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Native American Heritage Month

by Victoria Lafean, Adult Programming Librarian

Native American Heritage Month, observed each November, is a time to honor the rich histories, cultures and contributions of Indigenous peoples across North America. It’s both a celebration and a chance to deepen public understanding of Native American legacies.

Throughout history, Native communities have shown resilience and strength amid challenges like displacement and cultural suppression. This month encourages reflection on those struggles and recognition of efforts to preserve Indigenous languages, traditions, and identities.

It also amplifies Indigenous voices and invites everyone to engage with Native art, music, storytelling, and culture. Events and gatherings help break down stereotypes and foster respect and understanding.

By participating, individuals and communities can celebrate, support, and acknowledge the enduring presence and impact of Native peoples in shaping our shared history and future.

As a member of the Ojibwe Tribe with a goal to deepen my knowledge of my own culture, I have found that the Manhattan Public library has a growing collection of Native American selections. If you are interested in learning more about the Indigenous peoples of our country, I recommend these publications.

“Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance” by Leonard Peltier

“Prison Writings: My Life Is My Sun Dance” is a memoir and manifesto by activist Leonard Peltier, chronicling his life in confinement, the events leading to his conviction for the murders of two FBI agents, and his reflections on Native American struggles and the spiritual practice of the Sun Dance. The book explores themes of injustice, resilience, and hope, interwoven with personal essays, poems and powerful statements on spirituality and the systemic oppression of Indigenous peoples in America.

Leonard Peltier was released from prison on February 18, 2025, after President Joe Biden commuted his life sentence in the final hours of his presidency. Peltier, an American Indian activist convicted for the 1975 murder of two FBI agents at Pine Ridge Reservation, returned to his home on the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa reservation in North Dakota. He is now under home confinement, not a full release from parole conditions. The case of Leonard Peltier remains controversial, with some believing his conviction was unjust and others maintaining his guilt. He is a symbol for many in the American Indian Movement and a focus of ongoing support from Indigenous communities and human rights organizations.

“Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future” by Patty Krawec

“Weaving her own story with the story of her ancestors and with the broader themes of creation, replacement, and disappearance, Krawec helps readers see settler colonialism through the eyes of an Indigenous writer. This remarkable sojourn through Native and settler history, myth, identity, and spirituality helps us retrace our steps and pick up what was lost along the way: chances to honor rather than violate treaties, to see the land as a relative rather than a resource, and to unravel the history we have been taught.”

“The Cherokee Nation and The Trail of Tears” by Theda Perdue

“In the early nineteenth century, the U.S. government shifted its policy from trying to assimilate American Indians to relocating them and proceeded to forcibly drive seventeen thousand Cherokees from their homelands. This journey of exile became known as the Trail of Tears. Historians Perdue and Green reveal the government’s betrayals and the divisions within the Cherokee Nation, follow the exiles along the Trail of Tears, and chronicle the hardships found in the West. In its trauma and tragedy, the Cherokee diaspora has come to represent the irreparable injustice done to Native Americans in the name of nation building-and in their determined survival, it represents the resilience of the Native American spirit.”

“Our Voice of Fire: A Memoir of a Warrior Rising” by Brandi Morin

“A wildfire of a debut memoir by internationally recognized French/Cree/Iroquois journalist Brandi Morin set to transform the narrative around Indigenous Peoples. Brandi Morin is known for her clear-eyed and empathetic reporting on Indigenous oppression in North America. She is also a survivor of the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls crisis and uses her experience to tell the stories of those who did not survive the rampant violence. From her time as a foster kid and runaway who fell victim to predatory men and an oppressive system to her career as an internationally acclaimed journalist, ‘Our Voice of Fire’ chronicles Morin’s journey to overcome enormous adversity and find her purpose, and her power, through journalism. This compelling, honest book is full of self-compassion and the purifying fire of a pursuit for justice.”

Native American history and heritage reflect a legacy of resilience, wisdom and deep connection to the land. Honoring this legacy means not only remembering the past but also respecting Indigenous voices and contributions as we work toward a more inclusive and just future. I hope this encourages you to visit the local library to learn about our nation’s first peoples.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

Calling All Bourbon Aficionados

by Victoria Lafean, Programming Librarian

Bourbon can be a fulfilling hobby, encompassing various aspects like collecting, tasting, learning about its history and production, and even home distilling on a small scale. Many enthusiasts find it a rewarding experience, fostering community and offering opportunities for education and enjoyment. Bourbon is a type of American whiskey, specifically defined by its production methods and ingredients. It must be made in the United States, with at least 51% corn in the grain bill, distilled at or below 160 proof, and aged in new, charred oak barrels. This process results in a whiskey known for its rich, often sweet, and spicy flavor profile, with notes of vanilla and caramel. The Manhattan Public Library is here to help you further this interest, whether it be in our fiction stacks or our non-fiction stacks.

