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The Good Stuff From the Staff of Driftwood Public Library May 2026 |
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An unkindness of ghosts by Rivers SolomonLife aboard the generation ship Matilda is difficult for those in the lower decks. Most spend long days performing back-breaking labor on the field decks, maintaining the crops illuminated by the interior sun they call "baby." Aster has a brilliant mind, but the color of her skin and the deck of her birth keep her from sharing her talents for making medicines. Those talents, the impending death of the current sovereign, and the cruelty of his heir prompt Aster to attempt to change the social order of Matilda's oppressive regime.
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The devil in silverby Victor LaValleNew Hyde Hospital's psychiatric ward has a new resident. In the darkness of his room on his first night, he's visited by a terrifying creature with the body of an old man and the head of a bison who nearly kills him before being hustled away by the hospital staff. But it's no delusion. |
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Renata Ghali believed in Lee Suh-Mi's vision of a world far beyond Earth, calling to humanity, enough to give up everything to follow Suh-Mi into the unknown. More than twenty-two years have passed since establishing the colony. All that time, Ren has worked hard as the colony's 3-D printer engineer and has been harboring a devastating secret that forming the foundation of the colony was for the good of her fellow colonists. Then a stranger appears who bears a remarkable resemblance to Suh-Mi. The truth Ren has concealed since planetfall can no longer be hidden. And might tear the colony apart... |
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What moves the deadby T. KingfisherA gripping and atmospheric retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's classic The Fall of the House of Usher. When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers. What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves. |
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Small Gods by Terry PratchettBrutha, a simple man leading a quiet life tending his garden, finds his life irrevocably changed when his god, speaking to him through a tortoise, sends him on a mission of peace. |
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In everyone's life, there's a split-second decision that can change everything... For Larissa, it came when choosing who to ride home with after a concert. She and Chris are great friends, co-parenting a slightly unhinged rescue Yorkie, sharing their favorite books, and judging bread (pumpernickel for the win). But she didn't choose Chris to drive her home all those months ago -- she went with his best friend, and he became her boyfriend. All Chris wants is for Larissa to be happy, but making a move would destroy someone else. How can something that feels so right be absolutely impossible?
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All of us murderers by KJ CharlesWhen Zeb Wyckham is summoned to a wealthy relative's remote Gothic house on Dartmoor, he finds all the people he least wants to see in the world. Then the grizzled old patriarch announces the true purpose of the gathering: He intends to leave the vast family fortune to whichever of the men marries Cousin Jessamine. Zeb tries to leave only to realize that he's been trapped. There's no way out. He has nowhere to turn but to the man who once held his whole heart. As terror takes its hold, the two warring lovers must reconcile in time to uncover - and live to tell the tale.
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Remarkably bright creaturesby Shelby Van PeltAfter Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. He forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late. |
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Peace is every step: The path of mindfulness in everyday life by Thich Nhat HanhReconnect to moments of everyday peace. Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us. The most profound satisfactions, the deepest feelings of joy and completeness lie as close at hand as our next aware breath and the smile we can form right now. Lucidly and beautifully written, Peace Is Every Step contains commentaries, meditations, personal anecdotes, and stories from Nhat Hanh's experiences as a peace activist, teacher, and community leader.
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Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)Spielberg’s immediate follow-up to Jaws and his first Science Fiction movie is a doozy! A gigantic, big-hearted adventure in which mankind’s first contact with aliens is spectacularly beautiful. I saw this on TV as a pretty young kid, and it made an enormous impression on me that has never gone away. Scares, laughs, wonder, paranoia. It’s all there and it’s executed masterfully, with gorgeous practical special effects. If you’ve never seen it, it’s well worth checking out. I still get choked up at the end sequence every single time I watch it. |
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Starman (1984)A much smaller movie than Close Encounters, this time from horror director John Carpenter (Halloween, The Fog, The Thing, They Live). Starman is not a horror movie and is closer to E.T. than to Close Encounters in its plot: an alien who interpreted the messages Voyager’s gold disc as an invitation visits earth and takes on the form of the dead husband of a grieving woman in Wisconsin. He has to convince her to take him to the Great Meteor Crater in Arizona so he can rendezvous with the ship that will take him home. More of a romance and a road movie than anything else, the alien as played by a very young Jeff Bridges is birdlike as he gets used to living in his new body, and Karen Allen as the grieving widow is as luminous as she’s ever been.
