Category: About books

What’s Ashley Reading?: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls

Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix

First line: Sit.

Summary: In St. Augustine, Florida, there is a home for wayward girls just like “Fern”, a young girl who is sent away by her family to deal with her shame in secret. When Fern arrives at the home she meets a dozen other girls in the same position. They have all been sent away to have their babies and forget that this ever happened. Miss Wellwood and her staff control every aspect of the girls’ lives because they believe they know best. That is until the day a librarian appears giving Fern a book on witchcraft and now the girls with no power have discovered that they can wield power against those who control them. But like with all things this power comes with a price.

My Thoughts: I have come to love Grady Hendrix’s books. He writes some truly creepy stories that don’t have to be bloody. And while he does that again here he also veers into something unlike he’s written before. Dealing with the stigma of unwed teenagers in the 1970s is a heartbreaking subject but I think he did it in such a great way. He shows how demonized the girls were and the lack of consequences for the male partner in the situation. In a post Roe era this really seems to be a book for the time.

Besides the horrible treatment of these girls he brings in a paranormal aspect too. The girls get their hands on a book for witches where they see a chance to gain some power in a powerless place. It seems rather innocent until they encounter other witches. From the beginning we know that the promises they make will not end well. Hendrix writes some absolutely spine-tingling scenes of suspense as the girls deal with backing out of their promises. I loved every word of those moments.

I found the characters very easy to sympathize with. The girls all had dreams but found that the world around them is tipped against them. The women around them seem to be there to help but many do not. It is a world that unfortunately was too real at the time. I would highly recommend this but be prepared to deal with some truly heartbreaking moments. It is not your normal Grady Hendrix but it is executed beautifully and worth the read.

The Blog Wants to Know: Jan. 2025

New Year, new books or perhaps the same books if you’ve got a to-be read list as long as ours. We’ve checked in with the library staff to see what some of those books and other materials might be.

What are some books/movies/TV shows you are hoping to get to in 2025? These can be new releases or items you’ve had on your read/watch list for a while. 

Ashley, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: “For years I have owned copies of the first 2 books in the Thomas Cromwell trilogy by Hilary Mantel but never read them.  This year I am determined to read the trilogy and re-watch the first season of the show before the final season airs in March on PBS. The books include Wolf Hall, Bring Up the Bodies, and The Mirror and the Light.

The TV series is Wolf Hall, season one was in 2015 & season two is 2025.  Season one covers books 1 & 2 while the second season is book 3. This follows the life and career of Thomas Cromwell in Henry VIII’s court.”

Maycie, Public Support Services: “Two of my favorite authors, Sarah Adler and Rachel Lynn Solomon, both have new releases coming out this year, Finders Keepers and What Happens in Amsterdam, that I can’t wait to read! I’m also really looking forward to The Love Haters by Katherine Center and Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins.

I’m already fully sat at the movie theaters waiting to watch the new Paddington movie!! I’m also excited for the live-action How to Train Your Dragon and the second part of Wicked. 

When it comes to TV, I’m just hoping we can finally see the end of Stranger Things and hopefully a season two of Percy Jackson.”

Kathy, Public Support Services: “I always wait for Nora Roberts to finish her trilogy to read them all so looking forward to reading her latest one this fall when the final book comes out.”

Miranda, Youth Services: “A series on Netflix I’ve been watching is The Empress. It’s a German historical drama loosely based on the life and marriage of Empress Elisabeth and Emperor Franz of Austria in the 1850s.  A book I’ve started reading that I’ve been wanting to read for a while is The Girl in His Shadow. It’s a historical fiction about a woman who secretly assists with surgeries in 1845 London, a time when women were not allowed to practice medicine. A great read so far!”

Hannah, Assistant Director: “Season 2 of Severance! We’ve been waiting for 3 years!”

Shelia, Interlibrary Loan and Cataloguing: I am very excited to watch the movie, “Wicked“!

Alyssa, Adult and Teen Services Coordinator: “I’m so excited for the book, Wings of Starlight by Allison Saft. It tells the story of two characters from the Disney Fairies film, Secret of the Wings. I adore these films with Tinkerbell and her friends, and Secret of the Wings is my favorite of them. Wings of Starlight features Queen Clarion of Pixie Hollow and the Lord of Winter, Milori.

