By Katie Moore
Linwood Librarian
“What you are looking for is in the library” – In this book, by Michiko Aoyama, the librarian has the uncanny ability to find exactly what you need. You will find this title on the shelves at Pocahontas County Libraries and Visitor Information Centers’ Hillsboro and Linwood branches, but it’s not just a work of fiction. In our local libraries, we strive to make it true. All five branches are regularly adding to their collections, selecting books and media that meet our communities’ unique needs. Here are some recent examples:
Bittersweet In the Hollow, Kate Pearsall
YA Fiction, Fantasy; available at Green Bank, Linwood.
Part murder mystery, part coming-of-age fantasy, part witchcraft and cryptid lore, all small-town West Virginia ambiance.
Linden, who can taste the emotions of those around her, must discover secrets of the Moth-Winged Man and her family’s past after her friend’s mysterious disappearance. She may find answers in the memory of her own brief disappearance, one year earlier.
A sequel written by Pearsall, Lies on the Serpent’s Tongue, is available at Linwood.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator)
Fiction, Fantasy; available at McClintic.
In a small back alley in Tokyo, a century-old café is rumored to offer patrons the chance to travel back in time. Four customers choose to reevaluate their formative life choices and reunite with lost loved ones. But they must return before their coffee gets cold.
The Numbers Killer, Jenifer Ruff
Fiction, Thriller; available at Durbin.
The key witness to an important mob trial is found dead with the number 2 and “liar” scrawled on his forehead. FBI agents Victoria Heslin and Dante Rivera initially investigate the murder as a hit, until more victims are found with no connection to organized crime. As the killer toys with the investigators, they must uncover the common denominator, as anyone could be next.
First in the Agent Victoria Heslin series! Book 2, Pretty Little Girls, may be requested from partner libraries.
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts, Rebecca Hall
Nonfiction, Graphic Novel; available at Linwood
In this historical illustrated memoir, Historian Rebecca Hall tells the story of Adono and Alele, women rebels fighting for freedom in the Middle Passage, in addition to other women-led slave revolts in Colonial New York. As she recounts these stories, Hall reckons with her own legacy as the granddaughter of slaves living a successful modern life.
Good Things: Recipes and Rituals to Share with People You Love, Samin Nosrat
Nonfiction, Cookbook; available at Green Bank
Author of Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, Samin Nosrat shares 125 of her favorite recipes, including, ricotta custard pancakes, saffron roast chicken, Calabrian chili crisp, focaccia loaf and a nostalgic yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Additionally, she offers tips, techniques and lessons for cooking and living. A joyful guide using essential skills.
The Maple Sugar Book: Together with Remarks on Pioneering as a Way of Living in the Twentieth Century, Helen Nearing, Scott Nearing
Nonfiction, Nature; available at Hillsboro
Some in our county won’t need this guide on sapping, processing and marketing maple syrup as we celebrate the start of maple season. This book offers practical tips for the rest of us. With the history of harvesting in the pre-Colonial Native American era to modern times, the Nearings share decades of knowledge on traditional maple syrup production and self-sufficiency.
These books, and the rest of our collections, can be lent between branches. You can also borrow e-materials using WVReads and Libby with your library card, or request materials from other participating libraries across the state through our inter-library loan program. We love to learn more about our patrons and community, so requests and suggestions are taken seriously! Your librarian may have exactly what you are looking for in the library.
