Book Bingo

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The 2024 Summer Reading theme is ADVENTURE! Pick a title from one of the categories and embark on your summer reading journey.

You can download 2024 Book Bingo Card: PDF or BRF or let us know if you would like one sent through the mail.

Book Bingo Rules

• Keep track of the books you read from now through August 31, 2024.
• Book titles may be used only once per bingo board. You do not need to write your titles on the board, just mark the box!
• Four (4) titles in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row is a bingo, and filling the board is a black out!

Submitting Your Card

• Submit your bingo cards by emailing [email protected] or mailing it to 2021 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98121.
• All cards must be submitted by Friday, September 6, 2024. Every person who submits their card will receive a prize. Participants will be entered into a prize raffle once for every bingo on their card. Blackout boards will be entered into a grand prize raffle. You may only win one grand prize!

Book Bingo Reading Suggestions

Need some reading ideas for Book Bingo? Browse the reading suggestions selected by our staff.

Nature and the Environment

Books on environmentalism and the world around us to encourage you to get outside and protect our earth. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World by Patrik Svensson (DB100583)

A journalist presents an exploration of the European eel, Anguilla Anguilla, and humans' fascination with it through history. Discusses philosophical investigations of the eel, research into its point of origin, and everyday interactions with it by the general populace. Translated from the original 2019 Swedish edition. Nonfiction.

The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman (DB085848)

Exploration of technical and social intelligence of birds. Surveys twenty-first century research into birds' behavioral and morphological traits, including ways to measure intelligence, the structure of their brains, ways they use technology, social interactions, diversity of birdsong, use of space and time, and more. Nonfiction.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer (DB092274)

Botanist and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation argues that the awakening of a wider ecological consciousness requires the acknowledgement and celebration of a reciprocal relationship with the world. Shares stories learned from her elders about the world around them and ways of approaching scientific inquiry. Nonfiction.

How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler (DB111625)

A queer, mixed race writer working in a largely white, male field, science and conservation journalist Sabrina Imbler has always been drawn to the mystery of life in the sea, and particularly to creatures living in hostile or remote environments. Each essay in their debut collection profiles one such creature: the mother octopus who starves herself while watching over her eggs, the Chinese sturgeon whose migration route has been decimated by pollution and dams, the bizarre Bobbitt worm (named after Lorena), and other uncanny creatures lurking in the deep ocean, far below where the light reaches. Nonfiction.

How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue (DB102942)

In the fictional African village of Kosawa, a people live in fear amid environmental degradation wrought by an American oil company. Pipeline spills have rendered farmlands infertile. Children are dying from drinking toxic water. Left with few choices, the people of Kosawa decide to fight back. Violence and strong language. Fiction.

Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story by Daphne Jenkins Sheldrick (DB075020)

Conservationist details her family's history in Kenya and her first marriage, divorce, and subsequent marriage to David Sheldrick, founding warden of Tsavo East National Park. Reminisces about orphaned animals she cared for over the years, especially the elephants of the park, and recounts her activities since David's 1977 death. Nonfiction.

How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature by Scott D Sampson (DB081478)

Based on research suggesting that experiences in nature are essential for healthy growth, Sampson discusses how adults can help kids fall in love with spending time outdoors. His methods include the use of technology, taking advantage of urban nature, and instilling a sense of place. Nonfiction.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival by John Vaillant (DB074579)

It’s December 1997, and a man-eating tiger is on the prowl outside a remote village in Russia’s Far East. The tiger isn’t just killing people, it’s annihilating them, and a team of men and their dogs must hunt it on foot through the forest in the brutal cold. As the trackers sift through the gruesome remains of the victims, they discover that these attacks aren’t random: the tiger is apparently engaged in a vendetta. Injured, starving, and extremely dangerous, the tiger must be found before it strikes again. Explores the beauty of the setting, the tiger's strength, and the political and geographical forces that shaped this remote region. Nonfiction.

The End of Eden: Wild Nature in the Age of the Climate Breakdown by Adam Welz (BRG02817, DB119499)

The stories we tell ourselves about climate change tend to focus on the damage inflicted on human societies by big storms, severe droughts, and rising sea levels. Walz provides a revelatory exploration of climate change from the perspective of wild species and natural ecosystems: an homage to the miraculous, vibrant entity that is life on Earth. He invites readers to meet wild species in a range of ecosystems that span the globe-- and are struggling to survive. We need to act in defense of the natural world... before it's too late. Nonfiction.

Stalking the Wild Amaranth: Gardening in an Age of Extinction by Janet Marinelli (DB047631)

Explores gardeners' options to rescue nearly extinct species and restore natural communities. When Marinelli joins a botanist to search the Long Island shores for an endangered species of seabeach amaranth, it starts her thinking about a gardener's role in a biologically homogenizing world. She also examines perceptions of what is "natural." Nonfiction.

No Nature: New and Selected Poems by Gary Snyder (DB036010)

A Pulitzer Prize-winning poet invites readers to "lay down these words / Before your mind like rocks. / placed solid..." Snyder's poems appeal to one's sense of place, to the presence of one's self and others, and especially to the connection between the human experience and the natural world as found on the west coast. Poetry.

True Adventures

True stories about adventures and adventurous people. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery (BR021504, DB080502)

Biography of Emma Gatewood (1887-1973), who left her family in Ohio in May 1955, saying only that she was going for a walk. Four months later she completed a solo hike of the Appalachian Trail, from south to north--the first woman to do so. Details her trip and subsequent celebrity. Nonfiction.

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II by Liza Mundy (DB089397)

An account of the work of the thousands of women who served as codebreakers in the US during World War II. Discusses the ramifications of their work for the war and in the larger field of cryptanalysis. Nonfiction.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer (BRG01386, DB044525)

A journalist's first-hand report on the ill-fated Mt. Everest expedition of May 1996 in which a freak storm claimed the lives of nine adventurers. Describes the grueling ascent of the climbers, their sense of elation at reaching the peak, and the tragic events that followed. Nonfiction.

The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer (DB084705)

A journalist recounts the efforts of a small group of librarians and archivists in Mali to rescue thousands of rare manuscripts before they fell into the hands of the jihadists attacking the city of Timbuktu. Nonfiction.

The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy (DB118281)

The Sisterhood offers a riveting new perspective on history, revealing how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age, and how their silencing made the world more dangerous. Nonfiction.

Living with Conviction: Unexpected Sisterhood, Healing, and Redemption in the Wake of Life-Altering Choices by Toby Dorr (DB115511)

The real-life story behind the upcoming Lifetime Movie "Jailbreak Lovers". Having never had so much as a traffic ticket, Toby Dorr shattered her mold of perfection by helping a convicted murderer, a trainer in her prison dog program, escape in a dog crate. Her story is a lesson in perspective. Instead of focusing on everything she lost, Dorr made a conscious choice to use her twenty-seven months in prison as a period to reflect on her life, heal emotional wounds, plot a course for the future, and embrace the sisterhood of women she encountered behind bars. Far from easy, her prison sentence was gut-wrenching and devastating. But a pivoting revelation during a stay in suicide watch gave her purpose and direction. Filled with drama, action, adventure, heartache, and redemption, Dorr bears her soul and tells a story of heartbreak, courage, grace, and transformation. While the escape made national headlines and captured the imaginations of an entire country, Dorr's memoir is an inspirational invitation to look upon life with self-acceptance and love. She pushes readers to move beyond the confines of their circumstances and live each moment with conviction, allowing its fullest, most beautiful potential to unfold. Nonfiction.

Mothertrucker: Finding Joy on the Loneliest Road in America by Amy Butcher (DB114680)

The true story of two women who found meaning, strength, and friendship in one of the most punishing and magnificent landscapes on earth. Amy Butcher was an accomplished college professor, mentor, and writer, but in her own home, she was embarrassed and emotionally burdened by an increasingly abusive relationship. Exhausted and terrified of the ways her partner's behavior could escalate, Amy reached out to Instagram celebrity Joy "Mothertrucker" Wiebe. Joy was a fifty-year-old wife and mother and the nation's only female ice road trucker, a woman who maneuvered big rigs through the Alaskan wilderness along the deadliest road in America. Joy was everything Amy wanted to be: independent, fearless, and in charge of her life in a landscape dominated by men. Invited by Joy to ride shotgun, Amy found her escape on a road that was treacherous, beautiful, and exhilarating-an adventurous ride through the Alaskan wilderness that was profoundly life changing. Mothertrucker is the story of that bracing four-hundred-mile journey navigating snow-glazed overpasses, ice-blue curves, and near plummets. It's also the stories that led them both to Alaska-an interrogation of the reality of female fear, domestic violence, and how to overcome-and an exploration into just how galvanizing friendships between women can be. Nonfiction.

Woman in the wilderness : a story of survival, love & self-discovery in New Zealand by Miriam Lancewood (DBC02950)

Miriam is a young Dutch woman living in the heart of the mountains with her New Zealand husband. She lives simply in a tent or hut, and survives by hunting wild animals and foraging edible plants, relying on only minimal supplies. For the last six years she has lived this way, through all seasons, often cold, hungry and isolated in the bush. She loves her life and feels free, connected to the land, and happy because she learned to dig deep and push the boundaries in order to discover what really matters in life. Adult. Some strong language. Nonfiction.

Seeing the world my way : a totally blind and partially deaf guy's global adventures by Tony Giles (BRG04387)

Follows Tony's journey of hedonism and thrill-seeking adventure as he travels across North America, Asia and Australasia. This is a young blind and deaf man's view of the world as he sets out to achieve his dream, dealing with disability whilst living life to the limit. From bungee jumping in New Zealand to booze filled nights out in New Orleans, 'Seeing the World My Way' is a no-holds-barred account that is not for the faint hearted. Nonfiction.

Storm Warning: The Story of a Killer Tornado by Nancy Mathis (DB065554)

Examines Oklahoma's deadly May 1999 storm, which spawned seventy-one tornadoes including one that was the most powerful F5 ever recorded, with winds over three hundred miles per hour. Interweaves victim accounts with narrative on the evolution of meteorology and the development of the Fujita scale for measuring cyclone strength. Nonfiction.

