July 2025 – Derby Public Library's Blog

What’s Ashley Reading?: She Didn’t See It Coming

She Didn’t See It Coming by Shari Lapena

First line: Bryden Frost is running late.

Summary: Bryden Frost has the perfect life. A loving husband, a luxury condo, a beautiful daughter and supportive friends but then one day she doesn’t show up to get her daughter from daycare. When her husband Sam comes home he finds her car, her wallet and no sign of foul play. It appears that she just vanished. As the police get involved pieces of their perfect life begin to fall apart. The police are now in a race against time to find her before it is too late.

My Thoughts: Several years ago I found Shari Lapena and really enjoyed her stories. She wrote good mysteries with lots of twists and turns. They felt fresh and intriguing. With this one I started out really liking the suspense of finding Bryden. I was invested in what happened because so much seemed off about the scenario but as the story kept on I slowly lost interest as I put the story together before the big reveal. I felt it was rather anti-climactic at the end.

In relation to the characters many of the people involved were horrible. As things are revealed there are lots of secrets in their pasts. It could easily have been multiple people for many reasons. Several parts of the plot seemed to be added just to have some filler because they did not seem to be resolved by the end. It was an okay story but definitely not my favorite of Lapena’s work.

FYI: Release date is July 29, 2025.

The Blog Wants to Know – July 2025

We are knee-deep in the thick of summertime so this month’s question will hopefully cool you down!

What are some of your favorite drinks to have during the hot, summer months? What do you reach for on these 90-degree days?

Dawn S., Youth Services Coordinator: Lots of iced coffee!! I spend too much money at 7Brew on the Smooth 7 which is Irish Cream and White Chocolate Breve. I add almond milk instead of the half and half. It’s my go to drink for sure! Peach Iced Tea is great, too!

Shelia, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: I just recently discovered lavender lemonade!! So delicious and refreshing!

Tami, Office Manager: Ice tea and for an adult beverage…a gin and tonic

Maycie, Public Support Services: Raspberry lemonade!! There is nothing more refreshing or thirst quenching on a hot mid-western day.

Kathy, Public Support Services: In the evening I like to have a nice cool glass of S. Sohne Riesling-Blue wine.

Shane, Public Support Services: I reach for a crisp, refreshing (alcoholic) seltzer.

Hannah, Assistant Director: Topo Chico! Or as my family calls it “Mom’s spicy water.”

Alyssa, Adult and Teen Services Coordinator: One of my favorite drinks in town is the Blueberry Moscow Mule from Dempsey’s. It’s so crisp and sweet! I’ll also make a non-alcoholic version at home with ginger beer and blueberry syrup.

Miranda, Youth Services: My favorite summer drinks are Seagram’s Jamaican Me Happy and strawberry lemonade with sliced strawberries. I usually order the strawberry lemonade at Red Robin.. its the best!

Jessie, Public Support Services: My favorite summer time drink is so simple! Lemon lime cucumber water! When I worked at a Marriott hotel years ago, one of our daily afternoon duties was to make infused waters for guests at check in. It doesn’t take much of the ingredients sliced up in a big pitcher of water to get a nice refreshing flavor in a few hours of it sitting and infusing the water.

Baya, Youth Services: If I’m in need of caffeine, I’ll get a Sonic Dr. Pepper with coconut and cream! When it’s above 90 degrees, I’ll take iced cold water. It’s basic but tastes life-changing in the heat. Then for cases when I don’t want caffeine or water, I’ll get a a crisp Sprite.

Ashley, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: I absolutely love a good iced coffee. It usually has small dash of caramel in it because I don’t like it too sweet. Then for an adult drink I usually go for a local beer like Warbeard Irish Red by Walnut River Brewing. Refreshing and cold which is perfect for these hot days.

Tabbitha, Youth Services: During summertime, my family’s go-to drink is to make freshly squeezed lemonade! It is a fun thing to do together and it tastes so much better than store bought.

Now it’s your turn! What are some of your favorite drinks during the summer months?

Bookworm Buffet: A Feast for your Reading Senses

Bookworm Buffet: July 2025

Welcome to Bookworm Buffet! Get ready to feast on three literary delights, each served up in a different format: physical, digital ebook, and audiobook.

