Have you ever read a Western novel?  Do you know what makes a Western a Western?  These novels primarily take place in the Western United States, with some books extending into Canada and Mexico, and are usually set somewhere between the end of the Civil War to the beginning of the 20th century.  In Western novels, tension within the story results from external conflict: small towns threatened by outlaws, cowboys herding cattle, and gunslingers facing off against sheriffs could all be settings for a Western novel.  The protagonists or heroes of these books may not be fully developed, allowing readers to imagine themselves within the story and setting.  Real-life Western stars like Wyatt Earp or Doc Holliday might make an appearance, characters battle the elements, and betrayal is a common theme.  These action-packed adventures use details and tone to capture the reader’s attention, and they stay for the satisfying ending where good triumphs over evil and justice is served.

If you’re new to the Western scene, there are a few key authors to note.  Johnny D. Boggs is a prolific, award-winning author of the genre.  His books are full of adventure and rich details, with well-drawn characters.  Reading “Mojave” is a good place to start.

William W. Johnstone often writes with his nephew, J.A. Johnstone.  Check out “Sidewinders” as an introduction to his work.  His books feature fast-paced, plot-driven stories filled with relentless action and plenty of violence. Johnstone’s period detail is exceptional, and his works can be set anywhere from central Nebraska to Scotland and any time in the past, present, or future.

Larry McMurty is best known for de-romanticizing the American West, both past and present. His leisurely paced, long novels allow for the development of unforgettable, vivid characters. Start with Lonesome Dove.

Cormac McCarthy is known for literary fiction and modern westerns with disturbing stories, evocative Southwest settings, and incomparable prose.  Because events in these stories unfold erratically, your attention is captured with each individual sentence.  Start with “All the Pretty Horses“.

Key novels in the genre include Wolves of Eden by Kevin McCarthy and Outlawed by Anna North.  In Wolves of Eden, set in post-Civil War Montana, two Irish brothers reenlist in the Army after struggling to adjust to life as farm laborers and find themselves in the middle of violent fights with an alliance of tribes.  At the same time, a Lieutenant and his aide receive orders to find the killers responsible for the murder of a prominent Washington D.C. couple. Their search leads to a military fort in Montana where they deal with two dangerous forces — the Sioux and the men inside the Fort, who do not support their investigation.  In Outlawed, the protagonist, Ada, is driven from her home after failing to become pregnant and being accused of witchcraft.  She ends up finding the Hole in the Wall gang, a group of outlaws made up of LGBTQIA women, barren women, and other outcasts. Using the skills she learned from her midwife mother, she becomes the doctor for the group, who want to build a proper community for other queer or gender-nonconforming people.  Ada joins the gang on their many, sometimes violent, adventures as they strive to transform the Wild West.

One of the top themes in western is “novels of place,” in which the stories are as much about the setting as they are about the characters.  “Centennial” by James A. Michener celebrates the rich history of the American West, with characters such as Lame Beaver, Levi Zendt, and other assorted trappers and traders.  In the “rural police” theme, crime is not absent, just more spread out.  The police here are going to close their cases without fancy forensic labs.  Check out “Next To Last Stand” or “Daughter of the Morning Star” by Craig Johnson.  There’s nothing quite like a character scorned in a “vengeance is mine” novel.  In “The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu,” the main character fights his way across the West to rescue his wife and exact revenge on the men who destroyed him.  Ming Tsu is aided by a blind clairvoyant and a troupe of magic-show performers as he settles old scores along his journey.  In “weird Westerns,” the West is infused with fantasy and supernatural elements.  Charlaine Harris’s “An Easy Death” reimagines an alternate history where the US collapsed during WWII and was split into five different countries, including the southwestern territory of Texoma.  Alma Katsu’s “The Hunger” retells the Donner party story with a Walking Dead style twist.

You’ll find these titles and more in our “This Ain’t Texas” display.  You’ll also find a few cowboy-themed romance novels for those of you who love a good romance!  For additional title suggestions, see the lists below:

Do you love to read horror but don’t really know why you love it so much?  Are you interested in reading horror but don’t know what themes you might like?  Check out our “It Came From the Library” display for a selection of some of the genre’s biggest titles and stories that represent the top themes of the genre.

Horror stories can scare, repulse, or haunt us, since they often play upon our personal fears.  The setting is often crucial to the story (hello, creepy old house in the woods!), along with other elements that create an unsettling atmosphere.  The characters in these books aren’t always likeable, they can encounter literal or imagined threats, and we don’t always know whether or not they’ll survive.  The ending is often unexpected or ambiguous–that’s the nature of horror itself.

