“Besides the fact that it’s Star Wars done like it’s never been done before, the story was incredibly genuine. Drawing from a rich tapestry of reimagining that dip in and out of the real world inspirations that drove George Lucas’ creative interpretation of the Hero’s Journey and Light vs Dark, the story turns a readers conceptions of what ought be on its head by switching the iconic roles. The Empire brings peace and prosperity, served by the Jedi, while the Rebellion only seeks to destabilize, and is fueled by the egoist Sith. Through this scope, the story examines lofty ideals and the dangers they provide, as well as one persons place among these titanic concepts that constantly test themselves against one another. Told with lightsabers, action, and that oh so wonderful Star Wars sense of humor of course.” – DG Library Staff

In this reimagining of the Star Wars universe, stories of the greater good, corruption, and unlikely allies come together as the Ronin pieces together what it means to reconcile ones past misdeeds and misgivings with their current path. Tied directly to the incredible debut episode of the Star Wars Manga Anthology – Visions – this novel explores a galaxy rich with the roots of the cultural inspirations that George Lucas drew from to create his iconic Jedi and Sith tales.

“I am a slow reader and I sometimes bore from novels so I loved that this was many stories in one that I could read start to end in one sitting. I never got lost after putting my bookmark in for the night because they were short enough to get through the whole thing. I also love getting those creepy feelings that I do from scary story telling!” – Jill, Circulation

Night Shift is Stephen King’s first collection of short stories and is considered his best. It includes an array of creepy stories that do a great job keeping your attention and instilling a bit of fear. If you like stories that are scary or even a bit bizarre, this is a great choice!

“I’ve always been interested in history, particularly that of Rome and Greece. This series is fiction, however it is based off of true events and the main protagonist himself, Marcus Clodius Ballista, is based off an actual Roman general Ballista, also known as Callistus. A lot of the big plot points throughout the series (the assassination of the Roman Emperor Maximus Thrax) are actual events that did happen and if you’re familiar with the history of Rome you will recognize plenty of other names and places that appear throughout the series.” – Tony, Circulation

The series follows Ballista, an Anglo-Saxon turned Roman general as he attempts to navigate not only the bloodied battlefields of Rome but also the political turmoil of a Roman Empire on the brink of collapse.

“Captivating family saga featuring five generations of an Indigenous Chicano family in Colorado. A must read for historical fiction readers!” – Kira, Access Services

Written in Kali Fajardo-Anstine’s singular voice, the wildly entertaining and complex lives of the Lopez family fill the pages of this multigenerational western saga. Woman of Light is a transfixing novel about survival, family secrets, and love—filled with an unforgettable cast of characters, all of whom are just as special, memorable, and complicated as our beloved heroine, Luz.

“It made me think deeply about the technology I use in my life.” – Amy, ATS & Kids Room

Two months after reading this book, I can’t stop thinking about it. Imagine what our world would be like if Google, Amazon & Meta merged. This dystopian novel hit a little too close to home for me.

“It’s a really fun read! It has witches, a magical competition, and a steamy romance. But at its heart, it’s a relatable story about the struggle to figure out who you are outside the family you grew up in and how to celebrate your own power (magical and otherwise).” – Allyson, Kids Room

Emmy Harlow is a witch from a town full of witches, most of whom are much more powerful than she is. She moved away almost ten years ago after an embarrassing break-up with the town golden boy but now must return to fulfill an obligation during an important ritual. She quickly meets up with Talia Avramov, an extremely powerful and extremely attractive fellow witch who proposes a plan to get Emmy the payback she craves. As her relationship with Talia begins to boil over, Emmy works to get revenge, get the girl, and find her true place in her home and her power.

“Cute story, likable characters, snappy dialogue, and lots and lots of references to delicious-sounding Filipino food. My mouth was watering as I read!” – Nancy, ATS

Lila Macapagal moves back to Shady Palms, Illinois to help her aunties run Tita Rosie’s Kitchen, a small-town Filipino restaurant. When Derek Winter, Lila’s ex-boyfriend, drops dead in the restaurant and Lila is a prime suspect, it is up to her to figure out whodunit!

“The coolness of simple life, nothing earth shattering but it makes you smile, its the normal things you do! He had a great take on the city.” – Nancy, Circulation

His take on Chicago and all the fantastic things there are to do.

“Visibility, Love, Pride & Protest – what’s not to love? This collection provides a window into the lives of people who changed the world.” – ATS Staff

A powerful collection of photographs from the New York Public Library’s archive of 1960s and 1970s LGBTQ history.

“Adriana Trigiani has this amazing writing ability that puts you right in the middle of her story, you feel like you are there. The locations and characters are so vivid, deep, and rich in detail.” – Lauren, IT

Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to share a long-held secret with her family about her own mother’s great love story: with her childhood friend, Silvio, and with dashing Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew. . . .

“The author clearly loved her characters and I loved them too!” – Mary S., ATS

A year in the life of the Padilla family who live in a small town in New Mexico. Fifteen-year-old Angel is pregnant, her dad is unemployed and waiting to be saved, and her grandma takes care of everyone while harboring her own secret. The family navigates their hardships with humor, love, and grit.

“The friendships and relationships portrayed in this book are so gentle and lovely. While many coming-of-age stories focus on the difficulties facing its main characters, Alice Oseman instead hones in on the development of genuinely caring and compassionate friendships that support each other in their instances of struggle.” – Lucas, Access Services

Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age graphic novel that explores friendship, love, and coming out. Also now a show on Netflix!

“Well, Brené Brown has done it again: written the book I needed to hear at the exact right time and place. As someone who’s an emotional intelligence student, who sometimes has a difficult time naming and feeling emotions, taking her readers on a journey into a map of what each of the main emotions truly means from her research is a powerful tool for self exploration and deep wisdom. Even if this is your first book by her, you should give it a try.” – DGPL Staff

But it’s not just Morgan’s death that has Sadie on edge. And as the eyes of suspicion turn toward the new family in town, Sadie is drawn deeper into the mystery of what really happened that dark and deadly night. But Sadie must be careful, for the more she discovers about Mrs. Baines, the more she begins to realize just how much she has to lose if the truth ever comes to light.

“It was such a page-turner, it kept me engaged and I could not put it down.” – Lauren, IT

Sadie and Will Foust have only just moved their family from bustling Chicago to a coastal island in Maine when their neighbor Morgan Baines is found dead in her home. The murder rocks their tiny coastal island, but no one is more shaken than Sadie.

“Fowler has done her research, and Booth’s family comes alive with complex characterizations and uneasy truths that ring true two centuries later. No easy answers here, but beautiful writing, Americana setting, and complex motivations that give the reader a sense of peeking into one of the most infamous historic American families.” – ATS Staff

A fascinating fictionalized in-depth look at one of the most notorious murderers in American history: John Wilkes Booth. Karen Joy Fowler takes us into the curious and strange large Booth family that birthed him. Obsessed with the stage, his eccentric father and older brother, his reclusive and resentful sister, and how such a family produced such a narcissistic murderer obsessed with a perverse kind of nationalism. The best kind of historical fiction teaches us what history could have been like, with a good dose of truth weaved in.