Author: alamancelibraries

‘Tis the Season for Baking

As the joyous spirit of Christmas approaches, here is a curated list of books to inspire your baking creativity.

Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection

If you’re looking to bring a little bit of Martha Stewart’s magic into your kitchen, baking a cookie from her book “Martha Stewart’s Cookie Perfection” is a great choice. Martha offers a variety of classic recipes with tips to help you make cookies that are even more flavorful and bold.  Martha’s recipes are sure to delight anyone with a sweet tooth. 

Christmas Cookie: 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday

“Christmas Cookie: 50 Recipes to Treasure for the Holiday” is your ultimate guide to festive baking. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out. With 50 recipes, you’re bound to find at least one that becomes a new family favorite. From classic gingerbread and sugar cookies to peppermint mocha cookies and spiced eggnog bars, there’s something to satisfy every taste. 

The Great British Baking show. Love to bake

Love to Bake is The Great British Bake Off’s best collection yet. For fans of this iconic show, this book is a must for this holiday season. The recipes included range from gooey cinnamon buns to show-stopping croquembouche (pastry puffs). It’s perfect for bakers who are looking to whip up something new or simply make something delicious to share with loved ones.

Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes

Holiday and Celebration Bread in Five Minutes is the perfect addition to your festive table. This book has quick and effortless bread recipes that require minimal effort and are ready to serve in no time. Whether accompanying a rich roast or a hearty stew, any bread recipe from this book is sure to be a hit with family.

Kids in the Holiday Kitchen

The holiday season is the perfect time to gather in the kitchen. Try getting the little ones involved in making a fun recipe from Kids in the Holiday Kitchen. Not only does this fun activity teach them valuable cooking skills with simple and fun recipes to follow, but you can also make wonderful memories, good enough to eat.

Ana Aguirre is a Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library. She can be reached at aaguirre@alamancelibraries.org.

Give Thanks

Explore these titles to honor Thanksgiving, a day dedicated to expressing gratitude for the things we cherish most. This year, I am especially thankful for my friends, family and my dog, along with the fantastic books in our library and the amazing programs available at ACPL.

I Am Thankful by Sheri Wall

“I Am Thankful” by Sheri Wall is a heartwarming children’s book that beautifully captures the spirit of gratitude. This book follows three different families as they celebrate the holiday with their own traditions and acts of kindness. A wonderful book that teaches readers the meaning of giving and sharing.

The Crayons Give Thanks by Drew Daywalt and Oliver Jeffers

Fans of The Day the Crayons Quit will love this holiday version with new characters. This book will surely deliver laughter and fun to readers of all ages. Follow along as the Crayons share what they are thankful for, from food to family and everything else in between.

Peyton Picks the Perfect Pie by Jack Bishop

Join Peyton as she discovers her favorite Thanksgiving pie. Despite trial and error, Peyton learns how to overcome her fear of trying new foods and uncovers her love of cooking. This book also includes an America’s Test Kitchen recipe for the perfect pie.

Happy Thanksgiving, Biscuit! by Alyssa Capucilli

This timeless story is bound to be a delightful read for the whole family. Follow the adventures of a curious puppy filled with gratitude. Find out how Biscuit and the little girl get ready for Grandma and Grandpa’s special visit.

Ana Aguirre is a Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library. She can be reached at aaguirre@alamancelibraries.org.

A New Look at History for Native American Heritage Month

In the past 5 years, several books have been published showing a different side of the conquering and “civilizing” of the Americas. Native Americans had lived on the continent for several thousand years when Europeans arrived (Native Americans arrived somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 years ago), and had complex and sophisticated societies. But their societies looked different than what European settlers had seen before, and were judged as being primitive and uncivilized. The books listed below will give you a different view of the colonization of the Americas and how U.S. history has left out Indigenous contributions to our society.

Indigenous continent : a new history of America by Hämäläinen, Pekka

This book posits that history we were told in school didn’t tell the whole story of European settlement of the Americas. Indigenous tribes still controlled much of the Americas until the 1890s, according to the author, and won battles against the European settlers. Far from being primitive, Indigenous tribes had sophisticated diplomacy and leadership structures that helped them thrive and survive. If you’re interested in learning the history of Indigenous peoples in America and Canada, this is a fascinating read.