Adventure in Space

Titles in and about space, space travel, and astronomy. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (DB071911)

Popular-science writer explores the human elements of space travel, including having bowel movements in zero gravity, coping with motion sickness and sexual urges, maintaining personal hygiene, and more. Nonfiction.

Chilling Effect [#1, Chilling Effect] by Valerie Valdes (DB098805)

Captain Eva Innocente and the ragtag crew of her cargo ship undergo a series of dangerous missions in an attempt to pay the ransom on Eva's kidnapped sister. In the end, Eva must risk her crew, her ship, and the life she's built to save Mari. Fiction.

Ashes of Eden by William Shatner (DB045690)

At age sixty-two, Captain Kirk retires from Starfleet and faces a life devoid of challenge and adventure. But things change when a mysterious young woman enlists his aid to save her homeworld. Kirk travels to a world that rejuvenates him, but his actions threaten to disrupt the fragile peace between the Federation and the Klingon empire. A Star Trek novel. Fiction.

A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through? by Kelly Weinersmith and Zach Weinersmith (DB117650)

Earth is not well. The promise of starting life anew somewhere far, far away--no climate change, no war, no Twitter--beckons, and settling the stars finally seems within our grasp. Or is it? Critically acclaimed, bestselling authors Kelly and Zach Weinersmith set out to write the essential guide to a glorious future of space settlements, but after years of research, they aren't so sure it's a good idea. Space technologies and space business are progressing fast, but we lack the knowledge needed to have space kids, build space farms, and create space nations in a way that doesn't spark conflict back home. In a world hurtling toward human expansion into space, A City on Mars investigates whether the dream of new worlds won't create nightmares, both for settlers and the people they leave behind. In the process, the Weinersmiths answer every question about space you've ever wondered about, and many you've never considered: Can you make babies in space? Should corporations govern space settlements? What about space war? Are we headed for a housing crisis on the Moon's Peaks of Eternal Light--and what happens if you're left in the Craters of Eternal Darkness? Why do astronauts love taco sauce? Speaking of meals, what's the legal status of space cannibalism? With deep expertise, a winning sense of humor, and art from the beloved creator of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, the Weinersmiths investigate perhaps the biggest questions humanity will ever ask itself--whether and how to become multiplanetary. Get in, we're going to Mars. Nonfiction.

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers (DB096792)

In Ariadne's future universe, explorers transform themselves instead of terraforming planets in order to survive. As Ariadne and her crewmates sleep between worlds, society on Earth changes drastically from decade to decade. But these changes have little bearing on her mission to explore, study, and send her findings back to Earth. Fiction.

The Deep Sky by Yume Kitasei (DB115190)

It is the eve of Earth's environmental collapse. A single ship carries humanity's last hope: eighty elite graduates of a competitive program, who will give birth to a generation of children in deep space. But halfway to a distant but livable planet, a lethal bomb kills three of the crew and knocks The Phoenix off course. Asuka, the only surviving witness, is an immediate suspect. With the crew turning on each other, Asuka is determined to find the culprit before they all lose faith in the mission-or worse, the bomber strikes again. Fiction.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Soloman (DB091322)

Aster lives in the lowdeck slums of the HSS Matilda, a space vessel organized much like the antebellum South. For generations, Matilda has ferried the last of humanity to a mythical Promised Land. On its way, the ship's leaders have imposed harsh moral restrictions and deep indignities on dark-skinned sharecroppers like Aster. Embroiled in a grudge with a brutal overseer, Aster learns there may be a way to improve her lot-if she's willing to sow the seeds of civil war. Fiction.

Fractal Noise by Christopher Paolini (DB115188)

July 25, 2234: The crew of the Adamura discovers the Anomaly. On the seemingly uninhabited planet Talos VII: a circular pit, 50 kilometers wide. Its curve not of nature, but design. Now, a small team must land and journey on foot across the surface to learn who built the hole and why. But they all carry the burdens of lives carved out on disparate colonies in the cruel cold of space. For some the mission is the dream of the lifetime, for others a risk not worth taking, and for one it is a desperate attempt to find meaning in an uncaring universe. Each step they take toward the mysterious abyss is more punishing than the last. And the ghosts of their past follow. Fiction.

Verily, A New Hope [#4, Shakespeare’s Star Wars] by Ian Doescher (BR020199, DB077244)

The story of Star Wars: Episode IV; a New Hope told in the format of a Shakespearean play. Luke Skywalker purchases two droids, one of which carries a secret message from a captured princess. They draw Luke into a battle with the Empire. Fiction.

The Possibility of Life: Science, Imagination, and our Quest for Kinship in the Cosmos by Jaime Green (DB118357)

One of the most powerful questions humans ask about the cosmos is: Are we alone? While the science behind this inquiry is fascinating, it doesn't exist in a vacuum. It is a reflection of our values, our fears, and most importantly, our enduring sense of hope. In The Possibility of Life, acclaimed science journalist Jaime Green traces the history of our understanding, from the days of Galileo and Copernicus to our contemporary quest for exoplanets. Along the way, she interweaves insights from science fiction writers who construct worlds that in turn inspire scientists. Incorporating expert interviews, cutting-edge astronomy research, philosophical inquiry, and pop culture touchstones ranging from A Wrinkle in Time to Star Trek to Arrival, The Possibility of Life explores our evolving conception of the cosmos to ask an even deeper question: What does it mean to be human? Nonfiction.

The Asteroid Hunter: A Scientist’s Journey to the Dawn of Our Solar System by D. S. Lauretta (DB120237)

On September 11, 1999, humanity made a monumental discovery in the vastness of space. Scientists uncovered an asteroid of immense scientific importance--a colossal celestial entity. As massive as an aircraft carrier and towering as high as the iconic Empire State Building, this cosmic titan was later named Bennu. Remarkable for much more than its size, Bennu belonged to a rare breed of asteroids capable of revealing the essence of life itself. But just as Bennu became a beacon of promise, researchers identified a grave danger. Hurtling through space, it threatens to collide with our planet on September 24, 2182. Leading the expedition was Dr. Dante Lauretta, the Principal Investigator of NASA's audacious OSIRIS-REx Asteroid Sample Return Mission. Tasked with unraveling Bennu's mysteries, his team embarked on a daring quest to retrieve a precious sample from the asteroid's surface - one that held the potential to not only unlock the secrets of life's origins but also to avert an unprecedented catastrophe. A tale of destiny and danger, The Asteroid Hunter chronicles the high-stakes mission firsthand, narrated by Dr. Lauretta. It offers readers an intimate glimpse into the riveting exploits of the mission and Dr. Lauretta's wild, winding personal journey to Bennu and back. Peeling back the curtain on the wonders of the cosmos, this enthralling account promises a rare glimpse into the tightly woven fabric of scientific exploration, where technical precision converges with humanity's profound curiosity and indominable spirit. Nonfiction.

Don't blow yourself up : the further true adventures and travails of the Rocket Boy of October Sky by Homer H. Hickman (DB113849)

From Homer Hickam, the author of the #1 bestselling Rocket Boys adapted into the beloved film October Sky, comes this astonishing memoir of high adventure, war, love, NASA, and his struggle for literary success. Homer Hickam's memoir Rocket Boys and the movie adaptation October Sky have become one of the most popular stories in the world, inspiring millions to pursue a better life. But what happened to Homer after he was a West Virginia rocket boy? In his latest memoir, Homer recounts his life in college where he built the world's biggest, baddest game cannon, fought through some of the worst battles in Vietnam, became a scuba instructor, discovered sunken U-boats, wrote the definitive account of a World War II naval battle, befriended Tom Clancy, made a desperate attempt to save the passengers of a sunken river boat, trained the first Japanese astronauts, taught David Letterman to scuba dive, helped to fix the Hubble Space Telescope, wrote his number one bestselling Rocket Boys, and was on set during the making of October Sky. Although told with humor and wit, Hickam does not shy away from the pain and hardship endured and the mistakes he made during the tumultuous decades since his life in the town he made famous-Coalwood, West Virginia. Nonfiction.

Travel

Titles about travel! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History's Greatest Traveler by Jason Roberts(BR016660, DB062703)

Biography of Englishman James Holman (1786-1857), who was blinded at twenty-five after serving in the Napoleonic wars and who then achieved fame as a world traveler. Quoting from Holman's memoirs, describes how he fought slavery in Africa, survived captivity in Siberia, charted the Australian outback, and published three books. Nonfiction.

The Great Railway Bazaar: By Train Through Asia by Paul Theroux (DB009096)

An American novelist's account of a four-month trip in 1973. Traveling through Turkey, Iran, India, Southeast Asia, Japan, and London, he writes of his encounters with a motley collection of hippies, businessmen, whores, and fellow tourists. Nonfiction.

In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (DB050276)

The author of A Walk in the Woods (DB 46519) now chronicles his exploration of Australia. This good-humored traveler relates his outback adventures with anecdotes about the history and local inhabitants. Describes the harsh terrain and hostile wildlife including crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and attacking seashells. Nonfiction.

World travel: An Irreverent Guide by Anthony Bourdain (DB103369)

Collection of writings by the late author of A Cook's Tour (DB 54047) and Kitchen Confidential (DB 50845), formatted into a travel guide discussing how to get to places, what to eat, where to stay, and what to avoid. Contains writings from his friends and family. Nonfiction.

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry (DB103191)

Travel writer Poppy and her friend Alex could not be more different, but they bonded on a road trip home from college and afterwards took annual vacations together. Unfortunately, their last vacation ruined everything between them. Two years later Poppy talks Alex into one more trip together. Fiction.

Off the Mangrove Coast by Louis L’Amour (DB052857)

Nine tales based on L'Amour's early adventures as a boxer, hobo, and worldwide wanderer. In the title piece, four men cross the China Sea in a stolen boat, seeking the cash from a sunken freighter. Besides the dangers of risky diving equipment and sharks, they face their mutual distrust. Fiction.

