Looking for a new cozy-fantasy / cozy-mystery read but don’t know where to start? Try Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow Mysteries Series, where small town charm meets murder mystery but with a twist. All of our characters are animals, like Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit or Brian Jacques’ Redwall Series. The Herald’s ace reporter Vera Vixen, amateur detective, won’t let the unknown stop her as she gets to the bottom of these cases that keep popping up in the harmonious town of Shady Hollow.

Shady Hollow. Black, Juneau. New York : Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2022.©℗♭2015.

This is the first book in this cozy fantasy/mystery series where we first meet the woodland residents of Shady Hollow.

Shady Hollow is an idyllic place to live, until murder stirs up the harmony that is normally felt in this town. Reporter Vera Vixen has a nose for news and knows that the residents of Shady Hollow deserve the truth – and so do the victims. So, she begins her own investigation while trying to discover the truth (and not agitate Deputy Orville) and uncovers mysteries of the residents of Shady Hollow that they would rather have stayed secret.

Cold Clay. Black, Juneau. New York : Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2022. ©2017.

Set against the beautiful autumnal background of Shady Hollow, a cold case shakes up life again when a skeleton is found in the apple grove.

Vera sets her sights on solving this cold case in order to save her friend Joe from the easy out of framing him for his wife’s murder. As Vera begins to piece together a decade old puzzle, truths and secrets begin to emerge that some neighbors of Shady Hollow would rather have stayed dead and buried.

Mirror Lake. Black, Juneau. New York : Vintage Crime/Black Lizard, 2022. ℗♭2020.

With an election season causing tension to rise in Shady Hollow and a resident convinced that her husband is actually an imposter, Vera has a lot to report for The Herald in Black’s next novel.

Vera doesn’t dismiss the claims of mistaken identity but she must tread carefully since a nosy, oblivious, author is butting in and a sinister presence is wanting everything to stay in the dark.

Twilight Falls. Black, Juneau. New York : Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2023. (not available at ACPL yet)

Vera Vixen is loving springtime in Shady Hollow, because love is in the air, both for her and Police Chief Orville Braun, and for the young sweethearts Jonah Atwater and Stasia von Beaverpelt. When Jonah’s father, Shelby, perishes by going over the falls, Stasia is the prime suspect. Vera finds herself on the other side from Orville in this case. Will true love prevail?

EverGreen Chase. Black, Juneau. New York: Vintage Books, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, 2021. (available for Kindle only)

In this winter novella the chances of the winter cheer for Shady Hollow going off without a hitch should be easy, until the solstice tree has disappeared without a trace! Can Vera and her friends figure out who would want to take away all of the town’s winter cheer?

This is a festive, Christmas flavored, cozy mystery that is low stakes.

Fans of Beatrix Potter and Agatha Christie should enjoy this series. Most are available as hard copy books that can be placed on hold with your library account. There are more titles in the series that ACPL does not carry at the moment, but patrons are able to request the library to purchase it online or with staff. Book 5, Summers End, is coming out in July 2024.

Kayleigh Dyer is a Library Technical Processing Assistant at May Memorial Library. Contact her at kdyer@alamancelibraries.org.

We love to highlight all different genres of books, so this week, we’re featuring several new Christian Romance Fiction choices on our shelves.

A Million Little Choices by Tamera Alexander

This book is set in two different time periods – present day and the 1860s. Two women face marital breaking points and must decide how best to advocate for what they need, trusting God to lead them down the right path. Content warning: this book features spousal abuse and threats of murder in the 1860s timeline.

Her Secret Hope (3^rd of a series) by Shelley Shepard Gray

Other books in the series: Her Heart’s Desire and Her Only Wish.

It has been two years since Lily traveled to Florida from Ohio, and she’s happy with her new life. At least, most of the time, she’s happy. But now she has met Eddie, a hard-working farmer, from a town close to hers in Ohio. She believes she can’t go back to a place where she wasn’t accepted, but she can’t ask him to stay in Florida with her. Can she?

A Royal Christmas by Melody Carlson

This novella is perfect Christmas reading! Adelaide has just found out she is a direct descendant of King Maximillian V of Montovia. She can’t believe that this is real life, but decides to take the king up on his offer of a holiday in Montovia. She finds a beautiful country with very jealous royal relatives, and a chance of fairy-tale, happily-ever-after love.

