The Kamogawa Food Detectives * by Hisaski Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood, the 2020 Harvill Secker Young Translators' Prize winner, (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook).

The first in an eight-book series, originally published in Japan in 2013, it introduces readers to Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare. On a quiet backstreet in Kyoto, behind the nondescript facade of an anonymous-looking building, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. There is no menu, no advertisement except for a cryptic one in an obscure food magazine. But that does not stop customers from seeking them out. Nagare, a retired and widowed Kyoto detective and 30-something Koishi are “food detectives,” offering their investigative services to find recipes so clients could recreate dishes from their treasured memories.   

Among their satisfied clients is one of Nagare’s fellow detectives, who is looking for the"Nabeyaki-Udon” recipe that his late wife created. A successful businessman is looking to recreate the "Mackerel Sushi, offered by a kind neighbor while he was orphaned at an early age. A piano teacher is looking for the beef stew recipe at a restaurant served to her 55 years ago when she rejected a young man’s proposal. A restauranteur's ex-wife is looking for the recipe her husband used to prepare for her now that he is dying.

“Though each of the six stand-alone chapters follows the same formulaic recipe, Kashiwai's unique blend of seasonings is more than enough to transform each into a five-star-worthy dish. Koishi and Nagare strive to re-create not only the precise dishes their clients want, but also to envelop them in a warm memory blanket of nostalgia.” (Kirkus Reviews)

“Off-beat and charming, [with] more complexity of flavor than you might expect.”  (NPR – Fresh Air with Terry Gross)

For fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, and those who binged on Midnight Diner:Tokyo Stories. 

* = Starred review

If reading nonfiction sometimes feels like homework to you, you’re not alone. But, also, I think it means you just haven’t found the right book to pique your interest. Here are four nonfiction titles that kept me turning pages and continue to—welcomely—take up brain space, even after I’ve returned them to the library.
 

Monsters : A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer| Request Now

How do you separate the art from the artist? Is it important to? Is it important not to? This “fan’s dilemma” provides the complicated backbone for Claire Dederer’s Monsters. An expansion of her excellent Paris Review essay “What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?”, Dederer explores how we struggle (or don’t) with engaging in work by complicated creators ranging from Woody Allen to J.K. Rowling to Pablo Picasso. If you’re looking for a book to tell you whether you can or can’t listen to Michael Jackson anymore, this isn’t it. Dederer is not writing to provide the moral path or convert you to her opinions. Rather, she’s wrestling with this complicated notion and letting you come along for the ride. This was one of the best books I read in 2023 and one I’m continually returning to in my mind. (Wondering if it’s the book for you? Read the essay linked above. If you like that, you’ll like Monsters. If you don’t, give it a pass.)

The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman | Request Now

Though I was alive for the entirety of the nineties, I’ve found that, for the most part, it’s a wide gap in my historical and pop culture knowledge because I was just a kid. Or I should say, it WAS a wide gap in my knowledge, as Chuck Klosterman’s The Nineties provided an engaging overview of the impact of that decade in the United States. More of a collection of essays than a textbook, Klosterman’s voice and opinions are deeply woven within the facts, and frequently, Klosterman will take a close look at one element of culture as a way to illustrate how that culture as a whole shaped the country (for example, looking closely at Kurt Cobain and Nirvana to touch on the impact of grunge—the music and the attitude.) I may have picked up the book because the colorful see-through phone on the cover, but I kept turning pages because Klosterman’s style kept me interested, entertained, and still learning along the way. If, like me, you’re looking to fill in knowledge gaps, keep a Wikipedia tab open while you read; The Nineties provides general overviews, but leaves lots out too. Perhaps obviously, you can’t tell a decade in 370 pages!

The Devil and Sherlock Holmes : Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession by David Grann | Request Now

Author David Grann may be in the popular eye right now because he wrote the book Killers of the Flower Moon, but if you’re hoping to get a taste of Grann’s writing while you’re on the Flower Moon hold-list, look no further. The Devil and Sherlock Holmes, a collection of long-form essays and articles originally ran in a myriad of publications, is a page-turning example of Grann’s ability to both write a compelling profile and ask the deep, weird questions. Though all the stories are linked by the obsessions of their subjects, as a reader, you can dip in and out and just read those that draw your interest. For me, the highlight was “The Chameleon,” a story chronicling the rise and fall of a French conman who had more than 500 identites. But perhaps “The Squid Hunter” (about, well, someone hunting giant squid) is more your speed? Or the essay that digs into the most dangerous prison gang: “The Brand”? There’s a little bit for everyone in this book, though I found myself not wanting to skip a chapter!

Grief is for People by Sloane Crosley | Request Now

Grief is for People braids together the sense of grief and loss author Sloane Crosley felt both when her apartment was robbed of heirloom jewelry and when, a month later, her friend and mentor, Russell, died by suicide. Though relating the two at its surface level seems crass—something Crosley continually reckons with throughout the book, giving it its title “Grief is for People” with its unwritten subtitle “not for things”—the two levels of loss provide meaningful structure to the feelings surrounding them. Without being trite, Crosley writes of grief universally; though the losses she’s experienced are different than the losses I have, she was able to give words to feelings I have. Outside of this work, Crosley’s essays tend humorous, and that ability meant that, occasionally, Grief is for People made me chuckle, rather than tear up, providing emotional balance. At a slight 191 pages, the book still reads as complete, even though it’s clear that Crosley continues to reckon with Russell’s absence. I found myself reading it over the course of one weekend, though, I too, am still sitting with it a month later.

Now that spring is here, taking care of one’s home beyond just a general spring cleaning may be of interest. Here are a few books in our collection that will help in fixing or simply improving areas of your home or take a dive into home decorating and organizing.

How Your House Works by Charles Wing | Request Now
In How Your House Works, you will find dozens of illustrations of sink drains, septic tanks, and every type of wiring in this handy book illustrated by Charlie Wing, a world-renowned home remodeling expert and founder of two house-building schools. You’ll never have to think, “What’s this and what does it do?” when working on your home, and you’ll get tips on how to keep things working.

Visual Handbook of Building and Remodeling by Charles Wing | Request Now
In the Visual Handbook, Wing illustrates precise schematics and illustrations for bathroom renovations, building stairs and even advises on how to ensure your home is accessible to those with disabilities. Wing leaves no stone unturned in educating homeowners on how to build a home that works for them.

Dirty Guide to a Clean Home by Melissa Pateras | Request Now
Everything you need to know about laundry, cleaning, and basic home repairs—from the TikTok star who made bluing a thing, showed you how to fold a fitted sheet, and taught you to properly use your (caulk) gun. This is a great book for those seeking practical and humorous advice on housekeeping and home maintenance.

What’s a Homeowner to do? by Stephen Fanuka | Request Now
Contractor to the stars and host of HGTV’s Million Dollar Contractor series, Fanuka presents solid, easy to follow solutions for complex things like putting up a ceiling fan or installing a window a/c unit to simple stuff like staining wood and weatherizing doors and windows. He also provides tips on negotiating with a contractor if the job is too difficult to do yourself.  

Safe and Sound: a Renter-Friendly Guide to Home Repair by Mercury Stardust | Request Now
Mercury Stardust AKA The Trans Handy Ma’am, has created this much needed guide for anyone who’s ever been worried about opening their home up to strangers for maintenance. It’s a book aimed at renters (and great for homeowners too!) chock full of instructions on how to complete a variety of common home repairs and projects with guidance for over 50 simple home maintenance projects, such as replacing your showerhead and troubleshooting a faulty garbage disposal. Chapters cover basic and handy repairs for your plumbing, electrical, carpentry, and safety needs too. The advice is tailored to renters to minimize permanent changes. There are helpful illustrations and QR code links to videos to help you on your journey.

Remodelista: the Organized Home by Julie Carlson and Margot Guralnick | Request Now
Remodelista: the Low-Impact Home : a Sourcebook for Stylish, Eco-Conscious Living by Margot Guralnick and Fan Winston | Request Now
Two practical guides to organizing and decorating your home utilizing the less is more philosophy from the founders of the design website Remodelista. The focus is on simple but stylish and environmentally sound ways to make efficient use of every room in your dwelling. From organizing pot lids in a drawer to hiding unsightly electrical cords, these books provide numerous simple, yet effective solutions to home décor and organizing that take minimal effort. Recommendations are provided in both for eco-friendly products to help with organizing as well as DIY suggestions for cleaning solutions and home décor.

If you haven’t checked out games from AADL, what are you waiting for? It’s the best way to try out a new game without committing to the purchase, and we’ve got an excellent selection. Previously I’ve highlighted Great Two-Player Games, and Great Games You Can Play in Under an Hour, but today I’m setting theme aside and recommending Simply Great Games! Check them out!

Wingspan | Request Now

Players compete to build the best nature preserve by adding birds to each of their three habitats. This engine-building game has players looking to build the best action-chains, allowing them feed and nest their birds while competing to achieve a variety of shared and individual goals. The beautifully painted bird cards and tactilely satisfying tokens and eggs make Wingspan an enjoyable play experience even beyond its game mechanics. Though it has a relatively long play time—especially when there are four players—the pace doesn’t drag. This beautiful game can be appreciated by birders and non-birders alike, though birders may get extra enjoyment as the abilities and actions of the bird cards were chosen to align with the real-life birds’ traits! This is one of my top-ten favorite board games; and luckily for me, the game also has an excellent digital version available for purchase on a variety of platforms. Though it’s not quite the same experience as sitting at a table with friends, it’s a great way to build up your strategies and skills, and the music adds to the relaxing experience.

Carcassonne | Request Now

Players in Carcassonne compete to build the best kingdom, gaining points for their cities, roads, monasteries, and farms. Gameplay consists of players drawing random tiles that they must place on their kingdom. Like Dominos, the grandfather of all tile games, all tiles cannot be played in all places, and some legal tile placements are more advantageous than others. The tile bag empties, the kingdoms grow, and players eventually earn points at the end of the game depending on the success of the board they built. Typically, players catch onto the game quickly, and this game is a great candidate for game-loving kids ready to transition to games not designed specifically for young players. Though AADL loans the base set, if you find yourself loving Carcassonne, know the game has a myriad of expansions that allow for longer and more varied gameplay.

Dixit | Request Now

This quick-to-learn party game rewards storytelling and creativity more than strategy, making it a great selection for those who say “I don’t really like games” (but decide to come to a game night anyhow). A variation on the more commonly played Apples to Apples, Dixit consists of beautifully designed cards with unusual imagery. Players take turns being the “storyteller” and saying one sentence that they think describes one of their cards. Every player then chooses the card from their individual hands that they think best fits the storyteller’s prompt. All players play their chosen card facedown, the cards are shuffled and revealed, and each player guesses which card they think was the storyteller’s. Points are given for correct guesses, and gameplay continues until someone reaches a set number of points. That’s it! It’s simple, fun, and a good way to bring a group together over a game—plus the card art is lovely!

