February 2026: Fall in love with fiction!
Month two of our Year in Reading challenge begins! Dive headfirst into all this fabulous fiction. Any genre will do! And be sure to check out our challenge on Beanstack to win cool virtual badges.
The emperor of gladness : a novel
Author(s):
Description:
One late summer evening in the post-industrial town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge in pelting rain, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia, who convinces him to take another path. Bereft and out of options, he quickly becomes her caretaker. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond, one built on empathy, spiritual reckoning, and heartbreak, with the power to alter Hai's relationship to himself, his family, and a community on the brink. 6/16
Format:
Large Print
Call Number:
LP FIC Vuo
Euphoria
Author(s):
Description:
English anthropologist Andrew Banson has been alone in the field for several years, studying the Kiona river tribe in the Territory of New Guinea. Haunted by the memory of his brothers' deaths and increasingly frustrated and isolated by his research, Bankson is on the verge of suicide when a chance encounter with colleagues, the controversial Nell Stone and her wry and mercurial Australian husband, Fen, pulls him back from the brink. Nell and Fen have just fled the bloodthirsty Mumbanyo and, in spite of Nell's poor health, are hungry for a new discovery. When Bankson finds them a new tribe nearby, the artistic, female-dominated Tam, he ignites an intellectual and romantic firestorm between the three of them that burns out of anyone's control.
Format:
Large Print
Call Number:
LP FIC Kin
Right Ho, Jeeves
Author(s):
Wodehouse, P. G. (Pelham Grenville), 1881-1975
Description:
Bertie must deal with the Market Snodsbury Grammar School prize giving, the broken engagement of his cousin Angela, the wooing of Madeline Bassett by Gussie Fink-Nottle, and the resignation of Anatole, the genius chef. Will he prevail? Only with the aid of Jeeves!
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Wod
The winner's curse
Author(s):
Description:
An aristocratic girl who is a member of a warmongering and enslaving empire purchases a slave, an act that sets in motion a rebellion that might overthrow her world as well as her heart.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Rut
Fractured soul : a novel
Author(s):
Mizubayashi, Akira, 1951-
Anderson, Alison,
Description:
"Tokyo, 1938: An amateur quartet, led by the compassionate Yu, gathers to practice. Suddenly, their rehearsal is brutally interrupted by military police. In the ensuing skirmish, Yu's violin is smashed while his son, Rei, witnesses his father's arrest. He will never see him again. Salvaging his father's instrument, Rei escapes thanks to a mysterious lieutenant. Paris, 2003: Raised in France, Rei--now Jacques--has dedicated his life to the broken violin's repair: studying music, becoming an apprentice, and, eventually, a luthier. However, despite his effort to rehabilitate the damage of years ago, he struggles to reconcile his past with the present. Yet, when a world-class violinist, connected to the lieutenant that helped him as a boy, appears, Jacques' past is rekindled and he perseveres in a final bid to heal" --
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Miz
Don't trust the cat
Author(s):
Description:
When she wakes up in the body of her cat, Mitten Man, bullied fifth-grader Poppy attempts to navigate the world as a cat, while Mitten Man, tired of his owner's timidity, is out to take over middle school--as Poppy.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Tra
Pete the cat and the space chase
Author(s):
Dean, Kim, 1969-
Dean, James,
Description:
"When Agent Meow (also known as Pete the Cat) discovers an empty alien spaceship and accidentally launches into space, what else will he find? Early readers will love blasting off with Agent Meow in this otherworldly adventure!"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
Ei Dea
Don't let it break your heart
Author(s):
Description:
Alana and Gray have been the perfect couple ever since they got together before high school -- and neither of them think that should have to change just because Alana came out as a lesbian. Sure, things are a little different now: their romantic relationship is over, but their best-friends-since-forever relationship is stronger than ever. And yeah, Alana sees the way her other friends now exclude her in tiny, almost unnoticeable ways, but she still has Gray, and that’s all that’s ever mattered to her. Really, the only difference is that instead of kissing Gray herself, Alana sets him up with other girls to do that. But when new girl, Tal arrives, she stops Alana and Gray in their tracks. Suddenly, Gray’s all-in on his plan to get Tal to fall in love with him, and, for the first time, Alana’s reluctant to help. As Alana and Tal grow closer, and Alana begins to think Tal might share her feelings, she has to decide whether to embrace her queerness and risk losing the life she thought she was building, or continue to hide parts of herself and maintain the status quo.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Hor
The adventures of Amina al-Sirafi : a novel
Author(s):
Chakraborty, S. A.
