Find Funding Faster with Foundation Directory—Only at Cumming Library!

Ask any leader of a local charitable organization and you’ll probably hear that fundraising is one of the most challenging tasks they face. Spreading awareness, seeking donors, and applying for grant funding is time-consuming. However, Forsyth County Public Library provides free access to Candid’s Foundation Directory at the Cumming Library to make it easier for local nonprofits to find and apply for funding opportunities.

Candid’s Foundation Directory has profiles for over 325,000 grantmakers and over 2 million recipients. The database is updated daily and new grants and requests for proposals (RFPs) are added weekly. Not all funders can be found online through a regular web search and RFPs can be especially hard to locate, making Foundation Directory an excellent resource for grantseekers. 

You can easily do a general search in Foundation Directory, but this resource also has a powerful advanced search feature that can help you pinpoint the data you may need. Your search results are broken down into Grantmakers, Grants, Recipients, and 990 Tax Forms. You can download or email lists and detailed profiles to review them later. 

Information Services Supervisor Arlene Melton using Candid's Foundation Directory database on a public access computer at the Cumming Library. Photo credit: Forsyth County Public Library.

"Candid’s Foundation Directory really simplifies the process for local nonprofits looking for funding and serves as a one-stop resource for researching and connecting with potential funders. Stop by the Cumming Library to check out this valuable resource and be sure to keep an eye on our Events page for an upcoming Foundation Directory class in April 2026," said Joan Dudzinski, Cumming Library Branch Manager. 

Foundation Directory is incredibly useful for prospecting and researching grants and grantmakers. Library patrons can access Foundation Directory by logging on to any public computer at the Cumming Library with their library card. Visitors can stop by the Ask Us desk to request a guest pass.

Jen Bell

Information Specialist

Cumming Library

Level Up with Winter Reading!

Only one more day until our Winter Reading Challenge begins! 

Are you ready to accept the challenge?

Registration for Forsyth County Public Library's Winter Reading Challenge begins Friday, December 19, 2025!

Sign up in the Beanstack app anytime between December 19, 2025, and January 19, 2026, then just log your reading to earn points toward motivating prizes. 

This challenge is for ALL AGES!

Earn 1 point for each minute of reading, or 20 points for one book, and receive prizes to keep you going until the end of the challenge on January 19, 2026. 

And speaking of prizes...

Children (Ages 0–Grade 5):

Participating children can earn wearable buttons at 250 and 500 points. This year, we’re debuting special buttons at each library location! All five branches and the Bookmobile have a unique button that children can earn by visiting that location. The branches will have engagement programs for participants to complete to earn their buttons. These activities include the opportunity to vote on finalists from the Bookmark Design Contest! 

Teens & Adults (Grade 6 and up):

Teen and adult participants can earn vinyl stickers at 250 and 500 points. At 500 points, they will get an FCPL Friends and Advocates Bookstore coupon for one free book up to $3.00 in value.

Grand Prizes

All participants will automatically get entered in the Grand Prize Drawing for their age group when they reach 500 points. Each branch has four grand prizes:

• Preschool: Magna-Tiles
• Elementary: Puzzle Night Basket with hot chocolate, a mini Squishmallow, handheld Tetris console, Rubik's Cube, and Kanoodle game
• Teen: Boba Basket with a boba tea kit for 6, sticky notes, and pencil pouch
• Adult: Murder Mystery Basket with Murdle: Volume 1, How to Get Away with Murder, and Body on the Boardwalk game

The Winter Reading Challenge begins on Friday, December 19 and runs through Monday, January 19, 2026, to give participants a full month to log their winter reading. 

Grand prizes will be drawn on Tuesday, January 20, 2026. Grand prize winners will be notified via email to whatever email address is associated with their Beanstack account. 

Picture Books About Letter Writing

Do you enjoy receiving letters from friends and family? In these picture books children exchange letters with their grandmothers. The stories focus on the shared joy of letter writing. 