Julia Monroe Begins Again by Rebekah Millet

Julia Monroe is in her 40s, and hoping for a fresh new start. She is a widow with two grown children, but now she can focus on herself and building her New Orleans cleaning business. But God and her best friend has other plans for her, throwing her together with her old flame, Samuel, who has just moved back home. She wants to avoid him, to keep her heart from breaking again, but will she give him a chance?

Shadows at Dusk (2nd of a series) by Elizabeth Goddard

First book in the series is: Cold Light of Day.

Set in southern Alaska, this book is a romantic suspense featuring a bush pilot named Carrie and a Montana detective named Trevor. Trevor is searching for his missing sister, and all he has to go on are some photographs. Carrie knows the area well and can help him, if he helps her find her best friend’s killer along the way. The two face danger on their quest for answers, and must learn to trust each other.

You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh

Starr is struggling. She’s come home for Christmas with no job and no significant other, and she has to attend her sister’s wedding to her ex-boyfriend. Thankfully, her brother’s best friend jumps in and offers to attend wedding festivities with her, in exchange for her fixing up his failing Christmas shop. Could this lead to her happily-ever-after?

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at 336-570-6981 or madams@alamancelibraries.org.

This week, we’re featuring Native American fiction for all ages! These books celebrate Native American tribes’ cultures and traditions, as well as sharing stories about past and current challenges Native Americans face(d).

Picture Books

Hiawatha and the Peacemaker by Robbie Robertson

ACPL has this book in electronic format for a reason! The book was written by Robbie Robertson, a musician of Mohawk and Cayuga descent, and includes a song written and performed by him.

Hiawatha was chosen by the Peacemaker to share his message of unity with the five warring Iroquois nations during the 14^th century. He (and the Iroquois nations) were so successful in finding peace and setting up a way to govern that centuries later, the authors of the U.S. Constitution would use their example in setting up our democracy. This book was illustrated by David Shannon, using oil paintings, and is absolutely beautiful.

Heart Berry Bling by Jenny Kay Dupuis

We all love it when we visit family and get to experience new things. Maggie is going to begin her first-ever beading project with her grandmother. She’s going to make strawberry earrings. But she learns much more than just how to bead, as her grandmother tells her about how beading kept her connected to her Anishinaabe culture when she lost her status as an Indian because of an unfair law.  Kids will learn about the cultural importance of beading, as well as information about some of the laws that affected Native Americans in the past.

Bowow Powwow: Bagosenjige-niimi-idim by Brenda J. Child

Windy Girl, her dog Itchy Boy, and her uncle attend a powwow. Windy’s imagination takes off that night, when she dreams about a bowwow powwow, with dogs dancing and eating and drumming and sharing stories. This is a playful way to teach kids about Native American powwows, and their importance to the culture of Native American tribes.

Juvenile Fiction

Indian No More by Charlene Willing McManis

Regina’s tribe, the Umpqua, are legally disbanded, and her family has to move, from Utah to Los Angeles. Going from living on tribal land to living in a large city is culture shock for the entire family. Jobs are hard to find, racism is everywhere, and they don’t have the same community they had back home, where everyone helped each other. Regina has to figure out if she is Indian or American, or can she be both? Kids who have moved or changed schools will empathize with Regina, as well as those who have faced discrimination.

The Sea in Winter by Christine Day

Maisie has had a really tough year. She is a dancer who hasn’t been able to perform due to an injury. She thinks no one can understand her and her feelings of hopelessness. She’s not really excited about an upcoming road trip near the Makah community, where her mother was raised, and her anxiety and dark mood affect her more and more as the trip comes closer. Can she find her way past her physical and mental pain? This story deals with anxiety and depression through the lens of a Native American girl who needs her family and community more than ever.

Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac

Malian loves visiting her grandparents, who live on a Wakanaki reservation. But when COVID hits, and travel is suspended, Malian has to stay on the reservation indefinitely. She keeps her family safe by staying indoors, and showing her grandparents how to use video chat to keep up with others. The reservation dogs keep them safe as well, especially Malsum. This book is written in verse and is inspired by oral storytelling traditions of Native Americans.

