First line: Rose Nylund whispered into the lemon-yellow telephone receiver, twisting the cord tightly between her fingers, her words obscured by the gurgling of the coffee percolator.
Summary: Picture it…Miami. Rose Nylund is planning a beautiful St. Olaf wedding in Miami but things are not going as planned. She is working against the groom’s snobby family and the fact that Dorothy’s date was found face first in a cheesecake in the hotel’s freezer. What else could go wrong? Well it appears that Dorothy may be the prime suspect in the man’s death since their one and only date was disaster. The girls are determined to clear Dorothy’s name, find the killer and make sure the wedding goes off without any more problems.
My Thoughts: Several years ago I binge watched The Golden Girls for the first time and absolutely loved it! Those ladies were witty and the show as completely ridiculous but it is perfection in sitcom TV. When I saw that we were getting a Golden Girls mystery series, I was all in. It was a cute, quirky and silly murder mystery. In all it was exactly what you’d expect from these ladies. The things they did while pursuing the criminal were outlandish and the St. Olaf wedding preparations were beyond kooky. It could easily have been an extended episode of the show. While is it nothing overly fantastic it fits perfectly in The Golden Girls fandom by giving all the silliness and wit of the characters that many of us love. If you love the show you will like the book too.
Welcome to Bookworm Buffet! Get ready to feast on three literary delights, each served up in a different format: physical, digital ebook, and audiobook.
Summary: When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes. Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves. When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Summary: Scarlett Vandermeer is swimming upstream. A Junior at Stanford and a student-athlete who specializes in platform diving, Scarlett prefers to keep her head down, concentrating on getting into med school and on recovering from the injury that almost ended her career. She has no time for relationships—at least, that’s what she tells herself. Swim captain, world champion, all-around aquatics golden boy, Lukas Blomqvist thrives on discipline. It’s how he wins gold medals and breaks records: complete focus, with every stroke. On the surface, Lukas and Scarlett have nothing in common. Until a well-guarded secret slips out, and everything changes. So they start an arrangement. And as the pressure leading to the Olympics heats up, so does their relationship. It was supposed to be just a temporary, mutually satisfying fling. But when staying away from Lukas becomes impossible, Scarlett realizes that her heart might be treading into dangerous water…
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Dark Academia, Young Adult Read for:Wine & YA Book Club
Summary: Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school, this time at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. After being home-schooled all her life and feeling like a magnet for misfortune, she’s not sure what will happen. What she doesn’t expect though is for her roommate Elizabeth to disappear after Sade’s first night. Or for people to think she had something to do with it. With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school – collectively known as the ‘Unholy Trinity’ – and they bring her into their fold. Between learning more about them – especially Persephone, who Sade finds herself drawn to – playing catch-up in class, and trying to figure out what happened to Elizabeth, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s already dealing with grief from the many tragedies in her family.
And then a student is found dead..
Narrated by: Natalie Simpson Publication: March 14, 2024
The first full week of April was National Library Week and in celebration of our beloved libraries, we asked the staff to journey back to their first experiences at their local library.
Do you remember a library that you loved going to as a kid or a teen? What and where was that library? What were some of your favorite books to check out from the library as a kid or a teen?
Hannah, Assistant Director: When I was a kid, we always went to the downtown Wichita Library. I loved that old building…walking up the stairs to the third-floor children’s room. I checked out every single Johnny Dixon book by John Bellairs.
Kristy H., Public Support Services: Emporia Library, I remember riding bikes just to get to the library and the 2-story building that had an elevator. They had little kid’s chairs shaped like the white Mork and Mindy egg chairs that just cradle you like a glove. I would check out the Cam Jansen books. They were the best mystery books ever! I still have my library card from my youth!