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Contact (1997)Robert Zemeckis (Romancing the Stone, Back to the Future, Forrest Gump) adapts Carl Sagan’s 1985 novel mostly with success. Jodie Foster is a SETI scientist scanning the cosmos for signs of extra terrestrial life via the Very Large Array radio telescope in New Mexico. One night she notices a pattern in the white noise she’s been listening to and with the help of her colleagues and some very influential third parties, manages to decode instructions to build a vessel to visit the species who sent the signal. Matthew McConaughey plays a popular minister who offers balance to Foster’s purely scientific point of view, and the result is a profound sense of wonder. |
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The Iron Giant (1999)This animated feature slipped mostly under the radar on its initial release, but has garnered a substantial fan base in the intervening years. Using poet Ted Hughes’ 1968 kids’ novel The Iron Man: A Children’s Story in Five Nights as its basis, Brad Bird (The Incredibles 1 & 2, Ratatouille) employs sumptuous animation to tell the story of a precocious kid who discovers a giant alien robot who has crash-landed on earth. The two become friends with the help of a beatnik voiced by Harry Connick, Jr and the resulting movie is sweet, hilarious and heartbreaking.
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Arrival (2016) This is one of the very few movies that I recommend seeing before you read the marvelous short story it’s based on, Story of Your Life, by Ted Chiang (and then I’d recommend every other short story Ted Chiang has written). Denis Villenueve’s deeply emotional predecessor to his monumental Dune project is heart wrenching. Amy Adams plays a linguist whose expertise is sought by the military when mysterious ships land in various locations around the globe. She teams up with a mathematician played by Jeremy Renner in order to try to figure out how to communicate with the visitors. In the process of learning the language of the aliens, her perception of reality is altered. The twist at the end is much more important to the movie than to the short story, which is why I recommend seeing the movie first: you don’t want to know what’s coming in advance. |
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Project Hail Mary (2026)I have to admit it’s been a while since I’ve been as excited about a movie adaptation as I was for this one, and in my opinion, it was not at all disappointing. Because this is a current movie, the less said the better in order to avoid spoilers. Basically Ryan Gosling attempts to save all life on Earth. Adapted by directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, 21 Jump Street, The Lego Movie) from a screenplay by Drew Goddard based on Andy Weir’s utterly wonderful 3rd novel (I’ve read it three times!). Project Hail Mary is expected to be released on DVD in early August.
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A Common Bond
by Donna Solomon
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What if meditation didn't require discipline, technique, or hours of sitting still? True meditation is about the practice of releasing effort, relaxing the mind, and gently returning to the present moment. In clear and calming prose, Russell's minimalist approach to meditation is built around cultivating presence without controlling your thoughts, letting go of resistance, tension, and emotional discomfort, reclaiming your natural inner calm, and integrating mindfulness into your daily life through mini- and micro-meditations.
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This major revisionist history of the Lewis and Clark expedition offers a fresh and more accurate account of one of the most important episodes in American history. Each chapter unfolds from the viewpoint of a different individual and the result is a richly woven tapestry of voices, a gripping narrative that draws on lost documents, stunning analysis, and Native perspectives. |
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A history of horror, fear, and the uncannyby DK PublishingExplore the dark and eerie landscapes of horror down the centuries - from prehistoric death rituals to modern interpretations in art, literature, and film. Delve into the complete global history of the subject to discover how our experience and understanding of fear and terror have evolved through the ages by weaving together religion, mythology, folklore, and the paranormal with art, culture, and science. |
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Essential guide to perennial gardeningby American Horticultural SocietyWhether you grow in full sun or a shady corner, in a small space or a large landscape, the insight and guidance offered by the experts at AHS ensure you'll have a thriving, bloom-filled garden. Chapters include advice on selecting the best perennials for your climate and design style; eco-friendly approaches to managing pests and diseases; Information on routine tasks such as dividing, pruning, pinching, staking, and fertilizing.