Young Adult

Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Daunis Fontaine feels like she doesn’t fit in anywhere. She puts her dreams of college on hold to care for her mother. The only bright spot is Jamie, a hockey player on her brother’s team. But she can tell that Jamie is hiding something. She witnesses a murder, and becomes an undercover agent for the FBI, which is investigating a new lethal drug. She is a reluctant agent, especially as she realizes that they don’t seem to care nearly enough about the victims of the crimes being committed. This thriller will appeal to any young adult that feels that the adult world doesn’t care about them.

Hearts Unbroken by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Louise Wolfe just broke up with her first real boyfriend because he mocked Native people in front of her. It’s her senior year, and she’d rather focus on family and school (especially the school newspaper) anyway. But school becomes a very contentious space, as she and a photojournalist named Joey investigate the outrage when the school musical director casts non-white actors in The Wizard of Oz. The newly-formed Parents Against Revisionist Theater lead protests, and anonymous people send threats to cast members, including Louise’s little brother, who was cast as Tin Man. Can Lou trust her heart to someone else, or will she break Joey’s heart by not being willing to take a chance?  Teens will love the romance as well as the topical discussion of casting traditional plays and musicals with actors that don’t look like their predecessors.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

This is the book people think of most often when mentioning young adult Native American literature. Junior wants to be a cartoonist, and knows he’ll have a better chance of going to college and getting a good job if he goes to the all-white town high school, rather than the school on the rez. But at the town school, he’s the only Indian, other than the mascot. This book is based on Alexie’s own life, and includes cartoons his character draws. It deals with some dark subjects, including violence, death, and poverty, but ends with hope for his main character and his friends and family.

Adult

Night of the Living Rez by Morgan Talty

This collection of twelve stories illuminate Talty’s take on being a Penobscot in present times, and how we find ways to survive after tragedy. Stories include a boy who finds a cursed jar that dooms his family, a woman with Alzheimer’s projecting the past on her grandson and two friends who decide to rob the tribal museum to make some money off of antiques.

Stealing by Margaret Verble

Verble writes about a Cherokee child who lives with her widowed father, until she is removed from the home and sent to a Christian boarding school. Kit loves reading, gardening and fishing, but she’s lonely. She meets a mysterious woman who has just moved down the road, and befriends her. But when tragedy strikes, she is made a ward of the court and sent to a religious boarding school, where she is abused and told to forget her Native heritage. But Kit keeps a journal and plots to escape the school and find her family again.

Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

Luz is a Seer. She has visions of her ancestors, and is chosen by them to pass on the stories and the lessons from the past. She is living in 1930s Denver, by herself, after her older brother is run out of town by an angry white mob. Luz’s strength and ability to survive will resonate with a lot of readers as she makes sure her family’s stories aren’t lost. Those who enjoy multigenerational sagas with entertaining characters will love Woman of Light.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at 336-570-6981 or madams@alamancelibraries.org.

Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island. Boyer, Susan M. Holland : Stella Maris Books, LLC, 2023.

This is a big, juicy Southern mystery/romance where the setting (Charleston, S.C.) is almost a character of its own! The library has purchased this in electronic formats only; I recommend the audiobook (through Libby), because the Southern accents really add something to the story.

Hadley Cooper is a P.I. in the Charleston area. When she rescues a dog on the beach of Sullivan’s Island, she makes a new friend and gets a new client, Eugenia Ladson. Eugenia thinks her husband Everett is cheating on her, and hires Hadley to find out for sure. Eugenia invites her to join her group of friends, who meet on the beach for drinks once a week (never mind you aren’t supposed to drink on the beach). The group is varied in age and interests, but all have been adopted by Eugenia, who is the kindest soul. Hadley has had her dream house fall in her lap – a gentleman hires her to housesit a beautiful mansion on Sullivan’s Island, something she couldn’t afford in her wildest dreams, and now she has some friends to get together with on the island.

Hadley is a local girl, but one with an interesting history. Her mother raised her on her own, and didn’t tell her anything about her father until she was dying of cancer. Hadley wants nothing to do with Swinton, her father, but she has become good friends with her half-brother, J.T. Of course, Everett and Swinton run in the same (very expensive) circles, so in investigating him, she runs into her father. She tries to avoid him as much as possible, but Eugenia has something up her sleeve about her father that might change her mind.

