“Taussig’s short essays are beautiful and incredibly powerful. She demonstrates that disability affects everyone at some point and will make you think about the world we all live in, disabled or not. A must-read!” – Amanda, Adult & Teen Services

Growing up as a paralyzed girl during the 90s and early 2000s, Rebekah Taussig only saw disability depicted as something monstrous (The Hunchback of Notre Dame), inspirational (Helen Keller), or angelic (Forrest Gump). None of this felt right; and as she got older, she longed for more stories that allowed disability to be complex and ordinary, uncomfortable and fine, painful and fulfilling. Writing about the rhythms and textures of what it means to live in a body that doesn’t fit, Rebekah reflects on everything from the complications of kindness and charity, living both independently and dependently, experiencing intimacy, and how the pervasiveness of ableism in our everyday media directly translates to everyday life.

“I think we all have been touched by mental illness in some way, whether it’s ourselves or someone we love. It was inspiring to read about someone who lived through it and learned to appreciate life despite their illness. This book is filled with hope.” – Gina, Circulation

In this inspiring and emotional memoir, Matt Haig, author of ‘The Midnight Library,’ depicts his own experience with depression and how he overcame his mental illness.

“Very well written. Gives glimpses into Bronzeville, its people, and its history. I’ve visited a few times, but didn’t know very much about its history or the people who live there.” – Amy, Adult & Teen Services/Kids Room 

I picked up this memoir because of its author, Dawn Turner Trice. I’ve read many of her pieces over the years in the Chicago Tribune. This book is a memoir of her life. It’s the story of a woman who grew up in Bronzeville, attended U of I, and went on to work for the Tribune. It’s the story of Dawn and her sister and her best friend who all took very different paths in life. It’s the story of the evolution of Bronzeville, a neighborhood in Chicago where many people of color, including Dawn’s grandmother, settled after the Great Migration. It’s very well written and moving. It’s tragic and beautiful and triumphant at the same time.

“Told with a Shakespeare beat, an honest and thoughtful movie to bring about real change.” – Kelly, Kids Room 

After the murder of a child by a stray bullet, a group of women organizes against the ongoing violence in Chicago’s Southside, creating a movement that challenges the nature of race, sex, and violence in America and around the world.

“With its wide cast of characters and interesting puzzle, this book was a real treat.” – Lora, Adult & Teen Services

In this dark comedic novel, widower Felix Pink is an “Exiteer.” He, along with a partner, sits with someone who is terminally ill as the client takes their own life. It’s all done within the law, but one day it goes horribly wrong. Exit recounts the tale of the police–specifically PC Calvin Bridge–unraveling the crime that was committed and arresting who’s responsible. Felix, meanwhile, tries to make amends with the man mistakenly left alive.

“As a fan of the television series Avatar: The Last Airbender, I was excited to dive deeper into that universe with Earthbender Avatar Kyoshi’s origin story. Just like the television series, this story has its fair share of emotions and heartwarming storylines involving friendship and LGBTQ+ representation, to the heartbreaking reality of personal loss, impoverishment, and surviving in a world of political corruption. For fans of the Avatar: The Last Airbender series, this is a book worth picking up, and a hard one to put back down.” – Lane, Circulation

Set in the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender, readers journey into the origins of Avatar Kyoshi. Beginning with her humble roots in the Earth Kingdom, we follow Kyoshi as she stumbles into her position as the Avatar and journeys across the world in the pursuit of justice.

“If you are a parent, read it (you will probably feel better about yourself afterward). If you never want to become a parent, read it (it will reaffirm your decision to not have children). If you were ever an infant, read it (you will realize how much you changed your parent’s life).” – Kelly, Kids Room

Funny yet emotionally raw confessions about being a new parent.

“This book didn’t go anywhere I thought it would! I love all things superhero, and reading something so different was a great ride. It’s full of twists and turns and people you start out liking and end up hating and people you start out hating and end up liking. Vicious (and the sequel, Vengeful) is one I try to get everyone to read so I have more people to scream about it with.” – Erin, Kids Room 

Eli and Victor, college roommates and friends, discover a relationship between near-death experiences and superpowers. When they both get what they think they want, their friendship is destroyed. One becomes a villain and one becomes a hero…but which one?

