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Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

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 Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries
Format: DVD, Digital TV Show
Who it’s for: Adults

Set in glittering 1920s Australia, Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries stars Essie Davis as Phryne Fisher—a strong, smart, and sexy woman who is decades ahead of her time. Often accompanied by her timid and soft-spoken companion Dot, Phryne solves a different mystery in each episode. This predilection for sleuthing frequently puts her in the path of Detective Inspector Jack Robinson, who is both frustrated by and attracted to Miss Fisher and her endless interference. With only three seasons and a recently released movie finale, this series makes for the perfect binge watch. As an added bonus, Phryne wears some of the most eye-catchingly gorgeous costumes seen on the small screen!

Find the first season in the catalog or dive in with the complete collection.
Also on hoopla digital.

Ties That Tether

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Ties That Tether by Jane Igharo
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Nigerian-born, Canadian-raised Azere has always felt a conflict between what her family expects of her and what her own heart desires. At twelve years old, she made a promise to her dying father that she would marry another Edo man and to never forget her culture. She had always had every intention of keeping that promise, especially with her mother strongly encouraging Azere’s efforts by constantly matchmaking for her. However, one night Azere finds herself particularly frustrated with yet another of her mother’s failed setups and indulges in the company of Raphael Castellano: tall, handsome, and…white. Azere insists on leaving their relationship as a one-night-stand but their relationship suddenly and unexpectedly becomes extremely serious when she discovers she is pregnant with his child. Despite her mother’s strong disapproval, Azere is undeniably drawn to the charming Raphael and finds herself wrestling with a core question: can she successfully keep him in her life without compromising her Nigerian culture? Ties That Tether is a heartfelt examination of one woman’s struggle between what she thinks she is supposed to do and what her heart is telling her to do.

Find it in the catalog!

The Moon Within

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The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Celi Rivera has many questions. What should she do about these new feelings she has for her classmate Iván? How should she best support her closest friend as they experiment with their gender expression? And will her mother really insist on throwing her a traditional moon ceremony when Celi’s first period arrives? This lyrical novel in verse does a fantastic job of portraying that lifechanging and magical, yet incredibly awkward, prepubescent time in one’s life when it feels like there are more questions than answers. Like its forebear, Judy Blume’s Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret, this book would be an indisputably beneficial and relatable read for any person who has ever had questions about growing up.
Find it in the catalog

Pink is for Boys

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Pink is for Boys by Robb Pearlman
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

This delightful picture book has one simple but important message: “all the colors are for everyone.” It opens with the title “pink is for boys” but is quickly followed by “and for girls” and the accompanying illustrations tenderly depict all genders of children enjoying pink bow ties and party dressed. Each color of the rainbow is then presented in turn and coupled with bright illustrations showing that yes indeed, anyone can enjoy any color that their heart desires, making it a perfect read for anyone who wants to challenge gender stereotypes.

Find it in the catalog

Paperback Crush: The Totally Radical History of ’80s and ’90s Teen Fiction

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Paperback Crush by Gabrielle Moss
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

This book is for every millennial who fondly remembers the Scholastic Book Fair as the most exciting day of the school year or whose frequent library visits always resulted in checking out stacks of neon-bound paperbacks to be voraciously read on the bus, under the covers, or anywhere else one could squeeze in a chapter or two (or three!). This lovingly compiled catalog of quintessential ‘80s and ‘90s tween and teen fiction covers the more well-known titles, like The Baby-Sitters Club and Sweet Valley High, as well as plenty of more obscure, perhaps forgotten titles. Each chapter of the book is devoted to a different theme popular with books from the period, ranging from the mundane: love, friends, family, school, and jobs, but ending with more extreme chapters about danger and terror! No matter the chapter though, any nostalgic reader will find themselves wistfully reminiscing about those cheesy, yet life-shaping paperbacks of their youth.

Find it in the catalog

A Week to Be Wicked

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A Week to Be Wicked by Tessa Dare
Format: Book, eBook, Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

Minerva “Min” Highwood has a problem—she needs to be in Scotland posthaste to present her newest fossil discovery at a geological conference, but as an unmarried woman, she can’t make the trip alone. Lord Colin Payne wants to leave the secluded town where they both live, but has no means to do so until he comes into his inheritance on his next birthday. So, what are a scholarly spinster and debonair playboy to do? Why pretend to elope, of course! At the onset of the trip, they both claim no romantic interest in one another whatsoever, but seven long days in extremely close quarters just might change their minds. A Week to Be Wicked is the second installment in Tessa Dare’s “Spindle Cove” series and the rest of the books come just as highly recommended.

Find it in the catalog