Native nations : a millennium of indigenous change and persistence by DuVal, Kathleen

One of the fascinating facts this book shares is that North American cities once rivaled cities elsewhere in size and influence. But after a period of instability, North America communities moved away from urbanization and many smaller nations immerged. Thus, when European settlers arrived, they assumed the Indigenous peoples were less developed groups, rather than groups that had developed differently because of circumstances of nature and experience. Like Indigenous Continent, this book presents a new way of looking at colonial history in the Americas.

The rediscovery of America : native peoples and the unmaking of U.S. history by Blackhawk, Ned

As more scholars research the beginnings of the United States, more information emerges to show that Native tribes were thriving before Europeans came, and continued to thrive for many years afterwards. They were a huge part of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and influenced law and policy. Blackhawk weaves new information into what we’ve always been taught, and a better picture of what happened in the past emerges.

Covered with night : a story of murder and indigenous justice in early America by Eustace, Nicole

True-crime aficionados as well as history buffs will enjoy this book about the murder of an Indigenous hunter by two fur traders in colonial Pennsylvania on the eve of a summit between the Iroquois and the colonists in 1722. The different types of justice championed by the two groups – restorative versus punitive, forgiveness versus harsh punishment – led to a clash of ideals and the fear of an all-out war.

Seeds : stories of Afro-Indigenous resilience by Hunter, Dominique Daye

While this book is not non-fiction, we couldn’t make this list without including this work by Daye, a local author. The book consists of poems and short stories about the Afro-Indigenous culture in this area. This provides local connection to issues that affect Indigenous people across the country, and highlights the ways we can support Afro-Indigenous people in our community.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.

New Worlds in YA

The best part of fantasy fiction? The incredible worlds the authors make up! These new(ish) YA books have compelling worlds for us to enjoy as readers, as well as rich characters to populate them.

Heir by Sabaa Tahir – The world is the Martial Empire, and there’s a killer loose. Three young people have to overcome history, huge mistakes, and bad reputations to come together to save the world. Aiz uses her anger to better the lives of her people, until she makes a mistake and ends up in jail. Sirsha is tasked with capturing the killer to improve her reputation and earn some coin, but it’s not just her life on the line, it’s also her heart. Quil is the crown prince who doesn’t want to take the throne because he sees how power corrupts, but can he overcome his doubts and be the heir his people need? This book is set in the same world as her previous series, An Ember in the Ashes.

Celestial Monsters by Aiden Thomas – The world is Reino del Sol, and the Obsidian gods have been released into the chaos. All because Teo refused to kill one of his fellow semidioses. What can he do but be the Hero he never thought he could be, and return to Sol with the Sol Stone? Luckily, he has his best friend Niya and his crush Aurelio to help him fight the monsters and retrieve the stone. This is the second of a duology, the Sunbearer Trials.

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer – It’s our world, but after a deadly virus wipes out much of the population (which then came back to life as Ticks). Mara was a Tick, but now has been treated. She’s Mostly Dead, and sent to a resettlement program to live with her former friend Rory, who she kissed just before the end of the world. Rory is Barely Alive, and is expecting the worst at any time. She survived on the Island, one of the few places where people still live. But what does she do with her former best friend/crush who was a Tick, the monsters she’s learned to hate? This is a new twist on the zombie trope!

Draw Down the Moon by P.C. and Kristin Cast – The Academia de la Luna, a secret magic school off of the coast of Seattle, is the world. Wren isn’t supposed to have powers, but here she is, at the Academia, learning alongside Lee. Lee has been in love with Wren for years, but his original goal this year was to pass the trials, impress the Moon Council and improve his family’s standing in the world. Wren and Lee realize quickly that something is different this year with the trials, and Lee must to decide to save his family’s reputation, or the girl he loves. This is the first book of the series; the second will be released next spring.

Infinity Alchemist by Kacen Callender – The world is New Anglia, and Ash Wood is learning alchemy in secret because it is a crime to study magic without the direction of the Lancaster College of Alchemical Science. He’s caught by Ramsay Thorne, but instead of turning him in, she instead makes a deal with him. Help her find the Book of Source, and she’ll forget what she saw. Their journey leads to romance, danger and a reckoning – what is the price for power, and is it worth it? This is the first of a duology; the second will be released next spring.

