Book Notes New Hampshire

Book of the Week (6/15/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 15 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Dominic Bean and the Mammoth Melt by Emilie Christie Burack (Groundwood Books, 2026)

At first, twelve-year-old Dominic Bean is not happy when he and his sister are “dumped” with eccentric relatives on a New Hampshire cattle farm while their scientist parents work on a secret project in the Canadian Arctic. Coping with what he sees as parental abandonment, plus the pressure of bullies, schoolwork and wrangling Harriet (a stubborn pregnant Highlander cow with long, sharp horns) bring out the worst in Dom.
But the sleepy farm turns out to be full of surprises. A developer is trying to buy the Bean family land to build an Arctic-themed amusement park under a plastic dome. Dom’s nemesis at school, Edith, turns out to have a way with Harriet. And reading his dad’s old journal leads Dom to an ancient woolly mammoth tusk that his father once found in the farm’s bog.
Dom learns that his jam-making aunt and whiskey-distilling uncle are in fact in cahoots with his parents on a secret project in the old milking barn ― a project that, if successful, will “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth and possibly help save the planet.--Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Emilie Christie Burack's debut novel, The Runaway’s Gold, was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a winner of the New England Book Festival. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New Hampshire, where she is the co-founder of the New Hampshire Book Festival.

"Redcoats & Rebels: New Hampshire and the American Revolution" speaker program at NHSL!

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 14:26:52 +0000

Mark your calendars! Join us in celebrating America's 250th with our first speaker program of the year, "Redcoats & Rebels: New Hampshire and the American Revolution".

Presented by Mary Adams, staff member at New Hampshire Historical Society, "Redcoats and Rebels" brings to light the role the Granite State played in the American Revolution:

"New Hampshire often gets overlooked in the narrative of the American Revolution, overshadowed by its noisy neighbor to the south. Nowadays, few people know about Paul Revere’s first ride, which was to Portsmouth in December 1774 to warn the patriots that the British were coming to reinforce Fort William and Mary, five months before the Redcoats marched on Concord and Lexington. Nor do they know that two-thirds of the troops at the Battle of Bunker Hill were from New Hampshire. Most people are also unaware that New Hampshire’s Provincial Congress adopted the first state constitution in January 1776, making no mention of royal authority and essentially declaring independence from Great Britain six months before anyone else. And this is just the beginning of New Hampshire’s revolutionary story."-- program blurb

Event info: Free and open to the public!

Monday, June 29, 2026 from 2-3 pm at the NH State Library, 20 Park St., Concord, NH 03301

Click here for the Facebook event.

Questions?: contact Felicia Martin at 603-271-2316 or felicia.t.martin@dncr.nh.gov

This program was made possible in part by the Center for the Book at the NH State Library, New Hampshire Humanities & National Endowment for the Humanities.

Book of the Week (6/8/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 08 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Out Clause by Ernest Thompson (Global Collective Publishers, 2026)

What if you could leave your life? Oxton Paris, the ultimate misfit, disfigured and ostracized, years ago left his and repurposed his angst into helping others escape their own entrapments, bad marriages, poor choices, compromising positions. He created Out Clause, providing thousands of Travelers a new life, a second chance, a smoother fit.
The compact, though, comes with caveats: one, a commitment to discontinue all contact with what's been left behind, no texting, no coded messaging on social media, no burner phone calls, no keepsakes tucked in backpacks. And, two, a promise to live a better life, predicated on honesty and kindness, not only to others but to oneself. Could you do that, become the better angel you perhaps have always longed to be?
If Travelers fail in their mission, their bodies will be discovered where they went missing, near a bridge, on a Caribbean beach, stumbled over by hikers or exposed when a glacier recedes, a house torn down, a subway tunnel reactivated. There's a vast network of spirit guides ensuring that Travelers reach their destinations. And stay true to the Out Clause ethic.
Enter a New York detective obsessed with suicides, especially those he calls No Bodies, and determined to find out where they've gone, setting up a human chess game with Oxton Paris and putting the entire sweet construct of Out Clause in jeopardy. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Ernest Thompson has written numerous films, plays and songs, and has worked extensively as an actor and director. In addition to his Oscar for On Golden Pond, Ernest's work has won two Golden Globes, a Writers Guild Award, a Broadway Drama Guild Award and been nominated for a Tony, an Emmy and a British Academy Award. His plays have been seen in theaters around the world, his most enduring, On Golden Pond, translated into 30 languages and presented in more than 40 countries. From his home base, a 200-year-old farm in rural New Hampshire, Ernest has worked with hundreds of writers, hosting his internationally-renowned Write On Golden Pond workshops.

