Caldwell, Lucy. These Days. New York : SJP Lit, a Zando imprint, 2025.

Originally published in United Kingdom in 2022, These Days has been re-released in the United States. Set in Belfast in 1941, it chronicles the destruction of Belfast by the Germans, and two sisters, Emma and Audrey, trying to live their lives amongst the rubble and societal expectations. This is literary fiction/historical fiction, so if you love your books to be well-written and erudite, These Days will fit the bill.

Falvey, Patricia. The Famine Orphans. La Vergne : Kensington Publishing Corporation, 2025.

In 1848, 4,000 young women from Ireland were sent to Australia to build a new society. They were told they would be servants for families settled in Australia, but the secret reason that they were sent was to civilize the convicts sent there through marriage. Most of the women were orphans whose existence in workhouses was miserable. But will the unforgiving Australian outback be any better? This is a part of our world history that isn’t as well known and is fascinating!

Weir, Alison. The Cardinal: a novel of love and power. New York : Ballantine Books, 2025.

Weir is known for her Tudor-era historical novels, and this time, she’s turned her attention to Cardinal Thomas Wolsey. Wolsey is stuck between his close friendship with King Henry VIII and his church’s teachings that divorce is wrong, as Henry falls in love with Anne Boleyn and wants to end his marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Weir also shares Wolsey’s personal life, including his mistress and their children. If you can’t get enough of Tudor England and church scandal, try The Cardinal.

Berest, Anne. Gabriële. New York, NY : Europa Editions, 2025.

In 1908, Gabriële graduated from the most elite music school in Europe and became a part of the new art scene in Paris, marrying painter Francis Picabia. This novel highlights the sea change between classical art and the new Cubist movement, and the old mores and the new bohemian lifestyle of the early 1900s. Buffet, Picabia, and Marcel Duchamp’s love affair spurred great art and a new way of looking at the world. This book was written by Gabriële Buffet-Picabia’s great-grandaughters, Anne and Claire Berest.

Fancher, Charles B. Red Clay. Ashland, Oregon : Blackstone Publishing, 2025.

Felix H. Parker’s funeral was yesterday, and his family is shocked when an old white woman, Adelaide Parker, shows up on his front porch, telling them that her family once owned their family. Adelaide is looking for answers in their shared history, from the years before the war, through Reconstruction, and finally, during the unjust period of Jim Crow laws. Fancher used his own family’s history when writing this novel and explores one family’s journey during years and years of unrest, war, and societal change.

Mary Beth A. is the Community Engagement Librarian for Alamance County Public Libraries.

P’ŭllut’osŭ. Who made me a princess [manga] / story by Plutus ; illustrations by Spoon ; translation: Lauren Na ; lettering: Carolina Hernández Mendoza. [Los Angeles, California] : Seven Seas Entertainment, 2023-.

Who Made Me a Princess by Plutus and Spoon is one of my favorite webtoons. It’s based on a web novel of the same name. The illustrations are beautiful, and many of the characters are very lovable. It’s a great introduction to the isekai (another world) and reincarnation genres.

The main character is Princess Athanasia, a baby who remembers her past life in the modern world. As she listens to the adults around her, she realizes that not only is she in the world of a novel she read before she died, but she is also the villain who was murdered by her father, the emperor. To avoid this ending, she begins planning her escape. Her plan is ruined, however, when she gains the attention of the emperor, who had never paid much attention to her before. Her new plan is to act cute and lovable to gain favor with her dad!

This series is perfect for anyone who loves a good second-chance story with a focus on a father-daughter relationship. The author does a great job portraying a man mourning his partner while learning how to be a parent, as well as a daughter trying to find her place in her father’s life. While the good moments don’t happen right away, you’ll love their cute interactions at the beginning. But if you are like me, you might get frustrated when the father pulls back emotionally. If you stick it out, you will be rooting for them and the other characters that come along!

Kayla H. is a Library Assistant at May Memorial Library.

Calling all bookworms!!! Are you in search of your next great read? NoveList Plus is the resource for you! This incredible database is provided to ACPL by NC LIVE and offers a host of tools to help you find books attuned to your personal interests.

