I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman

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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 has an equally special author. Jacqueline Harpman published I Who Have Never Known Men in 1995 in French. Born in Belgium in 1929, Harpman and her parents were Jewish and fled Belgium in 1940 when the Nazis invaded. They spent 5 years living in Morocco, where Harpman faced institutional antisemitism, before moving back to Belgium in 1945 after war ended. As an adult Harpman became a celebrated Belgium author and a professional psychoanalysis. I think Harpman’s background as a psychoanalysis and Holocaust survivor made her uniquely qualified to author one of the most profound and disturbing science fiction novels I’ve read. And I think the internet agreed. Harpman’s novel was translated into English in 1997 by Ros Schwartz. It was then recently re-released in 2022 when dystopian novels were very popular and TikTok users took it from there. The novel went viral, and I was among the many that learned of it. 

The novel is written from the point of view of our main character, a teenage girl when the novel opens, and it follows her life from there. The novel is written like her journal entry, looking back on her strange life experience and recording what she lived through. Her story opens as the youngest in a group of 40 women, kept in a locked cage underground, guarded by a rotation of six men. The men never speak to the women, the women don’t know why they are being kept there and they never leave, and the main character has no prior memories before the cage. The older women aren’t able to tell the young girl much anymore about life before the cage, partly because they have a hard time remembering, and partly because the guards crack a whip menacingly when the women begin asking too many questions. The women used to try harder to get out, pleading with the guards, attempting escape, but enough time has passed that they have resigned themselves to this fate. This existence is all our main character has known. The limited education she does possess is thanks to the women in the cage with her.

One day the routine is broken when, as a guard puts the key into the lock of the cage, a siren the women have never heard before goes off. The guard turns and runs, leaving the key. This is it, a miracle they didn’t think possible. They unlock the cage and our main character is the first one to exit, venturing towards the door with the other women trailing behind. What they find is a staircase that leads them outside to hills of grass in every direction, but no other buildings or people are visible. The women are at first elated – they are free! They gather supplies from the storage closets they found where they were being kept and slowly begin to explore the area. It does not take long for the women’s hope to drop as they discover there is nothing else around, they even wonder if they are on a different planet than Earth. The guards are nowhere to be found, nor is any type of technology. The only thing they do find is other bunkers with cages like their own, some filled with 40 women like theirs, others with 40 men. Sadly, these captives didn’t have the luck of a guard happening to unlock the cage at the right moment: they’ve all died locked inside. 

Years pass like this. The women build a small community of homes, find more empty bunkers, and most accept this is all there is; no one is coming for them, no one is here with them, they are alone and will always be so. Years go on and they all pass away until only our main character is left. She was the only one that still questioned maybe something is out there to find, something that will explain why this has happened, why they are all there. She leaves the homes they built and begins walking, exploring further than ever before. Everything is the same, grassy hills, until she eventually finds an underground bunker clearly designed for someone in charge: endless amounts of food, a kitchen, a bed with nice bedding, and a bathroom, all things she’s never experienced. This is also where she finds paper and pen, and after years spent alone in this bunker, decides to write everything down should anyone find it after she is gone. 

I read a review of this book that described it as “quietly devastating” and I think that is the best way to sum up this novel. Harpman created a story that had me saying wow, just…wow. This isn’t a typical read. The premise of the main character knowing very little creates a reading experience where the reader likewise has the same questions she does, but they never get answered. Instead the reader spends time in the main character’s head, absorbing her thoughts and emotions, and also wondering what happened here to create this situation, but there is never the satisfaction of knowing. The novel spends years with the main character as she tries to create some semblance of a meaningful life with the situation she has been dealt. This is a haunting speculative fiction novel specifically focused on women and I recommend it to anyone wanting a moving read that won’t be easy to forget. I think the fact that this 30-year old Belgium novel went viral on one of the biggest social media sites says a lot, and I’m glad for it because I ended 2025 with one of my favorite reads of the year.

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Review by Sarah Turner-Hill, Adult Programming Coordinator

Favorite Reads of 2025

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As with previous years, I like to kick off the new year by reflecting on what I read during the previous year. And 2025 was a good one, reading-wise for me. I love writing each title down and keeping track of the total; with this year’s grand total being 54. That is a big number for me, and more than the goal I set for myself. I am thrilled to have read the books I did. I hope you are as happy with your 2025 books, too. If not, do not fret, I am sure 2026 is going to be your year.

Of those fifty-four titles, I would like to tell you about a few of my favorites.  Below are my top ten picks, in no particular order:

THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese

I wrote a full review for this one in March 2025, but since it is vying for one of my top books of the year, I wanted to mention it again.  

First, do not let the length of this one scare you off.  At over 700 pages, or 30 hours of listening, it is an undertaking, but once started it is nearly impossible to put down.  

