Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Title: Have You Seen Luis Velez? 

Author: Catherine Ryan Hyde

Genre: Realistic Fiction

If a stranger calls out for help, would you stop?

Raymond doesn't think of himself as someone who would. He's trying to get through high school, has just had his best friend move to a new state, and doesn't feel like he fits in around his stepfather and half sisters. He doesn't feel like anyone sees him, and maybe that's what startles him into stopping when an older woman calls out at him as he's leaving his apartment building, asking if he has seen Luis Velez. He doesn't know the woman, has no idea who Luis is, but he still might be just the person to help in this situation. Raymond's search for Luis, and his determination to help Millie, may end up finding answers - and new friends - in many places.

- Katrina 

Check out Have You Seen Luis Velez? by Catherine Ryan Hyde @ the library!

The Address Book by Deirdre Mask

Title: The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power

Author: Deirdre Mask

Genre: Nonfiction

This is such a fun and odd topic--what does a street address mean? It is remarkable how new these things are, and yet they have shaped and continue to shape the way we think, govern, and even treat each other. The author looks at places all around the world to show how and when addresses came into being and how they have been used in various cultures and governments. I loved her exploration of such a niche topic; the book flies by and is so much fun to read.

- Meagan

Check out The Address Book by Deirdre Mask @ the library!

Doughnuts and Doom by Balazs Lorinczi

Title: Doughnuts and Doom

Author: Balazs Lorinczi

Genre: Fantasy, Queer Fiction, Graphic Novel 

Witches, snakes, and rock n' roll! This cute graphic novel is about a witch and a musician both having a bad day. Their bad days compound one another and leads to a new friendship....or something more!

- Gina

Check out Doughnuts and Doom by Balazs Lorinczi @ the library!

Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladino

Title: Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them

Author: Dan Saladino

Genre: Nonfiction

This is an important, fascinating, readable, and enlightening book about the loss of so much diversity in the food we eat. Saladino travels around the world and talks about efforts to save some of the more unique and often ancient foods, ingredients, plants, animals, and seeds that are currently dying out. These varieties are often simply not as easily produced on mass scale and so are not compatible with industrial agriculture. Saladino does a great job of showing why this is a huge loss, not just for biodiversity but for cultural preservation and simply for keeping the world interesting and fascinating. I would recommend it to anyone interested in farming, food culture, history, conservation, gardening, or, honestly, eating delicious food and drinking delicious drinks! This issue will only become more pressing as climate change accelerates and Saladino leaves readers inspired to learn more and do what they can to preserve our incredible planet and the plants and animals we eat.

- Meagan

Check out Eating to Extinction by Dan Saladino @ the library!

The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson

Title: The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams 

Author: Mindy Thompson

Genre: Children's Fantasy

A bookshop is such a natural location for time travel! I know books have always been my favorite way to wander into different time periods. This story is a true examination of the balance that we all need to strive to find between doing things for our own benefit, and striving to do things for the good of all those around us that we don't know personally.

- Katrina 

Check out The Bookshop of Dust and Dreams by Mindy Thompson @ the library!

Thirteen Storeys by Jonathan Sims

Title: Thirteen Storeys 

Author: Jonathan Sims

Genre: Horror

Thirteen strangers are invited to dinner by an enigmatic billionaire. And by the end of the night, their host is dead, but despite there being thirteen witnesses, no one ever comes forward with the truth.

If you've heard of the podcast The Magnus Archives, then this author's name might be familiar to you. Jonathan Sims is an amazing storyteller, all of his characters are well fleshed out, as is the world they live in. Despite telling thirteen different stories, he somehow manages to make the plot flow well and it never becomes overwhelming despite the amount of characters introduced.

- Megan H.

Check out Thirteen Storeys  by Jonathan Sims @ the library!

Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti

Title: Dava Shastri's Last Day 

Author: Kirthana Ramisetti

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Have you ever wondered what people will say about you after you have died? Billionaire Dava Shastri has decided to ensure that it is publicly announced that she has died on a specific day, but has arranged her own death to happen a short time afterward. She knows she is dying, but wants to know what people will share about her legacy and is used to the world conforming to her own desires. She invites her family to her island, and they all cope with the public news of her death - and learning of her impending death - in their own ways. Her grandchildren finally find a way to connect with her, and family secrets are discovered, but nothing quite works out the way that Dava planned! Maybe you can't orchestrate the big life and death events, but there are lots of moments that are worth reaching for in-between, as this book demonstrates.

- Katrina 

Check out Dava Shastri's Last Day by Kirthana Ramisetti @ the library!