Your IBS is the road-tested, practical guide that will change your life. Offering simple, fad-free professional advice, it will help you diagnose issues, bring comfort and reduce symptoms and flare-ups.

With so much misinformation out there for those of us with irritable bowel syndrome, it can be hard to know where to start. Drawing on scientific research and personal experience, consultant dietitian Kirsten Jackson guides you through each step.

By laying strong foundations in your mental well-being, sleep optimisation, movement and nutrition as well as finding the right treatment, you can get back to the things you enjoy in life.

  • Find out how to get the right tests for your symptoms
  • Learn the tried-and-tested process that has been used in practice with thousands of IBS sufferers
  • Hear real-life experiences from people who have improved their lives

The good news is – it is possible to manage your IBS. This book shows you how. – Bloomsbury Publishing

The Smart Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: 101 Brain-Healthy Recipes to Protect Your Mind and Boost Your Mood by Serena Ball

Boost your brain power, protect your memory, and balance your mood with the sunny flavors and proven benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Following the bestselling success of The 30-Minute Mediterranean Diet Cookbook and The Sustainable Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, Serena Ball and Deanna Segrave-Daly share more than 100 recipes specifically formulated with your brain and mood in mind.

With recipes that provide “food for thought,” from breakfast to dessert, as well as snacks, sides, and small plates, you’ll reach for this book again and again—whether you’re cooking a family dinner or a meal for a large gathering. Dishes include Mediterranean Sun Gold Granola, Berry Smart Seeded Dressing Over Greens, Green Falafel Fritters with Red Pepper Sauce, Sizzling Shrimp and Peppers with Cilantro, Moroccan Spiced Hot Chocolate, and more.

Eating a Mediterranean diet is one of the most effective ways to protect and enhance your brain health, halt inflammation, improve symptoms of depression, and help to reduce daily stress. Research shows results in less than two months—but good nutrition only works if you want to eat the food.

That’s where The Smart Mediterranean Diet Cookbook comes in. Serena and Deanna’s smart recipes are layered with enticing Mediterranean flavors and the most potent brain-boosting ingredients. This book solves the dilemma of “what’s for dinner” while enhancing your brain and mood with every dish. – BenBella Books

The Young Forever Cookbook: More Than 100 Delicious Recipes for Living Your Longest, Healthiest Life by Mark Hyman

The companion cookbook to Dr. Hyman’s #1 New York Times bestseller Young Forever, featuring more than 100 delicious recipes to support a long, youthful life.

Dr. Mark Hyman’s revolutionary book Young Forever revealed how to reverse the biological hallmarks of aging through easy and accessible dietary, lifestyle, and longevity strategies. In this companion cookbook, Dr. Hyman shares more than 100 satisfying recipes to help you eat your way to a longer life.

Rooted in the latest science, the recipes in The Young Forever Cookbook feature good fats, quality proteins, nutrient-dense vegetables, leafy greens, and a variety of other ingredients proven to support longevity. You’ll find a range of meals and snacks designed to fight inflammation, boost your immune system, and promote healthy aging, including:

  • Roasted Red Pepper and Zucchini Frittata
  • Thai Turkey Larb Lettuce Wraps
  • Braised Pomegranate Lamb Shanks
  • Roasted Rhubarb-Strawberry Coconut Crumble
  • And many more

With mouthwatering options for every lifestyle and diet, The Young Forever Cookbook is your guide to maintaining a healthy life—and creating a healthier future. – Little Brown Spark

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“I learned the hard way that acceptance gained by pretzeling yourself into other people’s visions of you never lasts.”
― Kim Johnson, Invisible Son

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson is a riveting, destructive social justice thriller that refuses to stay silent. This book had me hooked and angry from the start, hoping that people would turn out differently that I thought, but knowing that change takes time. If you’re a fan of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas or Dear Justyce by Nic Stone, give Invisible Son a try.

Andre Jackson wants his identity back. After being wrongly accused of a crime, Andre is finally able to return home from juvie on an ankle monitor with a parole officer closely monitoring his every move. When Andre drives through his neighborhood, he realizes that even more has changed while he’s been gone. His neighborhood in Portland, Oregon is gentrifying, with people trying to push his grandparents out of their home and his dad out of his bookstore business. Andre’s excitement to start school again is quickly squashed when COVID-19 shuts down school and puts his family and friends in danger. With not much to do, Andre’s suspicions about what really happened surrounding his arrest begin to taint his relationships with friends, family, and coworkers.

