Adult Services
Upcoming Adult Events at SCPL
Between Two Worlds
Scott County Public Library has been selected as one of 40 libraries nationwide to participate in the Yiddish Book Center’s Public Libraries Program on the theme “Between Two Worlds: Exploring Jewish Culture and Religion through Yiddish Literature.” The books and programs are presented as part of the Yiddish Book Center's Public Libraries Program, a partnership with the American Library Association, and made possible by the Lilly Endowment, Inc."
Do you have stories, memories, recipes, or family history you’d like to preserve? From March through November, patrons can reserve time in our recording studio to record themselves, a loved one, or a group of friends and take home a copy to share.
The studio is available Wednesdays from 1–3 PM by reservation in 30-minute, 45-minute, or 1-hour blocks. Call 502-863-3566 to reserve your time.
Presented as part of the Yiddish Book Center’s Public Libraries Program, in partnership with the American Library Association, and made possible by the Lilly Endowment, Inc.
Ghost town : a novel
Bertie's theory of ice cream
The lost cities of El Norte
Judge a Book by Its Cover
Our Marketplace Book Display is designed to showcase books face-out, allowing you to see the covers instead of just the spines. By highlighting colorful eye-catching designs, this display makes it easier to browse, discover new titles, and feel inspired to pick up something new. It’s a simple, visual way to invite curiosity and make book browsing more engaging.
Click on the accordion page to learn more about these adult services
Adult Blog Contributor: Michael Stevens.
Adult Book Kits - Did You Know???
Here at Scott County Public Library, we have various book kits available for checkout. The kit contains 15 copies of the novel, a binder which contains information about the book, the author, excerpts from reviews, and questions for discussion. You can start your own book club! We have a multitude of titles so you’re sure to find something that tickles your fancy!
Some examples include…
A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willlingham
When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenager girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.
Now, twenty years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So, when a local teenage girl goes missing and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, seeing parallels from her past that aren’t actually there? Or, for the second time in her life, is Chloe about to unmask a killer?
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio is ultimately their only hope for survival.
So Cold the River by Michael Koryta
It started with a beautiful woman. As a gift for her husband, Alyssa Bradford approaches Eric Shaw to make a documentary about her father-in-law, Campbell Bradford, a ninety-five-year-old millionaire whose past is wrapped in mystery. Eric grabs the job even though there are few clues to the man’s past- just the name of the town where he grew up and an antique water bottle that he’s kept his entire life. In Bradford’s hometown, Eric discovers an extraordinary history- a gloriously domed hotel where movie stars, presidents, athletes, and mobsters once mingled, and mineral springs whose miraculous water cured everything from insomnia to malaria. Neglected for years, the resort has been restored to its former grandeur just in time for Eric’s stay.
Hours after his arrival, Eric experiences a frighteningly vivid vision. As the days pass, the frequency and intensity of his hallucinations increase and draw Eric deeper into the town’s dark history. He discovers that something besides the hotel has been restored- a long-forgotten evil that will stop at nothing to regain its glory.
The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe
Based upon the experiences of real-life Auschwitz prisoner Dita Kraus, this is the incredible story of a girl who risked everything to preserve the legacy and vital knowledge of books during the Holocaust. As a young girl, Dita is imprisoned by the Nazis at Auschwitz. Taken from her home in Prague in 1939, Dita does her best to adjust to the constant terror of her new reality. But even amidst horror, human strength and ingenuity persevere. When Jewish leader Fredy Hirsch entrusts Dita with eight precious volumes the prisoners have managed to sneak into the camp, she embraces the responsibility- and so becomes the librarian of Auschwitz. From one of the darkest chapters in history comes this extraordinary story of courage and hope.
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Marie-Laure lives with her father in Paris near the Museum of Natural History, where he works as the master of its thousands of locks. When she is six, Marie-Laure goes blind and her father builds a perfect miniature of their neighborhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. When she is twelve, the Nazis occupy Paris and father and daughter flee to the walled citadel of Saint-Malo, where Marie-Laure’s reclusive great uncle lives in a tall house by the sea. With them, they carry what might be the museum’s most valuable and dangerous jewel.
In a mining town in Germany, the orphan Werner grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments, a talent that wins him a place at a brutal academy for Hitler youth, then a special assignment to the track the resistance. More and more aware of the human cost of his intelligence, Werner travels through the heart of the war and, finally, into Saint-Malo, where his story and Marie-Laure’s converge.
So now you know where to find exciting stories that you and your friends and family can enjoy! I look forward to seeing you soon at the Scott County Public Library in beautiful Georgetown, Kentucky!
Aging Looks Good on You!
