Holiday

The Next Chapter (12/19/2025): Winter Street

November 22, 2025
Winter Street (cover)

Winter Street by Elin Hilderbrand

Kelley Quinn is the owner of Nantucket’s Winter Street Inn and the proud father of four, all of them grown and living in varying states of disarray. Patrick, the eldest, is a hedge fund manager with a guilty conscience. Kevin, a bartender, is secretly sleeping with a French housekeeper named Isabelle. Ava, a school teacher, is finally dating the perfect guy but can’t get him to commit. And Bart, the youngest and only child of Kelley’s second marriage to Mitzi, has recently shocked everyone by joining the Marines.

As Christmas approaches, Kelley is looking forward to getting the family together for some quality time at the inn. But when he walks in on Mitzi kissing Santa Claus (or the guy who’s playing Santa at the inn’s annual party), utter chaos descends. With the three older children each reeling in their own dramas and Bart unreachable in Afghanistan, it might be up to Kelley’s ex-wife, nightly news anchor Margaret Quinn, to save Christmas at the Winter Street Inn.

Before the mulled cider is gone, the delightfully dysfunctional Quinn family will survive a love triangle, an unplanned pregnancy, a federal crime, a small house fire, many shots of whiskey, and endless rounds of Christmas caroling, in this heart-warming novel about coming home for the holidays.

Next Meeting:
December 19th @ 2:00 PM at Harnish Library

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CHECKOUT ON HOOPLA
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

MAY BE AVAILABLE ON OVERDRIVE/LIBBY
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

Happily Ever After (12/15/2025): Bright Lights, Big Christmas

November 18, 2025
Bright Lights, Big Christmas (cover)

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

When fall rolls around, it’s time for Kerry Tolliver to leave her family’s Christmas tree farm in the mountains of North Carolina for the wilds of New York City to help her gruff older brother & his dog, Queenie, sell the trees at the family stand on a corner in Greenwich Village. Sharing a tiny vintage camper and experiencing Manhattan for the first time, Kerry’s ready to try to carve out a new corner for herself.

In the weeks leading into Christmas, Kerry quickly becomes close with the charming neighbors who live near their stand. When an elderly neighbor goes missing, Kerry will need to combine her country know-how with her newly acquired New York knowledge to protect the new friends she’s come to think of as family,

And complicating everything is Patrick, a single dad raising his adorable, dragon-loving son Austin on this quirky block. Kerry and Patrick’s chemistry is undeniable, but what chance does this holiday romance really have?

Next Meeting:
December 15th @ 7:00 PM at Hybrid at Harnish (in-person or online participation are both available)

Register for online or in-person attendance here

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CHECKOUT ON HOOPLA
AUDIOBOOK

MAY BE AVAILABLE ON OVERDRIVE/LIBBY
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

Unicorns and Spaceships (09/09/2025): How High We Go in the Dark

August 13, 2025
How High We Go in the Dark (cover)

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

Dr. Cliff Miyashiro arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue his recently deceased daughter’s research, only to discover a virus, newly unearthed from melting permafrost. The plague unleashed reshapes life on earth for generations. Yet even while struggling to counter this destructive force, humanity stubbornly persists in myriad moving and ever inventive ways.

Among those adjusting to this new normal are an aspiring comedian, employed by a theme park designed for terminally ill children, who falls in love with a mother trying desperately to keep her son alive; a scientist who, having failed to save his own son from the plague, gets a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops human speech; a man who, after recovering from his own coma, plans a block party for his neighbours who have also woken up to find that they alone have survived their families; and a widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter who must set off on cosmic quest to locate a new home planet.

From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead, How High We Go in the Dark follows a cast of intricately linked characters spanning hundreds of years as humanity endeavours to restore the delicate balance of the world. This is a story of unshakable hope that crosses literary lines to give us a world rebuilding itself through an endless capacity for love, resilience and reinvention. Wonderful and disquieting, dreamlike and all too possible.

Next Meeting:
September 9th @ 6:30 PM at Eastgate Library

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CHECKOUT ON HOOPLA
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

MAY BE AVAILABLE ON OVERDRIVE/LIBBY
EBOOK

Fiction Addiction (12/19/2024): Shepherds Abiding

November 22, 2024
Shepherds Abiding (cover)

Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon

The eighth novel in the beloved Mitford series, by the bestselling author of At Home in Mitford and Somebody Safe with Somebody Good

Millions of Americans have found Mitford to be a favorite home-away-from-home, and countless readers have long wondered what Christmas in Mitford would be like. The eighth Mitford novel provides a glimpse, offering a meditation on the best of all presents: the gift of one’s heart. Since he was a boy, Father Tim has lived what he calls “the life of the mind” and has never really learned to savor the work of his hands. When he finds a derelict nativity scene that has suffered the indignities of time and neglect, he imagines the excitement in the eyes of his wife, Cynthia, and decides to undertake the daunting task of restoring it. As Father Tim begins his journey, readers are given a seat at Mitford’s holiday table and treated to a magical tale about the true Christmas spirit.

Next Meeting:
December 19th @ 7:00 PM at Hybrid at Harnish (in-person or online participation are both available)

Register for online or in-person attendance here

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CHECKOUT ON HOOPLA
AUDIOBOOK

MAY BE AVAILABLE ON OVERDRIVE/LIBBY
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

Happily Ever After (12/16/2024): Wreck the Halls

November 19, 2024
Wreck the Halls (cover)

Wreck the Halls by Tessa Bailey

A sexy, hilarious standalone holiday rom-com about the adult children of two former rock stars who team up to convince their estranged mothers to play a Christmas Eve concert…

Melody Gallard may be the daughter of music royalty, but her world is far from glamorous. She spends her days restoring old books and avoiding the limelight (one awkward tabloid photo was enough, thanks). But when a producer offers her a lot of money to reunite her mother’s band on live tv, Mel begins to wonder if it’s time to rattle the cage, shake up her quiet life… and see him again. The only other person who could wrangle the rock and roll divas.

