Shannon Harris

It is not uncommon for readers, even the most passionate ones, to find themselves in the dreaded reading slump. You read synopsis after synopsis and nothing sounds good to you or everything sounds the same. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, then let me introduce you to a genre of fiction that is getting very popular, “healing fiction.” This genre is already very popular in countries like Korea and Japan and is gaining popularity here amongst readers in the United States. I know you all are clamoring to know what “healing fiction” is. Well, simply put, healing fiction has themes of healing, friendship, comfort, empathy, and maybe a bit of magic in them. Here are a few new titles to get you started on reading this new genre of fiction.

The Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki is about a coffee shop that has no fixed location and only appears when someone needs it at a crucial point in their lives. And did I mention the coffee shop is run by talking cats! Yup, talking cats. Aside from serving cakes, coffee, and tea, these cats also serve up astrological advice for those who are in need of guidance.

Marigold Mind Laundry by Jungeun Yun is about a woman named Jieun who magically brings into existence the Marigold Mind Laundry. It is here that customers who are seeking comfort in their lives tell her their unhappiest memories. Come and check out this novel and read about Jieun and her customers and how the power to heal oneself is in us all.

The Dallergut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee is a novel about a department store and the people who work there that sell dreams to humans and animals. At this dream store, one can “buy” dreams on flying, a favorite childhood memory, dreams of becoming famous, and even dreams of loved ones who have passed on. Come and check out this novel and read about how sometimes the simple act of dreaming can influence your life in the waking world.

If these titles have piqued your interest, then come and check them out at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

My favorite time to read horror is in the summertime. There is something about the stillness and quiet of the summertime nights that makes me want to stay up late reading a scary book. If you are a fan of horror fiction, then I have some new titles to recommend to you (nightlight not included).

Andrew Larimer gets a phone call in the middle of the night from someone from his past telling him that he needs to come home to Kingsport, a place that he thought he would never have to visit again. Back in Kingsport, Andrew meets up with his childhood friends when they are confronted with a secret from the past. Small Town Horror by Ronald Malfi is a must read for any fan of classic horror fiction.

Harry Adams loves horror movies; she loves them so much that she even got a job cleaning the house of one of her favorite horror directors. The house is huge and filled with horror movie paraphernalia, which is fine by Harry until she starts hearing strange noises coming from one of the many locked rooms. Find out what is lurking behind closed doors in The House that Horror Built by Christina Henry.

Anna and her family are vacationing at a villa in Italy when things start getting weird: strange noises, warnings from the townspeople, and a villa with a haunting past. Come check out Diavola by Jennifer Thorne, it will have you rethinking any vacations you take involving your family and a creepy old villa in Italy.

Come check out these chilling titles at A.K. Smiley Public Library!

One of the most commonly asked questions I get working at A.K. Smiley Public Library is “what’s the last good book you have read?” Most of the time I get nervous and can’t remember; well luckily for you, my dear reader, I can recommend two good books to you.

I know it is only April, but my favorite book that I have read so far this year, is Murder Road by Simone St. James. Newlyweds April and Eddie are on their way to their honeymoon when they come across a young woman on the side of the road who looks like she is in need of help. They pick up the despondent woman and take her to the hospital where she is later pronounced dead. The cops immediately suspect them as the murderers. Trying to prove themselves innocent, April and Eddie uncover a sinister secret where more than one hitchhiker has been murdered on this murderous road. Check out this title to see what or who has been murdering innocent hitchhikers.

Another novel that I really enjoyed reading is The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. If you are familiar with the mythology of the fox in Asian cultures, then I highly recommend this book. The Fox Wife takes place in 1908 in Manchuria where a ‘woman’ named Snow is seeking revenge and a detective named Bao is investigating a mysterious death of a young woman. Check out this novel to find out how Snow’s and Bao’s fates are intertwined.

Make your way down to A.K. Smiley Public Library and check out these two titles today!

The 96th Academy Awards are approaching and if you are like me, and try to watch the nominations for Best Picture, you are in luck! A.K. Smiley Public Library has some of the Best Picture nominees available on DVD for check out. So, get your comfortable clothes on and grab your favorite snacks, I am taking you all out for a quadruple feature. Let’s go to the movies!

Our first feature film is Barbie. Barbie is nominated for eight Oscars including, Best Picture, Best-Supporting Actor (Ryan Gosling), and Best-Supporting Actress (America Ferrera). Check out this film and see what happens to Barbie and Ken when they leave Barbieland and visit the ‘real’ world.

Our second film in our quadruple feature is Past Lives, which is nominated for two Oscars, Best Picture and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Celine Song. Past Lives is a romantic drama and explores the concept of unrequited first love.

Our third film, The Holdovers, has been nominated for five Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Actor (Paul Giamatti), and Best Supporting-Actress (Da’Vine Joy Randolph). The Holdovers is a comedy drama about a cantankerous teacher and a rebellious student who are required to stay together at school during the Christmas holiday. During their time together, an unlikely friendship is formed.

Our last film of the quadruple feature is Oppenheimer which has been nominated for 13 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor (Cillian Murphy), and Best Director (Christopher Nolan), just to name a few. Oppenheimer is a biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer’s involvement with the Manhattan Project and his invention of the atomic bomb.

Come and check out these DVDs at A.K. Smiley Public Library. Popcorn not included.

-Shannon Harris is a Library Specialist at A.K. Smiley Public Library who wants Cillian Murphy to win for Best Actor.

I can’t believe that the holiday season is upon us! It seems like it was just yesterday that I was decorating my Halloween tree and drinking my first pumpkin spice latte of the season (yes, I have a Halloween tree that beautifully transitions to a Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Christmas tree). If you are not quite ready for the upcoming holiday season or you are ready with your peppermint mocha in hand, then here are few new titles from your favorite public library, A.K. Smiley Library.

If you are not ready to read holiday-themed books quite yet, may I suggest Phantom, by Helen Power. Regan Osbourne is in a tight spot–she’s broke, in a bad relationship, and her art career is getting her nowhere. One night, desperate and fed up, a mysterious man approaches her with a proposition she can’t refuse, one million dollars for one of her hands, her dominant hand to be exact. Regan agrees. Come and check out Phantom to see what happens to Regan and her missing appendage.

If you are ready to go all-in on the holiday season, I suggest to you Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley. Maryam Aziz and Anna Gibson are strangers, but fate has other plans for them. Both are flying home to Toronto, Canada for the holiday season until severe turbulence diverts their plane and plans and leaves them stranded in a picturesque town called Snow Falls where destiny has other plans for them.

If neither of these titles appeals to you and you want something more in the fairy tale realm, then I suggest to you, After the Forest by Kell Woods. After the Forest takes place 20 years after Greta and Hans escape the infamous witch who lived in a gingerbread house. While Greta was being held captive all those years ago, she took the witch’s grimoire which holds magic spells that are more powerful than Greta can comprehend. Will Greta succumb to the lure of the grimoire to help her and the village which she grew up in, or will the villagers turn against her and her new found magical abilities?

So, come visit your favorite local library and check out these festive and not-so-festive titles for your reading pleasure.

-Shannon Harris is a library specialist who enjoys reading horror and holiday-themed books so much that she is currently reading a book called Christmas and Other Horrors.