An Experience Definitely Worth Allegedly Having: Travel Stories from the Hairpin selected by Edit Zimmerman (BR023280, DB100288)

An Experience Definitely Worth Allegedly Having is a collection of essays on travel selected by Edith Zimmerman, the founder of the colorfully offbeat women's website The Hairpin. Like The Hairpin, these essays are funny, weird, adventurous, and moving. There are stories about following a mysterious stranger's maps in Mexico, attending endless step aerobics classes in Buenos Aires, faking a terrible British accent in London, and navigating a nude spa in Stockholm. About loneliness, connection, and sunburn. And about daring ourselves to be brave and embracing being scared. These stories are tied together by relationships: making them, losing them, how we behave in their absence. How we thrive when we're far from home and falling in and out of love in all of the world's beautiful places. Nonfiction.

Travelling Blind by John F Wilson (DBG00123)

As director for the Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind, the author presents a record of his travels around the world, the people he has met, and the experiences he encountered in his work for the Society. Nonfiction.

Sand in my Bra and Other Misadventures: Funny Women Write from the Road; Traveler’s Tales edited by Jennifer Leo (BR015626, DBC02561)

Travel isn't always what we dream it will be. The 25 women writers featured in this book infused their sense of humor in these tales of their travels from Alaska to Zanzibar. The journeys brought misadventures that their families and readers will never forget. Strong language. Nonfiction.

Welcome back to Abuja Once Again: How I Became a Citizen of the World by Carol J Yee (DB111569)

It's through people-to-people encounters that we expand our sense of mutual understanding and respect. Welcome Back to Abuja Once Again: How I Became a Citizen of the World, a MWSA Silver Medal winner in the Memoir/Biography category, highlights how rewarding it is to engage people from around the world. Learning from others who are different from us reveals our common humanity and enhances our ability to solve problems and deal with global crises. In this book, you will discover: -How foods around the world are both similar and different -Interesting factoids about language and how we communicate -Why assumptions may get you off on the wrong foot -How to travel from your own living room. World travelers will enjoy "traveling" through Welcome Back to Abuja Once Again, and novice travelers will feel the spark to get out and explore the world. Nonfiction.

Seafaring

Titles about adventure on the high seas. Featuring pirates, sailors, mermaids and more! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Dragon Sea: A True Tale of Treasure, Archaelogy, and Greed of the Coast of Vietnam by Frank Pope (DB063934)

Maritime archeologist chronicles the excavation of a fifteenth-century shipwreck believed to contain golden-age Vietnamese pottery. Details dive and surface operations and the efforts of Chinese businessman Ong Soo Hin, Oxford University's Mensun Bound, and the author himself (a project manager) to salvage, preserve, and identify the relics. Nonfiction.

Pirate Hunters: Treasure, Obsession, and the Search for a Legendary Pirate Ship by Robert Kurson (DB081865)

Author of Shadow Divers (DB 58650) chronicles the story of John Chatterton (born 1951) and John Mattera (born 1962) and their search for the Golden Fleece, a pirate ship sunk off the coast of the Dominican Republic in the 1680s. Discusses challenges faced until the ship's 2008 discovery. Nonfiction.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann (DB113965)

On January 28, 1742, a ramshackle vessel of patched-together wood and cloth washed up on the coast of Brazil. Inside were thirty emaciated men, barely alive, and they had an extraordinary tale to tell. They were survivors of His Majesty's Ship the Wager, a British vessel that had left England in 1740 on a secret mission during an imperial war with Spain. While the Wager had been chasing a Spanish treasure-filled galleon known as "the prize of all the oceans," it had wrecked on a desolate island off the coast of Patagonia. The men, after being marooned for months and facing starvation, built the flimsy craft and sailed for more than a hundred days, traversing nearly 3,000 miles of storm-wracked seas. They were greeted as heroes. But then ... six months later, another, even more decrepit craft landed on the coast of Chile. This boat contained just three castaways, and they told a very different story. The thirty sailors who landed in Brazil were not heroes - they were mutineers. Nonfiction.

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (BR024995, DB115506)

The only life Tress has known on her island home in an emerald-green ocean has been a simple one, with the simple pleasures of collecting cups brought by sailors from faraway lands and listening to stories told by her friend Charlie. But when his father takes him on a voyage to find a bride and disaster strikes, Tress must stow away on a ship and seek the Sorceress of the deadly Midnight Sea. Amid the spore oceans where pirates abound, can Tress leave her simple life behind and make her own place sailing a sea where a single drop of water can mean instant death? Fiction.

Red Seas Under Red Skies [#2, Gentleman Bastard Novels] by Scott Lynch (DB079641)

Conman Locke Lamora and his sidekick Jean have fled to Tal Verrar to lick their wounds after the underworld battle in The Lies of Locke Lamora (DB 78165). It is not long until they are back to their old tricks and fleecing the rich of their money. Fiction.

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi: A Novel by S. A. Chakraborty (BR025276, DB114852)

Amina al-Sirafi should be content. After a storied and scandalous career as one of the Indian Ocean's most notorious pirates, she's survived backstabbing rogues, vengeful merchant princes, several husbands, and one actual demon to retire peacefully with her family to a life of piety, motherhood, and absolutely nothing that hints of the supernatural. But when she's tracked down by the obscenely wealthy mother of a former crewman, she's offered a job no bandit could refuse: retrieve her comrade's kidnapped daughter for a kingly sum. The chance to have one last adventure with her crew, do right by an old friend, and win a fortune that will secure her family's future forever? It seems like such an obvious choice that it must be God's will. Yet the deeper Amina dives, the more it becomes alarmingly clear there's more to this job, and the girl's disappearance, than she was led to believe. For there's always risk in wanting to become a legend, to seize one last chance at glory, to savor just a bit more power...and the price might be your very soul. Fiction.

By the Grace of the Sea: A Woman’s Solo Odyssey around the World by Pat Henry (DB056637)

Failing in business and personal relationships, forty-eight-year-old Pat Henry set sail on May 4, 1989, for an eight-year-long solo cruise around the world. Her memoirs describe her traverses of oceans and her soul searching for adventure, romance, and the strength to conquer her fears and realize her dreams. Nonfiction.

438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea by Jonathan Franklin (DB084159)

The miraculous account of the man who survived alone and adrift at sea longer than anyone in recorded history. For fourteen months, Alvarenga survived constant shark attacks. He learned to catch fish with his bare hands. He built a fish net from a pair of empty plastic bottles. Taking apart the outboard motor, he fashioned a huge fishhook. Using fish vertebrae as needles, he stitched together his own clothes. Based on dozens of hours of interviews with Alvarenga and interviews with his colleagues, search and rescue officials, the medical team that saved his life and the remote islanders who nursed him back to health, this is an epic tale of survival. Strong language. Nonfiction.

Ice Ghosts: The Epic Hunt for the Lost Franklin Expedition by Paul Watson DB088125

A Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and expedition member chronicles the history of the 1845 Franklin Expedition, whose mission to find the Northwest Passage through Canada led to the loss of two ships--the HMS Erebus and HMS Terror--and all their crewmen to Arctic ice. The author describes how an unlikely combination of marine science and Inuit knowledge helped solve the mystery and recounts the discoveries of the Erebus in 2014 and the Terror in 2016. Nonfiction.

The Hard Way Around: The Passages of Joshua Slocum by Geoffrey Wolff (BR019671)

Biography of sailor and adventurer Joshua Slocum (1844-1908), the first man to circumnavigate the globe solo. Discusses his years at sea, beginning at age sixteen; his marriage to a woman who shared his love of the seafaring life; and his famous 1895 voyage and subsequent book. Nonfiction.

The Far Traveler: Voyages of a Viking Woman by Nancy Marie Brown (DB066804)

Author traces the life of Gudrid, an eleventh-century Viking woman whose journeys to Greenland, North America, and Europe were recorded in two medieval Icelandic sagas. Draws on archaeological evidence, scientific data, and literary accounts to reconstruct Gudrid's travels, personal life, and the society in which she lived. Nonfiction.

Rowed Trip: From Scotland to Syria by Oar by Julie Angus (DBG08835)

Adventurers Julie and Colin Angus were checking a map of Europe when Julie noticed an interconnected water route from Colin's parents' homeland of Scotland past her mother's homeland, Germany, and on to her father's, Syria. What started as a funny idea of rowing to visit relatives resulted in an odyssey by oar (and bike) where Julie and Colin tested their relationship while exploring their roots. Some strong language. Nonfiction.

Trailblazers

Titles about trailblazers from all walks of life. Celebrating the bravery to take the first step. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

226: How I Became the First Blind Person to Kayak the Grand Canyon by Lonnie Bedwell (DBC12182)

A personal chronicle of the life of Indiana veteran Lonnie Bedwell as he takes on a variety of life challenges after being blinded in a hunting accident to the culmination of his becoming the first blind person to kayak the Grand Canyon.

The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore (DB108016)

The story of Elizabeth Packard, a housewife whose husband falsely committed her to an insane asylum. Elizabeth encountered other sane women confined to the institution with stories similar to hers. Moore explores how the events that followed sparked lasting change for women's rights. Nonfiction.

Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon by Melissa L. Sevigny (DB116384)

The riveting tale of two pioneering botanists and their historic boat trip down the Colorado River and through the Grand Canyon. Through the vibrant letters and diaries of the two women, science journalist Melissa L. Sevigny traces their daring forty-three-day journey down the river, during which they meticulously cataloged the thorny plants that thrived in the Grand Canyon's secret nooks and crannies. Clover and Jotter's plant list, including four new cactus species, would one day become vital for efforts to protect and restore the river ecosystem. Brave the Wild River is a spellbinding adventure of two women who risked their lives to make an unprecedented botanical survey of a defining landscape in the American West, at a time when human influences had begun to change it forever. Nonfiction.

Wise Gals: The Spies Who Built the CIA and Changed the Future of Espionage by Nathalia Holt (DB113006)

In the wake of World War II, four agents were critical in helping build a new organization that we now know as the CIA. Adelaide Hawkins, Mary Hutchison, Eloise Page, and Elizabeth Sudmeier, called the "wise gals" by their male colleagues because of their sharp sense of humor and even quicker intelligence, were not the stereotypical femme fatale of spy novels. They were smart, courageous, and groundbreaking agents at the top of their class, instrumental in both developing innovative tools for intelligence gathering-and insisting (in their own unique ways) that they receive the credit and pay their expertise deserved. Nonfiction.