All shelf locations and book descriptions quoted in this list can be found in the Manhattan Public Library catalog located at https://catalog.manhattan.lib.ks.us/polaris/default.aspx.

“Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life” by Heather Greene

“In this lively and authoritative guide, Greene uses bright visuals, an easy-to-read format, and the familiar vocabulary of wine to teach readers about whiskey and encourage them to make their own evaluations. Peppered with wry anecdotes drawn from her unusual life–and including recipes for delicious cocktails by some of today’s most celebrated mixologists—’Whiskey Distilled’ will be enthusiastically greeted by the whiskey curious as well as by journeymen whiskey drinkers thirsty to learn more about their beloved tipple.”

“Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon, and the Things That Last” by Wright Thompson

“This is the story of how Julian Van Winkle III, the caretaker of the most coveted cult Kentucky Bourbon whiskey in the world, fought to protect his family’s heritage and preserve the taste of his forebears, in a world where authenticity, like his product, is in very short supply. Julian Van Winkler III provides a testimony to the challenge of living up to your legacy and the rewards that come from knowing and honoring your people and your craft.”

“Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible, 2024” by Jim Murray

“This is the most comprehensive and thoroughly researched guide to the world’s whiskies ever produced. Honest, forthright and proudly independent, Jim Murray has, for this 20th Anniversary edition, tasted and rated over 4,000 whiskies, shedding light on more than 1500 Scottish single malts, nearly 400 blended scotches and more than 900 American whiskies. ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’ provides an unrivalled and invaluable source of reference to the consumer, the whisky industry and the drinks trade alike. In terms of whisky, this is, and has been for the last 20 years, the gospel!”

If non-fiction isn’t your cup of tea, oh I mean bourbon, here are some selections from our fiction section:

“The Bourbon Thief” by Tiffany Reisz

“Betrayal, revenge and a family scandal that bore a 150-year-old mystery. When Cooper McQueen wakes up from a night with a beautiful stranger, it’s to discover he’s been robbed. The only item stolen–a million-dollar bottle of bourbon. The thief, a mysterious woman named Paris, claims the bottle is rightfully hers. After all, the label itself says it’s property of the Maddox family who owned and operated Red Thread Bourbon distillery since the last days of the Civil War, until the company went out of business for reasons no one knows.”

“100 Proof Murder” by Mary Ellis

“Travel writer Jill Curtis is in Louisville, Kentucky, on the next stop of her bourbon tour assignment, and is keen to explore the local distilleries with her videographer, Michael Erickson. But the night before Jill’s first tour at Parker’s Distillery, she is shocked to learn that the master distiller, William Scott, has died suddenly of a heart attack – and even more shocked when she discovers William’s daughter, Alexis, suspects foul play. Jill is soon drawn into a deadly blend of rivalry, jealousy, and cold-blooded murder as she attempts to uncover the truth behind William’s unexpected demise.”

“The Bourbon Kings” by J.R. Ward

“For generations, the Bradford family has worn the mantle of kings of the bourbon capital of the world. Their sustained wealth has afforded them prestige and privilege–as well as a hard-won division of class on their sprawling estate, Easterly. As family tensions, professional and intimately private ignite, Easterly and all its inhabitants are thrown into the grips of an irrevocable transformation, and only the cunning will survive.”

We hope that these “Top Shelf” selections will quench your thirst, and bring out the bourbon drinker, or “Tater” as they call themselves, in you.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

Cozy Up with a Cup of Fantasy

by Crystal Hicks, Collection Services Manager

As a youth, I loved high fantasy: expansive worldbuilding, epic storylines, and difficult-to-pronounce imaginary names. Tamora Pierce’s books whet my palate early on, and I tore through series after series, devouring legendary tales and mythic adventures, loving every second.

As an adult, I struggle to read fantasy. Not because I don’t love it (that spark will never go out), but because I don’t have the time to invest in it. On a Friday off, I got halfway through R.F. Kuang’s “Babel”—far enough to appreciate its groundbreaking nature and clever magical schema, but not far enough to finish it before my interest waned over the next two weeks. Between a full-time job and a family, time is fleeting, so when I need a dose of fantasy, instead I turn to cozy fantasy.

