Exeter Sustains Wind Storm

On Saturday, August 9 Exeter was hit by a thunderstorm and sustained wind speeds of 86+ mph. These winds brought extensive damage around the village. 

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Thriller

 An Inside Job: A Novel by Daniel Silva

Gabriel Allon has been awarded a commission to restore one of the most important paintings in Venice. But when he discovers the body of a mysterious woman floating in the waters of the Venetian Lagoon, he finds himself in a desperate race to recover a lost masterpiece by Leonardo da Vinci.

The painting, a portrait of a beautiful young girl, has been gathering dust in a storeroom at the Vatican Museums for more than a century, misattributed and hidden beneath a worthless picture by an unknown artist. Because no one knows that the Leonardo is there, no one notices when it disappears one night during a suspicious power outage. No one but the ruthless mobsters and moneymen behind the theft -- and the mysterious woman whom Gabriel found in a watery grave in Venice. A woman without a name. A woman without a face.

The Hamptons Lawyer: A Jane Smith Thriller by James Patterson and Mike Lupica

The Hamptons on Long Island is known for its beautiful beaches, its luxury lifestyle—and its exclusive legal advice. When Jane Smith takes on a famous celebrity client, she’s armed and ready: with brilliant arguments, hard evidence—and two Glocks. Yet she’s chased down, shot at, and risks contempt of court. That’s when mounting a legal defense turns into self-defense. Knowing every day in court could be her last, she’s a survivor. For now.

The Summer Guests: A Thriller by Tess Gerritsen

When former spy Maggie Bird retired to the seaside hamlet of Purity, Maine, she settled in for a quiet life with breathtaking views. But enemies from her past soon threatened to destroy everything.

Maggie survived, thanks to her wits and the collective intelligence of the Martini Club, the circle of ex-CIA friends in her cocktail-sipping book club. Their handiwork, however, caught the attention of young police chief Jo Thibodeau. Now Jo and her neighborhood ex-spies have an uneasy alliance.

After a teenager vanishes—and Maggie’s neighbor becomes the prime suspect—she joins the investigation, determined to prove her friend’s innocence. But the girl’s wealthy family pushes for an arrest. And when authorities discover a long-dead corpse in a nearby pond, the case becomes doubly complicated, with unthinkable ties to long-buried secrets.

As Jo grapples with two unexplained mysteries, the Martini Club races to uncover the truth behind shadowy secrets…before more lives are lost.

The Crash by Freida McFadden

Tegan is eight months pregnant, alone, and desperately wants to put her crumbling life in the rearview mirror. So she hits the road, planning to stay with her brother until she can figure out her next move. But she doesn't realize she's heading straight into a blizzard.

She never arrives at her destination.

Stranded in rural Maine with a dead car and broken ankle, Tegan worries she's made a terrible mistake. Then a miracle occurs: she is rescued by a couple who offers her a room in their warm cabin until the snow clears.

But something isn't right. Tegan believed she was waiting out the storm, but as time ticks by, she comes to realize she is in grave danger. This safe haven isn't what she thought it was, and staying here may have been her most deadly mistake yet.

And now she must do whatever it takes to save herself—and her unborn child.

Updated Pool Hours

Today-August 12th: Regular pool hours

Once EMF goes back to school on the 13th we will adjust our hours to work with their schedule and those of the lifeguards still in town.

Wednesday, August 13: 2:30-7:30pm

Thursday, August 14: 3:45-7:30pm

Friday, August 15: 2:30-7:30pm

Saturday, August 16: 1:30-5:30pm

Sunday, August 17: 1:30-5:30pm, 6:30-8:30pm

Monday, August 18: 3:45-7:30pm

Tuesday, August 19 (LAST DAY): 3:45-7:30pm

Thank you for a great pool season!

Community Grocery Conversation Highlights the Importance of Local Stores

When thinking about food and meals in their homes or community, what comes to mind? This was the question posed to community members by the Center for Rural Affairs (CFRA) at the Community Grocery Conversation held at the Exeter American Legion on Tuesday, August 5. About 40 patrons attended.

“Nutrition,” “variety,” “fresh,” and “support” were among the words used to describe local food and meals. CFRA’s goal in leading this conversation was to highlight the vital role grocery stores and small businesses play in Exeter and other small towns.

