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The Dead and the Dark

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The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

The Dead and the Dark alternates perspectives between Logan, the daughter of popular T.V. ghost hunters, the ParaSpectors, and Ashley, a small-town girl whose boyfriend just went missing, as they try to figure out what is plaguing the town of Snakebite, Oregon. Missing teenagers, ghosts, family secrets, and more keep this book entertaining from beginning to end.

I really enjoyed this book, it was completely captivating! The way that Gould writes makes the characters feel realistic, and the book overall just hard to put down. The twists and turns of the mystery keep readers guessing and curious until the end. I highly recommend this book if you’re in the mood for a small-town paranormal mystery!

Find The Dead and the Dark in the catalog

The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma

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The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Trauma has the power to change a person’s worldview and relationships, and even their brain. Yet, there are strategies that we can take to heal from trauma and use it to grow.

In the book The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by psychiatrist Bessel A. van der Kolk, readers will gain knowledge on psychological trauma—including its symptoms, how it affects the mind, and how a person can recover from it. This book will be of particular interest to individuals who are passionate about health and well-being, especially those who are curious about post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and/or mental health in general. Drawing from the genres of scientific nonfiction and self-help, The Body Keeps the Score is a unique and thought-provoking read.

Find The Body Keeps the Score in the catalog.

Whistle

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Whistle: A New Gotham City Hero by E. Lockhart and Manuel Preitano
Format: Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Teens

Life is pretty stressful for Willow Zimmerman. She has to balance high school with her budding interest in activism, a job at the local dog shelter, a crush on the new guy who just moved from Lagos, and caring for her mom who has cancer. When an old family friend reaches out to her with an opportunity to make a lot of money running elegant and elaborate poker games for him and his friends, she can’t refuse. That money will fund a lot of cancer treatments for her mom. But the demands of the position cause her neglect her studies, activism, canine friends, and new crush, while at the same time drawing the unwanted attention of a supervillain who has an axe to grind with her boss.

One night she, and a particularly loyal stray Great Dane named Lebowitz, are attacked by Killer Croc. When she awakens in a hospital days later she has a wicked scar across her face… and superpowers. Apparently Willow and Lebowitz became connected during the attack and she now possesses several canine traits, like super hearing, super smell, the ability to communicate with dogs, and the temptation to chase tennis balls. Okay, that last one isn’t that helpful, but when she uses her powers to uncover a plot by Poison Ivy and The Riddler to destroy her beloved neighborhood, Willow and Lebowitz become vigilante heroes Whistle and The Hound.

This graphic novel for teens is bound to entertain fans of DC comics, the Ms. Marvel series, Spider-Man movies, and E. Lockhart’s YA novels.

Find Whistle in our catalog.

The Last Thing He Told Me

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The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Format: Book
Whose it for: Adults

Hold on to your hat…this is a quick binge reading book if ever there was one! The Last Thing He Told Me begins with Hannah Hall waiting for her husband, Owen, to return from work. As she’s making dinner she hears a knock at her door and a young girl from the school where Owen teaches hands her a note from Owen. The note says “PROTECT HER”. Hannah immediately knows that the ‘her’ she needs to protect is Owen’s teenage daughter Bailey, her step daughter.  Hannah and Bailey have always had a difficult relationship and Bailey barely acknowledges Hannah, but Hannah loves Bailey and loves Owen that she must figure this out and try to protect her family. Hannah doesn’t know where her husband is, if he will ever return or why Bailey needs protecting. As Hannah asks questions and traces Owen’s past, she begins to discover that Owen was not the man she thought she knew. She also begins to believe that she may never see her husband again, and the future they dreamed about may never happen. Hannah must build a new life for her and for Bailey and at all costs, protect Bailey as Owen asked.

The Last Thing He Told Me is a thrilling fast paced mystery about intricate lies, fake identities and complex family relationships. Beware, The Last Thing He Told Me grabs you from the first page and is hard to put down so, prepare to devour it in one or two sittings!

Find The Last Thing He Told Me in the catalog.

Southwest Sunrise

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Southwest Sunrise by Nikki Grimes, illustrated by Wendell Minor
Format: Book
Who Its For: Kids

Jayden is a New York City boy through and through. He does NOT want to move to the New Mexico desert with his family, not even a little. Already missing the skyscrapers and the familiar sonic background of the city, he expects this desert to be a “place of shadows”, all “browns and tans”, which does not appeal to him at all! However, Jayden is a curious boy by nature and the brilliant gift of a field guide from his mom prompts this desert newbie to begin exploring. He finds beauty enough to be grateful for in the colorful flowers, trees, rocks and wildlife, and begins to think that, just maybe, he could call this place home after all.

Nikki Grimes’ gorgeous poetic language is stunning, and the watercolor illustrations are beautiful (I LOVED the emotion in the picture of Jayden on the plane). Any child who has ever had to move or is facing an unwelcome move will certainly relate to this lovely book.

Find Southwest Sunrise in the catalog.

InuYasha

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InuYasha by Rumiko Takahashi
Format: Manga Series
Who it’s for: Teens

Kagome is a present-day high school student in Tokyo, but ends up getting sent back to Sengoku feudal era of Japan after she encounters a magical shrine. She meets a half-demon named InuYasha, who is stubborn but honest and loyal. After a treacherous event takes place where the powerful Shikon jewel shatters into a million pieces, the two heroes team up to find all of them before they slip into the wrong hands. Along the way, Kagome and InuYasha meet some amazing friends, go on great journeys, and try to protect the world from complete evil! This is a classic manga series that has so much depth and character development to it. The anime and movies that were based on this manga have been released, so if you love reading this series, give those a try! Find InuYasha in the catalog.