When there’s a murder, Hadley is the main suspect’s alibi, but she is convinced he is guilty. She investigates the murder, even though her ex-boyfriend, Cash, has already arrested someone, a bartender called Katarina. Hadley is convinced someone has framed Katarina, and uses her PI skills to help her mount a defense.

The mystery is good, but what makes this book great are the characters. Eugenia is larger than life, as are her friends. There’s a scene outside of a funeral that will have you laughing so hard you cry. Hadley is a quirky vegan who is fairly straight-laced, especially for a private investigator. J.T. and some of the other men described in the book come out of Central Casting for Rich Southern Boys, but that’s a stereotype for a reason! I know some of those Rich Southern Boys myself! Boyer’s writing captures so much Southern charm that I’m planning on reading other books by her.

This is definitely summer reading, but it works for the fall and winter, too. I tend to picture myself in warmer climes when it is cold, and this book will fit that bill!

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at 336-570-6981 or madams@alamancelibraries.org.

Little Thieves. Owen, Margaret. New York, NY : Henry Holt and Company, 2021.

Painted Devils. Owen, Margaret. New York : Henry Holt and Company, 2023.

Content warnings: physical and emotional child abuse and abandonment, rape (off page), manipulation, bloody violence, the death of a horse (off-page).

Sometimes a random choice of reading/listening material can catch you by surprise!

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a conference several hours away, so I decided to download some audiobooks through Libby and Hoopla (did you know you could do that, and play them through your car stereo, if you have Android Auto or Apple Car Play?). I chose quickly, hoping my choice would entertain me. Little Thieves by Margaret Owen did that, and more, and I immediately requested the sequel, Painted Devils, when I got back home!

Vanja is a thief. She is a thief of the birthright of her former mistress, Gisele, as well as many priceless trinkets from the estates and palaces she visits, pretending to be Gisele. Gisele’s mother had purchased an enchanted pearl necklace that transformed her daughter into a blazing beauty, and when Vanja stole it, she was able to steal Gisele’s entire life. But Vanja steals for a reason. She is trying to raise enough money to move away and escape her adopted mothers, the gods of Death and Fortune. The gods have told her she has to pick one of them to serve for the rest of her life, and she doesn’t want to serve either of them. She wants them to love her as a daughter. Poor Vanja has been abandoned a few times in her short life – first, her mother left her with Death and Fortune because she was the thirteenth daughter of a thirteenth daughter. Then the gods left her with the von Falbirgs (the parents of Gisele), who abused her. For once, Vanja wants to control her own life.

But of course, things go wrong in her last robbery, and a god curses her. If she doesn’t learn her lesson, she’ll turn into what she covets – a mass of gemstones. The god’s adopted daughter, Ragne, who can change into any animal, decides to accompany Vanja on her quest as well, adding some well-needed comic relief at times! As gemstones erupt on her body, she has to figure out how to atone for her sins, all while fending off Gisele’s murderous fiancé, Gisele herself, and an officious junior prefect of the Godly Courts named Emeric who gets under Vanja’s skin.

This book is a very loose retelling of the not-well-known fairy tale, The Goose Girl, but you don’t have to know the fairy tale to enjoy the book. I recommend listening to the audiobook if you enjoy audiobooks, because the story is just begging to be read aloud beside a warm crackling fire during a cold German night. (Alamance County isn’t Germany, but this book is immersive enough to make you believe it is!)

I’m reading the sequel now, and will share nothing of the plot as to not spoil anything in your reading of the first book (knowing how the second book begins would ruin parts of the first!). However, I will say that so far, the sequel is just as well-written, fantastical, and immersive as the first book.

If you like to escape in fantasy worlds with gods and greed and curses, you’re going to love these books! They are in our Young Adult section, because of some of the content might be upsetting for younger readers. The content warnings at the top are included in many of our reviews so no one is caught by surprise.

These are absolutely wonderful novels that don’t shy away from dark side of life, much like the Grimm fairy tale they’re based upon.

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at 336-570-6981 or madams@alamancelibraries.org.

With spooky season upon us, we’re going to highlight five young adult graphic novels for Halloween to get you in the mood. These are good for teenagers and adults alike!

