<![CDATA[EUREKA PUBLIC LIBRARY DISTRICT (Eureka, Illinois) - Staff Book Reviews]]>Wed, 16 Sep 2026 14:20:51 -0500Weebly<![CDATA[September 8, 2026 | 'Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton' by Martha Ackmann [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/september-8-2026-aint-nobodys-fool-the-life-and-times-of-dolly-parton-by-martha-ackmann-adult-review

Ain't Nobody's Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton

Ackmann, Martha

2025, St. Martin's Press

Biography

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: large print & Playaway
eBook: Palace Project
eAudiobook: Libby & Palace Project
In Ain't Nobody's The Life and Times of Dolly Parton, Martha Ackmann chronicles the life of an American Original. From her impoverished childhood in the Smoky Mountains to international stardom as a singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman, and philanthropist, Dolly Parton has exceeded everyone's expectations except her own. During a time when the Beatles set the standard for contemporary music, Dolly appeared on a local country music television show that her high school classmates thought was pure cornpone. The day after her high school graduation, she boarded a bus for Nashville, but record executives turned her down. One said her voice sounded like a screech owl.

When Dolly finally got her foot in the door, her talent and focus catapulted her to the top of country charts, the pop world, and movie stardom. Yet her success came at a price. Shunned by many in Nashville who saw her ambition as a betrayal of her country music roots, Dolly became the target of death threats, lawsuits, and a judge who threatened to throw her in jail. She nearly collapsed on-stage and later succumbed to depression that pushed her to the brink, but she refused to be counted out and came back stronger than ever developing Dollywood, the amusement park that became the economic engine of East Tennessee, and founding the Imagination Library that provides free books to children around the world. Her philanthropy to health organizations led to creation of the Moderna COVID vaccine. And, finally, she returned to her roots, recording bluegrass albums that became the most celebrated of her unparalleled 60-year career.

Ain't Nobody's Fool is a deep dive into the social, historical, and personal forces that made Dolly Parton one of the most beloved and unifying figures in public life and includes interviews with friends, family members, school mates, Nashville neighbors, members of her band, studio musicians, producers, and many others. It also features never before seen photographs and unearthed documents shedding light on her family's hardscrabble life. More than anything, Martha Ackmann's fresh and animated new book proves Dolly Parton knows just who she is and she ain't nobody's fool.

Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:

aint_nobodys_fool.pdf
File Size: 40 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[September 8, 2026 | 'Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest' by Corinne Purtill [Middle Grade Review]]]>Wed, 09 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/september-8-2026-dr-wangari-maathai-plants-a-forest-by-corinne-purtill-middle-grade-review

Dr. Wangari Maathai Plants a Forest (Rebel Girls series)

Purtill, Corinne

2020, Timbuktu Labs, Inc.

Fiction

Grades: 3-7; Lexile: 760L

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: audio-enabled book
​From the world of Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls comes the historical novel based on the life of Dr. Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Peace Prize-winning activist from Kenya.

Wangari lives in a magical place in rural Kenya where the soil is rich for planting, the trees abundant, and the nearby pond full of mysterious creatures. She drinks from cool, clean streams and plays beneath her favorite fig tree under her mother’s watchful gaze.

Then Wangari grows up and goes away to school, and things start changing at home. Farmers chop down the trees. Landslides bury the stream. The pond dries up. The soil becomes overworked, dry, and unusable for planting. And people go hungry. Dr. Wangari Maathai has a simple solution to all of these problems: plant trees.

Read a review by Kathryn Longfellow:

dr._wangari_maathai_plants_a_forest.pdf
File Size: 59 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[August 18, 2026 | 'Cancer is Complicated and Other Unexpected Lessons I've Learned' by Clea Shearer [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/august-18-2026-cancer-is-complicated-and-other-unexpected-lessons-ive-learned-by-clea-shearer-adult-review

Cancer is Complicated and Other Unexpected Lessons I've Learned

Shearer, Clea

2025, Viking

Nonfiction

Availability

EPLD: print & large print
In 2022, Clea Shearer This is going to be the best year of my life. The Home Edit, the company she had cofounded and worked so hard to grow, was acquired by Hello Sunshine. She had just finished filming the second season of her Emmy-nominated show Get Organized with The Home Edit. She turned forty surrounded by candles, flowers, friends, and family. And then, on March 8, 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer. Her life as she knew it was over.

But life is full of nuances. As the months went by, Clea started to feel like she had been given an opportunity. What if she could share everything she experienced and learned throughout this process, so it would be a little less frightening for someone else? If she could manage to do that, maybe she could turn her cancer purposeful.