Through the lens of an Indian family with a mysterious medical “Condition,” the author uses his extraordinary command of lyrical prose, to weave together a multi-part, compelling family drama.  One that also includes information on Indian life, medicine, the elements, colonial and post-colonial rule, the country’s social, political and economic climate, the caste system, religion, and much more. All of this must have been complicated by the novel’s seventy-seven year time span, but Verghese makes it look effortless.  He cleverly employs a large cast of richly drawn characters that possess depth and humanity to create this compelling story of family, love and life.  As with real life, the story is occasionally marred by loss and tragedy, but overall Verghese has created a prevailing sense of optimism and hope.  Also, as the title suggests, the theme of water is a central focus of the story – its destructive nature is showcased, as well as its ability to create and sustain life. 

Eager readers will be rewarded with a richly layered narrative that is as unforgettable as the characters who inhabit its pages. Fans of literary epic fiction should be thankful to have another tome to add to their shelves. There is much to love in this sprawling, informative, heart-gripping historical-fiction tale.

Find the book in the catalog.

 

THE GLASSMAKER by Tracy Chevalier

This gripping historical fiction novel is set on the Italian island of Murano and follows a family of glassmakers through the ages, from the Renaissance to present day. Readers should note that time passes differently on the island, allowing readers to experience 500 years of history with the same cast of characters. 

The story’s main character Orsola Rosso comes from a family of glassblowers. However, as a woman, glass work is not a profession she is meant for, but when her father dies she seeks an experienced female glassmaker and learns the skills she needs to make glass beads.  Her brothers are not supportive of her working with glass, but she persists, and with her newfound skills helps support her family during many difficult times.

The setting is beautifully described and the author’s character development is well done. Plus, the descriptions of glassmaking, especially the process of beadmaking, are striking. Readers will be eager to see how Orsola’s life unfolds and how each character is affected by historical and modern day events – plague, war, flooding, etc. 

Find the book in the catalog. 

 

YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL by Maggie Smith 

In her memoir poet Maggie Smith shares the loss of her relationship, how it upended her world, and the many changes it brought to her life. She shares her story in a nonlinear fashion, moving forward for a bit, then circling back for glimpses into the past. The book not only explores her divorce, but also what life looked like before, during and after. Reads see the healing that takes place as she grieves such an immense loss, but also the pain of reflecting back and lamenting a life that could have been. 

It is hard to describe just how beautifully this book is written. Each poem is an individual work of art. While I do not know hardly anything about poetry, this book seems accessible to practically anyone who is mourning a great loss.  Readers who are searching for a kindred spirit that recognizes their pain and gives them a brief reprieve from having to verbalize it and/or hold it alone. Smith’s words are sparse, but powerful.  

Find the book in the catalog. 

 

THE DIAMOND EYE by Kate Quinn

I knew I had to read this book when I found out it was the story of a librarian who became one of the world’s most deadly snipers during World War II and it is based on a true story.

Mila Pavlichenko wears a lot of hats – by day she is a student studying history at a university in Kiev, a library worker in her off hours, plus she is a single mom trying to obtain a divorce from her unfaithful and possessive physician husband.  But Hitler’s invasion of Russia changes her focus.  She is soon joining the Russian military and using her sharp-shooting skills to neutralize invaders. Lady Death as she is dubbed, records over 300 kills and is soon making headlines far and wide.  After recovering from a battlefield injury she is sent on a goodwill tour in America.  Little does she know that her past will follow her to Washington, DC and she will have to confront old and new foes, plus some hard truths about herself. 

This book is excellent!  Quinn scripts a quick-moving, engaging story. Yes, it’s based on a true story, so the bones were already in place for the story structure, but the elements she adds makes this a must-read. I could not read it fast enough.   

Find the book in the catalog. 

 

DID I EVER TELL YOU by Genevieve Kingston 

After reading the book jacket one might think they know what this book is about – the story of a mother diagnosed with cancer creates a chest full of gifts and letters for important events in each of her children’s lives – birthdays, graduation, engagement, etc. – but this beautifully written book contains so much more. It is an insightful look at the bond between mothers and daughters, the ability to carry lost loved ones within us and the power of reflection and storytelling.  

Genevieve (Gwen) Kingston was 11 years old when she lost her mother, and the gifts her mother left for her, to be opened on special occasions, have kept her connected to her mother throughout her life.  Now years later, only three packages remain: for Gwen’s engagement, marriage, and first baby. As she reflects on these final packages the author shares the story of her mother, alongside her own personal memoir. 

This clever offering is sad, but exceptionally well done. I love how Kingston structured the book – her childhood, the journey of her mother’s life and death, the after events, and her search for more answers about her mom.  It reinforces that all people are unique individuals and that we can never really know their full story. Even those that are closest to them. 

Find the book in the catalog. 

 

A WALK IN THE PARK by Kevin Fedarko

I wrote a full review for this one in April 2025, but I could not pass up a chance to mention it again. 

In 2014, Kevin Fedarko’s best friend, National Geographic photographer Peter McBride, proposed they hike the entire length of the Grand Canyon, as a sectional traverse. Fedarko had previous experience with the canyon, but it was in the form of rafting on the Colorado River, not hiking. Neither man knew anything about hiking, but McBride assured him they could simply do the hike “off the couch.” He said they would build up their stamina on the trail and there would be no need to train in advance. From Fedarko’s past experience working with McBride on National Geographic assignments he knew things did not normally go as planned, but McBride has a way of convincing people of things, and in the end Fedarko agreed to go.

