Recommended Reads from Mindy Bilyeu, Adult Services Librarian
Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop: Twelve Tales of Seasonal Suspense Set in the World’s Oldest Mystery Bookstore
Edited by Otto Penzler
The oldest mystery bookstore in the world, The Mysterious Bookshop has, for most of its 45-year history, commissioned an original short story as a holiday gift for its customers, written exclusively for the store and never published elsewhere – before now. The prompt for the story requires three elements: that it be set at Christmastime, that it involves a crime of some kind, or the suspicion of one, and that it be set at least partially in the bookstore. The dozen tales included in this volume – by celebrated crime fiction authors such as Laura Lippman, Lyndsay Faye, Ragnar Jonasson and Jeffery Deaver – are among the finest to be produced in this annual tradition, sure to charm any reader looking for a holiday-themed escape.
The Christmas Cookie Wars
by Eliza Evans
Melody Monroe will do anything to get her 9-year-old twin boys to muster up the holiday spirit. Especially since they lost their father, the boys have started questioning the point of Christmas at all. When Melody learns the school's cookie committee has disbanded due to dissension in the top ranks, she can't let the boys lose another ounce of Christmas joy, so she decides to take over the cookie committee herself, even if it means dealing with the infuriating school principal, Jonathan Braxton. Soon, a small argument turns into a town-wide bake-off between her and Jonathan, and before she knows it Melody finds that her competitive spirits have turned romantic. Love isn't supposed to be in the recipe for Melody. But with a little holiday magic, she and Jonathan might just bake up something special.
Holiday Cookies: 100+ Fun and Festive Treats
by Drew Salvatore
There's nothing better than a warm-from-the-oven cookie, especially during the holidays. The experts at the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen bake a thousand delightfully festive holiday cookies every year making sure they'll all turn out perfectly in any home kitchen.
All Else Failed: The Unlikely Volunteers at the Heart of the Migrant Aid Crisis
by Dana Sachs
In 2015, increasing numbers of refugees and migrants, most of them fleeing war-torn homelands, arrived by boat on the shores of Greece, setting off the greatest human displacement since WWII. As journalists reported horrific mass drownings, an ill-prepared and seemingly indifferent world looked on. Those who reached Europe needed food, clothing, medicine, and shelter, but the international aid system broke down completely. This book is an eyewitness account of the successes and failures of the volunteer relief network that emerged to meet the enormous need. Closely following the odysseys of seven individual men and women, and their families, this book tells a story of despair and resilience, revealing the humanity within an immense humanitarian disaster.
The Holiday Cottage
by Sarah Morgan
To the outside world, Imogen is a marketing dynamo. Her colleagues don't know that, while her high-achieving professional image is real, the happy childhood stories she spins are as fake as her pretend enthusiasm for Christmas. Working 24/7 has always been her solution to surviving the festive season – until burnout leads to a catastrophic blunder. Suddenly, Imogen is handed a holiday gift she doesn't want: enforced time off work to recuperate. Then, an invitation arrives from her favorite client, Dorothy, to stay at her guest cottage in the Cotswolds. From the thatched roof to the cozy open fireplace, Holly Cottage is a picture-perfect haven... Can it provide the fresh start Imogen so desperately needs?
Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope
by Maggie Doyne
Maggie Doyne tells of her amazing journey from carefree New Jersey teen to investing her life savings of $5,000 to buy a piece of land and open a children's home in Nepal. That home becomes Kopila Valley Children's Home, and eventually, the nonprofit Maggie launches, the BlinkNow Foundation, also starts the Kopila Valley School, which provides tuition-free education for more than 400 students. This is also a coming-of-age story about a young woman suspended between two worlds, as well as the love, loss, healing and hope she experiences along the way.
Thirst: A Story of Redemption, Compassion, and a Mission to Bring Clean Water to the World
by Scott Harrison
At 28 years old, Scott Harrison had it all. A top nightclub promoter in New York City, his life was an endless cycle of drugs, booze and models. But 10 years in, desperately unhappy and morally bankrupt, he asked himself, "What would the exact opposite of my life look like?" Walking away from everything, Harrison spent the next 16 months on a hospital ship in West Africa and discovered his true calling. In 2006, with no money and less than no experience, Harrison founded a charity. Today, his organization has raised more than $750 million to bring clean drinking water to more than 17.4 million people around the globe. Now Harrison recounts the twists and turns that built charity: water into one of the most trusted and admired nonprofits in the world.
Recommended Reads from Katie Ross, Youth Services Supervisor
Let’s Celebrate: Special Days around the World!
By Kate DePalma
Travel to 13 different countries to learn about special days such as Nowruz in Iran or Inti Raymi in Peru. This book is the perfect introduction to holidays around the world for young children.
You Can Sit with Me
By Rachel Tawil Kenyon A young boy is a new student at school, and a fellow student recognizes the difficulty that comes with being the new person. She offers him a seat at the table and helps him become a part of the class. A gentle reminder that the greatest gift we can give is ourselves.
Pa, Me, and Our Sidewalk Pantry
By Toni Buzzeo
Jelly Bean and his family have a little free library outside of their house. When his mom loses her job, Jelly Bean realizes that sometimes food is more important than books. Jelly Bean brainstorms with his grandpa and together, they build a little free food pantry. With great joy, they fill the pantry with food and try to help those in need.
World Kitchen - Celebrations: Recipes from around the World
By Abigail Wheatley
Celebrations around the world have one thing in common: food! Discover the recipes families around the world make for their special holiday celebrations. Information about each holiday, cooking basics, the recipes and illustrations for each step of the recipe make this cookbook a standout.
Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
By Susan Hood
Favio Chávez, an environmental engineer, moves to Cateura Paraguay. He sees the poverty in the village and wants to offer the children music lessons to keep them out of trouble. Realizing he doesn’t have enough instruments for all the kids who come, he works hard to make instruments out of materials from the landfill. With that, the Recycled Orchestra is born. Based on a true story.