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann (DB100399)

Disability rights activist recounts her lifelong battle to achieve acceptance and inclusion after being paralyzed from polio as a child. She describes the difficulties she faced seeking education and work, as well as her many efforts to seek protections that helped lead to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Nonfiction.

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr (DB079670)

Journalist examines the life of Sally Ride (1951-2012), the first American woman astronaut to go to space. Details Ride's childhood and early life in California, her selection as an astronaut, and post-mission endeavors to encourage girls' interest in science fields. Discusses Ride's private life and relationships. Nonfiction.

The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts that Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel by Meredith E. Bagby (DB117403)

The never-before-told story of the barrier-breaking NASA class of 1978, which for the first time consisted of a diverse crew of women, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and more, and their triumphs and tragedies working on the newly launched space shuttle program, with the exclusive cooperation of five astronauts. Nonfiction.

We Could Not Fail: The First African American’s in the Space Program by Richard Paul (DB081859)

The Space Age began just as the struggle for civil rights forced Americans to confront the long and bitter legacy of slavery, discrimination, and violence against African Americans. Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson utilized the space program as an agent for social change, using federal equal employment opportunity laws to open workplaces at NASA and NASA contractors to African Americans while creating thousands of research and technology jobs in the Deep South to ameliorate poverty. We Could Not Fail tells the inspiring, largely unknown story of how shooting for the stars helped to overcome segregation on earth. Richard Paul and Steven Moss profile ten pioneer African American space workers whose stories illustrate the role NASA and the space program played in promoting civil rights. They recount how these technicians, mathematicians, engineers, and an astronaut candidate surmounted barriers to move, in some cases literally, from the cotton fields to the launching pad. The authors vividly describe what it was like to be the sole African American in a NASA work group and how these brave and determined men also helped to transform Southern society by integrating colleges, patenting new inventions, holding elective office, and reviving and governing defunct towns. Adding new names to the roster of civil rights heroes and a new chapter to the story of space exploration, We Could Not Fail demonstrates how African Americans broke the color barrier by competing successfully at the highest level of American intellectual and technological achievement. Nonfiction.

Appealing for Justice one Colorado Lawyer, Four Decades, and the Landmark Gay Rights Case: Romer v. Evans by Susan Casey (DBC03264)

This is the true story of Jean Dubofsky, who made history in 1979 when she was the first woman appointed to the Colorado Supreme Court, then made history again in 1996 at the U.S. Supreme Court when she argued and won the landmark gay rights case, Romer v. Evans. Dubofsky's journey from helping to shape and implement the strategy that led to the passage of the 1968 Civil Rights Act, to bringing the first slavery lawsuit since the Civil War, and finally winning at the U.S. Supreme Court is not simply her story, it also is the a story of an entire generation. Nonfiction.

Curveball: The Remarkable Story of Toni Stone, the First Woman to Play Professional Baseball in the Negro League by Martha Ackman (DB097982)

A journalist presents a biography of the first woman to play professional baseball on men's teams. It chronicles her baseball career, which included years in the semi-pro circuit and a stint in the Negro Leagues in the 1950s. It also details her experiences of racial and gender discrimination. Some strong language. Nonfiction.

Mysteries in Far Off Lands

Mysteries set in other countries. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley (DB107433)

In need of a fresh start, Jess heads to Paris to stay with her half-brother Ben. Except Ben isn't home and his apartment is a lot nicer than she expected. The longer Ben stays missing, the more Jess digs into his life. To Jess, all of Ben's neighbors are suspects. Fiction.

Widows of Malabar Hill [#1, Perveen Mistry series] by Sujata Massey (DB094326)

Bombay, 1921. Perveen Mistry joins her father's law firm as one of India's first female lawyers. While executing the will of a wealthy Muslim mill owner who left three widows behind, Perveen is alarmed that all three have signed over their full inheritance to a charity.

The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji (DB104149)

The members of a university mystery club visit an island which was the site of a grisly, unsolved multiple murder the year before. They're there to solve the crime, but are soon being picked off one by one. Translated from the original 2007 Japanese edition. Fiction.

The Dry [#1, Aaron Falk] by Jane Harper (BR021778, DB086906, DBG17447 [Español])

Federal agent Aaron Falk returns to his rural Australian hometown for the funeral of an old friend who allegedly killed himself, his wife, and their young son. Facing a town still suspicious of his role in a long-ago death, Aaron reluctantly agrees to investigate. Fiction.

The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Zehanat Khan (DBC02839)

Christopher Drayton's accidental fall from a cliff doesn't seem to warrant a police investigation, especially from Detective Rachel Getty's team, which handles minority-sensitive cases. But it soon comes to light that Drayton may have been a war criminal with ties to the Srebrenica massacre of 1995. Any number of people might have had reason to help Drayton to his death, and a murder investigation could have far-reaching ripples throughout the community. Fiction.

Murder in Chianti by Camilla Trinchieri (DB106846)

After the loss of his wife, NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle moves to her hometown of Gravigna in the wine region of Chianti. As he is finding his way, he hears a gunshot and a dog's cry one morning. The local police enlist his specialized help to find the killer. Fiction.

The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones (DB076585)

England, 1912. Edward Swift leaves his wife Charlotte's country home to try and borrow money to save the house from creditors. Charlotte's daughter Emerald is hosting her own twentieth birthday party when third-class survivors from a train wreck arrive seeking assistance, disrupting the celebration, and causing mischief. Fiction.

An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten (DB107281)

Collection of five stories featuring eighty-eight-year-old Maud. She has lived alone in downtown Gothenburg for seventy years and prefers it that way. Her misadventures include handling a crisis with a local celebrity who covets Maud's apartment, foiling her ex-lover's engagement, and disposing of some pesky neighbors. Fiction.

Devil Makes Three by Ben Fountain (DB117268)

Haiti, 1991. When a violent coup d'état leads to the fall of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, American expat Matt Amaker is forced to abandon his idyllic, beachfront scuba business. With the rise of a brutal military dictatorship and an international embargo threatening to destroy even the country's most powerful players, some are looking to gain an advantage in the chaos-and others are just looking to make it through another day. Desperate for money-and survival-Matt teams up with his best friend and business partner Alix Variel, the adventurous only son of a socially prominent Haitian family. They set their sights on legendary shipwrecks that have been rumored to contain priceless treasures off a remote section of Haiti's southern coast. Their ambition and exploration of these disastrous wrecks come with a cascade of ill-fated incidents-one that involves Misha, Alix's erudite sister, who stumbles onto an arms-trafficking ring masquerading as a U.S. government humanitarian aid office, and rookie CIA case officer Audrey O'Donnell, who finds herself doing clandestine work on an assignment that proves to be more difficult and dubious than she could have possibly imagined. Fiction.

The Ruin [#1, Cormac Reilly] by Dervla McTiernan (DB094653)

When Aisling Conroy's boyfriend Jack is found in the freezing black waters of the river Corrib, the police believe it was suicide--but Jack's sister Maude suspects foul play. Meanwhile, Detective Cormac Reilly is reinvestigating the seemingly accidental overdose twenty years ago of Jack and Maude's mother. Fiction.

Multicultural

Titles from many different cultures focusing on cultural practices, norms, celebrations, and experiences. Peek through a window into a life different from your own, but all on this beautiful world we call home! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw: Reimagining Success as a Disabled Achiever by Eddie Ndopu (DB116797)

Global humanitarian Eddie Ndopu was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a rare degenerative motor neuron disease affecting his mobility. He was told that he wouldn't live beyond age five and yet, Ndopu thrived. He grew up loving pop music, lip syncing the latest hits, and watching The Bold and the Beautiful for the haute couture, and was the only wheelchair user at his school, where he flourished academically. By his late teens, he had become a sought after speaker, travelling the world to address audiences about disability justice. Ndopu was ecstatic when he was later accepted on a full scholarship into one of the world's most prestigious schools, Oxford University. But he soon learns that it's not just the medical community he must thwart- it's the educational one too. In Sipping Dom Pérignon Through a Straw, we follow Ndopu, sporting his oversized, bejewelled sunglasses, as he scales the mountain of success, only to find exclusion, discrimination, and neglect waiting for him on the other side. Like every other student, Ndopu tries to keep up appearances-dashing to and from his public policy lectures before meeting for cocktails with his squad, all while campaigning to become student body president. Privately, however, Ndopu faces obstacles that are all too familiar to people with disabilities, yet remain unnoticed by most people. With the revolving door of care aides, hefty bills, and a lack of support from the university, Ndopu feels alienated by his environment. As he soars professionally, sipping champagne with world leaders, he continues to feel the loneliness and pressure of being the only one in the room. Determined to carve out his place in the world, he must challenge bias at the highest echelons of power and prestige. But as the pressure mounts, Ndopu must find his stride or collapse under the crushing weight of ableism. Written with his one good finger, this evocative, searing, and vulnerable prose will leave you spellbound by Ndopu's remarkable journey to reach beyond ableism, reminding us of our own capacity for resilience. Nonfiction

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto (DB103081)

When Meddelin Chan ends up accidentally killing her blind date, her mother calls for her meddlesome aunties to help get rid of the body. Unfortunately, the dead body is inadvertently shipped in a cake cooler to a wedding being planned by Meddy and her family. Fiction.

The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi W. Durrow (DB073112)

Eleven-year-old Rachel and her siblings leave their black G.I. father when Nella, their Danish mother, moves them to Chicago in pursuit of Nella's lover. Forced to live with her black grandmother and aunt in Portland, Oregon, after tragedy strikes, Rachel struggles with her identity. Fiction.

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (BRG03649, DB080393)

Examines the secrets of the Chinese-American Lee family of Ohio before and immediately after the 1977 drowning death of their middle child--high school sophomore Lydia. History professor James and his wife Marilyn--whose medical school plans were aborted by pregnancies--had high hopes for her. Fiction.

Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic by Lauren Ho (DB115123)

Management consultant Lucie Yi is done waiting for Mr. Right. After a harrowing breakup foiled her plans for children-and drove her to a meltdown in a Tribeca baby store-she's ready to take matters into her own hands. She signs up for an elective co-parenting website to find a suitable partner with whom to procreate-as platonic as family planning can be. Collin Read checks all of Lucie's boxes; he shares a similar cultural background, he's honest, and most important, he's ready to become a father. When they match, it doesn't take long for Lucie to take a leap of faith for her future. So what if her conservative family might not approve? When Lucie becomes pregnant, the pair return to Singapore and, sure enough, her parents refuse to look on the bright side. Even more complicated, Lucie's ex-fiancé reappears, sparking unresolved feelings and compounding work pressures and the baffling ways her body is changing. Suddenly her straightforward arrangement is falling apart before her very eyes, and Lucie will have to decide how to juggle the demands of the people she loves while pursuing the life she really wants. Fiction.

Sophie Go’s Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim (DB119077)

Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto, her hometown, after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made quite difficult, however, when she is revealed as a fraud-she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In a competitive market like Toronto, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker, and soon Sophie becomes an outcast. In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test as she learns the depths of loneliness, heartbreak, and love by attempting to make the hardest matches of her life. Fiction.

Chestnut Street by Maeve Binchy (BRG03510, DB079126)

Posthumously published collection of thirty-six stories explores the lives of Dubliners living on fictional Chestnut Street. In "Dolly's Mother," a sixteen-year-old finally sees an imperfection in the loving, charismatic mother that everyone adores. Fiction.

Children of Ash and Elm: A History of the Vikings by Neil Price (DB101065)

A definitive new history of the Vikings The Viking Age -- between 750 and 1050 -- saw an unprecedented expansion of the Scandinavian peoples. As traders and raiders, explorers and colonists, they reshaped the world between eastern North America and the Asian steppe. For a millennium, though, their history has largely been filtered through the writings of their victims. Based on the latest archaeological and textual evidence, Children of Ash and Elm tells the story of the Vikings on their own terms: their politics, their cosmology, their art and culture. Nonfiction.

Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir by Akwaeke Emezi (DB112241)

In three critically acclaimed novels, Akwaeke Emezi has introduced readers to a landscape marked by familial tensions, Igbo belief systems, and a boundless search for what it means to be free. Now, in this extraordinary memoir, the bestselling author of The Death of Vivek Oji reveals the harrowing yet resolute truths of their own life. Through candid, intimate correspondence with friends, lovers, and family, Emezi traces the unfolding of a self and the unforgettable journey of a creative spirit stepping into power in the human world. Their story weaves through transformative decisions about their gender and body, their precipitous path to success as a writer, and the turmoil of relationships on an emotional, romantic, and spiritual plane, culminating in a book that is as tender as it is brutal. Electrifying and inspiring, animated by the same voracious intelligence that distinguishes Emezi's fiction, Dear Senthuran is a revelatory account of storytelling, self, and survival. Nonfiction.

Retablos: Stories from a Life Lived Along the Border by Octavio Solis (DB115954)

Seminal moments, rites of passage, crystalline vignettes-a memoir about growing up brown at the US/Mexico border. The tradition of retablo painting dates back to the Spanish Conquest in both Mexico and the US Southwest. Humble ex-votos, retablos are usually painted on repurposed metal, and in one small tableau they tell the story of a crisis and offer thanks for its successful resolution. In this uniquely framed memoir, playwright Octavio Solis channels his youth in El Paso, Texas. Like traditional retablos, the rituals of childhood and rites of passage are remembered as singular, dramatic events, self-contained episodes with life-changing reverberations. Living in a home just a mile from the Rio Grande, Octavio is a skinny brown kid on the border, growing up among those who live there, and those passing through on their way north. From the first terrible self-awareness of racism to inspired afternoons playing air trumpet with Herb Alpert, from an innocent game of hide-and-seek to the discovery of a Mexican girl hiding in the cotton fields, Solis reflects on the moments of trauma and transformation that shaped him into a man. Nonfiction.

Hijab Butch Blues: A Memoir by Lamya H (DB118282)

When fourteen-year-old Lamya H realizes she has a crush on her teacher-her female teacher-she covers up her attraction, an attraction she can't yet name, by playing up her roles as overachiever and class clown. Born in South Asia, she moved to the Middle East at a young age and has spent years feeling out of place, like her own desires and dreams don't matter, and it's easier to hide in plain sight. To disappear. But one day in Quran class, she reads a passage about Maryam that changes everything: When Maryam learned that she was pregnant, she insisted no man had touched her. Could Maryam, uninterested in men, be . . . like Lamya? From that moment on, Lamya makes sense of her struggles and triumphs by comparing her experiences with some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing on the faith and hope Nuh needed to construct his ark, begins to build a life of her own-ultimately finding that the answer to her lifelong quest for community and belonging lies in owning her identity as a queer, devout Muslim immigrant. This searingly intimate memoir in essays, spanning Lamya's childhood to her arrival in the United States for college through early-adult life in New York City, tells a universal story of courage, trust, and love, celebrating what it means to be a seeker and an architect of one's own life. Nonfiction.

Genreblend

Titles that feature the hallmarks of multiple different genres. Meet gunslinging aliens, flirty fae, and more! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

A Most Agreeable Murder by Julia Seales (DB116104)

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in a comedic tale of a lady with a terribly unladylike obsession with true crime who must solve the murder of her sister’s potential beau in the middle of a party. Fiction.

Storm Front [#1, Dresden Files] by Jim Butcher (BR021411, DB067342)

Fantasy meets noir in the first in the Dresden Files series. Harry Dresen is a wizard-for-hire specializing in paranormal investigations in Chicago, a PI of sorts charged with helping the police solve a series of grizzly murders while trying to track down the missing husband of a frightened, mysterious young woman who appears at his door. Fiction.

Lone Women: A Novel by Victor LaValle (DB114718)

Adelaide Henry carries an enormous steamer trunk with her wherever she goes. It's locked at all times. Because when the trunk is opened, people around her start to disappear... The year is 1914, and Adelaide is in trouble. Her secret sin killed her parents, and forced her to flee her hometown of Redondo, California, in a hellfire rush, ready to make her way to Montana as a homesteader. Dragging the trunk with her at every stop, she will be one of the "lone women" taking advantage of the government's offer of free land for those who can cultivate it-except that Adelaide isn't alone. And the secret she's tried so desperately to lock away might be the only thing keeping her alive. Fiction.

The Book of Living Secrets by Madeleine Roux (DB109279)

Best friends Adelle and Connie are transported into the world of their favorite gothic romance novel called Moira. There, the world is turned upside down, and they will need to write their own arcs to escape. Fiction.

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane (DB109920)

Fantasy, history, and myth come together in this epic twist on the Iliad. Achilles has fled her home to live as a woman with the kallai, the transgender priestesses of Aphrodite. When Odysseus comes to recruit Achilles for a war against the Hittites, she prepares to die rather than fight as a man. A gift from her divine mother, Athena, allows Achilles to remain her true self and face her prophesized destiny: win the war for Greece and bring the stolen Helen of Troy home. But Helen is much more than the damsel-in-distress she’s made out to be, and Achilles finds herself facing forces more ancient and powerful than she could have imagined. Fiction.

Landscape with Invisible Hand by M. T. Anderson (DB087964)

After the vuvv arrive on Earth offering their alien technology and medicine, jobs and money become scarce. Adam tries to help his struggling parents by catering to the desires of the vuvv, but he wonders how far he is willing to go. For fans of Vonnegut. Fiction.

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki DB105930

Shizuka has made a deal with the devil to deliver the souls of violin prodigies, and when she meets a talented young transgender runaway, she knows she's found her final candidate. But when Shizuka meets retired starship captain Lan Tran, her plans are soon derailed. Fiction.

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo (DB116467)

Immigrant. Socialite. Magician. Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society-she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She's also queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how. Fiction.

Hel’s Eight by Stark Holborn (DB115817)

Ten “Doc” Low is a medic with a dark past, riding the wastes of the desert moon Factus, dispensing medicine to the needy and death to those who cross the laws of the mysterious Seekers. Cursed by otherworldly forces, she stays alone to keep herself safe, and to keep others safe from her… But when she experiences a terrifying vision of conflict, and foresees the deaths of those she once called friends, she must drag herself back to the land of living to stop a war before it begins. Fiction.

The Last Town on Earth by Thomas Mullen (BRW01238, DBC17094)

Washington State, 1918. A small mill town votes to quarantine itself against the virulent influenza epidemic. Philip Worthy, the 16-year-old adopted son of the town founder, is one of the citizens posted to enforce the quarantine. When a cold, hungry, and possibly sick soldier begs him for entry into the town, Philip makes a life-changing decision. [Produced at WTBBL]. Fiction.

Historical Fiction

Titles set in the past! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon (DB099499)

1944. Counterintelligence operative Nancy Wake, code name Helene to the British and Madame Andrée to the French, parachutes into France. Her life has been building to this moment, from marrying industrialist Henri Fiocca in the 1930s to her escape through Spain to avoid capture by the Gestapo. Based on the true story of the spy hunted by the Gestapo. Fiction.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris (BR023958, DB092598)

1942. Lale Sokolov, a Slovakian Jew, has been transported to Auschwitz. When the Nazis discover he can speak multiple languages, he is put to work tattooing the incoming prisoners. He does what he can to keep his fellow prisoners alive and falls in love with Gita. Fiction.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (BR021120, DB067526)

London, 1946. Writer Juliet Ashton corresponds with Dawsey Adams and other members of a literary society created as a front during the Nazi occupation of the British channel island Guernsey. Through letters, Juliet learns about their wartime experiences. Intrigued, Juliet sails to Guernsey, where she finds new inspiration. Fiction.

