New Releases - April Edition

Check out these highly anticipated new releases featuring fiction and nonfiction titles. Click on the title to request a copy or get your name on the waitlist. Don’t forget to watch for more featured releases next month!

NONFICTION

No New Things by Ashlee Piper. Piper, a sustainability expert and author of Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet, offers a guide to help readers stop buying new things, based on her experiences doing so for over a year.  Her book is filled with daily action items and exercises.  Copyright 2024 Library Journal.

 

Medicine River: A Story of Survival and the Legacy of Indian Boarding Schools by Mary Annette Pember.  A concise history of Native American boarding schools and their enduring consequences. The daughter of a boarding school survivor, the author explores a highly personal subject while tracing out its broader historical dimensions. . . Elegantly weaving together her mother’s stories, those of other boarding school students, and concise accounts of federal assimilationist policies and common institutional practices, she provides an informed and unsettling perspective on the schools’ individual and collective impact. . . we gain a striking sense of how an ethic of righteous domination shaped institutions meant to accelerate the destruction of indigeneity. Particularly compelling are the accounts of the schools’ coercive religious authority, myriad forms of physical and psychological abuse, and insistent shaming, all of which aimed at, and often succeeded in, destroying the self-esteem of vulnerable children. As we come to understand, routine cruelties coexisted with the self-professed benevolence of the pedagogical bureaucracy. Indigenous resistance is also carefully charted, especially in relation to the “sense of common purpose and pan-Indian identity” that many students managed to establish in the face of crushing assimilative pressures. . . . A gripping, often harrowing account of the personal and communal toll of cultural genocide. Copyright Kirkus 2025 Kirkus/BPI Communications.

 Accidentally on Purpose by Kristen Kish.  In her delightful debut memoir, Top Chef host Kish (It’s All in the Sauce: Bringing Your Uniqueness to the Table, a children’s cookbook) covers her early experiences in the kitchen and the path to her TV breakthrough. Born in 1983 Seoul and adopted by American parents in Michigan, Kish details a mostly ordinary childhood laced with spaghetti with red sauce and Creamsicle sodas. Encouraged by her mother to explore her affinity for cooking as a teenager, Kish paid a visit to Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago. After enrolling in and graduating from the culinary school, Kish moved to Boston, where she worked under chef Barbara Lynch at Stir and dabbled in cocaine and alcohol while finding her footing in the pressure-filled world of fine dining. Her winning run on Top Chef gets a lot of play in the narrative, as do inspiring encounters with the likes of Emeril Lagasse and Padma Lakshmi, whom Kish replaced as host of Top Chef in 2023. Also touching are sections about Kish coming out as gay to her family and friends after her professional success bolstered her confidence. Self-assured yet down-to-earth, Kish’s account will resonate with aspiring chefs and Top Chef fans alike. Copyright 2025 Publishers Weekly.

FICTION

Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez.  The latest from Perkins-Valdez (Take My Hand) features a dual narrative that starts with Washington, DC, real estate agent Nikki Lovejoy being summoned to rural North Carolina by her estranged grandmother Rita. Mother Rita needs help managing the family homestead. As the story and relationship between Rita and Niki develop, readers learn about family secrets and history of the Kingdom of the Happy Land. The historical side of the narrative is revealed by Luella, a Lovejoy ancestor known as the queen of Happy Land. Luella is part of a group of formerly enslaved people who migrated to this spot after emancipation to create a settlement for themselves. Through hard work and saving, the community was able to purchase the land, which they called the Kingdom of the Happy Land. In the contemporary storyline, Perkins-Valdez reveals how that land was stolen from the Lovejoys and how Rita fights to retain it for her family. VERDICT This is a lyrical and unique work of historical fiction. The Kingdom is based on a real place about which readers will want to know more after reading Perkins-Valdez's novel. Fans of hidden-history narratives will enjoy her hopeful, empowering tale.—Kristen Stewart.  Copyright 2025 Library Journal.

A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett. Following their first twisty case of murder and political corruption (chronicled in The Tainted Cup), Ana and Din are sent to the opposite fringe of the Empire to solve what appears to be a classic locked-room murder mystery. But no case that Special Investigations sends their most special team to is ever that simple. The moment that eccentric senior investigator Ana is on the scene, she knows that the case is about something no one wants to admit; it's all misdirection for a plot decades in the making, involving sleeper agents, ambitious officers, and corruption of both the body and the soul, all in service of a goal no one remembers except the man who has been enslaved to it for his entire life. VERDICT This Holmes and Watson-like investigative duo are compelling to follow, and the truly epic fantasy world where the series is set, with its falling empire, corrupt politics, and magic pharmacopeia engineered from monster blood, takes the familiarity of mystery and creates a truly fantastic fever-dream of a world and a story.—Marlene Harris.  Copyright 2025 Library Journal.

The Book Club for Troublesome Women: a novel by Marie Bostick.  Bostwick's (Esme Cahill Fails Spectacularly) latest explores the lives of four housewives in 1963 suburban Virginia. Margaret, Viv, and Bitsy are living the American dream. However, "having it all" leaves them feeling guilty and wondering if there should be more to their lives than just domesticity. Enter Charlotte, their arty, fashionable, and eccentric new neighbor from New York City. These four women start a book club, with The Feminine Mystique as their first title, a controversial and groundbreaking book that inspires each of them to examine their own lives, illustrating why they each feel pressured, unhappy, and unfulfilled. Through their discussions of other books, they form an unbreakable bond and encourage one another not only to acknowledge their fears and dreams but also to seek change to make their longings a reality. VERDICT Bostwick's latest is ideal for fans of historical fiction and those who enjoyed Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry, Kristin Hannah's The Women, or Kate Quinn's The Briar Club, which explore the historical roles of women and the challenges they faced within a society structured to define and limit their roles in and out of the home.—Linsey Milillo. Copyright 2025 Library Journal.