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by Mallory Oniki
Mallory Oniki's approach to baking is all about fun, flavor, and style. Each of the 80 cookie recipes in this book has been carefully chosen to make really good cookies at home, from classics like snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies to new flavors like chili crisp cookies and date, cheddar, and dark chocolate cookies. Mallory teaches you the science behind baking the perfect cookie, plus, she shares her tips for hosting cookie parties for any occasion, Welcome to the Cookie Club!
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a beginner's guide in 25 projectsby Lauren Simkin BerkeChannel your passions into zines, create your own notebooks and calendars, and try your hand at impressive pop-up and accordion books. This illustrated guide will empower you to share your ideas with the world in personalized, handcrafted packages. You'll learn the lingo and where to find materials, but most importantly, you'll be ready to experiment and have fun. |
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The fight of our lives: AIDS in Americaby David LevithanThe AIDS crisis in America is complex and composed of countless individual stories of grief, love, and advocacy. And while the disease has transitioned from a death sentence to one that people can live full lives with, there are still people dying of HIV/AIDS today because they can't access the care they need.Threaded throughout are poems, essays, and other creative works, in addition to first-person interviews and narratives. We need to know what happened and why. The most important takeaway is that we must remember. |
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Fernando Valenzuela was just out of his teens when he came to America from Mexico to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers. After Fernando pitched eight winning games, the entire country was talking about him. People in Mexico began listening to games on their radios, and more Mexican Americans in LA began coming to games.Celebrate Latino sports in this inspiring, stunningly illustrated baseball book.
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Rocket is the closest you will get to a real blast-off without actually being there From breathtaking, specialized photography to detailed diagrams, this book is perfect for kids who love outer space and want to see behind the scenes of how engineers and STEM learning prepare humans for the stars. Join the latest missions including SpaceX test flights and NASA's Artemis program to the Moon.
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The calamity club by Kathryn StockettOxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, eleven-year-old Meg Lefleur has learned the hard way to rely on no one fighting each day to keep her spirit unbowed. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then, Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates -- and Meg's -- converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs.
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Yrsa is bored: bored with her PhD program, her entitled students, and the never-ending pages of racial violence and feminist theory she has to read. But most of all, she's bored with the men in her life -- especially the bad ones. And then, one sunny afternoon, she accidentally kills one. Suddenly a problematic professor is dead, and Yrsa, well -- she's no longer bored. Finally Yrsa's academic research feels useful. And how long until her actions -- and buried family secrets -- come back to unravel her?
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Last night in Brooklyn by Xochitl GonzalezAt twenty-six, Alicia Canales Forten feels smothered by her future. She's in a long-distance relationship, living at home with her mother's beliefs, saving up for her wedding to a future doctor. But after Alicia ventures out one night in the neighborhood of Fort Greene, Brooklyn, she finds herself lured by the siren song of youth and moves in. No one embodies this milieu more than La Garza, a larger-than-life, up-and-coming fashion designer. When Alicia's wealthy banker cousin moves to the neighborhood, she finds herself increasingly drawn into both his and La Garza's precarious lives. It is a story about everything money can buy -- and the destruction of what it can't.
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The Parisian chapterby Janet Skeslien CharlesFrom the bestselling author of The Paris Library, a charming novel about two small-town girls with big dreams who move to Paris to become artists. But dreams don't just come true. They require nurturing, as do friendships. This stirring and rich with detail story is a love letter to the power of literature, the life of the artist, the importance of friendship, and leaving home only to find it again. |
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The precious ore coltan can be found in every cell phone and computer on earth. And in a small East African country, both the Black population and the land are exploited for this precious resource -- the people as a source of cheap, expendable labor; the land as a mining site and international dumping ground for defunct technology. Yet from the rubble, creativity and rebellion rise -- is both a cautionary tale and a hopeful vision of the future.