As they say, growing old and taxes, they both just keep going. Growing old is irreverent, sometimes funny, but inevitable for all of us. But it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Several well-educated authors are here to tell us ways to improve our lives as the years roll on and how to enjoy the beauty that life provides for us.
Old Age: A Beginner’s Guide by Michael Kinsley
The notorious baby boomers-the largest age cohort in history-are approaching the end and starting to plan their final moves in the game of life. Now they are asking; What was that all about? Was it about acquiring things or changing the world? Was it about keeping all your marbles? Or is the only thing that counts after you’re gone is the reputation you leave behind?
In this series of essays, Michael Kinsley uses his own battle with Parkinson’s Disease to unearth answers to questions we are all at some time forced to confront. This surprisingly cheerful book is at once a fresh assessment of a generation and a frequently funny account of one man’s journey toward the finish line.
The Art of Aging: A Doctor’s Prescription for Well-Being by Sherwin B. Nuland
The onset of aging can be so gradual that we are often surprised to find that one day it is fully upon us. The changes to the senses, appearance, reflexes, physical endurance, and sexual appetites are undeniable- and rarely welcome- and yet as Nuland shows, getting older has its surprising blessings. Age concentrates not only the mind but the body’s energies, leading many to new bursts of creativity, perceptiveness, and spiritual intensity. Growing old, Nuland teaches us, is not a disease but an art-and for those who practice it well, it can bring extraordinary rewards.
60 On Up : The Truth about Aging in America by Lillian B. Rubin, PH. D.
“Getting old sucks,” says best-selling author Dr. Lillian Rubin. With refreshing candor, she digs down under the statistics about our graying population and offers a provocative and unflinching examination of all the burning issues that mark aging today. Tackling the subject over a broad swath of the population, cutting across race, class, gender, and physical and cognitive ability, Rubin delivers a powerful and long-overdue reminder that everyone will be touched by the problems arising from our new longevity.
60 on Up is everything most books on aging are not. It is not sentimental, not filled with stale advice to keep busy, avoid calories, and think young. Instead, it offers authentic wisdom about the complexities of aging. Its fiercely realistic but tender explorations are strangely comforting because they relieve us of the burden of denial and give us a vision of facing our later years with dignity and courage.
Aging With Grace; What the Nun Study Teaches us about Leading Longer, Healthier, and More Meaningful Lives by David Snowdon, Ph. D
In 1986 Dr. David Snowdon embarked on a revolutionary scientific study that would forever change the way we view old age. Called the “Nun Study” because it involves a unique population of 678 Catholic sisters, this remarkably long-term project stands today at the forefront of some of the world’s most significant research on aging and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Snowdon’s fascinating book combines high-tech brain research with the heartfelt story of the aging nuns who are teaching scientists how we can live longer, healthier lives. Ranging in age from 75 to 106, these bright, articulate, and altruistic women have allowed Dr. Snowdon access to their medical records-and they have agreed to donate their brains upon death. We also follow Dr. Snowdon into the laboratory as he and his colleagues race to decode one of the most devastating diseases known to humanity.
Aging Well: Surprising Guideposts to a Happier Life by George E. Vaillant, M. D.
Harvard Medical School has spent more than fifty years studying the basic elements of adult development, looking at life choices, health, and happiness in hundreds of individuals. Now, for the first time ever, the results of this unprecedented study are being made public, and they reveal an extraordinary set of conclusions about how men and women can lead a happier, more fulfilling, healthier life-into their sixties, seventies, eighties, and beyond. Using these studies and the subjects’ individual histories, George E. Vaillant, M.D., the director of the study, shows why some people turn out to be more resilient than others. His extraordinary conclusion is that individual lifestyle choices play a greater role than genetics, wealth, race, or other facts in determining how happy people are in their later life. And Aging Well reveals for the first time which lifestyle choices truly make a difference.
So come see us at Scott County Public Library, in beautiful Georgetown, Kentucky. We have resources for all your needs!
Unearth a Story! Dig Into Adventure!
This summer libraries across the state will be focusing on unearthing a wonderful story or adventure in the library. Learn about dinosaurs, excavate a local treasure, search through the fields for historical adventures! Here at Scott County Public Library in beautiful Georgetown, KY, we have a horde of adventure ideas for your latest quest. Whether it be ancient times, local history, or treasure seeking on the high seas, check out these little gems!
Treasure Lost at Sea by Robert F. Marx with Jenifer Marx
For centuries, the words “sunken treasure” have sparked wild dreams of discovering chests overflowing with gold doubloons and fabulous jewels. Treasure Lost at Sea shows that, if you know where to look, such dreams are not far from the truth.