Andre is hopeful that he can slip back into his relationships with the Whitaker kids, the family that live across the street from his grandparents. Before his arrest, Andre had made some headway with his crush, Sierra, but Sierra’s brother Eric has been missing since not long after Andre’s arrest. Sierra has her own suspicions about Eric’s disappearance, but her behavior is spiraling out of control, leading Andre and her family to concern. Andre has some questions for Eric, so he begins to search for him too. Thinking that the Whitaker parents know more than they’ve previously shared, Andre asks them questions. He soon realizes that Sierra and Eric’s adoptive parents are hiding something as the whole family works to keep up the idea that their racially diverse family is perfect with two biological white children, three adopted children of different races, and a dad running for political office. The more Andre searches for answers, the more he realizes that the truth could be devastating. Those who hold the power also hold many deep dark secrets, secrets they will do anything to keep Andre from discovering.

This title is also available in large print, Playaway Audiobook, and single book club collection.

“There’s no such thing as innocent until proven guilty—it’s just guilty until proven innocent. No one really wants the truth. They just want it to be done with.”
― Kim Johnson, Invisible Son

The Title is a Song (Lyric)

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Does your mind wonder when you’re looking for a new book to read? If so, check out this latest book list! While browsing the new shelves, I noticed books with song or lyrics as the titles. Thinking that there must be more, I compiled a more in-depth list of books that fit the theme of ‘the title is a song (lyric)’. Below you’ll find books published in both 2024 and 2025 that had me humming away while shelving!

All of these titles are owned by the Davenport Public Library at the time of this writing. Descriptions are provided by the publisher.

Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli

Her life. Her rules. Finally.

Anuri Chinasa has had enough. And really, who can blame her? She was the unwilling star of her stepmother’s social media empire before “momfluencers” were even a thing. For years, Ophelia documented every birthday, every skinned knee, every milestone and meltdown for millions of strangers to fawn over and pick apart.

Now, at twenty-five, Anuri is desperate to put her way-too-public past behind her and start living on her own terms. But it’s not going so great. She can barely walk down the street without someone recognizing her, and the fraught relationship with her father has fallen apart. Then there’s her PhD application (still unfinished) and her drinking problem (still going strong). When every detail of her childhood was so intensely scrutinized, how can she tell what she really wants?

Still, Ophelia is never far away and has made it clear she won’t go down without a fight. With Noelle, Anuri’s five-year-old half sister now being forced down the same path, Anuri discovers she has a new mission in life…

To take back control of the family narrative.

Through biting wit and heartfelt introspection, this darkly humorous story dives deep into the deceptive allure of a picture-perfect existence, the overexposure of children in social media and the excitement of self-discovery. – Graydon House

Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning

Willow’s worst nightmare was being canceled. But the shadows in the woods of Camp Castaway might destroy more than her reputation.

After sitcom star Willow tweets herself into infamy and stumbles blind-drunk into a swimming pool, her agent ships her off to Camp Castaway. Nestled deep in upstate New York, Castaway is a summer camp for adults who are desperate to leave their mistakes behind. No real names, no phones . . . no way to call for help.

Willow’s fellow campers seem okay. Her own favorite actress is even here, making a s’more. And did that jaded writer, Dani, just wink at her? But the peaceful vibe is shattered when one of the campers vanishes and Willow finds a mutilated doll in her room with a threatening message rolled up inside its mouth. Terror grips the group, campers begin to lose their heads—literally—and disturbing past deeds come to light.

Is Willow about to get cancelled all over again, this time for good? – G.P. Putnam’s Sons

I Did Something Bad by Pyae Moe Thet War

When freelance journalist Khin Haymar is assigned by Vogue to get a scoop on Tyler Tun, Hollywood’s hottest movie, she’s determined to succeed. Tyler has returned home to Myanmar to shoot his latest film, and if Khin’s able to get an exclusive, there may well be a permanent position waiting for her at Vogue Singapore.

Tyler has a very private life and doesn’t show any sign of letting down his walls for Khin. But then one night on set, a man follows Khin into the park. When he threatens her, Tyler steps in and things escalate fast. Khin knows they can’t go to the police, even if this was self defense, and even if this stranger seems to have targeted her specifically.