Cancer Is Complicated is the book that Clea wishes she’d had when she started on her cancer journey. It is a memoir and a guidebook, blending Clea’s experiences and all the wisdom and advice she’s gathered through this process. The book follows Clea through every step of her journey, from the moment she first felt a lump in her breast, through treatment, to where she is today. Clea also offers insights on questions big and small—from how to be your own biggest advocate, to knowing whom in your circle to share your diagnosis with, to understanding the emotional side of cancer, to what to bring with you to chemo, to things to eat when nothing else tastes good, and so much more.

Clea has built an incredibly successful career on empowering and helping people navigate the overwhelm of their homes—offering accessible ways for us to begin to put our lives in order. Here, she applies her wisdom to one of the most overwhelming and frightening experiences any human being ever has to cancer and illness.

Warm, honest, and straightforward in its approach, Cancer Is Complicated is for anyone with cancer or anyone who loves someone with cancer. It is a reminder to care for ourselves and one another, and it is here to help readers feel less alone and more prepared for the journey ahead.

Read a review by Debra Blunier:

cancer_is_complicated.pdf
File Size: 42 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[August 18, 2026 | 'Definitely Maybe Not a Detective' by Sarah Fox [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/august-18-2026-definitely-maybe-not-a-detective-by-sarah-fox-adult-review

Definitely Maybe Not a Detective

Fox, Sarah

2026, Bantam Books

Fiction

Availability

EPLD: print
Emersyn Gray is definitely not a detective.

Really, she’s an unemployed twenty-eight-year-old raising her beloved niece in the only place she can afford after her ex-boyfriend ran off with her life a run-down, seniors-only apartment complex that was desperate for tenants. But never fear—her wild best friend has the perfect plan to get Emersyn back on her feet and stick it to her thieving scare him into returning her money by hiring a private investigator to prove he stole it. Only, there won’t be an actual detective, just a fabricated business card from Wyatt Investigations. . .and a ridiculously hot stranger who steps in to play the part—a stranger whose name is, coincidentally, Wyatt.

Emersyn can’t help but notice the real-life Wyatt is capital H-O-T hot, even though she’s wary of his intentions. But her ex does seem flustered, and if she can get her money back and regain control of her life, maybe it’ll finally prove to her parents that she can be a responsible caregiver to her niece.

But the day after they set their plan in motion, the superintendent of Emersyn’s apartment building winds up dead, and her neighbors turn to her fake detective for help after finding one of the phony business cards. With so many eyes on them—or maybe just their eyes on each other—Emersyn and Wyatt agree to take on the case. Now the question Can they solve the murder without getting tangled up in their own fictions—or each other?

Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:

definitely_maybe_not_a_detective.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[August 4, 2026 | 'Blackout' by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon [YA Review]]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/august-4-2026-blackout-by-dhonielle-clayton-tiffany-d-jackson-nic-stone-angie-thomas-ashley-woodfolk-nicola-yoon-ya-review

Blackout

Clayton, Dhonielle
Jackson, Tiffany D.
Stone, Nic
Thomas, Angie
Woodfolk, Ashley
​Yoon, Nicola

2021, Quill Tree Books

Fiction

Grades: 9 & up; Lexile: HL650L

Availability

ILL: print & large print
eBook: Palace Project
eAudiobook: Palace Project (Spanish edition also available) & Hoopla (Italian edition also available)
Six critically acclaimed, bestselling, and award-winning authors bring the glowing warmth and electricity of Black teen love to this interlinked novel of charming, hilarious, and heartwarming stories that shine a bright light through the dark.

A summer heatwave blankets New York City in darkness. But as the city is thrown into confusion, a different kind of electricity sparks…

A first meeting. 

Long-time friends. 

Bitter exes. 

And maybe the beginning of something new.

When the lights go out, people reveal hidden truths. Love blossoms, friendship transforms, and new possibilities take flight.

Beloved authors—Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, and Nicola Yoon—celebrate the beauty of six couples and the unforgettable magic that can be found on a sweltering starry night in the city.

Read a review by Kathryn Longfellow:

blackout.pdf
File Size: 77 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[August 4, 2026 | 'When the Moon Hatched' by Sarah A. Parker [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 05 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/august-4-2026-when-the-moon-hatched-by-sarah-a-parker-adult-review

When the Moon Hatched

Parker, Sarah A.

2024, Avon

Fiction

Availability

EPLD: print
eBook: Palace Project
eAudiobook: Libby, Palace Project, &  Hoopla
The Creators did not expect their beloved dragons to sail skyward upon their end. To curl into balls just beyond gravity’s grip, littering the sky with tombstones. With moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths …
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages.

Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:

when_the_moon_hatched.pdf
File Size: 51 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[July 21, 2026 | 'The Love Haters' by Katherine Center [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/july-21-2026-the-love-haters-by-katherine-center-adult-review

The Love Haters

Center, Katherine

2025, St. Martin's Press

Fiction

Availability

EPLD: print & audiobook
ILL: large print & Playaway
eBook: Libby & Palace Project
eAudiobook: Libby, Palace Project, & Hoopla
It’s a thin line between love and love-hating.