Exciting underwater discoveries are not limited to shipwrecks. Treasure Lost at Sea chronicles the search for the Sunken City of Port Royal off the island of Jamaica, known as the “wickedest city of the world” before an earthquake destroyed it in 1692. From Roman amphorae found off the African coast, to the British HMS Sussex, lost in over a mile’s depth of water in 1694 and reputably carrying billions of dollars in treasure, each true-life chronicle is an adventure rediscovered on these pages.
Lost cities and Vanished Civilizations by Robert Silverberg
Pompeii! Troy! Angkor! What do these three cities have in common? Knossos, Babylon, and Chichen Itza share the same quality, the only one all six do share. The quality is that of extinction, obliteration, and decay.
These six cities, chosen as key cultures by author Robert Silverberg, form the basic building blocks in his brilliant revelation of antiquity, and the stories of their discoverers and the scientists who unveiled them are as fascinating as the lost cities themselves.
Mouhot, stumbling on the vine enshrouded towers of Angkor, brooding over the inner jungles of Cambodia; Schliemann delving through layer upon layer of Turkish mound to seek Homer’s Troy; Catherwood, Stephens and Thompson finding the ancient Central American wonders of the great and forgotten Mayan civilization. These are the heroes of modern archaeology, the men who braved every opposition to disclose the secrets of the vanished races.
Kentucky Archaeology. by R. Barry Lewis
Kentucky’s rich archaeological heritage spans thousands of years, and the Commonwealth remains fertile ground for study of the people who inhabited the midcontinent before, during, and after European settlement. This long-awaited volume brings together the most recent research on Kentucky’s prehistory and early history, presenting both an accurate description and an authoritative interpretation of Kentucky’s past.
Sites discussed include the Green River shell mounds, the Central Kentucky Adena mounds and enclosures, Eastern Kentucky rock shelters, the important Wickliffe site at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, Fort Ancient culture villages, and the fortified towns of the Mississippian period in Western Kentucky.
The book’s many graphic elements-maps, artifact drawings, photographs, and village plans-combined with a straightforward and readable text, provide a format that will appeal to the general reader as well as to students and specialists in other fields who wish to learn more about Kentucky’s archaeology.
Stones, Bones and Ancient Cities; Great Discoveries in Archaeology and the Search for Human Origins
by Lawrence H. Robbins, PH. D.
Lost treasure, fossils, and other artifacts of the ancients have always fascinated humankind. Donald Johanson unearthed the fossilized australopithecine called Lucy. Is she the “missing link” between the apes and our bipedal ancestors? In 1914, three French brothers lowered themselves into a dark sinkhole near Tuc d’Audoubert. In a network of caverns, they found breathtaking cave paintings over 15,000 years old. Heinrich Schliemann mastered eighteen languages and journeyed to Turkey to find the lost city of Troy. Were the cartloads of gold relics and jewels he found really King Priam’s treasure? Scholars, students, and laypersons will treasure this rich journey through time to the sites that mark the origins of mankind.
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
Since the days of conquistador Hernan Cortes, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God. Indigenous tribes speak of ancestors who fled there to escape the Spanish invaders, and they warn that anyone who enters this sacred city will fall ill and die. In 1940, swashbuckling journalist Theodore Morde returned from the rainforest with hundreds of artifacts and an electrifying story of having found the Lost City of the Monkey God-but then committed suicide without revealing its location.
Three quarters of a century later, bestselling author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a new quest. In 2012 he climbed aboard a rickety plane carrying the machine that would change everything- Lidar, a highly advanced technology that could map the terrain under the densest rainforest canopy. In an unexplored valley ringed by steep mountains, that flight revealed the image of a sprawling metropolis, tantalizing evidence of not just an undiscovered city but an enigmatic, lost civilization.
So this summer, come and see us - dig up something exciting at Scott County Public Library!
Summer Blooms All Around Us!
As the summer begins, the flowers are in bloom, birds are happily singing in their nests, and all the woodland creatures are joyous. Sometimes we get the inspiration to beautify and spread the floral aspects of nature to our own little worlds by creating a flower garden, building an outdoor recreation space or planting trees and shrubs to enhance our surroundings. If you get that notion, you should stop by Scott County Public Library where we have the resources to help your creativity bloom!
Designing and Planning a Woodland Garden
by Keith Wiley
For many of us, woods and trees evoke powerful, often deeply subconscious emotional responses. If you have a romantic inclination, you cannot fail to be moved by the moss-covered, rock strewn gnarled oak woodlands occasionally found on the uplands of the wetter western wide of the United Kingdom. Woodlands are magical places and even small gardens can capture the atmosphere with a carefully chosen tree and some shade-loving plants. Selecting the right plant for the right place is essential and expert plantsman Keith Wiley explains how to combine plants that will thrive together and even how to create shade if you don’t already have it. In this evocative account, he mingles beguiling, less-well-known plants with familiar, time-tested ones to create fabulous effects in all seasons.
