All the books listed here are available at the library. Stop in, give us a call, or use the online catalog to place a hold and check one out. All book descriptions are provided by the publisher on the back of the book, on Goodreads, or through the library catalog.
Celebrate Earth Day at two foraging programs! Join us online for The Art of Foraging with Alexis Nikole Nelson (April 10 @ 7 pm) and then in person at Cooking around the World: Foraging (April 17 @ 6 pm). Make sure to register!
The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora by Alan Bergo: From root to flower―featuring 180 recipes and over 230 photographs―explore the edible plants we find all around us with the James Beard Foundation Award winner, Alan Bergo, as he breaks new culinary ground! Alan Bergo is also a chef on Hulu’s “Chef vs. Wild.”
How to Forage for Mushrooms without Dying by Frank Hyman: This is the book for anyone who walks in the woods and wants to learn how to identify the 21 edible mushrooms they’re likely to come across. Easily digestible information for beginners, answering the question “Can I eat this?”. Available on Hoopla (e-book).
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver: In this blend of memoir and journalistic investigation, Barbara Kingsolver describes her family’s adventure as they move to a farm in southern Appalachia and realign their lives with the local food chain. Available on Hoopla (audio/e-book).
Forage, Harvest, Feast by Marie Viljoen: Motivated by a hunger for new flavors and working with thirty-six versatile wild plants―some increasingly found in farmers markets―Marie Viljoen offers deliciously compelling recipes, including variations. It’s not just a book of recipes, it’s a celebration of local flavors!
Join our monthly book club, Books & Brew (April 15 @ 6:30 pm)! We are celebrating National Poetry Month by reading You Are Here, edited by Ada Limon. Teens are invited to our Blackout Poetry crafting event on April 16 @ 3 pm.
A Fortune for Your Disaster by Hanif Abdurraqib: A book of poems from poet, essayist, biographer, and music critic, Hanif Abdurraqib, about how one rebuilds oneself after a heartbreak, the kind that renders them a different version of themselves than the one they knew.
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman: This poetry collection from presidential inaugural poet Amanda Gorman features musical language, and themes of identity, grief, memory, and hope. Her poem The Hill We Climb that was read at the inauguration for President Biden in 2020 is included in the collection. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio)
You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limon: Poems from some of the nation’s most accomplished poets, engaging with their local landscape—be it the breathtaking variety of flora in a national park, or a lone tree flowering persistently by a bus stop—offering an intimate model of how we relate to the world around us and a beautifully diverse range of voices from across the United States. Available on Hoopla (audio).
Devotions by Mary Oliver: Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver presents a personal selection of her best work in this collection spanning more than five decades of her esteemed literary career. She provides us with an extraordinary and invaluable collection of her passionate, perceptive, and much-treasured observations of the natural world.
Learn more about the Illinois River and our community at A River of Stories on April 24. Stop by at 3:30 pm for a Tourism & Economy Discussion, and come back at 6 pm for a special presentation from Brian “Fox” Ellis. Then check out these books that all feature rivers!
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon: A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history. As a midwife, Martha is summoned to examine the frozen body of a man, accused of a terrible crime, found in the Kennebec River. She soon finds herself in the middle of a scandal, heading towards a trial, and seeking justice. Available on Boundless (audio/e-book) and Libby (audio/e-book).
River of the Gods by Candice Millard: The true story of two British men, opposite in almost every way, are sent to Africa, searching for the Nile River. After hardships, illness, and constant setbacks, the two became venomous enemies, disputing each other’s claims. A third man, Sidi Mubarak Bombay helped guide them and used his extraordinary resourcefulness to get them close to the headwaters of the Nile.
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross: After studying music on the mainland, Jack reluctantly returns home, where spirits rule the isle by fire, water, earth, and wind. When girls begin to go missing, Jack teams up with his childhood enemy, Adaira to entice the spirits to return them. The trouble with the spirits is far more sinister than they first expected, and an older, darker secret lurks beneath the surface. Available on Hoopla (audio/e-book).
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield: A richly imagined, powerful novel about the wrenching disappearance of three little girls and the wide-reaching effect it has on their small town. Combining folklore, science, magic, and myth, Setterfield spins the tale of a community and their secrets. Available on Boundless (audio).
Spring has sprung! Check out our CPLD garden or books for all ages.
Adult
Young Adult
Middle Grade
Picture Books
