February 2025 QCL (Quad Cities Live) Book Club Selections

- Brittany Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch

- Stephanie Leave a comment

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

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

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

Adventures in Carsonia

- Bill Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

- Bill Leave a comment

It’s been a quarter-century, and he’s back, with a vengeance.  No, it’s Malcolm Gladwell talking Tipping Points, not Pennywise the Clown.  This part deux of his seminal work feels less positive, hence the “revenge” label.   It’s more of the same fascinating ilk, searching for (this time negative) trends at the intersection of science and culture.  Here we have several compelling case studies how a little yellow snowball can roll downhill to form a sociological avalanche.

He takes us to the streets of Los Angeles to meet the world’s most successful bank robbers, rediscovers a forgotten television show from the 1970s that changed the world, visits the site of a historic experiment on a tiny cul-de-sac in northern California, and offers an alternate history of two of the biggest epidemics of our day: COVID and the opioid crisis.

Gladwell teases qualitative meaning out of a heap of data, actually making statistics, well, interesting.

But there is another goal — tracing why things end up getting turned on their head in an astonishingly short period of time.  We’re talking years, not millenia.  How can we prevent a similar repeat?  And, what does the “overstory” say about us?  It’s disturbingly not so much the butterfly effect as unintended consequences of run-of-the-mill man-made meddling.  We have the power to radically reshape our world (this time NOT for the best) with or without intention.

Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford

- Michelle Leave a comment

The over 2600 thrilling miles of the Pacific Crest Trail stretches along the west coast of the United States from Mexico to Canada.  Each year thousands of hikers of all abilities attempt to hike the trail either from start to finish or in selected segments.  As author Andrea Lankford quickly discovered and documents in Trail of the Lost, not all who hike the trail complete it successfully.  Lankford has had a lengthy career searching remote areas as a former park ranger in the National Park Service’s law enforcement team.  After her career at the National Park Service ended twelve years prior, Lankford discovered the stories of numerous missing persons hiking the Pacific Crest Trail.   A few stories caught her attention and she continued to dig deeper to find out more.   She discovered the stories of three young men whose disappearances contained some similarities.  The cases had bits and pieces of common threads but occurred in different locations of the trail and the evidence each missing man left behind was vastly different.  All three men disappeared within months of each other and had been missing for years when Lankford decided to start the search anew in an attempt to solve these cold cases.

Lankford starts by organizing an initial search, the first of many, and encounters fellow amateur sleuths eager to assist her in the search on the ground.  An eclectic group starts a quest that will lead down dangerous and heartbreaking paths for the searchers and the men’s families.  There are also moments of bittersweet joy in the search for clues and answers.  Lankford’s group includes family members, as well as others who don’t fit the typical mold of amateur sleuths.  These searchers, regardless of their background, form strong bonds and share the common desire to give the missing hikers’ families the closure they are seeking.   Along the way they encounter and investigate religious cults, possible serial killers along the trail, dubious experts whose intentions are suspect, eyewitnesses who have ulterior motives and quirky trail characters who provide cautious tips and information on the missing hikers.

This is a part fascinating, part heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting account of a group spearheaded by Lankford that did whatever was necessary (including risking their own lives) to find answers for the three missing men’s families.  Even though these men’s cases were long cold and the group had numerous setbacks along the way, it is comforting to know that dozens of people selflessly gave their time and effort to find out what happened to the three missing hikers.  This is a great and compelling read that combines true crime investigations with the harsh reality of nature.

January 2025 Picture Book Spotlight: Winter and Cozy

- Brittany Leave a comment

Happy January! Each January, I really enjoy focusing on titles that are both cozy but also celebrate the climate that they get to enjoy here in the Midwest! Below are some of my favorite cozy or wintry reads that I have been sharing with my outreach storytime patrons!

The Lumberjack’s Beard
by Duncan Beedie

Big Jim, the lumberjack lives in a small cabin in the middle of the woods and always starts off his day with limbering stretches and a huge plate of pancakes and maple syrup. After a long day of chopping down trees, Big Jim has a disgruntled guest show up at his door. It turns out, if you cut down all of the trees in the forest, there are going to be some displaced animals. Where are they to live?

This title is a great title for teaching young people about cause and effect, animal habitats, and the importance of nature. It is also a rather delightful read!

