In this Issue

Link Your Library Cards
Limited Service Thursday, January 29
Winter Reading Challenge
Upcoming Events
Book Browse

 
The library will be closed
Monday, January 19 for 
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
 
Link Your Library Cards
Did you know you can link multiple library cards to make managing your account easier? 

With "linked accounts" in the GMILCS app and online catalog, you can connect family members’ cards and view everyone’s checkouts, due dates, and holds from one login. Whether you’re keeping track of picture books, teen reads, or your own next great mystery, linked accounts help you stay organized and save time—no more switching between accounts or guessing which card is which.

Log in now to link your accounts, or visit the Linked Accounts FAQ on our website to learn how it works and get step-by-step instructions.
Limited Service Thursday, January 29
 The Amherst Town Library (and all GMILCS, Inc. libraries) will be upgrading our computer system.

The library catalog will be available to search and browse, however holdings and item availability will be based on a snapshop before the upgrade begins.
 
You will not be able to log in to your account or view real-time account information, including to place holds, renew items, make payments, or update account details.
 
Access to digital content like eBooks and streaming services will remain available directly through those platforms. Thanks for your patience!
Winter Reading Challenge
Join our Winter Reading Challenge and read away the winter days with us!  
 
1. Stop by the Circulation Desk to grab a Winter Bingo sheet.
2. Participate in the challenges from January 12 to February 20.
3. Bingo! Achieve five in a row —  up, down, across, or diagonal — to win a prize!
4. Once you've completed a bingo, return the sheet to the library to claim your prize. (Limit of one prize per patron, while supplies last.)

Upcoming Events
Presidential Series: #1 George Washington "Devourer of Villages"
Friday, January 9
10:30 - 11:30 AM     Virtual
 
Icons - Sign Up Now - Buttons - Blue
How Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of WWII
Wednesday, January 21
7:00 - 8:00 PM     Virtual
 
Icons - Sign Up Now - Buttons - Blue
Reading Dragons
Dragon Hour
Friday, January 30
3:00 - 4:00 PM     In-Person
Ages 5+
 
Icons - Learn More - Buttons - Purple
ATL Reads Book Discussion - My Friends
Thursday, February 19
6:00 - 7:00 PM     In-Person
 
Icons - Sign Up Now - Buttons - Blue
Book Browse
ATL's Favorite Reads of 2025
Explore the Amherst Town Library's Favorite Reads of 2025, a collection of standout titles chosen by every member of the ATL Team. Whether you're into mysteries, science fiction, romance, or thought-provoking reads, you'll find your next favorite here!

Check out our Favorite Reads Booklet featuring blurbs from your favorite ATL staff!
View the booklet digitally or come in and pick a physical copy up at our circulation desk.
 
             
 
Staff Picks!
Check out our current faves!
 
Click here to browse all our current staff picks
 
Is She Really Going Out with Him? by Sophie Cousens
Is She Really Going Out with Him?
by Sophie Cousens

Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she'd rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children. From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love? --
Vintage French Needlework: 300 Authentic Cross-Stitch Patterns--Flowers, Borders, and Alphabets from Antique Textiles by Véronique Maillard
Vintage French Needlework: 300 Authentic Cross-Stitch Patterns--Flowers, Borders, and Alphabets from Antique Textiles
by Véronique Maillard

Carefully transcribed from vintage table, dowry, and bed linens, this treasury of easy-to-use patterns allows today's stitchers to enrich their projects with original 1800s touches.
Lavender House by Lev Ac Rosen
Lavender House
by Lev Ac Rosen

Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene's recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret-but it's not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they've needed to keep others out. And now they're worried they're keeping a murderer in. Irene's widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept-his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand. Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He's seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn't extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy-and Irene's death is only the beginning.--
The Martian by Andy Weir
The Martian
by Andy Weir

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
Books on Display
Monthly book displays, curated by your local librarians! Come into the library to browse all book displays.
 
The Struggle is Real
Ever feel like you're on autopilot? Been running on fumes for the past five weeks? Join the club with these characters who just can't catch a break.
"First and Foremost..." Great First Lines to Kick Off the New Year
Every good story starts somewhere. The novels in this display prove how powerful a first line can be—setting a mood, posing a question, or pulling you headlong into another life. Start with the first sentence, and see where it takes you.
For Fans of The Pitt
Fans of the television series The Pitt will love these medical dramas.
Remember, the library is a happening place and your library card is your ticket to free books, magazine, music, movies, internet access, enriching programs and much more!
Amherst Town Library
14 Main Street
Amherst, New Hampshire 03031
(603) 673-2288

www.amherstlibrary.org
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