“I can send my 8-year-old to the store to grab an item, and I can trust that the staff will help him find exactly what we need,” said Matt Nicholas, referencing the reliable service at Greg’s Market. Community members also noted that Greg’s Market consistently supports local events, providing meals for lunch-and-learns, athletic events, and funerals.

Despite its central role in the community, Greg’s Market faces challenges competing with larger chain stores like Walmart, located 25 miles away. “Community members must be willing to pay more to keep a local store,” said one attendee, highlighting the ongoing struggle to balance price and loyalty.

“Convenience” was another word frequently mentioned when discussing the value of a local grocery store. Mitch Schlegelmilch, speaking on behalf of Greg’s Market, emphasized that the store and its board are always seeking ways to improve the shopping experience for local patrons.

One major initiative is a new 24/7 membership model, allowing members to shop outside regular business hours. “We first proposed this idea a year ago, and after community members trialed it, people are excited to see it implemented,” Mitch said.

Memberships will cost $96 per year per household, with discounts for “Hometown Heroes” including firefighters, police officers, EMTs, veterans, military service members, and teachers. Members will receive an RFID chip or card, along with a three-digit login and four-digit password, allowing access to the store and enabling consumers to scan and pay for items.

To ensure security, Greg’s Market has installed cameras that record from entry until exit. After-hours shopping comes with a few stipulations: purchases must be made with debit or credit cards only, and alcohol and tobacco cannot be purchased.

“The new security system and membership program cost Greg’s Market nothing, thanks to a CFRA grant,” Mitch noted. “We are taking a leap of faith.” Many attendees expressed excitement for the new program. CFRA reports that only one other store in Nebraska currently operates a similar 24/7 model. If all goes as planned, memberships will be available starting September 1.

For questions about the membership program or other store offerings, contact the staff at Greg’s Market. Support the store this week at their Open House: Thursday, August 7, from 6–8 p.m. for a $5 to-go meal, or Saturday, August 9, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. for a $5 to-go lunch. Additional events include a raffle entry with each purchase (ages 18+), “Spin the Wheel” (spend $5 to spin the “Alive for 5 Wheel of Destiny”), and $50 gift certificates at $5 off.

Supporting Greg’s Market means keeping a local business alive and thriving, ensuring fresh food and personalized service remain in Exeter.

Homegrown Parade | Exeter Days 2025

 

What's New on the Library Shelves | Romance

Angel Falls: A Novel by Kristin Hannah 

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell Liam not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at Mikaela’s bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows that he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

On Mystic Lake by Kristin Hannah

Annie Colwater's only child has just left home for school abroad. On that same day, her husband of twenty years confesses that he's in love with a younger woman. Alone in the house that is no longer a home, Annie comes to the painful realization that for years she has been slowly disappearing. Lonely and afraid, she retreats to Mystic, the small Washington town where she grew up, hoping that there she can reclaim the woman she once was—the woman she is now desperate to become again. In Mystic, she is reunited with her first love, Nick Delacroix, a recent widower unable to cope with his grieving, too-silent six-year-old daughter, Izzie. Together, the three of them begin to heal, and, at last, Annie learns that she can love without losing herself. But just when she has found a second chance at happiness, her life is turned upside down again, and Annie must make a choice no woman should have to make. . . .

This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune

Lucy is the tourist vacationing at a beach house on Prince Edward Island. Felix is the local who shows her a very good time. The only problem: Lucy doesn’t know he’s her best friend’s younger brother. Lucy and Felix’s chemistry is unreal, but the list of reasons why they need to stay away from each other is long, and they vow to never repeat that electric night again. It’s easier said than done. Each year, Lucy escapes to PEI for a big breath of coastal air, fresh oysters and crisp vinho verde with her best friend, Bridget. Every visit begins with a long walk on the beach, beneath soaring red cliffs and a golden sun. And every visit, Lucy promises herself she won’t wind up in Felix’s bed. Again. If Lucy can’t help being drawn to Felix, at least she’s always kept her heart out of it. When Bridget suddenly flees Toronto a week before her wedding, Lucy drops everything to follow her to the island. Her mission is to help Bridget through her crisis and resist the one man she’s never been able to. But Felix’s sparkling eyes and flirty quips have been replaced with something new, and Lucy’s beginning to wonder just how safe her heart truly is.

