All next week we’ll have treats and prizes for the kids for Halloween, so stop by for early trick or treating!      
  
Cozy mysteries are mystery series that are usually light on the blood and guts with the main sleuth having an interesting backstory continuing throughout the series.  The library has just added a new series to the mystery section: the Meg Langslow Mysteries by Donna Andrews, all of which have a bird-themed title.  And, the latest, Lord of the Wings, comes just in time for a quick, fun Halloween themed read. Meg Langslow has the unusual profession of blacksmith in a small town in Virginia at beginning of the series, but by this book (#19 in the series) she is married to an actor and has twin boys to juggle.  While Meg is usually organizing things, this year she is just part of the Goblin Patrol, the local voluntary security force for the town’s huge Halloween festival. But when the police discover a dead body in the woods outside of town and then the Goblin Patrol finds a creepy and deadly Halloween scavenger hunt, Meg finds herself in the middle of a mystery yet again. On top of that the organizer of the festival disappears and Meg is put in charge again.  She juggles the Halloween festival, the murder mystery, and the ever-changing costume requests of two wiggly six-year-old boys.  Unlike some series this book doesn’t recap all the background details in the first few chapters, but it’s still understandable if you’d like to start with a seasonal read.  The library will have the rest of the back series available for check out as well.

You can get more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit.  

This Thursday the library will have a basic book repair workshop from 7 – 8 pm in the Schafer Room.  If you have questions or would like some quick tips on how to extend the life of your favorite book call the library by next Tuesday to sign up.         
  
If you’re a fan of mysteries, westerns, books set in rural surroundings, drily humorous dialogue, or characters from modern Native American life I’ve got a book that checks all those boxes. The Longmire series by Craig Johnson now has a 12th addition with Dry Bones. The main character of the series, Sheriff Walt Longmire, has quite the mystery on his hands. The most complete Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton to date has been found on ranch ground in rural Absaroka County, Wyoming. It’s a windfall for the local Museum and attracts great attention until the owner of the ground on which the skeleton was discovered turns up dead. Who would want to kill Danny Lone Elk? Danny’s family, his tribe, and the local government all step forward to claim the skeleton and the FBI comes in to help solve the mystery. What should have been a local celebration turns into a national political parade, and Sheriff Longmire wants things cleared up quickly. Meanwhile, the sheriff’s grown daughter visits from the east coast, but not for long. A family tragedy back home calls Sheriff Longmire’s daughter away to a mystery of her own. If you’d like to start the series from the beginning, the library has chosen to shelve these books in the western section, although mystery lovers will be sure to find something to like in this series too.

You can get more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit. 

This week the library will be having a used book sale in the Schafer Room on Thursday from 10 am to 7:30 pm, Friday from 10 am to 5 pm, and Saturday from 10 am to 1 pm.  All items will be $0.25 each, with a $1.00 a bag on Saturday.  Mysteries, westerns, large print, non-fiction, Christian fiction, regular fiction, audio books, DVDs, children’s books and more will be for sale, plus we’ll also have other drawings and giveaways. Come get some early Christmas shopping done!
   
James Patterson may be the most prolific popular author at this time, and his publishing rate certainly isn’t slowing down.  When his son was in high school the author discovered his teen didn’t like to read, and began writing and publishing very readable adventure books for the young adult market.  His Daniel X series is about a young teenage boy without parents who spends his time using supernatural powers to battle intergalactic monsters.  Now the last in the series has been published: Daniel X: Lights Out by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein.  Daniel has been systematically taking out the universe’s worst aliens, demons, and evil guys responsible for his parents’ deaths.  Aided by four imaginary friends that lend him extra powers, Daniel is down to the worst and last bad guy, called simply The Prayer.  Part giant bug and part all-powerful evil beast, this story’s main characters waste no time in jumping into the action, starting on page one!  Each chapter is only a few pages long so even reluctant teenage readers can make progress quickly.  This book definitely ends the series, but the action in the middle keeps you guessing right up until the (happy) ending.

You can get more great titles to watch, read, listen to, or play with at the Port Library at 1718 N. Hersey in Beloit.