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell:

Everything in this book is in-your-face fall! It follows two characters who work at a fall festival and includes every corny fall activity imaginable. One of them is on a mission to ask out his mystery crush and there are a few mishaps along the way. Perfect if you’re looking for something fun and cozy for spooky season!

Sheets by Brenna Thummler

This one has such a beautiful art style and color scheme. The main character is grieving the loss of her mom while simultaneously dealing with a distant father. She’s also trying to keep the family laundromat open despite lots of sabotages (which may or may not be supernatural). There’s a lot of depth to this one and its atmosphere is perfect for fall. It’s also the first in a series, and the second book, “Delicates”, is just as good.

Hooky by Míriam Bonastre Tur

This graphic novel is technically Juvenile level, but could be enjoyed by any age. It follows two witch siblings who play hooky from school to go on this magnificent magical adventure that actually ends up being more high stakes than you might think. All the characters are so lovable and unique and funny. There are two more volumes after this, so plenty more magic to be a part of if you end up liking the first book!

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

Anya is an immigrant from Russia and is struggling to fit in at school when she meets a new friend. A ghost friend, to be exact. She enlists her new friend to help her become more popular at school, in exchange for helping the ghost solve her murder from 90 years ago. If you like immigrant stories or coming-of-age stories with a haunted twist, this could be for you.

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

If you’re looking for something a little less cozy, this graphic novel is a collection of dark and disconcerting folk tales. The stories and illustrations are really creepy and well-done and may leave you wishing you hadn’t read it right before bed!

Abby Van  Wingerden is a Circulation Assistant at Mebane Public Library. She can be reached at avanwingerden@alamancelibraries.org or 919-563-6431.

I love a good cookbook. Even if I only get one recipe out of a cookbook, it is worth it to me to look through it! That’s why using the library’s collection is so wonderful – you don’t have to purchase the cookbooks to find those great recipes. Here are six of our latest cookbooks!

Children’s Quick and Easy Cookbook. Wilkes, Angela. New York, NY : Dk Publishing, 2023.

If you have young children or grandchildren (or neighbors’ kids who love to invade your kitchen), these easy recipes for little hands are a lot of fun! Kids can make simple meals, with the help of their adults, and learn to enjoy preparing food.

Dinnertime SOS. Palanjian, Amy. New York : Rodale, [2023].

This is a collection of super-fast, family-friendly meals that take 20 minutes or less to make (or can be prepared ahead of time, using your slow cooker or Instant Pot). With our busy lives these days, we need easy meals that taste good and are healthy as well, and Palanjian has compiled a list of 100 meals for those crazy days.

Love and lemons: simple feel-good food : 125 plant-focused meals to enjoy now or make ahead. Donofrio, Jeanine. New York : Avery, an imprint of Penguin Random House, [2023].

This cookbook includes recipes for the two different types of home cooks – those who want something that can be thrown together in minutes, and those who like meal prepping and freezing dishes. With both options, you can create a meal quickly after work, or do a little work ahead of time and just reheat and go. All of the recipes are vegetarian, and Donofrio has several recipes for each vegetable, making your trips to the grocery store more efficient!

Meal prep magic : time-saving tricks for stress-free cooking. McCord, Catherine. New York : Abrams, 2023.

This book not only helps you get fresh, healthy meals on the table fast, but she also helps you organize your kitchen so you can always find the spice you know you bought or the right container for your leftovers! Meal prepping involves preparing dishes or parts of dishes ahead of time, and storing them properly so preparing dinner when you get home is easy. There are tips and tricks, as well as recipes, to introduce you to meal prepping, or take your skills to the next level!

Piecemeal : a meal-planning repertoire with 120 recipes to make in 5+, 15+. or 30+ minutes. Pauline, Kathryn. San Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2023].

The innovative strategy in this cookbook is taking a simple ingredient and using it three different ways, to create three totally different meals. For instance, she takes turkey spinach meatballs and uses them to make a cheesy meatball bake, Italian wedding soup, and meatballs with mashed potatoes and gravy. Depending on your mood, and the amount of time you have to cook, you have three great options for each foundational ingredient.

The Pioneer Woman cooks: dinner’s ready : 112 fast and fabulous recipes for slightly impatient home cooks. Drummond, Ree. New York : William Morrow, [2023].

