Holiday Magic on Main 2025

 

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Mystery, Thriller, Suspense Edition

A Child in the Storm by Emily Gunnis

1983. Pregnant at seventeen and turned out by her parents, Felicity finds refuge at the women's peace camp at Greenham Common. But when the camp is raided by police and Felicity goes into labour, her newborn baby is taken away.

2024. Emma is haunted by the night her careless actions caused a tragic accident and left her alone in the world. When a stranger shows her kindness, Emma doesn't think twice about sharing all her secrets, but who can she trust?

Adele steps into a nightmare when her daughter vanishes on her way home from school. When the police start to ask questions about her family, Adele is shocked to discover a hidden trail of lies. But can she unravel the secret that will lead to her missing daughter - before it's too late...

Three different women bound by a secret. Can the truth be found, and an old wrong made right?

Nash Falls by David Baldacci 

When Walter Nash is recruited by the FBI to help bring down a global crime network his life is turned completely upside down in this thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author David Baldacci.

Nash is an intelligent man, tough but fair-minded. He has a wife and a daughter and a very high-level position at Sybaritic Investments, where his innate skills and dogged tenacity have carried him to the top of the pyramid in his business career. Despite never going on grand adventures, and always working too many hours, he has a happy and upscale life with his family.

However, following his estranged Vietnam-veteran father’s funeral, Nash is unexpectedly approached by the FBI in the middle of the night. They have an important request: become their inside man to expose an enterprise that is laundering large sums of money through Sybaritic. At the top of this illegal operation is Victoria Steers, an international criminal mastermind that the FBI has been trying to bring down for years.

Nash has little choice but to accept the FBI’s demands and try to bring Steers and her partners to justice. But when Steers discovers that Nash is working with the FBI, she turns the tables on him in a way he never could have contemplated. And that forces Nash to take the ultimate step both to survive and to take his revenge: He must become the exact opposite of who he has always been.
And even that may not be enough.

Denied Access by Vince Flynn

The Central Intelligence Agency is in crisis.

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Congress is questioning the organization’s necessity. Interim CIA director Thomas Stansfield must fight for his agency’s survival while explaining why the previous candidate for his job was found murdered in a French hotel—surrounded by booze, cash, and dead men. Worst yet, a brilliantly run sting operation in Moscow has resulted in the arrest of America’s most prized Russian asset and the expulsion of his CIA handler.

With the CIA’s Moscow Station now paralyzed by the catastrophic intelligence failure, Stansfield seeks help from Mitch Rapp, a newly minted assassin in the secretive Orion program. But Rapp has problems of his own: when his Swiss girlfriend Greta’s grandfather receives a box containing the head of a former Cold War comrade along with a note promising that Greta’s head will be next, Rapp finds himself on the frontlines in a war between the American and Russian intelligence services. To protect the woman he loves and save the CIA from destruction, Rapp must be willing to risk everything.

The Widow by John Grisham

Simon Latch is a lawyer in rural Virginia, making just enough to pay his bills while his marriage slowly falls apart. Then into his office walks Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow in need of a new will. Apparently, her husband left her a small fortune, and no one knows about it.

Once he hooks the richest client of his career, Simon works quietly to keep her wealth under the radar. But soon her story begins to crack. When she is hospitalized after a car accident, Simon realizes that nothing is as it seems, and he finds himself on trial for a crime he swears he didn’t commit: murder.

Simon knows he’s innocent. But he also knows the circumstantial evidence is against him, and he could spend the rest of his life behind bars. To save himself, he must find the real killer….

The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly

Following his “resurrection walk” and need for a new direction, Mickey Haller turns to public interest litigation, filing a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a sixteen-year-old boy that it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend for her disloyalty.

Representing the victim’s family, Mickey’s case explores the mostly unregulated and exploding AI business and the lack of training guardrails. Along the way he joins up with a journalist named Jack McEvoy, who wants to be a fly on the wall during the trial in order to write a book about it. But Mickey puts him to work going through the mountain of printed discovery materials in the case. McEvoy’s digging ultimate delivers the key witness, a whistleblower who has been too afraid to speak up. The case is fraught with danger because billions are at stake.

