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Books in the National Media March 2026 |
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Put Your Records on
by Corinne Bailey Rae
During a visit to her great-aunt Portia, Bea learns the power of music to comfort and elevate. Featured on Today.
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Judge Stone
by James Patterson
The most respected citizen in Union Springs, Alabama (population 3,314), is Judge Mary Stone. She holds two responsibilities sacred: running her family farm and presiding over her courtroom. It's there she draws the most controversial case in the history of the South. Criminally, it's open-and-shut. Ethically, there is no middle ground. Essentially, it's a choice between life and death. No judge can satisfy everyone. It would be dangerous to try. But Judge Stone is willing to fight to bring justice to the people and place she loves. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Kin: Oprah's Book Club
by Tayari Jones
Vernice and Annie, two motherless daughters raised in Honeysuckle, Louisiana, have been best friends and neighbors since earliest childhood but are fated to live starkly different lives. Raised by a fierce aunt determined to give her a stable home in the wake of her mother's death, Vernice leaves Honeysuckle at eighteen for Spelman College, where she joins a sisterhood of powerfully connected Black women and discovers a world of affluence, manners, aspiration, and inequality. Annie, abandoned by her mother as a child and fixated on the idea of finding her and filling the bottomless hole left by her absence, sets off on a journey that will take her into a world of peril and adversity, as well as love and adventure, culminating in a battle for her life. A novel about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a woman in the American South, Kin is an exuberant, emotionally rich, unforgettable work from one of the brightest and most irresistible voices in contemporary fiction. Featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
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Better Than a Touchdown
by Jalen Hurts
Jalen is so excited for the new school year because this is the year he'll finally get to try out for the football team! But when he arrives at school, he learns the unthinkable--that the football team has been cut. He and his friends are devastated. But Jalen isn't ready to give up, and with some advice from some friends, maybe--just maybe--they can save the day. Better than a Touchdown is a love letter to the power of community, being there for one another, and how a piece of good advice can change the course of a day. Told with Jalen's signature wisdom and gorgeous art by Nneka Myers, Better than a Touchdown carries a message we can all learn from: that by working together, there's nothing we can't accomplish. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Wait for Me
by Amy Jo Burns
When young folk singer Elle Harlow reaches the height of her prowess in 1973, she has two wildly beloved albums to her name and a hidden history of impossible heartbreak. After she sets foot on the famed Grand Ole Opry stage, a far cry from the mountain that raised her, Elle gives the biggest performance of her life. Then, to the dismay of shocked fans, her producer, and the man who still loves her, she vanishes. Almost two decades later, eighteen-year-old Marijohn Shaw is spending her summer pumping gas, writing songs on her broken mandolin, and longing for a mother. Her father Abe has always sworn he was the last person to see Elle Harlow alive, but when a meteor strikes the woods of their sleepy Pennsylvania town and a piece of Elle's past emerges from the wreckage, the truth of her disappearance sets fire to everything Marijohn believes about herself, her music, and her ability to love with abandon. Wait for Me is an unapologetic, deeply emotive story set in Appalachia and Nashville that defies the trope of the missing woman and gives us a female duo who can find hope in each other and sing the ache in every good song. Featured on Today.
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Strange Girls
by Sarvat Hasin
A decade has passed since Ava spoke to Aliya. During the years of silence, Ava's life has remained at a standstill, while Aliya got the one thing they both wanted more than anything: a book deal. Forced back together at a mutual friend's bachelorette in London, Ava returns to Aliya's doorstep, desperate to unpack the truth of their shared history--and what they meant to each other. When the two first met in the halls of their historic campus, their connection was electric. Aliya and Ava created a world of their own through the stories they wrote, influencing and borrowing from each other's work. But when the end of college loomed, the real world began to pull them in opposite directions. Was their bond ever truly as strong as Aliya thought? And what would become of the stories they told themselves about each other? Weaving together the friends' past and present, Strange Girls is an ingenious portrait of a fraught friendship, and an exploration of the ties forged in the intensity of the college experience, and the scars left when they break. Featured on All Things Considered.