As Khin and Tyler work together to hide their secret and find out more about her attacker, they grow closer and Tyler finally starts opening up. But now the idea of writing the article gives Khin an uncomfortable morality-related guilt. Before long, everything hangs in the balance. Will they get away with murder? Can Khin get the exposé she needs for her dream job? And is she willing to risk Tyler’s trust in the process? – St. Martin’s Griffin

Love Story by Lindsey Kelk

She’s a small-town schoolteacher, he’s a hotshot creative director. Together, it’s hate at first sight.

Sophie Taylor has a secret and Joe Walsh is the last person she’d tell. He’s devilishly handsome, incredibly hot – and far too sure of himself.

But Sophie desperately needs his help.

Because she’s not just hiding something small. She is Este Cox, the mysterious romance author the entire world is desperate to unmask.

When a trip to the countryside means sharing a cottage with only one bed, it’s a short step to sharing a whole lot more besides… Can Sophie trust Joe with the truth – and be herself? – HarperCollins

This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things by Naomi Wood

In my life, I had always been a good woman; controlling what it was that I wanted. But recently, I had started to notice my bad energy, and I began to follow it, wondering where it would take me . . .

A woman has an unexpected outburst at a corporate therapy session for working mothers. A couple find some long-overdue time to rekindle their relationship and make an ill-advised home movie. A pregnant film director plots revenge on the actress who betrayed her. An ex-wife deliberately causes conflict at her ex-husband’s wedding.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things illuminates the lives of malicious, subversive, and untamed women. Exploring failed sisterhood, dubious parenting, and the dark side of modern love, this powerful and funny collection exposes how society wants women to behave, and shows what happens when they refuse. – Mariner Books

We Could Be Heroes by Philip Ellis

Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear high heels and a wig.

Patrick’s acting career is on the rise, and the superhero movie he’s filming might put him on the map . . . if the endless reshoots ever stop. Meanwhile, Will, a secondhand bookseller and part-time drag queen, is just trying to live his best life. After a chance encounter on a particularly chaotic night, a curious friendship sparks between the two men.

At least, that’s what they tell each other. Sure, Patrick finds Will captivatingly hilarious, and Will can’t help but keep thinking about who is really behind the perfect mask Patrick shows the rest of the world, but nothing could ever really happen, right? Superheroes don’t date drag queens, after all.

When reality crashes into the fantasy world they’ve built together, Will has to make a choice between the man of his dreams and being true to himself. Can Patrick be the hero Will’s been waiting for, or will Will be the one to save Patrick after all? Uproarious and touching, We Could Be Heroes is an ode to queer joy and a romance that just might save the world. – G.P. Putnam’s Sons

What is Love? by Jen Comfort

Answer: From the Latin word for crossroads, this is knowledge so common as to be obscure, the pursuit of which engages millions daily. Question: What is trivia?

Trivia is the magic in the mundane, the connection in the commonplace, and Maxine Hart’s second-favorite pastime. A self-proclaimed Brooklyn street rat and a high school dropout, Maxine has never been a fan of formal education, but thanks to her ADHD “superpowers,” she’s a glutton for knowledge―and a good fight. And when Maxine enters the trivia game show Answers!, her brilliance, coupled with her penchant for big bets, devastates her competition. Even record-holding, 76-time-winner Teddy Ferguson.

Or was it their kiss the night before they faced off that threw the buttoned-up professor off his game?

Now, Maxine and Teddy cross paths again in a high-stakes tournament against all-time Answers! winners, including undefeated champion Hercules McKnight. With nothing in common but an insatiable appetite for knowledge and a desire to win, Maxine offers Teddy a deal: combine their strengths to shore up their weaknesses. She’ll push his tolerance for risk and improve his buzzer speed, if he’ll find creative ways to fill in the gaps in her education.

Except neither one of them foresaw just how scintillating learning could be… – Montlake

You Better Watch Out by James S Murray and Darren Wearmouth

Forty-eight hours until Christmas, Jessica Kane wakes up with blurred vision, ears ringing, and in excruciating pain. A gash in her head and blood running down her face, the last thing she remembers is going for a run and something or someone hitting her in the head.

It doesn’t take her long to realize she is trapped in an unknown, deserted town with five other strangers who share similar stories of being attacked and stranded there. Unsure why and how they got there, she knows one thing for certain, she has to find a way out.

That becomes nearly impossible when someone is meticulously orchestrating their deaths, one by one, and the only thing Jessica can do is watch the life leave their eyes.

The fenced-in town is the killer’s very own playground and there’s nowhere left to hide… she better watch out because she could be next. – St. Martin’s Press

2025 releases!