7 Wonders Duel | Request Now

It’s confession time: until about a week ago, 7 Wonders Duel had remained on my shelf, unplayed, for more than two years (it’s my personal copy, not a library one, I promise!!) The few times I thought about playing it, after peeking at the rules and seeing the wide variety of token types and use-case rules, I’d decide “this seems overly complicated” and move onto something else. How wrong I was. Yes, there are a lot of fiddley rules but no more than ten minutes into the thirty-minute gameplay, they had all logically clicked into place. I was left with a thoughtful, but not complicated, two-player game that is the perfect candidate for “after dinner” play; a game that truly only takes the thirty minutes the box claims it will.

The two players compete in this victory-point based game, gathering resources, learning sciences, exerting military pressure, and building the titular seven wonders, taking actions based on drawn and purchased cards. What sets this game apart is how the players access these cards: the “board” is made up of overlapping cards, some face-up, some face-down. Players are only able to access fully uncovered cards, and once a face-down card is fully uncovered, it is flipped. WOOF, no wonder I didn’t play this game for two years; it’s much more complicated to explain than it is to play! But I encourage you to give it a chance, maybe it will join your regular after-dinner rotation too!

Most of Southeast Michigan will experience at least a partial solar eclipse on April 8. Most of Michigan will not fall in the path of totality, it depends on where in North America you live, but it will still be a stunning show at 99% totality in Ann Arbor. Join the library in watching the live streaming of the event on our big lobby screen. Below are some books for the astronomy lover in all of us including one about the solar eclipse of 1878.  

American Eclipse by David Baron | Request Now
This book chronicles the journeys of three eclipse enthusiasts who went to witness the historic total solar eclipse of July 29, 1878 for different reasons. James Craig Watson, astronomy professor & a director of the University of Michigan's Detroit Observatory, who aimed to find a new planet; Maria Mitchell, an astronomer, sought to establish women's presence in the scientific field; and Thomas Edison, a budding inventor, intended to test his tasimeter, a tool for measuring infrared radiation, and enhance his reputation. These individuals' tales showcase the drive and inquisitiveness of American scientists during the late 19th century as the nation strove to solidify its standing in the global scientific arena. A fascinating slice of history involving the experiences of three scientists and an equally amazing, rare event.

Secret Life of Stars by Lisa Harvey-Smith | Request Now
The Secret Life of Stars offers an accessible introduction to some of the Galaxy’s most remarkable stars. Every chapter takes us on a tour through the wild world of stars, showcasing everything from pulsars and blue stragglers to white dwarfs, star eaters, and the big boom of supernovae. Eirian Chapman's awesome illustrations pop these star characters right off the page, reminding us just how crazy and unpredictable the universe is. Plus, it makes us pretty thankful to have our reliable Sun hanging out in our own backyard.

End of Everything : (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack | Request Now
Join Astrophysicist, Dr. Mack, as she speculates about five different ways the universe might meet its maker in the far, far future (or maybe at any moment!), based on all the clues we’ve gleaned about its past and present: the Big Crunch, Heat Death, the Big Rip, Vacuum Decay (the one that could happen at any moment!), and the Bounce. Dr. Katie Mack has a unique talent for making complex physics and cosmological concepts entertaining and easy to understand for the average reader. Surprisingly, it's a fun and irreverent journey through the potential end(s) of everything.

Under Alien Skies by Philip Plait | Request Now
In his new book, Astronomer Plait explores what various cosmic vistas would look like for a person who was physically present, studying them with ordinary human eyesight. He creatively explores how an ordinary person might perceive space: the appearance of Saturn's rings up close, the Martian landscape reminiscent of the barren, red scenery of the American West, the reasons behind stars appearing blue or red, and the sensation of landing on an asteroid. By connecting his writing to physical experiences and providing explanations for his interpretations, Plait doesn't just gaze at the sky and imagine, but truly envisions what it would be like to live among the stars.

The Excitements * * *  by C. J. Wray (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) 

Nonagenarian sisters Josephine and Penny Williamson, Britain's most treasured World War II veterans, are constantly in demand at commemorative events. Always perfectly groomed and mentally engaged, they live independently in their London home cared for by their capable housekeeper Arlene; and devoted grand-nephew Archie who is tasked to provide them with constant “excitement”. The latest being an invitation to Paris to receive the Légion d'honneur for their part in the liberation of France.

While Josephine is circumspect initially about making the trip, Penny is eager. Unbeknownst to the family and perhaps each other, both sisters are hiding secrets, “official” and otherwise. Now armed with newly unearthed information, they intend to revisit old haunts, settle scores, avenge lost friends, and pull off one last, daring heist in the City of Light. 

“Switching between the 1940s and 2022, this book is utterly charming, with its lead characters a feisty mix of Madame Arcati, Miss Marple, Mata Hari, and Danny Ocean. It's gently humorous and full of twists, but it's the liveliness, verve, and charisma of Penny and Josephine, who are determined not to let old age slow them down one bit, that makes this such a satisfying read.” (Booklist) 

For fans of The Rose Code (2021)  and Killers of a Certain Age (2022).

* * * = 3 starred reviews

If you're an aspiring chef or just a hungry teen, the YA section is the perfect place to search for simple and fun recipes that anyone can make. These cookbooks cover everything from revenge recipes best served cold to the cutest cakes you've ever seen.

Sweet Revenge : Passive-Aggressive Desserts for Your Exes & Enemies by Heather Kim | Request Now

Explore 50+ killer cakes, cookies, and candies that are perfectly passive aggressive - just right for serving to your exes and enemies. Dumped by your crush? Betrayed by your best friend? Lab partner a no-show? Don't take these battles online! (Seriously, don't do that.) Get out your heaviest rolling pins, sharpest cleavers, and most blistering torches, and kill your enemies and exes with kindness. Bake that loser ex a pan of Go Fudge Yourself, or gift your former friend a You're the Devil Cake. Pastry chef and tattoo artist Heather Kim serves up sinfully delicious recipes and bittersweet advice in this quirky cookbook about working out your aggression in the kitchen.  

Vegan Cookbook for Teens : 100 Easy and Nutritious Plant-Based Recipes by Barb Musick | Request Now

This vegan cookbook covers all the basics a budding vegan chef might need to know. Looking for an easy plant-based breakfast? Make some Baked Tofu Bacon or some easy No-Bake Cereal Bars. Craving a savory vegan snack? Chow down on Cheeseburger Eggrolls or some Ultimate Nachos. Sections like Meals for One and Meals for Many make it easy to choose recipes that feed exactly the right number of people, whether its just for you or for all your hungry friends too. This cookbook uses basic everyday ingredients and step-by-step recipe instructions to help simplify vegan cooking so teens can gain confidence and kitchen skills that will last a lifetime.

Hack Your Cupboard : Make Great Food With What You've Got by Alyssa Wiegand | Request Now

It's not always easy to try out a new recipe, especially when the risk of failure brings with it the risk of a hungry night at home. So what's a lazy, cash-strapped chef to do? Well, with the help of Hack Your Cupboard, you can grab whatever's handy (ramen in a pinch) head to your pantry, and get to work! Each section of the book provides age-specific guidance for the kinds of environments you're likely to be working in. What results is a book that you can take with you as you move on to ever-larger spaces and ever more ambitious meals, from the family pantry to a dorm room fridge, a first apartment, and beyond. With dozens of photographs as well as dream dinners for every level of chef, this is the cookbook for anyone who wants to break out of a kitchen rut without breaking too much of a sweat.

The Baking Cookbook for Teens by Robin Donovan | Request Now

The Baking Cookbook for Teens makes it easy to introduce the aspiring baker in your life to the joyful satisfaction of baking, from their first batch to the last bite. This cookbook is the ultimate guide for anyone who wants to learn essential baking skills and put them to use right away creating the tasty treats they love. Author Robin Donovan offers over 75 easy-to-follow recipes for a variety of delectable baked goods, from cookies, brownies, and bars, to tarts, breads, and even pizza! Get an overview of baking that explains fundamental baking concepts, teaches key techniques, and reviews kitchen safety, plus recipes that range from easy for beginners to more challenging treats.

Greta & Valdin * *  by Rebecca K. Reilly, a Maaori novelist from Waitaakere, New Zealand, is a New York Times Editors’ Choice (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook). 

“We’re all strange, romantic emotional people in this family,” proclaims Linsh Vladisavljevic as he watches his two younger children navigate queerness, multiracial identity, and the familial dramas big and small. 

Linsh, an Auckland university professor of Biology is Russian Moldovan while wife, Betty is Māori. Daughter G (Greta), a graduate student in literature, shares an apartment with her brother Valdin - a former astrophysicist with O.C.D. who now hosts a tv travel show. The novel opens when a missed directed package plunges Valdin (who goes by V) into melancholy, pining for ex-boyfriend Xabi who moved to Argentina, while G is smarting from her painfully unrequited crush on a fellow tutor and tentatively reaching out to a charming fellow student. Then work sends V to Buenos Aires where he has to decide whether to reconnect with Xabi and what the future will hold for them.

“The story follows the duo in alternating first-person chapters as they navigate bad dates, bouts of insecurity and even encounters with racism, and as they come closer to understanding themselves and their desires.” (New York Times)

“Reilly herself is of Ngāti Hine and Ngāti Wai descent. In the wrong hands this could all be quirk for quirk’s sake, or a half-baked hybrid of Schitt’s Creek and The Royal Tenenbaums. But Reilly’s humor is so riotously specific, and the many moments of true poignancy so gently infused with that same humor, that the Vladisavljevics seem like no one but themselves….Say hello to your new favorite fictional family.“ (Kirkus Reviews)

Green Dot by Sydney writer/critic Madeleine Gray (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) introduces readers to Hera Stephen, a 24 year-old comments-moderator for an online news outlet where she meets Arthur, a middle-age journalist (and her boss). With 3 arts-degrees, Hera is broke and living in Sydney with her lovely gay father. What started as message-based flirtation (hence the title, referencing the green dot that indicates a user is online) she soon finds herself falling into an all-consuming affair with Arthur though for years, she preferred women to men. Before long, Hera develops an obsession, which only grows stronger as Arthur refuses to leave his wife.

