Langley-Adams Library Recommendations

" Though war rages across mainland Europe and London is strafed by German aircraft, the little village of Pipley in Hertfordshire bustles along much as it always has. Adrift since her best friend, George, joined the Royal Air Force, twenty-two-year-old Olive Bright fills her days by helping at her father’s veterinary practice and tending to her beloved racing pigeons. Desperate to do her bit, Olive hopes that the National Pigeon Service will enlist Bright Lofts’ expertise, and use their highly trained birds to deliver critical, coded messages for His Majesty’s Forces. The strangers who arrive in Pipley are not from the NPS. Instead, Jameson Aldridge and his associate are tied to a covert British intelligence organization known as Baker Street. If Olive wants her pigeons to help the war effort, she must do so in complete secrecy. Tired of living vicariously through the characters of her beloved Agatha Christie novels, Olive readily agrees. But in the midst of her subterfuge, the vi...

" Why do so many of us stop learning new skills as adults? Are we afraid to be bad at something? Have we forgotten the sheer pleasure of beginning from the ground up? Or is it simply a fact that you can't teach an old dog new tricks?  Inspired by his young daughter's insatiable need to know how to do almost everything, and stymied by his own rut of mid-career competence, Tom Vanderbilt begins a year of learning purely for the sake of learning. He tackles five main skills (and picks up a few more along the way), choosing them for their difficulty to master and their distinct lack of career marketability--chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling. What he doesn't expect is that the circuitous paths he takes while learning these skills will prove even more satisfying than any knowledge he gains. He soon finds himself having rapturous experiences singing Spice Girls songs in an amateur choir, losing games of chess to eight-year-olds, and dodging scorpions at a surf ca...

In  A Dark and Hollow Star , fae and faeries exist alongside humans, though they don’t reveal their true nature to them. For the past few months, partial-fae have been getting murdered and no one knows why. Arlo Jarsdel, half fae, finds herself in the middle of investigating the murders when she sees a young partial-fae girl die at a café. She teams up with Nausicaä, a disgraced former Fury, Vehan, a fae prince, and Aurelian, Vehan’s friend who must hide his love for him. Together they look for answers to why the fae kings and queens aren't trying to solve this mystery. Throughout their investigations, together and separate, they encounter a dangerous nightclub, alchemy, dangerous immortals, a secret society, and much more. I highly recommend this book for readers of YA who love fantasy! This book has multiple points-of-view, and each main character is LGBTQ. I personally had a lot of fun reading this book as well.  A Dark and Hollow Star  is a highly enjoyable read! Darc...

" Hilda sits in her tent listening to the thunder passing overhead when she hears a bell. As she hurtles towards the vanishing tinkling sound, Hilda unwittingly embarks on an adventure into strange worlds ruled by magical forces. Luke Pearson tells this exciting tale for kids and adults alike." (Goodreads.com)   This  is a fun graphic novel series full of adventure. I started watching the show, which I am thoroughly enjoying, before I picked up one of the graphic novels. It's reminiscent of the show Gravity Falls. If you liked that show you will enjoy this series. Meghan McCabe Children & Youth Services Librarian Available through the MVLC Catalog