Soon the pair find themselves tagging along on the first segment of another group’s epic continuous hike through the canyon. Misadventure ensues and very quickly the pair begin to understand they are in over their heads, but instead of admitting defeat, what develops is a slow motion collapse, where each is soon fighting for survival.   

From the perspective of someone who has never seen the Grand Canyon, I thought this book did an excellent job describing the canyon and its landscape. I enjoyed reading about the adventure of the two friends and especially enjoyed the many elements covered by the book –  various branches of science as it relates to the Grand Canyon (geology, archaeology, biology, botany, etc.); the history of the canyon; how and why the Grand Canyon National Park was created; information about the area’s indigenous people; Fedarko’s experience with the Colorado River; the slot canyons; what the Grand Canyon National Park is like today; and what the Canyon means to Fedarko. A fun, entertaining read!

Find the book in the catalog.

 

WE ALL LIVE HERE by JoJo Moyes

I ama sucker for a JoJo Moyes book. Ever since reading ME BEFORE YOU, I have been a fan.  This newest offering has many predictable elements that fans love – female main character, set in England and chaotic life happenings. 

Lila Kennedy has a busy, complicated life.  She is a divorcee with two daughters, a house that needs extensive repairs and a step-father who has practically moved in with them after Lila’s mother’s death.  She often struggles to make it through the day and focus on getting any of her work done, but she is doing her best. When her father from America shows up on her doorstep unannounced, Lila is not sure why he is there, or more importantly how she will handle this latest development and the additional stress he brings to her life.  

Moyes is skilled at navigating sensitive topics, while incorporating humor and WE ALL LIVE HERE is no exception. She creates likeable, but flawed characters who make this contemporary drama seem like something that could be happening next door (or right in your living room).  Readers will root for Lila Kennedy and her quirky family members. This is a sweet gem, readers will not want to miss it.   

Find the book in the catalog.

 

THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center

I wrote a full review for this one in July 2025, but could not pass up a chance to mention it again. 

In an effort to avoid being laid off from the video production company she works for, Katie Vaughn agrees to a month-long visit to Key West, Florida to shoot a recruiting video for the Coast Guard. The video will feature a rescue swimmer, Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson. 

When Katie arrives in Florida and meets Hutch he is not happy about her shooting the video.  He had thought that her co-worker Cole would be doing it. Even though he is angry, the two are soon working closely together and Katie makes it her mission to make a great recruiting video that features him, and also to record him as part of her personal side project, A Day in the Life YouTube series.  

A wrench is thrown in Katie’s plan when two surprise visitors show up. She will have to decide whether to risk her closeness with Hutch or possibly lose her job.

Center’s romantic comedies offer so much in addition to a good love story.  They have relatable conflicts as part of each story and THE LOVER HATERS is no exception.  It deals with self-esteem, friendship, confidence, imperfections and healing in a funny and accessible way. Plus, this book’s cast of characters are eclectic and add such dimension to the story. 

Find the book in the catalog.

 

AWAKE: A Memoir by Jen Hatmaker

I wrote a full review for this one in November 2025, but this is my favorite book of the year, so I could not pass up an opportunity to share it again. 

In 2020, social media influencer Jen Hatmaker found out that her husband of 26 years was having an affair. This is not a spoiler. The first lines of AWAKE are, “At 2:30 a.m. on July 11, 2020, out of a dead sleep, I hear five whispered words not meant for me. ‘I just can’t quit you.’ It is the end of my life as I know it.” 

From that simple exchange Jen’s life changes immediately. She goes from being an upbeat, confident, influencer who seemed to have it all – family, looks, a career and a large social media following – to a divorced single parent with five children, who has no idea how to access her bank account, let alone explain to her large online audience that her life just fell apart. She is left questioning everything about herself and her life and feeling like a complete failure and a fraud.  

The book is written in three parts – The End, The Middle and The Beginning. And it is not written in a linear fashion, with the author using vignettes, not chapters, to move from past memories to present ones throughout each section of the book. While it is the story of the loss of her marriage, it is also the story of her life, her 40+ years and the things that she has learned, and in some cases, unlearned. It is her story of turning inward to find herself and eventually reinventing many of the things she believed to be true. It is a beautifully hard journey, but one that Hatmaker endeavors to share fully and as transparently as she is able. 

Anyone who has had a difficult phase in life will find something here to appreciate; maybe even cling to. Divorce, religious questioning, struggles with codependency and dissociation and so many other topics.  Hatmaker is not shy about sharing her journey and her full heart is shown in this lovely, engaging memoir.

Find the book in the catalog.

 

FINLAY DONOVAN series by Elle Cosimano

After someone hears struggling crime writer Finlay Donovan and her literacy agent discussing the plot of Finlay’s new book, one that involves a contract killer, Finlay mistakenly ends up accepting a contract to off someone’s husband. Finlay’s life is already messy – she is recently divorced, has two young children, no nanny and is fighting with her husband over custody – however, she is soon entangled in an even messier situation that involves a dead body.