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The Widow
by John Grisham
Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it. Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn't commit: murder. Simon knows he's innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer. Featured on CBS Mornings.
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Delusions: Of Grandeur, of Romance, of Progress
by Cazzie David
With her thirtieth birthday fast approaching, Cazzie reflects on the delusions that laid waste to her twenties and reckons with their consequences now that the specter of a new decade is looming. Touching on everything from the pressure to find the right partner, dealing with the relentless grip of social media, and navigating body dysmorphic spirals, Delusions cuts through the noise, offering personal anecdotes, sharp cultural criticism, and witty, honest contemplations on the chaos of contemporary adulthood. Cazzie brings her trademark voice--blunt, self-aware, and blisteringly funny--to essays that are as vulnerable as they are biting. Featured on Late Night with Seth Meyers.
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We Are the World (Cup): A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
by Roger Bennett
Every four years, millions of viewers all over the globe are united in the drama of the world's biggest sporting event. Geopolitical turmoil, popular culture, clashes of custom and style all weave together on the pitch, making the World Cup about so much more than soccer. For fans, it is a series of triumphs, heartbreaks, and shocking twists of fate. For the players, single matches, single plays, single glorious moments can be life changing. In We are the World (Cup), Roger Bennett imbues his unmitigated love for and dedication to the game into a deeply researched and deeply personal distillation of every tournament he has experienced from the 1978 to 2022. As founder of MEN IN BLAZERS, the largest independent soccer focused media company in North America, Roger has been at the front of the curve as the popularity of soccer has sky-rocketed in the United States. We are the World (Cup) offers an in-depth history of how a sport that was mocked and dismissed in the 70s and 80s has become so energized, and the role that he and MEN IN BLAZERS have played. Beloved for his wit, humility, and unadulterated love of the game that the rest of the world calls football is a celebration of our global culture and the power of sport to unite us all. Featured on CBS Mornings.
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Dopamine Kids: A Science-Based Plan to Rewire Your Child's Brain and Take Back Your Family in the Age of Screens and Ultraprocessed Foods
by Michaeleen Doucleff
When Michaeleen Doucleff decided to address her family's screen time and dependence on processed foods, she found that scientific study after scientific study refuted nearly all the claims in the media about dopamine and the supposed reasons why we're so inclined to pick up our phones or raid the pantry. She took this new neuroscience and psychology and merged it with practical experience, shifting the power dynamic back to families: Instead of devices and foods controlling us, we control them, and both screens and the pantry become tools rather than burdens. Dopamine Kids is a five-step operating manual for habit remodeling that is tailored for parents and their children. After rediscovering what's most important for your family, you'll learn how to create successful boundaries around screens and ultraprocessed foods; replace screen time with equally enticing activities; remove triggers that pull children toward screens and junk food; and, finally, celebrate your family's choices before, during, and after trying new hobbies. These five steps weaken the neurological pathways established by devices and make dopamine work in your favor to get kids to want to pursue high-quality activities that reduce anxiety, create better moods, and diversify interests. Dr. Doucleff's research culminates in a four-week plan to create screen-free sanctuaries that protect conversations, focus, sleep, and adventure. After reading Dopamine Kids, you will be empowered to create habits that genuinely fulfill your family's biological and emotional needs, to bring true satisfaction and purpose to their lives, and to improve their behavior, happiness, and confidence. Featured on CBS Mornings.