I also hope to re-read The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien again this year. I read it a few years ago, and I’d like to go through it again and take some notes. And, of course, I’m continuing my absolute obsession with Elin Hilderbrand. I’m looking forward to reading The Blue Bistro and Summer of ’69 this year.

Megan, Outreach Coordinator: I’m hoping to finish Gilmore Girls in 2025 (The first time watching it!). I’m wanting to start It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I’m hoping to get caught up on the In Death series by JD Robb in 2025! I’m only 6 or 7 behind. 

Grace, Youth Services:

Books I’m excited for in 2025:

  • Onyx Storm, Empyrean #3 by Rebecca Yarros (the third book in the Fourth Wing series)
  • Earl Crush by Alexandra Vasti, which I’ve already read but am excited to get a hold of my physical copy and reread. 
  • Finders Keepers (I absolutely ADORE Sarah Adler)

TV Shows:

  • Severance Season 2 comes out! I might have to actually get Apple TV+ for a bit, so I can see it. I haven’t had more fun not knowing what’s going on in a show since LOST. 
  • ‘Daredevil: Born Again’ on Disney+ – My husband, Eli and I have nearly finished all of the old Daredevil episodes (they aren’t very bingeable, I need a light and fluffy show or book after watching an episode). He watched Punisher without me and loved it, so we’ve both been looking forward to this!
  • ‘Percy Jackson And The Olympians’ Season 2 – This is another Eli & Me show! We had a blast watching the first season. It’s refreshing to see a book series adapted by the author. The cast is fantastic, and he’s a bigger Percy Jackson fan than me, so we can both hardly wait for season 2!

Movies:

  • Captain America: Brave New World
  • Ballerina, from the John Wick Universe
  • Death of a Unicorn, which looks terrible and hilarious and absolutely not appropriate for children
  • Fantastic Four: First Steps (Joseph Quinn AND Pedro Pascal!)
  • Love Hurts (all I needed to know was Ke Huy Quan, and I will be seated. But also, the director is the stunt coordinator for Black Panther, Fall Guy, Violent Night, Deadpool 2, Dr. Strange, and John Wick. David Leitch is on the producing team, too, and he had a hand in all of those movies. I’m a HUGE fan).
  • Superman (Mrs. Maisel is Lois Lane, take my money)
  • Wicked: For Good. I can’t tell you how badly I am YEARNING for this (while also avoiding spoilers as someone who’s never seen Wicked all the way through because she was going to see it onstage first).

Justin, Technology Coordinator:

I am looking forward to:

TV—Andor: Season Two (StarWars)

Movie—Mickey 17 (Robert Pattinson)

Book—The Staircase in the Woods (Chuck Wendig)

Now it’s your turn, patrons! What books, TV shows, and movies are you looking forward to in 2025?

Bookworm Buffet: A Feast for your Reading Senses

Bookworm Buffet: January 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.

January’s Spread –

Physical: 49 Days by Anges Lee

Genre: Graphic Novel, Young Adult, Religion
TW: Off-Page Death, Grief

Day 1-
Gotta get up. Gotta keep moving. This map – it says I have to cross over here. Wait, what’s that…?
And so begins a graphic novel story unlike any 49 Days. In Buddhist tradition, a person must travel for forty-nine days after they die, before they can fully cross over. Here in this book, readers travel with one Korean American girl, Kit, on her journey, while also spending time with her family and friends left behind.


Publication Date: March 05, 2024

My Rating:

eBook: Twelth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth

Genre: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary

Viola Reyes is annoyed.
Her painstakingly crafted tabletop game campaign was shot down, her best friend is suggesting she try being more “likable,” and school running back Jack Orsino is the most lackadaisical Student Body President she’s ever seen, which makes her job as VP that much harder. Vi’s favorite escape from the world is the MMORPG Twelfth Knight, but online spaces aren’t exactly kind to girls like her―girls who are extremely competent and have the swagger to prove it. So Vi creates a masculine alter ego, choosing to play as a knight named Cesario to create a safe haven for herself.
But when a football injury leads Jack Orsino to the world of Twelfth Knight, Vi is alarmed to discover their online alter egos―Cesario and Duke Orsino―are surprisingly well-matched.
As the long nights of game-play turn into discussions about life and love, Vi and Jack soon realise they’ve become more than just weapon-wielding characters in an online game. But Vi has been concealing her true identity from Jack, and Jack might just be falling for her offline…

Publication Date: May 28, 2024

My Rating:

Audio: Red Rabbit by Alex Grecian

Genre: Horror, Fantasy, Western, Kansas Notable
Read for: Hauntingly Good Reads Book Club

A folk horror epic about a ragtag posse that must track down a witch through a wild west beset by demons and ghosts―and where death is always just around the bend.