Readers will find the antics that Finlay gets into just barely believable, but hilarious. The humor is such a bright spot!  All of the books in this series have the just the right mix of whodunit, intrigue, comedy and a hint of romance.  Just when one thinks Finlay’s life cannot get any messier, it does.  

Another highlight of the book is the supporting cast – Finlay’s nanny Veronica, her sister Georgia, her ex-husband, her kids, her neighbor Mrs. Haggerty, sexy bartender Julian and hunky police detective Nick. 

Book #1 in the series, FINLAY DONOVAN IS KILLING IT, is Cosimano’s debut novel. And she follows this comedic winner up with four more in the series. The audiobooks are so good! I highly recommend listening to them if you can.    

Find the series in the catalog.

 

And that is a wrap for 2025. Thanks for taking the time to share in my reflection and reading about some of my favorites.  I am excited to see what 2026 brings and I wish you a wonderful new year of reading! 

 

Written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats

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At the turn of the twentieth century, as European immigration increased, many Slovenian immigrants landed in small mining towns outside of Denver, Colorado. Twelve-year-old Stanislava, who was born in Colorado to immigrant parents, speaks Slovenian at home, goes to a Slovenian church, and attends cultural meetings after school and on the weekends. Her favorite things, however, are to go to school and borrow as many books as she can from the penny library. She is able to do these things because her older sister, Stina, stays home, cleaning and caring for her youngest siblings. When she accidentally borrows a book about a young immigrant girl moving away for college, Stanislava realizes her dream: she wants to go to college.

Soon after discovering this dream, Stanislava’s life takes a dramatic turn. Her sister Stina runs off to marry a man of whom her parents do not approve. As the second oldest sister, Stanislava must take her place. Her parents force her to leave school and give up reading in exchange for cleaning and caregiving duties. Suddenly,  her culture and its traditional roles feel like too much. Her father has always told her that he moved from Slovenia for a chance at a new life where he was free to make his own choices. Why doesn’t Stanislava (or “Sylvia,” as she prefers to be called), get to use the same justifications to make choices about her own future?

The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls by J. Anderson Coats is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read in a while. This book has elements that any reader, young or old, could enjoy. The novel is historical fiction and analyzes the tension between the new world and the old world, as well as how to successfully blend the two. Coats also criticizes traditional gender roles, and creates a heroine (and secondary characters) who push against those boundaries in believable ways.

Stanislava, or Sylvia, is a young teen and there are no heavy themes or language in the novel. It is shelved in the Children’s Department and is geared toward 8 to 12 year olds. However, The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls is a universal story that readers of various ages and fans of many genres will appreciate.

On a personal note, my own family history mirrors much of Sylvia’s. In the author’s note, Coats shares that Sylvia’s story is inspired by her actual grandmother. I found that my paternal grandfather grew up in the same town as her grandmother and even went to the same church that is mentioned in the book. I enjoyed the book very much on its own merits, but I was especially excited by this discovery. I hope future readers enjoy this book as much as I have. You can find The Unexpected Lives of Ordinary Girls at the Joplin Public Library. Happy reading!

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Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival by Stephen Greenblatt

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The mind’s eye tends to summon associated grandeur when visualizing Elizabethan England. The reality is that if you were a contemporary from, say, Italy, all-things-English really wasn’t worth your time. There was no point in learning English, as anything of value written by an English author would have been available in Latin. Also pointless was crossing the Channel for a visit. London in the mid-16th century was a cultural backwater, where if there was any theater to be had it was usually a theater of cruelty, comprised of bear-baiting and public executions.

But then, almost in a rush, from England emerged two of history’s greatest playwrights. William Shakespeare was fortunate to live long enough to produce a vast canon of work. The other playwright was on the other side of longevity, having been murdered at age 29. And in Stephen Greenblatt’s excellent new book, Dark Renaissance: The Dangerous Times and Fatal Genius of Shakespeare’s Greatest Rival, we read about the life of this other playwright: Christopher Marlowe.

If you’re like me, you knew that there was indeed a Christopher Marlowe and that he wrote The Tragical History of Doctor Faustus. Beyond that, however, I didn’t know much. But in reading Greenblatt’s compelling narrative, I realized that I’ve known Marlowe all along. When we’re listening to a Shakespeare play, specifically Hamlet and Macbeth, we’re hearing Marlowe’s influence. For Marlowe not only infused vitality into the English language via unrhymed iambic pentameter, his plays explored a character’s inner life. Shakespeare’s work stands on its own, of course. “But Shakespeare saw that he could now enter territory into which no one before Marlowe had dared to venture,” writes Greenblatt. The world in which these two men lived, who were roughly the same age, was a dangerous one. Free-thinking could lead to your demise, and that’s precisely where Marlowe ventured.

Greenblatt, a leading Shakespearean scholar, is the perfect guide into this world. When he says, “Virtually everything in the Elizabethan theater is pre- and post-Tamburlaine” (Marlowe’s first play), the succinctness underscores its importance. Greenblatt has spent his long academic career developing New Historicism, a literary theory that stresses the importance of studying a text within the cultural context in which it was written. How this benefits us, the general reader, is that he’s a master of not only introducing Marlowe’s works, but also of noting the caprices that marked living in the late 1500s.