El Gamal, Amin,
Description:
Amina al-Sirafi should be content. But when she's tracked down by the wealthy mother of a former crewman, she's offered a job no one could refuse: retrieve her comrade's kidnapped daughter for a vast sum.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Cha
Monstrilio
Author(s):
Description:
Grieving mother Magos cuts out a piece of her deceased eleven-year-old son Santiago's lung. Acting on fierce maternal instinct and the dubious logic of an old folktale, she nurtures the lung until it gains sentience, growing into the carnivorous little Monstrilio she keeps hidden within the walls of her family's decaying Mexico City estate. Eventually, Monstrilio begins to resemble the Santiago he once was, but his innate impulses--though curbed by his biological and chosen family's communal care--threaten to destroy this fragile second chance at life. A meditation on grief, acceptance, and the monstrous sides of love and loyalty.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Sam
Grown
Author(s):
Description:
"When legendary R&B artist Korey Fields spots Enchanted Jones at an audition, her dreams of being a famous singer take flight. Until Enchanted wakes up with blood on her hands and zero memory of the previous night. Who killed Korey Fields? Before there was a dead body, Enchanted's dreams had turned into a nightmare. Because behind Korey's charm and star power was a controlling dark side. Now he's dead, the police are at the door, and all signs point to Enchanted"--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Jac
And the river drags her down
Author(s):
Description:
When her older sister is found mysteriously drowned in the river that cuts through their small coastal town, Soojin Han disregards every rule and uses her ancestral magic to bring Mirae back from the dead. At first, the sisters are overjoyed, reveling in late-night escapades and the miracle of being together again, but Mirae grows tired of hiding from the world. She becomes restless and hungry . . . Driven by an insatiable desire to finish what she started in life, to unravel the truth that crushed her family so many years ago, Mirae is out for revenge. When their town is engulfed by increasingly destructive rain and a series of harrowing, unusual deaths, Soojin is forced to reckon with the fact that perhaps the sister she brought back isn't the one she knew.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
YA FIC Yun
Dragons at Crumbling Castle
Author(s):
Pratchett, Terry
Pratchett, Terry.
Description:
A collection of short stories by a master storyteller, featuring dragons, dinosaurs, cavemen and car races! Dragons have invaded Crumbling Castle, and all of King Arthur's knights are either on holiday or visiting their grannies. It's a disaster! Luckily, there's a spare suit of armor and a very small boy called Ralph who's willing to fill it. Together with Fortnight the Friday knight and Fossfiddle the wizard, Ralph sets out to defeat the fearsome fire-breathers.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
J FIC Pra
We Play Soccer = Jugamos Al Fútbol
Author(s):
René Colato Laínez
Nomar Perez
Description:
Two boys, an English speaker and a Spanish speaker, are on the same soccer team. They have their uniforms and their cleats. They can both juggle the ball. At first, the boys must wait on the bench. But when the coach lets them in the game, both Joe and Još score goals. "We win," says Joe. "Ganamos," says Još.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Col Spanish
Red Rising By Pierce Brown.