Dinosaur’s Binkit
by Sandra Boynton

Little Dinosaur cannot get ready for bed without a very important lovey! Binkit is missing, no teeth can be brushed or jammies can be donned without the love of binkit. Follow this short journey into the life of a young one fretting over their beloved blankey through lift and flap interactives! You can never go wrong with a Sandra Boynton but this title is extra special. As a mom with two kiddos especially attached to lovies, I can relate!

This work teaches parents (me) to slow down and focus on what is important and taking a moment to breathe.

 

Snow Falls
by Kate Gardner, illustrated by Brandon James Scott

Winter is officially here and the snow has begun to fall! Will you go outside and sled or will you stay inside for hot cocoa?

I really enjoy reading this title each year because it allows for great conversation with young readers. Before I share this title with my young audience, I always ask them what they like to do in the snow and then we see if what they enjoy doing pops up in the story! With concise dialog and gorgeous illustrations by Scott, this work is truly a joy to share with young people!

Pop-up Peekaboo! Winter
by Amy Grimes

What are Arctic animals up to in the winter? Find out in this highly interactive and enjoyable pop-up board book!

My daughter loves this series of books. They are highly educational and the pop-ups are next level cool!

 

Wilfred
by Ryan T. Higgins

Wilfred is a giant, hairy, and very lonely monster, who wants a friend more than anything. When Wilfred discovers a little town of peculiar children, he runs onto a playground terrifying all but one brave little boy. The pair become fast friends but the other peculiar townspeople have a rather mean plan for Wilfred.

Wilfred is a great redemption story that helps strengthen emotional intelligence and cause and effect skills!

A Little Book About Winter
by Leo Lionni

Winter is a time for celebration, eating, gathering, playing outside, and warming up by the fire. Follow a mouse family as they navigate it all!

This simple and adorably (even if it is covered in mice) illustrated board book will share many wonderful activities and celebrations that only happen in the winter!


Ned the Knitting Pirate
by Diana Murray, illustrated by Leslie Lammle

“The Pirates were a rugged lot, as fierce as they were strong, and as they swabbed the deck one day, they sang a pirate song…” A pirate crew is brought to stitches when one of their fellow mates shares his love for knitting. The captain “won’t be hearing knitting talk,” and tries to end Ned’s knitting adventures. Just when you think that poor Ned has to give up his craft and life calling, a hero is needed. Can Ned save the day and make the Captain eat his words? I sure hope so!

This is a wonderful story told in rhyme that I love to share each year around this time. Ned the Knitting Pirate has such a great message that it is okay to be your own person and a hero lies in all of us! I also get the opportunity to sing and talk like a pirate, what isn’t to love about this title! Seriously, please check this one out and then I want to talk to you about it!

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

2025 Decade Challenge Selections

- Brittany Leave a comment

A new year brings new reading challenges! What challenge are you setting for yourself this year? Since 2022, I have set the same challenge, read 11 titles, 1 for each decade in the past 100 years. Below are the shining stars that I have chosen to read this year! Check back at the end of the year to see which ones I kept and those that were reassigned! 😉

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
This is one of my all-time favorite books. I am excited for the chance to read this again this year, and get something new out of it!

Mary Poppins Comes Back by P.L. Travers (Book 2 In the Mary Poppins Series)
I read the first book in this series last year and am excited to tackle the second one this year! I am sure that it will be full of whimsy just as the first was!

Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
As a child, I watched and then re-watched the 1988 film of Pippi Longstocking. When I saw this title on the 1945 list, I knew that I HAD to read this to my kids so that we can then watch the movie together!

Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson
A beloved tale that I have not read in years. I am excited to read this with my kiddos and then watch the new movie!

Fox in Sox by Dr. Seuss
How can anyone resist a good Dr. Seuss? This one is currently sitting on my son’s bookshelf!

Curtain by Agatha Christie
For the past four years, I have enjoyed titles by Agatha Christie especially those in the Hercule Poirot series. I am so excited to tackle this one!

 

If You Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Truth be told, I am absolutely terrified of mice. This said, I cannot resist the adorable stories that Numeroff creates!

 

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Well, I have had this title on my bookshelf since I watched Wicked in Chicago at the Oriental Theater. There is no time like now than to finally read it!

 

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
This is another title that I have wanted to read since it came out and have never given myself the opportunity to read it! Also, another adaptation that was made this past year to be able to enjoy after I read this!

Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I am so intrigued by this premise of this title and cannot wait to sink in!

 

 

2025 is yet to be determined! I’m excited to find my next favorite read in this new year!

