Shannon Harris

Ladies and Gentlemen, I am happy to announce that it is finally, Halloween season. I have literally been waiting an entire year to celebrate Halloween again. And on that note, here is your annual Shannon’s spine-chilling Smiley Library selections. Read if you dare (enter menacing laugh here).

My first frightening find is “The Staircase in the Woods” by Chuck Wendig. Wendig tells an alternating timeline story about a group of high school friends who would do anything for each other, until they don’t. One fateful weekend changes their lives when a strange staircase shows up in the middle of the woods where the five friends are camping. Out of anger and frustration, one of the friends decides to climb the staircase to see what will happen, and when he reaches the top of the staircase, he disappears never to be seen again. Decades go by, and when one of the friends calls the group for one last epic hangout, as his dying wish, the friends acquiesce. The group of friends come to realize that the dying wish is actually a trap that brings the past and present together. Come and check out this frightening tale to find out what fate has in store for this group of friends.

If you want something on the lighter and more romantic side, then I suggest “Ghost Business” by Jen DeLuca. Sophie runs and operates the only ghost tour of the haunted town Boneyard Key, Florida, that is until the newcomer, Tristan moves into town. Much to Sophie’s chagrin, Tristan starts his own ghost tour business of Boneyard Key, and a ghost tour rivalry has begun! Will Sophie and Tristan be able to exorcise their demons? Read this book to find out which business gets ghosted.

If neither of these two books sound appealing to you, then I suggest Sarah Pinborough’s latest novel, “We Live Here Now.” After an accident that nearly killed her, Emily and her husband, Freddie, decide to move to the English countryside for a new start. The house is immaculate, but something feels wrong, very wrong. The lights turn off by themselves, books fall out of the bookcase, and she is sensing a paranormal presence in the house, but Emily is the only one witnessing these happenings and her husband doesn’t believe her. Is the house really haunted or is Emily hallucinating? Come and check out this haunting read to find out the truth.

Come and down and check out these and other haunting novels.

Shannon Swamp Witch Harris is a Library Specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who loves Halloween.

With a show of hands, how many of you know that August is read-a-romance month? And what better way to celebrate the month, than by visiting A.K. Smiley Public Library and checking out the following romance titles.

Do you like enemies-to-lovers romance books with fantasy elements? Then you may want to check out The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley. Osric, an assassin, is in desperate need of an expert healer. As fate would have it, the healer who can help him belongs to an Order that is also his sworn enemy. Come and check out this title to see what happens in this enemies-to-lovers read.

Do you play Dungeons & Dragons and like friends-to-lovers romances? Then you will most definitely want to read Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods. Sadie, recently unemployed, is down on her luck and needs a distraction from the real world. Her distractions are Dungeons & Dragons, and Noah, another player in their campaign. Take the chance and roll the dice and check out this friends-to-lovers romance.

If neither of these titles sound interesting to you and you like retellings of classic novels with a dark romance element, then I recommend Charming Devil by Rebecca Kenney. The portrait that keeps Dorian Gray eternally young and handsome is falling apart, and the only person who is capable of restoring the painting is Baz, a descendant of Dorian’s first love. Tension and passion build in this retelling of the classic novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Hear ye! Hear ye! Now that I have your undivided attention, I am pleased to tell you that A.K. Smiley Public Library has added some new movies and television series to the collection to check-out for free! Here are some of the new DVDs that are available to check out.

For fans of international films, we have the Japanese film Drive My Car and Korean films The Host, Escape, Train to Busan, Peninsula, and Memories of Murder.

If Sci-fi is more your thing, then you will be happy to know that we have Prometheus, Alien Covenant, and Alien Romulus. These films are part of the Alien franchise, starring Sigourney Weaver.

For fans of Westerns, we have the television series 1883 and 1923, both are a continuing story of the popular television series Yellowstone (which we also have).

For the cinephiles out there who like to watch the Oscar-nominated films we have The Brutalist, A Complete Unknown, and Anora.

For Star Wars fans, we now have The Mandalorain available for check-out.

If you like a good scare, we have Black Phone, Wolf Man, and The Last Voyage of the Demeter.

Fans of the movies in the Marvel Universe will be happy to know that we have Captain America: Brave New World and Shang-Chi: Legend of the Ten Rings.

For fans of binge-worthy shows, we have The Penguin, Better Call Saul, Severance, Interview with the Vampire, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, and the newest season of Outlander.

If none of these selections sound appealing and you want something funny and uplifting, then I am pleased to tell you that we have the television series Ted Lasso.

So come and down and check out these DVDs!

March is Women’s History Month and what better way to celebrate women and how amazing we are than by reading novels written by women. Here are a few new titles that are available for check out at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Bestselling author of Detransition Baby, Torrey Peters, gives us her latest title, Stag Dance, available for check out today. Stag Dance is comprised of three short stories and one novella, all of which discuss gender and gender identity. The story, Infect Your Friends and Loved Ones, imagines a future where everyone must choose their own gender.

Counterattacks at Thirty by Won-Pyung Sohn is about an office worker name Jihye, who has been silently enduring her semi-hostile work environment for years, until Gyuok is hired. Gyouk is a “rebel” of sorts and recruits Jihye and a few other office workers to commit small protests against the higher-ups they work with. Check out this title and the author’s previous novel, Almond.

33 Place Brugmann by Alice Austen takes place on the eve of the Nazi occupation in Brussels. This novel is about the eight residents who live at 33 Place Brugmann and how their lives are about to change forever. Readers of historical fiction will not want to miss this book.

The Moonlight Healers by Elizabeth Becker is a novel about a young woman named Louise Winston who discovers that the women in her family have magical abilities: they can heal with the touch of their hands. Readers of magical realism will not want to miss this enchanting novel about family, life, death, and magic.

First and foremost, Happy New Year to the readers of the “What’s New at Smiley Public Library” column. We are about two weeks into the New Year, and if your resolution for 2025 is to read more books, well lucky for you I can help you in that matter. Here is a list of new fiction titles that are available or will be available for check out at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Fans of the horror author Grady Hendrix will be happy to know that his latest novel, Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, will be released on January 14th.

Fans of the Elvis Cole and Joe Pike series by Robert Crais will be thrilled to know that the latest title, The Big Empty, will also be available for check on the 14th of this month.

Historical fiction fans will want to make sure that they read Homeseeking, by Karissa Chen, which was released earlier this month.

Romantasy (romance fantasy) readers will be happy to know that Onyx Storm, the third in the Empyrean series by Rebecca Yarros, will be available for check out after January 21st.

And if you are looking for a debut author to read, then you might want to check out The Three Lives of Cate Kay by Kate Fagan. This title will be available for check out this week.

Happy New Year and happy reading!