It seems more than a touch improbable that the son of an illiterate cobbler would ascend to such literary heights. Given that little is known about Marlowe—other than his works—part of the fun is reading how Greenblatt builds the architecture of Marlowe’s short life. And when no definitive answer emerges, the open questions are intriguing. For example, how did an early-teen Marlowe earn a scholarship to a private school when neither of his parents were capable of teaching him how to read?

A formal education was revelatory for Marlowe, culminating in two degrees from Cambridge University. Through rigorous study, specifically studying Greek and Latin, a world of creative possibilities opened for Marlowe. His contemporary world was one of religious turmoil, where it was determined whether you were a Catholic or a Protestant based on the religious preference of the seated monarch. Religious texts were limiting and could not ultimately sustain the mind. Classic texts, on the other hand, were a way of freeing the mind. So reading Ovid, for example, appealed to more primal human emotions. Add to that working through the humanism found in early Italian Renaissance texts, you have potentially churned out a graduate who will question religious dogma.

And yet this was the exact opposite of what was expected of Cambridge graduates. It was hoped a life in the church (in the power structure) would be the subsequent choice. This was not for Marlowe.

Marlowe’s graduate degree was almost not conferred due his lengthy unexplained absence. Greenblatt consults Cambridge’s dining hall ledgers (the Buttery books) to mark Marlowe’s absence and return, replete with a marked influx of funds for food and drink. Also surviving is a document from Queen Elizabeth’s Privy Council requesting that Marlowe be awarded his MA degree, for “he had done her Majesty good service.” In short, Marlowe was a spy for the crown.

His Cambridge degrees meant Marlowe could be considered a gentleman. Yet despite the popularity of his plays, he was paid little for their productions; and given England’s strict class distinctions, Marlowe could only rise so far. His renown did put him in the orbit of powerful individuals, such as Walter Raleigh, who happened to crave knowledge beyond what was accepted by scripture.

It was around this time that Marlowe wrote the retelling of Doctor Faustus. Greenblatt’s analysis of the play as it relates to both its lasting influence and its immediate significance is about as engaging as it comes. In the end, the words Marlowe gave to his characters burned with such suggestion they led an old enemy to suggest that Marlowe was an atheist. Whether he was murdered by order of the crown or, as the official report read, stabbed to death over his share of a dinner bill, the end came in a small room inside of a tavern.

The book’s subtitle seems to have been the work of the publisher to hook potential readers. No doubt there was some literary competition between Shakespeare and Marlowe, but not with any apparent animosity. In fact, Greenblatt notes that the scholarly consensus is that Marlowe co-authored portions of Shakespeare’s Henry VI. And Shakespeare references Marlowe’s death in As You Like It when the jester, Touchstone, says, “When a man’s verses cannot be understood…it strikes a man more dead than a great reckoning in a little room.”

The only known portrait of Marlowe was almost lost to history. In 1953, during renovation work at Cambridge University, someone noticed several painted boards in a dumpster. They were assembled and restored, resulting in a portrait of an insouciant young man with auburn hair. Below the Latin inscription “Aetatis suae 21 1585” (Aged 21,1585) is the Latin motto “Quod me nutrit me destruit” (“That which nourishes me destroys me”).

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Review by Jason Sullivan

Too Old for This by Samantha Downing

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We are at the halfway point for the Joplin Public Library’s Adult Winter Reading Challenge. For the challenge you choose 5 categories from a list and read something that matches that category. If you are still filling in categories like I am, here is a title that will fulfill “Written from villain’s POV”.

Samantha’s Downing’s latest novel, Too Old for This, is all about the villain and her name is Lottie Jones. Lottie has made a home for herself in Baycliff Oregon. Her son, Archie, and her grandchildren live in California. Retired from her bank job, the last seven years have been spent in her big house with her social life revolving around church. There is church service each Sunday then on Thursday it’s potluck & bingo. She always sits with her friends, Sheila and Bonnie. Her life is routine and quiet.

Then one evening there is a knock at the door. Since it’s too late for fundraisers or salesmen she ignores it. But the knocking continues and someone calls her name. Her visitor is Plum Dixon. Plum has called twice requesting that Lottie talk with her. Reluctantly Plum is admitted and led to the kitchen.

Lottie fills the teapot and Plum begins her plea. She wants to feature Lottie in a docuseries about people wrongly accused of a crime. Lottie refuses but Plum is sure Lottie’s’ story will be fascinating. Lottie is sure bringing all that up will not be good for her. So while Plum talks Lottie picks up her old umbrella and raises it above Plum’s head. It takes 2 swings but Plum won’t be making a docuseries on Lottie.

The methodical way Plum’s body is disposed of and the steps taken to lead the trail away from Lottie indicates Lottie has had some experience with murder.

