Watch the Arlington Reads author talk with Curtis Sittenfeld
Stream the Arlington Reads author talk with Curtis Sittenfeld and Library Director Diane Kresh by May 11, 2025.
New April Releases
It’s time to pack your books for spring break! 
Peak bloom has officially ended, baseball is underway and whether you’re going to the beach or staying on your couch, it’s time to pack your books for spring break. Luckily, there are some great books out this month to choose from!
Picture it: Miami, 1980s. Four beloved sitcom characters have to solve a murder after Dorothy’s date is found face-down in cheesecake. "Murder by Cheesecake" by Rachel Ekstrom Courage captures the beloved Golden Girls in this cozy mystery series opener.
"The Amalfi Curse" by Sarah Penner features a coven of witches who protect the coast from pirates. When one tries to run away with a sailor, she’s kidnapped by a shipping magnate who wants her power. Two hundred years later, an underwater archaeologist searching for treasure instead finds family secrets and deep magic in this lush and atmospheric tale.
Parenting is hard, even more so when you’re disabled. "Unfit Parent" by Jessica Slice exposes the challenges from trying to find accessible baby equipment to fighting a system that sees disabled parents as fundamentally "unfit." Slice's own experiences and those from other disabled parents demonstrate how the creativity and skill needed to navigate an unjust system can make everyone a better parent.
In early 1944, the German Army marched on Budapest, by summer, they were being bombed by Allied forces, and at the end of the year, the Red Army had the city under siege. The city swirled with spies and refugees, soldiers, everyday people, aristocrats and cabaret singers, before descending into unimaginable carnage, destruction, hate and anarchy. With newly uncovered sources and survivor interviews, "The Last Days of Budapest" by Adam LeBor recreates life in the city during the war.
In "The Pecan Sheller" by Lupe Ruiz-Flores, Petra dreams of college, but after her father suddenly dies, the thirteen-year-old drops out of school and gets a job shelling pecans to make enough money for her family to survive. Faced with terrible conditions and threatened cuts to already meager wages, Petra must decide if she wants to risk her job to join a strike in this middle grade novel based on the 1937’s six-week pecan sheller's strike in San Antonio.
Candace Fleming’s gripping and immersive "Death in the Jungle" introduces teen readers to Jim Jones, the People’s Temple and the tragic murder-suicide of 918 people in the Guyanese jungle. This deeply researched and thoughtful account not only shows what happened, but how and pays particular attention to the stories of the victims and survivors of the families.
Celebrate Earth Day With These Great Book Lists.
Find practical guides to living with less waste, sewing techniques for transforming old clothes and how to reduce chemical pollution.
Learn about migratory birds, animals from the Kalahari Desert and the geological foundations of the earth with these audio books.
Director’s Message: Celebration of All Women
March is designated Women’s History Month by presidential proclamation and honors the contributions of women to our nation’s history.
From left to right: Ellen M. Bozman, Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, Mary Marshall, Dorothy Hamm and Evelyn Reid Syphax.
Our community of Arlington has been enriched by the work of women leaders and activists, whose impact has been felt in civil rights, education, government and human services, and whose names grace our public buildings and spaces: Ellen M. Bozman, Margaret Elizabeth Pfohl Campbell, Mary Marshall, Dorothy Hamm and Evelyn Reid Syphax.
We have been similarly honored to be home for giants of the music industry and note the recent passing of Green Valley resident, the incomparable Roberta Flack.
American singer and pianist Roberta Flack (1973).
The Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and the Military Women’s Memorial remind us that women have served in the military with courage and distinction.
Arlington government and leadership is committed to work toward a gender equal world, free of bias, stereotypes and discrimination. A world where people live openly and authentically and where difference is appreciated
Participants interacting with vendors during the 2024 Women's Maker Fair at Central Library.
Every day, librarians and volunteers at Arlington Public Library open our doors to welcome patrons and community members of all backgrounds. Libraries are third places where all can belong and simply be in community with one another. Places where continuous learning and self-discovery are limitless, and connections with our neighbors are strengthened.
However you identify, be it as a member of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC community, immigrant or New American—we serve everyone. And we do so through books, library spaces and free programs generously sponsored by the Friends of the Arlington Library (FOAL).
As we commemorate Women's History Month, I am proud Arlington Public Library provides welcoming, inclusive spaces to celebrate and support our collective and varied identities and cultures.
