Meet This Month’s Featured Artists!

Meet This Month’s Featured Artists!

In April, AAPLD is delighted to display entries in The Land Conservancy of McHenry County’s Amateur Photo Contest.

Each year amateur photographers are invited to participate in this annual contest highlighting the inspiring nature of The Land Conservancy’s preservation work. The goal is to share the beautiful and immense natural diversity found throughout McHenry County. The photos were taken at properties The Land Conservancy has helped protect or restore. Each site has a unique character and story, contained in the photos’ captions.

The Land Conservancy has operated in McHenry County since 1991, and has preserved over 3,200 acres of land. Eight of its sites are open to the public, and include restored woods, wetlands and natural habitats. Other sites are conservation easements; a voluntary, permanent agreement between a landowner and  The Land Conservancy, which allows the owner to continue to use and enjoy the land and eventually sell it or pass it to his or her heirs, knowing that it will remain undeveloped. Other Land Conservancy initiatives include Project Quercus, which encourages planting and preserving oak trees, various community education programs, the Apple Creek Food Forest which showcases edible species trees, plants and shrubs, and the Farmer/Landowner Lease Match, which pairs beginning farmers who need access to land, with landowners interested in selling or leasing to a new generation of career farmers.

An accredited nonprofit local land trust, The Land Conservancy of McHenry County works with local property owners, communities and volunteers to preserve open, natural and agricultural land. The organization is privately funded through annual memberships, donations, grants, contracts with municipalities to provide open space stewardship services, fundraisers, and merchandise. Learn more at conservemc.org

If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org

 

 

 

 

Discover April’s Library Reads

Discover April’s Library Reads

April showers bring May flowers, plus a bouquet of great new Library Reads!

For AAPLD cardholders who've signed up for the 2025 Reading Marathon 26 book challenge, we've highlighted books that fit our Reading Marathon categories. Chosen by librarians across the country as their favorite new releases for the month of April, these books will keep you reading long into the night AND boost your Reading Marathon completions. Browse them here, or stop by the Main Library, and look for books with the Library Reads logo on the spine.

 

Reading Marathon Categories: Now on TV, and Set In Birth Decade (1980s)

The first novel in the all-new Golden Girls Cozy Mystery Series!

Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery by Rachel Ekstrom Courage 
Things are heating up, and not just because of Blanche’s hot flashes. Rose’s cousin is eloping to Miami, and Rose is playing host. If she can't balance the groom’s family’s snobbery against the traditional St. Olaf wedding week guidelines, her hometown may never accept her cousin again!

Dorothy quickly realizes she needs a date with whom she can exchange wedding-related wisecracks. Turning to a newfangled VHS dating service, she believes she’s found the ideal conversationalist. Unfortunately, what looks good on TV can actually be a total jerk in real life. It seems she’ll just have to enjoy the company of Sophia, Blanche, and whomever Blanche has targeted for a hookup.

As the Girls all pitch in, Rose is thrilled that the tea-and-fish-themed kickoff event is perfect, not a herring out of place. That is until Dorothy’s date is found dead—face-planted in an otherwise scrumptious-looking cheesecake. With every guest a suspect (especially Dorothy) and a marriage on the line, the four besties must ID the real killer, get the should-be-happy couple down the aisle, and make sure nobody from St. Olaf gets lost in the wilds of Miami. It’s up to the Golden Girls to sleuth out a way for friendship and love to win the day!

Reading Marathon Category: Set At Sea

The Sirens by Emilia Hart - A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea.

Swept Away by Beth O'LearyWhat if you were lost at sea…with your one-night stand?

Zeke and Lexi thought it would just be a night of fun. They had no intentions of seeing each other again. Zeke is only in town for the weekend to buy back his late father’s houseboat. Lexi has no time for dating when she needs to help take care of her best friend's daughter.