Little Red and the Big Bad Editor by Rebecca Kraft Rector; Illustrated by Shanda McCloskey

Little Red has a letter to deliver to her Grandmother but the Big Bad Wolf can't let her poor grammar slide, even if that means he has to wait for his tasty treat. 

This cute story introduces young people to the lost art of letter writing and highlights the importance of gratitude and clear communication. Illustrations by Georgia artist and author Shanda McCloskey add extra personality and humor to this cute story. 

How to Send a Hug by Hayley Rocco and John Rocco

Artie misses her grandmother who lives far away. Even though they regularly talk on the phone and communicate on their computers, she wants to find a way to send a hug. So with some paper and art supplies, Artie creates a colorful hug using simple words and pictures that she can mail to her grandmother  

This colorful picture book shows children how to address envelopes, add postage, and mail letters. It also illustrates some interesting ways postal carriers deliver mail including hand delivering, biking, riding snowmobiles, and delivering mail on boats.

Last month, Sharon Forks Library patrons composed letters to express appreciation to United States veterans. The BRAVE organization which stands for Building Relations with American Veterans Everywhere distributed the letters. 

You can send handwritten letters for veterans to BRAVE Organization anytime at:

BRAVE Organization

P.O. Box 821

Boystown, NE  68010

Or share messages or words of cheer thru their website at Bravemission.org.

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

 

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - December 2025

In this episode, Ross speaks with Programming Manager Sarah Brubaker about the upcoming our Winter Reading program. Listen for more information on this year’s theme (HINT: Get ready to press the A button!), incremental prizes, and grand prizes. 

Winter Reading runs from December 19, 2025 to January 19, 2026. To learn more about signing up for the challenge, please visit our website.

STEM Books by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are three books written by authors featured at the program. 

Earth Rover by Taylor Woolley

Rover is eager to join his human on NASA’s Artemis Moon mission and he makes some persuasive arguments for adding a canine companion to the space program. Earth Rover presents information about aerospace technology, humans in space, and dogs in a cute way and includes information on the logistics of moon exploration. I love the way Taylor Woolley humanizes the men and women who work on our NASA space programs.  

Doll-E 1.0 by Shanda McCloskey

As a budding engineer, Charlotte isn't sure what to do with the human-shaped pillow she receives as a gift. Unlike her games and gadgets, it doesn't to do anything. Doll-E 1.0 highlights individuality, STEM skills, and creative problem solving. 

Award-winning author and illustrator Shanda McCloskey didn’t intend to be an author at all—she started out as an illustrator and then began writing her own stories. McCloskey lives in Ball Ground, Georgia, and is a former high school art teacher.

There's No Ham in Hamburgers by Kim Zachman

Kim Zachman writes engaging nonfiction books that combine history, science and fun facts to explain why chips get stale and chocolate chips don't melt when baked into cookies. Young people will love learning the history of hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, ice cream, chocolate, and other favorite foods. 

Zachman's book There's No Cream in Cream Soda explains the facts and folklore about our favorite beverages. Both books are part of FCPL's juvenile nonfiction collection.  

Taylor Woolley, Author
Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library

SCBWI KidLit Panel
Image Credit: Forsyth County Public Library

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Teen Fiction by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are two books for teens written by authors featured at the program. 

Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon by Robyn Field

Worried about her family’s finances, twelve-year-old Peony Watercolor hopes to win a thousand dollar grand prize in her middle school’s talent show. This charming story combines real-world issues with whimsical elements, including a school librarian who fills the role of fairy godmother. 

In 2024 Peony Watercolor’s Wish for Sun and Moon received a Gold Medal in the Pre-Teen Fantasy category at the 2024 Moonbeam Children's Book Awards which celebrate youthful curiosity, discovery, and learning through books and reading. 

