LIBRARY CORNER | 12/23/22

Merry Christmas from all of us at the library! We’ve had a great year and are looking forward to 2023 with many good things coming from the library. We have the very best patrons in the world and want to thank you for your kindness throughout the year. Our wish for you is that you spend the holidays with those you love and that we see you often in 2023.

We’re wrapping things up, but the Library Reads list for January is looking ahead. Their top January pick is Georgie, All Along by Kate Clayborn. “When Georgie suddenly loses her job as a personal assistant, she heads home to her parents to regroup. While there, she comes across a teenage diary and uses it to explore her life. This is a sweet, fun novel about a genuine, competent person trying to discover her true self and is for fans of The Authenticity Project.” (1-24) Julie Heckert

Also on the list is All the Dangerous Things by Stacy Willingham. “One year after Isabelle’s son was taken from his bedroom in the middle of the night, the police still have no suspects or any clues of what became of her boy. The only thing Izzy knows for certain haunts her, because she’s a chronic sleepwalker. Did she have something to do with her child’s disappearance? This one’s for fans of Gilly Macmillan and Lisa Jewell.” (1-10) KC Davis

Back in a Spell is by Lana Harper. “Witch Nina Blackmoore must decide who she is and what matters most when her rocky date with “normie” Morty Gutierrez results in a magical bond between the two. With solid pacing, tremendous feats of magic, and a sweet and passionate romance, this third installment of the Thistle Grove series will knock your socks off and is for fans of Ann Aguirre.” (1-10) Shannon Collins

Jessica Johns latest is Bad Cree. “When Mackenzie’s nightmares start to bleed into her waking hours, she knows that she’ll need to return to family to get the help she needs. First Nation’s author Johns creates a unique combination of cryptid terror and family strength in the face of honor and trauma. If you like Silvia Moreno-Garcia and Eden Robinson, you’ll like this one.” (1-10) Erin Downey Howerton

The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff is “an amazing debut novel about a group of women who are part of a micro-loan community in an Indian village. Everyone thinks Geeta has killed her no-good, rotten husband, so the other women want her to kill their husbands, too. This is a story full of humor, pathos, and suspense.” (1-3) Ariel Zeitlin

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries is by Heather Fawcett. “Grumpy professor Emily Wilde wishes that she did not have to ‘people’ while researching the first complete encyclopedia of faeries. However, a handsome rival and some quirky townsfolk conspire to crack open Emily’s well-guarded heart. Readers will be enchanted with the Fae and cantankerous narrator found in this fantasy tale, much like a cozy version of the Lady Trent series.” (1-10) Deborah Harkness

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone is a novel by Benjamin Stevenson. “Ernie Cunningham writes books on how to write mystery novels for a living and is part of a family where everyone has killed someone. But the story of how and why is unraveled in the pages, and there’s another murderer in the midst. The narration is perfect—a retrospective that includes lots of misdirection and breaking the fourth wall. This is a must-read for mystery fans.” (1-17) Cari Dubiel

Finally, we have The House in the Pines by Ana Reyes. “Maya sees a viral video of a woman in a diner dropping dead while seated across from her boyfriend. Maya knows this man, as years ago her friend also died suddenly in front of him. Reyes keeps readers guessing, creating a wonderfully sinister undertone while enriching the suspense by incorporating elements of Guatemala’s history. If you enjoyed Behind Her Eyes, this one’s for you.” (1-3) Blinn Sheffield

Bundle up and grab a good book. It looks like it’s going to be a cold winter!

Helen Thompson, Director – Mount Pleasant Public Library