FICTION
Reunion by Elise Juska
It’s June 2021, and three old college friends are heading to New England and the 25th reunion that was delayed the year before. Hope is desperate for a return to her beloved campus, a reprieve from her tense marriage, and the stresses of pandemic parenting. Adam is hesitant to leave his bucolic but secluded life with his wife and their young sons. Single mother Polly hasn’t been back to campus in more than 20 years and has no interest in returning — but changes her mind when her struggling teenage son suggests a road trip. But the reunion isn’t what any of them had envisioned. Reunion is a page-turning novel about the highs and lows of friendship from a writer at the height of her powers.
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text color to white so no one can see. That is until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training and rigorous email restrictions. When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying?
Ahoti: A Story of Tamar by Miriam Feinberg Vamosh
Ravaged by one brother, silenced and betrayed by another, and abandoned by her father, Tamar — once beloved daughter of the king of Israel, and healer of the court — suddenly finds herself in exile, fleeing for her life. But the story continues where the scriptures end: a dangerous journey and tenacious pursuit of her true identity and calling brings her full circle, to her rightful place in the kingdom. Ahoti brings to life the Old Testament story of the biblical princess Tamar, the daughter of David, King of Israel. Rich with cultural, biblical, and historic detail, and spiritually compelling, Ahoti will inspire readers to overcome humiliation, pain, betrayal, and bitterness, to embrace a life of purpose.
Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering
On a brisk fall night in a New York apartment, 35-year-old Billie West hears terrified screams. It’s her lifelong best friend Cassie Barnwell, one floor above, and she’s just realized her infant daughter has gone missing. Billie is shaken as she looks down into her own arms to see the baby, remembering―with a jolt of fear―that she is responsible for the kidnapping that has instantly shattered Cassie’s world. Once fiercely bonded by their secrets, Cassie and Billie have drifted apart in adulthood. Cassie is married to a wealthy man and is building a following as a lifestyle influencer. She is desperate to leave her past behind―including Billie, who is single and childless, and no longer fits into her world…
NONFICTION
My Mama, Cass by Owen Elliot-Kugell
In My Mama, Cass, Owen Elliot-Kugell pulls back the curtains of her mother’s life from the sold-out theaters to behind the closed doors of her infamous California abode. Born Ellen Naomi Cohen, the woman who was known to the world as Cass Elliot was decades ahead of her time: an independently minded, outspoken woman who broke through a male-dominated business. From the closely guarded secret of Owen’s paternity to Cass’s lifelong struggles with self-esteem and weight, to rumors surrounding her mother’s death, Owen illuminates the complex truths of her mother’s life, sharing interviews with the high-profile figures who orbited Cass, as well as never-before-heard tales of her mother and this legendary period of American history.
Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew by Emmanuel Acho
For Emmanuel Acho and Noa Tishby no question about Jews is off-limits. They go there. They cover Jews and money. Jews and power. Jews and privilege. Jews and white privilege. The Black and Jewish struggle. Emmanuel asks, Did Jews kill Jesus? To which Noa responds, “Why are Jewish people history’s favorite scapegoat?” They unpack Judaism itself: Is it a religion, culture, a peoplehood, or a race? And: Are you antisemitic if you’re anti-Zionist? Informative and accessible, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Jew has a unique structure: Acho asks questions and Tishby answers them with deeply personal, historical, and political responses.
The Call to Serve: The Life of President George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham
Lavishly illustrated, The Call to Serve is an intimate, illuminating portrait of the 41st president, a man who was so much more than just his politics. In words and images, Jon Meacham brings George H. W. Bush vividly to life. From the values of integrity, empathy, and grace that Bush learned in childhood to his leadership at the highest levels in tumultuous times, the 41st president embodied an ideal of service that warrants attention in our own divided time. Featuring more than 450 photographs, Meacham’s introduction and commentary throughout, and narration drawn from his biography of George H. W. Bush, Destiny and Power, this is an essential tribute to a uniquely American life.
Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture by Virginia Sole-Smith
Kids learn that thinness is a survival strategy in a world that equates body size and value. Parents worry if their kids care too much about being thin, but even more about the consequences if they aren’t. And multibillion-dollar industries thrive on this fear of fatness. We’ve fought the “war on obesity” for over 40 years and Americans aren’t thinner or happier with their bodies. But it’s not our kids who need fixing. In this illuminating narrative, journalist Virginia Sole-Smith exposes the daily onslaught of fat phobia and body shaming that kids face from school, sports, doctors, diet culture, and parents themselves―and offers strategies for how families can change the conversation around weight, health, and self-worth.
CHILDREN’S
101 Things To Do On A Walk by Kait Eaton
‘Tis the season to be outside! This illustrated guide is full of different activities and instructions for getting the most out of your walk. Children and parents alike can find something enjoyable to make their walk outside a little more fun.
Ages 5-12
LIBRARY OPEN
Lima Public Library is open to the public six days a week. Hours for the Main Library in Lima are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Our Cairo, Elida and Spencerville branch libraries are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Our Lafayette branch is open from 12 noon to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday.
