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 Female Irish Authors to Read this March

by Public Service Associate Juliana

I have been in love with Ireland ever since I was little and believed in fairies. Does that explain why I gravitate toward Irish writers? It seemed like a fairy trick last year when I’d start reading a novel and realize, “Another Irish author! How interesting!”

This month, in the spirit of celebrating Irish history and culture, it feels quite appropriate to highlight a few titles within this trend.

The Wren, the Wren by Anne Enright | Book

Within the first few pages, I found myself looking for other Enright titles available at the library, already wanting to read more. I’m the type of reader who likes books that are less plot-oriented and more vibe-oriented, books that are character-driven but leisurely-paced and full of everyday experiences. The Wren, the Wren pulled me right in.

The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue | Book / Libby

I was impressed by this one. It’s considered “relationship fiction”, and I’d expected love and humor (it really is quite funny!), but I hadn’t expected it to navigate such serious reproductive healthcare issues in such an engaging and thoughtful way. I found myself drawing comparisons with Annie Ernaux’s powerfully moving memoir, Happening, with similar subject matter. 

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan | Book / Libby

I read this novel when I was sick, and it gleams in my brain like a fever dream. The main character’s obsessions are so keen that I still find myself thinking about her, like when I floss, or when I’m looking for something to do and think, “Let’s just get apples and walk around.” (In fact, I discovered the Kindle edition by Vintage Digital actually features an apple on the cover!)

Stumble upon these Irish reads and more at Bexley Public Library!

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Recommendations

Genre Spotlight: Cozy Fantasy

by Public Service Associate Autumn

Photo by Pavan Trikutam on Unsplash

February makes me want nothing more than to sit and read, wrapped in a blanket, with a mug of tea (or hot chocolate). It’s mucky, wet and still fairly chilly outside, so inside I stay. And, as I learned last year, there is a book subgenre that gives you that same warm, cozy feeling as snuggling inside while the wind rages outside: Cozy Fantasy.

While this subgenre cannot be described as entirely new1, it has boomed in popularity and selection within the past year or so. Thus, the lines of this subgenre are not very clearly drawn yet. In general, it’s agreed that cozy fantasy novels are slice of life books that make you feel warm and wholesome inside. These novels often have all the draws of a more traditional fantasy novel, including extensive world building, neat magic systems, and the pull of impossible happenings, without the world-ending tension.  It’s all the magic, with none of the bloodshed. Or, with just a little bloodshed.

So, without further ado, a few cozy fantasies to enjoy. I curated this list to include a wide array of the subgenre, leaving out only those with horror elements in them2, and it includes some of my favorites. I personally recommend The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen3 and A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers. I hope you enjoy them. 

  • Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater | Book | Libby
  • Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree | Book | Libby
  • The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen | Book | Libby
  • A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers |Book | Libby
  • Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie Holmberg | Book
  • Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher | Book
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna | Book | Libby
  • Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa | Book | Libby
  • Tea Dragon Society by Kay O’Neill | Book | Libby
  • Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall | Book | Libby
  • The House Witch by Delemhach | Book
  • Can’t spell treason without TEA by Rebecca Thorne |Book | Libby

1Some have made the case that Howl’s Moving Castle, the classic novel by Diane Wynne Jones, counts as a cozy fantasy, and it came out in 2008.

2Horror isn’t very cozy to me.

3It was one of my top reads from last year.

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staff favorites

Staff Favorites 2023!

Revel in the beauty of the All Staff “Reply All” email! I started an email thread asking for lists of favorite materials published in 2023. Collected below you will find a selection of standouts. There is so much variety here, truly something for everyone. Maybe you’ll feel inspired to try a new title or new author. Maybe this is the encouragement you need to read outside your typical genre! Have fun:) Read something you’ve heard lots about or nothing about. As a staff, we read a lot of fiction — psychological, gothic, horror, historical, romance, thriller. We read a lot in general — memoir, essays, picture books, and manga. You’ll also find our favorite movies, television, and music.

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Recommendations staff favorites

Festive Reads to Help You Enjoy the Holidays!