Her given name is Lorena Mae Lansdale. When Lorena was named a suspect in the murder of three people her life and Archie’s became unbearable. She was never charged but the publicity from being a suspect cost her job and Archie was taunted and bullied. So she sued the city, took a settlement, changed her name and moved to Baycliff.

Of course not being charged and being innocent are two different things. Lottie learned from those three murders to perfect her craft. However, killing someone and getting away with it is a lot of work so she retired from murder before she retired from the bank. Plum would have stirred all that up again and Lottie is just too old for it.

But with smartphones and social media it’s easy enough to track someone’s whereabouts. The first person to show up looking for Plum is her boyfriend. Then came the police, Detectives Tula and Harlow. Tula conducts the interview and moves on but Harlow is more persistent. She comes back a second time and then a third.

Next is Plum’s estranged mother, Norma. Like Detective Harlow, Norma is persistent and seems determined to catch Lottie in a trap. When Lottie finds out her old nemesis from Seattle is pulling the strings a deadly game begins.

Can Lottie keep her wits about her to insure her secrets stay buried or has she committed one murder too many?

Downing has created a fascinating character. Lottie is so ordinary with a divorced middle aged son marrying a much younger woman. She is 75 years old and dealing with a failing body and a house too big for her to care for properly. She regularly attends church, tangles with a rude telemarketer, and enjoys killing, especially if you made her angry.

Despite the premise I enjoyed reading this title and I recommend it. Just know that it may cause you to look twice at the person who stands in line in front of you at the grocery store or the one who sits by you in church.

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Review by Patty Crane, Reference Librarian

Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

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Like her mother before her, Reyna dedicated her life to Queen Tilane. She swore to protect the queen from all who might harm her, and she rose in the ranks to become one of the queen’s most trusted Queensguards.

Tilane is a fickle, power-hungry ruler. When Reyna is nearly killed by an assassin – and the queen makes it clear that Reyna’s life means nothing to her – Reyna decides it is time to reevaluate her priorities.

Reyna is in a long standing, secret relationship with Kianthe, the Arcandor – the most powerful mage in the world. She has been blessed by the Stone of Seeing with almost limitless power, and required to use that power to manage magical creatures, avert natural disasters, and soothe political disagreements. Reyna is the only person Kianthe knows who sees her for who she really is.

It has been Kianthe’s dream for the two of them to run away together and open up a store that sells books and tea. After her near-death experience, Reyna is finally on board.

They set up their dream shop in a tiny town right on the border between the Queendom and a neighboring country. Kianthe, Reyna, and their shop are instantly popular with the locals, but they soon find out that Tawney is not as quiet as they thought it would be.

There are two political leaders – one from each side of the border – claiming to govern Tawney. Tawney’s citizens are also divided on this issue, meaning that New Leaf Tomes & Tea will need the blessing of both leaders in order to run smoothly.

The town is also plagued by dragon attacks. Long ago, half of the town was destroyed in a dragon attack, and the dragons return frequently to burn the ruins that remain. This is just the kind of mysterious behavior that the Arcandor needs to investigate.

Not to mention the looming threat of Queen Tilane. No person has ever managed to escape her court for long.

Rebecca Thorne’s CAN’T SPELL TREASON WITHOUT TEA is part of the growing genre known as cozy fantasy. The setting is comfortable, the danger is not too intense, and the ending is happy. Cozy fantasy is the kind of book you want to read on a cold night in front of a roaring fire – because the characters are doing the same.

I have only read a few of the more popular entries in the genre, but this is by far my favorite. The characters are well-developed and the action is exciting. Thorne is able to make the stakes feel important even though readers know that the events of the book are going to end well.

This is the first book in Thorne’s four-book series, all of which are available now. Each book is titled with a tea-related pun. Readers who enjoy puns – particularly bad puns – will find many to enjoy throughout the series.

 

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Book review by Alyssa Berry, Technical Services Librarian

Back After This by Linda Holmes

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Cecily Foster loves podcasting and would love to have her own show, but her boss keeps giving her other assignments. Until one day, he calls her into his office and tells her that it is finally her turn, that she is getting a shot at hosting her own show.  

After his pitch, there are a couple of catches that have Cecily questioning if this would be the right show for her.  Her boss wants to set her up to work with a relationship coach named Eliza Cassidy, who is an advertiser for their company.  Eliza would coach Cecily on dating and then she would go on 20 first dates, with men selected by Eliza. This would all be aired as part of the show, meaning the show would be a dating podcast. Also, listeners would know that Cecily is single, after a relationship where her ex not only broke her heart, but also used her ideas to further his career, and would be able to offer her advice (and commentary) on dating via their comments.  

She would rather turn it down, but her boss makes her think that a co-worker might be at risk of losing her job if Cecily does not take this assignment, so she relents.  Soon she is working with Eliza and going on her dates, but in the interim she has met someone that seems great. She knows this falls outside her commitment to the 20 first dates, but after helping rescue a giant Great Dane with a man named Will she cannot stop thinking about him.    

Linda Holmes, the bestselling author of EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER (one of my favorites) and FLYING SOLO is a star at writing witty dialog and BACK AFTER THIS has plenty of it.  Cecily is trying to balance her career and her love life, and many readers are sure to identify with her plight. Holmes’ book is perfectly written for readers looking for a feel-good story about starting over in love and life.  