The House of Doors by Twan Eng Tan (DB117570)

The year is 1921. Lesley Hamlyn and her husband, Robert, a lawyer and war veteran, are living at Cassowary House on the Straits Settlement of Penang. When "Willie" Somerset Maugham, a famed writer and old friend of Robert's, arrives for an extended visit with his secretary Gerald, the pair threatens a rift that could alter more lives than one. Maugham, one of the great novelists of his day, is beleaguered: Having long hidden his homosexuality, his unhappy and expensive marriage of convenience becomes unbearable after he loses his savings-and the freedom to travel with Gerald. His career deflating, his health failing, Maugham arrives at Cassowary House in desperate need of a subject for his next book. Lesley, too, is enduring a marriage more duplicitous than it first appears. Maugham suspects an affair, and, learning of Lesley's past connection to the Chinese revolutionary, Dr. Sun Yat Sen, decides to probe deeper. But as their friendship grows and Lesley confides in him about life in the Straits, Maugham discovers a far more surprising tale than he imagined, one that involves not only war and scandal but the trial of an Englishwoman charged with murder. It is, to Maugham, a story worthy of fiction. A mesmerizingly beautiful novel based on real events, The House of Doors traces the fault lines of race, gender, sexuality, and power under empire, and dives deep into the complicated nature of love and friendship in its shadow. Fiction.

The Huntress by Kate Quinn (BR023325, DB094278)

Boston, 1946. Seventeen-year-old Jordan McBride is excited to meet the new woman in her long-widowed father's life. When introduced to Anneliese Weber and her daughter Ruth, Jordan is entranced. But Anna is hiding secrets, and Jordan becomes suspicious. Meanwhile, a British war correspondent hunts Nazis. Fiction.

The Man Who Saw Everything by Deborah Levy (BR023846, DB097314)

In 1988 Saul Adler is invited to Communist East Berlin to do research. While standing in the Abbey Road crosswalk waiting for his girlfriend, he is grazed by an oncoming car, changing the trajectory of his life. Fiction.

The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead (BR022817, DB095925)

1962. Elwood Curtis lives with his grandmother, works when not in school, and admires Dr. Martin Luther King. But one innocent mistake sees him sentenced to reform school—the Nickel Academy. There he meets Turner, whose skepticism challenges Elwood. Their friendship has repercussions in the sadistic school. Fiction.

The Dressmaker’s Gift by Fiona Valpy (BR023904, DB104672)

Harriet Shaw has arrived in Paris to work an internship. She uses the opportunity to find out more about her grandmother, Claire. What she discovers are secrets from a long-ago war in which Claire and her friends, Vivienne and Mireille, all had different missions. Fiction.

The Apollo Murders: A Novel by Chris Hadfield (BR023959, DB105368)

1973. As NASA is preparing to launch Apollo 18, flight controller Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis knows there is a darker side to the publicly stated mission brief--there is a Russian space station spying on America. An accident reveals not everyone on the crew is who they purport to be. Fiction.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo (BR024064, DB104015)

1954. McCarthyism and the Red Scare are genuine threats to Lily's family; her father is already at risk of deportation despite his valid citizenship. Lily, who is Chinese American, could lose everything just for dating anyone white--let alone another girl--but she could lose herself if she isn't true to her feelings. For senior high readers and older readers. Fiction.

In the Distance by Hernán Díaz (BR024216, DB108120, DB114673 [Spanish])

A young Swedish immigrant finds himself penniless and alone in California. The boy travels East in search of his brother, moving on foot against the great current of emigrants pushing West. Driven back again and again, he meets naturalists, criminals, religious fanatics, swindlers, Indians, and lawmen, and his exploits turn him into a legend.

Westerns

Good ole shoot-em-ups set in the American West. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt (DB074172)

In 1851, a man known as the Commodore commissions hit men Eli and Charlie Sisters to kill gold miner Hermann Warm. As they ride to San Francisco the brothers bicker and encounter a variety of violent and eccentric characters. Fiction.

Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey (DB098684)

Esther stows away in the Librarians' book wagon to escape an arranged marriage with her dead best friend's former fiancé--a friend with whom she was in love and who was executed for possession of resistance propaganda. Fiction.

Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins (DB102585)

Spring Lee has survived scandal to claim her own little slice of Paradise, Wyoming. She's proud of working her ranch alone and unwilling to share it with a stranger--especially one like Garrett McCray, who makes her second-guess her resolve to avoid men. Garrett escaped slavery years ago and is now a reporter in Washington. He's traveled west to interview Dr. Colton Lee for an article, yet it's Lee's fearless sister, Spring, who captures his interest. Fiction.

American Hippo by Sarah Gailey (DB099049)

The novellas River of Teeth and Taste of Marrow, in which hippos rule the swamp of the former Mississippi River. Originally introduced as an alternative meat source, the feral hippos rule the vast bayou by the 1890s. Winslow Houndstooth gathers a motley crew to win back that land. Fiction.

Outlawed by Anna North (DB102210)

Ada flees her marriage in fear of her life and joins up with the notorious Hole in the Wall Gang. The band of outlaws hatches a dangerous plan in their quest to create a safe haven for outcasts, and Ada must decide whether to take the risk. Fiction.

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman (DB090710)

Since childhood, Carol has had attacks where she falls into a coma-like state that mimics death. Few besides her husband, Dwight, know about her condition, and Dwight decides Carol's latest attack is a chance for him to get rid of her, even if he has to bury her alive. Fiction.

Doc by Mary Doria Russell (DB073994)

Fictional biography of Dr. John Henry "Doc" Holliday, a gambler and friend of Wyatt Earp. Hoping to relieve his tuberculosis, Doc moves westward, leaving dental surgery for high-stakes card games in the saloons of 1870s Kansas. Fiction.

True Grit by Charles Portis (DB044219)

Fifty years afterward, a woman tells how, as a girl of fourteen, she, a federal marshal, and a Texas Ranger tracked her father's murderer from Arkansas into Indigenous territory. Fiction.

Kit McBride Gets a Wife by Amy Barry (DB110265)

Kit McBride knows that Buck's Creek, Montana, is no place to find a wife. Between him and his three brothers-plus little Junebug-they manage all right on their own, thank you very much. But unbeknownst to Kit, his sister is sick to death of cleaning, cooking, and mending for her big brothers, so she places an ad in |The Matrimonial News| to get them hitched. After Maddy Mooney emigrated from Ireland, she found employment with an eccentric but poor widow. When her mistress decides to answer an ad for a mail-order bride, Maddy is dragged along for the ride to Montana. But en route to the West, Maddy is suddenly abandoned and left to assume the widow's name, position, and matrimonial prospects.... With no other recourse in the wilderness, Maddy must convince Kit she's the wife he never knew he needed. Fiction.

The Best Western Stories of Ernest Haycox by Ernest Haycox (BRC01673, DBC01587)

Collection of eighteen western stories. Previously published in the collections: Rough Justice and Murder on the Frontier. Fiction.

Myths and Legends

Legends, myths, and folklore oh my! Cautionary tales about the big woods, reimagining well-loved mythology, and lesser-known legends. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (DB114728)

Based on the Korean myth of Shim-cheong, a village is ravaged by deadly storms and an angry sea. The only way to appease the Sea God is to sacrifice Shim-Cheong, the most beautiful girl in the village. However, it is Mina who goes overboard, in the hopes of saving her brother’s beloved Shim-Cheong. Can she save her village and break this curse, or will the Sea God reject her as his true bride? Fiction.

Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim (DB104326)

Based on the fairy tale The Wild Swans, Shiori is the exiled princess of Kiata. She has been cursed by her stepmother into silence; if she speaks a word, one of her six brothers will die. She must save her kingdom, break her curse, and rescue her brothers who have been turned into cranes. Fiction.

Wrath Goddess Sing by Maya Deane DB109920

Retells The Iliad (DB 66356) told from the perspective of Achilles as a trans woman. When Odysseus arrives on the island where she’s taking refuge, Achilles prepares to die rather than return home and fight as a man. A gift from her divine mother Athena allows Achilles to face her prophesized destiny: win the war for Greece and bring the stolen Helen of Troy home. But Helen is much more than the damsel-in-distress she’s made out to be, and Achilles finds herself against forces more ancient and powerful than she could have imagined.

Circe by Madeline Miller (BR022648, DB090711)

Circe grows up in the court of her father, the sun god Helios. Despised by her parents and others, she falls in love with a mortal who shuns her. When she takes revenge, she is banished. Those who wish her and others harm are transformed into pigs.

Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (DB103919)

Theseus arrives on the island of Crete, seeking to vanquish the dreaded Minotaur. Ariadne, a princess of Crete, defies the gods and betrays her family to aid his quest. Fiction.

Piñata by Leopoldo Gout (DB114540, DB116916 [Spanish])

They were worshiped by our ancestors. Now they are forgotten. Soon, they will make us remember. It was supposed to be the perfect summer. Carmen Sanchez is back in Mexico, supervising the renovation of an ancient abbey. Her daughters Izel and Luna, too young to be left alone in New York, join her in what Carmen hopes is a chance for them to connect with their roots. Then, an accident at the worksite unearths a stash of rare, centuries-old artifacts. The disaster costs Carmen her job, cutting the family trip short. But something malevolent and unexplainable follows them home to New York, stalking the Sanchez family and heralding a coming catastrophe. And it may already be too late to escape what's been awakened. Fiction.

The Deep by Rivers Solomon (BR023602, DB098191)

Yetu and her people are the water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard. To keep their lives peaceful, only the historian--now Yetu--must face remembering their past. When the memories become too much for Yetu, she flees to the surface. Ficiton.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks (DB099847)

In the wake of the eruption of Mount Rainier, a small Washington community is cut off from the world. With no weapons and their food supplies dwindling, Greenloop's residents slowly realized that they were in a fight for survival, trapped in the wild with creatures out of myth. Fiction.

Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (DB096115)

In 1920s Mexico, Casiopea Tun is cleaning her wealthy grandfather's house when she finds a curious wooden box. She opens it, accidentally freeing the spirit of the Mayan god of death, who requests her help in recovering his throne from his treacherous brother. Fiction.

Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger (DB101473)

In an America shaped dramatically by magic and monsters, seventeen-year-old Ellie uses her ability to raise the ghosts of dead animals, a skill passed down through generations of her Lipan Apache family, to find out who murdered her cousin. Fiction.

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas (DB101679)

When his traditional Latinx family has problems accepting his true gender, Yadriel becomes determined to prove himself a real brujo. With the help of his cousin and best friend Maritza, he sets out to find the ghost of his murdered cousin and set it free. However, he mistakenly summons the ghost of Julian Diaz, the school's resident bad boy, and Julian is not about to go quietly into death. Left with no choice, Yadriel agrees to help Julian, so that they can both get what they want. But the longer Yadriel spends with Julian, the less he wants to let him leave. Fiction.

Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel (DB108004)

A reimagining of the life of the infamous queen from the Indian epic the Ramayana. Daughter of the kingdom of Kekaya, Kaikeyi is raised on stories about the might and benevolence of the gods. Yet when she calls upon the gods for help, they never seem to hear. Desperate for some measure of independence, she turns to the texts she once read with her mother and discovers a magic that is hers alone. With this power, Kaikeyi transforms herself into a warrior, diplomat, and most-favored queen, determined to carve a better world for herself and the women around her. Fiction.

The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty (DB089895)

A brilliantly imagined historical fantasy in which a young con artist in eighteenth century Cairo discovers she's the last descendant of a powerful family of djinn healers. With the help of an outcast immortal warrior and a rebellious prince, she must claim her magical birthright in order to prevent a war that threatens to destroy the entire djinn kingdom. Fiction.

Adventures in Cooking

Let’s get adventurous in our kitchens! Cookbooks with fun recipes, memoirs of master chefs, and a bakery mystery or two. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Greg Atkinson’s in Season: Culinary Adventures of a Pacific Northwestern Chef by Greg Atkinson (DBC06952)

Before revitalizing the menu at Canlis restaurant, Seattle chef Greg Atkinson learned an appreciation for local ingredients and gratifying meals on lovely San Juan Island, WA. In this reissued book of essays and recipes, Greg describes his appreciation the passage of the seasons, the joys of young family life, and, of course, local food. Atkinson is a gifted and passionate writer, observant of all the senses and emotions when it comes to great meals--whether a holiday spread or a picnic on the beach. Share one truly delicious year with chef Greg Atkinson. Nonfiction.

Koshersoul: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael Twitty (DB110375)

Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them. Exploring how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty's own passage to and within Judaism, this remarkable book teases the senses as it offers sustenance for the soul. Nonfiction.

Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by Ruth Reichl (DB060333)

Ruth Reichl, world-renowned food critic and former editor in chief of Gourmet magazine, knows a thing or two about food. She also knows that as the most important food critic in the country, you need to be anonymous when reviewing some of the most high-profile establishments in the biggest restaurant town in the world--a charge she took very seriously, taking on the guise of a series of eccentric personalities. In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichl reveals the comic absurdity, artifice, and excellence to be found in the sumptuously appointed stages of the epicurean world and gives us--along with some of her favorite recipes and reviews--her remarkable reflections on how one's outer appearance can influence one's inner character, expectations, and appetites, not to mention the quality of service one receives. Nonfiction.

Yes, Chef: A Memoir by Marcus Samuelsson (DB075131)

Samuelsson, who was born in a small Ethiopian village and adopted by a Swedish couple, recounts the ways his grandmother instilled in him a love of cooking. Describes personal challenges and career highlights, including becoming executive chef of New York City's Aquavit and winning the Beard Award. Nonfiction.

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat (DB109225)

Chef and writer Samin Nosrat has taught everyone from professional chefs to middle school kids to author Michael Pollan to cook using her revolutionary, yet simple, philosophy. Master the use of just four elements—Salt, which enhances flavor; Fat, which delivers flavor and generates texture; Acid, which balances flavor; and Heat, which ultimately determines the texture of food—and anything you cook will be delicious. Echoing Samin's own journey from culinary novice to award-winning chef, Salt, Fat Acid, Heat immediately bridges the gap between home and professional kitchens. Nonfiction.

Notes from a Young Black Chef by Kwame Onwuachi (DB102141)

Autobiography of chef who was a contestant on Top Chef in 2015 and named the 2019 James Beard Award Rising Star Chef of the Year. Describes growing up in New York City and Nigeria, educational challenges, and his journey through the restaurant business. Nonfiction.

Hungry Monkey: A Food-Loving Father’s Quest to Raise an Adventurous Eater by Matthew Amster-Burton (DBC19227)

Former restaurant critic and stay-at-home father Matthew Amster-Burton shares his battle to feed his daughter Iris, describing the daily battles to get Iris to eat a balanced, nutritious meal, the joys he felt as he rediscovered favorite foods with her, and the highs and lows of raising an adventurous eater. Nonfiction.

Flavors of the Sun: The Sahadi's Guide to Understanding, Buying, and Using Middle Eastern Ingredients by Christine Sahadi Whelan (DB108968)

Sumac. Urfa pepper. Halvah. Pomegranate molasses. Preserved lemons. The seasonings, staples, and spice blends used throughout the Middle East offer deliciously simple ways to transform food--once you know how to use them. In FLAVORS OF THE SUN, the people behind the iconic Brooklyn market Sahadi's showcase the versatility of these ingredients in over 120 everyday dishes, including starters, salads, soups, family-friendly meals, and desserts. With sections devoted to recipes boasting Bright, Savory, Spiced, Nutty, and Sweet accents, it offers inspiration, techniques, and intensely flavorful ways to use everything from Aleppo pepper to za'atar with confidence. Throughout, "no-recipe recipes" help build up your flavor intuition so you can effortlessly incorporate any of the featured spices, condiments, and preserves into your daily repertoire. Nonfiction.

Serious Pig: An American Cook in Search of His Roots by John Thorne DBC15607

The Thornes grew up on Yankee cooking, and they were moved to find that culinary tradition alive in saltwater Maine. In "Here," the first section of the book, they renew their acquaintance with familiar dishes - lobster stew, baked beans, blueberry bread-and-butter pudding - in both Down East vernacular eating places and home kitchens. The second part of the book, "There," traces Thorne's love affair with the cooking - New Orleans Creole and bayou Cajun - of southern Louisiana. Although his visits there were all too brief, la cuisine de Louisiane has continued to enchant him, as has the experience of being a stranger in a strange land. Finally, in the third section, "Everywhere," Thorne takes the measure of an American cuisine that, more and more, is learning to survive without any real roots at all. He comes to terms with white bread and American cheese, explicates the erotics of the hamburger and the chocolate chip cookie, follows the evolution of the barbecue out of the decline of the pig, and examines the role of cornbread in the formation of the American character. Cooks will find fresh inspiration in the book's many detailed recipes, from home-fried potatoes, fresh pea pie, and Moosehead gingerbread to an amazing concatenation of rice-and-bean dishes that reach from the American South through the Caribbean and all the way back to Africa. Nonfiction.

Three Many Cooks: One Mom, Two Daughters; Their Shared Stories of Food, Faith, and Family by Pam Anderson (DB082652)

When the women behind the popular blog Three Many Cooks gather in the busiest room in the house, there are never too many cooks in the kitchen. Now acclaimed cookbook author Pam Anderson and her daughters, Maggy Keet and Sharon Damelio, blend compelling reflections and well-loved recipes into one funny, candid, and irresistible book. Together, Pam, Maggy, and Sharon reveal the challenging give-and-take between mothers and daughters, the passionate belief that food nourishes both body and soul, and the simple wonder that arises from good meals shared. Three Many Cooks ladles out the highs and lows, the kitchen disasters and culinary triumphs, the bitter fights and lasting love. Of course, these stories would not be complete without a selection of treasured recipes that nurtured relationships, ended feuds, and expanded repertoires, recipes that evoke forgiveness, memory, passion, and perseverance: Pumpkin-Walnut Scones, baked by dueling sisters; Grilled Lemon Chicken, made legendary by Pam's father at every backyard cookout; Chicken Vindaloo that Maggy whipped up in a boat galley in the Caribbean; Carrot Cake obsessively perfected by Sharon for the wedding of friends; and many more. Sometimes irreverent, sometimes reflective, always honest, this collection illustrates three women's individual and shared search for a faith that confirms what they know to be true: The divine is often found hovering not over an altar but around the stove and kitchen table. So hop on a bar stool at the kitchen island and join them to commiserate, laugh, and, of course, eat! Nonfiction

Romance Abroad

Romances set outside of the United States. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Star-crossed sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (DB103877)

Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, no second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Emilia and her cousin, both second-born, are invited by their Aunt Poppy to accompany her to Italy to break the curse. Fiction.

Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin (DB103094)

A young woman juggles pursuing her dream job in radio while helping her family compete with the new halal restaurant across the street, in this sparkling new rom-com by the author of Ayesha at Last. Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighborhood of Toronto. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she'll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening her mother's restaurant. Fiction.

XOXO by Axie Oh (DB105206)

Jenny never had much time for boys, K-pop, or anything besides her dream of being a professional cellist. But when she finds herself falling for a K-pop idol, she must decide whether their love is worth the risk. Fiction.

500 Miles From You by Jenny Colgan (DB100603)

Lissa is a nurse in London who has been suffering quietly with PTSD after helping to save the victim of a shocking crime. Her supervisor quietly arranges for Lissa to spend a few months trading jobs with Cormack, a nurse in the little town of Kirrinfeif in the Scottish Highlands. Fiction.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins (BR020421, DB081201)

When Anna Oliphant's father--a bestselling novelist--sends her to an elite American boarding school in Paris for her senior year of high school, she is less than thrilled. But Anna befriends a boy, and soon they both yearn for something more. Fiction.

Green Dolphin Street by Elizabeth Goudge (DBG01211)

After William emigrates to New Zealand, he writes the father of the woman he loves for her hand in marriage, but he mistakenly puts her sister's name in the letter instead, and the sister comes to New Zealand. Fiction.

Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy (BR021464, DB058933)

Four strangers--American, English, Irish, and German--on holiday in a Greek village come together after they witness a tragic boating accident. Each of them is trying to escape from a troublesome situation back home. As they become friends and lovers, two locals help them to attain perspective and self-knowledge. Fiction.