Join Ernest at Toadstool Bookshop in Keene, NH on Saturday, June 20, 2026 at 6 pm where he'll be discussing his latest book!

2026 Ladybug Voting Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Fri, 05 Jun 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award Voting Materials are now available!

Voting materials, including picture ballots, paper tally sheets, as well as an online tally sheet, are available on the Ladybug web page, here.

We will be posting information about a different Ladybug nominee each Friday throughout the Summer and will issue a pdf voters guide featuring all the titles by Labor Day. A post about the first Ladybug nominee will go out on Friday, June 26, 2026 here on the Book Notes Blog.

New Hampshire children, from preschool to fourth grade, will select the winning picture book when they vote in November 2026. The deadline for sending in votes is Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 4:30 pm.

3 on a Theme: Skies

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Wed, 03 Jun 2026 07:33:00 +0000

The Vanishing Sky by L. Annette Binder

Half My Sky: Autism, Marriage, and the Messiness That Is Building a Family by Carrie Cariello

Where the Water Meets the Sky: A Novel by Diane Les Becquets

Book of the Week (6/1/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Skyland: A Novel by Ann Joslin Williams (Islandport Press, 2026)

When Celia is murdered by a troubled young man from across the street, her husband Henry and daughters Nora and Lucy are left to navigate the unthinkable in their small town of Kittery, Maine. Desperate to help his daughters heal, Henry sends the girls to spend the summer at Skyland Farm, a remote artists' retreat in the New Hampshire mountains run by his beloved cousin Franny.
But the girls, feeling abandoned, struggle to find their footing among the resident artists. Nora grapples with her complicated feelings about Blake, the young man who destroyed their lives, while forming a new bond with a young sculptor. Lucy, the sole witness to the murder, retreats into silence and the mysterious world of a painting above her bed. Back in Maine, Henry battles his own grief and faces his greatest test when he becomes entangled with Blake's alcoholic mother, threatening his twelve years of sobriety.
As the family struggles separately with their trauma, the buried details of that terrible day slowly surface. When Nora makes a desperate midnight drive home to confront her father, their journey becomes a reckoning that will either destroy what remains of their family or finally allow them to face their loss together.
Set against the rugged beauty of coastal Maine and the mountainous landscape of New Hampshire, Skyland reveals how art, nature, and unexpected friendships can slowly guide us back from the brink―and how families can find their way to one another even after the unthinkable. -- Publishers blurb

About the author:

Ann Joslin Williams is the author of the novel Down From Cascom Mountain, and a collection of linked short stories The Woman in the Woods. She is the recipient of awards from the National Endowment of the Arts, the Spokane Prize for Short Fiction, the New Hampshire Writers’ Project Literary Awards, and the Stegner Program at Stanford University. Her writing has appeared in many journals including The Sun, Carve, Ploughshares, The Missouri Review, and elsewhere. She is an associate professor emerita of English at the University of New Hampshire. She enjoys spending time in Alexandria, New Hampshire at her family cabin, hiking in the White Mountains and enjoying the outdoors with her partner John.

Join Ann at Gibson's Bookstore on Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 6:30 pm where she will be presenting her newest novel!

Dublin Literary Award Winner 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Tue, 26 May 2026 16:41:35 +0000

Gliff by Ali Smith has been selected as the winner of the 2026 Dublin Literary Award.

About the Book:

"An uncertain near-future. A story of new boundaries drawn between people daily. A not-very brave new world.

Add two children. And a horse.