Sadie Grace is wanted for witchcraft, dead (or alive). And every hired gun in Kansas is out to collect the bounty on her head, including bona fide witch hunter Old Tom and his mysterious, mute ward, Rabbit.
On the road to Burden County, they’re joined by two vagabond cowboys with a strong sense of adventure – but no sense of purpose – and a recently widowed school teacher with nothing left to lose. As their posse grows, so too does the danger.
Racing along the drought-stricken plains in a stolen red stagecoach, they encounter monsters more wicked than witches lurking along the dusty trail. But the crew is determined to get that bounty, or die trying.

Narrated by: John Pirhalla
Publication Date: September 19, 2023

My Rating:

What’s Ashley Reading?: A Year in Review

This was a busy year for reading! I completed 112 books in 2024 but there were a few standouts that I would highly recommend. Below are my top 10 books I read in 2024!

  1. Murder Road by Simone St. James
  2. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager
  3. The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo
  4. The September House by Carissa Orlando
  5. Funny Story by Emily Henry
  6. Bride by Ali Hazelwood
  7. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
  8. We Used To Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
  9. Heir by Sabaa Tahir
  10. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

And I know that next year will have some great books for my TBR list. Here are the ones I am most looking forward too!

  1. The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis (01/07/2025)
  2. Carving Shadows Into Gold by Brigid Kemmerer (01/28/2025)
  3. The Ragpicker King by Cassandra Clare (03/04/2025)
  4. Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (03/18/2025)
  5. Story of a Murder by Hallie Rubenhold (03/25/2025)
  6. Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry (04/22/2025)
  7. The Love Haters by Katherine Center (05/20/2025)
  8. Kill Your Darlings by Peter Swanson (06/10/2025)
  9. With a Vengeance by Riley Sager (07/03/2025)
  10. Boudicca’s Daughter by Elodie Harper (08/28/2025)

What were your favorite reads of 2024? And what are you looking forward to the most in 2025? Leave us a comment!

What’s Ashley Reading?: The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

First line: It wasn’t until the elevator doors were sliding open that Maggie realized she was about to come face-to-face with her three least favorite things in the world: Christmas. A party. And Ethan Freaking Wyatt.

Summary: Maggie accepts a mysterious invitation from her editor to visit her biggest fan in England at Christmastime. Unbeknownst to her, Ethan Wyatt, her arch-nemesis is joining her and her biggest fan is none other than her favorite author, Eleanor Ashley. Upon arrival a snow storm arrives stranding the writers and Eleanor Ashley’s other guests in her isolated mansion. As they settle in for the holiday Maggie believes that Eleanor plans to name a successor, or that is until she disappears from a locked room. Now Maggie and Ethan have to try to find out what happened to Eleanor and avoid whoever seems to be trying to kill them before it’s too late.

My Thoughts: This was the perfect mix of cozy mystery with a holiday romance! I had such a good time reading and trying to figure out the mystery. I loved the chemistry between Maggie and Ethan which was enhanced with the tension and miscommunications.

I’ve seen many people comparing this to Knives Out and I feel that it is a good comparison but I would almost recommend it more on the feel of an Agatha Christie novel. It has all the things I love from her stories with the added enemies to lovers romance trope. Plus, it plays on the real life Agatha Christie disappearance.

One complaint I had was the cover. It is cute (kind of) but it could be much better! There are so many fun covers anymore with the cartoonish characters but this one just wasn’t as good. But don’t judge this book by its cover. It is perfect for Christmas time and it reads very fast! I would highly recommend picking it up for your holiday break.

