New this week
The latest additions to The Library's collection
In the stacks
Literary
The Boxer’s Lament | Ben Woestenburg | Literary (NA) (C) (F)
The Boxer’s Lament is the story of our Narrator’s uncle, Sam Langdon, also known as the Boston Terror…the best pound for pound boxer around. A coming of age story about loss and unrequited love. Come share the pain and heartache, follow our Narrator as she learns first hand that recovery means more than she ever thought it did. Come into the dark world of boxing, of sports writers fighting to get a story out, and a niece’s love for her uncle.
Short Fiction Collection
Tales from Twelve Springs | D.A. Tilney | Flash Fiction; Magical Realism, Slice of Life, Cozy Fantasy (S) (I) (F)
A flash fiction collection about an enchanting little town. Welcome to Twelve Springs, where starry white flowers bloom for only one night on midsummer eve… where the song of a nightingale inspires all who hear it… where a sacred well grants a wish once every blue moon. People often wonder, ‘Who is responsible for such abundance?’ If you ask the townsfolk, they’ll tell you about the goddess who lives in the wild woods – the one who can take the shape of a nightingale or a salmon or a deer… the goddess who can even, on occasion, appear as an ethereal woman by moonlight.
Speculative
Soultaming the Serpent | P.M. Hammond | Fantasy, Queer (N) (I) (F)
The last dragon died half a century ago and Jun Weaver still dreams of the rain that hasn’t fallen since. Her mundane life takes a turn when she encounters Aurel, who she suspects may be the one that holds the key to restoring balance and is destined to find the elusive serpent from the prophecy. Joined by Casey, Jun’s closest friend and the village brewer, the three embark on a journey to unravel the prophecy's intricacies, figure out what the serpent's role truly is, and why the dragon is the only reason it rains, not knowing they are being watched. Follow our trio as Jun discovers a love of adventure, Casey’s devotion takes an unexpected turn, Aurel spills his secrets like dust in the sand, and the three of them discover the true power of their bond.
The Sunset Sovereign: A Dragon's Memoir | C.D. Houck | Fantasy, Slice of Life (N) (I) (F)
For the past thousand years, the dragon Vakandi has watched the people of Vakfored grow from a wandering band of refugees to a glorious city of art and magic. Under his protection the city has survived monsters, floods, and wars all without building an army, dam, or even a wall. But time changes everything and now the citizens of his beloved city want him dead.Vakandi spends his last day telling his assassin why he loves them, and why it's his time to die.
The Warhog Paladins | Jer Patch | Gamelit/Litrpg Fantasy (N) (C) (F)
If you survive Revivium, once you leave, you can’t come back. In a universe where Corporations rule everything and even own planets, Mia embarks on an incredible journey to survive the AI-run fantasy game, Revivium. With no body modifications and no way to make a living without connecting to the network, Mia must succeed against all odds to win the game and the millions of in-game currency it offers. As a new player, she stumbles into an old story, reviving the ancient order of the Warhog Paladins. Yet she cannot ditch the quest without losing her only friend and all of her creds. But will the cost of winning be too high?
Thriller & Mystery
Dracula’s Ghost | Travis Blake | Thriller & Mystery, Horror (N) (C) (F)
I am old, Mina. Old and weary through long years of mourning the dead. By 1933, Dracula has been dead for forty years, and Jonathan Harker is consumed with grief for his dead wife and son. When Jonathan’s friend is killed in a botched robbery, a sinister agent of Adolf Hitler unearths the Harker family’s darkest secrets and hatches a blackmail plot using the only remaining light in Jonathan’s world – his daughter Sarah. Dracula’s Ghost follows an ensemble cast as they journey from the graveyards of London to a hidden castle in the Carpathian Mountains to discover who – or what – lives behind its walls.
Over the Top Secret | Alexa Tuttle | Action Adventure Comedy, Humor (N) (I) (F)
A fun, fast-paced, humorous mystery about a brainy, relatable heroine, a government experiment gone wrong, and the zany world of T.O.P.S.E.C.R.E.T. espionage! My name is Julie Richardson, and if you'd told me one week ago that I'd be racing through the sewers of Paris in search of a golden thumb drive to stop an Evil Villain from destroying the world, I'd have thought you were describing some off-brand James Bond film. Unfortunately for me, I had to go and *accidentally* trigger a dangerous government experiment that turned me into the most sought-after source of classified intel on the planet. I used to be worried about my GPA and graduating college at the top of my class. Now, I've got bad guys chasing after me, so-called "good guys" trying to experiment on me, and Evil Villains threatening to cut out my brain! The good news is, there's a chance I could get my normal life back. The bad news is that chance is slim to none. Forced to go on a life-threatening government mission? Check. Accompanied by the world's most handsome self-absorbed spy? Check. A plan? Not even close. Welcome to T.O.P.S.E.C.R.E.T.