Garden Pools, Fountains, and Waterfalls by Scott Atkinson
If anything in nature is magic, it must be water. The shimmer and sound of pools, fountains, and falls have cast their spell throughout history. Add tranquility and beauty to your garden with the serene shimmer of a pool or the enchanting sound of a waterfall. This book contains…
*Innovative ways to incorporate eye-pleasing water features into any outdoor space
*16 do-it-yourself projects that will transform your yard in a weekend- from small spill fountains to picturesque ponds and waterfalls
*Building tips from the pros, with easy-to-follow instructions and step-by-step photos
*Learn how to keep plants and fish thriving in your pond
Water Gardens 1-2-3 by Home Depot publishers
Whether you’re an experienced do-it-yourselfer or you’ve hardly built anything before, Water Gardens 1-2-3 will help you create just the right water feature for you. This book, like all the Home Depot 1-2-3 series books, is a collaborative effort of writers, editors, photographers, and designers, but also of Home Depot associates. They have put their direct input and expertise into Water Gardens 1-2-3, taking their knowledge from years and even decades of working with customers like you and making sure this book presents the clearest, most helpful information on building water gardens possible.
Gardening for Birds, Butterflies, and Bees by the editors of Birds and Blooms
It’s time to bring fresh life to your garden. Attracting birds and butterflies has never been simpler with the tips, tricks and plant picks in this handy guide. Plus, you’ll help support the dwindling bee population, which is essential to the future of gardening. Whether you’re just starting out or are a bona fide green thumb, you’ll turn to this can’t miss birding and gardening resource for years to come.
Inside you’ll find…
*250+ photos of plants that birds, butterflies and bees can’t resist
*DIY backyard projects
*Profiles and ideas for attracting the most-wanted backyard birds and butterflies
*Answers to our most frequently asked backyard questions
We pride ourselves in celebrating the “beauty in your own backyard” with a mix of expert advice and personal stories from our family of readers
Touch a Butterfly: Wildlife Gardening with Kids by April Pulley Sayre
Turn your garden into a hummingbird hot spot, a haven for butterflies, and a thriving ecosystem that will delight and inspire the young and young at heart.
Gardening with children is a pleasure in itself, but when you learn to include wildlife in your plans, gardening becomes an even more joyful family experience. Creating a garden that invites wildlife opens up a wider world of nature for investigation, inspiration, and delight. Begin to see your yard from an animal’s perspective: discover plans that attract colorful birds and bugs, embrace the sensory experiences that native plants and creatures bring, and understand how your yard fits into the surrounding landscape. Along the way you will discover simple ways you can actively support wildlife in your immediate environment, no matter where you live.
So come to Scott County Public Library and search our resources for the fun and inspiration of creating your own backyard haven!
Bookshots Hit the Mark!
Have you ever wanted to read an exciting novel but just feel as if life doesn’t provide enough time to do so? You’re busy with work, family, and other commitments and it’s difficult to devote your time to reading a novel. Consider James Patterson’s Bookshots. They are high-action, short little novels that can easily be read in a day or two in your spare time. The stories are intriguing; the characters are always compelling. Think the novel (or you) won’t have time for a great story? Check these out!
French Kiss James Patterson with Richard DiLallo
Bonjour, Detective. Now Watch your back.
Very handsome and charming French detective Luc Moncrief joined the NYPD for a fresh start-but someone wants to make his first big case his last. Welcome to New York. Moncrief cut his teeth in the French capital chasing down murderers and uncovering major drug crimes. When his partner is killed while working undercover Moncrief must deliver the news to her family and is then tasked with finding the murderer.
Hunted James Patterson with Andrew Holmes
Evil has a new game…
Someone is luring men from the streets to play a mysterious high-stakes game in the English countryside. Former Special Forces officer David Shelley will go undercover to shut it down. But this might be a game he can’t win.
SAS David Shelley learns of the death of his friend and military veteran, whose body sustained injuries that do not match up with the official record. While the friend is homeless, these are not battle scars from life on the streets that might accompany his lifestyle. Approached by a MI5 agent with a theory and news of a potential suspect, Shelley agrees to go undercover to substantiate rumours of an exclusive club that finds sport in killing homeless men.
Killer Chef James Patterson with Jeffrey J. Keyes
Eat, drink, and be murdered.