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You with the Sad Eyes: A Memoir
by Christina Applegate
Christina Applegate came of age on sets and stages, expected to be on time, with lines learned, ready for lights-camera-action. What started as a financial necessity soon became an emotional escape from a tumultuous home life in the infamous Laurel Canyon scene of the 70s and 80s. She rocketed to stardom on the sitcom Married...with Children and went on to captivate audiences in classics like Don't Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead..., Anchorman, and Dead to Me in her five-decade long career. Then it all stopped. A Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis in 2021 confined her to a king-sized bed and the company of memories she'd rather forget: memories of the self-doubt and body dysmorphia that stalked her meteoric rise, of her mother's fight against addiction and abuse after her father left, and of the tax life had taken on her body and mind that was suddenly coming due. Now, at her most intimate and vulnerable, she unveils a story not even those closest to her fully know. She returns to the diaries she kept her whole life, finding the pain matched by joy, the losses mitigated by the extraordinary, and the weight of life lifted by her unrelenting belief that something greater lay ahead. No longer willing to lock herself away and with the perspective only our own mortality can bring, she knew it was imperative to tell it all. You with the Sad Eyes presents a remarkable woman and her legacy. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Young Man in a Hurry: A Memoir of Discovery
by Gavin Newsom
From California Governor Gavin Newsom, an intimate and reflective memoir laying bare the defining moments of his liminal childhood splintered by his parents' divorce that shaped Newsom's visionary and relentless commitment to the state and nation. Featured on Jimmy Kimmel Live.
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Joan: Life Beyond the Script
by Joan Lunden
Since bursting onto the national morning news scene in 1980 as cohost of Good Morning America, Joan Lunden has been a catalyst for revolutionary societal changes. She didn't just report the headlines; she made headlines for shattering the mold in a news industry dominated by older white men and rewrote the rules entirely. In a bold move that challenged workplace norms, Joan was one of the first to bring her newborn daughter to work so she could continue breastfeeding, showing the world that she could be a dedicated mom and a top-tier journalist at the same time. In her 50s, after raising three grown daughters from her previous marriage, Joan and her husband, Jeff Konigsberg, welcomed two sets of twins via surrogate, proving women can embrace motherhood at any age. Then, in her 60s, Joan discovered she had breast cancer. She bravely went public with her diagnosis, chronicling her journey and fearlessly posing bald on the cover of PEOPLE. Standing in her truth, she became an advocate for women to be better informed about the disease. She even lobbied Washington to require mammogram testing results be made available to all women, especially those with dense breast tissue. Her valiant efforts enabled early cancer detection and surely helped save countless lives. During the later-life care of her mother, Glady, Joan advocated again--this time for senior citizens. She testified before Congress to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to include senior care, imploring that caregiving isn't just something we do at the start of life-- it happens at the end, as well. At every turn, Joan has been willing to step out of her comfort zone while reinventing herself and the environment around her. JOAN: Life Beyond the Script shares the extraordinary transitions this journalist, television host, author, and advocate has undergone and how she has influenced our life transitions as well. By deeply reflecting on the most pivotal moments in her life and career, accepting the times when she faltered as much as when she was sure of herself, Lunden encourages us all to be open to change and the profound transformations it brings. Featured on The View.
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Nero and Paul: How the Gospel of Grace Defeated the Ruler of Rome
by Kathie Lee Gifford
New York Times bestselling author Kathie Lee Gifford and scholar Bryan Litfin dive into these questions by bringing the stories of Nero and Paul to life in this creative nonfiction tale and identifying how these moral questions can be applied to modern Christian life. Featured on Today.
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Getting Naked: The Quiet Work of Becoming Perfectly Imperfect
by Valerie Bertinelli
Now in her mid-sixties, Valerie reflects on the hard-won lessons of aging, self-worth, and letting go. From her experiences with menopause, relationships, and family trauma, she writes with clarity and compassion about the insecurities that have haunted her for decades: shame and anxiety about her body, and the false belief that her value depended on perfection. Through it all, Valerie reflects on the quiet, daily work of self-acceptance--the kind that doesn't make headlines but changes lives. Getting Naked isn't just a story of survival. It's a reckoning--with her past, her family history, and the generational pain that shaped her. It's about the myths we believe when we're young--about beauty, love, success--and how we carry them until they break us open. It's about unlearning the script that says women must please, endure, and stay silent.The result is a deeply personal, unexpectedly funny, and profoundly uplifting look at the inner journey we all share. Getting Naked isn't about vulnerability for vulnerability's sake. It's about finally letting go of the need to be perfect, quieting the harsh inner critic, and choosing compassion over judgment. After all, it's never too late to make peace with yourself--and to fall madly in love with the perfectly imperfect person you already are. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Kids, Wait Till You Hear This!