“I loved this sweet, tenderhearted, well-written book with its cast of perfectly imperfect characters who reminded me of the immense love and beauty of ordinary life in an ordinary town. Toward the end of the book, I started reading more slowly simply because I did not want to say goodbye to the cast of wonderful, quirky characters!” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services

Jane, the novel’s protagonist, moves to Boyne City, Michigan to take a job teaching second grade at the local elementary school and almost immediately falls for Duncan, a handsome, warm, kind-hearted local woodworker who happens to have slept with most of the women in town. Jane and Duncan build a life together that includes a cast of quirky characters, including Aggie, Duncan’s ex-wife; Jimmy, a local man in need of a family; Frieda, Jane’s mandolin playing best friend; and Jane’s prickly mother.

“Is there anything Dolly Parton can’t do? I listened to the audiobook and was just in awe of her positivity and her work ethic. My favorite part was hearing her talk about her favorite song (hint, it’s all of them).” – Erin, Kids Room 

Country music legend Dolly Parton shares a behind-the-scenes look at 175 of her songs. From hits everyone hums along to, to lesser-known ballads, Parton has a story about them all.

“For 24 years I’ve walked past the Gilgamesh mural in the DG Library. I know very little about Gilgamesh other than it was one of the first written tales, and it was a fun way to learn about Gilgamesh’s feats and the mythology of Iraq. The threat of a plague shutting down a city felt very current. Also, warrior cats.” Sharon, Kids Room 

Sik Aziz is helping in the family deli when the Mesopotamian plague god Nergal crashes into the deli and demands the treasure Sik’s brother stole from him or he’ll unleash a plague in New York City. Ishtar, the goddess of War, her daughter Belek, and demi-god Gilgamesh help Sik in his quest to save his parents and the city from a terrible plague in this Rick Riordan Presents novel.

“Mr. Shaara’s main interest is in the people involved in the battle and the effect it has on their lives. His cast of characters includes the general officers commanding, a common soldier, a female resident of Vicksburg, and a former journalist – now government employee – sent to check on rumors of Grant’s drinking. He crafts a story from multiple view points which is broad enough in scope to attract and hold the attention of the casual, curious reader who knows little about the Civil War while at the same time presenting a story robust enough to hold the interest of readers who are Civil War buffs.” – Karen, Circulation

A Chain of Thunder is the second in a series of four standalone books on battles in the Western Theater written for the sesquicentennial of the American Civil War by Jeff Shaara, a three-time W. Y. Boyd Award winner for excellence in military historical fiction. The Vicksburg campaign ran through the spring and summer of 1863 as Union general Ulysses S. Grant sought the surrender of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the last major Confederate fortress on the Mississippi River. A siege was not Grant’s first choice but became necessary as various other stratagems, including digging a ditch to change the course of the river, went awry. Following weeks of the city’s garrison and civilians living on starvation rations in holes dug in the bluffs due to constant shelling of the town by Union gunboats, Confederate General John Pemberton surrendered the city on July 4, 1863, just one day after the massive battle of Gettysburg back East in Pennsylvania. Being further from the national capital in Washington, D.C., the union victory at Vicksburg has always been overshadowed by Gettysburg even though it could be argued that the fall of Vicksburg had a greater effect on the outcome of the war.

“Very well written and researched, non-judgmental” – Kelly P., Kids Room

The Donner Party like you’ve never heard about it before, told from multiple points of view, including Hunger and the oxen, in addition to the people who suffered through the trip.

“I love a good Gothic tale, especially when it involves a haunted house, and this book has it all. It reminds me of Netflix’s version of The Haunting of Hill House, but with its own spin. I could not put it down!” – Katelyn, Administration. 

Maggie returns to her childhood home made famous by her father’s horror memoir. She is determined to find out what really happened the night her family fled the house for good and she resolves to bring to light the secrets, or evil, that is hiding in the house.

“Half romance, half relationship fiction, Paris is Always a Good Idea made me smile. Chelsea’s journey took her to some memorable locations. The romantic twists were great to read. This was an excellent romance.” – Sharon, Kids Room 

Seven years after her mother’s death, Chelsea Martin doesn’t respond very well to the news her father is remarrying. When her father suggests she doesn’t remember how to laugh, Chelsea seeks to find the person she was before she learned her mother was ill. This takes her on an adventure through Europe and the three loves of her summer abroad.