Within the horror genre, there are some key authors to note.  First, there are the horror legends: classic authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, and Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu and modern greats like Stephen King, Peter Straub, and Shirley Jackson.  King’s newest novel “You Like It Darker: Stories” is scheduled to release later this year, so place your library hold now!

Next are the recently published books receiving rave reviews, such as Mariana Enriquez’s “Our Share of Night.”  This horror novel features complicated family dynamics, road trips, and secret cults.   Told throughout multiple decades and by various characters, Mariana Enriquez creates a multilayered, sweeping, and unconventional horror story that examines family legacies and occult mythology against a backdrop of Argentine history.   Victor LaValle’s “Lone Women” is a personal favorite of mine, combining historical horror and “Weird Westerns.”  Set in 1915, the novel stars Adelaide Henry, who, feeling responsible for the murder of her parents, decides to travel to Montana, where unmarried Black women are allowed to take advantage of a government offer of free land. The death of her parents was so horrifying that she set them and her family home on fire, leaving her to travel with one bag and a massive, always-locked steamer trunk filled with secrets. Her arrival in Montana starts promisingly, with residents who are friendly enough. Still, as winter descends and the trunk opens, Adelaide begins a battle for self-preservation as the lone Black woman in an isolated locale. Driven by the strength of its female protagonist, this moody, suspenseful novel works well for readers who enjoy historical horror or Westerns with a twist.

Then we have the themes found within the horror genre.  First up: “band of survivors,” where groups of people team up, willingly and unwillingly, for survival.  Examples of this theme include Justin Cronin’s “The Passage” and Robert Kirkman’s “The Walking Dead: A Continuing Story of Survival Horror.”

“Cosmic Horror” features insane gods and the cults who worship them.  Try Sam J. Miller’s “The Blade Between” for a story of three friends who plan to expose the corrupt motives of invasive corporate gentrifiers.

“Possessed” books like Paul Tremblay’s “A Head Full of Ghosts” feature characters grappling with demonic possession.  In this novel, the lives of the Barrett family are torn apart when their 14-year-old daughter begins to display signs of what is believed to be demonic possession.  And what happens to the Barretts?  Well, they get themselves a reality TV show, of course…

Books set in small towns populated by people who routinely face monsters, horror, or evil fall into the “small town horror” theme.  Sometimes, the people in these towns ARE the horror and evil.  Check out Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” and “Home Before Dark” by Riley Sager to experience some small-town horror.

“Vampire menace” books feature–you guessed it, vampires.  Publishing trends indicate that vampire stories are all the rage this year, so keep your eyes peeled for lots of vampire books.  Not all of them will fall into the horror genre, but “The Fall” by Guillermo del Toro absolutely does.

Finally, “zombie apocalypse” books feature characters that face the outbreak and/or the impact of a zombie epidemic.  “Warm Bodies” by Isaac Marion is a zombie apocalypse story with a twist: the zombie protagonist of the book dislikes having to kill humans, enjoys Frank Sinatra’s music, and meets a living girl who resolves to protect–despite how delicious she looks.

You’ll find these titles and more in our “It Came From the Library” display, including a recent title I read and loved called “A Haunting in the Arctic” by C.J. Cooke.  I’ve been describing it as “mermaid horror” to anyone who will listen–absolutely worth a read!  For additional title suggestions, see the lists below:

Celebrate Women’s History Month with some books written by incredible female authors and featuring strong female protagonists!  Here are some possible titles to consider:

One of my favorite reads of 2022 was When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill.  Set in a 1950s America that looks similar to ours, but with one key difference: The Mass Dragoning of 1955, in which hundreds of thousands of women sprouted wings, became dragons, and disappeared into the sky.   Our main character Alex is a young girl whose aunt transformed while her mother did not and who is forbidden from ever talking about her beloved aunt.  “In this timely and timeless speculative novel, award-winning author Kelly Barnhill boldly explores rage, memory, and the forced limitations of girlhood.”

In An American Marriage by Tayari Jones, newlyweds Celestial and Roy are just beginning their life together when Roy is arrested for a crime Celestial knows he didn’t commit.  Emmett is sentenced to 12 years in prison, and Celestial, alone and struggling, seeks comfort from her childhood friend Andre.  After five years, Roy’s conviction is overturned, and he returns home, thinking that their life will pick up where they left off.

In Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, Marian and James Graves are raised by their uncle in Missoula, Montana, and a chance encounter with two pilots passing through town sparks Marian’s love of flight.  She drops out of school at 15 and finds a patron who will help her achieve her dream: circumnavigating the globe and flying her plane over the Arctic Circle.  A century later, actress Hadley Baxter is cast to play Marian in a film about Marian’s disappearance over the South Pacific.  “Her immersion into the character of Marian unfolds, thrillingly, alongside Marian’s own story, as the two womens’ fates–and their hunger for self-determination in vastly different geographies and times– collide.”