If you’re wanting something special that doesn’t take a lot of time, the Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond has great recipes that taste like they took much longer than they do. This collection has everything from “company” meals to fun dishes that teens will love, and zippy extras, like refrigerator pickles, to make dinner a breeze each night!

Check out these cookbooks, and SO many others, in our libraries!

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org or 336-570-6981.

Fury of the Dragon Goddess. Chadda, Sarwat. Los Angeles : Disney Hyperion, 2023.

The Spirit Glass. Chokshi, Roshani. Los Angeles : Disney/Hyperion, 2023.

Most likely, your kids know all about Rick Riordan’s books (Percy Jackson series, The 39 Clues, Kane Chronicles, Magnus Chase and many more). He champions writers who use stories to share their cultural heritage. This fall, two books came out in his Rick Riordan Presents imprint, and both are fabulous fantasies that also teach readers about a cultural history different than their own.

Fury of the Dragon Goddess

This is the second in the Sik Aziz series by Sarwat Chadda. Chadda draws on Mesopotamian mythology, and her protagonist Sik is a Muslim who is immortal and is friends with the children of gods.

Sik and his friends find the tablet of destinies, and he uses it to bring his brother Mo back to life. But unintended consequences occur, and he’s changed the destinies of all people. It leads to the resurrection of Tiamat, the chaos dragon, by the god of insanity, Lugal.

Sik, Belet and Rabisu must find a way to send Tiamat back to where she came from, and fix everything before the world ends.

If you enjoy great adventure stories, Fury of the Dragon Goddess will more than fit the bill.

The Spirit Glass

This standalone novel from Roshani Chokshi is a wonderful middle grade fantasy with Filipino mythology.

Corazon lives with her aunt Tina because her parents died several years ago. However, they visit her every Saturday for dinner because her mother fashioned a soul key years ago. Tina is a powerful babaylan, and tells Corazon she will train her when her magic awakes. Corazon plans on bringing her parents back as soon as she is as powerful as Tina.

One night, at the Midnight Bridge market, a vengeful spirit tricks Corazon, and she loses her spirit key. She must go on a quest to form a new key, with one of the ghost’s possessions, and she only has three days to do it before she loses the key forever. She doesn’t go alone, however. Her gecko/alligator (if only in his own mind) companion Saso is with her, and they meet a ghost along the way who wants to be a reporter in the afterlife and wants to come along to see the action. They have to visit several locations, using mirrors to access different worlds (and the mirrors? They talk behind your back).

This is a wonderful way to learn a little more about Filipino folklore. Saso steals the show time and again, leading me to laugh a lot at his antics and dialogue. Chokshi shares the story of the vengeful ghost as Corazon visits different gods to receive their blessings, creating some sympathy for her plight.

These two books are perfect for any kid (or adult). They have a good measure of adventure, emphasize the importance of friends and family, and are just scary enough to make for good reading this October!

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. She can be reached at madams@alamancelibraries.org or 336-570-6981.

The Twyford Code. Hallett, Janice. New York : Atria Books, 2023.

Content Warnings: Death, Violence, Gun Violence, Murder, Death of Parent, Abandonment, Domestic Abuse, Kidnapping

Steven “Smithy” Smith has recently been released from prison and can’t remember the last time anything truly good happened in his life – except Miss Iles.  The problem is, he also can’t remember what happened to her.

Miss Iles, Smithy’s middle school remedial English teacher, was the one who recognized that his reading difficulties were undiagnosed dyslexia and the one who actually treated him and the other students in the class with respect.  While in her class some 40 years ago, Smithy found a copy of a children’s book by famous but disgraced author Edith Twyford with strange notes and markings in it.  When he brought it to Miss Iles, she not only read the story to the class but became convinced that the markings revealed a code hidden in the book that would reveal the location of a hidden treasure.  The last time Smithy remembers seeing Miss Iles was on a field trip to Twyford’s hometown – he and the other students came back, but Miss Iles did not.

Now a grown man, Smithy is determined to solve this mystery from his childhood.  He tracks down the other students from the remedial class, some of whom want nothing to do with his mission and some who have even more shocking theories: the Twyford Code is real, Miss Iles disappeared because of it, and dangerous people are still trying to crack it today.