“As the book tracks the increasingly doomed love affair (including through the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic), the only thing keeping the narrative from devolving into something grim and cynical is Hera's dynamic and snarky voice….Her narration is peppered with references to music and pop culture, the things that define your personality in your 20s, when you're still searching, as Hera is, for some kind of identity.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

“Although ironic and flippant, Green Dot avoids nihilism, and is ultimately about the search for meaning through love. It vividly illustrates how someone can lose their perspective, principles and dignity in its name, ignoring overwhelming evidence of the probable conclusion.” (The Guardian)

Readers interested in examining why smart women expect their lovers to leave their wives, despite overwhelming evidence that the contrary is more likely, might be interested in Sally Rooney's Conversations With Friends, Imogen Crimp's A Very Nice Girl, and Laura Warrell's Sweet, Soft, Plenty Rhythm. 

 * * = 2 starred reviews

If you're searching for a mystery, these kids comics about sleuthing sloths, rat detectives, and alligator investigators are perfect for animal-lovers and aspiring detectives alike.

Sloth Sleuth, Vol. 1 by Cyndi Marko | Request Now

On Winkelfuss, an island crawling with crime, everyone's a suspect. Luckily, its resident sloth can solve crimes in her sleep (and often does!). Meet Paz, the world's first sloth sleuth. She may be slow . . . but she's on the case! Whether she’s hunting for pirate treasure or solving mysterious disappearances, she's always one step ahead of the bad guys. This series follows Paz and her friends as she solves crimes and tries to avoid being sloth-napped! When you're done with #1, you can find the rest of this series here.  

The 39 Clues, Vol. 1: The Maze of Bones by Ethan Young | Request Now

Grace is the last matriarch of the Cahills, the world's most powerful family. Everyone from Marie Curie to Harry Houdini is related to the Cahills, yet the source of the family's power is lost. 39 Clues hidden around the world will reveal the family's secret, but no one has been able to assemble them. Now the clues race is on, and siblings Amy and Dan must decide what's important: hunting clues or uncovering what really happened to their parents.

InvestiGators, Vol. 1 by John Patrick Green | Request Now

With their very exciting spy technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks--or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp? If this silly duo makes you laugh, you can find more InvestiGators in the collection.

Geronimo Stilton, Vol. 1: The Sewer Rat Stink by Various Authors | Request Now

In this smelly story, Geronimo Stilton, the famous mouse detective, and his friend Hercule Poirat venture into the sewers to find the origin of the horrible stink that is driving all the mice away from New Mouse City--and learn an important lesson about recycling. Geronimo's other adventures include stopping amusement park saboteurs and solving slimy crimes at spine-tingling mystery dinners, and you can find more of his comics in the catalog.

City of Laughter, * * a debut novel (also in downloadable eBook and audiobook) by a Rona Jaffe Foundation Writers Award winner Temin Fruchter is “a wondrous intergenerational story of queerness and Jewish folklore.” (Publishers Weekly)

Called “brainy and richly textured (The New York Times) the novel opens in 18th century Ropshitz, Poland where a holy jester whose job is to make wedding guests laugh, receives a visitation from a mysterious stranger. In present day New York, 32-year old Shiva Margolin, reeling from the recent death of her father and the breakup with her girlfriend, Dani found among her father’s things, photos of her enigmatic maternal grandmother, Syl, and great-grandmother Mira. But her mother Hannah refuses to talk about them. 

Frustrated with the generational silence, Shiva starts studying the work of Jewish folklorist S. Ansky, and enrolls in a master's program which presents her with an opportunity to visit Warsaw, only hours away from Mira's small town of Ropshitz. She hopes her family's mysteries will make more sense if she walks in their footsteps.

“This novel, like Shiva’s work, is a collection of beautiful scraps—scraps of folktales and memory, hidden family histories, love letters, accounts of strange happenings in the past and present—all tangled together and rewoven into a whole that’s strange, lush, imaginative and pulsing with life…As Shiva becomes more deeply immersed in the lives of her foremothers, those foremothers become more vibrant and detailed, in prose that moves from shimmering and dreamlike to sharply funny to wonderfully contemplative.” (BookPage)

Readers might also enjoy The Thirty Names of Night * * * * by Zeyn Joukhadar (2020), and The Fortunes of Jaded Women by Carolyn Huynh (2022).

* * * * = 4 starred reviews

* * = 2 starred reviews

Birding has become especially popular since the pandemic. It can be a relaxing and enjoyable hobby for adults and kids. It can even be rewarding when you spot a new species to add to your list. The library has a number of great books and resources for those just starting as well as pros who want to learn more. From the Wingscapes Birdcam to Cornell Lab of Ornithology’s Birds of World database (see below for more about this), there is something for every bird lover at AADL.

Birding to Change the World by Trish O’Kane | Request Now
This memoir tells the story of O’Kane’s tragic loss of her New Orleans home after Hurricane Katrina and how it led to her environmental activism especially dedicated to wildlife conservation. In her mid-40’s, she decided to return to college to earn a PhD in environmental studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. There her focus turns to ornithology. She realized that bird-watching was “like journalism. ... You observe. You listen. You take good notes. You piece together clues.” Her other concern became lower income children’s lack of access to the wonders of nature. As a result, she created an after-school birding club and mentoring program between college students and middle schoolers which is still active today.

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan | Request Now
Award winning author, Tan, writes a love letter to the neighborhood birds of Sausalito taken from hundreds of nature journals she has written and illustrated from 2017-2022. She uses graphite and colored pencils drawings to highlight the beauty of nature surrounding her home overlooking San Francisco Bay that hosts over 63 bird species and counting. She describes her bird sanctuary with its rat proof bird feeders, hot pepper suet that squirrels loathe, and many bird baths to give comfort to them on a hot day. On average she says she spends $250 /month on bird food including live mealworms. This book is not only enjoyable to read, with her day to day observations and drawings that accompany them, but it also informative. It will publish on April 23 but you can place a hold on it in our catalog now.

Better Living Through Birding : Notes From a Black man in the Natural World by Christian Cooper | Request Now
Catapulted to fame having had a racially charged run-in with a dog walker in Manhattan’s Central Park in May 2020, Cooper writes about his life being a self-described gay Blerd or Black nerd, which includes his love for all things bird. He does talk about the run-in, when he was out on his daily birding adventure and sees an off-leash dog running across an area where he’s looking for ground-dwelling mourning warblers and reminds the owner, a white woman, that there is a leash law. The situation escalates as he records the owner calling 911 to report an African American man is threatening her. The video goes viral, and he gains fame, which leads to writing this book and hosting the NatGeo show, Extraordinary Birder. But he is much more than that one incident, he is a Harvard grad, comic book writer, and has traveled around the world as a bird nerd. In this book you will get advice on becoming a birder too. Another book that encourages inclusivity in all environmental causes with a focus on birding is The Feminist Bird Club's Birding for a Better World.

The Comfort of Crows:  a Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl | Request Now
New York Times writer, Renkl ruminates on the many birds in her own 1.5 acre backyard in Nashville. These 52 entries include her observations of clever crows; the blue jays and mockingbirds that relish her heated birdbath; and redbirds’ mating dance. She also is concerned with how to tend to injured wildlife; the cutting of trees particularly those for shade near her home; and yearns for an end to leaf blowers & toxic chemicals used to get the perfect lawn. Her neighbors may not like what they see as an unkempt weed patch, but she sees it as a haven for wildlife and source of restorative hope.

A Wing and a Prayer: the Race to Save our Vanishing Birds by Anders & Beverly Gyllenhaal | Request Now

Ten Birds That Changed the World by Stephen Moss | Request Now
Two books that discuss specific bird populations and efforts to save them, in the first, and the history of human relations with them, in the second. The Gyllenhaals, married duo journalists and birders, travelled across the Americas to record the efforts to save endangered and threatened bird populations. In addition to their encounters with ornithologists, nonprofits, landowners, and bird organizations, they discuss conservation difficulties such as those associated with conflicts between the Spotted Owl and loggers, and the Florida Scrub-Jay and developers. Nature writer Moss relates the history of 10 birds that have significance in human history: bald eagles, Darwin's finches, dodos, emperor penguins, guanay cormorants, pigeons, ravens, snowy egrets, tree sparrows, and wild turkeys. Engrossing history and science lessons further illuminate our shared bond with nature.

Additional bird related items in our catalog include the beautiful and enlightening 3-disc DVD set from famed biologist & BBC broadcaster, David Attenborough, the Life of Birds. Filmed across 7 continents with thousands of bird species covered, this documentary includes feeding and mating habits, migration patterns, bird conservation, and more. Finally enjoy the Birds of the World database (you must be logged in to your online account to view) presented by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to learn more about over 10,000 species of birds, including audio and video recordings.

At the end of February, I took one of those wonderful, restorative vacations where you fly somewhere warm and don’t do much of anything for a week. When I find myself lucky enough to have these “gift of time” trips, I still can’t help but set up a little structure and challenge myself to read a book a day. I have the benefit of being a fast reader, and I also stack the deck a bit by leaving the giant tomes at home (you can only pack so many books!), but on the trips where I manage to achieve that silly benchmark, I return home bubbling about the reading even more than about the sunshine! Here are my reading highlights from that trip!

No One is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood | Request Now

I may have picked this book up because it was the smallest book on my frozen holds list, but it was the far-and-away highlight of my week of reading! This satire/autofiction/novella??? by poet Patricia Lockwood begins as a taut satire of the social media scene circa 2017. Part One focuses particularly on the narrator’s social media addiction, fame, and the absurdity of the digital world. Jumping quickly from one image or anecdote to another (almost like the jumps between stories on a scrolling news feed), Lockwood’s writing frequently made me chuckle aloud to myself, despite the fact that I was sitting on a plane next to a stranger.  And then came Part 2. (And ahead comes what you might consider spoilers if this were a book read for twists and turns). The narrator’s pregnant sister finds out that her child has proteus syndrome—a rare disease best known because it’s what “the elephant man” suffered from—and everything changes. Still told in evocative imagery, albeit images that left me crying rather than laughing, No One is Talking About This takes on the challenges of mother and infant health, fear, loss, and grief. What could have been a disjointed read, instead, became a depiction of how one event can reshuffle all sense of importance.

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen | Request Now

After the unexpected heaviness of my previous read, I was ready for a twisty domestic thriller as a fun palate cleanser and The Golden Couple delivered. After Marissa Bishop cheats on her husband Matthew and instantly regrets it, she turns to celebrity therapist Avery Chambers. Avery may have lost her therapy license due to her controversial (and some may say unethical) methods, she is known for results. Of course, there’s also more to Avery than her clients are privy to. Told in alternating chapters from Marissa and Avery’s perspectives, The Golden Couple is beautifully paced with earned twists. As a reader, I was often able to say “there’s definitely something fishy about x character” but was rarely able to pinpoint directly on the twist before the reveal. If, like me, you read thrillers for fun but also don’t want to scream at the book for being too obvious or too ridiculous, The Golden Couple is worth adding to your list!   