Owl Be Here for You: The History of the Owl Statues at Worcester Public Library

We often hear children and their families excitedly pointing out the two large owl statues that are mounted above the staircases between the first and second floors of the Main Library. I personally delight in explaining to them that the owls actually have names, "Whooo" and Whoom," and that they were named such in a naming contest. But what's the story behind the owls? Read on to learn more!

Worcester Public Library (then known as the Worcester Free Public Library) used to be located on the southside of Elm Street from 1861 until it moved to its present location at 3 Salem Square in 1964. Even in the 19th century, there was talk of moving the library. By the late 1880s, the library had outgrown its original Elm Street building at 18 Elm Street and the library directors looked at either moving to a new building or expanding. They eventually settled on building an addition to the existing structure by having the city purchase the adjacent Dr. J.O. Marble property in 1888. The cornerstone for the addition was laid November 27, 1889 and the addition was completed in 1891.  

The plans by well-known Worcester architect Stephen C. Earle were primarily carried out by the contractors Cutting & Bishop. There was also an additional artistic component: two sculpted horned owls that would be added to either side of the new addition's entrance! According to the Worcester Evening Gazette, the sculptor of the two stone owls was a 33-year-old sculptor from Boston named Terrence Dunn.

Two Owls. Worcester Evening Gazette, September 13, 1890

The December 24, 1890 issue of the Worcester Telegram was a bit critical in its discussion of the owls at the entrance: "The only uninviting feature about the whole building is the glum look on the two stone owls that perch on either side of the arch at the main entrance on Elm street [sic]. And yet the owls look so learned that the critic in gazing at them wants to go beyond and see what is within." 

Free Public Library, Worcester, Mass., circa 1905-1915, Detroit Publishing Co.
Courtesy of the Library of Congress. - note the owls over the left-side building's arch

And so the owls stayed on their perches outside the Elm Street entrance, silently observing all who entered the hallowed halls of the Worcester Free Public Library, until once again, the library outgrew its space. The city and library board decided to build a brand new library that would be located at 3 Salem Square opposite City Hall (see one of our previous blog posts for information about the 1962 laying of the cornerstone for the new building). 

How Wise is the Elm Street Library Owl? Worcester Evening Gazette, March 25, 1950

Look Up! Sunday Telegram, July 5, 1959

In 1963, the Worcester Telegram reported that then-library director Thurston Taylor and City Manager Frances J. McGrath had discussed the upcoming demolition of the Elm Street library building. Taylor advocated for preserving the library owls, as well as the stone arch above the entrance. McGrath also recommended saving the bas-reliefs of Cicero, Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin, and Thucydides that adorned the exterior of the library addition towards the top of the building. Unfortunately, McGrath ultimately concluded with the library directors that they weren't able to find a new home for the bas-reliefs and stone arch at the new building and furthermore, preservation of these items was too costly for the city. Fortunately, the city agreed to salvage the two owls at the cost of $50 (roughly $515 adjusted for inflation) (Worcester Telegram, October 7, 1963). The library ultimately mounted the owls on the walls of the Social Science department of the new library building. The new building at Salem Square was officially dedicated on May 22, 1964 and the library opened to the public the following Monday. The Elm Street library was subsequently torn down and the site later became the Pearl-Elm Parking Garage.

Worcester Sunday Telegram, May 23, 1965

Fast forward to September 1980. For years, the owls had been unofficially named "Hoot" and "Toot," according to an article in the September 11, 1980 issue of the Worcester Telegram. The Friends of Worcester Public Library decided to name the owls with a "Great Give a Hoot Contest," which would be open to all Worcester-area residents. According to the article, there would be winners in three age brackets (ages 6-12, 12-18, and over 18) and an overall grand prize winner, with the winning entries being selected on Halloween. The contest would be judged by four judges and one honorary judge, retired head librarian Thurston Taylor. 

The Friends of the Worcester Public Library received over 280 entries but the grand prize winner was Patrick B. Holland, a 14-year-old boy from Worcester, with his entry, "Whooo" and "Whooom." The other winners were "Winkie" and "Blinkie" from 10-year-old Holly Burns and "Wisdom" and "Common Sense" by 24-year-old Joseph Trent. Each winner received a $20 gift certificate for books and Patrick Holland also received a framed print of an Albrecht Dürer drawing of an owl.

He Gave a Hoot - And Won. Worcester Evening Gazette, November 8, 1980*

Now you know the story of Whooo and Whooom (we do not know which one is which) so say hi to them the next time you stop by the Main Library!

For more information about another work of art in the Main Library, check out our blog post about the 3 large WPA murals above the 2nd floor!

*Note: the articles from 1980 claimed that the statues were cast metal but all previous articles indicated that the statues were made of stone.

Sources:

Done in First-Class Shape. (1890, December 24). Worcester Daily Telegram. p. 4.

Fletcher Street Teen Wins 'Great Give a Hoot Contest.' (1980, November 6). Worcester Telegram. p. 37.

He Gave a Hoot -- And Won. (1980, November 8). Worcester Evening Gazette. p. 7.

Green, F. He Wanted Everyone to Read Read Read. (1965, May 23). Worcester Sunday Telegram. Feature Parade Section, p. 6.

Library Demolition. (1963, October 7). Worcester Evening Gazette. p. 9.

Owl Figures, Door Arch to be Saved. (1963, May 28) Worcester Evening Gazette. p.27.

Public Library Addition. (1889, November 28). Worcester Telegram. p. 2.

Two Owls. (1890, September 13). Worcester Evening Gazette. p. 4.

You Can Get Wise with the Owls? (1980, September 11). Worcester Telegram. p. 9.