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“So, if I’m cooking, I’ll be steaming vegetables, making some nice salad, that kind of stuff.”

– Paul McCartney

Open-Faced Pesto Melts, Easy Cheesy Lasagna, Pinto Bean Tostadas, Rice and Lentil Burgers, Fruit Juice Gummies and No-Bake Brownie Bites await you in “Vegetarian Family Cookbook” by Kristen Wood. You can sneak more fruits and veggies in while serving flavorful snacks like Creamy Coconut Fruit Dip with apple slices, Banana Oatmeal Bars, Baked Broccoli Tots plus Chickpea and Zucchini Nuggets dipped in Rosemary Honey Mustard Sauce. Picky eaters of all ages will find much to like among these 100 meat-free dishes.

Saving time while creating delicious food is the theme of these next two cookbooks. First up is “Speedy Bosh!” by Henry Firth and Ian Theasby. In it, they will show you how to take advantage of common kitchen appliances, ready-made ingredients and their wealth of kitchen hacks to quickly and efficiently get yummy dishes on the table in 30 minutes or less. Now, it’s possible to make Teriyaki Tempeh, Deep, Dark Smoky Chili, and Happy Chick’n Parmo without spending hours in the kitchen. For dessert, there’s Red Velvet Sorbet, Blueberry Cheesecake Shake and Creamy Lime Pie.

Secondly, is Ally Lazare’s “Plant-Based Diet in 30 Minutes.” Her focus is on creating quick and tasty vegan food that is low in salt, sugar and saturated fat. Ally gives us a dozen breakfast ideas to fuel our mornings like Zucchini-Carrot Oatmeal Muffins, Pumpkin Spice Scones, Pancake Tray, Two Ways plus Very Berry Smoothie and Go Green Smoothie. For lunch and dinner there’s Buffalo Ranch Pasta Salad, Egg-Roll-in-a-Bowl Stir Fry, Seven-Layer Burritos, Greek Veggie Bowls with Hummus and Crab Cake Burgers using chickpeas and hearts of palm.

Cafe Gratitude is a popular plant-based restaurant with six locations serving Southern California. Since 2008, the executive chef, Seizan Dreux Ellis has been creating fresh, whole-food-inspired vegan fare to enthusiastic diners. Now, home chefs can replicate their favorite restaurant dishes from his new cookbook, “Love is Served.” Here is a sampling of what’s inside: Honeydew Melon and Cucumber Gazpacho with Spicy Pepitas, Indian Curry Bowl, Tempeh Caesar Wrap, Pad Thai Kelp Noodles and Hawaiian Pizza with an Ancient Grain Crust. To satisfy that sweet tooth, indulge in some Strawberry Shortcake in a Jar, decadent Black Lava Cake with Caramel Sauce, Key Lime Pie and chewy Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies.

“A Day for Rememberin’: Inspired by the True Events of the First Memorial Day,” is a newly released book by children’s author Leah Henderson. The phrase, “a day for rememberin’”– just about says it all about the holiday we observe at the end of May each year. How many of us mark that day remembering what we’re asked to, and how many are even aware of the intention of the holiday?

This new addition to A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Young Readers’ Room will help new readers—and older ones—learn about the history of the day and why it’s important to observe it. Memorial Day is designated as a day to remember the countless number of our neighbors, friends, and relatives throughout history who have given up their lives in duty to their country while serving in the military.

Henderson’s inspiring account is of one of the first commemorations of Memorial Day — on May 1, 1865. She encountered the story through a photograph of a gathering for Decoration Day, as it was initially named. She tells it through the eyes of Eli, the 10-year-old son of a formerly enslaved man, who, with his family, is moved to honor those who had given their lives fighting for the freedom of his community in the conflict which had divided the United States.

The War Between the States is featured in another new addition to the Library, “The Black Civil War Soldier: a Visual History of Conflict and Citizenship.” Author Deborah Willis honors this often unrecognized group of Civil War soldiers using the medium of photography, the use of which was beginning to become widespread during the mid-1800s. Willis showcases a collection of portraits and personal ephemera exploring the lives of the Black Union soldiers, as well as those of other African Americans aiding in the struggle, from family members left behind to female spies, ultimately revealing their remarkable resilience.

Besides the volumes inspired by photographs and letters, authors have also conducted interviews with soldiers in some of our new books. Bestseller “Modern Warriors: Real Stories from Real Heroes” is an offering by FOX & Friends Weekend cohost Pete Hegseth. His is a collection of stirring narratives from fifteen individuals, including decorated Navy SEALs, Army Rangers, marines, Purple Heart recipients, combat pilots, a Medal of Honor recipient, and more.