Going back home with a stranger seems like a perfect escape from their problems. But a miscommunication in the dark, foggy night means no one tied the houseboat to the dock. The next morning, Zeke and Lexi realize all they can see is miles and miles of water.

With just a few provisions on the idle boat, Zeke and Lexi must figure out how to get back home. But aside from their survival, they’re facing another challenge. Because when you’re stuck together for days on end, it gives you a lot of time to get to know someone—and to fall in love with them.

 

 

Reading Marathon Category: What's My Line

Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez - There might be no such a thing as a perfect guy, but Xavier Rush comes disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong…

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.

Reading Marathon Category: Title= Family

The Griffin Sisters Greatest Hits by Jennifer Weiner - One of the most anticipated books of the year, from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner, a glimmering novel set in the world of pop music about sisters, motherhood, young love, and the dreams we chase.

Sisters Cassie and Zoe Grossberg were born just a year apart but could not have been more different. Zoe, blessed with charm and beauty, yearned for fame from the moment she could sing into a hairbrush. Cassie was a musical prodigy who never felt at home in her own skin and preferred the safety of the shadows.

On the brink of adulthood in the early 2000s, destiny intervened, catapulting the sisters into the spotlight as the pop sensation the Griffin Sisters, hitting all the touchstones of early aughts fame—SNL, MTV, Rolling Stone magazine—along the way.

But after a whirlwind year in the public eye, the band abruptly broke up.

Two decades later, Zoe’s a housewife; Cassie’s off the grid. The sisters aren’t speaking, and the real reason for the Griffin Sisters’ breakup is still a mystery. Zoe’s teenage daughter, Cherry, who’s determined to be a star in spite of Zoe’s warnings, is on a quest to learn the truth about what happened to the band all those years ago.

As secrets emerge, all three women must face the consequences of their choices: the ones they made and the ones the music industry made for them. Can they forgive each other—and themselves? And will the Griffin Sisters ever make music again?

AAPLD Hosts Author and Naturalist Stan Tekiela

AAPLD Hosts Author and Naturalist Stan Tekiela

Spend an evening with author, naturalist, and wildlife photographer Stan Tekiela, Wednesday, April 9, at 7:00 pm, at the Luecht Auditorium at McHenry County College, for a fun and fascinating talk about our favorite (and not-so-favorite!) birds. Challenge what you think you know about common birds such as the European Starling, and the American Crow, for a new perspective and understanding of our backyard feathered friends.

Admission is free, but registration is required.

Tekiela is the originator of the popular state-specific field guide series, which includes the Birds of Illinois Field Guide, Trees of Illinois Field Guide and many more. Over the last four decades, he has authored more than 200 field guides, nature appreciation books, and wildlife audio CDs for nearly every state in the nation. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, he is also a syndicated columnist, and radio personality who travels the nation to study, photograph, and write about wildlife. Copies of his books will be available for purchase and signing at the event, courtesy of Read Between The Lynes bookstore in Woodstock.

The evening will also include an information expo featuring local conservation and nature organizations; the McHenry County Conservation District and Foundation, the Land Conservancy of McHenry County, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources- Moraine Hills and Volo Bog, McHenry County Audubon Society, the Environmental Defenders of McHenry County, Small Water Education, Illinois Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Crystal Lake Nature Center.

The evening is sponsored by a coalition of McHenry County libraries, including Algonquin Area Public Library, Cary Area Public Library, Crystal Lake Public Library, Harvard-Diggins Library, Huntley Area Public Library, Johnsburg Library, Marengo-Union Public Library, McHenry Public Library, Nippersink Public Library, and Woodstock Public Library. The coalition’s “Let’s All Read Together” community reading program encourages county residents to come together for a shared reading experience.

Discover March’s Library Reads

Discover March’s Library Reads

How's your Reading Marathon Challenge going?