Beat Dawkins, the lead singer’s son, is Melody’s opposite—the camera loves him, he could charm the pants off anyone, and his mom is not a potential cult leader. Still, they might have been best friends if not for the legendary feud that broke up the band. When they met as teenagers, Mel felt an instant spark, but it’s nothing compared to the wild, intense attraction that builds as they embark on a madcap mission to convince their mothers to perform one last show.

While dealing with rock star shenanigans, a 24-hour film crew, brawling Santas, and mobs of adoring fans, Mel starts to step out of her comfort zone. With Beat by her side, cheering her on, she’s never felt so understood. But Christmas Eve is fast approaching, and a decades-old scandal is poised to wreck everything—the Steel Birds reunion, their relationships with their mothers, and their newfound love.

Next Meeting:
December 16th @ 7:00 PM at Hybrid at Harnish (in-person or online participation are both available)

Register for online or in-person attendance here

AVAILABLE FOR IMMEDIATE CHECKOUT ON HOOPLA
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

MAY BE AVAILABLE ON OVERDRIVE/LIBBY
EBOOK OR AUDIOBOOK

December Reading Resolutions…Short & Sweet!

December 1, 2021 Book Lists, Library Programs

Hectic holiday season? Reading Resolutions has you covered! Our tasty December challenge is to read a poem, short story, or novella. If you prefer non-fiction, choose an article, short how-to book, or essay.

Our online catalog has lots of suggestions for short reads, including collections of poems and short stories. If you check out a collection, you  don't have to read the entire book. Just one story or poem is enough, but if you want to read more, be our guest! Read on for holiday-themed suggestions,  or come into the Main library to browse our displays. Still need help? Just ask an Adult Services staff member.

 

When you've completed your December Short & Sweet Challenge, be sure to visit your Beanstack account and select this badge to be entered into our monthly gift card drawing. Don't forget our Grand Prize Drawing for a $100 restaurant gift card after Reading Resolutions ends on December 31. Each month you complete a challenge counts toward one entry. If you missed a month, there's still time to read a book for that month's theme. Select the correct badges in Beanstack by December 31 to receive your additional entries.

Christmas Tales

Heartwarming and joyful stories that capture the spirit of the season.

The Quiet Little Woman: A Christmas Story by Louisa May Alcott - Three classic Christmas stories from the author of Little Women, inspired by readers of the classic 1868 novel. (Short Story)

Can This Be Christmas by Debbie Macomber - A group of travelers, stranded at a remote New Hampshire depot on Christmas Eve, find their heartbreak turns to joy, when Christmas unexpectedly comes to them. (Novella)

The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry - In turn-of-the-century New York City, a poor young couple sacrifices to purchase the perfect Christmas gift for one another. Published in 1907, it is one of O. Henry's most famous stories. (Short Story)

 

 

Let It Snow!

Wintery tales of romance and adventure, set in the world's most foreboding places.

Heating It Up by Elizabeth Harmon - The head of an international research station in Antarctica discovers a mysterious woman hiding in a deserted lodge. In a season of endless night, can love warm their hearts? (Novella)

Beyond The Great Snow Mountains by Louis L'Amour -  An American woman who has lived her life among the peaks of the Himalayas, must protect her village and tribe from an intruder. (Short Story)

 

The Gift of Self-Care

Because the holidays aren't always joyful, consider a healing and compassionate read for the season.

Stitches: A Handbook On Meaning, Hope and Repair by Anne Lamott - How do we find peace in these loud and frantic times, and where do we start again after personal and public devastation? By collecting the ripped shreds of our emotional and spiritual fabric and sewing them back together, piece by piece. (96 pages)

How To Stay Calm In Chaos by Julie M. Gentile - Smart self-care strategies, organized for each day of the week. (42 pages)

The Long Night: Readings and Stories to Help You Through Depression by Jessica Kantrowitz - A writer and theologian presents the wisdom and spiritual writings that aided her during her years-long battle with depression. Presented in short, topical chapters. (156 pages)

 

 

Day of the Dead: A Time of Mourning and Celebration

October 27, 2021 Library Programs

Join us for a virtual visit to The National Museum of Mexican Art’s 35th annual Day of the Dead exhibition, Thursday, Nov. 4, from 7-8 p.m. Registration is open to everyone, ages 14 and up.

“Día de los Muertos: A Time to Grieve & Remember,” pays tribute to individuals from Mexico and the United States lost to Covid-19.

The exhibit, designed by local artists in collaboration with artists from Mexico, features a massive ofrenda, an altar to honor the deceased, that includes names and photographs of more than 200 people who have died from Covid-19 since the pandemic began. Mario Hernandez, Gallery Education Coordinator for the Museum, will conduct the tour, providing insights and background about the exhibit.

The altar’s focal point is a large wooden heart, which resembles a milagro, a religious item used in prayer. Mexican artist Alejandro Garcia Nelo, who designed the ofrenda, called the heart an acknowledgement of the heartbreak the pandemic has caused throughout the world, particularly for those unable to properly mourn their loved ones.

Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican national holiday of collective mourning, which brings healing through remembrance and celebration. Tradition holds that on Nov. 2, the Day of the Dead, families gather to welcome back the souls of deceased relatives, for a meal of their favorite foods, and a celebration of their lives.

The exhibit is sponsored by the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events, the Joyce Foundation, the Chicago Park District, the Illinois Arts Council, BMO Harris, and Commonwealth Edison. The National Museum of Mexican Art is located at 1852 W 19th Street
Chicago.

For more information, visit nationalmuseumofmexicanart.org