Ranger Nader & the Sunstruck Phantom by Kam Karem

An ordinary ninth grader receives a relic from the battle of Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia and is called to defend Lebanon's famous Cedar Forest and the Phoenician way of life against the demi-god determined to destroy both. This exciting teen novel by T.K. Read, published under the pen name Kam Karem, combines legends, futuristic technology and adventures in space. 

Ranger Nader is the first book in the Guardian Chronicles series. It was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Award and the IAN and won its category in the Global Book Awards and the International Book Awards.

Robyn Field
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

SCBWI KidLit Panel
Image Credit Forsyth County Public Library

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Meet Traci Priego—FCPL's Latest Library Limelight

Get to know the newest member of the Forsyth County Public Library Board of Trustees with the Library Limelight!

Originally from Hillsville, Virginia, Traci Priego has been a patron of Forsyth County Public Library since 2005. Some of her fondest memories are from bringing her children to storytimes, often spending those programs down on the floor with them, fully immersed in the experience. The library played a meaningful role in her family’s life, especially during those child-centered programs that nurtured their love of reading.

Picture Books by North Georgia Authors

I recently had the pleasure of attending the Paths to Publishing KidLit panel by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter at Sharon Forks Library. It was a real treat to hear what inspired each of the seven authors at the event to write and publish their books. Here are two picture books written by authors who spoke at the program. 

Before I Lived Here by Stacy S. Jensen; Illustrated by Victo Ngai

This beautifully illustrated picture book takes readers on a trip back in time. It shows the planning and developing of a modern neighborhood, early settlers working on homesteads, Native Americans living off of the land, dinosaurs roaming, and all the way back to one billion years ago when volcanic eruptions burst through the earth, creating the mountains we see today. 

Before I Lived Here was inspired by Stacy S. Jensen's former neighborhood in Colorado. The story will fascinate children who enjoy history and nature science. 

Picture Books about Anxiety

Anxiety doesn't only impact adults. According to Psychology Today as many as one child out of eight experiences significant anxiety. These picture books from our catalog can help young people and their caregivers learn how to recognize and manage anxiety. 

If You Run Out of Words by Felicita Sala

What happens if you run out of words? 

Will you have any left for me? 

As she's getting ready for bed, a young girl starts to worry that her father may run out of words. To assure his daughter that he could NEVER run out of words for her, the imaginative dad describes the elaborate lengths he would take to retrieve more words for her, including visiting the Elves Word Factory and becoming the strongest man in the world. 

Fans of If You Give A Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff will enjoy this fun story filled with interesting artwork, written and illustrated by Felicita Sala. 

Picture Books for Native American Heritage Month

Each November we celebrate the traditions, languages, and stories of Native American and Alaska Native communities during National Native American Heritage Month. 

These picture books from our collection highlight stories of modern Native Americans. 

Finding My Dance by Ria Thundercloud; Illustrated by Kalila J. Fuller

Finding my Dance is an inspiring picture book that describes how professional dancer Ria Thundercloud began dancing at age four. She first danced to the beat of drums alongside her family dressed in a handmade jingle dress at a powwow. Each summer her family traveled from state to state performing at Native American events. As a teenager, Ria exceled at dancing; learning about different forms and styles. Dancing helped her manage her shyness and feelings of being an outsider as the only Indigenous girl in her class. Dancing also gave her a new way to express herself and helped her cope when things were difficult.   

Library eResources: Online Newspapers

How do you get your news? 

If you want a reliable source for your national, world, and local news, be sure to check out the free online access to newspapers provided through the Forsyth County Public Library website, including The New York Times Online, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (only available on the library computers), The Forsyth County News, and The Forsyth Herald. 

Unreadable Podcast Transcript - October 2025

In this episode, local author Dr. Ashley Baker speaks with Ross about her new book The Ashes of Us, which is a novel that navigates themes of trauma, paternal love, and the devastating price of retribution. Dr. Baker talks about her inspiration for the book and how she's utilized her experiences and knowledge to write a book that is ultimately a tribute to her own father, who was a forensic pathologist. 