Good Eggs by Rebecca Hardiman| Request Now

When 83-year-old Millie is caught shoplifting (again), her son Kevin—already at his wits end caring for his 4 children, looking for a new job, and experiencing frustration with his love life—insists that she have an in-home aide to help her. Fortunately, Millie bonds with and enjoys the company of her aide Sylvia; and her always-in-trouble granddaughter Aideen connects with Sylvia’s nephew. Unfortunately, all is not as it seems with this family, and Millie’s, Aideen’s, and Kevin’s life get thrown into chaos. This book is a little “sweeter” than my typical fare, but I found feisty Millie and angsty Aideen easy to root for in this book that I feel ready to recommend to the moms and grandmas in my life!

Great Falls, MT: Fast Times, Post-Punk Weirdos, and A Tale of Coming Home Again by Reggie Watts| Request Now

Musician and alternative comedian Reggie Watts (perhaps best known as James Cordon’s bandleader) intersperses a more traditionally-told autobiography of growing up with short chapters of somewhat absurd musings. This hybrid style makes for a page-turning, music-filled book. (Truly, there are QR codes that lead to audio recordings throughout the memoir). Though it’s unlikely many readers have similar experiences to Watts’ multicultural upbringing and the Seattle music and comedy scene, the most poignant and easy-to-connect-to segments are Watts’ depictions of his relationships with his parents. The love Watts has for his mother, particularly, shines through the page.

Watts came to Ann Arbor in November as part of his book tour, and I wish I had read Great Falls prior to seeing his show. Though I enjoyed the evening, having the context of Watts’ background—particularly his thoughts on language and chameleon identities—would have made it all the more meaningful.

Hey, didn’t you say you read SEVEN books?

Yeah, yeah, I did. Here’re mini-reviews of the other three.

The Guest by Emma Cline 
Cline fulfills her reputation as an atmospheric, mysterious writer. None of her books, including this one, have been a runaway hit for me, but I’ll keep giving her a try because she still manages to captivate me despite not-particularly-likeable characters.

Midnight on Beacon Street by Emily Ruth Verona
A night babysitting ends with a body in the kitchen. This short horror novel, with chapters in a non-consecutive timeline to build suspense, is a fine-enough read, but not a “can’t miss”

Survival of the Thickest by Michelle Buteau

Sadly, this one is a pass for me; not all great comedians are great writers. But make the time to watch the Netflix series of the same name starring Michelle; it’s what I wanted this essay collection to be!

If you're sick of standalone reads or need something to keep you hooked for a while, here are some great graphic novel series from AADL's collection. These titles are perfect if you're looking to start a new series.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan | Request Now

Blending sci-fi and romance, Saga is a sweeping tale about star-crossed lovers from enemy worlds fighting to find their place in the universe. When Alana first meets Marko, they're two soldiers fighting on opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war. Against all odds, they fall in love and risk everything to escape and bring a fragile new life into their dangerous old universe. This story is a wild, intergalactic ride that follows new parents Marko and Alana as they try to raise their child in a war-torn galaxy. This epic space opera is both heartfelt and hilarious, and is intended for mature readers only. Readers who love the first book can find the others in the series in AADL's catalog.

The Night Eaters by Marjorie M. Liu | Request Now

Chinese American twins, Milly and Billy, are having a tough time. On top of the multiple failures in their personal and professional lives, they're struggling to keep their restaurant afloat. Luckily their parents, Ipo and Keon, are in town for their annual visit. Having immigrated from Hong Kong before the twins were born, Ipo and Keon have supported their children through thick and thin and are ready to lend a hand--but they're starting to wonder, has their support made Milly and Billy incapable of standing on their own? When Ipo forces them to help her clean up the house next door--a hellish and run-down ruin that was the scene of a grisly murder--the twins are in for a nasty surprise. A night of terror, gore, and supernatural mayhem reveals that there is much more to Ipo and her children than meets the eye. Readers who enjoy this horror story can find more of the series in AADL's catalog.

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe | Request Now

Fantasy and mythology are perfectly matched in this series about Greek gods and goddesses. Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she's allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place--and her own power. If you like the first book, you can find the rest of the series in the catalog.

She Loves to Cook, and She Loves to Eat by Sakaomi Yuzaki | Request Now

If you're looking for a cute and casual story, this food-focused manga series is a relaxing read that follows Nomoto, a woman who loves to cook. Nomoto may be an amateur chef, but she dreams big -- at least in terms of food portions. Unfortunately, her appetite isn't as large as her imagination, so she can't give her masterpieces the full enjoyment they deserve. Luckily, one evening, she finds the perfect audience in her neighbor, Kasuga, who just happens to love eating. As this impromptu gourmet duo warms up to each other, could tender feelings be brewing? This series is great for anyone looking for a sweet and simple slice-of-life story. This manga has 3 volumes so far, and they can all be found in the collection.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and sometimes an author’s first book isn’t always their best work. It can take time to find one’s voice and style of writing! I often find it interesting to go back and read an author’s early work after discovering them by reading their third or fourth novel. Debuts often just feel a bit less… polished. But sometimes an author seems to know exactly how to tell a story right from the start and, first book or not, the writing keeps readers turning the pages as quickly as they can. Several 2024 debuts that fall into this category have already been released. If you’re looking to discover a new author and dive right into some excellent writing, peruse these suggestions!

Ways and Means, by Daniel Lefferts | Request Now

Alistair McCabe arrives in New York determined to escape the Rust Belt poverty of his childhood. He’s determined, fiercely intelligent, handsome, gay, and eager to earn an excellent living to support the mother who raised him and give her a better life. There’s a fine line between ambition and greed, however, and as Alistair is sucked into the world of modern high finance, he finds himself adrift and unsure of how to make the right decisions. Desperate, in the spring of 2016 he begins working for an enigmatic billionaire and tries to keep his dream alive. Of course, things don’t go according to plan and when Alistair discovers his employer’s secret he finds himself on the run and, along with the older couple he’d been in a relationship with, facing a nation on the brink of chaos to match that of his personal life. Ways and Means is an “indelible, deeply moving investigation of class and ambition, sex and art, and politics and power in the American 21st century.”

Holiday Country, by Inci Atrek | Request Now

Nineteen-year-old Ada’s mother grew up in Turkey and Ada loves spending dreamy summers there, though she struggles to feel truly a part of the culture of her mother’s native country. When Levent, a mysterious man from Ada’s mother’s past, shows up in town, Ada starts to imagine a new life for her mother back in her home country, happy and fulfilled. As Ada starts to play matchmaker for her mother and Levent, she begins to struggle with her own attraction to him and starts to wonder if the future she imagined for her mother might really be the future that she is imagining for herself. Atrek perfectly captures the experience of being a part of two very different worlds and of trying to live a life that is at least partially always in translation. Combine this with a generation-spanning love triangle, and you’ve got the fascinating read that is Holiday Country.

Rabbit Hole, by Kate Brody | Request Now

Readers seeking a new voice in the thriller genre will be excited to discover Kate Brody. Her first novel focuses on Theodora “Teddy” Angstrom, whose older sister Angie disappeared ten years ago. When Teddy’s father Mark dies on the anniversary of Angie’s disappearance, his family realizes that Mark was deeply involved in investigating conspiracy theories about Angie that he sourced from a Reddit community focused on her case. Teddy finds herself falling down this same “rabbit hole” –hence the title!--and begins to wonder if Angie might still be alive. However, not everyone wants Teddy to get so involved in the past, and as she struggles to both process her grief and reconcile her memories with what others tell her, her behavior becomes increasingly erratic and dangerous. This is an emotional page-turner that will appeal in particular to fans of true crime–or anyone who has fallen victim to a late-night Reddit binge.

River East, River West, by Aube Rey Lescure | Request Now

The story opens in 2007, when fourteen-year-old Alva is furious that her forty-something American mother is marrying a sixty-something Chinese businessman. Alva feels that Lu Fang has stolen her beloved mother from her and is just one in a long line of wealthy Chinese men that have financed her and her mother’s lives in China. Alva has never met her biological Chinese father, and desperately wants to move to America, but her mother, a former American movie star, enjoys the anonymity of Shanghai and sees no reason to return to her native country. Alva’s perspective is interspersed with that of Lu Fang’s, and readers get to see him as a younger man, struggling with his impending fatherhood with a wife he does not love. The different perspectives add depth to all of the characters, and paint a vivid portrait of a unique family straddling two different cultures. Readers will find this story compelling.

For readers craving that overlap between romance and fantasy, check out these titles that have it all: magic, creatures, and love! 

Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna | Request Now
A cozy romantasy about Mika Moon, who happens to be a witch but no one knows except her coven, who don't understand how lonely she has felt throughout the years. When a mysterious message arrives asking her to come to Nowhere House to train three young witches how to control their magic, she knows it's a bad idea to go. Who knows, maybe there she'll find something worth taking a chance on like the house librarian Jamie Kelly who she is immediately attracted to but who gives her the cold shoulder. Could she melt that icy heart of his?

The Final Strife by Saara El-Arifi | Request Now
This series starter, inspired by African and Arabian mythology, posits a world in which people are in a violent social hierarchy based on the color of their blood. When the Warden’s Empire begins its set of combat trials to find new leadership, three women are drawn together with the hopes of taking the Empire down. Read this one for rich world-building, thrilling action, and a bisexual love triangle. The series continues in the Battle Drum

Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon | Request Now
Talasyn has grown up an orphan in a nation constantly under the siege of the ruthless Night Emperor. But Talasyn holds a dangerous secret: she burns with the light magic thought to have been eliminated years ago, the same magic that killed a previous emperor and ignited the Hurricane Wars. Prince Alaric is the emperor’s only son and is tasked with protecting the kingdom at all costs including eliminating Talasyn using his dark magic. When Alaric sees Talasyn glowing on the battlefield, it leads to an uneasy, and sizzling, alliance between the two. It is easy to see how this was originally a Star Wars fan fiction where Rey and Kylo Ren are forced into an arranged marriage uniting the Rebel Alliance and the Empire. Kudos to Guanzon for taking that story and successfully reworking it to fit this original fantasy epic. This has a Southeast Asian inspired main setting with weather-magic world-building and alongside a variety of radically different climates and locales in which the political and romantic intrigue take place. The sequel, Monsoon Rising, is currently set to publish in October.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros | Request Now
The hold list may be long for this one, but it is well worth the wait. Last year’s breakout hit (and has already been optioned for an Amazon Prime show) tells the story of Violet, a young woman who wants a quiet life. This soon changes when her mother forces her to join the hundreds of cadets striving to become dragon riders, upsetting her life in a way she never saw coming. There, she'll try her hardest to survive alongside the best of the best. As she meets her competitors and gets deeper into the program, romance blooms, and mysteries spin out before her. The sequel, Iron Flame is also out (with a third planned). Characters that are relatable, ones to root for and others to boo, as well as action, romance, and dragons! What more could a fantasy or romantasy reader want in a book!?