You’ll find these titles and many more in our display area.  For additional titles: see lists below:

Are you anxiously awaiting Taylor’s new album drop?  Looking for something to do pass the time until you can listen?  Check out our “Tortured Poets Department” display featuring dark academia titles and books about poets and writers!

What exactly IS dark academia?  There are varying definitions, but generally speaking, it refers to a book that features an academic setting AND a dark undertone or dark twist.  It’s not necessarily linked to a specific genre of books: Plain Bad Heroines by Emily Danforth falls into the horror category, Portrait of a Thief by Grace Li is a crime heist, and Babel by R. F. Kuang is considered an “alternative fantasy history.”  The creation of the dark academia subgenre is attributed to Donna Tartt’s The Secret History, the 1992 novel that tells the story of a murder that takes place among a group of Classics students.  Dark academia has also seen a rise in popularity thanks to Internet culture and aesthetic—and new album releases.

If you’re looking for some recommendations from the display, check out Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo.  This is the first book in the Alex Sterns series set at a Yale University in a world that looks similar to our own–except that magic exists, and that magic is controlled by secret societies.

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern features a graduate student named Zachary who discovers a mysterious book in the stacks of his Vermont school—which includes a story from his own childhood.  This magical tale is filled with secret societies (notice the theme), ancient libraries, and book guardians.

If you like books in the newly minted “romantasy” genre–a combination of romance and fantasy–check out the first book in The Scholomance series by Naomi Novik.  A Deadly Education follows El, a young sorceress who fights monsters and is repeatedly saved by another student named Orion.  Surviving until graduation is the goal…

You’ll find all these books and more in our “Tortured Poets Department” display.  Click on the images below for some additional suggestions!

Blind Date with a Book is back–for a limited time only!  Stop by our display area to check out the blind dates we’ve arranged.  Read the description on a book to see if you’re interested in dating it–no peeking!  Once you’ve selected your “date,” grab a “Rate Your Date” bookmark and bring your date to the desk.  Check out your date, take it home, and unwrap it!

Not interested in this particular date?  No problem–no commitment necessary.  Circle “No chemistry” on your Rate Your Date sheet and bring it and the book back.  Ready to date your book?  Start reading!  Once you’re done, fill out your Rate Your Date sheet and bring both back to the library.  There is a box for the completed “Rate Your Date” sheets at the Reader Services desk.

You can check out as many Blind Dates as you’d like.  Just remember to Rate Your Dates once you’ve finished with them.  We want to hear how your date went!

If book dating isn’t your thing, you can still show us some love.  Stop by the Reader Services desk, grab a paper heart, and let us know what you love about your library.  We also have some “punny” Valentines for you to take home and give out to your friends.  There’s a lot to love about the Chelmsford Library every day, but make sure you celebrate with us this month!

Winter is coming!  Well, actually–it’s already here.  And with our first snowstorm of the season approaching, this is a great time to come in and check out a pile of books.  Why not embrace the season and take a look at our “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” display.  You’ll find lots of books that feature a cold climate or are set in winter.

If you like mysteries and thrillers, there are plenty to choose.  Agatha Christie’s “Murder on the Orient Express” is a classic with a snowy setting.  “Crossed Skis” by Carol Carnac is a British mystery with an alpine setting.  “Smilla’s Sense of Snow” by Peter Hoeg, “Snowblind” by Ragnar Jonasson, and “The Ice Princess” by Camilla Lackberg will scratch that Nordic noir itch.

If you’re a sci fi fan, check out “The City in the Middle of the Night” by Charlie Jane Anders.  Naomi Novik’s “Spinning Silver” is another possibility.  You can also try “The Snow Queen” by Joan Vinge.

If you’re looking for something in general fiction, “Snow Falling on Cedars” by David Guterson and “Cold Mountain” by Charles Frazier are popular titles.  “The Bellweather Rhapsody” by Kate Racculia is excellent.  If you’re looking for historic fiction, Jennifer Laam’s “The Lost Season of Love and Snow” or Greer Macallister’s “The Arctic Fury” are great choices.

Visit our display area to find these titles and lots more.  Lists of featured titles are also below.

I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I start to feel ready to pack it all in, pack it all up, and head off on a vacation.  In the winter, I always want to head off to a tropical vacation or a European market, but I know loads of other folks love a good ski chalet or mountain cabin.  Can’t actually pick up and go anywhere?  How about you enjoy a book where the characters take the trip for you?  Check out our “Vacation, All I Ever Wanted” Display for some great titles that feature characters who get away from it all.