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Shorter days make me nostalgic for the winter evenings I sat on a low stool, my back warm in front of a fire that my mother built with logs my father stacked all summer. We’d decorate the tree after Thanksgiving with multicolored lights, salt dough angels and crocheted snowflakes. 

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Booklists Recommendations

Hibernation

by Public Service Associate Autumn

All living things adapt to the onset of winter.1 Birds tend to migrate.2 Foxes, hares, bison and plenty of other animals grow thicker, denser coats, often in cooler, more winter-camouflaged colors. Humans bundle up in thick winter coats and gloves and complain about having to preheat their cars in the morning. Some creatures like bears, however, hibernate. 

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Recommendations

Further Reading: Leonora Carrington

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Photo: Leonora Carrington by Katie Horna

Earlier this month the library hosted award-winning poet Rikki Santer for a reading from her new poetry collection, Resurrection Letter: Leonora, Her Tarot, and Me. Her new work is a rich homage to the vision and joy of surrealist painter, Leonora Carrington.

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Booklists Recommendations

Don’t Panic!

by Public Service Associate Hannah

September is National Preparedness Month — a time to prepare for natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. As a library user*, this PSA gets me thinking of all the thrilling apocalypse-type plot lines and thought-provoking stories on our shelves. But Hannah, you say, very real water, fire, and wind cause devastation every day. Where’s the entertainment in that?! Well, without making light of very real situations, think of these books and movies like you would visiting a haunted house or riding a roller coaster. A part of you is scared, and in my case screaming regret, while another part of you knows this is a manageable way to experience hardship and fear in a safe environment. Studies have even shown natural disaster films might teach us to take climate emergencies more seriously while providing tips for how to act in similar circumstances. Plus, it’s cathartic and rewarding to root for a protagonist as they seek shelter and find hope. 

Now set your solar flashlight out to charge as we dive into my disaster book and movie recommendations.

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Recommendations staff favorites

Tolkien’s 50th Death-iversary and Hobbit Day Celebration

by Public Service Associate Luke

September is an important month for Tolkien fans. On the 2nd, his loyal readers celebrate the 50th anniversary of the famed author’s death, both mourning the loss of the greatest fantasy writer to ever live and taking the opportunity to honor the greatest fantasy world to ever exist. Twenty days later, on the 22nd, Tolkien lovers observe the fictional birthdays of two of Tolkien’s central characters: Samwise Gamgee and Frodo Baggins, a day known as Hobbit Day.

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Book Spotlight Recommendations staff favorites

Book Spotlight: Aug 9–Fog

by Public Service Associate Juliana

Aug 9–Fog by Kathryn Scanlan (2019) | print

Spare • Experimental fiction • Literary realism

Welcome to another Book Spotlight! Today’s feature, Aug 9–Fog, will appeal to those who gravitate toward literary realism.

Literary realism: a literary movement that represents reality by portraying mundane, everyday experiences as they are in real life. (Master Class)

All the books currently checked out on my library card contain the subject “everyday life”, books by Tove Jansson, Virginia Woolf, Kathryn Scanlan. These books highlight the beauty of the day-to-day, the minutiae of real life. This results in leisurely paced narratives that focus on character rather than plot; nothing much happens; characters talk about the weather, daily routines and what they’ll watch later on TV.

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Recommendations

International Cat Day

by Public Service Associate Autumn

In late 2015, several news outlets, including USA Today, announced scientists had determined that if housecats were larger, they would kill and eat their human companions. A nice, snappy headline, but strictly speaking not true. The actual study1 does not say that our beloved kitties are just waiting for their moment to strike. It just says that personality-wise, a cat is a cat, whether they’re hunting the laser you point for them or stalking prey across the African Savannah. This was probably obvious to anyone who has seen photos of jaguars, tigers or pumas sitting in cardboard boxes. Or this lion sitting in a wheelbarrow.  I should acknowledge here that I am not an ailurophile (a lover of cats). I have dogs. However, August 8th is International Cat Day, and we here at the library do not want to make our individual cat overlords unhappy by not acknowledging it.