 

 

 

Have you read any of my titles? I would love to chat about them in the comments!

Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases

- Bill Leave a comment

Most famous for his work on Laci Peterson, Jaycee Dugard, and the Golden State Killer, cold case investigator Paul Holes goes deep on the cases he couldn’t shake and the personal toll of internalizing others’ trauma in Unmasked: My Life Solving America’s Cold Cases.  If you’re the family of a victim, you’d pray your manila folder ends up on his desk.  But if you were in Holes’ family, you were just hoping he’d leave that selfsame cubicle.  Every now and then Holes blows a long-dormant case wide open, but it comes at significant psychic cost. Side effects of delayed justice include divorce, night sweats, and increased bourbon consumption.  Family members wondered if they even knew the man muttering case details to himself.

The forensic vigilante’s obsessions additionally found him at odds with his superiors when reaching out of jurisdiction.  Call it cliché, but Holes is a loose cannon who doesn’t do things by the book.  So, he turned in his badge after 27 years, today working as a  strong proponent of DNA sequencing, resurrecting lost causes with fresh eyes and fresher technology.  Not sold yet?  Just pen a letter to Joseph DeAngelo for a testimonial.

2024 Decade Challenge – That’s a Wrap!

- Brittany Leave a comment

In 2022 I was listening to an episode of the podcast, What Should I Read Next? with Anne Bogel – if you have not listened to this podcast, you should! So much content to add to your TBR! Anne was interviewing a guest about setting reading goals. The guest shared that her goal was to read 100 books that year – each title belonging to a year in the past century. Knowing that I could not commit to 100 books, I did want to give this goal a try in my own way! Thus began my commitment to reach 100 years of books by decade – 11 books each year! Below are the titles that I chose and the years that they were released! This has been such a fun goal and I am really getting the opportunity to read books that have broadened my horizons!

Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie (audiobook through Audible)
Poirot and Hastings set out and solve 14 crimes in this compilation of short stories. Among the crimes solved include: missing pearls, dead counterparts, and a mother trying to do the right thing.

I always enjoy a good Christie novel!

Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers (audiobook through Libby)
Join the Banks children as they go on many adventures with a nanny like no other! The Banks children have recently run their Katie Nana away and are in need of a new nanny. In blows Mary Poppins to turn their world upside down.

As a little girl, I watched Julie Andrews bring to life the delightful and eccentric Mary Poppins. As an adult, it was an absolute joy to listen to the audio on Libby and compare the differences between the book and the movie adaptation.

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes (hard copy)
Wanda has an interesting name and lives in Boggins Hollow where the poorest families live. One day on the playground, Wanda whispers that she has 100 dresses in her closet all lined up. The children laugh at her because there is no way her family could afford that many dresses. Now, it has been a few days since Wanda has been seen at school. One of the girls, Maddie is worried and begins to feel remorse for not standing up for Wanda.

This classic tale teaches such a great lesson to young people, first, never judge a book by its cover and second, always be kind.

Horton Hears a Who by Dr. Seuss (hard copy)
One day while cooling off in the pool, Horton hears a noise coming from a speck of dust leading to an unexpected friendship. Led by a mother kangaroo, the jungle animals begin mocking Horton and threaten the safety of the people on the tiny speck.

I loved sharing this classic tale with my kids! Horton is such a sweet and gentle character, it was fun to see how much my kids got into it!

The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (hard copy)
A tree and a little boy love each other. As the little boy grows, the tree does everything within her power to help him.

Such a powerful message on love and the effects of one-sided relationships. My kids loved this book and it was nice to have a discussion on what it means to be a good friend!

If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (hard copy)
Tish has loved Fonny for most of her life. Just as they are beginning to start a life together, Fonny is accused of a crime that he did not commit. Baldwin created complex characters navigating very real and unimaginable horrors. If Beale Street Could Talk is about the power of love and its ability to conquer all.

This was a beautifully heartbreaking story with an ending that I had hoped for!

The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros (hard copy)
Happy 40th Birthday to “The House on Mango Street”!! What a beautiful book that was completely unputdownable. Loosely related to the life of the author, this beautiful work of art follows the young Esperanza as she grows up on Mango Street. Told is short stories, that somehow speak beyond their words, I feel as if I have an intimate relationship with each character especially Esperanza.

Loved, loved, loved this so much and am so glad that I chose this as my 1984 read!!

