Louisville Free Public Library has a new executive director. Heather Lowe stepped into the role last month, bringing more than 16 years of library and archive experience, most recently from the Dallas Public Library.
Click the “Listen” button above to hear a longer conversation about Lowe’s journey into her new role and her hopes for Louisville’s library system.
Here are some of Lowe’s cozy reads for the winter season.
“Murder by Cheesecake: A Golden Girls Cozy Mystery,” Rachel Ekstrom Courage
If we're really thinking about those cozy books, cozy mysteries are very popular these days. One that I think will really hit the nostalgic bone for a lot of people is “Murder by Cheesecake.” It is actually a “Golden Girls” mystery. Dorothy finds her date in a hotel freezer, and the mystery ensues from there. And I think you'll find that the book is very respectful of those characters that we all love.
“Something Whiskered,” Miranda James
There's also “Something Whiskered” by Miranda James. If you're looking for a story of newlyweds stumbling into a mysterious death, lovely Irish landscapes and some feline friends, both living and ghostly, you might take a look at “Something Whiskered” as well.
“Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal,” Meghan Quinn
For those who are fans of those friends in their lives that both make them laugh really hard, but also sometimes get them in trouble, I'd recommend “Merry Christmas, You Filthy Animal” by Megan Quinn. From the publisher, they say, “nothing says I love you like trespassing, public humiliation and a town-wide Christmas spectacle.”
“The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World,” Robin Wall Kimmerer
We have some people who love nonfiction out there. So a book I really enjoyed this year is
“The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and I really love it because it takes a look at nature and how abundance and sharing in nature is a real theme that we can learn from and apply to our own communities. I think that captures the spirit of the winter holidays.
“Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life,” Dacher Keltner
And then finally, for nonfiction, I recommend “Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life” by Dacher Keltner, which takes a scientific look at awe and how recognizing awe in our daily lives can really be transformational.
“Crafting for Sinners,” Jenny Kiefer
We have an author here in town, Jenny Kiefer, and she actually has a horror bookstore called Butcher Cabin Books that I encourage everyone to visit. She just released “Crafting for Sinners,” which is set in the fictional Kentucky town of Kill Devil. The main character gets caught shoplifting in a megachurch-owned craft store in her small town. All kinds of spookiness ensues.
“The Fire Concerto,” Sarah Landenwich
There's also a great new debut novel by Sarah Landenwich called “The Fire Concerto.” It's really an ode to the power of music, and it is both lyrical and page-turning, which I think is difficult to do. It follows the story of Claire Bishop, who hasn't touched a piano since a concert hall nearly took her life a decade ago, and so she is re-finding her love of music through an unexpected inheritance.
There is also “Lover Forbidden” by J.R. Ward, which is set in a kind of fantasy town, and a near-death experience sparks a risky new love. It is the next installment in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series.