You can use NoveList to search for books by genre, theme, and appeal factors like “unreliable narrator”, “intricately plotted”, “flawed characters”, or “romantic mood”. You can also find curated book lists and reading challenges.

Is there an author to whom you are utterly devoted? Find a chronological list of their books and read them all! You can even access lists of “Read-Alikes” to discover works by authors who write in a similar style (and “Listen-Alikes” for audiobook fans!). If you’re hooked on a series, check NoveList to find out the newest title.

Read articles about your favorite books, discover titles that have won literary awards, and research informed reviews to help you decide whether a title should be added to your shelf.

Would you like to start your own book club? NoveList can help with its lists of “Book Club Best Bets”. Do you have young readers at home? Use NoveList to search for books by grade and reading level. Everything you need to find more books is available on NoveList Plus.

If you are interested in using this amazing resource, reach out to library staff and we’ll be happy to get you started. You can also make an appointment with our Technology staff for a 15-minute one-on-one crash course!

We hope you’ll try NoveList Plus! Librarians love it and we know you will too! Find the link on the ACPL website under “Books & More”.

Ashlea J. is Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library.

“Ana María and the Fox” by Liana De la Rosa. Copyright 2023, Berkley (341 pages, $17.00).
“Isabel and the Rogue” by Liana De la Rosa. Copyright 2024, Berkley (339 pages, $19.00).

“A River of Golden Bones,” by A.K. Mulford. Copyright 2023, Harper Voyager (385 pages, $29.00).
“A Sky of Emerald Stars,” by A.K. Mulford. Copyright 2024, Harper Voyager (354 pages, $29.00).

“The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy” by Megan Bannen. Copyright 2022, Orbit (439 pages, $18.00).
“The Undermining of Twyla and Frank” by Megan Bannen. Copyright 2024, Orbit (404 pages, $20.00).

Nice things come in threes, so here are three trilogies that are concluding with their final book in 2025.

Megan Bannen’s Hart and Mercy series is an interconnected, standalone trilogy, full of magical and western themes. Mercy is one of the many undertakers for her father’s business, Birdsall & Son, in the town of Eternity. Hart is a marshal patrolling the magical and strange wilds of Tanria. They both seem to not hold a lot of patience for one another. But when they both start receiving letters from “A Friend” and having someone to confide in, they realize that there might be more to each other than they originally thought.

Twyla and Frank have been Tanrian Marshals for eight years now, best friends for even longer. But when a nefarious plot is uncovered in Tanria that they need to investigate, it leads to complications – even with their friendship – something that Twyla is now realizing could be an all or nothing kind of love.

Adam is the doctor to the town of Eternity, but he seems to know more about what’s happening in Tanria than what he’s letting on. Rosie is an immortal demigod who’s lived so long that nothing should be surprising her anymore, so why is Dr. Adam and his portals and his knowledge of the mist surprising her?

Liana De la Rosa’s Luna Sisters Series is a historical romance trilogy following three heiresses as they are secreted away to London during the French occupation of Mexico. Ana María is the ever-dutiful daughter, the perfect niece, and the best representative for the Luna families. She’s in London to keep her sisters and herself safe, but she doesn’t feel like being safe when Mr. Gideon Fox keeps giving her his attentions. Gideon has to keep reminding himself of his goal in Parliament – to abolish the Atlantic slave trade – and that Ana María is just a distraction. But when Ana María is in need of a gentleman’s aid, Gideon knows he must help Ana María (and her sisters).

Isabel always considers herself as the wallflower, the forgettable Luna sister. Which works well for Isabel as she sneaks away from societies get-togethers to find information that she can send back to Mexico to help with the French occupation. But Isabel isn’t as forgettable as she thinks she is, as she accidentally continues to cross paths with Captain Sirius Dawson. After one too many times, Isabel and Sirius use their powers of sleuthing in order to help with their own agendas, and if they allow their attraction to be known – that’s just a perk of the job.

Gabriela – the youngest, prettiest, and most rebellious of the three sisters, is ready for her freedom. As she whisks away to her homeland, she finds herself in trouble and in need of aid. In steps Sebastian Brooks, Duke of Whitfield.