Dr. Baker is a clinical psychologist (PsyD), who practices and lives in Forsyth County, and is author of two psychological suspense novels, including The Furious Others. 

Dr. Baker will be at the Sharon Forks Library on October 22, 2025 at 7:00PM for a reading and author talk for The Ashes of Us.

Wishes in the Moon: A celebration of Korean Thanksgiving ‘Chuseok’

Stop by the Sharon Forks branch and peek in the children’s area to see wonderful artwork created by students of Rabbitbrush Art Studio. These were created to represent the tradition of making wishes underneath the full moon during Chuseok, also called Korean Thanksgiving. 

Each painting is in the shape of a Moon Jar which utilizes a soft, round shape that is reminiscent of the full moon. The artists use Minhwa, Korean folk painting techniques, and traditional symbols to represent their hopes for the future. 

Library Celebrates National Friends of the Library Week 2025

The staff of Forsyth County Public Library (FCPL) would like to recognize and thank the FCPL Friends and Advocates as part of the 20th annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 19–25, 2025. 

“The Friends do so much to support our mission and serve our community,” said FCPL Director Adrianne Junius. “Their generosity and dedication have an incredible impact on what we are able to achieve together.”

Over the past year, the Friends contributed close to $100,000 to FCPL through library grants, funds raised at the Ask Us desks, and contributions to the Friends Terrace at the Denmark Library. Since 1996 when FCPL became an independent, single county library system, the Friends’ total support has reached nearly $800,000. “That’s an extraordinary accomplishment that speaks to their commitment to our libraries and patrons,” Junius continued.

Author Talk with Ashley Baker Wednesday, October 22 at Sharon Forks Library

 

The Ashes of Us by Ashley Baker

Dr. Ashley Baker returns to Sharon Forks Library on Wednesday, October 22 to talk about her latest psychological suspense novel, The Ashes of Us. In this morally complex story, a clinical pathologist taps into his own dark impulses when his daughter asks him to take the life of the man who raped her. 

Dr. Baker says her stories usually begin with an idea: what if a daughter asked her father to do something reprehensible (The Ashes of Us) or what if there was a novel about a killer that didn't focus on the murderer. (The Furious Others) 

Staff Picks: Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez

Despite her apprehension, twentysomething Ingrid accepts an invitation from her childhood bestie, Mayra, to spend a weekend at a remote house in the Everglades. But Mayra's hopes of reconnecting with her former friend are soon dashed by the presence of Mayra’s odd boyfriend Benji. This mesmerizing literary Gothic novel is as much about the complex dynamics of female friendships as it is about a spooky mansion with hidden windows, a staircase leading to implausible destinations, strange sounds, and other unusual features. Passages from a mysterious diary, excursions into the Everglades, and flashbacks to Ingrid and Mayra’s teen adventures give this spooky story extra depth. 

If you appreciate thoughtful suspense, check out Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez. Like her character Ingrid, author Nicky Gonzales is from Hialeah, Florida. Her fiction has appeared in McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, Kenyon Review Online, Taco Bell Quarterly, and other publications.

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

Picture Books for Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage month recognizes the contributions and achievements of Latin Americans. These illustrated children's books about Hispanic heritage are available in both English and Spanish at the Forsyth County Public Library.

My Two Border Towns by David Bowles; Illustrated by Erika Meza

David Bowles' colorful picture books details life on a border town between the United States and Mexico and vividly describes a shopping trip on the Mexican side of the border.  

David Bowles is the author of the award-winning poetry collection for teens, They Call Me Guero and the 13th Street Series chapter books.  My Two Borders Towns is his first picture book.  

Science Fiction Novels by Latin American Authors

National Hispanic Heritage month recognizes the contributions and achievements of Latin Americans. Two of my favorite recent reads are science fiction novels that highlight environmental issues written by authors from Latin American.  