It is said that machines became smarter than humans on the day in 1997 that IBM’s Deep Blue defeated chess master Garry Kasparov with a gambit called “the knight’s sacrifice.” Haller will take a similar gambit in court to defeat the mega forces of the AI industry lined up against him and his clients.

Exit Strategy by Lee Child

First—a Baltimore coffee shop. A seat in the corner, facing the door. Black coffee, two refills, no messing around. A minor interruption from two of the customers, but nothing he can’t deal with swiftly. As he leaves, a young guy brushes against him in the doorway. Instinctively Reacher checks the pocket holding his cash and passport. There’s no problem. Nothing is missing.

Second—a store to buy a coat. Nothing fancy. Something he can ditch when he heads to warmer climates. Large enough to fit a man the size of a bank vault. As he pulls out his cash, he finds something new in his pocket. A handwritten note. A desperate plea for help.

Third—wherever this bend in the road takes him. Impressed by the guy’s technique and intrigued by the message, Reacher makes it his mission to find out more . . .

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding?

Sharp Force by Patricia Cornwell

NO ONE IS SAFE FROM THE SERIAL KILLER 
 
NOT EVEN SCARPETTA… 
 
During the early hours of Christmas morning, chief medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta receives a chilling call. The Phantom Slasher has struck again. 

The serial killer has terrorized Northern Virginia for months. His pattern is to stalk with a sophisticated technology that enables him to invade his victims' homes and watch their every move. They wake up to a ghost-like hologram before being murdered in their beds. 
 
Scarpetta is summoned to Mercy Island, the site of a notorious psychiatric hospital where two people have been brutalized, one of them from Scarpetta’s past. It soon becomes apparent that she could be next… 

EMF One Act Brings Laughter to Stage with “Million Dollar Meatballs”

 The EMF One Act team is serving up plenty of laughs this season with their production of Million Dollar Meatballs, a fast-paced comedy chosen by new director, Kirsten Fike. With a six-member cast and a dedicated crew, the Bobcats have already performed for audiences across Exeter, Milligan, and Friend, earning enthusiastic responses along the way.

Fike said she knew right away that this year’s show needed to be something that brought joy to both the performers and the community. “I wanted a show that would make people laugh and give kids a chance to have fun on the stage,” she said. “From the moment I read this script, I could tell it was the right fit for us. I think everyone really appreciates the mix of physical humor and clever wordplay.”

The small cast has proven to be one of the production’s strengths. “The chemistry among the actors has really grown,” explained Fike. “They play off each other so well, and it has been exciting to watch that happen.” She praised the crew as well, calling them hardworking and investing in doing their jobs well. “We have a wonderful group of kids, and it has been rewarding to see everything come together.”

The team recently competed at Conference, where they placed sixth. Fike said the feedback they received has been both encouraging and motivating. “A lot of our critiques focused on making the characters ‘bigger’,” she said. “That actually shows that the foundation of our show is strong. We just need to build stronger characterization on top of that. With the talent these kids have, I’m confident they can accomplish something big at Districts.”

Community audiences have already embraced the show, filling each performance with laughter. Fike said the positive response has meant a lot to the students, especially to the seniors. “Sharing their work with the community means a lot, but it has been especially meaningful for our seniors to give back to the people who have supported them for so long.”

As a brand-new director at EMF, Fike said this season has been full of learning experiences. “I’ve been blessed with a supportive community, school, and group of students who have made every learning curve feel worthwhile,” she said. “The most rewarding part has been watching these students develop a passion for an activity I care deeply about and seeing them share that passion with others. I’m very thankful to be an EMF Bobcat.”

EMF Culinary Students Celebrate Family Traditions Through Holiday Cooking Unit

Students in EMF’s Family and Consumer Sciences program recently wrapped up a flavorful and heartfelt holiday cooking unit, led by new FCS teacher Mallory Gregory. From baking pies and cooking turkeys to sharing treasured family recipes, the experience blended culinary instruction with meaningful connections to home and tradition. 