A.K. Mulford’s Golden Court trilogy is a whimsical blend of high fantasy, adventure, love, and self-discovery. The first book follows Calla, a wolf shifter in hiding, and their fight to save their kingdom and to figure out who they are outside of their twin sister.

Book two continues with Calla finding their footing while butting heads with the Ice Wolf Pack, but we also see Sadie’s POV’s as she struggles with where she fits in the new Golden Court and her travels across the land of Aotreas.

Book three seems to be from the POV of Briar, Calla’s twin sister, as she is in the middle of enemy territory with struggles of her own as Calla must figure out how to navigate a war to save themselves, their sister, and their people.

We carry copies of books one and two in each trilogy. If you don’t see book three – just ask a librarian (or fill in a suggestion online) to see if we can order it for the end of the year! Below are expected publishing dates for each conclusion for each trilogy:

The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen – July 8, 2025

Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa – August 26, 2025

A Heart of Crimson Flames by A.K. Mulford – November 4, 2025

Kayleigh D. is a Library Technical Processing Assistant at May Memorial Library.

Alamance County Public Libraries’ annual murder mystery is sure to be a colorful event this year, filled with intrigue and excitement and a healthy dose of comedy. With help from the audience, it won’t take any time at all to figure out who murdered our victim.

Museum Director and Curator, Artemis Astor, was a loving father and husband, who worked diligently to bring beautiful art to his community. He worked tirelessly for years, trying to make a name for himself and impressed a lot of people, but his family came first. So, he packed up and moved to North Carolina where he could showcase all kinds of art, from local artists to celebrity artists from around the globe. Astor was an upstanding community-oriented man…or was he?

Someone on the art scene certainly didn’t think so! Could it be his lovely wife, Birdie? Perhaps Councilman John Martin had something to do with it? The competition, Monet Bardeaux could have done it! But what about Astor’s daughter, Leona? Or the mysterious Yuri? And we can’t forget Astor’s business partner, Indigo Guthrie! He’s looking quite suspicious these days.

Did Astor bring art to a community that wasn’t ready for it? Did he step on the wrong toes? Did he schmooze the right people? Why kill him? Who had the motive? Who had the heart? Who murdered Artemis Astor?

            Between all the artsy espionage, backstabbing, and secrets, this year’s murder mystery is one not to be missed. Expect anger, drama, and what’s a murder mystery without the FBI Art Crimes Department being involved?

The event itself is free and for adults only. It will take place at May Memorial Library at 7:00pm on both Friday, July 25^th and Saturday, July 26^th. Light hors d’oeuvres will be provided, so please come a little hungry.

Registration is limited to 4 tickets per household and tickets will be made available starting Tuesday, July 1, at midnight and are available electronically this year at our website:

https://alamancelibraries.libcal.com/calendar/maymemorial?t=g&q=murder%20mystery&cid=5444&cal=5444&inc=0

As always, space is limited, so please remember to book yours early! For more information, please call (336) 790-0465 or email Emery Lai at elai@alamancelibraries.org.

Nayak, Michael. Symbiote. London : Angry Robot, an imprint of Watkins Media Ltd, 2025.

Symbiote was a really enjoyable read for me. The mix of sci-fi and horror was handled in a way that felt fresh and grounded. The setting—a group of people working at a research station in the South Pole—added a great layer of isolation and tension. Right away, you can feel that something’s not right, and that sense of unease grows with every chapter.

One of the things I liked most was how the story built its horror slowly. There aren’t any jump scares or over-the-top monsters—instead, it’s the quiet dread, the things that feel off, and the sense that something dangerous is creeping in. The science adds realism, but it never bogs things down. It all feels close enough to real life to make the horror hit harder.

The group dynamics were another highlight. Being stuck in such a remote place made it feel like a return to high school—where small tensions can turn into big problems, and past baggage resurfaces in ugly ways. Watching the characters try to keep it together while everything starts unraveling made the story even more gripping. You start to wonder what’s scarier: the strange force they’re up against, or how people act under pressure.

Overall, Sybiote is a strong mix of sci-fi and psychological horror. If you like slow-burn stories with tense atmosphere, layered characters, and a creeping sense of dread, this one is definitely worth a read.

Tyler J. is a Library Assistant at Mebane Public Library.