From bestselling novelist James Patterson is the non-fiction volume, “Walk in My Combat Boots: True Stories from America’s Bravest Warriors.” Patterson and his team spoke with veterans of the Vietnam, Gulf, and Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Among other experiences, each relays how they dealt with threats of sudden death from snipers and improvised explosive devices, and how a majority of them suffer degrees of post-traumatic stress.

Of course Memorial Day is really about the soldiers who are not able to tell us their stories, the ones who didn’t make it home to us. The following two books get as close as we can to knowing them, through those who knew them best, their families. “Three Wise Men: a Navy Seal, a Green Beret, and How their Marine Brother Became a War’s Sole Survivor,” is written by brother Beau Wise (with Tom Sileo), a United States Marine Corps combat veteran who is the only known American service member to be pulled from the battlefield after losing two brothers in Afghanistan.

“Sacrifice: a Gold Star Widow’s Fight for the Truth” is a poignant memoir by Michelle Richmond Black who details her grief in becoming a gold-star widow. After losing her Green Beret husband, Bryan Black, when he died fighting the Islamic State in Niger in 2017, Michelle Black went looking for answers. Given few details about her husband’s death, Black conducted exclusive interviews with the survivors of her husband’s unit and delved into research of military leadership and accountability to learn what happened to him that final day and, finally, to know and understand his full sacrifice.

Here is a list of additional current titles available at the Library remembering soldiers. Pick up one to peruse and take “a day for rememberin’” the soldier’s sacrifice — the ultimate sacrifice, for fellow soldier, for country, and for each of us.

• The daughters of Kobani : a story of rebellion, courage, and justice
• The Greatest Beer Run Ever: a Memoir of Friendship, Loyalty, and War
• Ghost Flames: Life and Death in a Hidden War, Korea 1950-1953
• I Marched with Patton: a Firsthand Account of World War II alongside One of the U.S. Army’s Greatest Generals
• Facing the Mountain: a True Story of Japanese American Heroes in World War II
• Inferno: the True Story of a B-17 Gunner’s Heroism and the Bloodiest Military Campaign in Aviation History
• Whatever It Took: an American Paratrooper’s Extraordinary Memoir of Escape, Survival, and Heroism in the Last Days of World War II
• The York Patrol: the Real Story of Alvin York and the Unsung Heroes Who Made Him World War I’s Most Famous Soldier
• A Thousand May Fall: Life, Death, and Survival in the Union Army (an account of German immigrant soldiers)

Your A.K. Smiley Public Library card allows you to bring home more than just books. You can also check out a piece of Redlands culture and help support local artists. A.K. Smiley Public Library’s collection of local art features a variety of pieces by local artists from two Redlands Art Association exhibitions, many depicting scenes of Redlands. Pieces may be checked out for six weeks, with a limit of two pieces per checkout.

This unique circulating collection was made possible through a collaboration between A.K. Smiley Library and Redlands Art Association. The pieces are available in a variety of sizes and styles. There’s something for everyone. This collection is a fun way to discover local artists and experiment with different art types without spending a dime. If you discover a piece you especially like, chances are you can find more by the same artist, as well as other treasures at the Redlands Art Association Gallery, located in the heart of Downtown Redlands, at 215 E. State Street, Redlands, CA 92373.

Come on over and find your inspiration!
Pictured: Four of the many works of art available for checkout at A.K. Smiley Public Library.

Teens, do I even need to remind you that summer is right around the corner? Look around the corner. See summer waiting for you, eager to sizzle you in a boiling sweat bath? Luckily, for the next few weeks we get to luxuriate in thoughts of summer (freedom, no homework, popsicles, adventures) without experiencing its fiery death grip. What better time to read an epic summer novel? Here are some YA titles you may want to add to your summer reading pile.

Full disclosure: I broke the cardinal rule of reading. I judged a book by its cover. Picture it: the tantalizing silhouette of an amusement park bathed in the glow of a purple sunset. And in the foreground? A girl in a hot dog suit.

If this description hasn’t convinced you to immediately check out the book “Hot Dog Girl” by Jennifer Dugan, allow me to elaborate. Teenager Eloise gets a job at a local theme park in the hopes of attracting the romantic attentions of Nick. There’s just one problem. Nick is cast as a dashing pirate, and Eloise, a.k.a. Lou, is assigned the role of, yes, you guessed it, a hot dog. Oh, and Nick already has a girlfriend—as luck would have it, the amusement park’s beautiful and beguiling princess. Lou hatches a cockamamie plot to win Nick over—a classic frankfurter-woos-swashbuckler scheme—and in the process, learns more about real love than she anticipated. Pass the mustard and pull down the security bar for a wacky summer love quadrilateral that redefines happy endings.