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram (hard copy)
This beauty that was on personal bookshelf as a child turns 30 this year! My 40th read is #guesshowmuchiloveyoubook and it is my 1994 read for my year decade challenge. Truth be told, I had intended to read a different title and it was just too dry and heavy for me!

Follow 2 rabbits (father and child) as they proclaim their love for one another. If you have little ones or just want a little nostalgia, consider picking this book up!

The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (hard copy)
This book was recommended to me in 2006. Now, I finally finished this title for my 2024 decade challenge and completely understand why it was recommended to me!

Macy has to say goodbye to her boyfriend Jason, her lifeline after the passing of her father, for the summer. Stuck filling in for Jason at the library with girls that she is pretty sure hate her, Macy is dreading her summer. All of this changes when her workaholic mom hires a caterer for a party and Macy steps in to help. Finding new friends and herself along the way, Macy struggles with being true to herself and what forever really means.

This book was so cute! Each supporting character had depth and were integral to the structure of the story. There were so many times that I was rooting for Macy and was so excited when she found her footing and stood up for herself!

Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald by Therese Anne Fowler (audiobook through Audible)
Dive into the world of 1920’s glam and elaborate parties with this title. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald is a fictionalized account told in Zelda’s point of view.

As a fan of F. Scott’s works, I was excited and nervous to pick up this title but can say that it was so totally worth it! What a remarkably heartbreaking life of the life of one of the most famous writers.

Brought to life by one of the best audio narrators yet, this title made me cry and wish that I could have known Ms. Fitzgerald, she was truly a remarkable woman in a time where women were beginning to make names for themselves!

Summertime Punchline by Betty Corrello (hard copy)
Holy buckets!!! My heart is so unbelievably sad that I have finished this book. As many do, I put my hat in the ring for all of the giveaways on my TBR. Who doesn’t love a FREE BOOK? Somehow, I was lucky enough to be a winner of this charming and heartbreakingly funny title by Betty Corrello.

Delfina is about to have the chance of a lifetime, she has been selected for a coveted spot in Brainwave, the most prestigious event for aspiring comedians. When she is on the cusp of greatness, Del finds herself homeless and driving her friend’s car home to Evergreen, NJ. Del’s whimsical grandmother Nan welcomes her home with a surprise: she is buddies with someone from her past that she has tried very hard to forget.

What an honor it was to read this title and I thank Avon Books for the opportunity to read it and offer a review. I very much look forward to more reads by Corrello!

I’m excited to share what I am planning to read next year!

Brothers

- Bill Leave a comment

Entertain the Nazis, join them, or die.  Those were the options presented to professional clarinet and saxophone player Jan Van Halen during the German occupation of Holland. If he hadn’t opted for oom pa pa, his genetics tragically wouldn’t have propagated.  Post war, the Dutchman moved to colonial Indonesia for greener musical pastures.  His nascent family began with Eugenia before the two trekked to California with a shred of English and two grade school boys in tow.

America was not the touted land of plenty for Alex and little Edward. The patriarch perpetually struggled to make ends meet outside of the occasional gig. Decades before becoming gazillionaires, the family subsisted on his dishwashing and janitor shifts.  Eddie was initially the drummer of the duo while Alex opted for guitar in their hardscrabble Pasadena upbringing. The two found their musical grounding in the form of an exacting four-foot-tall piano instructor called “mom.” Listen to their biggest hit, “Jump” and you’ll see it paid off. The immigrants couldn’t afford cool effects pedals, so Eddie had to engineer sounds the old fashioned way…with his fingers and thousands of hours of practice. A few short months into budget guitars, Dave was already sanding down six-strings – mixing and matching components on the way to his first Frankenstrat.

So which version of the band is your poison? Dave or Sammy? Both? Does it even matter? Van Halen’s meteoric rise to stardom was strapped on the back of Eddie’s blinding speed and virtuoso innovation. Sorry, Dave.  This trajectory was accompanied by the usual occupational hazards – alcoholism, addiction, relapses, divorces, and death. Alex walks us through all 65 years’ worth.  Brothers had the proper amount of tawdry rock and roll tell-all without cheapening the work. The title says it all. The only lasting component of the forty-plus year musical ensemble was the nucleus of namesake Dutch-Indonesian immigrant boys, 6 and 8.  Alex and Ed were thick as thieves, around the world, from the cradle to the grave.  Or, as Ed said, they “fight more than anyone I know, but also get along better than anyone I know.”  Even their former lead singers would agree we’re better for it.

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