“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.

“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)

“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.

“I loved learning more about written American Sign Language and the Deaf community. A great realistic teen read with romance and disability representation!” – Kira, Adult & Teen Services

Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture, which she finds frustrating—and also surprising when some classmates, including Beau Watson, take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will not derail her pursuits. But when people in her life—Deaf and hearing alike—ask her to question parts of her Deaf identity, Maya stands proudly, never giving in to the idea that her Deafness is a disadvantage.

“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.

“My first five-star read of 2021! It was sweet, it was funny, it was diverse, and the cast of characters pops. It’s one of those books that I finished and was so happy that it exists.” – Erin, Kids Room

Former best friends Lita and Chicky team up to help Lita win the Miss Meteor pageant–a feat that no girl who looks like either of them has ever done. For Lita, winning the pageant means not fading into stardust (yes, really). For Chicky, it’s a way to save her family’s struggling restaurant. Together, along with the boys they may have feelings for, and Chicky’s opinionated older sisters, they’re determined to prove they can win it all.

“I’m a married woman in my 30s, and my husband and I (like Nate and Elena) often wonder whether life is merely a series of bills to be paid. Uncharted 4 resonated with me on so many levels. The globe-trotting is thrilling, the scenery is gorgeous, the puzzles and secret passages are atmospheric. There are car chases, cliff-scaling, (non-gore-y) gunfights, consistently funny quips and banter, bro-time with the guys, and romance. It’s Indiana Jones + Tomb Raider + Jason Bourne + Pirates of the Caribbean (the 1st one, of course!) all rolled into one. But more than that, it’s a cinematic story about being yourself while accepting new phases of your life.” – Kelly, Circulation

Nathan Drake is an ex-treasure-hunter who’s been out of the game for years. Though his marriage to journalist Elena is a happy one, the tedium of staying in one place is wearing him down. He eagerly throws himself back into an adventure to help someone from his past… even if that means lying to his wife and putting himself and (fan-favorite) Victor “Sully” Sullivan back into bad guys’ cross-hairs.

“Glorious animation, emotional voice acting (I watched the original Japanese version), a perfect soundtrack, and a surprisingly-edge-of-your-seat teen romance collide in Your Name. At a certain moment, I began crying… and basically cried all the way through to the credits. Empathetic tears, nervous tears, sad tears, happy tears. A beautiful roller coaster of a film experience!” – Kelly, Circulation

Mitsuha and Taki are strangers. She lives in a rural town and he’s in faraway Tokyo. Yet they begin regularly waking up in each other’s bodies. Navigating their swapped daily lives, friendships, families, and jobs… they grow to know one another intimately. Is this Fate? The tug of the Universe itself? Will they ever meet one another as their true selves?

“This is a book about learning who you are and learning to love who you are and not needing outside validation. You don’t need love to be happy, but it is a nice bonus if you have it. I loved this book because there aren’t enough books out there with this underlying message. Love is not the “end-all-be-all” but this book gives you hope that love is out there and you don’t have to be perfect to get it.” – Gina, Circulation

Felix Love, ironically, has never been in love, but he wants to know what it’s like. He believes that he doesn’t deserve love because he’s “one marginalization too many.” He’s black, queer, and transgender. When an anonymous student publicly outs him by posting old pictures and his name from before he transitioned, Felix wants to find out who did it and get revenge. His revenge plot unexpectedly throws him into a love triangle and everything about his life is suddenly more complicated.

“The perfect light-romantic read for nerdy Renaissance Faire fans. Simon is your everyday English teacher hero who is very much the guy next door, and Emily is a lovely relatable heroine.” – Joy, Adult & Teen Services

Emily is just in town to take care of her older sister who’s a single mom recovering from a car accident when she gets wrangled into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire with her 14-year-old niece. Local English teacher Simon is the grumpy leader of the troupe, who dresses up as a pirate to Emily’s tavern wench character. Hilarious in-character flirty dialogue ensues.

“I was looking for something light and funny during these stressful times. All three of these movies, which are available to stream on Hoopla, fit the bill. They made me smile and laugh and provided a nice escape from the events of the outside world.” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services

A California sorority girl and fashionista heads to Harvard Law (Legally Blonde), an Australian wallflower shines at a ballroom dance competition (Strictly Ballroom), and a high profile New York businesswoman moves to Vermont after inheriting a baby and losing her edge in the New York business world (Baby Boom).

“I loved the complex, flawed, yet lovable characters! The two writing styles of Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera complimented each other so well. They struck a wonderful balance between romantic and awkwardly adorable, and the ending was beautifully done.” – Van, Adult & Teen Services

This endearing meet-cute story of Arthur, who is only in New York for the summer, and Ben, who just broke up with his boyfriend, asks what exactly does the universe have in store for them?

“Before I picked up The Unhoneymooners, I had read several more serious books, and I was looking for a change. The Unhoneymooners was just what I was looking for…a cute, fun, lively, romantic escape from everyday life. I loved the characters, their banter, the setting, and the predictability of the book. I could definitely see this being made into a very popular rom-com movie!” – Nancy, Adult & Teen Services

Olive and Ethan are a bridesmaid and groomsman in the wedding of their siblings, but these two absolutely despise one another. When everyone at the wedding, except Olive and Ethan, come down with food poisoning, Olive and Ethan have a chance to go on the “honeymoon” of a lifetime. The pair head to Maui for ten days determined to do their own thing, but that does not last for long.

“I loved Georgina’s voice. The last twelve years of her life have been a series of bad dates, miserable jobs, and disappointment. She doesn’t give up. In fact, she sticks up for herself and doesn’t take prisoners doing it.” – Sharon, Kids Room

Fired and dumped on the same night, Georgina takes a new job before realizing that her boss, Lucas, is her first love. Will Lucas recognize her?