Shane, Public Support Services: I always read a lot growing up. My relationship with libraries started when I took a “Library Aide” class in middle school where I would shelve/straighten books and check books in/out for other students for one period a day. I also made a large display on a book of choice as part of the “class.” This was during my middle school years, so I remember checking out every “Hank the Cowdog” book that we had there before moving on to Christopher Pike novels. I grew up in the country so I didn’t really have access to a public library while growing up.
Eric, Director: I can remember frequently visiting the McPherson Public Library when I was growing up. At one point, I was trying to read every sports and mystery book in the juvenile section. My brother and I often rode our bikes to the library, filled our backpacks with books and then stopped by the baseball card shop on the way home.
Shelia, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: One of my favorite libraries was my high school library. I was able to work there as a student librarian. Some of my favorite reads was “The Black Stallion”, “Man O’War” and “Where the Red Fern Grows.”
Alyssa, Adult and Teen Services: I grew up in Houston, Texas, and I loved taking the city bus with my mom to the huge Houston Public Library downtown. It had a giant escalator in the middle of the lobby and four different levels including an academic level for university students. I would hang out in the teen section on the bean bag chairs and read Amelia Atwater-Rhodes’ books or the paperback spin-offs of the TV Show, Charmed.
Emily B., Public Support Services: When I was still in middle school, after school got out, me and my close friend would walk to the Rose Hill Public Library and we would spend hours together just talking and reading. I remember feeling very welcomed and it became such a comfort place for me. My favorite books to check out were any of Maggie Stiefvater’s books, but specifically the Shiver series!
Tabbitha, Youth Services: My childhood involved frequent moves, helping me explore many diverse libraries in Illinois, Arkansas, California, and Kansas. However, Kansas libraries always held a special place in my heart. My all-time favorite library growing up was the Newton Public Library in Newton, KS. It’s large children’s area filled with wonderful books and literacy resources, was a weekly haven for me. It was actually at this library that I read my first book, ‘Hop on Pop’, independently. I loved checking out Arthur books, School House Rock DVD’s, and an abundance of non-fiction books on the solar system.
As a teenager, the Derby Public Library was a valuable asset. It was here that I found a love for the tranquility of a quiet library and having a place to read on the weekends, somewhere other than home. During the week, it was also a great place to come finish homework or just catch up with friends.
Ashley, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: Growing up, the library in Hesston was just down the street from our house. During the summer we would be in and out of the library constantly getting books, hanging out in the bean bag chairs and completing the summer reading challenge. I don’t remember any big prizes. It may have just been pieces of candy for reading so many books. My aunt would also take my sister and cousins to the library when she was taking care of us in the summer. We would usually spend the days playing together, going to the pool a LOT and having dedicated reading time. The librarians knew us by name and we rarely needed to take our library cards with us. It was and still is a fairly small library but it was a place I loved visiting often as a kid.
Now it’s your turn! What was your favorite library to visit as a kid and what were some of your favorite books to check out?
We’ve probably all experienced some version of this scenario: your beloved [insert vital kitchen appliance here] stops working, and the repairman says that it is going to cost more to fix it than it would to replace it. You make a trip to Lowe’s and wander the major appliance section completely overwhelmed with your choices.
There’s a better way to decide what dishwasher, refrigerator, or range to buy. Check out this month’s Resource of the Month from your Derby Public Library: ConsumerReports.org. Visit the library’s website, click on the Research & Learn tab, and then choose the ConsumerReports.org database. Just enter your library card number when prompted and browse the easy-to-use site.
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For over 80 years, Consumer Reports has been providing independent, rigorous, unbiased reviews on just about every product a consumer can buy. They conduct independent testing on thousands of products each year, from refrigerators and washing machines to cars, electronics, diapers, and even food items.
Skip the hassle of googling the product you need or want to purchase and scrolling through hundreds of potentially unreliable and biased reviews. ConsumerReports.org is a comprehensive resource, providing not only excellent product reviews on a wide range of categories but also valuable information on services, such as money management, online safety and security, insurance policies, and healthcare.
