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New May Releases

Spring cleaning? We prefer spring reading. 🌸🧹📚

Turn off notifications, find a quiet spot in the shade and use these new books as the perfect excuse to ignore your to-do list.

When Cora’s son is born, everyone in the family disagrees on what to name him. "The Names" by Florence Knapp explores three different timelines, each stemming from what name the baby is given.  

You don’t need to be a racing fan to enjoy Karen Booth’s steamy enemies-to-loves romance, "Not So Fast." Formula 1 podcaster Mia has been going viral for her hot takes on struggling racer Xander, but when the two meet face-to-face, a different type of sparks begin to fly!  

The axe is one of humanity’s oldest tools and most chilling weapons. In "Whack Job," Rachel McCarthy James mixes true crime, pop culture and witty prose to trace a lethal legacy through the centuries, from royal executions in Tudor England to infamous modern crimes like Lizzie Borden. 

From closeted housewives to out teens, the entries from a lesbian helpline reveal a chorus of voices seeking connection and solidarity in 1990s London. Weaving these stories with her own, Elizabeth Lovatt’s "Thank You For Calling the Lesbian Line" asks vital questions about queer history and who gets remembered. 

Newbery Medal winner Erin Entrada Kelly shifts to nonfiction in her middle grade biography "At Last She Stood." Diagnosed with leprosy during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, Josefina "Joey" Guerrero was expected to disappear quietly. Instead, she used her disease to slip past Japanese checkpoints and delivered crucial intelligence to the Allies. This riveting account of Guerrero’s bravery brings an unsung World War II hero to light. 

Teen mystery fans will enjoy the sharp and funny "Death in the Cards" by Mia P. Manansala. Danika juggles tarot readings and part-time PI work at her mom’s detective agency—but when a classmate disappears after a chilling tarot session, Danika’s casual side hustle turns into a full-blown investigation involving secret identities, hidden movies and a growing web of suspects. 

Place Your Holds Now!

More Book Lists to Explore

Celebrate the many cultures and stories within the AANHPI community with hand-picked books by librarian Deborah K for Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month.

AANHPI Guest List

Explore these books, suggested by the Arlington County's Chavurah Employee Resource Group for Jewish American Heritage Month (JAHM).

JAHM Guest List

Exhibition: From Barriers to Ballots

August 1-November 30

Black voters at the polls, ca. 1944-1962.
A Black man is entering a voting booth in Miami, Florida.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-119976

Stars graphic in red, white and blue.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965

August 6 marks the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which some consider to be the crowning achievement of the 1960s Civil Rights movement. It was a milestone in the long struggle to extend political representation and voting rights to Black Americans.

From Barriers To Ballots:
The Fight for Equal Voting Rights in Virginia

To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, Arlington Public Library has partnered with several community organizations to tell the stories of activists, changemakers and everyday people in Arlington and Northern Virginia who fought for voting rights.

On View

The exhibitions have been extended at the following locations through Nov. 30:

from-barriers-to-ballots-title-graphic_300x240

Thank You

Exhibition partners include the Arlington Historical Society, the Black Heritage Museum of Arlington, the League of Women Voters of Arlington and Alexandria City and the NAACP Arlington Branch. 

Special thanks to the following media contributors: Arlington County Department of Voter Registration and Elections; Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, Virginia; City of Fairfax Regional Library, Fairfax County Public Library; Library of Congress; Library of Virginia;
Norman Rockwell Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Art.

“From Barriers to Ballots” has generously been funded by the Friends of the Arlington Public Library (FOAL).

New Friends of the Library logo in bright colors. Tagline reads "Books are only the beginning"

“The goal is to develop a culture of voting in Arlington.”

Detta Kissel, volunteer, NAACP Arlington Branch

“We are a big mixing bowl and when I put in my vote, I add my ingredient. Every time I vote, I feel like an American.”