From a Scottish word meaning a transient moment, a shock, a faint glimpse, Gliff explores how and why we endeavour to make a mark on the world. In a time when western industry wants to reduce us to algorithms and data—something easily categorizable and predictable—Smith shows us why our humanity, our individual complexities, matter more than ever." --Publisher's blurb

Book of the Week (5/25/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 25 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Midnight Curfew by Penelope Douglas (Berkley, 2026)

Summertime is off-season in southern Florida. Families leave their homes to escape the heat, the streets are empty, and the nights are quiet. Perfect time for a little mischief while the police aren’t looking.
As the middle Jaeger brother, Dallas was often lost in the shuffle growing up. Now a man, he’s prideful of his community on the wrong side of the tracks—Sanoa Bay—and aggressively protective of his land and his inner circle. He’s hungry and ready for a fight.
Callum Ames has a reputation in St. Carmen, the affluent neighborhood abutting Sanoa Bay. The hottest. The most popular. Rich. Powerful. Strong. The one all the women want. After four years away, he’s back, but for all his bravado, he’s got one major secret: he doesn’t want a woman.
Summer is also storm season. Heat, wind, rain…
And a lockdown.
In a desperate bid to impress his influential father, Callum suggests a curfew to hinder their rivals in the Bay.
Unfortunately, the Jaegers don’t like rules.
As Dallas and Callum face off and engage, out for each other’s blood, they can’t stop the consuming fire between them and the outcome they already see coming…
The storm of the century. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Penelope Douglas is a New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. Their books have been translated into twenty languages and include the Fall Away series, the Hellbent series, the Devil’s Night series, and the stand-alones Misconduct, Punk 57, Birthday Girl, Credence, and Tryst Six Venom. They live in New Hampshire with their husband and daughter.

Book of the Week (5/18/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 18 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Pretty Evil New England: True Stories of Violent Vixens and Murderous Matriarchs by Sue Coletta (Globe Pequot Publishing, 2020)

For four centuries, New England has been a cradle of crime and murder—from the Salem witch trials to the modern-day mafia. Nineteenth century New England was the hunting ground of five female serial killers: Jane Toppan, Lydia Sherman, Nellie Webb, Harriet E. Nason, and Sarah Jane Robinson.
Female killers are often portrayed as caricatures: Black Widows, Angels of Death, or Femme Fatales. But the real stories of these women are much more complex. In Pretty Evil New England, true crime author Sue Coletta tells the story of these five women, from broken childhoods, to first brushes with death, and she examines the overwhelming urges that propelled these women to take the lives of a combined total of more than one-hundred innocent victims. The murders, investigations, trials, and ultimate verdicts will stun and surprise readers as they live vicariously through the killers and the would-be victims that lived to tell their stories. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Sue Coletta is an award-winning crime writer and an active member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Her backlist includes psychological thrillers, the Mayhem Series books, psychological thriller/mysteries, Grafton County Series, and true crime/narrative nonfiction, Pretty Evil New England. Sue lives with her husband in the Lakes Region of New Hampshire.

Book of the Week (5/11/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 11 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Dead Horse Soup: Frank Barker's Klondike Gold Rush by Thomas Haynes (Historical Society of Cheshire County, 2026)

Frank Barker first learned about the rush to the Klondike gold fields through his local Keene, New Hampshire newspapers. For months, beginning on July 17, 1897, the almost daily references to the Klondike promoted a story that anyone with the right fortitude and determination could find gold. As a young working-class man seeking adventure and wealth after living through the depression of the mid 1890s, this was an opportunity he was not going to pass up.
For seven months Frank Barker planned his trip to the Klondike, which included finding the right people to accompany him, organizing what food, tools, and equipment to bring, transportation, and raising enough money to cover the expedition’s costs.
With his plans complete, Frank Barker leads his three partners on a once in a lifetime adventure to live out their dreams of becoming wealthy miners, while enduring the many hardships on their two-year quest for gold in the Klondike.
After reading about the gold rush to the Klondike through his local Keene, New Hampshire newspapers, Frank Barker begins to dream about becoming a wealthy gold miner. After much planning, Barker’s dream turns real in February of 1898, when he leads three partners on a once in a lifetime adventure to the Klondike. Using Barker’s own words from the letters he wrote home and the photographs he took of the journey, his story reveals the excitement and hardships they experience on their two-year quest for gold in the Klondike. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Tom Haynes is a Keene, NH author. Previous works include "The Power of Water : the History of Water Powered Mills in the Monadnock Region" in which he was editor.