Isabella Peralta of Reedsy defines cozy fantasy as “lighter fantasy stories that highlight character journeys over epic adventures,” according to her article “What Is Cozy Fantasy?”. These are light, happily-ever-after stories about relatable characters who happen to live with or around magic, generally with low stakes. Many of these books have a strong sense of community or found family, and they can focus on emotionally-healing journeys. Most of these stories are built in worlds very similar to our own (either historically or currently), or they riff on popular fantasy games and tropes, so minimal time is devoted to worldbuilding and it’s easier to jump into the story. Cozy fantasy books are easier for me to pick up at any time because tensions are low and, frankly, I’m less likely to run into a philosophically-deep thought I need to mull over.

Heather Fawcett’s Emily Wilde series (begin with “Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries”) got me started on cozy fantasy. In each book, grouchy professor Emily Wilde is working on a new, titular research project with the annoyingly personable Wendell Bambleby in tow. Set in a vaguely Edwardian setting, Emily’s dryadology research takes her to remote locations, where the reader can enjoy Emily’s social awkwardness and deep knowledge of folklore that always manages to save the day. Appropriately, the books are littered with footnotes.

“The Ornithologist’s Field Guide to Love” by India Holton also takes place in an alternate historical version of England. As may be clear from the title, this book is as much rom-com as it is cozy fantasy, following ornithologists in a competition to see who will be awarded Birder of the Year as they persevere through magical shenanigans and falling in love. Holton writes with tongue firmly in cheek, cheerfully poking fun at Victorian manners and making up the most ridiculous magical birds possible. For more banter and magical adventures, the series continues with “The Geographer’s Map to Romance.”

Finishing my trifecta of Anglophile cozy fantasies is “A Sorceress Comes to Call” by T. Kingfisher, which embraces its Regency romance parallels. The book’s plot? A sorceress, determined to make a good match for herself and her daughter, targets a wealthy old Squire. The heroes? The Squire’s spinster sister and the sorceress’s tween daughter, who do all they can to sabotage the impending marriage proposal. Kingfisher pushes the line of cozy fantasy by braiding together fairy tale, Regency romance, and horror elements, but it was still a refreshing, heartwarming read with just the right amount of magic.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention T.J. Klune’s “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” a book best described as the epitome of a hug. Linus Baker, a downtrodden case worker who inspects orphanages for magical youth, visits the titular house on Marsyas Island. There, he meets a gaggle of magical children and their caretaker, Arthur Parnassus. Despite his fear and skepticism of magical creatures, Linus’s views are slowly broadened, and he falls in love with Arthur, the children, and the island. Klune continues the story from Arthur’s perspective in “Somewhere Beyond the Sea,” and it’s wonderful seeing the couple come into their own as the children’s adoptive parents.

On a different Friday off, I picked up “The River Has Roots” by Amal El-Mohtar, and it delighted me on many fronts. Most excitingly, this was a novella, so I finished it in mere hours! Secondly, it’s a fairy tale retelling, so the story immediately felt familiar, simple and yet complex in its emotions. Finally, the backbone of the narrative is the deep love of two sisters, depicted so beautifully it made me cry as they were separated by love and death, then reunited by magic. I absolutely cannot wait for El-Mohtar’s upcoming short story collection, “Seasons of Glass and Iron.”

Where to settle in next? My to-be-read list has several cozy fantasies on it. First, viral sensation “The Spellshop” by Sarah Beth Durst, where a former librarian sets up a jam shop and surreptitiously sells spells. Next, “Half a Soul” by Olivia Atwater, the first in her Regency Faerie Tales series. Julie Leong’s “The Teller of Small Fortunes” follows Tao, a fortune teller determined to avoid big fortunes, for those come rife with big risks. For those into Dungeons & Dragons, you may want to pick up “Can’t Spell Treason without Tea” by Rebecca Thorne or “Legends & Lattes” by Travis Baldree.

For more recommendations, cozy fantasy or not, feel free to contact us at the Reference Desk, or ask us to fill out a Personalized Reading List with book suggestions just for you and your reading tastes. I wish you a happy fall, with many warm beverages, blankets, and cozy books to read.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

by Kaitlyn Ring, Readers’ Advisory Librarian

In September we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month to give special recognition to the amazing Hispanic and Latine members of our community. While we like to celebrate Hispanic culture and identities throughout the year, this month gives us the extra opportunity to showcase the many wonderful authors and stories that we have in our collection at the Manhattan Public Library.