Someone is poisoning diners in New Orleans’ best restaurants. Now it’s up to chef and homicide cop Caleb Rooney to catch a killer- who has an appetite for revenge. Called to the scene of a popular restaurant, Rooney begins by surveying the scene, where he discovers two patrons have been poisoned. The owner of the establishment is an old flame, which provides a moment of awkwardness, but not as much as the realization that she is unsure who might be behind these murders. Rooney rushes to make an arrest, but also discovers a common denominator between a number of the victims, outside of their love of good food. What looks like a quick solution turns into something more complex than creating the perfect souffle. This mystery will have you begging for more to come.
Manhunt James Patterson with James O. Born
Michael Bennett, be grateful you’re alive.
Someone attacked the Thanksgiving Day parade directedly in front of Michael Bennett and his family. The television news called it ‘holiday terror,” Michael Bennett calls it personal.
A car has come crashing through the Thanksgiving parade, injuring many. Bennett jumps into action and chases down the terrorist. After crashing into one of the floats and pressing a detonator switch, the driver utters a baffling Arabic phrase and rushes off while mayhem ensues. Bennet will not let up as long as the terrorist is on the loose, even if it means bending the rules set out for him. The hunt is on…
Taking the Titanic; A Heist to Remember James Patterson with Scott Slaven
The greatest story in modern history has a new chapter.
Posing as newlyweds, two ruthless thieves board the Titanic to rob its well-heeled passengers. But an even more shocking plan is afoot- a sensational scheme that could alter the fate of the world’s most famous ship. As people of all classes and backgrounds prepare for the Titanic’s maiden voyage in April 1912, there were a few aboard who saw it as an opportunity to line their pockets. Nigel Bowen lures the unsuspecting to gamble away large sums of money at the poker table, bleeding them dry after playing the role of inept card player. Celia Bowen uses her nimble fingers to steal from the women on board, while harboring a secret of her own back in England. Will Nigel and Celia be able to turn away from their scandalous pasts and work together to survive?
The Witnesses James Patterson with Brendan DuBois
The family next door has a very dark secret.
The Sanderson family has been forced into hiding after one of them stumbled upon a criminal plot. Or so they think. They have been temporarily relocated from their California home to the small community of Levittown, New York. There is a hit put out on the Sandersons and a trained killer is slowly pulling together leads to find them. After a single mishap, beacons are alerted on both sides of the law and it’s a rush to get to Levittown to deal with the breach. Who gets there first is anyone’s guess, but either way, the Sandersons won’t be around for any town bake sales this autumn.
No one will answer their questions. And the terrifying truth may come too late…
So you’ll soon see that it doesn’t take a lot of time to find yourself in the middle of an international mystery, with life and death consequences. When you check out these little gems at Scott County Public Library, be sure you’ll escape into a world of mystery and intrigue!
Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org
Amish Mysteries in Large Type
We’ve all seen the Amish romance novels that abound and have been very popular, but did you know there are Amish mysteries that combine the culture with the solving of a murder or mystery? There are some really good choices out there and we have many of them here in the Large Type section at Scott County Public Library! Not only good stories, but easy on the eyes!
A Prayer for the Night by P. L. Gaus
A bit of freedom isn’t always good.
Sara Yoder is learning that danger can lurk in freedom’s shadow. John Schlabaugh and Abe Yoder-Sara’s friends and fellow travelers on the Amish rite of passage, Rumschpringe, or wild days- are missing. Worried, but distrustful of most “English,” she calls Pastor Carl Troyer for help. Then Sara also disappears, and Troyer, along with his old friends Professor Michael Branden and Sheriff Bruce Robertson, must race against the clock to find a murderer and break a ruthless drug ring operating within the heart of Ohio’s Amish country.
Murder in Plain Sight by Marta Perry
There are secrets buried in Amish country…
Did a sweet-faced Amish teenager brutally murder a young woman? To save her career, big-city lawyer Jessica Langdon is determined to defend him against the community’s bitter and even violent outrage. Yet without an understanding of Amish culture, Jessica must rely on arrogant businessman Trey Morgan, who has ties to the Amish Community- and believes the boy is guilty.
Jessica has threats coming from all sides; a local fanatic, stirred up by the biased publicity of the case; the dead girl’s boyfriend; even from the person she’s learned to trust the most, Trey Morgan.
Just when Jessica fears she’s placed her trust in the wrong man, Trey saves her life. And now they must both reach into a dangerous past to protect everyone’s future- including her own.
A Plain Death by Amanda Flower
In Appleseed Creek, the heart of Ohio’s Amish Country, life is not as serene as it seems.
While her Cleveland friends have relocated to Southern California and Italy, twenty-four-year-old computer whiz Chloe Humphrey moves with some uncertainty to Appleseed Creek to direct technology services at a nearby college.
Her first acquaintance is Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a new home. While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy, killing an Amish bishop. But what looks like an accident is soon labeled murder when police discover the car’s cut brake line.