Gregory said the inspiration behind the unit stems from her belief in the power of family and shared meals. “I’ve done this since my first year teaching culinary, knowing the foundation of society is family,” she explained. “Eating together and building experiences from one generation to another is one of the many strengths of the family. Some students don’t always get this opportunity, so giving them a chance to learn about food traditions while gaining skills they can use for their own families provides hope for building future families with a joy at the core.”

The hands-on unit offered students a wide range of skill-building opportunities. On the culinary side, students practiced everything from pastry crusts and pie making to simmering, reductions, tempering, and plate presentation, all while maintaining proper food safety. The life skills learned were just as important. “Communication, collaboration, teamwork, problem solving, time management, planning ahead, advocating for themselves, the list goes on,” Gregory said.

One of the most memorable elements of the unit came from students bringing in recipes tied to their own families. The variety impressed Gregory, as did the pride students took in sharing them. “I loved seeing the simplicity to the complexity of the stories behind each dish,” she said. “It was pretty cool to see students compliment each other’s food and to see that pride on their faces. It’s a true glimpse of what public school and community are all about.”

As the new FCS teacher at EMF, Gregory said the experience has helped her build strong connections with her students and establish a positive classroom environment. “Opening classes to industry skills that may spark career interest has been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “Our class comes together, celebrates each individual’s strengths, and takes pride in the work we’re doing. Lots of hustle, growth, thinking, problem solving, and laughter from the culinary kitchens at EMF. I couldn’t be more blessed to be part of that!”

Looking ahead, Gregory hopes to continue expanding the FCS program and strengthening career pathway options for students. “The biggest goal right now is to keep building our course offerings so students can continue advancing their skills year after year,” she said. She is especially excited to offer a Baking & Pastries course next semester, along with Doane University dual-credit options in Child Development and Intro to Education.

With a season filled with creativity, skill-building, and shared traditions, Gregory’s culinary program is already making a meaningful impact on students, and shaping memories they’ll carry with them for years to come.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Mystery and Thriller Edition

 The Tenant by Freida McFadden

Blake Porter is riding high, until he's not. Fired abruptly from his job as a VP of marketing and unable to make the mortgage payments on the new brownstone he shares with his fiancée, he's desperate to make ends meet.

Enter Whitney. Beautiful, charming, down-to-earth, and looking for a room to rent. She's exactly what Blake's looking for. Or is she?

Because something isn't quite right. The neighbors start treating Blake differently. The smell of decay permeates his home, no matter how hard he scrubs. Strange noises jar him awake in the middle of the night. And soon Blake fears someone knows his darkest secrets...

Danger lives right at home, and by the time Blake realizes it, it'll be far too late. The trap is already set.

The Missing Half by Ashley Flowers

Nicole “Nic” Monroe is in a rut. At twenty-four, she lives alone in a dinky apartment in her hometown of Mishawaka, Indiana, she’s just gotten a DWI, and she works the same dead-end job she’s been working since high school, a job she only has because her boss is a family friend and feels sorry for her. Everyone has felt sorry for her for the last seven years—since the day her older sister, Kasey, vanished without a trace.

On the night Kasey went missing, her car was found over a hundred miles from home. The driver’s door was open and her purse was untouched in the seat next to it. The only real clue in her disappearance was Jules Connor, another young woman from the same area who disappeared in the same way, two weeks earlier. But with so little for the police to go on, both cases eventually went cold.

Nic wants nothing more than to move on from her sister’s disappearance and the state it’s left her in. But then one day, Jules’s sister, Jenna Connor, walks into Nic’s life and offers her something she hasn’t felt in a long time: hope. What follows is a gripping tale of two sisters who will do anything to find their missing halves, even if it means destroying everything they’ve ever known.

Smuggler's Cove by Fern Michaels

Growing up, Madison Taylor and her younger brother Lincoln lived in privilege, but their sheltered existence abruptly ended when their father was arrested for fraud and the family assets were seized. Since then, Madison has carved out a new path, studying fashion and working her way up to editor in chief of La Femme magazine, while Lincoln teaches wealth management at a small college outside the city. Both have separated themselves from their family and their past—until an unexpected bequest arrives from their late uncle.

