“It’s a highly personal memoir showing me a side of medicine I hadn’t been privy to before now.” – Amy B., Kids Room/ATS

Thomas Fisher is an emergency room physician who works on the South Side of Chicago very near to where he has lived his entire life. He became a doctor to help the poor in his neighborhood get access to quality medical care. The book highlights the inequity in healthcare that many people of color know about all too well. He also takes the reader through many of his shifts in the emergency room showing, in detail, the kinds of cases he sees. The reader gets a real sense of what it is like to actually work in the emergency room. A fascinating read.

“When this album was released in 2005, it was maligned by critics who felt the band was turning their back on their original sound. 17 years later, the experimentation has been proven to be a success. In 2022, this is the perfect summer album!” – Ed, IT

The Strokes’ ambitious third album.

“An unputdownable chilling dystopian tale that gives the reader a lot to ponder.” – Lora, ATS

Frida Liu is struggling. She doesn’t have a career worthy of her Chinese immigrant parents’ sacrifices. She can’t persuade her husband, Gust, to give up his wellness-obsessed younger mistress. Only with Harriet, their cherubic daughter, does Frida finally attain the perfection expected of her. Harriet may be all she has, but she is just enough. Until Frida has a very bad day. The state has its eyes on mothers like Frida. The ones who check their phones, letting their children get injured on the playground; who let their children walk home alone. Because of one moment of poor judgment, a host of government officials will now determine if Frida is a candidate for a Big Brother-like institution that measures the success or failure of a mother’s devotion. Faced with the possibility of losing Harriet, Frida must prove that a bad mother can be redeemed. That she can learn to be good.

“I was caught up in the emotions of the characters’ lives as they navigated life-changing events, the unique struggles of teens advocating for themselves, and the eye-opening portrayal of deaf history and deaf culture.” – DG Library Staff

A coming of age story set in a boarding school for the deaf. Charlie, a rebellious new student who has never met another deaf person before, and February, the headmistress who was raised by deaf parents, are the heart of this story.

“Myers is a debut author who understands the world of women. I was immediately drawn into her characters and motivations, Maddie is a spunky and believable heroine. It almost wrapped up too neatly into a bow at the end, but it was a very satisfying read. Great for both teens and adults to devour.” – Joy, Adult & Teen Services

Maddie is growing up in post World War II North Carolina, with a sparkling gift for sewing just like her famous aunt who sews gorgeous clothes for the so called wealthy “Tobacco Wives”, essentially the former plantation owner’s wives who run the local tobacco plants that employ entire towns. Seen through the eyes of an adolescent, Maddie is swept away into her aunt’s business after her mother foists her off to work for her. When Maddie is starting to realize that tobacco is causing alarming health issues among these same wives, she wants to sound the alarm, but the powers that be have other plans to silence any possible concerns.

“This audiobook was such a unique blend of beautiful musical selections along with self-discovery and meditative introspection. I have listened to this musical memoir several times, and each time, it still provides inspiration and relaxation.” – Van, ATS

Classical musician and cultural icon Yo-Yo Ma invites listeners to ponder humanity and hope with a beginner’s mind. He recounts various details of his life with minimal dialogue in between beautiful musical performances, which showcase his stunning mastery of the cello.

“This novella is a gently funny story of the first meeting of a very odd couple set in a world built on kindness and community. The rich world and character building will make readers feel deeply invested in the success or failure of Dex and Mosscap’s very low stakes road trip. A warm, optimistic tale of finding purpose.” – DG Library Staff 

On the moon of Panga, a monk named Dex sets off from the city in search of a new purpose. When a robot named Mosscap approaches their camp one night, they become the first person in living memory to meet a robot. Together the unlikely pair head off the beaten path and try to find the answer to the question “what do people need?”

