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

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


Romance Tropes!

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

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


 

 

The FRIENDS of the Davenport Public Library

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

 

 


The Librarians Celebrate Spunky Old Broads Day

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

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


DavenportU Citizens Academy with Allie McWilliams

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

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

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

Be sure to apply by February 21st here! 


Show Your Love for Our Library

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

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


Black History Month Reading Suggestions

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

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


What Our Hosts Read In January

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

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

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


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

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

DVDs for April

APRIL 16

djarangoDjango Unchained – Jamie Foxx, Leonardo Dicaprio

Django, a former slave turned hired gun, heads back to the plantation to free his wife, Broomhilda, from the tyrannical plantation owner Calvin Candie, with the help of a German bounty hunter, Dr. King Shultz Rated R.

 

APRIL 19

this is 40This Is 40 – Paul Rudd,  Leslie Mann

A look at the lives of Pete and Debbie a few years after the events of Knocked Up, the 2007 comedy. After years of marriage, Pete and Debbie are approaching a milestone meltdown. As they try to balance romance, careers, parents and children in their own hilarious ways, they must also figure out how to enjoy the rest of their lives. This Is 40 is a candid and heartwarming comedy about the challenges and rewards of marriage and parenthood in the modern age. Rated R.

les miserablesLes Miserables – Hugh Jackman, Russell Crowe, Anne Hathaway

In early 19th century France the paroled prisoner Jean Valjean seeks redemption, regains his social standing, and rises to the rank of mayor. He encounters a beautiful but desperately ill woman named Fantine and cares for her daughter, Cosette, after her death. All the while he is obsessively pursued by the policeman Javert, who vows to make him pay for the crimes of his past Rated PG-13.

APRIL 23

impossibleThe Impossible – Ewan McGregor, Naomi Watts

Based on a true story of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. But the true-life terror is tempered by the unexpected displays of compassion, courage, and simple kindness that Maria and her family encounter during the darkest hours of their lives. Rated PG-13.

gansterGangster Squad – Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn

Los Angeles, 1949. Ruthless mob king Mickey Cohen runs the show in this town, reaping the ill-gotten gains from the drugs, guns, and if he has his way, every wire bet placed west of Chicago. And he does it all with the protection of not only his own paid goons, but also the police and the politicians who are under his control. It’s enough to intimidate even the bravest, street-hardened cop, except for the small, secret crew of LAPD outsiders who come together to try and tear Cohen’s world apart.  Rated R.

 

APRIL 30

guilt tripThe Guilt Trip – Barbra Streisand, Seth Rogen

The plan for a quick stop at Mom’s takes a turn when an impulse compels Andy to invite his mother, Joyce, on a three-thousand mile cross-country journey. But the further they go, the closer they get, and Andy realizes that they have more in common than he ever imagined. Rated PG-13.

silverSilver Linings Playbook – Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence

Based on the bestselling book by Matthew Quick, the riotous and poignant story of how a man who has lost everything, his house, his job, his wife, reconnects with himself and creates his own silver linings from the bonds he forms with his family and friends. Rated R.

 

broken cityBroken City – Donnie Wahlberg, Russell Crowe

Seven years after being forced to resign as a New York city police officer, private detective Billy Taggart takes on his toughest case yet when he’s hired to follow the mayor’s wife. By the time the mayor reveals his true intentions, Taggart’s already in too deep, with his freedom and possibly his life, on the line. Taggart will risk it all in a desperate bid to expose the truth and seek redemption in a city where second chances don’t come cheap. Rated R.