All information about these books has been taken from our catalog, which you can visit at https://catalog.manhattan.lib.ks.us/polaris/default.aspx.

Adult Fiction

“Malinalli” by Veronica Chapa

“A real-life historical figure, the woman known as Malinalli, Malintzin, La Malinche, Dona Marina, and Malinalxochitl was the Nahua interpreter who helped Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes communicate with the native people of Mexico. When indigenous leaders observed her marching into their cities, they believed she was a goddess–blessed with the divine power to interpret the Spaniards’ intentions for their land. Later, historians and pop culture would deem her a traitor–the ‘Indian’ girl who helped sell Mexico’s future to an invader. In this riveting, fantastical retelling, Malinalli is all of those things and more, but at heart, she’s a young girl, kidnapped into slavery by age twelve, and fighting to survive the devastation wrought by both the Spanish and Moctezuma’s greed and cruelty.”        

“Woman of Light” by Kali Fajardo-Anstine

“Luz ‘Little Light’ Lopez, a tea leaf reader and laundress, is left to fend for herself after her older brother, Diego, a snake charmer and factory worker, is run out of town by a violent white mob. As Luz navigates 1930’s Denver on her own, she begins to have visions that transport her to her Indigenous homeland in the nearby Lost Territory. Luz recollects her ancestors’ origins, how her family flourished and how they were threatened. She bears witness to the sinister forces that have devastated her people and their homelands for generations. In the end, it is up to Luz to save her family stories from disappearing into oblivion.”

“The Cemetery of Untold Stories” by Julia Alvarez

“When celebrated writer Alma Cruz inherits a small plot of land in the Dominican Republic, she turns it into a place to bury her untold stories–literally. She creates a graveyard for manuscript drafts and revisions and the characters whose lives she tried and failed to bring to life and who still haunt her. Alma wants her characters to rest in peace, but they have other ideas, and the cemetery becomes a mysterious sanctuary for their true narratives.”

Young Adult Fiction

“Salvacion” by Sandra Proudman

“Lola de La Pena yearns to be free from the societal expectations of a young Mexican lady of her station. She spends her days pretending to be delicate and proper while watching her mama cure the sick and injured with sal negra (black salt), a recently discovered magic that heals even the most mortal of sicknesses and wounds. But by night, she is Salvacion, the free-spirit lady vigilante protecting the town of Coloma from those who threaten its peace and safety among the rising tension in Alta California after the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.”

“This Is the Year” by Gloria Muñoz

“‘This is the year. Yes, Ofe, on this gloomy first day of my last year of high school, I swear before your grave, Hermana, this is the year I am getting out of here.’

So swears Julieta Villareal, a seventeen-year-old wannabe writer whose twin sister died in a hit-and-run a few months ago. Juli’s Florida home is crumbling in the face of climate disaster, and with Ofelia gone, Juli can’t stand to stay any longer in a place that doesn’t seem to have room for her. She’s not sure how she’s going to do it, everyone knows brown-skinned, poverty-stricken New Americans like Juli have no options, but she’s getting out.”

“These Vengeful Wishes” by Vanessa Montalban

“When her stepfather is arrested, aspiring artist Ceci moves back to her mother’s hometown of Santa Aguas, an eccentric small town steeped in the legend of La Cegua, the specter of a wronged witch who appears on lonely roads at night, luring untrustworthy men to their deaths. Ceci and her mother take up residence in the abandoned manor of the Sevilla family, rumored to have been cursed by La Cegua, where she begins to uncover a past connected to her mother.”

Children’s

Join us for bilingual stories and activities celebrating Spanish language and culture.

We will read picture books by Latinx authors and illustrators, followed by a fun craft or activity. “¡Cuenta cuentos! / Tell Tales!” is a collaboration with the K-State Department of Modern Languages. We welcome both Spanish speakers and English or other language speakers. Suggested for ages 5 and up.

¡Acompáñenos para disfrutar de cuentos bilingües y actividades que celebran las culturas y comunidades latinas! Vamos a leer libros álbumes de autores e ilustradores latinos y después divertirnos con manualidades o arte. “¡Cuenta cuentos!” es una colaboración con el Departamento de Lenguas Modernas de K-State. Hablantes de todos los idiomas son bienvenidos. Recomendado para niños de 5 años en adelante.