Dr. Scott Edwin Taylor, Ph.D., President, Black Heritage Museum of Arlington

“Voting is everything. Who you are. Your chance to give worth to your being, to care for your country. All of those things which make America great.”

Brenda Faison, Former Director of Christian Education and Missions, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Gum Springs, VA

Votes For The First Time

Votes for First Time at 79 by Harris & Ewing Inc.
Mrs. Lucy O’Leary of Arlington, VA, pictured on October 15, 1936. Her horse and wagon are adorned with banners endorsing Republican Alf Landon for President and Frank Knox for Vice President in the electoral race against Franklin D. Roosevelt. At age 79, Mrs. O’Leary cast her first ever vote in favor of Landon, who lost to Roosevelt by a landslide that November.
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, LC-DIG-hec-33957

Charlie Clark Center for Local History: Where Stories Live

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History

Content and research for this exhibition has been provided by the Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH).

The Charlie Clark Center for Local History (CCCLH) collects, preserves, and shares resources that illustrate Arlington County’s history, diversity and communities.

Contact the CCCLH at localhistory@arlingtonva.us or 703-228-7714 to find out how you can donate materials, photographs and memorabilia or to be a part of an oral history interview.

Visit the CCCLH

Naomi Lipsky: Quilling, gilding and Judaic Art

Cherrydale Library, May 2 - August 2025

Naomi Lipsky:

Ever since she was a little fairy princess girl, Naomi loved to make things, with paper, scissors, and glue, or fabric, or paint or clay, or whatever hands could do. However, she also wanted to save the world. To that end, she earned a PhD in biochemistry and embarked on a satisfying career in research. At the same time, she continued to develop her skills in decorative and needle arts. When the creation of her artwork became more meaningful to her than her research, she made the decision to retire from science and become a professional decorative artist. ​
​
She is best known for her work with quilling, an antique art in which paper strips are shaped and applied as ornaments, but she works with gold leaf, collage, and gouache, as well. Her main body of work consists of Judaic ritual art and liturgical illustrations. She does all her own matting and framing. Naomi’s award-winning work has been exhibited in a variety of museums and galleries, and featured in art books and other publications. 

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Lea Go: BOhK: It’s more than just good fortune

Glencarlyn Library, May 5 - June 5, 2025

Lea Go:

KOREAN BOHK (복) and BOHK JUMEONI (복주머니)​

The Korean word Bohk is frequently translated in English as good fortune or good luck, but it has a much more complex meaning: it means positive energy of the universe. It is anything and everything that positive energy could bring you - good luck, good fortune, happiness, good health, blessings, you name it.  So, although it can be used anytime of a year, you will hear every Korean saying it around the lunar new year day in a new year’s wish to each other "Sae-Hae- Bohk- Mahni-Ba-Deu-Se-Yo," meaning "I wish you a year full of lots of Bohk (which will help all your wishes come true).” People also carry with them or gift others a Bohk Jumeoni - a drawstring pouch with the word Bohk embroidered on it - wishing for a good year ahead.​

When I started working on my Bohk series, my family and I were going through some hard times. The work was my way of affirmation, meditation, self-care, and support seeking. Art is healing. My work heals me. And I hope for a chance to share my work with others and to help heal them. 

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Jose Quinonez: Acrylic Paintings

Aurora Hills Library, May 5 - August 23, 2025

Jose Quinonez

Jose Quinonez, with no formal training in art, states that he “started my creations as a therapy to recover from an accident that required eleven surgeries to rebuild his left jawbone. I found that getting immersed in these creations kept my mind free of the pain and gave joy to continue my journey”. He only uses acrylic as my medium for expressing his creations. He often paints on stretched canvas, but from time to time, he has been known to upcycle abandoned materials as "canvases" for new creations -- from abandoned pieces of plywood to an old butcher's board (and even his wife's old metal filing cabinet!)

