1. Marmee by Sarah Miller
This book follows the story of Little Women but is told through their mother's (Marmee) views, feelings, fears and experiences during the same events of the Little Women story. Her thoughts are presented as her diary entries. It was interesting to experience a different view of the family. 

2. The Women by Kristin Hannah
This seems to be one of the most popular books by Kristin Hannah since I started working at the library.  We added the book to our shelves in February 2024 and have checked it out 30 times with still 10 more who are waiting to read it.  It's about a 20-year-old nursing student, Frankie McGrath. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path. Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets―and becomes one of―the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost. But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam. 

3. Mind Games by Nora Roberts
As they do each June, the Foxes have driven the winding roads of Appalachia to drop off their children for a two-week stay at their grandmother's. Here, twelve-year-old Thea can run free and breathe in the smells of pine and fresh bread and Grammie's handmade candles. But as her parents head back to suburban Virginia, they have no idea they're about to cross paths with a ticking time bomb. Back in Kentucky, Thea and her grandmother Lucy both awaken from the same nightmare. And though the two have never discussed the special kind of sight they share, they know as soon as their tearful eyes meet that something terrible has happened. The kids will be staying with Grammie now in Redbud Hollow, and thanks to Thea's vision, their parents' killer will spend his life in prison. Over time, Thea will make friends, build a career, find love. But that ability to see into minds and souls still lurks within her, and though Grammie calls it a gift, it feels more like a curse―because the inmate who shattered her childhood has the same ability. Thea can hear histwisted thoughts and witness his evil acts from miles away. He knows it, and hungers for vengeance. A long, silent battle will be waged between them―and eventually bring them face to face, and head to head. 

4. Educated by Tara Westover
Educated is a 2018 memoir by the author. She recounts overcoming her survivalist Mormon family in order to go to college, and emphasizes the importance of education in enlarging her world. It's a raw, emotional, and at times, heartbreaking account of her life. Tara endured both physical andverbal abuse at the hands of family members and saw her education, as well as her overallwell-being, neglected by her parents. Throughout the book, she strives to deliver an unbiased account of events, going so far as to include footnotes that detail how her memory of a given event differed from that of another family member. She also does not shy away from discussing such personal subjects as the psychological toll of the abuse she withstood. 

5. Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson
What happened to Brigitte Berthold? That question has haunted Daniel Knight since he was thirteen, when he and ten-year-old Brigitte escaped the Gestapo agents who arrested both their parents. They survived a harrowing journey from Germany to England, only to be separated upon their arrival. Daniel vowed to find Brigitte after the war, a promise he has fought to fulfill for more than seventy years. Now a wealthy old man, Daniel's final hope in finding Brigitte rests with Quenby Vaughn, an American journalist working in London. He believes Quenby's tenacity to find missing people and her personal investment in a related WWII espionage story will help her succeed where previous investigators have failed. Though Quenby is wrestling her own demons―and wary at the idea of teaming up with Daniel's lawyer, Lucas Hough―the lure of Brigitte's story is too much to resist. Together, Quenby and Lucas delve deep into the past, following a trail of deception, sacrifice, and healing that could change all of their futures.

1. The White Lady by Jacqueline Winspear
This is not an author I had read before but I enjoyed the characters and writing. I chose this book to start off the 2024 Reading Challenge as the first challenge called for a book with WHITE in the title.  

2. The Glass Library Series by C.J. Archer
This author and series was recommended to me by a friend and I can't wait for the next one to come out.

3. Knitting Mystery Series by Maggie Sefton
I went looking for a cozy mystery with a crafty theme. I found this series and enjoy the characters and the fact that each book has a knitting pattern that goes with it.  

4. Hannah Swensen Mysteries by Joanne Fluke
This is another series that I came across while looking for a cozy mystery. My favorite part about this series are the many recipes she shares for baked goods. 

5. Irene Hannon
I don't like to play favorites but... I think I would call her my favorite author. The Hope Harbor series is one that I have been following since the first book was published in 2015 and I eagerly await the next installment.

1. The Nazi Conspiracy by Brad Meltzer
"From the New York Times bestselling authors of The First Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy, The Nazi Conspiracy tells the little-known true story of a Nazi plot to kill FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill at the height of the second World War. In 1943, as the war against Nazi Germany raged abroad, President Franklin Roosevelt wanted one thing: a face-to-face meeting with his allies Joseph Stalin and Winston Churchill. This meeting of the Big Three in Tehran, Iran, would decide some of the most crucial strategic details of the war. Yet when the Nazis found out about the meeting, their own secret plan took shape-an assassination plot that would've changed history. A true story filled with daring rescues, body doubles, and political intrigue, The Nazi Conspiracy details FDR's pivotal meeting in Tehran, and the deadly Nazi plot against the heads of state of the three major Allied powers who attended it. With all the hallmarks of a Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch page-turner, The Nazi Conspiracy examines the great political minds of the 20th century, exploring the early years of the war in gripping detail. This meeting of The Big Three changed the course of World War II. Here's the inside story of how it all almost went terribly wrong"-- Provided by publisher. 