Pink Slime by Fernanda Trías; translated by Heather Cleary

Living in a nearly abandoned coastal South American city, a woman balances her relationship with her aging mother and hospitalized ex-husband while caring for a boy who suffers from a strange eating disorder. Pink Slime’s unnamed narrator watches the world around her deteriorating while struggling to maintain normalcy amid toxic winds, food shortages, power outages, and police patrols. As she recalls key moments from her past she wonders if there’s any connection between her town's new meat processing facility and some of the odd happenings. 

Author Fernanda Trías was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and currently lives in Bogotá, Colombia, where she teachers a creative writing MFA program. She is the award-winning author of three novels. Pink Slime has been Longlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature and named a Best Book of 2024 by NPR, Esquire, Publishers Weekly, and ScreenRant. 

Picture Books for Hispanic Heritage Month

National Hispanic Heritage month recognizes the contributions and achievements of Latin Americans. These are some of the illustrated children's books about Hispanic heritage that are available at Forsyth County Public Library.

Imagine by Juan Felipe Herrera; Illustrated by Lauren Castillo

If I let the stars at night paint my blanket with milky light
with shapes of hungry birds while I slept outside, 
imagine what you could do... 

Juan Felipe Herrera

Imagine

This picture book by U.S. Poet Laureate Juan Felipe Herrera invites young readers to imagine who they can become. Evocative illustrations reveal Herreara's love of language and inspiring journey from picking flowers in a field and sleeping outside to moving to a new school, learning English, and collecting pens to create a stories and poems. 

Upcoming: An Interactive Q&A with Children's Authors and Illustrators!

Are you writing or illustrating a book for children? Looking for inspiration or help in getting started? Look no further than the Sharon Forks Library! Seven kidlit authors and illustrators will be joining us for Paths to Publication: SCBWI Kidlit Panel on Saturday, November 15 at 2:00 p.m.

This event is sponsored by the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) Southern Breeze Chapter.

Panelists:

Robyn Field is an award-winning author and poet. Her debut middle grade novel, Peony Watercolor's Wish for Sun and Moon (2024, Owl's Next Publishers), is a Moonbeam Children's Book Awards gold medalist in pre-teen fantasy. Her next book, Accidentally Famous, releases in 2027 from Owl's Nest Publishers. Robyn is also a 2017 Writer's Digest award winner and a 2019 Pitch Wars alumna. She lives in Georgia with her husband and three boys. Visit her online at www.robynfieldauthor.com.

Stacy S. Jensen is a children’s book author with a passion for history, research, and exploring new topics like she did as a newspaper journalist. Her debut picture book Before I Lived Here (2025, Neal Porter Books) was written while she lived in Colorado—inspired by her neighborhood. She now lives in Georgia with her family. Visit her online at www.stacysjensen.com.

Shanda McCloskey is an award-winning author and illustrator of children’s picture books and graphic novels that are often about following your light, whether that be robots, punk music, or even letter writing! She is currently working on her first chapter book graphic novel series, Punk Rock (2026, Abrams Fanfare), with her husband/co-writer Ben, and lives in a little blue house with her family in Ball Ground, Georgia. Visit her online at www.shandamc.com.

T.K. Read is an attorney by day, writer by night, mom, wife, and super-hero-wannabe always. The first book in her award-winning middle grade series, Ranger Nader and the Sunstruck Phantom, written under the pen name “Kam Karem,” was a finalist in the National Indie Excellence Awards and The Independent Author Network Book Awards, and won its category in The International Book Awards. A strong believer in literacy, T.K. also co-founded The Conyers Book Festival along with the owner of her local indie bookstore. When she’s not outside getting in her steps, lost in one of her favorite authors’ fantasy worlds, or representing her clients, you can find her online at www.tkread.com.

Moniquea S.Willingham is the author of Madison's Talent. She has spent over 18 years serving in the educational field, including both domestic and international school settings supporting students and their teachers. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Early Childhood Education from Kennesaw State University and a Masters of Science degree in Educational Leadership obtained from Georgia State University. In her leisure time, Moniquea enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, and traveling the world. She currently resides in Marietta, Georgia. Find her at her Amazon author page.