“This is a classic and trailblazing book for a reason and I’m so glad I finally picked it up. What I found most powerful is that it feels both timeless and contemporary, despite being written in the 1970s.” – DG Library Staff

The first science fiction written by a black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given…

“Magic, sword fights, politics, hard choices, hilarious/thoughtful/moving banter, and romance. This is a 2014 game and remains my favorite.” – Kelly K., Circulation

Mages, once confined to towers with their magic constantly supervised and often brutally punished by the Chantry’s Templar Order, have rebelled. A civil war is brewing. Peace minded mages and clergy meet to discuss terms… but are massacred by an explosion so powerful that it tears a hole in the sky. As the blast’s sole survivor, only you and your team can bring the world back from the brink of destruction. Gorgeous openworld game, choice-based action and consequences, lots of humor, and 8 different romance-able characters to woo. (PS4, XBOX 360, XBOX ONE)

“Almost everyone has experienced trauma or deep painful suffering. This book can illuminate some generational understandings as to why we suffer with the unique lens from our family of origin, and gives some hopeful stories to uplift the reader. Highly recommended.” – Joy, ATS

Galit Atlas is no distant participant in her patients’ stories of the unexplained trauma they carry; she carries her own from Israel and examines the lives of her own family and their relationship to Israel and the Holocaust. This is an in-depth look at the generational trauma told through individual stories of healing through immense difficulties.

“Have tissues on hand when you play this game. I felt so many emotions while playing. It’s filled with lovable, memorable characters that you will probably get attached to. The gameplay is also very enjoyable and some days I found myself not wanting to put it down.” – Gina, Circulation

In this cozy management game, you play as Stella, a ferrymaster that cares for various spirits before they end their journey to the afterlife. Every spirit needs a comfy spot to sleep and good food to eat, so it’s your job to make them happy. In return, they’ll teach you something that might be helpful on your journey. Spiritfarer takes you on a journey to various islands where you’ll meet some interesting characters and find materials to upgrade your ship.

“I took this book with me several times to restaurants to read the chapter “And You May Ask Yourself, Well, How Did I Get Here?” to friends. We laughed, as it is supposed to be humorous, but mostly we sat there stunned at the end of the chapter as Kimberly outlines the sixteen steps of the “experiment” that marriage REALLY consists of, in a way that I’ve never seen before, meaning, spot-on.” – Kelly, Kids Room

Digging into the history of her 20 years of marriage, Kimberly manages to explain what went right, what went wrong, and why women shouldn’t continue to feel bad for wanting more.

“First, I laughed until I cried. Then, I cried until I cried more. This one was life-changing for me personally. Imagine if She-Ra & the Princesses of Power was rated R and told from Catra’s POV? (Except I love Wyatt far, far more.)” – Kelly K., Circulation

In Asalin, fae rule and witches serve… or worse. Wyatt’s betrothal to Emyr was meant to change all that, but instead he fled to the human world. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr tracks him down and claims they must marry to avert civil war back home. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide what’s more important – his own freedom or his people’s.

“Well-researched and non-exploitative, with illustrations in a drab grey, the book traces Gein’s life from growing up with an alcoholic father and verbally abusive mother, carving out a hermit-like existence as an adult except for handyman jobs, and all the while moving forward in his psychosis, driven by an unwavering devotion to his mother.” – Karen, Adult & Teen Services

A true crime graphic novel rendition of the necrophile serial killer Eddie Gein, who, in the 1950s, killed women and robbed graves to create household items. His life was the basis for films such as Psycho and Silence of the Lambs.

“A great new addition to the historical mystery genre. I can’t wait for the next book in the series!” – Lora, Adult & Teen Services

It’s 1946 and journalist Billie Walker is back home in Sydney running her father’s private investigation agency. Most of Billie’s cases involve marital disputes, but client Mrs. Brown hires her to find her son, Adin, who is missing. Billie’s investigation leads her through both the upper and lower classes of society along with providing a great sense of place in post-war Sydney for the reader in addition to the fashions of the time.