Greek Lessons: a novel by Kang Han (DB114737)

In a classroom in Seoul, a young woman watches her Greek language teacher at the blackboard. She tries to speak but has lost her voice. Her teacher finds himself drawn to the silent woman, for day by day he is losing his sight. Soon the two discover a deeper pain binds them together. For her, in the space of just a few months, she has lost both her mother and the custody battle for her nine-year-old son. For him, it's the pain of growing up between Korea and Germany, being torn between two cultures and languages, and the fear of losing his independence. Greek Lessons tells the story of two ordinary people brought together at a moment of private anguish--the fading light of a man losing his vision meeting the silence of a woman who has lost her language. Yet these are the very things that draw them to each other. Slowly the two discover a profound sense of unity--their voices intersecting with startling beauty, as they move from darkness to light, from silence to breath and expression. Greek Lessons is the story of the unlikely bond between this pair and a tender love letter to human intimacy and connection--a novel to awaken the senses, one that vividly conjures the essence of what it means to be alive. Fiction.

An Island Affair by Monica Richardson (DB084823)

Jasmine Talbot returns to the Eleuthera Islands, determined to transform her family's magnificent Caribbean property into a special bed-and-breakfast. When she hires contractor Jackson Conner to help, the two have trouble keeping their relationship professional. Some explicit descriptions of sex. Fiction.

Amour et Chocolat, Books 1&2 by Laura Florand (DB091392)

At La Maison des Sorcieres, the window display is an enchanted forest of sweets, a collection of conical hats delights the eye and the habitues nibble chocolate witches from fanciful mismatched china. While in their tiny blue kitchen, Magalie Chaudron and her two aunts stir wishes into bubbling pots of heavenly chocolat chaud. But no amount of wishing will rid them of interloper Philippe Lyonais, who has the gall to open one of his world famous pastry shops right down the street. Philippe's creations seem to hold a magic of their own, drawing crowds of beautiful women to their little isle amidst the Seine, and tempting even Magalie to venture out of her ivory tower and take a chance, a taste ... a kiss. Fiction.

Northwest

Titles set in the Pacific Northwest. Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

Razor Clams: Buried Treasure of the Pacific Northwest by David Berger (DBC19124)

In this lively history and celebration of the Pacific razor clam, David Berger shares with us his love affair with the glossy, gold-colored Siliqua patula and gets into the nitty-gritty of how to dig, clean, and cook them using his favorite recipes. In the course of his investigation, Berger brings to light the long history of razor clamming as a subsistence, commercial, and recreational activity, and shows the ways it has helped shape both the identity and the psyche of the Pacific Northwest. Nonfiction.

Wildwood (#1, The Wildwood Chronicles) by Colin Meloy (DB075397)

When her baby brother Mac is kidnapped by crows, seventh-grader Prue McKeel sets out to reclaim him. She ventures into the forbidden Impassable Wilderness--a dangerous and magical forest at the edge of Portland, Oregon--and soon finds herself involved in a war among the various inhabitants. Also check out Under Wildwood (DB077923) and Wildwood Imperium (DB078133). Fiction.

Red Paint: The Ancestral Autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk by Sasha taqwšəblu LaPointe (DBC19303)

Sasha taqʷšəblu LaPointe has always longed for a sense of home. With littler more to guide her than a passion for the thriving punk scene of the Pacific Northwest and a desire to live up to the responsibility of being the namesake of her beloved great-grandmother, Sasha throws herself headlong into the world, determined to use the power of her voice to build a better future for herself and her people. Set against a backdrop of the breathtaking beauty of Coast Salish ancestral land and imbued with the universal spirit of punk, Red Paint is ultimately a story of the ways we learn to find our true selves while fighting for our right to claim a place of our own. Nonfiction.

The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon (DB101962)

Shay loves being a producer at a Seattle public radio station, even if she does keep butting heads with new colleague Dominic. When the station decides to create a show with two exes giving relationship advice on air, her boss suggests that she and Dominic pretend to be exes to host the program. Fiction.

Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks (DB099847)

In the wake of the eruption of Mount Rainier, a small Washington community is cut off from the world. With no weapons and their food supplies dwindling, Greenloop's residents slowly realized that they were in a fight for survival, trapped in the wild with creatures out of myth. Fiction.

Martin Marten by Brian Doyle (DBC06886)

This book tells the parallel stories of Dave, a 14 year old boy who lives on Mount Hood and Martin, a pine marten, who lives in the surrounding forest. Their paths sometimes cross as they spend the year coming of age. Some strong language and some violence. Fiction.

The Sasquatch Hunter’s Almanac: A Novel by Sharma Shields (DBC06954)

Welcome to the weird Pacific Northwest. When Eli Roebuck was a boy, his mother ran off with Mr. Krantz, whom Eli, with reason, thinks might be a bigfoot. Eli grows up obsessed with searching for the bigfoot, while his family encounters other fantastic creatures. Some strong language. Fiction.

In Earshot of Water: Notes from the Columbia Plateau by Paul J Lindholt (DBC00377)

"In Earshot of Water" illuminates the Pacific Northwest in vivid detail as the author writes with the precision of a naturalist, the critical eye of an ecologist, the affection of an apologist, and the self-revelation and self-awareness of a personal essayist. Nonfiction.

Natural Grace: The Charm, Wonder, & Lessons of Pacific Northwest Animals & Plants by William Dietrich (DBC00375)

A collection of essays by a Pulitzer Prize winning author exploring the natural splendors of the Pacific Northwest. Written with simplicity and humor, "Natural Grace" is based on a popular series that ran in the Seattle Times Sunday magazine, "Pacific Northwest," with a depth in its treatment of both famous and obscure species, coupled with language aimed at lay audiences. Nonfiction.

Black Spokane: The Civil Rights Struggle in the Inland Northwest by Dwayne Mack (DBC00384)

Recovers a crucial chapter in the history of race relations and civil rights in America. Drawing on oral histories, interviews, newspapers and a rich array of other primary sources, the author sets the stage for the years following World War II in the Inland Northwest, when an influx of black veterans would bring about a new era of racial issues. Nonfiction.

Produced at WTBBL

Audiobooks narrated, reviewed, and produced at WTBBL! Downloadable PDF or Word Doc.

The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Western Washington and Oregon: Outdoor Adventures Accessible by Car, Wheelchair, and on Foot by Syren Nagakyrie (DBC19338)

The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Western Washington and Oregon is the first book of its kind to consider the diverse needs of disabled people in the outdoors. This groundbreaking guidebook includes 60 outdoor adventures, including drive-up experiences, verified wheelchair accessible trails, and foot trails suitable for disabled hikers. This guide removes one of the barriers to access - a lack of information - by utilizing a rating system and detailed trail information designed for the disability community. Each trail is personally assessed according to Syren's skilled and detailed review and established accessibility guidelines. Nonfiction.

Paddling with Spirits: A Solo Kayak Journey by Irene Skyriver (DBC06979)

Irene Skyriver celebrated her fortieth birthday by making a solo kayak voyage from Alaska to Washington State's Lopez Island. As she made her journey, she pictured what life was like for Native American and white ancestors. Nonfiction.

Life Behind the Badge: The Spokane Police Department's Founding Years, 1881-1903 by Suzanne Bamonte, Tony Bamonte, and The Spokane Police Department History Book Committee (DBC19184)

The Spokane Police Department was formed in 1881 when the rough and tumble frontier town of Spokane was incorporated. In the next 23 years, the population grew from 500 residents to over 50,000 with enough crime to keep the police busy even as the city became respectable. Nonfiction.

Ski Jumping in Washington State: A Nordic Tradition by John W. Lundin (DBC19207)

Scandinavian settlers brought ski jumping to Washington state where it became a popular spectator sport. This book describes the history and people involved with this sport. Nonfiction.

Flight of Gold: Two Pilots' True Adventure Discovering Alaska's Gold Wreck by Kevin A. McGregor (DBC06816)

On March 12, 1948, an airliner with 30 people aboard flew into a near vertical mountainside in Alaska. Soon rumors started that the plane had also carried gold and diamonds. The author investigated the remote crash site and helped with the identification of human remains 50 years after the crash. Nonfiction.

The Dreamer and the Doctor: A Forest Lover and a Physician on the Edge of the Frontier by Jack Nisbet (DBC19135)

John Leiberg, a botanist, and his wife, Carrie, a physician, arrived in the Inland Northwest in 1885. While he performed natural resource surveys throughout the west, she was one of the first female doctors and political candidates in the region.

Arctic Solitaire: A Boat, a Bay, and the Quest for the Perfect Bear by Paul Souders (DBC07138)

As a professional photographer, Paul Souders had a goal: photograph polar bears in the wild. With a 22-foot boat and an inflatable raft he explored Hudson Bay and found polar bears. Much to his relief he survived the experience. Nonfiction.

Pitchers of Beer: The Story of the Seattle Rainiers by Dan Raley (DBC06980)

In 1937, brewery owner Emil Sick bought a floundering minor league baseball team and changed its name to the Rainiers, which was also the name of the beer he brewed. From then to 1964, the team was a beloved Seattle institution with colorful characters and future major leaguers. Nonfiction.

Emerald Street: A History of Hip-Hop in Seattle by Daudi Abe (DBC19337)

In Emerald Street, Daudi Abe chronicles the development of Seattle hip hop from its earliest days, drawing on interviews with artists and journalists to trace how the elements of hip hop—rapping, DJing, breaking, and graffiti—flourished in the Seattle scene. He shows how Seattle hip-hop culture goes beyond art and music, influencing politics, the relationships between communities of color and law enforcement, the changing media scene, and youth outreach and educational programs. The result is a rich narrative of a dynamic and influential force in Seattle music history and beyond. Nonfiction.

Oh, La La! Homegrown Stories, Tips, and Garden Wisdom by Ciscoe Morris (DBC07152)

An experienced gardener shares his knowledge of plants and pruning in the northwest. He cheerfully admits to learning from his mistakes. Nonfiction.