Thank you for your support of Arlington Public Library and for helping us be all we can be for everyone.
Diane Kresh
Director, Arlington Public Library
PS: If you are a reader, here’s a gift (Diane's 2025 Picks) for Women's History Month from me to you.
New March Releases
March is here and that means another month of new book 
releases!
Find out how a teen discovers that her family is in the mafia, get inside the brains of four senior assassins who solve a murder and learn how the community of Batavia, New York fought corporate greed to save their minor league baseball team.
Good Stab is a Blackfeet vampire seeking revenge for the atrocities committed against his people. "The Buffalo Hunter Hunter" by Stephen Graham Jones layers narratives over a century, combining historical events with chilling horror while examining themes of identity, guilt and survival.
Retired assassins Billie, Helen, Mary Alice and Natalie are once again pulled back into the game. "Kills Well with Others," Deanna Raybourn’s exhilarating and darkly funny sequel to "Killers of a Certain Age," uncovers a revenge plot tied to a decades-old mission stretching back to WWII.
When Major League Baseball eliminated 42 minor league teams in 2020, the community of Batavia, New York didn’t let go of their beloved Muckdogs without a fight. They revived the team as a summer league for college players and in "Homestand," journalist Will Bardenwerper captures the eccentric fans, passionate locals and the bittersweet clash between corporate greed and grassroots love for the game in small town America.
Historian and herbalist Charlotte Taylor Fryar uses the Potomac River as a lens to explore America’s racial and colonial past, highlighting gentrification, environmental degradation and systemic inequality. "Potomac Fever" is both a love letter to the river and a sharp critique of American myth.
Middle-grade readers will be drawn to "Whale Eyes," a memoir by James Robinson, illustrated by Brian Rea. The interactive visuals and imaginative design—with changing fonts and words traveling across the page requiring the book to be physically turned on its side and upside down—portray Robinson’s life with strabismus, a condition that affects eye alignment and perception.
Teen readers will be swept up in the action-packed enemies-to-lovers mafia romance, "In the Company of Killers" by Elora Cook. When Tasha’s father and sister are murdered, she discovers that she’s inherited control of New York’s most powerful mob family, but to find the killer, she must team up with Leo, her former best friend and heir to a rival family.
More Book Lists to Explore
New February Releases
Our Hearts 
Are In The Books
This year, we’re sending valentines to our favorite authors and book characters. Whether they make us laugh, cry, think or all of the above, they ensure our hearts will always be between the pages.
The Ethiopian government banned "Oromay" days after it was released in 1983. Author Baalu Girma disappeared mere months later, widely believed to be murdered by the regime in retaliation for this powerful anti-war novel. Set against the Red Star Campaign against Eritrean insurgents, a journalist grows increasingly disillusioned while navigating propaganda, war and personal turmoil. Translated from Amharic by David Degusta and Mesfin Felleke Yirgu, it’s now available in English for the first time.
In Molly O’Neill’s "Greenteeth," a lake monster, a witch and a goblin go on a quest to fight a malevolent force threatening their home. Steeped in British folklore and Arthurian legend, this rich fantasy mixes eerie magic, adventure and found family. Perfect for fans of mythic quests.
In "You Didn’t Hear This From Me," Kelsey McKinney, the host of the Normal Gossip podcast examines the role gossip plays in human connection. Using personal stories, research and pop culture from Gilgamesh to The Real Housewives, she explores the good and bad sides of talking about others behind their back.
"Waste Wars" is a hard-hitting exposé of the global waste trade and uncovers how the affluent nations of the Global North offload their trash onto poorer countries under the guise of recycling. From toxic shipbreaking in Turkey to hazardous e-waste processing in Ghana, Alexander Clapp looks at the dark underbelly of consumerism and its devastating consequences.
The middle grade graphic novel "Crumble" follows Emily, who can bake her emotions into desserts. Her family of bakers have one cardinal rule–never bake a bad feeling. But after the devastating loss of her aunt, Emily bakes her grief with widespread unintended consequences. Written by Meredith McClaren and illustrated by Andrea Ball, this is a poignant look at grief, magic and healing.
Teen readers will want to check out the swashbuckling fantasy "Capitana" by Cassandra James. When the Queen is kidnapped by pirates, Cadet Ximena sees her chance to prove her loyalty and become a Cazadoro, a pirate hunter. But her journey, complete with rivalries, high-stakes action and a slow-burning romance with her competitor challenges everything she thought she knew.