Smithy makes a compelling narrator as he tries to trace both the circumstances of his teacher’s disappearance and those of his own life’s descent into crime.  He tells his story through a series of voice recordings, as Smithy still finds it easier to explain things verbally than to write them down.  This makes for interesting reading at times, with some words being occasionally “mistranscribed,” as a section at the beginning of the book explains (for instance, “Miss Iles” frequently becomes “missiles”).  I found this enhances the reading experience, with the reader’s occasional deciphering of transcriptions paralleling the characters’ work of solving the meanings of various codes and ciphers in the all-important children’s book text.

Smithy’s voice recordings alternate between his present task and reminiscing on his past choices in life that led to his imprisonment.  Hallett weaves these together in ways that form surprising connections, provide plenty of twists and turns, and offer touching insights into the hardships faced by formerly incarcerated individuals. This title offers everything from World War II gold to commentary on the importance of libraries, all in a mystery that truly keeps you guessing all the way to the end!

Joan Hedrick is a Circulation Assistant at Graham Public Library. She can be reached at jhedrick@alamancelibraries.org and (336)570-6730.

National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated Sept. 15-Oct. 15 each year.  One way to celebrate is to read Hispanic fiction, and we have a great list for you!

Adult Fiction

Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo

Flor has a unique gift – she knows the day when someone is going to die. When she brings her family together for a living wake, no one knows whose death she has foretold. The book tells the stories of Flor, her sisters Matilde, Pastora, and Camila, and her nieces Ona and Yadi, and the love the sisters, aunts, cousins and nieces share.

The Haunting of Alejandra by V. Castro

Alejandra is fighting a darkness that no one else can see. She is haunted by La Llorona, who is a Mexican folk legend. La Llorona wanders near sources of water in a torn white dress, trying to save her children, whom she murdered after finding out her husband was cheating on her.

Alejandra learns that generations of women in her family have been haunted by La Llorona, and she won’t give up until she’s dragged Alejandra into the depths, like her ancestors. But Alejandra is strong, and she will call on that strength to banish La Llorona forever.

Juvenile Fiction

Felice and the Wailing Woman by Diana Lopez

A lighter read about La Llorona is the middle grade book, Felice and the Wailing Woman.

When Felice learns she is the daughter of La Llorona, she goes to the magical town of Tres Leches, on the US/Mexico border, to help her mother move on to the afterworld. She meets the children of over folktale legends as well, and they band together to free the town from the curses that plague it.

Pack Your Bags, Maggie Diaz by Nina Moreno

Maggie is killing 7^th grade. But when her close-knit group of three starts to fall apart, what should she do? Julian has a crush on a girl, and asks her to the dance. Zoey is so stressed, she is in danger of losing her straight-A streak. And Maggie can’t stop thinking about Eerie Eddie. The school trip is coming up, and she isn’t sure where she fits or with whom.

Young Adult Fiction

Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu

Julieta’s summer creative writing teacher encourages them to publish their works online. She is surprised when her rom-com has a new contributor, Happily Ever Drafter. She wasn’t looking for love, but now there are three boys in her life that are tempting – her best friend’s brother, the boy next door and her oldest friend. Are one of them her mysterious contributor? Will her story and her life end happily ever after?

The Making of Yolanda la Bruja by Lorraine Avila

Yolanda is a senior in high school, flirting with Jose and hanging out with her best friend Victory. She is waiting to be initiated into the family bruja tradition. But when she is, she starts to have troubling visions of the new white boy at her school. Can she figure out what these visions mean, and save her community? Maybe, with the help of her ancestors and guides, the Brujas Diosas, and the support of her friends and family.

The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickleson

Sarah’s mom died just six months ago, and she is trying to keep her family together, while adjusting to life at the local public school, instead of the fine arts boarding school she had been attending. Her father is falling apart – drinking, spending money, and neglecting her younger brother, who needs him. The only art she’s doing are things she can sell online to help support her family. She is assigned a project at school that has her exploring her mother’s Mexican and Guatemalan roots, which leads to her finding out things about her mother’s history she never knew. She realizes she must voice the pain she is feeling, and she can’t do it alone.

All of these books, plus many more, are available for checkout through Alamance County Public Libraries! Come ask any of our staff for their recommendations!

Mary Beth Adams is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries. You can reach her at madams@alamancelibraries.org or 336-570-6981.