For AAPLD cardholders who've signed up for the 26 book challenge, we're always ready with suggestions. Starting this month, through November 2025, our Library Reads posts will highlight books that fit our Reading Marathon categories. Chosen by librarians across the country as their favorite new releases, these books will keep you reading long into the night AND boost your Reading Marathon completions. Browse them here, or stop by the Main Library, and look for books with the Library Reads logo on the spine.

 

Reading Marathon Category: Title = Family

All The Other Mothers Hate Me by Sarah Harman - Florence Grimes, age thirty-one, always takes the easy way out. Single, broke and unfulfilled after the humiliating end to her girl-band career, she has only one reason to get out of bed each day: her ten-year-old son Dylan. But then Alfie Risby, her son’s bully and the heir to a vast frozen-food empire, mysteriously vanishes during a class trip, and Dylan becomes the prime suspect.

Florence, for once, is faced with a task she can’t quit: She’s got to find Alfie and clear her son’s name or risk losing Dylan forever—never mind that she has no useful skills (let alone investigative ones) and that all the other school moms hate her. Oh, and she has a reason to suspect Dylan might not be as innocent as she’d like to believe.

Reading Marathon Categories: Set Overseas, and Set in Birth Decade (1950s)

Inspired by a true literary mystery, New York Times bestselling author of the mesmerizing The Secret Book of Flora Lea returns with the sweeping story of a legendary book, a lost mother, and a daughter’s search for them both.

The Story She Left Behind by Patti Callahan Henry -In 1927, eight-year-old Clara Harrington’s magical childhood shatters when her mother, renowned author, Bronwyn Newcastle Fordham, disappears off the coast of South Carolina. Bronwyn stunned the world with a book written in an invented language that became a national sensation when she was just twelve years old. Her departure leaves behind not only a devoted husband and heartbroken daughter, but also the hope of ever translating the sequel to her landmark work. As the headlines focus on the missing author, Clara yearns for something far deeper and more her beautiful mother.

By 1952, Clara is an illustrator raising her own daughter, Wynnie. When a stranger named Charlie Jameson contacts her from London claiming to have discovered a handwritten dictionary of her mother’s lost language. Clara is skeptical. Compelled by the tragedy of her mother’s vanishing, she crosses the Atlantic with Wynnie only to arrive during one of London’s most deadly natural disasters—the Great Smog. With asthmatic Wynnie in peril, they escape the city with Charlie and find refuge in the Jameson’s family retreat nestled in the Lake District. It is there that Clara must find the courage to uncover the truth about her mother and the story she left behind.

Told in Patti Callahan Henry’s lyrical, enchanting prose, The Story She Left Behind is a captivating novel of mystery and family legacy that captures the profound longing for a mother and the evergreen allure of secrets.

 

Reading Marathon Category: Extreme Adventure

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy - A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants, packing up the seeds before they are transported to safer ground. Despite the wild beauty of life here, isolation has taken its toll on the Salts. Raff, eighteen and suffering his first heartbreak, can only find relief at his punching bag; Fen, seventeen, has started spending her nights on the beach among the seals; nine-year-old Orly, obsessed with botany, fears the loss of his beloved natural world; and Dominic can’t stop turning back toward the past, and the loss that drove the family to Shearwater in the first place.

Then, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman washes up on shore. As the Salts nurse the woman, Rowan, back to life, their suspicion gives way to affection, and they finally begin to feel like a family again. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting her heart, begins to fall for the Salts, too. But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers the sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own dark secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, the characters must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

Reading Marathon Category: Essays

The long-awaited follow-up from one of the most original and hilarious voices writing today.

Sucker Punch: Scaachi Koul - Scaachi Koul’s first book was a collection of raw, perceptive, and hilarious essays reckoning with the issues of race, body image, love, friendship, and growing up the daughter of immigrants. When the time came to start writing her next book, Scaachi assumed she’d be updating her story with essays about her elaborate four-day wedding, settling down to domestic bliss, and continuing her never-ending arguments with her parents. Instead, the Covid pandemic hit, the world went into lockdown, Scaachi’s marriage fell apart, she lost her job, and her mother was diagnosed with cancer.