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Buy Indie
Contemporary
Till Death Do Us Part | Melonie Shelton | Adult Fiction (NA)
Falling in love is exciting and full of expectations. First marriage, then the baby. You know, the girls' fantasies and dreams. Susan had high expectations. She knew nothing would be perfect, but that was her goal. John, Susan and their baby, living the dream. The dream was not supposed to include another woman or the early death of their child. Their daughter, Rachel, was supposed to be with them forever. The goal of perfection ended. Accidental death, court proceedings, suicide, and depression didn’t mix well. Susan’s dreams were shattered. She thought she would never have her life back or any dreams. They say that things happen for a reason. Susan never wanted to think there was a good reason for anything that she had experienced. They also say love is blind. Dying inside, how could love ever come back in her life? Love sweep’s Susan off her feet. Unexpected love, true love fills her heart. She feels undeserving, but allows him in.
Thriller & Mystery
Dead & Buried | TK Eldridge | Supernatural Mystery (N) (C)
Detectives Kennedy and Donovan were partners for years. Then one of them died. And yet, they're still partners. Kennedy has to solve Donovan's death while his partner's ghost helps him. Sort of. Kennedy has to hide how he's figuring it all out so he can keep his badge and solve the murder - before he ends up dead and buried too. First in a completed six book series. Find everywhere else
Young Readers
Rosie and Mr. Spooks | Alexa Tuttle | Picture Book; Holiday, Animals-Friendship | $14.99
It’s Halloween night and little miss Rosie savors the spooky feeling in the air. But when a tiny purple spider plops in her hot cocoa, Rosie is scared out of her wits! She runs through the house, desperately trying to escape the tiny menace. Just when there’s nowhere left to run, Rosie comes face to face with the spider and discovers sometimes things aren’t as scary as they seem… You'll love "Rosie and Mr. Spooks" if you also love:
Reading along with rhythmic, rhyming prose | Searching for hidden objects | Cutesy (not scary) Halloween stories
The Vegas Golden Knights: Defenders of the Ice | Alexa Tuttle | Picture Book Graphic Novel; Fantasy/Adventure/Comic Book, Sports | $24.95
Join the people of the Desert Kingdom of Las Vegas on their epic adventure from misfits to Golden Knights as they discover the enchanting power of their very own “desert ice”! This fantastical re-imagining of how the Vegas Golden Knights hockey team came to be captures the magical bond between the people of Las Vegas and their Golden Knights so that VGK fans can continue to relive the magic of our epic first season.
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From the Archive
Featuring a different, randomly selected book every week
An Ordinary Disaster | Bowen Dwelle | Memoir (B) (I) (F)
An Ordinary Disaster is one man's proof that despite what may seem like our inability to hear it, and all of our attempts to avoid it, we can all learn to listen to ourselves, and to act upon the inner voice of our self, our sanity and our soul. This raw, gritty, vulnerable memoir takes us from the author's vibrant but emotionally vacant youth in 1980’s San Francisco through a deeply conflicted adulthood of depression, isolation, and addiction that lay hidden beneath a successful careers in the early days of the internet and as a small-business entrepreneur. Starting, growing and eventually selling his own business while desperately trying to escape his inner darkness through sex, travel, and drinking, the author eventually rediscovers his love of the outdoors and his connection to physical movement and adventure, which leads to an awakening of his intuition, the end of his life-long dependence on alcohol, and the rediscovery of his identity as a man. A provocative combination of truth-telling, hard-won life lessons, and powerful prose, An Ordinary Disaster is a concrete and hopeful demonstration that there is a way forwards for anyone who is plagued by a repeating chorus of "I don't know," feels stuck in a state of existential dissatisfaction and depression, or hopelessly disconnected from their inner voice and sense of self.
Gah! So cool seeing my books listed in The Library! Thank you so much 🥹