Shannon Harris

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!

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.