Taylor Woolley is author and illustrator of Earth Rover and illustrator of Birthday Bash by Blair Northen Williamson. Armed with a sketchbook full of wild ideas, Taylor's stories are guaranteed to make readers giggle, gasp, and cheer. When she’s not sketching or writing, you’ll likely find her hanging at home with her husband and their young daughter, or pausing mid-hike to admire a particularly excellent frog. Represented by Dan Cramer of Page Turner Literary Agency, Taylor has published traditionally as an author and illustrator and has also worked with self-published authors as an illustrator and designer. Visit her online at www.woolleystories.com.

As a freelance writer, Kim Zachman published more than 130 articles, essays, and reviews, but her real passion was children’s books. For seven years, Kim worked as a field support representative for Scholastic Book Fairs. Being immersed in the world of Kidlit helped her achieve her goal of becoming a children’s author. Her first book There's No Ham in Hamburgers: Facts and Folklore About Our Favorite Foods released in April 2021. There's No Cream in Cream Soda followed in July 2023. A mother of two, Kim lives in Roswell, Georgia with her husband and their almost perfect dog. Visit her online at www.kimzachman.com.

Event image credit: Amanda Fletcher

Brianna
Information Specialist

Novel Realities Book Discussion October 14 at Sharon Forks Library: Hum by Helen Phillips

 

Hum by Helen Phillips

What role do humans play in a world where artificial intelligence has replaced most of the workforce?

Technological advancements don't seem to have improved daily living for the characters in Helen Phillips’ slightly futuristic novel Hum. 

Air quality forces families indoors where children watch videos of animals they will only ever encounter at pop-up zoos with conditions so abysmal they scare the visitors. Constant video surveillance produces targeted advertisements and androids called hums replace human workers while families struggle to pay for basic necessities. 

Hum centers around May, a mother of two who loses her job to artificial intelligence and undergoes an experimental procedure that distorts her features to evade facial recognition software in order to pay for her family's living expenses.  

Feeling friendless and disconnected from her husband, worried about finances and her children's increasing tech-dominated isolation, May spends part of her earnings treating her family to a visit to the luxurious Botanical Garden where they can reconnect and experience a convincing approximation of the natural world. 

The garden’s lush environment offers a refreshing change of pace until the children wander off, setting into motion a chain of events that threatens the whole family.

I've been a fan of Helen Phillips' unique human-centered science fiction since reading her 2015 novel The Beautiful Bureaucrat which was a finalist for the New York Public Library’s Young Lions Fiction Award and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize. 

In Phillips' suspenseful and mind-bending 2019 novel The Need, a woman is confronted by an alternative version of herself. The Need was named a New York Times Notable Book and longlisted for the National Book Award.

FCPL’s Novel Realities book club will discuss Hum on Tuesday, October 14 at 7 p.m. at the Sharon Forks Library and newcomers are always welcome. If you enjoy speculative fiction and are looking a unique book club, please take a look at our upcoming Novel Realities book selections and make plans to attend one of our upcoming discussions.  

Alicia Cavitt

Information Specialist

Image by wweagle from Getty Images Signature via Canva

Staff Picks: Audition by Katie Kitamura

Audition by Katie Kitamura

Fiction for Adults

In the opening scene of Audition, an actress meets a younger man for lunch in a trendy Manhattan restaurant and worries that their fellow diners will misconstrue their relationship. But what exactly is their relationship? And why is she so alarmed to see her husband enter the restaurant? 

An unwritten scene in the center of the novel alters the story’s direction and dynamics and redefines the relationship between the characters, essentially breaking the fourth wall of novel format. The effect is unique and disorienting. 

Audition explores the fluidity of human connection, family relationships, and power dynamics while blurring the line between reality and art. Fans of metafiction will love this trippy read that invites reflection and speculation.   