2026 Great Stone Face Award winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Fri, 08 May 2026 15:42:00 +0000

Faker by Gordon Korman is the winner of this year's Great Stone Face Award with almost 400 votes!

"Trey knows how the trick works: His dad gets him into a school full of kids with rich parents. Trey makes friends, and his father makes connections. Soon, there’s the con, where Trey’s dad suckers the other parents into giving him money for one of his schemes. Once the money’s in the bank, Trey, his sister, and their dad go on the run … until they set up somewhere else and start again.

Trey believes his father when he says no one’s getting hurt. After all, these parents have money to spare. Still, Trey’s getting tired of running … and lying … and never having a friend longer than a few months. But how do you get your family to stop lying when your lives depend on it?" --Publisher's blurb

For more information about this award, visit: https://www.nhlibrarians.org/CLNH-Book-Awards

2026 Isinglass & Flume Award winners!

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Tue, 05 May 2026 15:52:00 +0000

The votes are in and the 2026 Isinglass and Flume Award winners have been announced!

This year's Isinglass (7th and 8th grade) winner is:
Under the Surface by Diana Urban
"Ruby is terrified to cave to her feelings for Sean and risk him crushing her heart.

Sean is pumped to spend a week with Ruby in Paris on their senior class trip, and he’ll wait however long until she’s ready to take things further.

But when Ruby’s best friend sneaks out the first night to meet a mysterious French boy, Ruby goes after her with two classmates, but caves to another temptation: attending mystery boy’s exclusive party in the Paris catacombs, the intricate web of tunnels beneath the city, home to six million long-dead Parisians. Only they never reach the party.

Underground, as something sinister chases them, they get lost in the endless maze of bones, uncovering dark secrets about the catacombs…..and each other. And if they can’t find a way out, they’ll die in the dark beneath the City of Light.

Aboveground, Sean races to find the girl he loves as a media frenzy over the four missing teens begins." -- Publisher's blurb

This year's Flume (9th-12th grade) winner is:

The No-Girlfriend Rule by Christen Randall
"Hollis Beckwith isn’t trying to get a girl—she’s just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a boyfriend: Chris. Their relationship isn’t particularly exciting, but it’s comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she’s a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris’s favorite tabletop role-playing game, Secrets & Sorcery—but his unfortunate “No Girlfriends at the Table” rule means she’ll need to find her own group if she wants in.

Enter: Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloria’s cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in-game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armor, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.

But then an in-game crush develops between Hollis’s character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis’s stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants…or if she’s content to just play pretend." -- Publisher's blurb

Please keep encouraging teens to apply for the Flume and Isinglass Committee!

Teen Application Link: https://forms.gle/MRUupeXa4WxNgqYs7

Librarian Application Link: https://forms.gle/3VLKDzaLxtY9NW8o6

Teen Recommendation Link: https://forms.gle/MsTdS3VkirFoH5Yd9

Book of the Week (5/4/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

The Chosen City: The Owner, the Players, and the New Hampshire City that Integrated Baseball in the United States by Bill Ranauro (Spines, 2026)

This is the story of an audacious owner, two talented Black ballplayers, and a small city in New Hampshire. Together, they undid almost six decades of injustice. In the spring of 1946, Brooklyn Dodgers owner and General Manager Branch Rickey signed African American players Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe. Rickey’s signing of the two players has been largely overlooked because Jackie Robinson had been signed just several months before. But Robinson played in Montreal, Canada in 1946 while Campanella and Newcombe were assigned to play in Nashua, New Hampshire. This meant Roy Campanella and Don Newcombe became the first Black players since 1887 to play on a professional baseball team in the United States. Just as importantly the Nashua Dodgers became the first United States based team in organized baseball to employ Black players in the twentieth century. This is the story of how the owner, the players, and the city made baseball history together. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Bill Ranauro is a retired high school History teacher and football coach from New Hampshire. In addition to six books, Bill has authored articles in Scholastic Coach magazine and The Forum, a journal for the New England History Teachers Association. He was honored as the Social Studies Teacher of the Year in New Hampshire in 2007 and was inducted into the New Hampshire Coaches Hall of Fame in the same year. Bill is an avid follower of all Boston sports teams and enjoys reading, traveling, and spending time with his family. He lives in Walpole, New Hampshire, with his wife Lisa.