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming | Request Now
This is the first book in the Mead Mishaps series. Spice trader, Cinnamon, suddenly finds herself on a quest with a demon to slay an evil witch who enslaves demon kind. Along the way they banter, kick butt, and fall for each other. Don’t expect any deep revelations here, this is all about the entertaining banter, a straightforward quest, and some spicy romance. This book is definitely character-driven and not so much about the world building as many fantasy books tend to be.

Historical fiction remains one of the most popular genres for local readers! Titles in the genre offer readers the opportunity to learn more about past events, especially ones you’re not familiar with, often in a less-dense manner than non-fiction books about the same events might provide. If you’re looking for your next historical fiction read, check out one of these newly added titles to the library collection and add yourself to the holds list.

The Berlin Letters, by Katherine Reay | Request Now

The Cold War is coming to a close and CIA codebreaker Luisa Voekler is frustrated. Since a young girl, she’s always enjoyed using her logical, quick mind to solve puzzles and crack codes. She expected to move up quickly in the CIA, but while her colleagues are working hard to complete assignments that will hopefully finally bring the Cold War to an end, Luisa is stuck still cracking leftover codes from back during World War II. When she analyzes a letter with symbols she recognizes from her childhood, though, something clicks into place and she begins to wonder if her long-lost father is not, in fact, dead after all, as she’s always thought. Determined to figure out the truth, Luisa travels East Germany, determined to get her father out–if he’s still alive. As the book races toward the climactic fall of the Berlin Wall, readers journey with Luisa to the heart of Berlin to experience the monumental moment with her, and to hopefully share in her discovery of answers to questions she has had her whole life. This book includes book discussion questions at the end, making it a good fit for book clubs!

Flight of the Wild Swan, by Melissa Pritchard | Request Now

This new story of Florence Nightingale has been receiving lots of positive reviews. Much of Florence’s story has been obscured by legend and guesswork, and Pritchard’s new interpretation lends humanity and nuance to the historical figure. Growing up, Florence is thought to be aloof and obstinate, though her father encourages her intellect. Desperate to be a nurse, her parents refuse to allow her to study the profession, believing it to be beneath their status. Uninterested in anything else, Florence does little more than despair for over a decade. Finally, her parents relent and Florence becomes an adept medical administrator by the age of 30. In 1854, Family friend Sidney Herbert, the British Secretary of War, allows Florence to lead a coalition of nurses to Constantinople to reform a military hospital (Britain had been fighting Russian forces in the Crimea for years). When Florence and her fellow nurses arrive, they discover the medical institution in shambles, with many soldiers dying of diseases contracted in the hospital rather than of injuries sustained in battle. Florence springs to work and the rest, as they say, is history. Readers interested in early medicine and Florence’s story will love this new novel.

The Phoenix Bride, by Natasha Siegel | Request Now

London, 1666: Young Cecelia Thorowgood has just lost her beloved husband to the plague and has fallen into a deep depression. She has moved into her sister Margaret’s dreary townhouse and Margaret has hired a cadre of doctors to try and heal Cecelia. Their scalpels and crude techniques do nothing but make her worse. Desperate, Margaret hires foreign-born Jewish physician David Mendes to try and help. Mendes fled Portugal to England to practice medicine, but even in London Jews at the time are barely tolerated. Dr. Mendes’ tinctures help Cecelia some, but it is their growing friendship that truly begins to heal her heart. As the two begin to fall in love, Margaret works to keep them apart, determined to marry Cecelia to a family friend of good English blood. When the Great Fire of London begins to burn, Cecelia and David’s love is truly put to the test. This exciting and moving story has been praised for its portrayal of diverse characters that are often overlooked in historical fiction and romance. 

All the World Beside, by Garrad Conley | Request Now

Garrad Conley is the author of the memoir Boy Erased, and he’s now turned to historical fiction to tell a unique story. The year is 1730 in Puritan Massachusetts and a reverend and a doctor have begun a queer love affair. The two met when the doctor successfully treated the reverend’s son during a frightening illness. The love between the two is, of course, deeply forbidden at the time, and they must go to great lengths to keep it a secret. While theirs is the story at the core of the novel, other individuals, including the reverend’s daughter, Sarah, and the ill son in question are fleshed out characters of their own. Conley helpful includes an author’s note about his research into 18th century gay life, which gives excellent context to the confusion and fear that the two men experience over their feelings for one another. This is a unique story about a little-discussed experience in American history.

The Helen Zell Writers Program, University of Michigan’s MFA program, has an impressive alumni list, who—would you believe it—have written some impressively good books! Here are a few of my favorites.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett | Request Now

Twin sisters Desiree and Stella both leave home at 16 and their lives, which up until that point had been lived in tandem, dramatically diverge. Told from shifting perspectives between Desiree, Stella, and their daughters, The Vanishing Half spans generations to tell an engaging story of identity, family, and connection.

This has been a selection for two different book clubs I belong to, and there’s a reason it’s an excellent choice. The Vanishing Half is a relatively fast-paced read with ample grey area that makes for stimulating discussion!

Owner of a Lonely Heart by Beth Nguyen | Request Now

This literary autobiography by Beth Nguyen focuses particularly on her relationship—or lack of one—with her mother. The book begins “Over the course of my life, I have known less than twenty-four hours with my mother,” and uses the time she spent with her mother, and the absence of her, as the structure of her memoir of childhood and young adulthood. Growing up a Vietnamese immigrant in Michigan in the 1980s, Nguyen was primarily raised by her father, grandmother, and stepmother. She shares her story non-chronologically, but is a deft writer who never left me wondering “wait, when are we now?” The book is not long, but no words are wasted; it’s the good kind of dense.  

Bloods Bones and Butter by Gabrielle Hamilton| Request Now

Restauranteur Gabrielle Hamilton didn’t go to school to be a chef—she got that MFA, remember?—but kitchens and cooking played a key role throughout her life and are the lens through which this memoir is explored. Hamilton is frequently not a sympathetic narrator, but writes honestly about her decisions and actions. She has evocative descriptions, particularly of food, and Ann Arbor makes a few cameos as well!

Reviews of this memoir are mixed—Hamilton’s brashness and sometimes scattered writing style puts some readers off—but as a lover of food and complicated people, I enjoyed it and still come back to it in my memory more than a decade after it was published.
 

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain| Request Now

One of Paula McLain’s literary specialties is writing biographical fiction, and Circling the Sun is my favorite of the genre. Following Beryl Markham, a woman aviator in colonial Africa, Circling the Sun thrusts the reader into the world of Out of Africa. Beryl, raised by her father in the land of the Kipsigis tribe, is a strong-willed, daring protagonist, particularly satisfying traits for a woman living in the 1920s. Filled with adventure, tumultuous love, and descriptions of the wilderness of Kenya, Circling the Sun is a tasty immersive read. Why not pair it with a watch (or rewatch) of Out of Africa for a full experience? Not a historical fiction person? Her thriller When the Stars Go Dark is a 5-star read!

Several Teen books have been adapted into shows in the past few years. If you like to read the book before you see it on TV, check out these YA stories that have been recreated for the small screen.

Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman | Request Now

According to the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just after tea. Which means that Armageddon will happen on Saturday night. So the armies of Good and Evil are gathering, the Four Bikers of the Apocalypse are revving up their mighty hogs and hitting the road, and the world's last two remaining witch-finders are getting ready to fight the good fight, awkwardly armed with antiquated instructions and stick pins. Armageddon is in the air. Which is a major problem for Crowley, a fast-living demon, and his opposite and old friend Aziraphale, a fussy angel. They like it down here, and they're not particularly looking forward to the end of it all. So they've got no choice but to defeat the marching ranks of the Witchfinder's army and - somehow - stop the Rapture from happening. Above all, they've got to find and kill the most powerful being on earth, the Antichrist (which is a shame, as he's a really nice kid). There's just one glitch: someone seems to have misplaced him. This over-the-top story is equal parts humor and fantasy, and the TV series is also available in our catalog.

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han | Request Now

Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, stuck in a place far away from the beach, away from her friends, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They're the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer—they've been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But the summer she turns sixteen, Belly returns to the beach just like every other summer of her life...and this time things are very different. During this wonderful and terrible summer, Belly discovers that the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along. If you love romance and drama, you can find even more of Jenny Han's books in AADL's collection.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo | Request Now

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by a near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee. Orphaned by war, Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves her life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Taken from everything she knows and her only friend, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite who destroy the monsters of the Fold. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha… and secrets of her own. This high fantasy is perfect for readers who like exploring new worlds.

One of Us Is Lying by Karen M. McManus | Request Now

On Monday afternoon, five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn, the brain, is Yale-bound and never breaks a rule. Addy, the beauty, is the picture-perfect homecoming princess. Nate, the criminal, is already on probation for dealing. Cooper, the athlete, is the all-star baseball pitcher. And Simon, the outcast, is the creator of Bayview High’s notorious gossip app. Only, Simon never makes it out of that classroom. Before the end of detention Simon is dead. And according to investigators, his death wasn’t an accident. On Monday, he died. But on Tuesday, he’d planned to post juicy reveals about all four of his high-profile classmates, which makes all four of them suspects in his murder. Or are they the perfect patsies for a killer who’s still on the loose? Everyone has secrets, right? What really matters is how far you would go to protect them. This story is a great fit for readers who enjoy a good murder mystery.

One way to experience other places is through food. And the great thing about food is, even if you can’t actually cross the ocean to try it in its country of origin, you can always try your hand at making a dish at home! Cooking with unfamiliar ingredients or preparing dishes that you’ve never made before can be daunting, but these cookbooks make it easy to explore other cuisines in the comfort of your own kitchen. Take a look!

Maydān: Recipes From Lebanon and Beyond, by Rose Previte | Request Now

Author Rose Previte is the owner of a restaurant in Washington, D.C. with the same name as this cookbook. At both her restaurant and in this book, she invites readers to join her on a culinary journey through North Africa and parts of the Middle East, following many of the ancient spice trading routes. In fact, Previte herself traveled extensively throughout the region learning from home cooks before opening Maydān and creating this cookbook. Of course, the old spice transport routes don’t follow modern geopolitical boundaries, and one of the foundations of the cookbook is the parallels that Previte draws in the different foods from the region. She notes that people have baked bread in clay ovens in strikingly similar ways across the region, and that many of the spice blends in one area have extremely alike counterparts in another. The cookbook offers over 150 recipes and Previte encourages readers/cooks to prepare foods the way her family did when she was growing up: scale down for a weeknight meal and up for a weekend one or a party, mix and match components from different recipes, make a simple meal pop with a delicious dip or spice blend. She also includes Georgian and Lebanese wine pairings of wines that are easy to source or find here in the U.S. This cookbook is a flavorful treat.

Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling, by Bricia Lopez | Request Now

“Asada” means more than just juicy, grilled meat in many Mexican households. It symbolizes a big backyard gathering of family, friends, music, cold drinks, community, and delicious food–the centerpiece of which is the asada, the juicy, grilled meat in question. Lopez, a Oaxaca native, walks readers through the process of making asada and its varying accompaniments in this bright, enthusiastic cookbook. Readers may want to start with her “Carne Asada Clasica,” but there’s also recipes for other types of asada, too, including Pibl Pork Chops (yum!). Helpfully, Lopez provides shopping lists and ingredient guides for her recipes, and offers lots of tips on how to meet with the greatest success when preparing your asada feast. This is a wonderful cookbook to peruse as summer–and grilling season–get ever closer.

Ever-Green Vietnamese, by Andrea Quynhgiao Nguyen | Request Now

Author Nguyen is a James Beard-award winner and previously wrote the cookbook Vietnamese Food Everyday. Ever-Green Vietnamese is her second endeavor, with a focus on plant-based recipes from her home country. In it, she emphasizes how home cooks in Vietnam use both their resourcefulness and elements of Buddhist traditions to showcase a wide variety of herbs and vegetables in diverse, flavorful recipes. From suggestions for how to enhance dishes with your own homemade sauces for dozens of ways to liven up tofu, Nguyen celebrates the food of Vietnam by encouraging readers to try their hand at it. There’s lots of cultural context in this cookbook, making the preparation of the recipes feel deeply authentic, but Nguyen offers lots of tips and detailed instructions for first-timers, too. While certainly a vegetarian-focused book, meat lovers need not despair: several recipes in here do include meat, and Nguyen makes suggestions for how you could incorporate it into other recipes, too. If you’re looking to add more vegetables and flavor to your diet, give this one a try!

The Global Pantry Cookbook, by Ann Taylor Pittman | Request Now

Rather than focus on cuisine from one geographic region, this delightful and helpful cookbook discusses ingredients from all over the world–and encourages cooks to incorporate global ingredients into their everyday cooking. From gochujang to za’atar to miso, Pittman offers combinations of ingredients that you may have never even considered before (one recipe combines Coca-Cola, shichimi togarashi, Worcestershire and smoked paprika for a chicken marinade). Her super unique suggestions provide cooks with flavor combinations that give even simple dishes that you may have made a hundred times new life. Have you ever added miso, marsala wine and marmite to your French onion soup? This writer certainly hasn’t–but I might, after reading the recipe in this cookbook. This is a really fun read that is chock full of new ideas to pick and choose from–and if you have some unusual ingredients in your pantry or refrigerator that you bought for one recipe and haven’t been able to use up, well, this cookbook will help with that, too! Enjoy.

Whether or not you believe that the most important meal of the day is breakfast, as the old adage goes, there is something to be said about having a delicious beginning to your morning. In the following cookbooks, you’ll get ideas for how to make breakfast unique, yummy, easy, and all three!

Breakfast: The Cookbook, by Emily Miller | Request Now

This delightful and comprehensive book shares recipes for home-cooking breakfasts from all over the world. Hundreds of recipes are compiled here with straightforward and simple instructions, so that you can prepare a dish that you’ve perhaps never even heard of before (a good thing, if you’re cooking at 7am!). Culinary notes and backgrounds on the origins of the recipes add a nice touch and provide the reader with interesting insight as to where the recipe they are preparing comes from and how people in that region might enjoy it. Conveniently, the index is organized by both food and country, so you can search for what you’re looking for by either categorization. Recipes are divided by food type as well as dietary restriction, such as gluten-free, vegetarian or vegan, quick and easy, under five ingredients and more. Lovely photographs accompany the recipes. This is a great book for any breakfast-lover, or even for anyone who is breakfast-curious and looking to up their morning meal routine.

Rise and Shine: Better Breakfasts for Busy Mornings, by Katie Morford | Request Now

One of the great challenges of preparing a healthy and delicious breakfast is getting it on the table in time in a busy household. It’s often just easier to pour a bowl of cereal and call it good! Katie Morford offers 75 easy, quick recipes geared toward parents but appropriate for anyone. Morford herself is a mother of three and a nutritionist, so this book is truly a passion project for her. Many of the recipes can be assembled speedily–with children’s help, if desired!--and can be on the table in ten minutes or less in the morning. The nutrition information and focus on healthy recipes is a nice addition to this cookbook, too.

Sundays: A Celebration of Breakfast and Family in 52 Essential Recipes, by Mark Pupo | Request Now

Part memoir and celebration of family and part cookbook, this lovely collection of recipes and musings celebrates breakfast (of course!) from the lens that it is the most intimate meal of the day. Shared alone or with whomever lives with or is visiting us, we’re often cooking and eating still in pajamas, before we’ve gotten ready for the remainder of our day. The book focuses on more leisurely breakfasts best for weekend mornings when you have a little more time to spend in the kitchen and are perhaps seeking a little more comfort in the meal you place on the table. Author Mark Pulpo often cooks with his young son, and his sweet memories of their time together in the kitchen add a warm heart to this book. Sundays follows a whole year of weekend breakfast cooking, so you’ll get recipes for all seasons in this one!

Breakfast for Dinner, by Lindsay Landis | Request Now

Okay, okay, some people REALLY don’t like eating breakfast. Whether you’re too rushed in the morning or just not hungry until later in the day, it isn’t for everybody. But that doesn’t mean that you might not like breakfast food, after all! Breakfast for Dinner is a great way to enjoy the delicious staples we associated with breakfast with twists modifying them for dinner time. Things like bacon fried rice, egg and chorizo burritos, sunny side-up burgers, and breakfast ravioli are all examples of the type of recipes you’ll find in this book. It’s fun to see how Landis modifies recipes to be a bit heartier for the last meal of the day and makes additions to round them out to be full meals. “Breakfast” can be yummy at any time of the day!

Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, later adding the Motown Records label. We celebrate the immense contribution to music with some books, CDs, and a movie. To learn more about Motown go to Detroit’s own Motown Museum.

Where Did Our Love Go? : the Rise and Fall of the Motown Sound by Nelson George | Request Now
Originally written in the 1980s, this is a well-researched and straightforward account of Motown’s history. George traces Berry Gordy’s career as well as the vocalists, songwriters and musicians who made the Motown sound synonymous with the 1960’s. In the end, according to accounts, Gordy lost touch with his artists and Motown became “…just another record company…”. George has written a book that shows great appreciation for the Motown that was once a powerhouse of the music industry.

The Supremes: the Saga of Motown, Dreams, Success, and Betrayal by Mark Ribowsky | Request Now
Ribowsky traces the group’s rise from the projects to stardom to bitter breakup then attempted reunion in 2000. There are asides along the way about the individual Supreme’s struggles and interactions with other Motown legends like Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. An illuminating and at times sensational read. To read further about the Supreme that was forced out and whose life the musical Dreamgirls was based on, Florence Ballard, read the Lost Supreme.

Motown: the Sound of Young America by Adam White with Barney Ales | Request Now
A coffee table book combining beautiful photos with insider dish from the golden days of Motown. Packed with iconic photographs of Motown stars, plus album covers, posters, and so much more. A treat for any Motown fan!

Standing in the Shadows of Motown Directed by Paul Justman| Request Now
The Funk Brothers were an uncredited Motown house band that Berry Gordy used on almost every recording from 1959 to 1972. They were behind hits for the Temptations, the Supremes, Stevie Wonder, and Gladys Knight & the Pips, to name a few. This documentary and performance film takes us into the lives of each of the Motown backup musicians who called themselves the Funk Brothers, via interviews, black and white recreated vignettes, photos, and live performances with the surviving Brothers paired with more recent artists like Chaka Khan, Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, Meshell Ndegeocello covering some of the famous Motown tunes. An excellent tribute to these previously unknown musicians! We also have the CD of the music from this doc here.

Hitsville USA : the Motown Singles Collection 1959-1971 | Request Now
Hitsville USA : the Motown Singles Collection 1972-1992 | Request Now
Containing Motown tunes on 4 discs for each time period starting in the Detroit heyday through the period when Gordy moved to LA. A range of classic Motown to so-so LA tunes includes hits from the Miracles to early Michael Jackson to Boyz II Men and all the greats in between. Note that a lot of the early stuff is presented here in mono, as originally recorded.

Motown 1’s | Request Now
As the title of the album says, these are just the songs that made it to number one on the Billboard charts. So there are plenty of familiar tunes here, like Where did our love go (Supremes) to Three times a lady (Commodores). Enjoy revisiting standards or hearing them for the first time.

NOW That's What I Call Motown | Request Now
Great overview of the best of Motown that can fit on one CD from Please, Mr. Postman to Super Freak, it covers a range of hits.

AADL is always adding new music to our collection in the form of both CDs and LP records! This month we’ve got a feature on newly added titles by Black artists, in celebration of February being Black History Month. Enjoy!

Afro Futuristic Dreams, by Idris Ackamoor & The Pyramids | Request Now

This new jazz album, the first by Idris Ackamoore since 2020, draws influences from a wide variety of artists: you’ll hear elements of Parliament Funkadelic, Sun Ra and Fela Kuti along with more traditional jazz sounds and combinations. The smoothness of Afro Futuristic Dreams doesn’t take away from its politically charged message, aided by Ackamoor delivering straightforward lyrics about current events. Ackamoor, who came of age in the 1960s, has always felt that making music is about “making change happen,” and it’s clear on this new record that he’s pushing for change in the United States in lots of ways. The Pyramids were founded in the early 1970s in Ohio, and became known for combining African rhythms with the psychedelic jazz that was particularly popular in the U.S. at the time. Known for being one of the few bands who actually spent time traveling and playing in Africa to best capture the authentic sounds they were seeking, they’re just as strong as ever accompanying Ackamoor on this record (he was a founding member of the band back in the day). This record is well worth a listen.