Home Again: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

Madelaine Hillyard is a world-famous heart surgeon at the top of her game. Her personal life is far less successful. A loving but overworked single mom, she is constantly at odds with her teenage daughter. At sixteen, Lina is confused, angry, and fast becoming a stranger to her mother—a rebel desperate to find the father who walked away before she was born. Complicating matters for Madelaine are the vastly different DeMarco brothers: While priest Francis DeMarco is always ready to lend a helping hand, his brother, Angel, long ago took on the role of bad boy. Years earlier Angel abandoned Madelaine—and fatherhood—to go in search of fame and fortune. His departure left Madelaine devastated, but now he reappears and seeks help from the very people he betrayed—as a patient in dire need.

Angel Falls: A Novel by Kristin Hannah

When Mikaela Campbell, beloved wife and mother, falls into a coma, it is up to her husband, Liam, to hold the family together and care for their grieving, frightened children. Doctors tell Liam not to expect a recovery, but he believes that love can accomplish what medical science cannot. Daily he sits at Mikaela’s bedside, telling her stories of the precious life they have built together, hoping against hope that she will wake up. But then he discovers evidence of his wife’s secret past: a first marriage to movie star Julian True.

Desperate to bring Mikaela back at any cost, Liam knows that he must turn to Julian for help. But will that choice cost Liam his wife, his family, and everything he holds dear? One of Kristin Hannah’s most moving novels, Angel Falls is a poignant and unforgettable portrait of marriage and commitment, of an ordinary man who dares to risk everything in the name of love.

Storybook Park Garden Party | Exeter Days 2025

The Exeter Public Library hosted a garden party and art activities at Storybook Park on Friday, July 25. This event include many yard games, art activities, and root beer floats. 

 

What's New on the Library Shelves? | Christian/Classic/Romance

 Reflections on the Psalms by C.S. Lewis

A repackaged edition of the revered author’s moving theological work in which he considers the most poetic portions from Scripture and what they tell us about God, the Bible, and faith. In this wise and enlightening book, C. S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and bestselling author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—examines the Psalms. As Lewis divines the meaning behind these timeless poetic verses, he makes clear their significance in our daily lives, and reminds us of their power to illuminate moments of grace.

The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition by Anne Frank

In a modern translation, this definitive edition contains entries about Anne’s burgeoning sexuality and confrontations with her mother that were cut from previous editions. Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl is among the most enduring documents of the twentieth century. Since its publication in 1947, it has been a beloved and deeply admired monument to the indestructible nature of the human spirit, read by millions of people and translated into more than fifty-five languages. Doubleday, which published the first English translation of the diary in 1952, now offers a new translation that captures Anne’s youthful spirit and restores the original material omitted by Anne’s father, Otto—approximately thirty percent of the diary. The elder Frank excised details about Anne’s emerging sexuality, and about the often-stormy relations between Anne and her mother. Anne Frank and her family, fleeing the horrors of Nazi occupation forces, hid in the back of an Amsterdam office building for two years. This is Anne’s record of that time. She was thirteen when the family went into the “Secret Annex,” and in these pages, she grows to be a young woman and proves to be an insightful observer of human nature as well. A timeless story discovered by each new generation, The Diary of a Young Girl stands without peer. For young readers and adults, it continues to bring to life this young woman, who for a time survived the worst horrors the modern world had seen—and who remained triumphantly and heartbreakingly human throughout her ordeal.

Inheritance: The Lost Bride #1 by Nora Roberts

"1806: Astrid Poole sits in her bridal clothes, overwhelmed with happiness. But before her marriage can be consummated, she is murdered, and the circle of gold torn from her finger. Her last words are a promise to Collin never to leave him…" Graphic designer Sonya MacTavish is stunned to learn that her late father had a twin he never knew about—and that her newly discovered uncle, Collin Poole, has left her almost everything he owned, including a majestic Victorian house on the Maine coast, which the will stipulates she must live in it for at least three years. Her engagement recently broken, she sets off to find out why the boys were separated at birth—and why it was all kept secret until a genealogy website brought it to light. Trey, the young lawyer who greets her at the sprawling clifftop manor, notes Sonya’s unease—and acknowledges that yes, the place is haunted…but just a little. Sure enough, Sonya finds objects moved and music playing out of nowhere. She sees a painting by her father inexplicably hanging in her deceased uncle’s office, and a portrait of a woman named Astrid, whom the lawyer refers to as “the first lost bride.” It’s becoming clear that Sonya has inherited far more than a house. She has inherited a centuries-old curse, and a puzzle to be solved if there is any hope of breaking it…