3 on a Theme: Girls & Boys

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Sun, 03 May 2026 07:33:00 +0000

Katie Girl: Deadly Germs, Modern Medicine, and a Family's Fight by John S. Bentley

Mule Boy by Andrew Krivak

The Boy Who Fell To Shore: The Extraordinary Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Thomas Thor Tangvald by Charles J. Doane

Book of the Week (4/27/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 27 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

My Sister, the Freak: A Graphic Novel by Dani Jones (HarperAlley, 2026)

From New York Times bestselling illustrator Dani Jones comes a heartfelt exploration of sisterhood, forgiveness, and outer space invasions.
Mary Seaver lives in her own world. It’s not her fault if sometimes her enthusiasm creates chaos. To Mary, that’s what being 10 years old and a huge science fiction fan is all about. Allison “Al” Seaver is Mary’s older sister—and she’s everything that Mary is not: cool, calm, collected, and super popular.
So it makes sense that when aliens invade their hometown of Pleasant Valley, Mary’s trying to warn everyone about the end of the world while Al’s just hoping it will all go away before the spring dance. But when a secret emerges from their family’s past, Mary and Al find themselves turning to their most unlikely ally: each other.
Dive into Dani Jones's debut original graphic novel, a hilariously tender investigation of sibling dynamics, aliens, and what it is that makes us human. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Dani Jones is an illustrator, artist, and writer based in New Hampshire. She is the creator of the children's book MONSTERS VS. KITTENS (Stan Lee's Kids Universe) and the comic MY SISTER THE FREAK. She loves to draw silly creatures, cute animals, and pictures for kids. Her hyper cat is named Charles and he loves to sit with her at her desk while she draws.

Book of the Week (4/20/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Bonebag by E. M. Elliott and David Elliott (Astra Young Readers, 2026)

Trapped in a dark forest with his cold-hearted parents, Bonebag leads a cruel and isolated existence. However, he feels deep in his bones that things weren’t always this way: he has known happiness before. Why does it feel like it was in a past life?
When Bonebag discovers a locket that burns him to the touch, and a ghostly girl beckons him into the deep woods, he must grapple with the riddle of where he came from and how he came to be. Only then can he begin to rewrite his fate.
From New York Times bestselling author David Elliott and his son, E.M. Elliott, this powerful middle-grade fantasy will take readers on a quest that tackles the mystery of belonging with high-octane twists and turns along the way. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

David Elliott lives in New Hampshire with his wife and a Dandie Dinmont terrier. David is a New York Times bestselling author with over 35 published or soon-to-be published books to his name. These include, his provocative novels-in-verse Bull, and Voices, as well as many picture books and middle-grade novels. Bonebag is his first book to be co-written with his son, E.M. Elliott.

Arthur Sze to serve 2nd term as U.S. Poet Laureate

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:45:00 +0000

This National Poetry Month, the Library of Congress has appointed Arthur Sze to serve a second term as the nation’s 25^th Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry for 2026-2027! Congratulations Arthur!

Click here for more details.

Library of Congress Card Catalog Kiosks

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 18:42:00 +0000

The Library of Congress is celebrating National Library Week (April 19-25) with Card Catalog Kiosks Across the Country! These kiosks help remind library patrons – especially during National Library Week – that the Library of Congress is a library for all.

The front of each drawer of the kiosks includes the name of a Library of Congress service or program. Inside each of the 15 drawers is a card containing a brief description of the featured initiative, along with a QR code leading to the page on the Library’s website that contains more information.

Come check out your local Library of Congress Card Catalog Kiosk in the NH Author's Room at the New Hampshire State Library!

Click here for more details about the project!