Bookworm Buffet: A Feast for your Reading Senses

Bookworm Buffet: December 2024

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

December’s Spread –

Physical: The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal by Ambika Vohra

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

“How have you gotten out of your comfort zone?” That’s the Stanford admissions prompt that valedictorian shoo-in Aisha Agarwal can’t answer. Comfort zone? Her life’s been homework and junk food for as long as she can remember. Not exactly the thing college essays are written about. So, when her crush, Brian, asks her to winter formal, Aisha thinks her fate is changing . . . until Brian stands her up. As if on cue, a banged-up Volkswagen arrives outside the dance; the driver—a guy her age—profusely apologizing for being late to pick her up. Does Aisha know him or what he’s talking about? No. Does the Stanford essay convince her to take him up on the ride? Absolutely. To Aisha’s relief, seventeen-year-old Quentin Santos isn’t a kidnapper, but he is failing math. So, they strike a If Aisha helps Quentin pass math, he’ll help push her out of her comfort zone, using a series of sticky note to-do’s—dares—that will not only give Aisha content for her essay but will turn her into the confident person she’s always wanted to be. From New Year’s Eve kisses to high school parties, Aisha’s sticky note manifesto is taking off. But when she falls for the wrong guy, hurts her best friend, and still can’t finish her essay, victory feels far from reach. Is winning worth it if you end up losing yourself in the process?  

Publication Date: August 27, 2024

My Rating:

eBook: While We’re Young by K.L. Walther

Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Fiction

Grace, Isa, and Everett used to be an inseparable trio before their love lives became a tangled mess. For starters, Grace is secretly in love with Everett, who used to go out with Isa before breaking her heart in the infamous Freshman Year Fracture. And, oh yeah, no one knows that Isa has been hanging out with James, Grace’s brother—and if Grace finds out, it could ruin their friendship.
With graduation fast approaching, Grace decides an unsanctioned senior skip day in Philadelphia might be just what they need to fix things. All she has to do is convince Isa to help her kidnap Everett and outmaneuver James, who’s certain his sister is up to something.
In an epic day that includes racing up the famous Rocky steps, taste-testing Philly’s finest cheesesteaks, and even crashing a wedding, their secrets are bound to collide. But can their hearts withstand the wreckage?

Publication Date: March 4, 2025

My Rating:

Audio: Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Heist Novel

A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Narrated by: Jay Snyder, Brandon Rubin, Fred Berman, Lauren Fortgang, Roger Clark, Elizabeth Evans, and Tristan Morris
Publication Date: September 29, 2015

My Rating:

What’s Ashley Reading?: You Better Watch Out

You Better Watch Out by James S. Murray and Darren Wearmouth

First line: Darkness had invaded Old Forge.

Summary: Eddie wakes up in what appears to be an abandoned town resembling Old Forge. The last thing he remembers is an elderly couple injecting him with a syringe while he was attempting to rob them. As he stumbles into one of the store fronts to escape the snowstorm outside he finds several others who appear to have been brought here under similar circumstances. The group cannot understand why or how they arrived here but they are determined to find a way out.

However, over the next few hours they realize that someone is watching them and the whole town is booby trapped. If they have any hope of surviving the night they need to find a way out of the town or discover who is hunting them in this Christmas village of horror.

My Thoughts: Well, this is not you normal Christmas book! It is dark, creepy and very bloody but I can say that it kept my attention the whole time. There was very little downtime in the story. The pacing was quick and keeps the reader from getting bored. From the very beginning I had Saw vibes, where the characters wake up in a strange place and they must play some twisted game to escape. And there is quite a big twist at the end which brings it all full circle.

The characters are rather undeveloped but the environment almost becomes a character on its own. It is a town that appears to be a work in progress or a movie set all decorated for Christmas, complete with a merry-go-round and Christmas decorations. It is a warren of traps in a quaint postcard setting.

My one complaint was that I basically figured out or guessed the twists. It took on some horror tropes but I still found it a thrilling read.

This book is not for the faint of heart. It has some rather horrifying deaths in it. I have seen my share of horror movies and true crime shows but this still made me a little queasy. But if you want something truly creepy for your holiday reading then I would recommend picking this one up!

What’s Ashley Reading?: Listen For the Lie

Listen For the Lie by Amy Tintera

First line: A podcaster has decided to ruin my life, so I’m buying a chicken.

Summary: Lucy has spent years trying to remember as well as escape the night she was found wandering along the road covered in her best friend’s blood. Lucy and Savvy were well known in their community and with Savvy’s death and Lucy’s apparent guilt, it rocked the town. But since Lucy is unable to remember what happened that night and no evidence she was involved it has become a cold case. That is until a true crime podcaster decides to showcase the story on his podcast, “Listen for the Lie”. As Lucy returns home for the first in years she has to face those who believe she murdered her best friend and the possibility that the podcast may uncover the truth she cannot remember.

