LIBRARY CORNER | 01/07/22

This week (January 10-15) in the library:

Monday—Needlework 9:30 a.m. | Friends of the Library 6 p.m.

Tuesday—Legal Aid 3-5 p.m.

Wednesday—Album-creating Class 9 a.m.

Thursday—Adult Crafts 6 p.m. (Register with $5 for materials)

We’re looking forward to two major January events including Our annual Winter Wonderland Family Night, Thursday, January 20, at 6 p.m. Everyone can look forward to activities, hot chocolate, S’mores, and SNOW in the garden! Put this on your calendar.

Our second event in January is sponsored by the Northeast Texas Writers’ Organization. Saturday, January 22, join us for Once Upon a Time: A Winter Writers’ Workshop. If you are interested in any way about the fundamentals of writing children’s books, this workshop is for you. Our own Jared Chapman is one of the speakers, so you can look forward to a creative and very entertaining day. Also speaking is children’s author, Dr. Lavert. Registration is open now. Material fees are $35 for adults and $10 for students. For more information contact J. McDermott at mcdermottjjj@gmail.com.

The list from January’s Library Reads continues with The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf. “This is a violent, suspenseful page turner with a compelling plot: A young girl narrowly escapes harm when her parents are shot dead in their home and her brother and best friend disappear. The story then toggles to follow a true-crime writer investigating the town years later. This is for fans of Dark Places and When You See Me.” (1-25) Heidi Sandiford

Reckless Girls is by Rachel Hawkins. “When Lux and her boyfriend agree to ferry two women to a beautiful island near Hawaii, it seems like the perfect refuge for Lux, who’s still grieving her mother’s death. But then more people join them on the island and they find danger lurking everywhere. Give this inventive thriller to fans of Ruth Ware and Riley Sager.” (1-4) Cari Drubiel

In The Roughest Draft by Emily Wibberley, “two estranged co-authors are pressured into fulfilling the last book on their contract after their relationship goes haywire. It’s fun to read about the writing and publishing process and there’s great chemistry between the leads. This is for fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry.” (1-25) Rebecca Swanson

Jessamine Chan’s latest is The School for Good Mothers. “When recently-divorced Frida leaves her daughter home alone, she’s sentenced to a reeducation center where she must prove that she’s a good mom by bonding with a lifelike doll. This chilling dystopian novel highlights how performative and competitive parenting can be. Readers who enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale and Klara and the Sun will like this one.” (1-4) Elizabeth Zielinski

Last on this month’s list is Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon. “Ari and Russell scheme to get their feuding and divorced bosses back together, Parent Trap style. They just want to regain peace in the workplace. Instead, they find love. This is a touching, surprisingly weighty romance, exploring issues of depression and body image and incorporating glimpses of the Jewish faith. This one’s for fans of Get a Life, Chloe Brown and The Matza Ball.” (1-11) Alicia Ahlvers

A few months ago, I recommended The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. Our book club thoroughly enjoyed the story and I’ve moved on to two more of Harmel’s novels. I’m in the middle of Forest of Vanishing Stars and then plan to read The Winemaker’s Wife. I find that if I really enjoy one book by an author, I’ll probably enjoy all of her books.

Really would love for you to email me titles of books you love. Include a couple of sentences about the book and we’ll include your suggestions in upcoming Library Corners. My email is hthompson@mpcity.org.

Hope to see you soon at the library. Happy reading!

Helen Thompson, Director – Mount Pleasant Public Library