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Set in 1890 in the New Mexico Territory, The Harvey Girl follows Clare Wright, a young operative for the Pinkerton Detective Agency, who is assigned to investigate a series of robberies targeting a Harvey House restaurant. Sent undercover as one of the establishment's hostesses, Clare navigates the social and economic tensions of the Gilded Age American West while working to identify those responsible. As her inquiry deepens, she faces personal and professional risks in a region marked by rapid expansion, shifting power structures, and limited law enforcement. |
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A death in the dark by Ellie AlexanderWhen beloved local teacher and track coach Josh Bynum stumbles into the Secret Bookcase distressed and with no memory of the previous night, Annie's and Fletcher's instincts tell them something doesn't add up. Between ambitious parents, suspicious fundraising activities, and a star athlete with a lot to lose, everyone has something to hide. Has Josh been set up? And what if there's a clever killer somewhere in their beloved hometown? A 'just one more chapter' mystery that will keep you guessing until the final page.
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Mrs. Shim is a killerby Kang JiyoungWhen a middle-aged widow loses her job at the butcher shop, she's at a loss as to how to provide for her family -- until she's offered a position with a detective agency that puts her carving skills to new uses in this darkly humorous bestselling Korean thriller. As an assassin, Mrs. Shim soon finds that her new job isn't so different from her old one in the butcher shop. |
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Pomona Afton knows how to throw a memorable party, so throwing a gala for her fledgling nonprofit should be a breeze. Unfortunately, she has to navigate life's usual troubles that won't only affect the future of her charity, but her own future in society. But Pom is no quitter. She pushes forward and perseveres...until, right in the middle of her party, she discovers the body of one of her biggest donors. One more measly little murder mystery shouldn't be that hard, right?
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Chet (the dog) and PI Bernie Little (his human partner) are less than enthusiastic about the Little Detective Agency's next case, a missing person -- only the missing person is a cat. Miss Kitty, an internet sensation, has disappeared. The case presents a slew of challenges for Chet and Bernie. For one thing, a potential witness is a pig named Señor Piggy who may be in possession of an important piece of evidence. For another, it seems like a possible perp has been killed twice -- and there's evidence implicating Bernie in the crime. |
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When Claudia Jolicoeur is rejected from Cygnus University, a devilish stranger named Dorian appears in her nightmares and offers her a bargain: he will get her into Cygnus if she learns how to free him from a prison of stars. Claudia wakes to a letter from the High Sage of Cygnus stating she will take the place of Odette Dufort, a Rhetoric student who passed away. Her arrival raises suspicions. Determined to clear her name, Claudia uncovers a horrifying truth: over the last century, celestial witches at Cygnus have been murdered. Odette was one of them, and Claudia could be next.
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Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, It starts with a visit from Harry's most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. and ends with an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago. Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world . . .
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Science fiction
In a near, post-pandemic future, AI is an integral part of society. A neural implant jack allows people to spend their days literally plugged in to virtual reality, robots have displaced many humans in the workplace, including the criminal justice system. Ten-year-old Kate, an orphan, flees her foster home in Maine at the urging of Zeno, her trusted stuffed seal interactive toy. When police come to implant a tracking device, Kate and Zeno embark on a harrowing journey to New York City to find her mysterious guardian.
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On the planet Scythia, plants give birth to insects and trees can drag you to your death. Artificial monsters stalk the desert, and alien basket-men have wandered into town. John Maraintha has been abandoned here, light-years from the peaceful forests that he loves. The desert is harsh and the people in thrall to a barbaric custom called marriage. He must find some way to make a life here. But on Scythia, survival means transformation -- and not everyone is willing to change. |
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That which feeds us: A Hawaiian gothic by Keala KendallFor the world's wealthiest, Kpaa Island Resort is more than a destination. It's the ultimate escape. When her twin sister, Ohia, goes missing on their dream vacation, Lehua follows her trail to Kpaa to find her. As Lehua investigates Ohia's disappearance, she discovers her missing sister isn't the island's only mystery and Lehua can't ignore the dreams haunting her each night. To uncover what happened to Ohia, Lehua will have to unearth the island's bloody history and face the horrors that lurk within its sugarcane fields
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Change of plansby Sarah DessenFinley has always felt most comfortable in someone else's shadow. Fortunately, she's got Colin, her magnetic boyfriend, who sweeps her along for activities, friendships, and future plans. Then she goes on a last-minute trip with her distant mom to a family vacation house. It's a novelty for Finley to see her aunts and cousins. There's also the handful of teens who work at the Egg, her aunt's diner, and make up a found family. Then her relationship with Colin goes into freefall, and Finley's roadmap for life after high school is gone. The closer she grows to new friends at the Egg, the more she starts to fall for charmingly awkward, soulful Ben. |
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Shards of silence by Brian Lee YoungEven if it hurts to leave behind his friends and family in Navajo, New Mexico -- especially his great-grandmother, Mildred -- Derrick knows his scholarship to an elite East Coast boarding school is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Sagefield Academy is totally different from life on the rez. Back home, Másání Mildred's health is fading quickly. On the phone, she begs Derrick to leave Sagefield. When he realizes her fear comes from her time in federal Native boarding schools, he knows he's finally found the term paper theme he believes in: carrying her voice into the future.