by Liza Minnelli
For the first time, here is Liza up close: Raw, strong, sexy, hilarious and heartbreaking. Liza decided at the age of 16 that sympathy is my mother's business. I give people joy. That veil of joy, however, masks a lifelong struggle with Substance Use Disorder (SUD, which Liza inherited from her mother's branch of her family), boundless love to give and an equal need to receive it, broken marriages, multiple miscarriages, and hospitalizations--the highs and lows of unparalleled artistic success and lifelong friendships, as well as chronic anxiety and the threat of financial ruin. Despite every challenge, Liza's is a life wrapped in laughter and her tremendous capacity to give and receive love. Today at nearly 80, she opens her heart, mind and memories, sharing secrets we never knew. Liza's book celebrates supreme artistry and, more importantly, her human rights activism. It's time to tell the truth, Liza says, and help people heal, as I have, one day at a time. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Plain Jayne: A Memoir
by Jayne Kennedy
From becoming the first Black woman to win Miss Ohio USA, to being the only woman to host the long-running syndicated television show Greatest Sports Legends and pioneering the fitness industry with her bestselling Love Your Body exercise videos and fitness programs, nobody has had a career trajectory quite like Jayne. Featured on The Sherri Shepherd Show.
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Don't Think about Dinner: Save Time and Money with 125+ Easy, Nourishing, Delicious Recipes for Every Meal
by Jenn Lueke
As a college student, Jenn was struggling with health problems and tired of quick-fix healthy recipes that relied on obscure, expensive ingredients that often spoiled before she could finish them. Overwhelmed and frustrated, she felt further from her health goals. So, she made a plan. Or rather, a list--filled with plants and proteins, plus simple recipes to make the most of them. This became the framework for her hugely successful business--and transformed her life. In this engaging, cleverly organized book, Jenn expands on the content that has captivated millions of devoted follows. Unlike a typical cookbook, this comprehensive handbook offers strategies, tools, tips, meal plans, and more, plus over 125 delicious recipes. Don't Think About Dinner is designed to streamline the way you cook and think about your meals. With a fully stocked kitchen and plan in place, you'll be amazed at how much easier it is to cook nourishing, budget-conscious, standout meals. Featured on Today.
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Hormone Havoc: A Science-Backed Protocol for Perimenopause and Menopause: Sleep Better. Think Better. Feel Better.
by Amy Shah MD
Hot flashes, mood swings, anxiety, weight gain, brain fog--the hormonal flux that comes with menopause and perimenopause may bring some notorious side effects, but that doesn't mean you have to feel miserable or settle for debilitating symptoms. This isn't your mother's menopause! Double-board certified medical doctor Amy Shah shows you the power of targeted nutrition to manage the chaos that perimenopause and menopause can bring. There's a growing awareness about perimenopause, the period of hormonal changes leading up to menopause that can begin as early as your late 30s. Starting in perimenopause and continuing through menopause, your immune system, gut, and metabolism get out of balance as your hormones shift.Dr. Shah's protocol supports your hormones by increasing key nutrients--including protein, fiber, probiotics, and vitamins and minerals--to realign and nourish your body and heal your gut-brain connection, helping to reduce and relieve unpleasant menopause symptoms while dramatically decreasing the risk of serious diseases from heart disease to depression to osteoporosis. It's as easy as 30-30-3: 30 grams of protein in your first meal to curb cravings30 grams of fiber to diversify and strengthen the gut3 probiotic foods to balance the microbiome. Pairing this optimal diet with circadian fasting and science-supported lifestyle strategies and 20 recipes to maximize benefits, Hormone Havoc is your all-in-one guide to taking control of your health when you and your hormones feel out of control. You don't have to settle for feeling awful during perimenopause and menopause--Dr. Shah shows how you can not just feel like yourself again, but feel even better than before. Featured on Good Morning America.
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Harford County Public Library
1221-A Brass Mill Rd Belcamp, Maryland 21017 410-273-5600
hcplonline.org
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