Book of the Week (4/13/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Perfect Wives, Perfect Lies: A Novel by Jennifer Anne Gordon (Podium Publishing, 2026)

In the wake of losing her son, Becca also lost her marriage and her moorings. Now, work and time spent with her best friend, Lynn, are what gets her through the day. But it’s a private group of moms on social media that gets her through the long nights.
Run by Karen, the holy grail of perfect wives, Mommy Wine Time is a place where women share stories, perfectly airbrushed photos, and advice disguised as humble brags. And it’s where Becca pretends to be Lucy, with the help of a stock photo account. Lucy’s an ideal wife and mother living a dahlia-filled life in Seattle, enjoying all the things that Becca is certain she’ll never have again.
But the line between Becca’s truths and Lucy’s lies starts to blur when a series of bad deeds, daring games, and too many bottles of cheap chardonnay reveals something darker. Soon, what began as mere petty crimes escalates to kidnapping, assault, revenge, and murder. Still, the more Becca pretends, the more alive she feels . . .
This psychological thriller from the author of Pretty/Ugly takes the wine moms from Big Little Lies and Desperate Housewives, puts them in an online space where it’s easier to hide their true identities, and then gives them even darker obsessions. Cheers. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Jennifer Anne Gordon is an award-winning Gothic horror author and podcast host. Her debut novel, Beautiful, Frightening, and Silent, won the 2020 Kindle Book Award for Best Horror/Suspense, and her novel Pretty/Ugly won the 2022 Helicon Award for Best Horror as well as the Kindle Book Award for Best Novel of the Year (Reader’s Choice). Gordon’s essays have been featured in Miniskirt Magazine, Tangled Locks Journal, Lumina Journal, and Flash Glass. She lives in rural New Hampshire.

2026 Dublin Award Shortlist

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 17:11:00 +0000

The shortlist for the 2026 Dublin Literary Award was announced today!

The shortlisted titles are as follows:

Gliff by Ali Smith (British), published by Hamish Hamilton, Penguin Random House UK. Nominated by Katona József Könyvtár, Hungary

In Late Summer by Madalena Blažević (Bosnian), translated from the Croatian by Anđelka Raguž, published by Linden Editions. Nominated by University Library of Bern, Switzerland.

Live Fast by Brigitte Giraud (French), translated from the French by Cory Stockwell, published by Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers. Nominated by Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon, France.

Perspectives by Laurent Binet (French), translated from the French by Sam Taylor, published by Harvill, Vintage, Penguin Random House UK. Nominated by Bibliothèques Municipales de Genève, Switzerland.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong (American), published by Jonathan Cape (Vintage, PRH) UK; Penguin Press (US). Nominated by Hartford Public Library, USA.

What I Know About You by Éric Chacour (Canadian), translated from the French by Pablo Strauss, published by Coach House Books; Gallic Books (Pushkin). Nominated by Bibliothèque de Québec and Toronto Public Library, Canada.

The winner will be announced on May 21, 2026 at the International Literature Festival Dublin.

Book of the Week (4/6/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Every Precious and Fragile Thing: A Novel by Barbara Davis (Lake Union Publishing, 2025)

For social worker Mallory Ward, working with at-risk youth is a calling. But when one of her clients is tragically killed, she finds herself at a crossroads. Despite long-held resentments toward her distant mother, Mallory retreats to her childhood home on the Rhode Island coast to contemplate her future. Instead, she’s confronted by her past, not only in the renewed tensions with her mother but in the unexpected appearance of a familiar face―and the wrenching losses that drove her away a decade ago.

Helen Ward’s home is filled with precious keepsakes from her patients, a testament to decades spent caring for the terminally ill. Her work has always come first, though, leaving little time to connect with her daughter. Over the years, the rift between them has become a chasm, so when Mallory appears unannounced, Helen sees it as an opportunity to repair their broken relationship. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

After twelve years in the jewelry business, Barbara Davis left the corporate world in order to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a writer. She was born in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, but grew up and attended school in Florida. Eventually, work led her north, where she lived in Charleston for two years, and in Raleigh for fourteen, before eventually making her home in Dover, New Hampshire.