2. Master Class Presents Neil DeGrasse Tyson (available on Hoopla)
Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson teaches you how to find objective truths and shares his tools for communicating what you discover. 

3. American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Since it was first published, American Gods became an instant classic. Now discover the mystery and majesty of American Gods in this beautiful reissue of the Author's Preferred Text edition. Featuring a new preface by Neil Gaiman in honor of the novel's 20th anniversary, this commemorative volume is a true celebration of a modern masterpiece. Locked behind bars for three years, Shadow did his time, quietly waiting for the magic day when he could return to Eagle Point, Indiana. A man no longer scared of what tomorrow might bring, all he wanted was to be with Laura, the wife he deeply loved, and start a new life. But just days before his release, Laura and Shadow's best friend are killed in an accident. With his life in pieces and nothing to keep him tethered, Shadow accepts a job from a beguiling stranger he meets on the way home, an enigmatic man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday. A trickster and a rogue, Wednesday seems to know more about Shadow than Shadow does himself. Life as Wednesday's bodyguard, driver, and errand boy is far more interesting and dangerous than Shadow ever imagined--it is a job that takes him on a dark and strange road trip and introduces him to a host of eccentric characters whose fates are mysteriously intertwined with his own.  

4. Ink & Sigil by Kevin Hearne
"Al MacBharrais is both blessed and cursed. He is blessed with an extraordinary white mustache, an appreciation for craft cocktails--and a most unique magical talent. He can cast spells with magically enchanted ink and he uses his gifts to protect our world from rogue minions of various pantheons, especially the Fae. But he is also cursed. Anyone who hears his voice will begin to feel an inexplicable hatred for him, so he can communicate only through the written word or speech apps. And his apprentices keep dying in freak accidents. As his personal life crumbles around him, he devotes his life to his work, all while trying to crack the secret of his curse. But when his latest apprentice, Gordie, turns up dead in his Glasgow flat, Al discovers evidence that Gordie was living a secret life of crime. Now Al is forced to play detective--while avoiding actual detectives who are wondering why death always seems to follow him. Investigating his apprentice's death will take Al through Scotland's magical underworld, and he'll need the help of a mischievous hobgoblin if he's to survive"-- Provided by publisher. 

5. History Decoded by Brad Meltzer
It's an irresistible combination: Brad Meltzer, a born storyteller, counting down the world's most intriguing unsolved mysteries. And to make this richly illustrated book even richer, each chapter invites the reader along for an interactive experience through the addition of removable facsimile documents--the evidence! It's a treasure trove for conspiracy buffs, a Griffin and Sabine for history lovers. Adapted from Decoded, Meltzer's hit show on the HISTORY network, History Decoded explores fascinating, unexplained questions. Is Fort Knox empty? Why was Hitler so intent on capturing the Roman "Spear of Destiny"? What's the government hiding in Area 51? Where did the Confederacy's $19 million in gold and silver go at the end of the Civil War? And did Lee Harvey Oswald really act alone? Meltzer sifts through the evidence; weighs competing theories;  separates what we know to be true with what's still--and perhaps forever--unproved or unprovab≤ and in the end, decodes the mystery, arriving at the most likely solution. Along the way we meet Freemasons, Rosicrucians, Nazi propagandists, and the real DB Cooper.Bound in at the beginning of each story is a custom-designed envelope--a faux 19th-century leather satchel, a U.S. government classified file--containing facsimiles of relevant evidence: John Wilkes Booth's alleged unsigned will, a map of the Vatican, Kennedy's death certificate. The whole is a riveting, interactive adventure through the compelling world of mysteries and conspiracies.

1. The Dead Letter by Seeley Regester
When Henry Moreland is found dead on a lonely New York road after a violent storm, it seems he died of natural causes while walking to the home of his betrothed, Eleanor Argyll. An examination of the corpse reveals, however, that he was killed by a single, powerful stab wound. His wallet was untouched, eliminating robbery as the motive―but who would want to murder the well-liked and respected man? - from Amazon 

2. Sugar by Bernice McFadden
From a critically acclaimed voice in African-American contemporary fiction comes a novel Ebony praised for its "unforgettable images, unique characters, and moving story that keeps the pages turning until the end." A young prostitute comes to Bigelow, Arkansas, to start over, far from her haunting past. Sugar moves next door to Pearl, who is still grieving for the daughter who was murdered fifteen years before. Over sweet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both women's lives-and the life of an entire town. Sugar brings a Southern African-American town vividly to life, with its flowering magnolia trees, lingering scents of jasmine and honeysuckle, and white picket fences that keep strangers out-but ignorance and superstition in. To read this novel is to take a journey through loss and suffering to a place of forgiveness, understanding, and grace. 