July’s Spread –

Physical: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Genre: Historical, Humor, Fiction

Summary:
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.
But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.
Publication: March 29, 2022

My Rating:

eBook: Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Fiction

Summary:
– Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.
– Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.
It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life. But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

Publication: May 27, 2025

My Rating:

Audio: Rabbits by Terry Miles

Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery
Narrated by: Christine Lakin

Summary:
Rabbits is a mysterious alternate reality game so vast it uses our global reality as its canvas. Since the game first started in 1959, ten iterations have appeared and nine winners have been declared. Their identities are unknown. So is their reward, which is whispered to be NSA or CIA recruitment, vast wealth, immortality, or perhaps even the key to unlocking the secrets of the universe itself. But the deeper you get, the more deadly the game becomes. Players have died in the past—and the body count is rising.
And now the eleventh round is about to begin. Enter K—a Rabbits obsessive who has been trying to find a way into the game for years. That path opens when K is approached by billionaire Alan Scarpio, the alleged winner of the sixth iteration. Scarpio says that something has gone wrong with the game and that K needs to fix it before Eleven starts or the whole world will pay the price.
Five days later, Scarpio is declared missing. Two weeks after that, K blows the deadline and Eleven begins. And suddenly, the fate of the entire universe is at stake.
Publication: June 08, 2021

My Rating:

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Island Villa

The Island Villa by Sarah Morgan

First line: For the first time in her life she was planning to kill someone.

Summary: Catherine Swift has spent her career on the top of the romance charts. Her books have sold millions of copies and earned high praise from her fans. If only her love life was as perfect as the ones in her books. But she is hopeful that this fourth marriage will be the perfect one and bring her family back together again.

Adeline has had a troubled relationship with her mother since she was young. After the affair, divorce and the birth of her younger sister, it has been hard for Adeline to forgive her mother for abandoning her for a new family. Now she has been guilted into attending her mother’s fourth wedding. How is she going to get through this week and the memories it stirs in her?

Cassie has dreamed of getting to know her older sister and she is hoping that this family wedding will help bring them closer. She is excited for her mother and her future husband but she has been hiding something from everyone about her own career. Maybe this trip will be the perfect time to reveal her secret.

As all three women prepare for several weeks together they each have their own expectations. However, as the days progress and secrets are revealed it seems that no one expected how this vacation was going to actually go.

My Thoughts: This was my first book by Sarah Morgan. I picked it up at a used bookstore several months ago with the plan to read it during the summer. As June rolled around it felt like the perfect time.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from her. Was it going to be a romance? Was there going to be drama? And the answer to both was yes. There are several romances throughout the book but nothing is explicit. It had a sweet romcom feel to it. However, there was definitely drama and secrets that gave some shocks to the story. Each woman learns something about their past and themselves through their journey in the book. This is a story where people are given second chances and the past is made clearer for all involved.

I liked the story even though much of it was rather predictable. If you want something set in a beautiful location, a little family drama and a sweet ending with it all coming together perfectly then this is it. So in summary this is a perfect example of a beach read!

FYI: Abuse, death, abandonment.

The Lineup: Emily B.

The lineup of what the DPL staff have been up to lately.

Emily’s Lineup

TV Show: The Clone Wars

I used to love watching the original Star Wars movies with my dad growing up, and over time that love for Star Wars never dissipated. A few years back, a good friend of mine introduced me to The Clone Wars series and after a LOT of convincing, I finally watched it. It is now my favorite series, and I find myself re-watching it every so often. It gives an amazing insight into the storyline before Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader. If you’re looking for a good series to binge- that should be your starting place.

Availabe to check out here or it is currently streaming on Disney+.

Music

Music is a very big part of my life; for every song, I have a story attached to it. Right now, my current favorites are
Zach Bryan and Morgan Wallen– more specifically, the song 28 by Zach Bryan and I Got Better by Morgan Wallen. Their two songs that touch on growing up and moving on, and being in my early 20’s, really resonate with me. With that being said, my music tastes vary dramatically. I’m very big on the 80’s, country, alternative, and musicals! Radiohead and Artemas are also two of my current favorites.

Personal Interests

I love to travel, I always have. Whether it’s out of the state, out of the country, or simply just out of town- I love to travel. There is always something new to see and something new to experience. The craziest place I’ve been was Dubai with my mom and my most recent trip was to Branson. To say I fell in love with the scenery is an understatement; the nature there is beautiful. However, my favorite part of traveling is the drive and the stops at random gas stations in the middle of nowhere.

Hobbies

I’m a very girly girl, so my hobbies usually center around shopping, tanning, lashes and doing my nails. A few years back I graduated from cosmetology school with my esthetician license, so all things beauty are right up my alley. I’ve also been getting more into coloring, making jewelry, and hopefully scrapbooking soon! I do love karaoke as well- nothing beats getting to sing your heart out!

Video Games

“We fight not so that the world will remember us, but so that there will be a world to remember.”
– Capt. Price (Call of Duty)

I don’t do a lot of gaming, but if I do, it’s usually Call of Duty. I love the storyline and the depth of it; it also helps that the main characters are easy on the eyes. I love all of the COD games, but Modern Warfare III is my favorite. It’s gripping, intense, and fast-paced, all the things needed to keep me entertained. I also really enjoy Halo, Animal Crossing, and Mouthwashing!