Quilting at Cumming Library

The Cumming Library has had the pleasure of displaying the “Bookshelf Quilt” completed by the members of the Piecemakers Quilt Guild, a representation of their 40 years of quilting together. The guild’s purpose is to promote and perpetuate the art of quilting in the community. The quilt went up in mid-August and will remain up through the end of September. 

Post Road Library Announces Halloween Costume Swap

Halloween is coming! Post Road Library wants your gently used costumes for their first ever Halloween Costume Swap.

Staff Picks Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

 Vera, or Faith by Gary Shteyngart

One of my favorite recent reads describes a modern dystopia through the eyes of a young girl of Jewish and Korean descent. 

Intelligent and curious, ten-year-old Vera Bradford-Shmulkin’s observations about her father and stepmother raise concerns about her own family's stability and the state of the America in a post-democratic world. Struggling to form lasting friendships while striving for academic success, Vera questions what she's been told about her absent birth mother and forms a plan to locate her. 

Vera, or Faith is witty, insightful and equal parts charming and terrifying in its vision of a radically altered United States. 

Unreadable: Podcast Transcript - September 2025

In this episode, Ross talks with William Kent Krueger about his Cork O'Connor series, including a sneak peak of the next book in the series, God's Country. Krueger discusses his use of a small town setting, spirituality, and a dynamic protagonist to keep his long-running series compelling to readers.

Krueger will be visiting the Sharon Forks Library on October 9 and October 10. Please check our Events Calendar for registration details.

Adult Fiction Staff Picks: The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

 The Latecomer by Jean Hanff Korelitz

Jean Hanff Korelitz takes her time developing this complex family drama, beginning before Salo and Johanna, the parents of her main characters, have even met and shifting back and forth in time to explain the dynamics between Harrison, Lewyn, and Sally, triplets born in the early days of IVF. 

A childhood of togetherness leads the three siblings to try to go their own separate ways as teenagers despite the many entanglements that bind them. Struggling to maintain a happy facade after Salo’s infidelity, Johanna Oppenheimer arranges for a surrogate to deliver her fourth child from her remaining frozen embryo, then desperately tries to convince her children to bond with their sister Phoebe, the latecomer, and their biological quadruplet.

The Latecomer is a mesmerizing story that details the ways resentments build, secrets compound, lies unravel, and rifts grow and heal. The novel sets the stage for a dramatic confrontation and delivers it. But that’s by no means the end of the story in this modern family drama.   

At over sixteen hours, the audio version of the The Latecomer  is a great distraction on a long car ride for fans of richly detailed stories that show characters dealing with problems with no easy solutions. 

Jean Hanf Koreliz is the bestselling author of two of my favorite psychological suspense novels, the 2021 The Plot and its 2024 follow-up The Sequel. While it was hard to put down the more fast paced, plot-based psychological suspense novels The Plot and The Sequel, I can tell that the characters in The Latecomer, and their messy, relatable real-world issues will remain with me for much longer. 

Alicia Cavitt
Information Specialist

PoeFest at the Sharon Forks Library

Once upon a sunny morning, while we waited for autumn's glow,

The Sharon Forks Library brought us great lore.

They announced a fall program series in honor of Edgar Allan Poe,

For writers, poets, horror fanatics, and more,

Featuring publishing tips, a poetry slam, and frights galore!

So answer the tapping, tapping; open the chamber door.

If you've been missing all-things scary like me, then we have a program series for you! For the entire month of October, the Sharon Forks Library will be celebrating PoeFest in honor of the king of horror, Edgar Allan Poe. 

Don't Get Ripped Off: How to Publish Your Book, presented by BookLogix

Thursday, October 2 | 6:30 p.m.

Want to publish your book but don't know where to get started? Come and learn the basics with BookLogix!

Writers' Night of Fright

Thursday, October 16 | 7:00 p.m.

*Registration is required

Love writing and/or listening to spooky tales? Join us for a night of fright - and don't forget to dress in your best gothic attire.