New Digital Titles: Monday, June 16

Do you prefer to read books on your Kindle, iPad or other tablet, or even on your smartphone? If so, you should know about OWWL2Go. This service offers a digital library of more than 19,000 ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines, including best-sellers, children’s books, business, and romance. This free service requires only a library card! You can find out more information and directions at the Library’s OWWL2Go digital library page.

Looking for some suggestions for good digital books to read? Here are a few that were recently added to the collection, for adults and children:

A Different Kind of Power

When Jacinda Ardern became Prime Minister at age thirty-seven, the world took notice. But it was her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, that demonstrated her remarkable leadership. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges—a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity breach, and a global pandemic—while advancing visionary new policies to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. She did all this while juggling first-time motherhood in the public eye. Ardern exemplifies a new kind of leadership—proving that leaders can be caring, empathetic, and effective. Through her personal experiences and reflections, Jacinda is a model for anyone who has ever doubted themselves, or has aspired to lead with compassion, conviction, and courage. 

Never Thought I’d End Up Here

Leah Zhang has just ruined her cousin’s wedding. She didn’t mean to wish the bride a depressing marriage and poor health, but she’s forgotten most of her Mandarin. Her parents stage an intervention: Leah will be sent on a travel program across China. But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is cynical, sarcastic Cyrus Sui. While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody’s looking, she can’t get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge. For ages 12 and up.

A Murder for Miss Hortense: A Mystery

Retired nurse, avid gardener, and renowned cake maker Miss Hortense has lived in Bigglesweigh, a quiet suburb of Birmingham, England, since she emigrated from Jamaica in 1960. A career in nursing has left her afraid of nobody, and she’s an expert in deciphering other people’s secrets with just a glance. Miss Hortense once used her skills to benefit the Pardner network—a local group of Black investors that she helped found. Until, that is, she was unceremoniously ousted from its ranks. Now, an unidentified man has been found dead in the home of one of the Pardner members. Suddenly, Miss Hortense finds her long-buried past rushing back, bringing memories of the worst moment of her life. It is finally time for Miss Hortense to solve a mystery that will see her and the community she loves pushed to their limits.