Author(s):
Pierce Brown
Tim Gerard Reynolds
LLC Recorded Books
Description:
A tale set in a bleak future society torn by class divisions follows the experiences of secret revolutionary Darrow, who after witnessing his wife's execution by an oppressive government joins a revolutionary cell and attempts to infiltrate an elite military academy.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
FIC Bro
Henry: Avalanche Rescue Dog
Author(s):
Description:
Join an extraordinary dog in his work to rescue people caught in an avalanche's path. In Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia, avalanche rescue dogs ride chairlifts and snowmobiles, fly down the slopes on skiers' shoulders, and even descend from helicopters in the race against time to rescue those in need. Henry is a lovable border collie who works with his human partner, Ian, in the beautiful but dangerous mountains. After years of hard work and training, Henry and Ian spend their days at the ready, prepared to jump into action at a moment's notice. But the mountains are unpredictable, and when disaster strikes, it will take all of Henry's bravery and skill to save the day.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J 636.7 Pet
The Silent Patient
Author(s):
Description:
Alicia Berenson's life is seemingly perfect. A famous painter married to an in-demand fashion photographer, she lives in a grand house with big windows overlooking a park in one of London's most desirable areas. One evening her husband Gabriel returns home late from a fashion shoot, and Alicia shoots him five times in the face, and then never speaks another word. Alicia's refusal to talk or give any kind of explanation turns a domestic tragedy into something far grander, a mystery that captures the public imagination and casts Alicia into notoriety. The price of her art skyrockets, and she, the silent patient, is hidden away from the spotlight of the tabloids at the Grove, a secure forensic unit in North London. Theo Faber is a criminal psychotherapist who has waited a long time for the opportunity to work with Alicia. His search for the truth leads him down a terrifying path and threatens to consume him.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Mic
The faerie Morgana
Author(s):
Description:
"To the other priestesses of the Nine, a powerful council at the Lady's Temple, Morgana is haughty and arrogant as she performs feats of magic no human should be capable of. Rumors start that she must be a fearsome fae. To King Arthur, Morgana is a trusted and devoted advisor, but his court is wary of her and her prodigious talent at divination. But his wife sees Morgana as a rival and a malevolent witch. To Braithe, Morgana's faithful acolyte, she is simply the most powerful priestess Camelot has seen. Morgana doesn't know why she's so different from everyone else, and she doesn't much care. But when she aids Arthur to ascend the throne before his time, she sets off a series of events that will change everything Morgana believes about her power" 11/17
Format:
Book
Call Number:
FIC Mor
Escape from model land : how mathematical models can lead us astray and what we can do about it
Author(s):
Description:
Whether we are worried about the spread of COVID-19 or making a corporate budget, we depend on mathematical models to help us understand the world around us every day. But models aren't a mirror of reality. In fact, they are fantasies, where everything works out perfectly, every time. And relying on them too heavily can hurt us. Erica Thompson illuminates the hidden dangers of models. She demonstrates how models reflect the biases, perspectives, and expectations of their creators. Thompson shows us why understanding the limits of models is vital to using them well. A deeper meditation on the role of mathematics, this book helps us avoid either confusing the map with the territory or throwing away the map completely, instead pointing to more nuanced ways to Escape from Model Land.--
Format:
Book
Call Number:
511.8 Tho
Gregor The Overlander [Audiobook]
Author(s):
Suzanne Collins
Paul Boehmer
Description:
When eleven-year-old Gregor and his two-year-old sister are pulled into a strange underground world, they trigger an epic battle involving men, bats, rats, cockroaches, and spiders while on a quest foretold by ancient prophecy.
Format:
Audiobook
Call Number:
J FIC Col
The tryout
Author(s):
Soontornvat, Christina
Lafrenais, Amanda,
Description:
As one of the only Asian Americans in her school, Christina confronts both well-meaning ignorance and cruel racism, but in middle school fitting in is important, which is why she and her best friend Megan are both excited and nervous to try out for the popular cheerleading squad.
Format:
Book
Call Number:
J FIC Soo
The great dinosaur sleepover
Author(s):
Bailey, Linda, 1948-
Bluhm, Joe,
Description:
Jake loves dinosaurs, so with his birthday coming up, he knows just what kind of party he wants -- a dinosaur sleepover! Dino games, dino balloons, dino cake, dino movies. Dino everything! But when the day of the party arrives his friends all come down with the flu, and the party seems to be on the edge of extinction. Then, in the middle of the night, Jake hears a strange noise and goes to investigate. To his surprise, he finds some new prehistoric party guests right there in his living room! The dinos have invited themselves in to make sure Jake has a birthday he'll never forget. (5/7)
Format:
Book
Call Number:
E Bai