3. Artifice by Sharon Cameron
Isa de Smit grew up in her parents' art gallery in Amsterdam, but in the middle of the war she survives by selling fake paintings to the Nazis while trying to help her friend Truus smuggle Jewish babies to safety--but in 1943 it's hard to know who to trust. 

4. A Talent for Murder by Andrew Wilson
Distracted by revelations about her husband's affair, writer Agatha Christie is interrupted during a visit to her London literary agent by an insidious blackmailer seeking to manipulate her into committing a murder. 

5. Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
"The murderer is with us--on the train now . . ." Just after midnight, the famous Orient Express is stopped in its tracks by a snowdrift. By morning, the millionaire Samuel Edward Ratchett lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Without a shred of doubt, one of his fellow passengers is the murderer. Isolated by the storm, detective Hercule Poirot must find the killer among a dozen of the dead man's enemies, before the murderer decides to strike again. "What more . . . can a mystery addict desire?"

1. The Never Game by Jeffrey Deaver
Colter Shaw travels the country as a survivalist helping people in need with his great tracking skills. He also helps police solve crimes. In this book he helps the police with a kidnapping case. A young, female college student has gone missing in Silicon Valley. Shaw tracks her to the world of videogaming. There he encounters gamers who are suspicious characters obsessed with gaming. People who not only design games, but play these games with intense desire. Through mystery and intrigue, Shaw begins to wonder if someone is trying to bring these games to life involving real people in real designed situations. A scary idea well implicated. A national television station, CBS, has brought this book to their line-up. They changed the name to "Tracker" and this show with the guidance of Deaver has become extremely popular. The next Colter Shaw book is due out sometime next year. This character has become a favorite of many readers. However, the most recognized character by Deaver is Lincoln Rhyme and another book featuring him is due out in 2026. 

2. "A" is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
This book is the first in Grafton's alphabet series of books. Each title starts with a letter of the alphabet and the main character, Kinsey Millhone, is a retired policeman turned private investigator. In each book the story is written in first person with Millhone telling the story. These books do not need to be read in order as each book, even with the same character, is a totally different story. Not many fiction books are written in first person, but I enjoyed this premise as making the book more personal with revealing insight and emotion. The story follows an eight year old murder of a lawyer blamed on his wife. A strange murder plot involving a ground-up antihistamine tablet mixed with oleander erases an alibi for the wife as this type of murder would be alibi for the wife as this type of murder would be hard to prove when the victim ingested the poison. Grafton admitted she was going through a divorce while outlining her story and would fantasize how she would murder her husband. Of course, she did not kill her husband. Grafton's last book in this series was "Y is for Yesterday". She died before she could finish her alphabet books. The last title was to be "Z is for Zest". Sent from 

3. I Spy Spooky Night by Walter Wick
This children's book combines reading and an activity making it very interactive. Each page has a large picture with two lines of rhyming sentences. These sentences contain items that can be found in the picture. For example, " I spy four pumpkins, a ruler, a bat. Eight pine cones, a ladder, three acorns, a cat." Not only are these cute rhymes for a child, but encourages the child to listen for the items and then find them in the picture. At the very end of the book, there is an "Extra Credit Riddles " page. And also, a "Find me Riddle and Find the Pictures "that go with these riddles. These two sentences rhyme and encourage children to scan back through the book looking for answers. There are at least fifteen "I Spy" books written by Wick with different topics. Not only do these books keep the interest of the child by looking for objects, but also teaches them word association with those objects. 

4. The Official Graphic Novel - Sports Superheroes by Stephen Curry, NBA Basketball Star
Graphic novels are extremely popular with young readers as they tell a story along with illustrations. Curry's first book, "I Have a Superpower", is about his dream path to becoming a super star basketball player. He reminds readers that being a superhero is not about being the tallest or strongest. Curry emphasizes the most important thing is to stay positive, keep a good attitude and have fun. This graphic novel details Curry's path to greatness filled with numerous obstacles and how he never gave up. Considered to be one of the greatest shooters of all time, he proved NBA scouts and coaches wrong. In my opinion, this book is a very positive lesson for every young reader. The illustrations are outstanding and vibrant drawn by Damion Scott. 

5. Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
A New York Times best seller, this book chronicles the story of a young country singer's quest to become a country singer star. It includes other characters such as a retired country music star and a guitarist helping her through her past and reaching her dream of star status. It is a book of murder, mystery and determination. I admire Dolly Parton as she rose from poverty to become a talented singer and musician, but I think her "Imagination Library" is one of her greatest gifts. Dolly sends two million books to children in five countries every month. Families sign up for this program and income is never an issue as these books are free! Ages of children included are birth to five years old. What a great gift to every child! This not only encourages children to read, but teaches listening, as well. A very generous and thoughtful gift benefiting children around the world.