The elements of the book are so perfectly written, witty rom-com, the popular world of podcasting, plus a handsome waiter, and Great Dane named Buddy.  Heart, humor and honesty. The book is relatable emotionally and the real star of the show is Cecily and her growth from a people pleaser to someone more real and true to herself.  If you are like me and need a distraction from the chaos of the holidays, give this one a read! 

Review written by: Jeana Gockley, Joplin Public Library Director

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Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz

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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 Year’s resolutions and spend cold winter months with books. The challenge is comprised of 15 reading categories and to complete the challenge a reader must do at least 5 of them. The reader chooses which 5 they’d like to do, and what books to read that fit those categories. Titles may only be used once. This challenge is open to anyone 18 years of age or older, and a Joplin Public Library card is not required to participate. Challenge forms can be found at the library and on our website calendar. There is also an option to participate electronically. I enjoy participating in the challenge each year, and I also enjoy the prizes, which are a specialized ceramic mug and three tickets for a raffle drawing. If you are a reader and enjoy a reading challenge every now and then, I encourage you to visit the library or our website calendar to take a look at the challenge to see if it might be of interest! 

The first category I tackled is “Nonhuman character” and for that I have read the recently published Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz. A science fiction novel set in future San Francisco, California, the four main characters are all sentient robots (nonhuman characters). The novel opens with the bots awakening months after their last stored memory, abandoned in the restaurant they used to operate for the human owners. The restaurant is in shambles due to flooding and storms in the city, and the bots are unsure of what to do at first. The novel does a nice job of revealing the bots and this future world’s history a bit at a time, and it doesn’t take long to learn that the bots had been through a war in which they fought for their own independence and the separation of California from the rest of the United States. 

The bots – Staybehind, Sweetie, Hands, and Cayenne – don’t take long to decide to do what they know best: operation and functionality. They work together to bring the restaurant back to life. The restaurant used to serve a wacky combination of foods (tacos, hamburgers, pastas) due to low overhead costs, but Hands (the cook of the group) decides they need to make one thing, and make it well. He decides they’ll make hand-pulled noodles. Each taking up their own role, the bots piece together the restaurant and their new found purpose. Like any small business operators, they encounter bumps in the road which are made more complicated by anti-robot sentiments. Staybehind, Sweetie, Hands, and Cayenne really have pure intentions and make delicious food, and the novel creates a plot in which the reader will find themselves empathizing with them versus some of the humans.

This novel feels very timely for the world today. It examines technology and AI and the role it plays in society, and where it could go. This novel was also fun and a short, snappy read (I chose the audio version which has a 4 hour runtime). It has an equal rights undertone and the post-war the bots live in made me think of the challenges historically faced by marginalized groups. Newitz creates lovable, fun characters that come across quite innocent, and the novel is rooted in friendship. I think this is a good read for science fiction readers that are looking for something more on the lighthearted side. Also, it accomplishes one of the Winter Reading Challenge categories! Join the challenge anytime in December or January to feel the self-satisfaction of completing a challenge and the joy of reading, plus get your own special mug for those warm winter drinks!

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Review by Sarah Turner-Hill, Adult Programming Coordinator

STALACTITE AND STALAGMITE BY DREW BRECKMEYER; ALL ABOUT U.S. BY MATT LAMOTHE AND JENNY VOLVOVSKI

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Jeopardy champion James Holzhauer credits children’s books with giving him the breadth of knowledge needed to win game after game. While I’m no trivia expert, I do appreciate a quality nonfiction children’s book. And if the illustrations are also incredible? That’s even better. 

As a hat tip to James Holzhauer, Jeopardy, and our dear colleague and trivia expert Linda Cannon, I would like to highlight a few of my favorite narrative nonfiction books. These are all books that my family enjoyed for the story, the illustrations, and the things we learned. 

Stalactite and Stalagmite by Drew Beckmeyer is categorized as a picture book, but it also teaches readers about geography and cave formations. The eponymous characters experience the most human of emotions: loneliness, a need for companionship, grief, and joy. We witness the two friends lament the passing of time and wonder when they will see each other again. And then, one day, many years later, they finally meet. It’s easy to see ourselves in their situation. We all have likely had to be apart from someone we love. 

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Except Stalactite and Stalagmite are literally growths in a cave. And the passing of time they lament encompasses several epochs and the introduction of lizards, the extinction of dinosaurs, and more. Although this book is more narrative than fact, readers will learn how stalagmites and stalactites form and change over time. The book is written entirely in dialogue, with different characters appearing in different colors, making Stalactite and Stalagmite an excellent readaloud. This book will likely spark interest in cave formations. If that’s the case, I know a library with some really great cave books. Beckmeyer’s book, with its cartoon-like illustrations, is also a great standalone story for young readers. 