More Book Lists to Explore
New January Releases
Our new January releases are here! Place Your Holds Now! 
There are so many great books coming out this month to start off 2025 with epic stories, intriguing plot twists and new ways of looking at the world.
"Homeseeking" by Karissa Chen, an epic story of love and war, travels forward and backward in time as it follows two childhood sweethearts separated in 1947 Shanghai until they see each other again in 2008 at a Los Angeles supermarket.
When her drag mother, Lady Lady, is murdered by poisoned chocolate, police bias mars the investigation. Drag star Misty Divine takes on the case, armed with her knowledge of the drag world and everything she has learned from binging true crime shows in Holly Star’s "Murder in the Dressing Room."
The death at the center Fall River, America’s first true crime book, also inspired "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne but remains a mystery. Combining the groundbreaking work of Fall River and modern crime-solving techniques, Kate Winkler Dawson reopens the case in the thought-provoking "The Sinners All Bow."
"Mood Machine" by Liz Pelly offers a sharp critique of Spotify’s impact on the music industry and reveals how the streaming giant favors major labels while exploiting independent artists. This provocative and well-researched book is a must-read for anyone concerned about the future of music.
When Ajay Anthonipillai steals a candy bar, he discovers it holds a million-dollar prize. Now he has to decide if he takes the money, which will change everything for his family, or tell the truth. This middle grade novel, "No Purchase Necessary" by Maria Marianayagam, is full of humor, tension and heart.
A new teen edition of "The Black Swans of Harlem" by Karen Velby introduces readers to Lydia Abarca, Gayle McKinney-Griffith, Sheila Rohan, Marcia Sells and Karlya Shelton. Five dancers, who were integral to the founding of the Dance Theatre of Harlem, broke color barriers in a predominantly white world of ballet. Learn about their enduring legacy in classical dance and their ongoing influence on future generations of dancers.
More Book Lists to Explore
Explore the fun side of winter with these curated lists!
Great Books You Might Have Missed in 2024
Looking for a Great Book? We're Here to Help!
So many wonderful books come out every year and 2024 was no exception! Arlington loved “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride and “The Woman in Me” by Britney Spears. But while we were all trying to read “Lessons and Chemistry” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” before watching their adaptations, we missed hundreds of other great titles!
As much as we try, we know we can’t read everything that comes out, but we do have a list of 2024 titles that deserve a second glance. These books received rave reviews but flew beneath Arlington’s radar.
The books are sorted into subcategories: fiction, nonfiction, graphic, teen, elementary/middle grade and picture books/early readers. And much like browsing the library’s shelves, you're sure to find something unexpected and delightful!
To see which books Arlington readers checked out the most this year, click here.
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Browse Full Lists in the Library Catalog
Arlington’s Top Reads in 2024
What Did Arlington Readers Check Out This Year?
2024 was another excellent year for Arlington readers. From history to genre fiction, paper books to eAudio, Arlington reads a lot! While Arlington enjoys a wide range of titles, there were still a few, that it seems like, everyone was reading.
Here is a breakdown of the top adult, kids and young adult titles.
Three titles had more than 4,000 checkouts this year:
- "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store," by James McBride
- "Tom Lake," by Ann Patchett
- "The Women," by Kristin Hannah
“Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros was on last year’s list and saw over 3,500 checkouts in 2024. The sequel, “Iron Flame” also made the top 20 this year, with almost 2,500 checkouts. Place your holds now—the third book in the series, “Onyx Storm” comes out in January.
The most popular teen read was the Hunger Games prequel, "Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes." Keep your eyes out for the sequel, "Sunrise on the Reaping," which comes out next spring. "A Court of Thorn and Roses" by Sarah J. Maas stays on the list and the "Throne of Glass" series has two titles in the top five most checked-out young adult books.
Our younger readers couldn't get enough of "Wimpy Kid."
In addition to the new Rebecca Yarros and Hunger Games books, next summer will see new releases by Arlington favorites, Emily Henry and R. F. Kuang.
"As we celebrate our collective reading in 2024, we are grateful to be of service to the Arlington community and library patrons with exciting book services, author programs, storytimes and ever-expanding diverse collections," said Rebecca Case, Acting Division Chief, Collections and Access, Arlington Public Library.
Of course, there are always great books that don’t get the buzz and popularity and sometimes go missed on our shelves.
