CHAPTER CHATS

A young woman faces to the right, wearing black clothes and a fluttery grey cape holds a knife in each hand looking determinedly ahead, with a shadowy urban landscape full of towers behind her.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson

by Ben H. What happens if the chosen one fails? What if the hero fails to defeat the dark lord? Brandon Sanderson’s original Mistborn trilogy imagines what that could look like. Full disclosure, I haven’t finished the trilogy yet, but I love the first two books so much (The Final Empire and The Well of Ascension) that I can’t resist writing a review. I’ll write a retraction if the third … Continue reading Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson →

by Ben Hamilton October 22, 2021October 23, 2021

Close up view of the cover, featuring young woman's face created in paper art, with long dark hair, red lips, and a tiara, against a blue background. The quote read, "A fresh and distinctly modern fairy tale." Katharine McGee, author of American Royals

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

by Piyali C. High schooler Izumi’s life is relatively uneventful with her single mom, her bad tempered terrier mix Tamagotchi, and her Asian Girl Gang (AGG), comprised of three other girls from diverse ethnicity in their primarily white Mount Shasta High School. Sure, it is not always easy being Japanese American in a mostly white … Continue reading Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean →

by madammommy October 20, 2021October 20, 2021

Be Yourself, and Maybe a Little Magical

By Peter N. Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, I haven’t had the desire nor the motivation to read. I know that’s a horrible thing to say as an employee of a library (a 5-Star Library system as a matter of fact), but it took me quite a while to get back into reading … Continue reading Be Yourself, and Maybe a Little Magical →

by Peter N. October 18, 2021

A dark haired young woman sits in a coral colored party dress. Her skirts fade into the skyline of Havana's seaside.

Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

by Kristen B. “Next Year in Havana” is apparently a traditional toast for those of Cuban descent living in the US. It’s also the title of a thought-provoking historical novel that takes place in 1959 and the present. I have to admit … I know almost nothing about Cuban politics and history beyond the obvious. … Continue reading Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton →

by Kristen B. October 15, 2021

A woman with long dark hair embraces a man who is looking away amid leafy plants. The colors are all night-time blues and purples. Her face is pensive.

The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore

by Ash B. [Content warning: sexual assault, PTSD, bullying, homophobia, and racism] “If I don’t pull apart things I actually did wrong from things that weren’t my fault, I’ll never really be able to really apologize for anything. Deciding everything is your fault is, in the end, as meaningless as deciding nothing is[…] I need to apologize for what … Continue reading The Mirror Season by Anna-Marie McLemore →

by ashbakerhcls October 13, 2021

A red cover with a yellow border features an illustration of a Vietnamese man's face. Includes award stickers for the Pulitzer Prize and the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Literature

The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

by Eric L. I may have opened another post like this, but if you’ve not read The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, do yourself a favor. It won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015, and awards aside, it’s a great book. The Sympathizer is an “epistolary-like” novel, as the entire thing is written as a confession of a spy from the north who has … Continue reading The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen →

by ericlblair October 11, 2021

The Walters Art Series

by Rohini G. This fall, and continuing into winter, Howard County Library System partners with The Walters Art Museum to bring an educational approach to art as we discuss specific works of art and the themes behind them. This series of four classes launches with The Art of Looking on October 13. Asking us to slow down and take the … Continue reading The Walters Art Series →

by Rohini G. October 8, 2021

A pile of bell peppers from the Farmers Market, in greens, yellows, and purples.

Eat Your Veggies! Cookbooks and a Class.

By Holly L. Low-Fat. Mediterranean. Atkins. Whole 30. Keto. Paleo. Vegan. Pegan. Pegan? (That’s paleo meets vegan.) While there is little consensus as to which diet is the best, there is near universal agreement that a healthy diet includes abundant produce – fruits and, especially, vegetables. But most of us still aren’t getting enough. According … Continue reading Eat Your Veggies! Cookbooks and a Class. →

by Holly October 6, 2021

The illustration shows two hand clasping a book with the Earth the backdrop, with the text across the hands and book reading, "Books Unite Us." The rest of the text reads, "Banned Books Week. September 26-October 2, 2021. ALA American Library Association. The illustration is in shades of purple, lime green, and orange.

Banned Books Week (Sep 26 – Oct 2)

by Jean B. “Any time we eliminate or wall off certain narratives, we are not getting a whole picture of the world in which we live…we limit our vocabulary, which complicates how we communicate with one another.” – Jason Reynolds, the acclaimed Maryland author named Honorary Chair for Banned Books Week A library may … Continue reading Banned Books Week (Sep 26 – Oct 2) →

by jeanboone1 October 1, 2021

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