Month: November 2025

Meet November’s Artist of the Month

November 17, 2025 Library Programs, Uncategorized

AAPLD welcomes award-winning landscape photographer Cory Anne Cosman to the Art Wall at the Main Library. Cory's work captures the essence of nature. She loves traveling to National Parks, and her adventures have taken her to the Badlands of South Dakota, the Rocky Mountains, Moab, Utah, Bryce Canyon, Haleakala, Waimea Canyon, and Death  Valley.

But much of her recent work focuses on the beauty of nature close to home. "I've spent much of my life exploring the beautiful properties of the McHenry County Conservation District, and the many parks across Illinois. This year, I'm excited to stay closer to home-- discovering new hidden gems throughout the Midwest to explore and share with my lens."

Her work has been exhibited at the Land Conservancy of McHenry County (2022 and 2023); the Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake's Fourth Fridays Art Event (2024 and 2025), Woodstock Public Library Artist Showcase (2025), and Kishwaukee Brewing Co., Woodstock (2025).  In 2022, she was the 3rd place winner of the Land Conservancy's Amateur Photography Contest, and in 2024, she received the People's Choice Award from the Fourth Fridays Art Event at the Dole Mansion.

Follow her on Instagram @ccphotos2024

 

Scrabble-mania Comes to AAPLD!

November 10, 2025 Library Programs

Know an awesome 8-letter word that contains the letters Q, Z and Y? You might have what it takes to be the Scrabble King or Queen of Algonquin!

Don't miss the fun Wednesday, November 19, when AAPLD hosts its first-ever Scrabble Tournament, from 6:30-8:-30 p.m. at the Main Library. Players will be randomly assigned to tables of 3 to 4 participants. For the first round, everyone plays a 45-minute game. The top four scorers will advance to the final round. The champion will receive a special custom-made medal, and a fun prize created in our Makerspace.

It's a sure to be a unquantized night of laughs, spelling and community. Register today!

Spice Club – November 2025 – Tarragon

November 4, 2025 Spice Club

Tarragon is a fragrant herb with a slightly sweet, anise-like flavor and a hint of bitterness. You’ll find it fresh, dried, or infused in vinegars and oils. Its delicate taste makes it a favorite in many kitchens, adding depth and brightness to both simple and elegant dishes.

Culinary Uses: A staple of French cooking, tarragon shines in Béarnaise sauce, in vinaigrettes, and in fish or chicken dishes. It pairs beautifully with eggs and vegetables and works well in dressings, marinades, and cream-based sauces. You can also infuse it into butter, oil, or vinegar for a light herbal touch.

Health Benefits: Tarragon has been used for centuries to aid digestion, ease mild indigestion, and support sleep. It contains antioxidants and may help balance blood sugar. Like most herbs, it’s best enjoyed in moderation.

Cultural Facts: Tarragon, known as estragon in French, has deep roots in European cuisine and tradition. Its botanical name, Artemisia dracunculus, means “little dragon,” a nod to its twisting roots and bold, slightly fiery flavor. French cooks have prized it since the 16th century for its elegant taste and its role in classic dishes like Béarnaise sauce. In Russia, tarragon vinegar is a pantry staple, adding zest to salads, eggs, and pickled vegetables.

Fun Facts: In medieval folklore, tarragon was believed to ward off serpents and evil spirits— perhaps another reason for its “dragon” name. It was also used in old herbal remedies to soothe toothaches and promote sleep. Today, beyond its culinary fame, tarragon continues to charm gardeners and cooks alike with its delicate leaves, aromatic scent, and reputation as the “herb of the kings” of French cuisine.

ALLERGEN WARNING: AAPLD is not responsible for any reactions or sensitivities to any spice. Please be aware that spices may contain or come into contact with common allergens like dairy, eggs, soybeans, tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, or wheat. Stay safe! Cook with caution.

Download Recipes

Discover November’s Library Reads

November 2, 2025 Library Reads, Reading Suggestions

What are you thankful for this season? Family and friends, community, and simple things that bring joy-- including reading! Here at AAPLD, we love being able to help you find new authors and stories, like these November new releases, chosen by librarians nationwide as their favorites. Library Reads makes it easy to find a great read, so check out this month's picks, including these spotlighted selections. You're sure to find something you'll love!

Memoir

Simply More by Cynthia Erivo - Cynthia Erivo learned the music to Wicked a decade before she needed it, not knowing that those same lyrics would change her life. Ten years later, she has the chance to perform those songs on a world stage, showing us that there is always time to keep discovering ourselves, that the journey of becoming is not a finite one.

In a series of powerful, personal vignettes, Cynthia Erivo reflects on the ways that she has grown as an actor and a person, the lessons she’s learned over years of performing, and how we are capable of so much more than we think.

Just as she had persevered through obstacles on the stage, working step by step, day by day, to align with music, lyrics and dialogue, so too did Cynthia fall in love with running. Through the simplicity of her steps and the beating of her heart, she found a way to fall into deeper sync with herself.

We all have hopes and dreams that we want to bring across the finish line, we all falter and take missteps, yet we keep moving forward towards that end goal. Cynthia is still running marathons, onstage and onscreen, in her work and in the city streets. Each challenge has allowed her to lean into the wisdom of her body, to understand and strive for a physical and mental balance. Because when we chase our deepest desires, each small step leads us closer to where we want to go.

Fantasy/Romance

Violet Thistlewaite Is Not A Villain Anymore by Emily Krempholtz -After a lifetime as a dark sorcerer’s right-hand, Violet Thistlewaite is determined to start over—not as the fearsome Thornwitch, but as someone kind. Someone better. Someone good.

The quaint town of Dragon’s Rest, Violet decides, will be her second chance—she’ll set down roots, open a flower shop, keep her sentient (mildly homicidal) houseplant in check, and prune dark magic from the twisted boughs of her life.

Violet’s vibrant bouquets and cheerful enchantments soon charm the welcoming townsfolk, though nothing seems to impress the prickly yet dashingly handsome Nathaniel Marsh, an alchemist sharing her greenhouse. With a struggling business and his own second chance seemingly out of reach, Nathaniel has no time for flowers or frippery—and certainly none for the intriguing witch next door.

When a mysterious blight threatens every living plant in Dragon’s Rest, Violet and Nathaniel must work together through their fears, pasts, and growing feelings for one another to save their community. But with a figure from her past knocking at her door and her secrets threatening to uproot everything she’s worked so hard to grow, Violet can’t help but wonder…does a former villain truly deserve a happily-ever-after?

Thriller

Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino - Eighteen months and eleven lost bidding wars into house-hunting in the Washington, D.C. suburbs, 37-year-old publicist Margo Miyake gets a tip about the perfect house, in the perfect neighborhood, slated to come up for sale in one month. Desperate to escape the cramped apartment she shares with her husband Ian—and in turn, get their marriage, plan to have a baby, and whole life back on track—Margo becomes obsessed with buying the house before it’s publicly listed and the masses descend (with unbeatable, all-cash offers in hand).

A little stalking? Harmless. A bit of trespassing? Necessary. As Margo infiltrates the homeowners’ lives, her tactics grow increasingly unhinged—but just when she thinks she’s won them over, she hits a snag in her plan. Undeterred, she'll prove again and again that there’s no boundary she won’t cross to seize the dream life she’s been chasing.