Katie Vaughn has been burned by love in the past—now she may be lighting her career on fire. She has two choices: wait to get laid off from her job as a video producer or, at her coworker Cole’s request, take a career-making gig profiling Tom “Hutch” Hutcheson, a Coast Guard rescue swimmer in Key West.

The catch? Katie’s not exactly qualified. She can’t swim—but fakes it that she can.

Plus: Cole is Hutch’s brother. And they don’t get along. Next stop paradise!

But paradise is messier than it seems. As Katie gets entangled with Hutch (the most scientifically good looking man she has ever seen . . . but also a bit of a love hater), along with his colorful Aunt Rue and his rescue Great Dane, she gets trapped in a lie. Or two.

Swim lessons, helicopter flights, conga lines, drinking contests, hurricanes, and stolen kisses ensue—along with chances to tell the truth, to face old fears, and to be truly brave at last.

Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:

the_love_haters.pdf
File Size: 39 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[July 21, 2026 | 'Meet Me at the Museum' by Anne Youngson [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 22 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/july-21-2026-meet-me-at-the-museum-by-anne-youngson-adult-review

Meet Me at the Museum

Youngson, Anne

2018, Flatiron Books

Fiction

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: large print, audiobook, & Playaway
eAudiobook: Hoopla
When Tina Hopgood writes a letter of regret to a man she has never met, she doesn't expect a reply.

When Anders Larsen, a lonely museum curator, answers it, neither does he.

They're both searching for something - they just don't know it yet.

Anders has lost his wife, along with his hopes and dreams for the future. Tina is trapped in a marriage she doesn't remember choosing.

Slowly their correspondence blossoms as they bare their souls to each other with stories of joy, anguish and discovery. But then Tina's letters suddenly cease, and Anders is thrown into despair.

Can their unexpected friendship survive?

A deep and luminous novel of self-discovery and second chances, MEET ME AT THE MUSEUM is a heartbreaking celebration of love, life and the surprises it throws at us. In a story that is at once urgent and tender, Anne Youngson polishes the everyday until it gleams.

Read a review by Debra Blunier:

meet_me_at_the_museum.pdf
File Size: 38 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[July 7, 2026 | 'Sisters' by Raina Telgemeier [Middle Grade Review]]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/july-7-2026-sisters-by-raina-telgemeier-middle-grade-review

Sisters

Telgemeier, Raina

2014, Graphix

Graphic Novel

Grades: 3 - 7; Lexile: GN290L

Availability

EPLD: print
​ILL: Spanish edition
eBook: Palace Project (Spanish edition) & Hoopla (English and Spanish editions available)
Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years, but when a baby brother enters the picture and later, when something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

Raina uses her signature humor and charm in both present-day narrative and perfectly placed flashbacks to tell the story of her relationship with her sister, which unfolds during the course of a road trip from their home in San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado.

Read a review by Samantha Armstrong:

sisters.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]><![CDATA[July 7, 2026 | 'The Secret of Secrets' by Dan Brown [Adult Review]]]>Wed, 08 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMThttps://www.eurekapl.org/staff-book-reviews/july-7-2026-the-secret-of-secrets-by-dan-brown-adult-review

The Secret of Secrets

Brown, Dan

2025, Doubleday

Fiction

Availability

EPLD: print
ILL: large print, audiobook, & Playaway
eBook: Libby & Palace Project
eAudiobook: Libby, Palace Project, & Hoopla (German edition)
Robert Langdon is back in the long-awaited new race-against-time thriller from the global bestselling author of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons.

Accompanying celebrated academic, Katherine Solomon, to a lecture she’s been invited to give in Prague, Robert Langdon’s world spirals out of control when she disappears without trace from their hotel room. Far from home and well out of his comfort zone, Langdon must pit his wits against forces unknown to recover the woman he loves.

But Prague is an old and dangerous city, steeped in folklore and mystery. For over two thousand years, the tides of history have washed back and forth over it, leaving behind echoes of everything that has gone before. Little can Langdon know that he is being stalked by a spectre from that dark past. He must use all of his arcane knowledge to decipher the world around him before he too is consumed by the rings of treachery and deception that have swallowed Katherine.

Against a backdrop of vast castles, towering churches, graveyards buried twelve deep and labyrinthine underground passages, Langdon must navigate a shadow city hiding in plain sight, a city which has successfully kept its secrets for centuries and will not readily deliver them.

This is a battlefield unlike any he has previously experienced, one on which he must fight not for his only life, but for the future of humanity itself.​

Read a review by Cindy O'Neill:

the_secret_of_secrets.pdf
File Size: 49 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
]]>