Tag: The Cousins

Online Reading Challenge – September Wrap-Up

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Hello Fellow Challenge Readers!

How did your reading go this month? Did you read a young adult literature title for September? Share in the comments!

I read our main title: The Cousins by Karen McManus. McManus is known for her Bayview High series (One of Us is Lying, One of Us is Next, and One of Us is Back), but The Cousins is a standalone novel diving into one family’s sordid history. What caught my attention about this novel was the premise: three teenage cousins invited to spend the summer with their estranged grandmother at the resort she owns. Sounds intriguing and a bit familiar, right? I thought so, too.

The three Story cousins, Jonah, Millie, and Aubrey, are contacted by their estranged grandmother, inviting them to spend the summer in a resort beach town. Mildred Story, the estranged matriarch of the Story family, cut off her four children over twenty years ago, their only notice a cryptic letter stating, ‘You know what you did’. Despite her children professing to have no idea what they did to earn her displeasure, Mildred refused to see her children or correspond in any way. This new invitation to her grandchildren comes completely out of the blue, catching everyone off guard. The fact that Mildred is incredibly wealthy has her children hoping that the grandchildren will get access to her money if they land themselves in her good graces.

Millie, Aubrey, and Jonah have no desire to spend summer with their grandma. They are teenagers with their own summer plans! Despite their protests, the three soon find themselves in the crosshairs of the rich and reclusive woman who disinherited their parents all those years ago. After their initial meeting, the three realize that Mildred’s plans are different than what they thought. She becomes increasingly hard to get a hold of, disappearing for trips, and using her assistant to blow off the cousins’ requests to meet. The cousins spend their time on island working and looking for more information about their parents. This leads to discovering some of the dark secrets in the Story family’s past. What fractured the family structure years ago? Can the cousins find the truth and repair these destroyed relationships?

Told from the point of view of the three cousins, plus one of their parents, McManus has written a mystery full of twists and turns. Flashback chapters fill in background information and family secrets that the cousins would not have been able to discover on their own. (The flashback chapters are the ones that kept me hooked throughout the book to be honest.) What kept me from completely loving this book were the twists’ reveals. I had trouble suspending my disbelief during some of the reveals, as it seemed implausible that only a few people would realize what was happening. The ending also seemed very rushed, to the point where I had to reread the last three chapters and the epilogue to piece together the end, but I’m still confused… This was a three star read for me.

Next month, we will be reading fantasy!

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!

Online Reading Challenge – September

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge is focusing on young adult literature. Our main title for September is The Cousins by Karen McManus. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point–not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious–and dark–their family’s past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over–and this summer, the cousins will learn everything. – Delacorte Press

Looking for some other young adult literature? Try any of the following.

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

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

- Brittany Leave a comment

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

Online Reading Challenge

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

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

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

Cold Weather Reads

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

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

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

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

2025 Rock Island Arsenal Series

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

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

Below are the themes and dates for this year!

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

2025 New Releases and Favorite Reads from 2024!

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

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

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

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

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

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

Board Game and Puzzle Collection!

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

Stephanie’s Suggestion:
Hues and Cues

Beth’s Suggestion:
The Floor is Lava

Brittany’s Suggestion:
The Settlers of Catan

2024 Goodreads Choice Award Winners:

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

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

What Our Hosts Read In November

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

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

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

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

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