The library has recently purchased many new books. You can view a handful of them here along with descriptions or go to the library catalog to see the full listing.
Fiction
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father–despite his hard-won citizenship–Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.
National Book Award, Stonewall Book Award, Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature, Michael L. Printz and Walter Dean Myers honors
We Live Vol. 1, Extinction day by Inaki Miranda & Roy Miranda
The year is 2084; wracked by calamities and crawling with monsters, the last remaining humans face a dangerous existence. But there is hope! 5000 children will be rescued. This is the journey of Hototo, one of the lucky 5000 – but only if his teenage sister, Tala, can safely deliver him to the nearest Extraction Beacon before time runs out. WE LIVE is a world of violence and beauty, a unique tale of the apocalypse that invites both dread and hope. [Young Adult Graphic Novel]
Non-fiction
On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed, the descendant of enslaved people brought to Texas in the 1850s, recounts the origins of Juneteenth and explores the legacies of the holiday that remain with us. From the earliest presence of black people in Texas in the 1500s to the day in Galveston on June 19, 1865, when General Gordon Granger announced the end of slavery.
Waterlog: A Swimmer’s Journey Through Britain by Roger Deakin
Considered a masterpiece of nature writing, and the book that launched the international wild swimming movement, Roger Deakin’s Waterlog is a journey into the aquatic world that surrounds us. Deakin embarks from his home in Suffolk to swim Britain: the seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, streams, lochs, moats, and quarries. With enchanting descriptions of natural landscapes, a deep well of humanity, boundless humor, and unbridled joy, Deakin beckons us to wilder waters and inspires us to connect to the larger world in a most unexpected way.
Wild Souls: Freedom and Flourishing in the Non-human World by Emma Maris
Protecting wild animals and preserving the environment are two ideals so seemingly compatible as to be almost inseparable. Between animal welfare and conservation science there exists a space of under-examined and unresolved tension: wildness itself. Revealing just how intertwined animal life and human life really are, Wild Souls will change the way we think about nature and our place within it.
Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson
Jenny Lawson suffers from depression. She discusses the frustration of dealing with her insurance company in “An Open Letter to My Insurance Company,” which should be an anthem for anyone who has ever had to call their insurance company to try and get a claim covered. We see how her vacuum cleaner almost set her house on fire, business ideas she wants to pitch to Shark Tank, and why she can never go back to the post office. Broken is a beacon of hope and a wellspring of laughter.
The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music by Dave Grohl
The legendary American musician, singer, songwriter and documentary filmmaker offers a collection of stories that focus on the memories of his life, from his childhood to today. Packed with reflections on touring with Scream, joining Nirvana and watching it all crumble, creating Foo Fighters when his life was at a crossroads, and now crisscrossing the world as a family man, Grohl introduces himself to us as a gifted, engaging writer with a clear-eyed perspective on fame.
These Precious Days: Essays by Ann Patchett
Life often takes turns we do not see coming. Patchett ponders this truth in these wise essays that afford a fresh and intimate look into her mind and heart. Infused with the author’s grace, wit, and warmth, the pieces in These Precious Days resonate deep in the soul, leaving an indelible mark–and demonstrate why Ann Patchett is one of the most celebrated writers of our time.
I’m Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream by Richard Antoine White
Growing up, Richard and his mother sometimes had shelter, but they never had a place to call home. After being taken in by his adoptive grandparents, Richard unexpectedly discovers a talent and a sense of purpose playing the tuba, eventually securing a coveted spot in a symphony orchestra and becoming the first African American to earn a doctorate in music for tuba performance. Professor White shares his story of dreaming impossible dreams and making them come true.
The Plague Year: America in the Time of COVID by Lawrence Wright
Beginning with the critical first moments of the outbreak in China, and ending with an epilogue on the vaccine rollout, The Plague Year surges forward with essential information. Pulitzer Prize-winning Lawrence Wright, draws fascinating historical parallels–examining the medical, economic, political, and social ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Summaries adapted from publishers.