The renaissance of Gwen Hathaway : a novel / Ashley Schumacher. New York : Wednesday Books, 2023.

Content Warnings:  Grief, Fatphobia, Death of Parent.

I adored this book. It is such a sweet romance, but it also deals with some heavy topics.

Maddie has spent her life on the road with her parents at Renaissance …

Summer Reading 2023: Find Your Voice

This summer, Alamance County Public Libraries want you to Find Your Voice with our Summer Reading Program!

Alamance County Public Libraries’ Summer Reading Program begins June 12 and runs through August 12th. Our summer offerings consist of two parts—library programs and a reading incentive program.

The programming staff of ACPL have all been working …

“A door in the dark” Reintgen, Scott. New York : Margaret K. McElderry Books, [2023].

Content Warnings:  Major Character Death, Murder, Torture, Fantasy Drug Use, Grief, Death of a Parent, Body Horror, and Gore

Ren’s father was murdered.  Now she competes against the sons and daughters of the rich and powerful families who killed …

Silver Alert by Lee Smith. Tropical pink house with green palm fronds around it, road leading from house to the horizon.

“Silver Alert,” Lee Smith. Chapel Hill, North Carolina : Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 2023.

Content Warning: dementia, cancer, child trafficking and death.

I love Lee Smith’s writing – it is very Southern, in that on the surface, it seems happy and lighthearted, but beneath the surface lies deep waters. Being a Southerner, her …

cover Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

“Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries,” by Heather Fawcett. Copyright 2023, Del Rey (317 pages, $28.00).

Content Warning: Blood, Kidnapping.

One of my new favorite genres when it comes to what I read is “cozy-fantasy”, a category that is not very large, but is certainly growing with new titles every day. It’s a nice way …

Silmarillion cover

The Silmarillion. Tolkien, J. R. R. ; edited by Christopher Tolkien. Boston : Houghton Mifflin, 1977.

As a huge Lord of the Rings fan (I even have a Gandalf tattoo to prove it!), one of my resolutions for this year was to take on The Silmarillion, which J.R.R. Tolkien considered the most important …

Miss Benson’s beetle. Joyce, Rachel. New York : Dial Press, [2020].

Content Warnings: Miscarriage, Suicide, Stalking, Death of a Parent, Aftermath of War

Set in 1950, Miss Benson’s Beetle is the story of a 46-year-old domestic arts teacher who realizes that she hates the person she has become and the life she is living.  …

More than 75 poems will be displayed in the windows of businesses in downtown Elon,Burlington, Graham, Saxapahaw and Mebane for the month of April. AlamanceCounty Public Libraries and the Burlington Writers Club solicited entries in December2022 and January 2023, resulting in 59 poets participating in the event. The PoetryStroll celebrates the joy …

Cover of Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld

Romantic comedy : a novel. Sittenfeld, Curtis. New York : Random House, [2023]

Romantic Comedy is the perfect, well, romantic comedy!

Sally Milz is a writer for an infamous late night live comedy show called The Night Owls that airs every Saturday night. She was married once, and it ended without too much fanfare …