Black Mona Lisa, by Billy Porter | Request Now

Porter’s fifth studio album takes listeners in slightly new directions, channeling club, house and old-school disco elements to get you on the dance floor. The multi-talented performer has said in interviews that he’s particularly proud of this album, saying that “it has taken me 30 years to figure out how to” blend genres while still creating a cohesive work of art. While listeners can just enjoy moving to the groovy tunes, if you pay attention to the lyrics, there’s more to take in. A 54-year-old queer artist who came out during the AIDS crisis and is HIV positive, Porter sings on “More to Learn,” “I’m alive, what an accomplishment for my kind.” Certainly, and this album is an accomplishment, too. 

Conversation Starter, by Willie Morris | Request Now

Morris is a talented tenor saxophonist who has appeared on several other albums backing up lead performers. For a while it seemed unclear if he would break out on his own, but Conversation Starter puts him squarely front and center. Though the album is polished, it is not without fun–Morris encourages his bandmates to let loose and experiment during freestyle and solo moments on the songs, then brings everyone back together just when it seems that things might truly go off the rails. Improvisation and thoughtful construction make this an engrossing album from start to finish, and it will be exciting to see what Morris does next.

Gentle Confrontation, by Loraine James | Request Now

Similarly sounding in title to Morris’ album but a vastly different musical experience is the new release by UK experimental artist Loraine James. James uses this album to explore, in nuanced form, losses she suffered as a child, including that of her father when she was seven years old. It is hard to pigeonhole Gentle Confrontation into any one genre of music: in one track, an orchestra opens before James starts singing; others feel distinctly R&B, while at least one track has been described as “folktronica.” James references songs from her previous albums from time to time, offering fans the chance to see her growth and changing attitudes along with her. This is a deeply emotional album, with James making it clear that she doesn’t have all the answers figured out yet, but she’s going to keep exploring her emotions – and, if fans are lucky, singing about them.

You can check out lots of other new music in our collection here.

Peeved that your streaming service is adding commercials? Luckily there is a whole slew of commercial-free streaming content available to you via your aadl.org catalog. You can browse the whole collection of more than 10,000 videos, or check out some recommended picks below:

Travel Documentaries

Travel the world without leaving your couch! BBC’s Emmy-winning Seven Worlds One Planet is a beautiful look at all of the continents. Don’t Forget Your Passport is more causal viewing, but its charming host and highlight of tours across the world is a great way to add future trips to your bucket list. And, of course, you can’t forget the King of Travel, Rick Steves – we have quite a few titles from his Rick Steves’ Europe series!

Live Concerts & Music Documentaries

Going to a concert is always a treat, but especially when the weather is lousy, it’s great to let the music come to you! The Under Review music series takes deep dives into musicians, bands, and albums, using concert footage and interviews. Or you can do a search of streaming content for concert and get a wide-range of live performances ranging from Cream to Beethoven concertos to Ann Arbor’s own Andrew W.K.

PBS Docuseries

Imagine rather than having to wait for your favorite series to air on PBS, you could just pull them up via your local library catalog? No need to imagine, it’s your reality!  Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates Jr. is always intriguing, and I’m a huge fan of the science and history explored in NOVA. Or check out the excellent documentary In Remembrance of Martin about Martin Luther King, Jr.

BBC Classics

Curl up with a book – erm film adaptation of a book – with any of these BBC literary classics! David Copperfield | Emma | Great Expectations | Jane Eyre | Lorna Doone | Mansfield Park |Pride and Prejudice | Sense & Sensibility (and many more!)

HBO Content

Tuck in to some prestige TV like Chernobyl. Or some well-made biographic documentaries on Temple Grandin, Jane Fonda, Robin Williams, or Muhammad Ali. All available to stream, no HBO (erm, Max) subscription required!

And there’s so much more! National Geographic’s Yellowstone, BBC’s A Life in Ten Pictures, all the Ken Burns your heart desires and more hidden gems just waiting to be discovered!

Looking for adventure, but stuck at home in the snow? Travel to magical jungles and frontier forests with these wild wilderness graphic novels.
 

Mighty Jack, Book 1 by Ben Hatke | Request Now

Jack might be the only kid in the world dreading summer. But he's got a good reason: summer is when his single mom takes a second job and leaves him at home to watch his autistic kid sister, Maddy. It's a lot of responsibility. And it's boring, too, because Maddy never talks. Not ever. But then, one day at the flea market, Maddy does talk: she tells Jack to trade their mom's car for a box of mysterious seeds. It's the best mistake Jack has ever made. Soon Jack finds himself planting a very unusual garden, one that produces a crop of strange and bizarre creatures. What starts as a normal little garden out back behind the house quickly grows up into a wild, magical jungle with tiny onion babies running amok, huge, pink pumpkins that bite, and, on one moonlit night that changes everything…a dragon. If you love Ben Hatke's great storytelling or want more Mighty Jack, check out the rest of his books in the AADL Catalog.
 

Long Distance by Whitney Gardner | Request Now

Vega's summer vacation is not going well. When one of Vega's dads gets a new job in Seattle, her parents decide it's time to pack up and leave her hometown of Portland, Oregon behind for boring Washington. Vega is more than upset--she's downright miserable. Forced to leave her one and only best friend behind, Vega is convinced she'll never make another friend again. To help her settle into her new life in Seattle, her parents send Vega off to summer camp - Camp Very Best Friend, the perfect place for introverted kids to meet other kids. Except Vega is determined to get her old life back. But Vega and her fellow campers start to notice there's something strange about their summer camp. Like, even though they're in the woods, there are no animals anywhere, and because of all the clouds, they never see the sky. And the counselors seem almost...robotic. When her cellphone unexpectedly calls it quits and things at camp start getting stranger and stranger, Vega has no choice but to team up with her bunkmates to figure out what's going on. This is a great story for kids who like sci-fi or are dealing with social anxiety.
 

Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, Book 3: Donner Dinner Party by Nathan Hale | Request Now

Some of the best-known adventures aren't from the world of fiction, but from history! Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales is a nonfiction series that tells exciting real stories from the past, including this wild tale of pioneers fighting their way through the wilderness. The Donner Party expedition is one of the most notorious stories in all of American history. It's also a fascinating snapshot of the westward expansion of the United States, and the families and individuals who sacrificed so much to build new lives in a largely unknown landscape. From the preparation for the journey to each disastrous leg of the trip, this book shows the specific bad decisions that led to the party becoming stranded in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The graphic novel focuses on the struggles of the Reed family to tell the true story of the catastrophic journey. Those who aren't familiar with the history of the Donner Party should be aware this title talks about death and other heavy topics, and might not be a good fit for some middle-grade readers.
 

Over the Garden Wall by Pat McHale | Request Now

When an adventure on Halloween night goes very wrong, half-brothers Wirt and Greg become lost in a foggy, endless wood. To find their way home, the two must travel through this strange, magical forest called the Unknown. They meet a mysterious, elderly Woodsman and befriend a chatty bluebird named Beatrice, who promises to guide them to safety. All they have to do is search for a woman called Adelaide, who may be able to undo a curse on Beatrice and her family and show Wirt and Greg the way home. But with each strange adventure the brothers only seem to travel deeper into the forest... This series is perfect for kids looking for something spooky, but might be tough for readers who don't like mysterious endings.  

Murder by Degrees * * * by Ritu Mukerji

Philadelphia, 1875. Dr. Lydia Weston teaches at the Woman's Medical College and attends to working-class patients at the city's Spruce Street Clinic where she first meets Anna Ward.  Hardworking, highly motivated and an eager learner, Anna works as a chambermaid for the wealthy Curtis family but shares Lydia’s love of literature.  During an appointment with Lydia, Anna is visibly troubled by something she won't explain, and abruptly disappears.  Soon her body is dredged out of the Schuylkill River, bloated beyond recognition, she is identified by her diary and clothes neatly folded by the river.

When the police rules Anna’s death as suicide, Lydia is suspicious, especially when her autopsy confirms otherwise. “Mukerji, like Patricia Cornwell and Kathy Reichs, pulls the reader into fascinating and richly detailed forensic autopsies and blesses Weston with the instincts and determination to carry out a murder investigation as effectively as--or even better than--the police.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

“This well-researched, historical-mystery debut by a practicing physician will appeal to readers who enjoy strong female characters and graphic clinical details.” (Booklist)   For fans of Jacqueline Winspear and Charles Todd. 

The Expectant Detectives *  by Kat Ailes is the first in a new cozy mystery series, set in the sleepy village of Penton. Finding themselves unexpectedly expecting, Alice and her partner Joe move out of pricy London to embrace country life in the Cotswolds. With the baby coming in 2 weeks, they sign up for a prenatal class. When one of the women goes into labor during class, frenzy ensues until someone notices Mr. Oliver, owner of the herb shop downstairs, keels over dead, and they find themselves all suspects in the murder investigation. 

Together with her band of pregnant sleuths, Alice manages to suss out Mr. Oliver's many secrets, his connection to the hippie commune in the woods and the mysterious death in the village some years ago.  What’s most disturbing for Alice is how Joe has been acting strangely and someone tries to poison her goofy canine companion Helen.

In this The Thursday Murder Club meets Midsomer Murders, “readers of Darci Hannah will enjoy Helen’s spotlight in this series. The humor is akin to Elle Cosimano’s Finlay Donovan series, and the relationship between Joe and Alice is reminiscent of Jules Capshaw’s romantic endeavors in Ellie Alexander’s “Bakeshop Mysteries.” (Publishers Weekly) 

* * * = 3 starred reviews

* = Starred review

Due to the impending snowstorm, all AADL locations will close at 3 pm Friday (Jan. 12) and reopen at noon on Saturday (Jan. 13). Items on the hold shelf will be held through Tuesday (Jan. 16).

If you have questions, please text or call 734-327-4200 or email ask@aadl.org. 

Thank you for your understanding!

Cli-Fi or Climate-focused fiction is a subgenre that is concerned with what might become of our world and our future if climate change continues. These authors have imagined what might be in store for us in the decades to come. Some spell doom and gloom while others take a more moderate approach. These stories offer a lot to think about and appreciate.

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood | Request Now

Failure to halt climate change has created an out of control weather system where fierce storms and tornadoes are all too common. The coastlines are flooded, and there’s no seasons anymore: just one long, sticky, miserable summer. Those few who survived the plague scrounge for food while dodging genetically modified creatures gone feral, like “wolvogs” and “pigoons”. Potentially the last human on earth, "Snowman" tours the remnants of his destroyed world, reminiscing and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake; the woman they both loved, Oryx; and the rise of genetic experimentation that destroyed the world.

Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff VanderMeer | Request Now

Loved for his Annihilation series, VanderMeer offers a wonderful conspiracy thriller centered on climate change and the history of a now deceased ecoterrorist.

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamad | Request Now

Set in the prolific author’s home province of Edmonton, Alberta after climate disasters have ravaged the world and during an ongoing global pandemic. In this story a young woman infected with a mysterious parasite must choose whether to pursue a rare opportunity far from home or stay and help rebuild her community.