Now Chloe must take on the role of amateur sleuth to discover who the real intended victim was before the murderer makes a second attempt. Becky’s handsome Amish-turned Mennonite brother, Timothy, a local carpenter, will come in handy along the way. And with God’s help, they’ll solve the mystery that’s rocking this small community.
Murder Freshly Baked by Vannetta Chapman
Kindness is a virtue, Meanness is a sin, Better watch your bakery pies for poison I’ve slipped in.
The Amish Artisan village in Middlebury, Indiana, has been decorated with every color of balloon and flower for the Race for a Cure. As manager of The Village, Amber Bowman is thrilled to see the turnout- and relieved to have something to distract her from the “Poison Poet”- an individual who has been sending notes containing bad poetry to warn of poisoned baked goods.
Then Ryan Duvall crosses the finish line of the race- and falls down dead, murdered in broad daylight. But who did it? And why? The police suspect Preston Johnstone, but Amber refuses to believe her employee could do such a thing.
Amber once again looks to her young Amish friend Hannah Troyer to help her find the killer- and to determine if it’s the same person leaving the cryptic poems and pies. Can they help the police before the Poison Poet strikes again? Both Amber and Hannah will need to draw on their faith as they fight to preserve the peaceful community they’ve built at the Amish Artisan Village.
Broken English by P. L. Gaus
The search for justice can be a dangerous game.
Trained by the U. S. military to kill, “English” outsider David Hawkins came to the quiet town of Millersburg and found salvation among the pacifist Amish. But Hawkins’s fragile tranquility is shattered when a marauding ex-convict descends upon Millersburg, unleashing a wave of violence whose casualties include an investigative journalist and Hawkins’ only daughter. Sheriff Bruce Robertson suspects that Hawkins has forsaken his pacifism in the name of vengeance. But two of the sheriff’s closest allies build a very different case.
So stop by the Scott County Public Library and check out some of these Amish mystery gems. They will intrigue and entertain you, we’re sure of it, and the Large Type will be easy on your eyes! See you soon!
Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org
Fantasy Abounds at the Library!
There’s nothing like a good escape from the complicated world around us. Fantasy tales have always been that place, a time for new adventures and epic, bizarre characters. The best new fantasy tales are a great way to start off the New Year. Check out these fantastical gems!
The Tomb of Dragons by Katherine Addison
Without his title, Witness for the Dead, what defines Thara Celehar? While his title may be gone, his ever-present duties are not. Celehar contends with a municipal cemetery with fifty years of secrets, the damage of a revethavar he’s terrified to remember, and a group of miners who are more than willing to trade Celehar’s life for a chance at what they feel they are owed.
Celehar does not have to face these impossible tasks alone. Joining him are his mentee Velhiro Tomasaran, still finding her footing with the investigative nature of their job; Iana Pel-Thenhior, his beloved opera director friend and avid supporter; Anora Chanavar, his stalwart friend and fellow prelate of Ulis; and the valiant guard captain Hanu Olgarezh.
Amid the backdrop of murder and a brewing political uprising, Celehar must seek justice for those who cannot find it themselves under a tense political system. The repercussions of his quest are never as simple as they seem, and Celehar’s own life and happiness hang in the balance.
In The Veins of the Drowning by Kalie Cassidy
Imogen Nelis is in hiding. Hiding from a cruel kingdom that believes Sirens are monstrous, blood-hungry creatures. Hiding from a king and his captain who viciously hunts her kind. Hiding from her own alluring abilities. By keeping herself from the sea, Imogen’s bloodlust is dulled, and her black wings remain concealed beneath her skin.
When a neighboring king comes to visit, Imogen can no longer hide. He knows precisely what she is, and he believes she can save their kingdoms from an even greater monster. But Imogen’s power threatens to violently reveal itself and the two form a blood bond that protects them both. They flee together, traversing waters teeming with the undead.
As the lines between duty to their people and the desire for each other begin to blur, Imogen worries her ancestral powers may not be enough to kill what hunts her-the only way to defeat a monster may be to become one herself.
The Witch of Whispervale by R. A. Salvatore
This second novel in the Buccaneers trilogy (#1 is Pinquickle’s Folly) is set at the beginning of a new war in R. A. Salvatore’s bestselling DemonWars saga. From the legendary author and creator of Drizzo Do’Urden comes the next installment in the New York Times bestselling DemonWars fantasy series about the traitorous invasion by the Xonocai of the eastern realm of Corona.
Treaties are discarded as the full invasion of the Xoconai has begun and war returns to Corona. The consolidating resistance in Behren and with the abbeys as a last stand against the golden warriors is the catalyst for the return of the most powerful gem wielding witch the world has ever known.