Sucker Punch is about what happens when the life you thought you’d be living radically changes course, everything you thought you knew about the world and yourself has tilted on its axis, and you have to start forging a new path forward. Scaachi employs her signature humor and fierce intelligence to interrogate her previous belief that fighting is the most effective tool for progress. She examines the fights she’s had—with her parents, her ex-husband, her friends, online strangers, and herself—all in an attempt to understand when a fight is worth having, and when it's better to walk away.

Meet This Month’s Featured Artist!

Meet This Month’s Featured Artists!

For March, AAPLD welcomes pastel artist Susan L. Chelminski to the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department. Learn a little more about this talented artist.

The Artist: Susan L. Chelminski
Background/Experience:  I began my interest in art at a very early age. My mother was a professional artist and she mentored me and stoked the fires. I studied under the internationally renowned artist Joseph Abbrescia at The Village Art School, in Skokie. I also studied under the direction of Frankie Johnson, Susan Plough and Barb Benstein. My career took a left turn as I worked in the field  of psychology, though I continued to dabble in creative writing, jewelry making and tole painting. Nearing the close of my counseling career, I decided to resurrect my passion for art. I have been juried into art shows at the Dole in Crystal Lake, the Main Street Art Center Gallery in Lake Zurich, and The Land Conservancy’s Art of the Land.

My favorite medium: Pastels offer me the ability to fully immerse myself in my work. I love color, and soft pastels help me to indulge this passion.
What inspires me: My subject matter varies depending on my mood, though the bulk of my work is deigned to have an element of surprise, suh as my “Something Fishy” series, which combines the flow of flamenco dancers with that of a betta fish. The series “We Are What Eat” combines people and food.

Find her on Instagram at sooz.art3

If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org

 

Spice Club – March 2025 – Cumin

Spice Club – March 2025 – Cumin

Cumin is a spice made from the dried seeds of the Cuminum cyminum plant, which belongs to the parsley family. It has a warm, earthy, and slightly nutty flavor. It is used in
cuisines across India, Mexico, the Middle East, and North Africa.

Flavor Profile: Cumin has a warm, earthy, and slightly nutty taste with a hint of citrus and peppery notes.

Culinary Uses: spice blends (essential in curry powder, garam masala, taco seasoning, and berbere spice), soups & stews (adds warmth to lentil soups, chili, and stews), rice & grains
(used in pilafs, biryanis, and couscous), meats & vegetables (rubbed on grilled meats and roasted vegetables), breads & dips (delicious in flatbreads, hummus, and yogurt sauces).

Health Benefits: Aids Digestion: Helps reduce bloating and indigestion.

  • Rich in Antioxidants: Contains compounds that fight inflammation and oxidative stress.
  • Supports Immunity: Has antimicrobial properties that may help fight infections.
  • Regulates Blood Sugar: May help control blood sugar levels.

Fun Facts: Cumin was used in ancient Egypt for mummification and as a seasoning. In medieval Europe, cumin symbolized love and loyalty, often given to soldiers before battle. In some cultures, cumin is believed to ward off the evil eye and bring good luck.

Download Recipes

Get Planting! Seed Library Returns March 1!

Get Planting! Seed Library Returns March 1!

Just in time for spring planting, Algonquin Area Public Library, is excited to offer the Seed Library which provides seeds to local gardeners free of charge!

How It Works

Take a look at the Seed Library Catalog. Each listing includes photos and descriptions of plant varieties, along with helpful details on when, where, and how to plant them. Seed packet quantities range from 2 to 20 seeds, depending on the plant type.

Visit the Adult Services desk at the Main Library on Harnish Drive to explore our Seed Library collection in person, and take up to 20 packets/household, one per variety.