A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faisal – The world is White Roaring, where Arthie’s teahouse turns into an illegal bloodhouse at night, serving the city’s working-class vampires. Her business is threatened by the powers that be, and she must partner with some strange bedfellows – a member of the Horned Guard, a vampire and a daughter of a shipping magnate – to take them down and save her shop. And maybe she’ll find some friends (and a love interest) along the way! This is the first of a series, with the sequel coming out in September 2025.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches

Mandanna, Sangu. The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. New York : Berkley, 2022.

Still craving a witchy read this fall?

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches is a cozy fantasy romance about an isolated witch and an unconventional found family in the English countryside battling forces that seek to tear them apart. Simmering with a love of magic and a dash of the grumpy-meets-sunshine trope, Sangu Mandanna crafts an enchanted story that will warm your heart like one of Mika Moon’s magical cups of tea. 

Mika Moon is a witch—which means she has spent most of her life alone, keeping her head down, unable to share this core part of herself with anyone outside of a small group of witches scattered across Britain she calls The Very Secret Society of Witches and its straitlaced leader, Primrose. No one can know she is a witch. No one does… except, when Mika posts videos online “pretending” to be a witch as an outlet for her loneliness, someone seems to take her claims seriously. 

An anonymous message is sent to Mika that begins with “WITCH WANTED,” begging her to travel to the secluded and mysterious estate of Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to use and control their magic. At first, she thinks it’s a joke. Even if it weren’t, it breaks one of the most important rules she’s grown up learning: stay away from other witches, because too many witches in one place cause their powers to mingle and draw unwanted attention. Mika goes anyway and becomes entangled in their lives as the clock is ticking down before the girls must be able to control their magic, else they would be taken away from Nowhere House. 

I easily fell in love with this motley cast of characters: Nowhere House’s jovial housekeeper (Lucie), a retired actor with a love for flamingo pink yarn (Ian), a gardener (Ken), three lovely little witches with big personalities that occasionally clash, and a grumpy librarian who is fiercely protective of the young girls and deeply distrusting of Mika (Jamie). 

As Mika warms up to the inhabitants of Nowhere House and finds herself getting attached, she is confronted with the reality that her time there is limited and that she cannot stay—no matter how much she wants it. Despite her painful past, Mika Moon finds the courage to fight for the people she loves and, more importantly, for herself. There’s a comfort in seeing these characters, each isolated in their own way, finding a place to belong and people to call home. 

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches shows us the healing power of letting yourself be truly loved and that the family you choose is its own little kind of magic. 

It is available as a physical copy through Alamance County Public Libraries as well as an ebook or audiobook via Libby. 

Sara Durbin is a Library Assistant at Graham Public Library. They can be reached at sdurbin@alamancelibraries.org. 

Celebrating the Day of the Dead

Day of the Dead (Día de Muertos) is a holiday that is celebrated in Mexico on November 1 and 2. It is a special occasion where friends and family honor passed loved ones. Some traditions include hanging hand-cut paper banners, making colorful paper flowers, decorating sugar skulls and displaying it all together to make an ofrenda (altar). To read and learn more about Day of the Dead check out the following titles.

Gustavo by Flavia Z. Drago

“Gustavo, the Shy Ghost” by Flavia Z. Drago is a charming tale about a timid ghost who learns to overcome his fears and embrace his unique qualities to make friends.

Día de Muertos: Números: A Day of the Dead Counting by Duncan Tonatiuh

“Día de Muertos: Números: A Day of the Dead Counting” by Duncan Tonatiuh is a bilingual picture book that introduces young readers to the vibrant and cultural traditions of Day of the Dead through numbers.

Skeletown : Sí. ¡No! by Rhode Montijo

“Skeletown: Sí. ¡No!” by Rhode Montijo is a funny book set in a town inhabited by skeletons who celebrate life in unexpected ways.

Celebrate the Day of the Dead! by Diane de Anda

“Celebrate the Day of the Dead!” by Diane de Anda explores the traditions and cultural significance of this Mexican holiday with characters Cristina and Carlos.

Our Day of the Dead Celebration by Ana Aranda

“Our Day of the Dead Celebration” by Ana Aranda is a book that follows Mar’s family gathering, in which readers learn about their favorite dishes, games, and, most importantly, stories.

Ana Aguirre is a Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library. You can reach her at aaguirre@alamancelibraries.org.