All About U.S. by Matt Lamothe and Jenny Volvovski, is more of a straightforward nonfiction title than Stalactite and Stalagmite, but it’s no less engaging. The authors of this book interviewed 50 kids from every state in the United States. Each half-page features a child’s story below a watercolor painting of their house. Typically, the child and their family are depicted playing or gathering in their yard or outside their home. The write-ups about each child are short but manage to capture the child’s personality through quotes from the child and their parents, as well as descriptions of their home and their favorite activities. All About U.S. is one to savor; my family has been reading about two kids every night. My son has read about kids like him, who love math and sports. He’s also read about kids leading remarkably different lives than him, like Sati, who goes to forest school in Maine and Jade, who shows cattle in West Virginia. It is as exciting to read about kids with similar interests or attributes as it is to read about kids with different interests living in places we have never been.

The book is also organized exceptionally well. The kids appear by region of the United States, and, as noted in the book, by the order in which the sun sets in their state. Additional material includes survey information noting the breakdown of various statistics: gender, types of homes, family structure, and much more. The end of the book also includes headshots of the featured children. All About U.S. is one to own or, at the very least, to keep for the entire three-week checkout period. Young readers will want to spend time with this one, poring over details and getting to know each child. This book is a unique way to learn about human geography and to gain empathy for and insight into people who are different from us. Happy reading, and good luck on your next Daily Double. 

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After the North Pole: A Story of Survival, Mythmaking, and Melting Ice by Erling Kagge

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The North Pole, according to Erling Kagge, exists as a reductio ad absurdum. Having no longitude, it’s really no place at all. The same applies to the South Pole, of course. But unlike the South Pole, walking to the top of the world must be accomplished atop sea pack ice. Once there, fixing your position at 90°N means you can decide the time of day. All hours apply. But it’s only temporary, as the pack ice is already floating you away. The North Pole will allow a visitor, just not a permanent one.

Because he made the trek there in 1990, Kagge has the authority to regale us about the North Pole. And in After the North Pole: A Story of Survival, Mythmaking, and Melting Ice, we see why it’s fitting that one of history’s most elusive places seems to repel all comers. Throughout this travel narrative, Kagge also provides a history of Arctic exploration. Ultimately, he’s asking a singular question: Why are we compelled to venture north?

What lies “north of the north winds” has been a source of wonder since antiquity. Kagge notes how Herodotus’ Hyperborea, a land to the north “where people lived in peace and harmony” and “where the sun went to rest,” was drawn on maps up until the Enlightenment. After all, compasses were already in use and they, of course, pointed north. So something must lie beyond immediate reach.

Even as Europeans circumnavigated the globe, they still couldn’t breach the northern icy waters. Kagge takes us through familiar history, detailing the search for the Northwest Passage and the big names from the Heroic Era of Polar Exploration (Fridtjof Nansen and Roald Amundsen, to name a few). If this era of history is nothing new to you, it’s tempting to skim such sections. But Kagge does more than just repeat their narratives. He’s uniquely qualified to delve into the psyche of these famous explorers and comment on their decisions while they were on their respective explorations.

The nuances of Kagge’s own journey to the North Pole comprise some of the book’s most engaging moments. He describes an environment that’s absent of all aromas. Given the frigid temperatures, any particle that might carry an aroma quickly turns to ice. During some stretches, the sea ice is so thin he compares it to walking on a waterbed. He melts sea ice for drinking water. How, one might wonder, does one drink sea water? The answer lies in the ice’s age. It has to be at least a year old so as to have gone through the process of pressing out the salt. Plus there’s the constant risk of polar bear attacks. (He ends up shooting and killing a bear that charged him.)

Of course one can take a small plane and land on an ice floe. Or, more ominously, you can climb into a nuclear-powered submarine and slip under the ice. Various navies have been doing this for decades.

With rising global temperatures, there’s the open question of just how much ice will remain in the coming years. Kagge notes that the Arctic is warming at twice the global rate. What this portends for the earth is an open question. But as a warning, Kagge shares Margaret Atwood’s comparison of the earth to that of a dying tree: the decay is first noticed at the top. What is known is that the Russian military is taking advantage of the warming temperatures by constructing military bases farther and farther north.

Nevertheless, Kagge’s book is ultimately about stepping into the ineffable. In the end, he doesn’t know why he’s compelled to explore to the point of near death. Is it from believing that some form of contentment can result only from overcoming a challenge and perhaps coming face-to-face with the sublime? That’s certainly part of it, Kagge admits. Do I believe he’s chasing in the extreme what the rest of experience during, say, a difficult hike, where there’s restorative power of having to be present in the moment? I believe so.

For some polar explorers, they are only at ease while on expedition, says Kagge. Perhaps they are akin to migratory birds, those flying compasses. The earth’s magnetic field just points them north.

The derring-dos of the famous explorers of yesteryear certainly had an outsized effect on the imaginations of others. And if they disappeared and never returned, well, all the more dramatic. Take John Franklin, who vanished while on expedition in 1845. Kagge describes how there’s a marble bust of Franklin in Westminster Abbey. Below it, there’s a verse from Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem honoring Franklin: “Not here! The white north hath thy bones, and thou, heroic sailor-soul, art passing on thine happier voyage now toward no earthly pole.”

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Review by Jason Sullivan