If you have questions on how to use this resource, stop by the library’s front desk and ask a staff member for assistance.
Summary: As the morning of the 50th Hunger Games dawns, Haymitch Abernathy is among the group of children of District 12 who wait as names are picked as tributes but this year is different. To commemorate the fiftieth year, four tributes will be chosen from each district to compete in the games. As Haymitch hears his name called he is forced to believe that he most likely will never see his family or the girl he loves ever again.
Upon arrival in the Capitol he comes face to face with the people who are relishing in the deaths of children. As he becomes more familiar with the world around him his anger increases against those that are determined to keep the districts down. But what can a kid from District 12 do? Using his hope of survival, recklessness and drive to help those he cares about he plans to bring the Capitol and the Games to their knees.
My Thoughts: Ever since I saw this book announced I couldn’t wait to read it. I LOVED the original trilogy and enjoyed the other prequel, even if it was about Snow. I had to know what Haymitch’s life was like before Katniss and Peeta and I believe Suzanne Collins completely delivered. From page one until the last it brought me back to my love of the originals and gave me more to mull over as I decided I needed to reread The Hunger Games.
Even though I was dying to read this I made myself take my time. I read 30-50 pages a night rather than devouring it in one sitting. It was an emotional roller coaster. I had hopes of seeing other characters and this was exactly what we get. With each person’s introduction I had to set the book down and collect my thoughts on them and what this may mean to the story. But even with knowing how it’s going to end, I was still on the edge of my seat as I finished the Games portion and then the aftermath for everyone involved. It was everything I wanted from this book and more.
If you loved The Hunger Games trilogy and are willing to go back into the arena, then I would highly recommend picking this one up as soon as you can! It adds so much to the original trilogy and gives a whole new appreciation for those who help Katniss and Peeta throughout their story.
FYI: As with the original stories this one is filled with death, violence and other triggering themes but it also has a story of hope too.
The lineup of what the DPL staff have been up to lately.
Megan’s Lineup
Books: The Friend Zone series by Abby Jimenez
I started this series on a whim needing something to listen to. I was instantly hooked. I am a big audiobook listener because life is crazy and I need to multitask! What I like about these books are the wit and humor, while underlying a serious topic that the character is going through. The narration is *chef’s kiss*. I am now going down a rabbit hole of reading/listening to every book this author has written, and I’m not one bit sorry about it.
For the longest time I would buy a plant, and it would be dead within a week. A few years back I made it my goal to learn how to care for them. I started off with a Pothos and Snake plant, both easy plants for beginners. And guess what?! THEY ARE STILL ALIVE! Since then I have accumulated more and now am a proud plant mama of 21! I am most proud of the one pictured, String of Tutles. I got it from Renata’s Plant Bus as a scrap she had. She told me to throw it on some dirt, and it would grow, and it has!
Games: Black Fleet
My husband & I have regular game nights at our best friends house, and have been introduced to many different board games. My current favorite is Black Fleet. It’s a pretty easy game that consists of delivering your merchant ship with goods and trying to get to another port without pirates stealing those goods. Even though the object isn’t to go after each other’s ships per se you can’t help the evil mwahahaha laugh or jokes that comes out when it happens. It makes us laugh every time we play it.
Pets: Tuna & Calvin
I have two pets, a corgi named Tuna, and a cat named Calvin. I’ve had Tuna since he was a wee little pupper, and he’s been my bestest boy for almost 13 years now. I got Calvin in September 2024 from the Wichita Animal Action League. We needed a chill adult cat who would get along with Tuna, and we definitely hit the jackpot with him.
Music: Lady Gaga
I have been a Gaga fan since the beginning, I love how she takes her time with albums and really makes them different and her own. Her newest album “Mayhem” is no exception! I was talking to some friends about it, and it was mentioned that it reminds them of her bold and weird side, which I absolutely love. My current favorite song from Mayhem is “The Beast”. Go take a listen or check out Mayhem here!
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