What Seeds Are Available?

garden fresh vegetables Carrots, cauliflower, tomatoes, leeksChoose from over 130 varieties of vegetable, fruit, flower and herb seeds! Options include:

  • Vegetables - Cucumbers, lettuce, onions, peppers, squash, tomatoes
  • Herbs- Basil, chives, cilantro, parsley, thyme and more
  • Garden Favorites- Carrots, beans, leeks, melons and cauliflower
  • Flowers and Landscaping- Daisies, zinnias, sunflowers
  • Annuals & Perennials- Plants that bloom for a season, or return each year

 

Do I Have To Return The Seeds?

Although we call it a "Seed Library," no library card is required and you don't need to return seeds from your harvest. However, we'd love to see photos of your garden and crops! Email them to us at info@aapld.org

If you have leftover seeds, simply store them in their packets in an airtight glass jar, and keep it in a cool dark place like your basement or garage, for future planting.

Photography Club Returns to AAPLD!

Photography Club Returns to AAPLD!

The popular Worth 1,000 Words Photography Club returns to AAPLD on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m.

The monthly gathering will include discussion of photography techniques, style, and more. We look forward to offering photography challenges, field trips, and other opportunities to learn and grow as a photographer. Whether you’re a veteran or new to the art, use digital, film or cellphone cameras, this is a chance to share photos, display your work, learn, teach and connect with others in the community.

Meetings will be held on the first Sunday of the month, at 2 p.m. at the Main Library on Harnish Drive. Register for the next meeting today!

Meet This Month’s Featured Artist!

Meet This Month’s Featured Artists!

In February, AAPLD is delighted to welcome fine art photographer Kirsten Barry to the Art Wall in the Adult Services Department. Learn a little more about this talented artist.

The Artist: Kirsten Barry
Background/Experience:  I am a fine art photographer who enjoys exploring the world around me whether out in nature or working indoors. Although you can find me with a camera most any time, my predominant genre is still life photography. It is where I return to most often to showcase many of the treasures I have collected through the years.
What inspires me: I have always found the world to be endlessly fascinating and I love trying to capture
what I discover in my travels. My goal is always to present the inherent beauty I see in my subject. If I can make someone smile, see something in a new way, or bring back a long forgotten memory, I have succeeded.

I feel it is the heart, not the eye, that should determine the intent of the photograph. What the eyes see is its own. What the heart can perceive is a very different matter.” – Gordon Parks – photographer

Contact her at kirstenbarry2004@yahoo.com

If you’re a local artist interested in exhibiting your work, please submit samples of your work and contact information to social@aapld.org

 

Spice Club – February 2025 -Nutmeg

Spice Club – February 2025 -Nutmeg

Nutmeg is a warm, aromatic spice derived from the seed of the nutmeg tree (Myristica fragrans), native to the Maluku Islands (now part of Indonesia). It has been valued for centuries for its flavor, aroma, and medicinal properties.

Flavor Profile: warm, sweet, and slightly nutty flavor with a hint of spiciness.

Culinary Uses: baking (pies, cookies, cakes) and beverages (eggnog, mulled wine), savory dishes (soups, stews, curries, and sauces). Pairs well with cinnamon, cloves, and ginger.
Health Benefits:

Digestive Aid: May help reduce bloating and indigestion.

  • Anti-inflammatory: Contains compounds that may reduce inflammation.
  • Sleep Aid: Used in traditional remedies to promote relaxation and sleep.
  • Rich in Antioxidants: Protects the body from free radical damage.

Note: Nutmeg should be consumed in moderation, as large amounts can be toxic.

Fun Facts: Nutmeg was so valuable in the 16th century that wars were fought over its trade. The Dutch, Portuguese, and British all sought to dominate the lucrative nutmeg trade, leading to conflicts such as the Anglo-Dutch Wars. The nutmeg tree also produces mace, a spice made from the red covering of the seed.

Download Recipes

Spice Club - February 2025 - Nutmeg