Our next “Cuenta cuentos! / Tell Tales!” Bilingual Storytime will take place at 2 p.m. Saturday, October 11, 2025.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Manhattan Public Library serves more than 75,000 people in the Riley County area through curated book and other media collections, knowledgeable staff, relevant programming for all ages, and meeting space. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.

Playing Detective with Epistolary Fiction

by Savannah Winkler, Adult Services Librarian

One of my favorite parts of reading mystery books is getting to play detective. I have always enjoyed the classics, like Agatha Christie or Sherlock Holmes, where I feel like I’m cracking the case from my couch. Within the last year, I also discovered that I enjoy a good epistolary novel. If you’re not familiar with epistolary novels, these books don’t tell stories in the usual way. Instead, they unfold through emails, texts, transcripts, photos, and other “found” documents. This makes you the one sorting through the clues. You’re not just reading—you’re investigating. So, if you’re like me and love the thrill of piecing together a puzzle, you might enjoy these epistolary mysteries.

Janice Hallett has written a handful of mystery novels that use an epistolary format. The first of hers that I read was “The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels.” This book opens with you, the reader, discovering a safe deposit box filled with documents. You are instructed to read them and then make a decision: destroy them or take them to the police. The story that follows is told through those documents including email, text messages, transcripts, and more. The documents reveal information about the Alperton Angels, a cult that believed a newborn was the anti-Christ. Decades after the cult’s crimes, writer Amanda Bailey is determined to find the Alperton baby, now eighteen years old. However, as she searches, Amanda realizes that the dark story of the Alperton Angels isn’t the whole truth. Unfortunately, the events surrounding the cult are even worse than she could have imagined.

Following the “Alperton Angels,” I checked out Hallett’s other epistolary novels. “The Appeal” was equally as fun and unpredictable. This story follows The Fairway Players, a diverse group of community members that participate in the local theatre. Tragedy befalls the group’s director, Martin Hayward, when his granddaughter is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. The acting group rallies together to start raising money for the Hayward family. However, disagreements and tensions arise, and a dress rehearsal takes a sudden and explosive turn. Then something even worse occurs, and the body of one actor is discovered.

After “The Appeal,” I also picked up Hallett’s 2024 release, “The Examiner.” This book had a twist that actually made me gasp out loud. The story tells yet another murder mystery through the multimedia. This time, the characters are a group of six students as they work on an art degree. The camaraderie of the group is doomed from the start. Throughout the book you get to read their class group chats and assignments, which are filled with obvious disagreements and distrust. The situation escalates as students steal from one another and vandalize each other’s projects. When the class’s external examiner arrives, he begins to believe that one of the students has been murdered. But who, and why?

After finishing all of Hallett’s books, I still had the itch for more mysteries that followed a similar format. I recently discovered a Japanese author named Uketsu. Uketsu is a well-known horror Youtuber in Japan, and part of their intrigue is that no one knows their real identity. Uketsu recently started publishing novels, and those have been translated into English. Their first novel is “Strange Pictures.” As the title suggests, the story’s mystery unfolds through a series of pictures.  Although on the surface the pictures seem unrelated, a macabre series of events connects them all. Uketsu’s second novel, “Strange Houses,” follows a similar premise. This time, the story centers on an unusual house. While it seems perfect on the outside, it turns out to be anything but. Images of the house’s floor plan reveal mysterious spaces and hidden rooms. Both of Uksetsu’s books invite the readers to think critically and try to figure out the mystery.

If you’d prefer a mystery that follows a slightly more traditional format, I also recommend “Penance” by Eliza Clark. A decade after the events occurred, journalist Alec Z. Carelli investigates the murder of sixteen-year-old Joan Wilson. Joan was murdered in the seaside town of Crow-on-Sea by three of her high school classmates. Little is known about the girls or why the murder occurred. As Alec investigates, he uncovers a complicated community and a disturbing internet culture. “Penance” is an impactful mystery told through podcast transcripts, interviews, and Alec’s own unreliable narration.

All these titles and more are available for checkout at the Manhattan Public Library. And if you’d like to know more about what others are reading, consider attending the library’s “Donuts and Danger” book discussion. The next discussion will be on September 25^th from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. in the library’s auditorium.

Manhattan Public Library is a cornerstone of free and equal access to a world of ideas and information for the Manhattan, Kansas, community. Learn more at mhklibrary.org.