How High We Go In the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu | Request Now

In 2030, an archaeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to carry on his daughter's research at the Batagaika crater. Among these secrets they discover is the remarkably preserved body of a girl who seems to have succumbed to an ancient virus. The release of this Arctic Plague will drastically alter life on our planet for many years to come. It will spread rapidly across the world, compelling humanity to find innovative and adaptable approaches to embrace hope amidst the tragedy.  Similar in many ways to Cloud Atlas, this story is told through several small stories and wildly different central characters.

The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley Robinson | Request Now

A story of the not-too-distant future told from anecdotes and fictional eyewitness accounts detailing how climate change alters the lives of individual people. Another dystopian work by him New York 2140 is how those in a submerged Manhattan adapt and continue to go about their daily lives, so a bit more uplifting than most works on the subject.

You may have heard that the selection for the 2024 Washtenaw Read is How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith. The keynote event for the Read will take place this spring, with a variety of related events leading up to it. If you’ve read the book and would like to participate in a discussion of it with AADL staff and fellow community members, we have one coming up on January 23 at 6pm on Zoom. And if you’re interested in further reading related to the topics Smith discusses in his book, you may want to check out one of these titles!

On Juneteenth, by Annette Gordon-Reed | Request Now

Gordon-Reed, an esteemed historian, Pulitzer Prize-winner, and Black Texas native explores the history of Texas, shares what it was like growing up as a Black girl and young woman in the state and ponders the creation of Juneteenth and its significance to her communities in Texas and beyond. Gordon-Reed is the descendent of enslaved people who were brought against their will to Texas prior to the Civil War and has spent a great deal of time studying the origins of Juneteenth and the legacies of the holiday. Though this book is fairly slim, it is packed with fascinating historical information and deeply personal stories. Readers will learn much.

Race and Reunion: The Civil War in American Memory, by David Blight | Request Now

In the aftermath of the Civil War, many Americans were eager to cast off the traumatic memories and move forward as a country united. Many politicians, journalists and leaders at the time emphasized the heroics of battle on both sides of the war and downplayed ongoing sectional divides, all while continuing to limit the rights of Black Americans and glossing over the cause that ignited the war: slavery. As time went on, the white memory and the Black memory of the years prior to, during, and immediately after the Civil War became increasingly different. In this book, David Blight explores the narratives that we have told ourselves about the Civil War and works to uplift Black voices and perspectives from the time. This is a very interesting and cautionary read about the politics of memory.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents, by Isabel Wilkerson | Request Now

Caste has been much discussed and celebrated since its publication in 2020,but if it hasn’t made it onto your bookshelf yet, it is well worth the read. In this deeply researched book, Wilkerson paints a portrait of how America today and throughout history has been shaped by a hierarchy of human rankings, both the more obvious, such as race and class, and the less so like family history, stigma and more. She uses stories of real people to show how the “undertow” of caste is experienced every day. Readers will find their perspectives shifting as they consider the various points she touches on, and will likely learn a plethora of new—and sometimes shocking—facts. While much of the book can feel discouraging, Wilkerson concludes by pointing out ways that our country can move forward and beyond our destructive history of human division with a focus on our shared humanity.

The 1619 Project, by Nikole Hannah-Jones | Request Now

The 1619 Project is an entire concept and field of study created by editors of The New York Times Magazine and lead by Nikole Hannah-Jones, winner of the Pulitzer Prize. Its basis is that the entire origin and history of the United States revolves around both the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans. Hannah-Jones and her colleagues argue that we should not envision the United States “beginning” with the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, but rather in August of 1619, when a shop arrived in Jamestown carrying several dozen enslaved people from Africa. Their arrival launched the barbaric 250 year saga of chattel slavery in America, of which we still feel the repercussions today. The book explores this legacy, both of slavery and resistance to slavery, and how it reaches into our past and contemporary culture in a myriad of ways, from voting to healthcare to housing to how we worship to how we sing, dance and tell stories. The ultimate message of The 1619 Project is that we must both understand and accept this history if we are to move past many of the present dilemmas that plague American society. It’s a powerful and thought-provoking read.

A great way to warm your home (and your spirit) in these drearier days of the year is to cook! Here are some great cookbooks to use to build a cozy, comforting meal!

The Soup Club Cookbook by Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, and Julie Peacock | Request Now

There’s a reason “Soup Season” is a phrase with staying power: there really is nothing like a big pot of soup on a cold day! Personally, I don’t like to cook soup from a recipe, but it took me time, and a LOT of phone calls to my mom, to become a cook with enough confidence to just wing it. But guess what?! There are also books that walk you through the soup basics and provide recipes you can use as a jumping off point or follow to a T. (I know! IMAGINE THAT!)

One great one is The Soup Club Cookbook! The first few chapters share both the logistics of creating a soup club – the name is pretty self-explanatory, but essentially, it’s a structure for rotating cooking and sharing meals – and tips, tricks, and tools for making soups. Their suggestions for broth starters, ways to bulk up soups, and spices and oils are great building blocks for any future soups. They have a wide variety of recipes following the soup primer, with a focus on vegetarian and vegan offerings. The first one I plan to try is their Senegalese Peanut Soup; I might even follow the recipe!

America’s Test Kitchen Everyday Bread | Request Now

But what’s soup without some bread, right? And I can’t think of a more warming smell than a loaf baking! Whether you’re an experienced baker with three types of sourdough starter in your fridge or a bread novice ready to give it a shot, Everyday Bread is an amazing resource. After an ample “basics” section to start off, this cookbook is well organized by bread category and beautifully photographed. The real draw for me, though, is the visual timeline for each recipe, separating the main steps and indicating the time each takes (plus giving alternative timelines for overnight rises and other ways to split the work and advance the flavor). They frequently share a straightforward dough base that can be used for multiple variations. This structure allows a baker to get comfortable with the process, but not get tired of eating the same bread every time. I’m going to start by making their Cast Iron Garlic-Herb Butter Rolls – it can be hard to find America’s Test Kitchen recipes online without hitting a paywall so I don’t have a link to share, but luckily you can find this one on the easy-to-remember page 123 in the book!

The Complete Cooks Country TV Show Cookbook | Request Now

Nearly a decade ago, while visiting a boyfriend’s extended family, I bonded with a standoffish uncle over our love of cooking, and he insisted on giving me a copy of this cookbook with his favorite recipes circled. The boyfriend is long gone, not sure what became of the uncle, but the book remains on my shelf and I’m still working through Uncle Joe’s picks. There hasn’t been a miss yet!

The Complete Cooks Country TV Show Cookbook, which grows ever-larger with every new release after a season of Cooks Country, is a wonderful compendium of comfort food. With big pictures of every dish, straightforward instructions, and recommended brands, The Complete Cooks Country makes it easy to approach even more complicated fare. They’re a great resource for learning the basics (and the “mediums”) by following the recipe step-by-step and ultimately gaining the cooking know-how to brave deviating and tweaking things to your taste.

The most recent recipe I tried, Shrimp Mozambique, can be found in their later editions, but the one I keep turning to again and again in the copy I own is their Guinness Beef Stew.

What’s for Dessert by Claire Saffitz| Request Now

The best way to warm up is to bake up something sweet. It's just science.* This book itself is a thing of beauty with large, artistically composed pictures throughout, though what made me swoon was the scatter chart plotting recipes with the axes difficulty and time. Consisting mainly of more unique fare (I can’t wait to try the French 75 Jelly), What’s for Dessert is worth the read even if you dream of picking up a whisk. However, if you do plan to hit the kitchen, Saffitz is looking out for you, not only giving indicators of how the recipe should look at stages throughout, but also highlighting potential pitfalls and answering anticipated questions like “Can I make it ahead? Change the size of the pan?” Her Salty Cashew Blondies recipe is a fantastic treat!

*Okay, fine, not actually SCIENCE. But I dare you to make those blondies and NOT feel warm inside.

If you're looking for comics for cat lovers, look no further! Find your new favorite feline in one of these comical kids graphic novels about cats.
 

Catwad, Volume 1: It's Me, by Jim Benton | Request Now

Meet Catwad. He's blue, he's a bit of a grouch, and his best friend is a happy-go-lucky cat named Blurmp who can see the bright side of anything! From pizza and computers to love and happiness, this furball has a funny take on just about everything - and he's not afraid to share it. This laugh-out-loud series will make even the grumpiest of grumblers smile! If you like the first book, make sure to check out the whole series in the AADL Catalog.
 

Cat Ninja, Volume 1, by Matthew Cody | Request Now

Beware, villains! Cat Ninja may appear to be nothing more than a silly internet meme. But he is evil's greatest enemy, and the silent master of Kat Fu and carpet scratching! Cat Ninja is a hilarious series about a lovable cat with a heroic alter-ego. Raised from a kitten by a kindly old ninja master, Claude now spends his days as the pampered house cat of an eleven-year-old boy. But when trouble arises, Claude dons his mask and springs into action as Cat Ninja—Metro City's secret protector! In Book 1 of the series, follow this feline hero’s early exploits as he tries to keep his secret identity under wraps while thwarting the evil plans of slimy crooks, rampaging robots, and a certain rodent nemesis who lives under the same roof! Readers who want more Cat Ninja can find more of the series in the catalog.
 

Breaking Cat News: Cats Reporting on the News That Matters to Cats, by Georgia Dunn | Request Now

In this playful comic series, based on author/illustrator Georgia Dunn's real-life pets, three adorable house cats report on the most hilarious breaking news - news that matters to cats! Elvis, Lupin, and Puck strap on neckties and pick up microphones to provide the most up-to-date relevant news stories (at least according to them). Cynical, no-nonsense Elvis and shy, sweet, sensitive Puck are the reporter kitties in the field, while the adventurous jokester Lupin serves as anchor cat. Together, they break headlines on mysterious mysteries, all things holiday-related, new cat friends, and all the daily happenings in and outside their home. For more breaking news and cat reports, readers can find the other books in this series here.
 

CatStronauts, Volume 1: Mission Moon, by Drew Brockington | Request Now

Calling all CatStronauts! When the world is plunged into darkness due to a global energy shortage, the World's Best Scientist comes up with a bold plan to set up a solar power plant on the moon. But someone has to go up there to set it up, and that adventure falls to the CatStronauts, the best space cats on the planet! Meet the fearless commander Major Meowser, brave-but-hungry pilot Waffles, genius technician and inventor Blanket, and quick thinking science officer Pom Pom on their most important mission yet! This series is perfect for readers who love sci-fi or books about outer space, and the rest of the CatStronaut's space adventures can be found here.