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While most reincarnated earthlings get to live out awesome isekai fantasies as adventurers, Aine and Nacht drew the short straw and got stuck as the dungeon's custodial staff instead. It's a messy job. There's always a pile of corpses that needs tidying up afterward. But if the two are disposing of bodies anyway, then...what's a few more? Might as well turn the joint into a full-blown death trap and show those friggin' inconsiderate adventurers what for.
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Mama loves it when you lend a hand. It's clean up time. Mama and Papa are picking up around the house until a small voice cries out, How can I help? Follow one jubilant kid as they spend the day helping their family with age-appropriate chores, and learns that tidying up together makes for a happy, loving home.
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Underwater, everything looks different -- and everybody moves differently too. During swim therapy, a child discovers he can be anything: a catfish, a seahorse, a starfish cartwheeling across the universe. He finds the magic of moving in wholly new ways, just like he does on land in his trusty wheelchair.
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Discover the tiny yet abundant world of a wetland bog that explores how even the smallest habitats play big roles in nature. A wisecracking work of nonfiction that will surely be read on re-peat.
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A rhyming romp through professional and amateur sports, Play Proud highlights sixty fiercely fabulous queer athletes. The triumphs of these athletes both on and off the field, court, rink, ring, and pitch serve as powerful inspiration for everyone who seeks to live their life authentically.
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This picture book shares one girl's unusual collection: a collection of lasts. With a feel for the poignant, the bittersweet, and the odd, an observant, emotionally astute child shares the whimsical, eccentric, and touching lasts she has collected, from the last day cold enough for a wool cap, to the last anxious breath before a high dive, to the last person in her class to lose a tooth, to the last piece of chocolate, to the last words of a whole life. |
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In the town of Barnacle Bay, a creature lurks. He's come from the ocean, in search of others like him. To fit in with humans, Sashimi sneaks into an elementary school and pretends to be a student. When Sashimi finds out the whole town is on the hunt for the Beast of Barnacle Bay -- hijinks ensue. With the help of a new friend and the class goldfish, Sashimi figures out a way to stay afloat.
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Twelve-year-old Maxwell Dark has the gift to enter other kids' dreams to help them fight their nightmares. Since he helped Sid face the monster in her dreams, Maxwell has been plagued by his own nightmares: terrifying dreams of him turning into a horrifying monster himself. And then he finds himself face-to-face with the Bogeyman, who tells Maxwell it's his destiny to compete to become the next nightmare king and take the throne. Maxwell will have to wrestle with his inner demons while fighting literal demons as he battles through the dreadful competition, where the only thing worse than the prize is who he's competing against...
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Simon expected more from life than being orphaned in ancient Greece and stuck in the Underworld for eternity. Determined not to forget who he is, he commits himself to escaping Hades. Then, after centuries of failed attempts, he is finally thrust into modern times -- and into the stall of a middle school bathroom. With the help of Zeke, Simon learns to navigate this amazing and bewildering world. Everything seems to be going great . . . until the god of the Underworld sends a demon girl to bring Simon back.
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When thirteen-year-old Valentine is tricked into becoming a genie confined to a magical boba cafe, she must compete in a wish-granting game in order to free her sister and escape.
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Driftwood Public Library 801 SW Hwy 101, Second Floor Lincoln City, OR 97367 Phone: 541-996-2277 Email: librarian@lincolncity.org | | |
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Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10:00 AM until 6:00 PM Sunday: 1 PM - 5 PM |
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