And when the rumor of a witch of gemstone magic reaches the Xoconai leaders, they send a hunter, one so brutal he is known as the Coyote, to find her. The heroes of the last war against their demon god may be forgotten by some, but they are not powerless, and the Xoconai are determined to exterminate any sparks of revolution before they can catch fire.
Galaphile (The First Druids of Shannara series) by Terry Brooks
New York Times bestselling author Terry Broks makes his triumphant return to the world of Shannara, delving deep into the origin story of the Druid Order and of its enigmatic creator- a man whose singular vision for the future will change the face of the Four Lands forever.
One of the most iconic structures in the Four Lands is Paranor, the fortress home of the Druid order. Legend holds that it was erected by an Elven leader known as Galaphile Joss, but who was this Galaphile, and how and why did he establish this center of magic and learning?
Within these pages we meet the real Galaphile, following him from friendless teenage orphan stranded in the Human world to powerful adult and master mage, studying under the infamous recluse Cogline. We learn of the forces that shaped Galaphile-those he loved and those he lost; those who aided him and those who stood against him.
Throughout it all, his goal is a noble one; to bring order to a chaotic world and to make life better for those trying to survive it. To this end, he commences building the citadel that will one day be known as Paranor, with the aid of the King of the Silver River. But there is another who seeks dominion over the Four Lands-and for far less virtuous ends.
So stop by the Scott County Public Library in beautiful Georgetown, KY and browse through the aisles for some great escapism. We have fantastic choices - your adventures are just beginning!!!
Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org
Best New Male Authors of 2025
Last month we looked at the best new novels of 2025 written by female writers. Now let’s see what the guys have to offer. These new gems are making a splash in the literary world, garnering a lot of attention, and I think you would enjoy them!
The River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
Corby Ledbetter is struggling. New fatherhood, the loss of his job, and a growing secret addiction have thrown his marriage to his beloved Emily into a tailspin. And that’s before he causes the tragedy that tears the family apart.
Sentenced to prison Corby struggles to survive life on the inside, where he bears witness to frightful acts of brutality but also experiences small acts of kindness and elemental kinship with a prison librarian who sees his light and some of his fellow offenders, including a tenderhearted cellmate and a troubled teen desperate for a role model. Buoyed by them and his mother’s enduring faith in him, Corby begins to transcend the boundaries of his confinement, sustained by his hope that mercy and reconciliation might still be possible. Can his crimes ever be forgiven by those he loves?
Dream State by Eric Puchner
Cece is in love. She has arrived early at her future in-laws’ lake house in Salish, Montana, to finish planning her wedding to Charlie, a young doctor with a brilliant life ahead of him. Charlie has asked Garrett, his best friend from college, to officiate the ceremony, though Cece can’t imagine anyone more ill-suited for the task-an airport baggage handler haunted by a tragedy from his and Charlie’s shared past. But as Cece spends time with Garrett, his gruff mask slips, and she grows increasingly uncertain about her future. And why does Garrett, after meeting Cece, begin to feel well, human again? As a contagious stomach flu threatens to scuttle the wedding, and Charlie and Garrett’s friendship is put to the ultimate test, Cece must decide between the life she dreamed of and a life she’s never imagined.
The events of that summer have long-lasting repercussions, not only on the three friends caught in its shadow, but also on their children, who struggle to escape their parents’ story. Spanning fifty years and set against the backdrop of a rapidly warming Montana, Dream State explores what it means to live with the sins of the past-both our own and the ones we’ve inherited.
The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
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, with the power to alter Hai’s relationship to himself, his family, and a community at the brink.
Following the cycles of history, memory, and time, The Emperor of Gladness shows the profound ways in which love, labor, and loneliness form the bedrock of American life. At its heart is a brave epic about what it means to exist on the fringes of society and to reckon with the wounds that haunt our collective soul. Hallmarks of Vuong’s writing- formal innovation, syntactic dexterity, and the ability to twin grit with grace through tenderness- are on full display in this story of loss, hope, and how far we would go to possess one of life’s most fleeting mercies: a second chance.
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
When the Cassidy-Shaw’s autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver’s seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret, implicating them all in the tragic accident.
During the weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie’s future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei’s odd behavior tugs at Noah’s suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident-suspicions heightened by the sudden intrusion of Daniel Monet, a tech mogul whose mysterious history with Lorelei hints at betrayal. When Charlie falls for Monet’s teenaged daughter, the stakes are raised even higher in this propulsive family drama that is also a fascinating exploration of the moral responsibility and ethical consequences of AI. Culpability explores a world newly shaped by chatbots, autonomous cars, drones, and other nonhuman forces in ways that are thrilling, challenging, and unimaginably provocative.
