Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For May, we’re looking at a fantasy series rooted in Chinese history, a funny cozy mystery with a bit of bite to it, a heartwarming tale set on the homefront during WWII, and a pair of very different audiobooks.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Chinese-History-Inspired Epic Fantasy, Unwitting Hitwomen, WWII-Era Cooking Contests, and Audiobooks Galore”Category: historical fiction (books)
Book Buzz: Mesoamerican-Inspired Fantasy, Racehorses Gone Wild, Murderous Retirements, and WWII-Era Italy
Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For April, we’re looking at a new fantasy novel that draws on ancient Mesoamerican mythology and culture for its worldbuilding, a literary fiction fairy tale, a humorous mystery about retirees solving crimes, and a historical fiction audiobook set in Italy during the Second World War.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Mesoamerican-Inspired Fantasy, Racehorses Gone Wild, Murderous Retirements, and WWII-Era Italy”Book Buzz: Pulp Fiction, Globe Trekkers, Spies, and Wagon Trains
Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For February, we’re looking at a new short story collection from a classic author, a lighthearted romantic romp around the world, a tale of WWII-era espionage, and historical fiction set on a wagon train.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Pulp Fiction, Globe Trekkers, Spies, and Wagon Trains”Melanie Benjamin’s The Children’s Blizzard
One of the most infamous blizzards in American history occurred in January 1888 on the Northern Plains. Part of what made it so infamous was just how unusual it was from a meteorological perspective. The blizzard struck without warning in the middle of an unusually warm day. The unseasonable weather had lured many outside after weeks of cold temperatures and bad weather.
Unfortunately, the timing also meant the blizzard occurred just as children were being released from their one-room schoolhouses, leaving schoolteachers (many of whom were teenagers barely much older than their students) to make an impossible decision. Shelter in place with their students in a flimsy building with inadequate fuel or send their students on their way home in the hopes they could beat the storm’s advance.
Continue reading “Melanie Benjamin’s The Children’s Blizzard”Book Buzz: Inspiring Historical Fiction, Magical Realism Westerns, Arkansas Gangsters, and More
Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For January, we’re looking at WWII fiction inspired by a true story; a magical realism Western that focuses on the Chinese experience in 1800s America; a look at the gangster past of Hot Springs, Arkansas; and a new feature–a monthly spotlight on new audiobooks.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Inspiring Historical Fiction, Magical Realism Westerns, Arkansas Gangsters, and More”What A Wonderful World: January
This year, our theme at the library is What A Wonderful World. We’re focusing on a different color for each month, and January’s is spring green for a fresh start. To that end, we’re highlighting books at the library with that color (or something close to it 🙂 ) on the cover!
Continue reading “What A Wonderful World: January”Book Buzz: Bank Robbers, Famous Dresses, and Historic Poets
Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For December, we’re looking at various books about famous women–biographical fiction about Bonnie Parker of Bonnie and Clyde fame, a historic romance centered around Grace Kelly’s wedding dress, and a biography of 18th century African American poet Phillis Wheatley.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Bank Robbers, Famous Dresses, and Historic Poets”Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World: Mexico
Our library theme for 2020 is Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World–because with the library, you truly can travel around the world without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. Every month in 2020, we’ll be landing at a new place on the globe. In November, we’re in Mexico.
Continue reading “Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World: Mexico”Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World: Brazil
Our library theme for 2020 is Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World–because with the library, you truly can travel around the world without ever leaving the comfort of your own home. Every month in 2020, we’ll be landing at a new place on the globe. In October, we’re in Brazil.
Continue reading “Your Library Card, Your Ticket to the World: Brazil”Book Buzz: Romantic Fiddlers, Murderbots, and Appalachian Memoirs
Every month, we’re profiling new-ish releases that are getting critical and commercial buzz. For October, we’re looking at historical fiction set in Civil War and Reconstruction-era Texas, an intriguing science fiction series, and a meditative memoir about rural Kentucky.
Continue reading “Book Buzz: Romantic Fiddlers, Murderbots, and Appalachian Memoirs”
Berryville Book Buzz 