If you have a heart of stone and hate hot dogs, maybe “The Lake” by Natasha Preston is more your speed. I am quivering in my flip-flops just thinking about this book.

When seventeen-year-old friends Esme and Kayla receive letters inviting them to return to Camp Pine Lake as counselors-in-training, they’re excited but wary. Last time they were at Camp Pine Lake was eight years ago, as campers, and they were involved in something horrible they swore they would never talk about again.

Now they’re back, and mysterious messages start appearing at camp, messages that reveal someone else knows their secret…and wants revenge. What starts out as disturbing quickly turns terrifying as Esme and Kayla come face to face with their dark past. The lake never forgets…

Eeeeeek! Kiss your fingernails goodbye. This is an unsettling but hard-to-rip-your-eyes-away-from nail-biter…proceed with caution.

I didn’t want to write about two summer love stories in one article, but alas, “Love is a Revolution” by Renée Watson made me do it. Does it count as a love story when the book takes a turn from the typical girl-meets-boy romance to more of a self-love story? What’s that you say? That’s an exception to the two-love-stories-in-one-article rule? Phew! Here goes…

Nala made a list of the things she wanted to accomplish during the summer before her senior year: Find a new hairdo. Binge-watch Netflix. Oh, and find love. When her cousin Imani drags her to a talent show sponsored by Imani’s social activism group, Inspire Harlem, Nala, whose eyes typically roll at these events, catches sight of Tye and her heart immediately catches fire. It’s fine if Nala pretends to be an activist to get Tye’s attention, right? And it’s no big deal if she pretends to be a vegetarian, like he is? That’s the best strategy to make him like her, right? Right? RIGHT???

What happens when you make someone you’re really into fall for a not entirely real version of you? Check out this body-positive, entirely relatable summer tale to find out.

And there you have it. A short list to get your summer reading started off right. And don’t forget to join A.K. Smiley Public Library’s Dig Deeper Summer Reading Program this summer. It starts June 15 and there will be prizes specifically for teens which you will not want to miss. Unfortunately, no hot dog suits.

May is Mental Health Month. Now, more than ever, seems a good time to raise awareness about mental health. The A.K. Smiley Public Library’s new book section has many selections from different perspectives on mental health issues, with a few examples mentioned here.

“Unwinding Anxiety: New Science Shows How to Break the Cycles of Worry and Fear to Heal Your Mind,” by Judson Brewer, MD, PhD; “Good Morning, Monster: A Therapist Shares Five Heroic Stories of Emotional Recovery,” by Catherine Gildiner; “Emotional Inflammation: Discover Your Triggers and Reclaim Your Equilibrium During Anxious Times,” by Lise Van Susteren, MD and Stacey Colino; “Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life,” by Christie Tate; “Depression, Anxiety, and Other Things We Don’t Want to Talk About,” by Ryan Casey Waller; “The Long Night: Readings and Stories to Help You Through Depression,” by Jessica Kantrowitz; “Winning the War in Your Mind: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life,” by Craig Groeschel; “The Upside of Being Down,” by Jen Gotch with Rachel Bertsche; “Hilarious World of Depression,” by John Moe; “Eat to Beat Depression and Anxiety: Nourish Your Way to Better Mental Health in Six Weeks,” by Drew Ramsey, MD; “When the World Feels Like a Scary Place: Essential Conversations for Anxious Parents and Worried Kids,” by Abigail Gewirtz, PhD.

The Young Adult section located downstairs in the Library also has a few new books to check out, as well. “Beneath the Surface: A Teen’s Guide to Reaching Out When You or a Friend is in Crisis,” by Kristi Hugstad; “Anxiety…I’m So Done With You: A Teen’s Guide to Ditching Toxic Stress and Hardwiring Your Brain for Happiness,” by Jodi Aman; “Rewire Your Anxious Brain for Teens:  Using CBT, Neuroscience & Mindfulness to Help You End Anxiety, Panic & Worry,” by Debra Kissen, PhD, Ashley D. Kendall, PhD, Michelle Lozano, LMFT, and Micah Ioffe, PhD.

A.K. Smiley Library is open for in-person visits. Refer to the website at www.akspl.org for hours and also for information on our e-books and databases which are available 24/7. Knowledge is power!