So come check these out and much more- at Scott County Public Library, your source for great reads!
Michael.stephens@scottpublib.org
Gentle Yoga Flow
Grab your yoga gear and head to the Scott County Public Library for a mindful practice on the mat. This yoga flow centers on gently building strength, flexibility, and balance as we practice a moving meditation. It is aimed for beginners, but those familiar with yoga are welcome to attend as well. Please bring a water bottle, mat, and any other yoga props you would like to use, as well as wear comfortable clothing. This program is by registration only and slots fill up fast, so please remember to register. Join in on this healthy and active fun!
Chair Yoga
Chair Yoga is an excellent way to gently stretch and strengthen the body. This yoga class is suitable for all levels, especially for those with limited mobility. Please bring a water bottle and any other yoga props you would like to class.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi is a moving meditation conducted through a sequence of gentle movements that promote harmony between mind and body. Registration is required and space is limited. Be sure to wear comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes.
Waiver Needed (Inside SCPL)
This program contains physical activity that has risks associated with participation. You will be asked to sign an Accident Waiver & Release of Liability form before you can participate.
A Novel Idea Book Discussion
A Novel Idea Book Discussion. Join us the first Wednesday of every month at 5:00 p.m. for this casual book discussion where we read a mixture of everything and talk about the books we love. Meets first Wednesday at 6 pm.
Book Talk
Book Talk. Join us for this casual book discussion which discusses both fiction and non-fiction works. You are welcome to bring your own lunch to enjoy while we chat. Meets select Friday at 12 pm.
Horror Book Club
Horror Book Club. Join us as we discuss our favorite horror novels and authors, in the casual book discussion led by associate professor of English Literature Gerry Adair of BCTC. Meets last Wednesday of the month at 6 pm.
Love Story Society: A Romance Book Club
Calling all romance lovers! We invite you to join us as we discuss some modern and diverse romantic reads. Everyone is welcome to join! It meets the 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:00 pm.
The Quiet Spell
The Quiet Spell is a casual discussion of fantasy books and a cozy craft. Each month will have a different theme. Meets second Thursday of each month at 5 pm.
A Close-Knit Community: Knitting Club
A Close Knit Community: Knitting Club. Would you like to learn how to knit and create spring and summer-weight shawls, baby blankets or gifts for the holiday season? Do you already know how to knit and want to join forces with other knitters to share creativity, learn new skills, exchange yarn and needles? Well, A Close-Knit Community Knitting Club is for you! Bring your own yard, needles and skills or just bring yourself and use our needles and yarn. If you need knitting instruction we will get you started! If you want to learn a new stitch, how to make lace or more advanced techniques, we will teach you those too. Registration is recommended.
Sit & Stitch
Sit & Stitch. Do you need a break and are looking for somewhere calm and soothing? Sit & Stitch is a time specifically to bring your current needlecraft project (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, tatting, crewel, etc.) to work quietly with others.
Recording Studio Orientation
The Recording Studio Orientation is a required class that patrons have to take before being able to reserve the Recording Studio. Please register for this class to start using this great free service.
Disclaimer(s) Accessibility
SCPL makes every reasonable effort to provide equal access to all patrons. Please call 502-863-3566 at least 72 hours prior to an event to arrange for accommodation. All facilities and meeting rooms are ADA compliant.
Visit our Recording Studio to learn more.
Discover! Program
Discover! Programs are designed with consideration for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Registration is required - participants' caregivers need to be present and register for the class as well. Ages 16 and older.
Sounds from SCPL
Enjoy a variety of Free Concerts next to the fireplace from talented musicians on a Sunday afternoon at the SCPL.
Find Your Roots
Ask Your Family Research Questions. Have you hit a brick wall in your genealogy research? Not sure where to begin? Check in with a volunteer with the Scott County Genealogical Society for some helpful hints. Meets in the Kentucky Room once a month. Please visit our calendar for event date/time.
Additional resources are available by visiting our Electronic Resources page.
AARP Tax Aid
The AARP Foundation Tax-Aide Program will be providing free tax preparation services at the Scott County Public Library in 2026. Services run from February 5 through April 9, every Thursday, plus two Saturdays (3/21 & 4/4), from 9:30 AM –3:00 PM. This service is by appointment only and requires an email address.
Beginning January 16, 2026, call 502-219-6447 to schedule an appointment. Please leave your phone number and email address, and an AARP volunteer will return your call to confirm your appointment.
Library staff are unable to schedule appointments. The library is hosting this service for AARP, and appointments are required. Please schedule in advance before arriving.
You may also schedule your own appointment by scanning the QR code. For a list of documents to bring, please visit the AARP website. “aarpfoundation.org/taxaidedocuments”.