Jose describes himself - with some accuracy - as a primitive cubista painter. Through his paintings, he tries to capture both the vitality and images of traditional Guatemalan life as well as the tragic reality of the past day nation. Their straight lines, geometric patterns, and brilliant colors are inspired by the patterns used in traditional Mayan textiles. The juxtaposition of colors in my paintings creates an almost textured quality so that at times one is tempted to reach out and feel the woven pattern I am creating. His creations with the feature-less faces cry out for both an end to the suffering and for justice for the indigenous peoples of Latin America.

He paints to give expression to the joys, rhythms, and meanings he finds in life, in community, and in nature. He weaves in the colors, patterns, textures, and symbols of Latin American indigenous communities to honor their experiences of joy and of horror, of connection and of fragmentation, of exploitation and of belonging.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Keeley Rae: Prismatic Motion

Central Library, May 6 - August 28, 2025

Keeley Rae:

In Keeley Rae’s exhibit, “Prismatic Motion,” she diverges from the subdued stillness and soft palettes of figure models by capturing the vibrant and celebratory motions of life. The subjects of her paintings twist, tumble, and float through space with elegance and strength. Keeley hopes her exhibit will serve as a joyous gathering space, where viewers can share in the wonder of life’s exuberant motions.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Lena Baker: Canyon Lights

Westover Library, May - August 2025

Lena Baker

Lena Baker, a self-taught oil painter based in Alexandria, Virginia, explores the quiet complexity of natural surfaces in her Textures series. Featuring three paintings of Antelope Canyon and one of a weathered wood slab, the series captures the intricate patterns shaped by time, erosion, and organic decay. These works reflect Baker’s fascination with the intersection of realism and abstraction, where recognizable forms give way to deeper meditations on impermanence and resilience. ​

​Born in 1986 in the former Soviet Union, Baker draws on a diverse artistic background that includes animal studies, portraits, and landscapes. Her evolution as an artist is marked by a growing focus on materiality and detail. In Textures, she invites viewers to pause and look closely—at the delicate grain of wood, the undulating sandstone, the marks left by nature’s slow transformation. Through layered color and meticulous brushwork, Baker gives voice to surfaces that often go unnoticed. The Texture series stands as a quiet tribute to the natural world’s ability to tell stories—not through words, but through form, pattern, and texture. ​

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Jon Milstein: Life Into Art

Courthouse Library, May 6 - August 2025

Jon Milstein

I'm increasingly aware of the pace of change in our world and I'm interested in using watercolor to capture the look and feel of today. The Teslas, strip malls, and smart phones that populate our day to day lives will one day seem quaint. I think I'm trying to document this place and time in a way that acknowledges that things are moving so quickly but I want to hold on and do it in traditional medium.

Artistically, I've always needed (and found) one outlet or another and enjoyed drawing while growing up in Northern Virginia in the 80s and 90s. For several years I mostly scratched my creative itch doing improv comedy, but I've made the executive decision to pivot back to the visual arts. What I think improv and watercolor have in common is that both work best when you let go and stop trying to control the scene-I can only try to react.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library

Heather McMordie: Providence Community Herbarium

Shirlington Library, May 7 - August 12, 2025

Heather McMordie:

This exhibition includes a selection of prints from the The Providence Community Herbarium, a collaborative project conducted by Heather McMordie and twelve Providence, Rhode Island residents. While a traditional herbarium is a collection of dried, labeled, and organized plant specimens collected for scientific and academic use, this collection uses printmaking to create a creative, relational, and accessible record of the plants that fill our lives.

These prints were completed in March 2024, just a few months before McMordie relocated to Arlington, Virginia, and over the past six months, McMordie has frequently looked for—and found—evidence of these plant species in her new home. This exhibition invites residents of Arlington to explore the stories of plant species from a state 350 miles away that can also be found in their own parks and backyards. From native plants like Skunk Cabbage, to non-native plants such as Queen Anne’s Lace, these prints map out the stories of plants we encounter in the city around us, and the spaces and purposes they occupy in our lives.

Learn More About Art Exhibits at the Library






















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