My Thoughts: This book hit all the right buttons for me. It has a dark humor with a good mystery. Lucy, the main character, is plagued by her lack of memories from the night her friend died. She knows that many people do not believe her to be innocent and she cannot defend herself because she doesn’t know either. This lack of memory has led to her hearing a dark voice in her head tempting her to do terrible things. At times it could be annoying but others it is nearly laugh out loud funny.

I love the way podcasts have made their way into storytelling. I have been on a true crime documentary kick and I love a good podcast, making this a format perfect for my reading style lately. Throughout the narrative there are snippets of the podcast, usually interviews with townspeople or suspects. It all blended together smoothly and made the mystery even more intriguing as new information is revealed during these interviews.

I listened to the audio version and found it perfect for the storytelling style. I would highly recommend this format with this story. It was kept me interested and entertained throughout.

Bookworm Buffet: A Feast for your Reading Senses

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

November’s Spread –

Physical: Hearts on Thin Ice by Katie Kennedy

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Sports Romance, Adult Fiction

Nick Sorensen had once been one of the fastest men in hockey—until the devastating plane crash that took the lives of his best friends, leaving him the only survivor. Now he’s physically ready to get back on the ice, but his coach is concerned Nick isn’t doing as well, mentally, as he says he is. Case in Nick’s apartment is completely empty, apart from a single chair and a mattress on the floor.
To prove he’s fine, really, Nick hires Alyssa Compton, an up-and-coming interior designer, to decorate his space. Alyssa’s thrilled at the chance to prove herself to her demanding boss—with job security at last, maybe she can finally put down roots and create a home for herself too. But Nick turns out to be infuriatingly stubborn and impossible to work with, and just when Alyssa decides to throw in the towel on the whole thing, Nick shows up for her in a way she never could have expected.
The icy path ahead of these two lost souls may be slippery and cracking, but when it comes to love, sometimes all you need is someone on your team.

Publication Date: February 11, 2025

My Rating:

eBook: First-Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick-Lit, Adult Fiction

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he’s fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore’s romance hotline, that’s a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.
Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she’s as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn’t be such a bad thing.
Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending… even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.

Publication Date: June 18, 2024

My Rating: +

Audio: The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Autobiography

Come for the Gilmore Girls anecdotes, stay for the revealing truths about what it takes to build a lifelong career in and out of Hollywood” (The A.V. Club) in this candid and captivating memoir from award-winning and beloved actress Kelly Bishop, spanning her six decades in show business from A Chorus Line, Dirty Dancing, Gilmore Girls, and much more. Full of witty insights, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

Narrated by: Kelly Bishop

Publication Date: September 17, 2024

My Rating:

What’s Ashley Reading?: Love and Other Conspiracies

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe

First line: Los Angeles is a city of believers.

Summary: Hallie Barrett has had a hard time lately. She recently broke up with her boyfriend who also happens to be her coworker and is currently in search of a new idea for a show in order to keep her job. On a drunken night she stumbles upon a cryptid docuseries hosted by an extremely handsome and enthusiastic host. In the hopes of reviving her career she approaches the cryptid hunter, Hayden Hargrove, with a proposition for a web series. But as Hayden’s on screen persona leaves much to be desired Hallie jumps in with her questions and skeptical remarks, sparking an instant connection and a huge fan following. As they search for Bigfoot, Mothman and other legendary creatures they find themselves discovering love rather than monsters.

My Thoughts: This was such a fun romance novel for the spooky season. Rather than being scary it was a humorous story about two people who just happen to find each other while hunting for Bigfoot. And the cover is so stinking cute!

I liked the characters. Hallie felt very relatable. She deals with doubt and rejection but becomes stronger as the story progresses. Hayden was the cute monster hunting nerd. He reminds me a little of Josh Gates from the shows, Expedition Unknown and Destination Truth. I loved their banter and chemistry. It felt natural and not forced.

This is the author’s debut novel and I feel like it was a great start. It had humor, quirky characters, romance tropes and a little bit of spice (mild/medium). Everything you want from good romance novel. I would highly recommend it!

FYI: This title is only available on Libby, CloudLibrary or through Interlibrary loan.