Entries by Sarah Grace

Kill the Beast by Serra Swift

Lyssa is seeking revenge. A bounty hunter that dispatches faerie-made monsters, Lyssa has spent the last thirteen years attempting to rid her world of as many monsters as possible, on a revenge path after a faerie-made monster murdered her brother. Lyssa is good at what she does, often in high demand for monster killing. She […]

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

Sera Swan used to be one of the most powerful witches in Britain. An aspiring teenage talent, magic came easy to her and was her closest friend. Then, Sera’s great-aunt Jasmine died, and in a split second decision, Sera resurrected her. The spell brings Jasmine back to life (as well as her dead pet chicken, […]

Nonfiction Reads

I am excited to share that I, Sarah Turner-Hill, have read TWO nonfiction books so far this year. Pretty wild news, I know. I am a consistent consumer of fiction, but for 2026 the one reading goal I made for myself was to read more nonfiction. Two books is more for me, so I am […]

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Dear Reader, This April marks the fourth year for Joplin Reads Together, Joplin Public Library’s community read designed for adults. A month-long initiative, Joplin Reads Together aims to provide the community with a shared reading experience, community connection, a promotion of literacy, and programming by way of selecting one novel, inviting the author to visit […]

I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

I Who Have Never Known Men was my last read of 2025 and one of my most interesting reads of the year. The post-apocalyptic science fiction novel explores themes of survival, female friendship, and purpose in life in under 200 pages with no chapters and no name given to the main character. This unique novel […]

Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

During the months of December and January Joplin Public Library runs the Adult Winter Reading Challenge. Starting December 1, 2025 and ending January 31, 2026, the challenge aims to provide a fun challenge that encourages participants to read something new or outside their comfort zone. It’s also a great way to get ahead on New […]

Fall Reads

Ahh, fall. The weather is crisp, the leaves are falling, the boots are out, everything is pumpkin flavored, and the jack-o’-lanterns are glowing. And for readers, the book releases and fall themed reading lists are aplenty. As one of fall’s biggest fans I can’t help but look at a fall curated reading list and pick […]

The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig

Sybil Delling is a Diviner. She and the other five Diviners she lives with in Aisling Cathedral in the kingdom of Traum are visited by Omens in their dreams, and the Omens tell them the future. Royalty and common people alike travel across the kingdom to visit the sacred Diviners and receive tellings of their […]

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

It’s 1909 and Emily Wilde is a professor of dryadology at Cambridge University. A scholar that excels in her area of all things faerie, Emily is meticulous, devoted to her interests, logical, intelligent, and introverted, preferring the company of her dog Shadow, books, and the faerie folk she meets while pursuing her studies. People perplex […]

How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Louise never thought her family was weird, really. She’s always heard comments, even from her cousins, but Louise never agreed. Sure, her mom had an obsession, verging on unhealthy, with dolls and puppets. She packed their house full of them, various sizes and materials, and even created art with them, like when she recreated the […]