With fresh new calendars and a year fresh with possibility, January is the time for resolutions. Of course, at the library, we’re partial to reading-related goals. Whether you’re looking to read more in general, or wanting to branch out to new formats or genres, there are many good books coming out this month to get you started. And don’t forget to sign up for our Winter Reading program!
The following information is provided courtesy of the Arlington Public Library.
Fiction
The Expectant Detectives
By Kat Ailes
Shortly before she’s due to give birth, Alice and her boyfriend move from London to the small village of Penton. But the village may not be as idyllic as promised. When a shopkeeper is murdered while Alice’s prenatal class is meeting, the mothers-to-be find themselves under suspicion. As if pregnancy and impending parenthood weren’t enough to be getting on with, now they also have to find a murderer in this fun (and hilarious) romp. // Available January 9. Library catalog link here.
City of Laughter
By Temim Fruchter
After her father dies and her girlfriend leaves, Shiva starts studying Jewish folklore while trying to learn more about her grandmother and great-grandmother. When her studies take her to Poland, she discovers all the women in her family have been haunted by the same green-eyed stranger. Author Temim Fruchter’s debut novel interweaves traditional and original Jewish culture and folklore with a captivating and tender story of self-discovery and family. // Available January 16. Library catalog link here.
A Quantum Love Story
By Mike Chen
When neuroscientist Mariana visits the Hawke accelerator, she gets caught in a four-day time loop. She’s not alone – technician Carter is also in the loop with her. As they relive the same four days, they form a friendship, working together to break the cycle. But when Carter starts to slip out of the loop, it’s up to Mariana to save him – and hopefully, the world. // Available Available January 30. Library catalog link here.
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel
By ReShonda Tate
Many know Hattie McDaniel for her Oscar-winning performance as “Mammy” in Gone With the Wind. Author ReShonda Tate brings the star to life in this new novel focusing on her post-Oscar career, when Hollywood continued to relegate her to Mammy-like roles while the head of the NAACP criticized her for taking them. During that time, McDaniel led the successful charge to keep Black residents from getting pushed out of her L.A. Sugar Hill neighborhood. A powerful portrait of a fascinating woman. // Available Available January 30. Library catalog link here.
Nonfiction
How to be a Renaissance Woman: The Untold History of Beauty and Female Creativity
By Jill Burke
Beauty trends come and go, but many modern Western beauty standards date back to the Renaissance. Historian Jill Burke explores the standards of Renaissance Europe, what shaped them, and how women shared tips, tricks, and beauty recipes in an attempt to embody the ideal. The result is illuminating and will leave the readers wondering about their own relationship with beauty culture. The truly adventurous can take advantage of the included Renaissance beauty recipes. // Available Available January 2. Library catalog link here.
Rental Person Who Does Nothing: A Memoir
By Shoji Morimoto, translated by Don Knotting
It all started with a tweet. Shoji Morimoto started a business where people could have him show up and do…nothing. Since then, more than 4,000 people have taken him up on the service, hiring him to provide a listening ear, a companion on errands or someone to sit with in waiting rooms. Along the way, he ponders the value of simply being there and juxtaposes it with the role that work and productivity play in modern society. // Available January 9. Library catalog link here.
Our Moon: How Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
By Rebecca Boyle
Explore the moon’s influence on life, from animal behaviors to human evolution, and delve into its pivotal role in shaping early religion, philosophy and scientific discovery. Science writer Rebecca Boyle weaves science and cultural history, from the moon’s impact on Earth’s oceans to its role in ancient civilizations and modern space exploration. Her engaging prose and insightful storytelling make this a delightful and informative read. // Available Available January 16. Library catalog link here.
Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum
By Antonia Hylton
In 1911, a dozen Black men were marched into the forests of Maryland’s Anne Arundel County and forced to build the state’s Hospital for the Negro Insane. These 12 men then became the hospital’s first inmates. Later renamed Crownsville, it remained a segregated facility until 1962. At one point, it held more than 2,700 patients, most of whom were forced to do farm labor and suffered horrific abuses. Journalist Antonia Hylton delves into a past that the state for decades tried to cover up, examining society’s ongoing struggle to adequately address mental illness and criminality today. // Available Available January 23. Library catalog link here.
Middle Grade
The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree
By Lucille Abdendanon
After her mother’s death, Emmy clings to the familiar and refuses to evacuate Dutch Batavia (now Jakarta, Indonesia) at the beginning of World War II. When the Japanese invade, Emmy is separated from her father and sent to the Tjideng prison camp. While trying to survive in the terrible living conditions, Emmy must face hard truths about Dutch colonialism and her own role in Batavian society. Based on the experiences of the author’s grandmother, this is an engaging and harrowing tale.// Available Available January 23. Library catalog link here.
Teen
The Colliding Worlds of Mina Lee
By Ellen Oh
Mina hopes that if her webcomic becomes popular enough, she can convince her father to let her go to art school. She adds new plot elements to make it more exciting, but it gets out of control when, during a freak thunderstorm, she’s sucked into her own comic and can no longer control the story. Now she must defeat the villain, win the guy, and somehow get back to the real world in this fun read. // Available January 23. Library catalog link here.