FICTION
Death by Demo by Callie Carpenter
Jaime and Henry were the perfect couple with the perfect life. But when Jaime catches her charismatic husband in an affair, she realizes her husband is not the man she thought she married. The divorce is equally gutting; Jaime receives only one thing: a house in disrepair. Knowing that any renovation she attempts will be tedious and costly, Jaime starts to believe that things can’t get much worse — until she finds a dead body in the house. Jaime decides to investigate the murder herself, DIY-style. Together with the new resident cat she calls Demo and the handsome and friendly hardware store owner who happens to be her neighbor, Jaime is ready to use all the tools in her toolbox to catch the killer.
Mortal Follies by Alexis J. Hall
Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball. However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if that means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgiana Landrake — a brooding, alluring young woman — who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks.
The Devil’s Playground by Craig Russell
1927: Mary Rourke is called urgently to the palatial home of Norma Carlton, one of the most recognizable stars in American silent film. Norma has been working on the secret film everyone is openly talking about … a terrifying horror picture called The Devil’s Playground that is rumored to have unleashed a curse on everyone involved in the production. 1967: Paul Conway, a journalist and self-professed film aficionado has heard that a single copy of The Devil’s Playground may exist. The Devil’s Playground is Craig Russell’s tour de force, a richly researched and constructed thriller that reveals a blossoming industry built on secrets, invented identities, and a desperate pursuit of image.
Excavations by Hannah Michell
Sae is waiting with two clingy toddlers for her husband to come home from work when she learns of a horrific disaster, the collapse of a massive skyscraper where Jae is an engineer. Minutes, then hours, and then days pass. No one has seen Jae, but things aren’t adding up. Jae had told Sae he was working on a swimming pool on the top floor, but reports showed he was in the basement, on a different project. The government was involved, but the contractors were missing. Sae — who met Jae when they were students at an anti-government protest — is troubled and suspicious. Leaving the children with her estranged mother, Sae sets out to uncover the truth of what happened to her husband.
NONFICTION
Shakespeare’s First Folio: Four Centuries of an Iconic Book by Emma Smith
First printed in 1623, the First Folio presents 36 of Shakespeare’s plays in one volume and is the only source for 18 of his plays. Without it, works such as The Tempest, Twelfth Night and Macbeth would be lost. Also, the First Folio introduced the now familiar organization into comedies, histories, and tragedies. Of the 750 copies originally produced, only some 200 remain today. Interestingly, no two copies are identical and few surviving First Folios are complete. One work, Troilus and Cressida, appears in some copies but not others. Printing stopped and started due to finances, so corrections were made throughout the print run. Small changes were also made to Martin Droeshout’s (now iconic) Shakespeare portrait on the title page.
Dirty Laundry: Why Adults with ADHD are so Ashamed and What We Can Do to Help by Richard Pink and Roxanne Emery
In Dirty Laundry, life partners Rich Pink and Rox Emery unapologetically guide you through the ups and downs of life with ADHD. Every chapter starts with a common symptom of ADHD, like impulsivity or struggles with finances, and an earnest moment from their own lives to show you how they navigate the symptom together. Rox reminds you to be kind to yourself and love yourself for who you are; Rich offers tips on how he uses compassion and honesty instead of jumping to conclusions. Whether it’s helping your ADHDer with friendly time-checks before an appointment or reminding yourself to take breaks during hours spent hyperfocusing on a new project, Rox and Rich give you the tools to normalize life with ADHD.
John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community by Raymond Arsenault
For six decades John Robert Lewis (1940–2020) was a towering figure in the U.S. struggle for civil rights. As an activist and progressive congressman, he was renowned for his unshakable integrity, indomitable courage, and determination to get into “good trouble.” In this first book-length biography of Lewis, Raymond Arsenault traces Lewis’s upbringing in rural Alabama, his activism as a Freedom Rider and leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, his championing of voting rights and anti-poverty initiatives, and his decades of service as the “conscience of Congress.”
We’ve Got Issues: How You can Stand Strong for America’s Soul and Sanity by Philip C. McGraw, PH.D.
This compelling work combines a brutally honest look at the sustained attack on the core values that have defined America at its best and offers prescriptive guidance on what you can do in your own life to stop the madness. With his 10 working principles for a healthy society, Dr. Phil provides the tools for mainstream America to fight back against the forces of division. With the hard-earned wisdom of years spent working with Americans of all backgrounds, Dr. Phil charts a course from cancel culture to counsel culture, from fear to acceptance, from victimhood to community, and from the tyranny of the fringe to a more civil society where we heal our divides and every one of us decides to be who we are on purpose. Dr. Phil is here to show us how.
CHILDREN’S
My Town Helpers (Crabree Seedlings) by Taylor Farley
This most basic of nonfiction picture books introduces little ones to different jobs and services within a community. Each spread features a photograph of a community helper on the job and the opposite page has the name of their occupation in big easy-to-read print. Children will get to see a firefighter, doctor, nurse, teacher, librarian, vet, mayor, electrician, police officer and mail carrier in their work clothes and helping the community. Ideal for first introductions about community helpers.
Ages: 2–5
LIBRARY OPEN
Lima Public Library is open to the public six days a week. Hours for the Main Library in Lima are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our Cairo, Elida and Spencerville branch libraries are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Our Lafayette branch is open from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday.
