IN THE LIBRARY THIS WEEK | 03.15.24

Join us on Thursday, March 21st at 5:30 p.m. for our Family Night Eclipse Party!

Learn about this exciting astronomical event and receive a free pair of eclipse glasses to safely view the eclipse with your family. Glasses are limited, so we can only provide one pair per family to those who participate in the program. We hope to see you and your loved ones here celebrating the eclipse together.

OTHER EVENTS THIS WEEK

Monday—Stitch and Chat 9:30 a.m.
Genealogy Help 2-4 p.m.

Tuesday—Preschool Story Time 11 a.m.
Genealogy Help 2-4 p.m.

Wednesday—Baby Sensory Play 10-10:45 a.m.

Thursday—Family Night: Eclipse Party 5:30 p.m.

Friday—Coffee Time 10 a.m.

THIS WEEK’S RECOMMENDED READS

One of the books listed in Library Reads March Hall of Fame titles is The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan. In the new novel, three women from different walks of life unite to protect the heart of their community – the Bethnal Green Library – as German bombs rain down on London during World War II. Juliet Lansdown, the new deputy librarian, arrives determined to revitalize the struggling library and prove a woman can run it successfully. Kate Upwood, a library assistant planning to go to university, conceals a life-altering secret after her beau’s death on the front lines of the war. Sofie Baumann, a Jewish refugee working as a maid, finds solace in the library’s literacy world as she searches for her lost sister in Europe. When the library is destroyed in an air raid, the determined Juliet relocated the book stacks to an Underground station serving as a bomb shelter. There, she inspires residents by lending out stories to raise spirits amidst the nightly onslaught. As tragedies mount, Juliet, Katie, and Sofie must overcome personal crisis to protect their cherished community hub. In this gripping tale, an unlikely sisterhood forms to ensure the library – and the light of knowledge it represents – does not become extinguished. (3-12)

Another book listed in this month’s Hall of Fame is The Truth about the Devlins by Lisa Scottoline. TJ Devlin, the black sheep of a successful family of lawyers, finally gets the chance to prove himself when his upstanding brother John confesses to murdering a client. As TJ investigates to clear John’s name, the brothers rapidly become entangled in a dangerous maze of deception and multiple murders. With the prestigious Devlin family legacy and freedom at stake, TJ must confront gut-wrenching truths about those closest to him. In this taunt, suspenseful page-turner, family bonds are stretched to the breaking point as TJ races to untangle a lethal web of lies before landing in prison himself. Fans of twisty plots and sky-high stakes will devour this portrait of privilege, envy, and dark secrets. (3-26)

A top pick for this month’s Library Read is The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez. Set during the construction of the Panama Canal, this novel captures the lives of the people in the canal’s orbit: locals, laborers, and a doctor studying mosquito-borne illnesses. An atmospheric and compelling novel filled with characters that leap off the page and into readers’ hearts. (3-5) Cristina Henriquez

One of our patrons highly recommended Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson. In this clever mystery, a group of crime writers become unwitting detectives when one of their own is murdered aboard the famous Ghan train traveling through the Australian Outback. The writers – a debut author, a forensics expert, a blockbuster novelist, a legal thriller pro, a literary icon, and a psychological suspense maven – should know how to solve the case. At the same time, they also know all the tricks to get away with murder. As the remaining writers turn amateur sleuths, they must outwit a killer among them who has an intimate knowledge of crime fiction while the body count rises. With their lives on the line, this mismatch crew must utilize their collective insights into the criminal mind to unravel an impossibly twisted plot before being derailed. Fans of ingeniously crafted whodunits will revel in this new murder mystery.

Mark your calendar for this month’s book club on Thursday, March 28th at 6 p.m. This month’s book is Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon. We’ll be diving into the multi-generational tale of the strong-willed Rubicon women – Lana, Beth, and Jack – who get caught up in a murder investigation after Jack stumbles upon a body while kayaking in their sleepy coastal town. I have just started Mother-Daughter Murder Night, and one of the main characters, Lana, is already proving to be a fascinating, strong-willed protagonist.

Lupe Herrera, Director – Mount Pleasant Public Library