3 on a Theme: Sports

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 07:33:00 +0000

Between the Lines: How Ernie Barnes Went From the Football Field to the Art Gallery by Sandra Neil Wallace

Her Fearless Run: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon by Kim Chaffee

Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird by Keith O'Brien

Book of the Week (3/30/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Building Community: Twenty Influential Women of Hampton, New Hampshire by Karen Raynes & Mary Ann Nelligan (Independently published, 2024)

Since Europeans first landed in Hampton, New Hampshire in 1638, women have played an integral role in building their community. Chronicles of their husbands, fathers, and brothers abound, but little was known about the women who helped create this vibrant seacoast town over the centuries.
Until two local historians set out to change that.
In Building Community, Karen Raynes and Mary Ann Nelligan share the lives of twenty women who history had overlooked but whose impact was great. Veterans and accused witches. Educators and innkeepers. The enslaved and the wealthy.
These are their stories. --Publisher's blurb

Ladybug Finalists for 2026

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 15:29:00 +0000

Based on two rounds of voting by New Hampshire's library community, we have chosen The Ladybug Picture Book Award finalists for the 2026 Ladybug Picture Book Award. New Hampshire children, from preschool to fourth grade, will select the winning picture book when they vote in November 2026. The deadline for sending in votes will be Sunday, December 20, 2026 at 11:30 pm. Voting materials will be posted on the Ladybug web page in June and a voting guide will be released around Labor Day.

The 2026 nominees for the Ladybug Picture Book Award are:

Aggie and the Ghost by Matthew Forsythe
Broken by X. Fang
Cranky, Crabby Crow (Saves the World) by Corey R. Tabor
The Day the Books Disappeared by Joanna Ho, Caroline Kusin Pritchard and Dan Santat
Don't Trust Fish by Neil Sharpson and Dan Santat
If I Built a Town by Chris Van Dusen
The Man Who Didn't Like Animals by Deborah Underwood and LeUyen Pham
Stalactite & Stalagmite: A Big Tale From a Little Cave by Drew Beckmeyer
The Wild Robot on the Island by Peter Brown

Book of the Week (3/23/2026)

noreply@blogger.com (Felicia Martin) — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Heartland: A Forgotten Place, an Impossible Dream, and the Miracle of Larry Bird by Keith O'Brien (Atria Books, 2026)

In the fall 1974, Larry Bird—one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball—was lost, and in danger of slipping away.
He had dropped out of Indiana University, spurning legendary Hoosiers head coach Bobby Knight. He returned home to French Lick, a tiny town in the second poorest county in Indiana, and he got a job hauling trash.
It could have ended right there for Bird, were it not for two men: Bob King, an old coach with bad knees, and Bill Hodges, a man who knew what it was like to be poor and overlooked. In the spring of 1975, during one of the darkest chapters of Bird’s life, King and Hodges convinced Bird to leave French Lick and play basketball at Indiana State University, a college that couldn’t even fill its arena, much less compete with Bobby Knight. Then, while no one was watching, King and Hodges built a team of players around Bird who were just like him: they were castoffs and leftovers, ready to work.
Four years later, in March 1979, this unheralded team would put together one of the greatest seasons in American sports history. By the time it was over, more than 50 million people would tune in to watch the Indiana State Sycamores play in the NCAA finals against Magic Johnson and Michigan State.
What happened that night would change college basketball and the NBA. Perhaps more importantly, it would change the members of this hardscrabble team, binding them together forever. In some ways, their one shining moment would never end.
Drawing on exclusive, in-depth interviews with players, coaches, and staffers, New York Times bestselling author and PEN American award–winning biographer Keith O’Brien offers a stirring account of the mighty Indiana State Sycamores. With its unforgettable ensemble cast, Heartland is more than just a sports book. It’s the story of a group of young men who achieved the greatest feat of all: immortality. --Publisher's blurb

About the author:

Keith has written five books, won the PEN America award for best biography, and has contributed to multiple publications over the years.

Keith's work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, Rolling Stone, the Wall Street Journal, and on National Public Radio. His radio stories have aired on All Things Considered, Morning Edition, and Weekend Edition, as well as Marketplace and This American Life.

A midwesterner by birth, O'Brien grew up in Cincinnati and graduated from Northwestern University. He now lives in New Hampshire with his wife, two children, two dogs, and two cats.

Join Keith at Gibson's Bookstore on Thu., March 26, 2026 at 6:30 pm where he will present his latest book!