Madison and Lincoln are now the new co-owners of a marina at Smugglers Cove on the Navesink river. Instead of a fabulous, Hamptons-style property, Smugglers Cove offers little beyond a dilapidated dock, a few gas pumps, and a handful of clam boats. Madison’s plan to sell the property goes awry when a dead body is found floating under their dock and transforms their new inheritance into a crime scene.

Suddenly, Madison is swapping her city-girl wardrobe for cargo pants and flannel shirts, while she and Lincoln receive a crash course in small-town Jersey shore life, complete with quirky characters, pirate legends, and a mysterious treasure map. They’re discovering more about themselves and each other every day, but with a mystery to solve, and big decisions to make, these are lessons they’ll need to learn fast . . .

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Kid's Edition

 Investigators Series by John Patrick Green

With their Very Exciting Spy Technology and their tried-and-true, toilet-based travel techniques, the InvestiGators are undercover and on the case! And on their first mission together, they have not one but two mysteries to solve! Can Mango and Brash uncover the clues, crack their cases, and corral the crooks―or will the criminals wriggle out of their grasp?

Hands-On History at Filley Stone Barn and Pioneers Park

 In October, the EMF fourth grade students took a special field trip to the Filley Stone Barn to experience life as it was long ago. The day was filled with hands-on activities that helped everyone understand what life was like for early pioneers. Students watched a blacksmith work with glowing metal to shape useful tools and saw a marble being made right before their eyes. They also picked and husked corn, squeezed juice from cane sugared, and even used a large two-person saw to cut logs. One of the favorite parts of the morning was riding on a horse-drawn wagon, which gave everyone a real sense of how people traveled before cars existed. After a busy morning, the group headed to Pioneers Park for lunch. There, students enjoyed a nature walk where they crossed the suspension bridge and spotted buffalo grazing nearby. The trip was both fun and educational, giving students a chance to explore Nebraska's history and nature up close. Students came back tired but fill of excitement and new knowledge about pioneer life.

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Romance Edition

Santa's Holiday Spectacular by Fern Michaels

Christmas is so much more than tinsel, lights, and mistletoe. For onetime high school pals Amy, Frankie, Rachael and Nina, being together for the holidays has become a cherished tradition, whether they’re taking a trip or staying close to home.

There’s something special about giving back during the holiday season too, which is why Frankie is so dismayed when she learns that Salvation Army buckets are being pilfered all over town. Amy, Rachael, and Nina quickly agree to help her track down the thieves. It might not be their usual gathering, but it promises to be an adventure, especially when they bump into two women on a very similar quest . . .

Annie and Myra have learned that a shipment of children’s toys they sent to a charity event in New York City has been stolen. It looks like the thefts are connected, and it’s the kind of injustice that the ladies of the Sisterhood simply can’t abide. On a madcap spree through the city, the two groups join forces to find the bandits, save Christmas, and along the way, make this a holiday to remember for all the right reasons . . . 

The Summer I Turned Pretty trilogy by Jenny Han

Belly has always lived for the summertime, because summer means all her favorite things: swimming, the beach, and the Fisher boys, Conrad and Jeremiah. For as long as she can remember, she’s shared her summers with the brothers at Cousins Beach. And for as long as she can remember, she’s been in love with Conrad. Then one summer it seems like he might have feelings for her too—but so does Jeremiah.

As the summer seasons pass, Belly has to choose between two brothers who love her…and she’ll have to break one of their hearts.

This paperback collection of the complete series includes The Summer I Turned Pretty, It’s Not Summer Without You,and We’ll Always Have Summer.

Bobcats Take Third at State Tournament

EMF Lady Bobcats finished their 2025 volleyball season in third place.  Pictured from the left (front row) Alivia Luzum, Kiley Oldehoeft, Taylin Schluter, Kaydance Haase, Babe Weber; (second row) Alexis Paulsen, Kendall Filipi, Miley Ricenbaw, Sophia Weber, Avery Tuttle, Chezney Kanode, Lindsey Landis; (third row) Head Coach Madalynn Fousek, Gracie Vyhnalek, Brynnlye Johnson, Aniston Meints, Reese Tuttle, Makenna Pedersen, Assistant Coaches Katherine White and Taylor Erdkamp. Photo courtesy of Leesa Bartu.