Looking to mix a beach villa vacation with a little murder?  Try Rachel Hawkins’ “The Villa.”  I also think that Liane Moriarty’s “Nine Perfect Strangers” fits this bill, and bonus–you could watch the TV series after you read it.  If you’re looking for a girls’ weekend read, try “Beach House Reunion” by Mary Alice Monroe.  If you want a darker take on the weekend getaway theme, try “Summer House With Swimming Pool” by Herman Koch or “Device Free Weekend” by Sean Doolittle.  One of my personal favorites is “Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn.  Four female assassins take a cruise to celebrate their reluctant retirement and quickly realize that the cruise is intended to be their final farewell.  So they set out to save their own lives and figure out who is trying to end them.  It’s wickedly funny and a great exploration of women and society’s ideas about aging.

If you’re looking for a little more romance in our reading, try Emily Henry’s “The People We Meet on Vacation” or “Book Lovers.”  “One Italian Summer” by Rebecca Serle will take you off on an Italian trip, and “Eight Weeks in Paris” by S.R. Lane will whisk you off to France.  There are also some great thrillers that feature a vacation.  Check out “An Honest Lie” by Tarryn Fisher or “Her Dark Lies” by J.T. Ellison.

Visit our display area to find these titles and lots more.  If you can’t stop by, here are the titles featured – in cover format as well as a list.

Loads of people like to read mysteries, crime novels, and thrillers, but do you know the differences between them?  Mysteries follow clues to reveal the person who committed a crime.  They can be standalone or part of a series.  Dorothy Sayers is a classic example of a mystery writer with a long-running series in her Lord Peter Wimsey books.  Within the mystery genre, there are several subgenres, including cozy mysteries like Jennifer Chow’s “Death By Bubble Tea,” hardboiled mysteries like those by author Walter Mosley, police procedurals such as “Wife of the Gods” by Kwei Quartey, and speculative mysteries that are set in a science fiction or fantasy setting.  Mystery novel themes include “proving one’s innocence,” “solving the puzzle,” featuring famous characters, and “rookie on the beat.”  “The Woman in the Library” by Sulari Gentill is a great example of a “solve the puzzle” mystery, while Stephanie Barron’s Jane Austen mysteries will appeal to Austen lovers out there.  You may like one of these mystery subgenres more than another, so don’t give up after just reading one mystery novel–you might not have found your subgenre yet!

Thriller subgenres include legal thrillers such as Robyn Gigl’s “Remain Silent,” psychological thrillers written by authors like Alyssa Cole, supernatural thrillers, and spy fiction.  “Shutter” by Ramona Emerson is a great example of a supernatural thriller, while “Prophet” by Helen Macdonald and Sin Blanche falls into the spy fiction subgenre.  Thrillers might feature unreliable narrators, like in Mara Dong’s “Liar, Dreamer, Thief.”  They might have a plot that seems “too good to be true,” like in Riley Sager’s “The House Across the Lake.”  Thrillers are often set “behind the Iron Curtain” or in a similar setting.  “The Apollo Murders” by Chris Hadfield is a great example of this theme.  Thrillers might also feature missing memories, as found in Brian Freeman’s “I Remember You.”  Again, one of these themes may appeal to you more than another, so you may need to try reading a few thrillers to really get a feel for what you like.

Crime fiction subgenres include rural noir, capers, organized crime, and “inspired by read events.”  S.A. Cosby’s “Razorblade Tears” is a great example of rural noir, while “Dr. No” by Percival Everett is a classic caper novel.  A recent example of organized crime is “The Plotters” by Un-Su Kim.  “Northern Heist” by Richard O’Rawe is inspired by real events.  Within the crime novel genre, popular themes include “on the run,” “criminal masterpieces,” “rural noir,” and “vengeance is mine.”  If you’re looking for a new “on the run” title, try “Burn It All Down” by Nicholas DiDomizio.  Another great rural noir title is “Barbed Wire Heart” by Tess Sharpe.  If you like the “vengeance is mine” theme, try “How to Kill Your Family” by Bella Mackie.

Never read a mystery and are looking to try one?  I recommend Jessa Maxwell’s “The Golden Spoon.”  Think Great British Bakeoff but with a murder to solve.  If you think a thriller might be what you need, “What Never Happened” by Rachel Howzell Hall fits the bill.  If you’re looking for a classic crime novel, try “Confidence” by Rafael Frumkin.  These are all great “first books to try” within these genres.

There are also lots of movies, TV, and podcasts tied to these genres as well.  In fact, thriller novels are often made into movies or TV shows.  Since these genres are some of my favorites, I’m also keeping an eye on what S.A. Cosby, Mia P. Manansala, Erin E. Adams, and Eli Cranor are writing.  These are some authors to watch when it comes to your mysteries, thrillers, and crime novels.

Visit our display area to find these titles and lots more.  Lists of featured titles are also below.