Curious about which releases you might have missed this year? We have a curated list from our 2024 catalog of great titles that could be included on your reading list.
Always free. Always open. Always reading!
Your Favorite eCollection Resources
Remember, our collection goes beyond books—including many eCollections that you can access from anywhere free with your library card!
Arlington's favorites for 2024 included digital newspaper and magazine access from PressReader, Flipster and Libby, streaming videos from Kanopy, online courses from LinkedIn Learning, language learning from Mango, consumer and investing resources like Consumer Reports and Value Line, O'Reilly's technology and business resources and interactive children’s books from Bookflix.
Share The Love With Romance
Arlington Reads Returns With A Big Heart!
Romance is the theme for the 2025 Arlington Reads author talk series, which will feature five acclaimed writers starting with Julia Quinn (Feb. 13), Curtis Sittenfeld (Apr. 10), Casey McQuiston (Aug. 14) and David and Nicola Yoon (Nov. 6).
A genre largely written by women for women, romance has exploded on the scene to include a wide diversity of authors and stories.
The author talk series kicks off at Kenmore Middle School with Julia Quinn on February 13, 2025. Quinn is the author of the “Bridgerton” series which has been adapted into one of the most-watched television series by Netflix.
Julia Quinn
Thursday, February 13, 6:30-8 p.m.
Kenmore Middle School Auditorium
Join us for a conversation between author Julia Quinn and Librarian Jennifer Rothschild to talk about all things Romance.
New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn loves to dispel the myth that smart women don’t read (or write) romance. Her novels have been translated into 42 languages, and in March 2021, all eight Bridgerton novels were on the New York Times list at the same time, a record (at that time) for an adult fiction author.
Netflix's adaptation of her popular Bridgerton novel series remains one of the most-watched English television series in Netflix history. Julia’s newest novel is Queen Charlotte, co-written with television pioneer Shonda Rhimes and inspired by the original series "Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story," created by Shondaland for Netflix.
This event takes place at the Kenmore Middle School Auditorium.
Curtis Sittenfeld
Thursday, April 10, 6:30-8 p.m.
Central Library
Join us for a conversation between author Curtis Sittenfeld and Library Director Diane Kresh to discuss Romance.
Curtis Sittenfeld is the bestselling author of six novels, including "Eligible," a modern retelling of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice."
Her newest novel, "Romantic Comedy," tells the unexpected romance that blossoms between a sketch comedy writer who thinks she’s sworn off love and the dreamily handsome pop star guest host. Celebrated as “a master storyteller” (The Washington Post), Sittenfeld has sold over 2 million copies of her books.
Casey McQuiston
Thursday, August 14, 6:30-8 p.m.
Casey McQuiston is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of romantic comedies, including "One Last Stop," "I Kissed Shara Wheeler" and "Red, White & Royal Blue," whose writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and Bon Appetit. Born and raised in southern Louisiana, Casey now lives in New York City with a poodle mix named Pepper.
Registration for this event will open up soon.
David and Nicola Yoon
Thursday, November 6, 6:30-8 p.m.
Nicola Yoon is the #1 New York Times best-selling author of "Instructions for Dancing," "Everything, Everything" and "The Sun Is Also a Star," and is a co-author of "Blackout." She is a National Book Award finalist, a Michael L. Printz Award recipient, a Coretta Scott King– John Steptoe New Talent Award winner and the first Black woman to hit #1 on the New York Times Young Adult best-seller list.
David Yoon is the New York Times bestselling author of "Frankly in Love," "Super Fake Love Song" and for adult readers, "Version Zero" and "City of Orange." He’s a William C. Morris Award finalist and an Asian/Pacific American Award for Young Adult Literature Honor book recipient. David and Nicola are the co-publishers of Joy Revolution, a Random House young adult imprint dedicated to love stories starring people of color.
Registration for this event will open up soon.
For all programs, books will be available for purchase during the event, courtesy of One More Page Books. The conversation will be followed by an audience Q&A and book signing. Check event details for livestream and recording options.
Since its inception in 2006, Arlington Reads has featured both national and international fiction and nonfiction authors and cultural icons, such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Wendell Berry, Katherine Boo, Matthew Desmond, Anthony Doerr, Richard Ford, Roxane Gay, Colum McCann, Tim O’Brien, Ann Patchett, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Elizabeth Strout, Zadie Smith and Colson Whitehead.
Arlington Reads is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Friends of the Arlington Public Library.