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Swords and Swoons

Young Adult high fantasy -- with a dash of romance

Swords, magic, political intrigue, and assassination attempts are just a few qualities that can make for an exceptional fantasy novel. Romantic plotlines, when done well, add levels of tension and emotion that make the best high fantasy even richer and more emotional. The love stories in these books are not necessarily the major story arc, but they won’t disappoint if you like a side of swoons with your action and adventure.

"Citizen: An American Lyric" by Claudia Rankine

A Contemporary Celebration of National Poetry Month

Six books that show contemporary poetry's range

To celebrate National Poetry Month, I've compiled a brief list of six (roughly) contemporary books of poetry that help display the range of styles, content, and ambitions that poetry offers readers today. With more poets writing now than perhaps any preceding age, it's literally impossible to read and enjoy all that the last couple of years have produced, let alone the last few decades. But never fear! There are poems to satisfy just about any reading appetite, and the DC Public Library has an excellent collection to choose from.

A Trip Through English History

Historical mysteries

Take a trip through England and history by reading historical mysteries set in various eras of Britain’s past. Explore the dawn of British common law in the Plantagenet era, religious upheaval in the Tudor era, the beginnings of formal police services and investigation in the Victorian era, and social change in the Edwardian era, all while trying to figure out 'whodunnit' with citizens turned sleuths.

Clones in Fiction

Is a human clone any less of a human?

My taste in science fiction, I like to think, boasts a degree of range. Stories that take place in the near-future, the future-future, in space, on a different planet - I have favorites that fall in all of those categories. But across sub-genres, science fiction stories featuring clones always draw me in. I’m not exactly sure why. All of my favorite books about clones seem to pose the question what it really means to be “human" - maybe that's what it is.

Science Fiction

Your Friday Five

Dark Comedies

My two favorite kinds of books are those that make me laugh and those that make me supremely uncomfortable. If a book can do both, it has my heart forever. If you find dark comedies as satisfying as I do, you might want to try one or more of the following titles: The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Realistic Young Adult Fiction

With a Dose of Grit

If you like your books to be anchored in reality, with authentic characters and believable plots, these are the books for you. Characters’ decisions and actions will be easy to relate to, because they are things that can -- and have -- happened.

Fairy Tales Your Way

Updated fairy tales for middle grade readers

Because myths and fairy tales are so well known, they can make a great backdrop for an author to play with story. There are a lot of great children's books that take a common story as the base, but where the author makes the tale their own. Here are some of my favorites:

cover image for The Case of the Missing Marquess

She's A Real Amateur

Female amateur sleuths who are better than the pros

Sure, sometimes being called an amateur's an insult, but when it comes to mystery novels, amateur detective status usually means you're the one showing the officials how it's done. Or even the only one perceptive enough to realize there's a mystery to be solved.

Mystery

Fairy Tales - Revised

Look at fairy tales in a new light

My favorite class in college was called "Revisioning the Classics." In this class, we read classic texts like Hamlet and Antigone, and then modern retellings like

Picks for Your Inner Sleuth

Mysteries you might have overlooked

Praying for Sleep by Jeffery Deaver Michael Hrubek escapes from a hospital for the criminally insane in search of the woman whose testimony put him away. With a tight time frame, it’s an edge-of-your-seat thriller. Think you know what’s going on? Don’t bet on it!

Mystery

Pages

Bored with your reading options? Feel like you've read all there is to read of a particular subject? DC Public Library is here to help.

You can:

Browse our subject areas and find something you like.
Start your personalized adventure with our questionnaire.
Get book suggestions from library staff where you are online.

Where we hang out online

Want to meet with other like minds but don't want to go somewhere? We have meetups online that all are invited to join.

Twitter

What's Happening @dcpl?	When?
#DCPLnewYA -- Jess shares the best of new YA fiction.	Fourth Mondays, 12 p.m.
#audaciousbooks -- This is the DC Public Library companion to author Roxane Gay's new Audacious Book Club.	Fourth Tuesdays, 6 p.m.
#brownbagdc Book Chat -- A weekly book club to discuss what we're reading and what you're reading, often on a theme.	Every Wednesday, 12 p.m.
#AskALibrarian -- Abigail and other librarians offer recommendations based on what type of book you express interest in reading.	Every Thursday, 12 p.m.
Graphic Novel Friday -- Dish about the best and worst of graphic novels on #graphicnovelfriday	Third Fridays, 1 p.m.

Pinterest

What's Happening?	When?
Various boards of Pin-able goodness: A Book For All Seasons, Advanced Elementary Reads, Contemporary Poetry, Judge Me Not, Multicultural Kids Reads, New Adult Fiction, Read Together, Teen Fantasy and more!	Any time!