The Swifts
Author: Beth Lincoln ; with illustrations by Claire Powell
Year: 2023
ISBN: 9780593533239
Abstract: "On the day they are born, every Swift child is brought before the sacred Family Dictionary. They are given a name, and a definition. A definition it is assumed they will grow up to match. Meet Shenanigan Swift: Little sister. Risk-taker. Mischief-maker. Shenanigan is getting ready for the big Swift Family Reunion and plotting her next great scheme: hunting for Grand-Uncle Vile's long-lost treasure. She's excited to finally meet her arriving relatives--until one of them gives Arch-Aunt Schadenfreude a deadly shove down the stairs. So what if everyone thinks she'll never be more than a troublemaker, just because of her name? Shenanigan knows she can become whatever she wants, even a detective. And she's determined to follow the twisty clues and catch the killer. Deliciously suspenseful and delightfully clever, The Swifts is a remarkable debut that is both brilliantly contemporary and instantly classic. A celebration of words and individuality, it's packed with games, wordplay, and lots and lots of mischief as Shenanigan sets out to save her family and define herself in a world where definitions are so important." -- Publisher marketing.
Chosen by: Suzanne
7/23/2025
Trejo's Tacos
Author: by Danny Trejo, with Hugh Garvey, photographs by Ed Anderson
Year: 2020
ISBN: 9781984826855
Abstract: The legendary actor and L.A. restauranteur shares his favorite--and badass--recipes for bold, fun and versatile Mexican dishes along with stories about his lifelong love of food, in this cookbook that is symbolic of L.A.'s vibrant Latino culture.
Chosen by: Teresa
7/23/2025
A Magical Girl Retires
Author: Park Seolyeon ; translated by Anton Hur
Year: 2024
ISBN: 9780063373266
Abstract: Stopped from jumping off a bridge by her guardian angel, a millennial woman learns she is a magical girl like the ones in manga and must wield her credit card as her magic wand to defeat monsters.
Chosen by: Keelin
7/23/2025
The Other Dark Matter
Author: Lina Zeldovich
Year: 2021
ISBN: 9780226615578
Abstract: "In the world today, we face considerable challenges, and while new ones pile on, the old standbys of fossil fuel overuse, greenhouse gas emissions, resource scarcity, food security, and weather and water extremes like droughts and floods remain. Fortunately, scientists are studying myriad ways human waste can help. Science journalist Lina Zeldovich argues in The Other Dark Matter that human excrement is a resource, cheap and widely available, that can be converted into a sustainable energy source, act as an organic fertilizer, provide effective medicinal therapy for resistant bacterial infection, and much more. Zeldovich profiles the pioneers of this repurposing, including startups in remote African villages and those in American cities that convert sewage into crude oil and collect specimens from volunteers to treat patients battling superbugs. The Other Dark Matter begins with a broad overview of our history of excrement disposal. The author's vignettes touch on ancient Roman sewage systems, Medieval latrines, and other methods used around the world to distance people from their excrement. Today's immense, computerized treatment plants are only the latest in a long line of engineering marvels that have distanced us from disease, she shows, but, importantly, they have also caused considerable damage to our earth's ecology. Zeldovich explains the massive redistribution of nutrients and sanitation inequities across the globe, drawing on her research and many interviews"-- Provided by publisher.
Chosen by: Liz
7/23/2025
1984
Author: by George Orwell ; with a new introduction by Dolen Perkins-Valdez, a new afterword by Sandra Newman, and an afterword by Erich Fromm
Year: 2023
ISBN: 9780451524935
Abstract: Winston Smith toes the Party line, rewriting history to satisfy the demands of the Ministry of Truth. With each lie he writes, Winston grows to hate the Party that seeks power for its own sake and persecutes those who dare to commit thought crimes. But as he starts to think for himself, Winston can't escape the fact that Big Brother is always watching. A startling and haunting novel, 1984 creates an imaginary world that is completely convincing from start to finish. No one can deny the novel's hold on the imaginations of whole generations, or the power of its admonitions--a power that seems to grow, not lessen, with the passage of time--Publisher's description.
Chosen by: Joelle
7/23/2025
Wren Martin Ruins it All
Author: Amanda DeWitt
Year: 2023
ISBN: 9781682635988
Abstract: Wren Martin, the asexual student council president, plans to eliminate the school's annual Valentine's Day Dance, until his rival Leo sabotages Wren's plan by securing a sponsorship from a dating app, which leads to unexpected feelings and realizations about Leo's seemingly perfect life.
Chosen by: Sandy
7/23/2025
The Bandit Queens
Author: Parini Shroff
Year: 2023
ISBN: 9780593498958
Abstract: "A young Indian woman falsely rumored to have killed her husband finds a way to make her unfortunate reputation surprisingly useful--but complications arise when other village women seek her help offing their husbands--in this provocative, razor-sharp debut. "The Bandit Queens heralds a prodigious and sophisticated literary talent." Téa Obreht, New York Times bestselling author of Inland In the five years since her husband's disappearance, Geeta has become accustomed to a solitary life; you'd be surprised how difficult it is to make friends when your entire village believes you're a witch who murdered your husband. And since she can't convince anyone that she didn't murder him, she figures she might as well use her fearsome reputation to protect herself as a woman on her own. But when other women in the village decide that they, too, want to be "self-made" widows and rid themselves of their abusive husbands, Geeta's reputation becomes a double-edged sword--the very thing that's meant to keep her safe is now threatening everything she's built as she unwittingly becomes the go-to consultant for village husband-disposal. Unfortunately, Geeta finds that even the best-laid plans of would-be widows tend to go awry, and the women find themselves caught in a web of their own making--and long-estranged friendships will have to be re-formed if they hope to make it out of their mess alive. Acerbic, insightful, and full of dark humor, Parini Shroff's The Bandit Queens--with its unique combination of poignant social commentary and irreverence--is an absolutely unforgettable novel"-- Provided by publisher.
Chosen by: Kristie
7/23/2025
Sentient
Author: Jeff Lemire, writer ; Gabriel Walta, art ; Steve Wands, letterer
Year: 2020
ISBN: 9781732748590
Abstract: "Welcome to the U.S.S. Montgomery. When a separatist attack kills every adult on board a colony ship in deep space, it is up to VALARIE, the on-board A.I., to help the ship's children survive. But as they are pursued by dangerous forces, can VALARIE become more than what she was programmed to be--a savior to these children?"--Provided by publisher.
Chosen by: Elliot
7/23/2025