{"id":19463,"date":"2025-07-24T02:28:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-24T02:28:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/19463\/"},"modified":"2025-07-24T02:28:10","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T02:28:10","slug":"fully-booked-at-dmpl-pageturners-for-any-mood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/19463\/","title":{"rendered":"Fully Booked at DMPL: Pageturners for any mood"},"content":{"rendered":"

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I\u2019ve just checked out the latest book by one of my favorite authors that I\u2019ve been anticipating for months. I am excited, ready to dive into what is sure to be a new favorite. After reading a few paragraphs, I lose focus. Even if the writing and plot are brilliant, I just don\u2019t feel like reading it. I only have a limited time to read this! What is wrong with me?<\/p>\n

I, like many readers, suffer from an unfortunate affliction. My name is Jes McCauley, and I am a mood reader. Every book I choose to pick up (or put down) simply must match my current vibe, whatever that may be. \u00a0<\/p>\n

This can be problematic, as both a librarian and an avid reader, because I have an endless TBR. I check out every new and shiny book, like a literary magpie, yet I find myself uninterested in reading about 75 percent of them. If you, like me, are deep in the mood-reading trenches, I\u2019m here with a few mood-specific suggestions.<\/p>\n

Are you desperate to escape the real world? Check out Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang, a cinematic, unputdownable fantasy that appeals to readers of all genres.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are you feeling a bit unhinged and want a book to match that energy? Check out Havoc by Christopher Bollen, an atmospheric psychological suspense novel about a meddlesome (and unhinged) elderly guest at a luxury hotel.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s so hot and humid outside, you may be cranky and need something to snap you out of it. Check out Woodworking by Emily St. James, a funny and heartwarming novel about Erica, a newly divorced closeted trans teacher who finds an unlikely bond with Abigail, a trans student navigating her senior year.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Are you completely overwhelmed and can\u2019t imagine sitting down with an ENTIRE BOOK? Check out The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw, a collection of genuinely short stories featuring four generations of characters grappling with their identities.<\/p>\n

If none of these recommendations match your current vibe, or if you would like help finding more books to read and love, let our librarians assist you in finding your next great read. Visit dmpl.org\/bookchat<\/a> to fill out a simple form and we\u2019ll send you a personalized list of recommendations for any mood.<\/p>\n

Jes McCauley is an adult services librarian at the Des Moines Public Library who truly believes in the power of a good book recommendation. When she\u2019s not behind the desk helping patrons, she\u2019s busy tending to her numerous houseplants, chilling with her cat Little Edie, and of course, reading. This article was originally published in Little Village\u2019s July 2025 issue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"I\u2019ve just checked out the latest book by one of my favorite authors that I\u2019ve been anticipating for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19464,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[5533,353,49,48,16573,75,16574],"class_list":{"0":"post-19463","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-books","8":"tag-book-reviews","9":"tag-books","10":"tag-ca","11":"tag-canada","12":"tag-des-moines-public-library","13":"tag-entertainment","14":"tag-fully-booked"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19463","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19463"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19463\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19464"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}