New Arrivals
-
Planting for Pollinators
Planting for Pollinators is an easy-to-use gardening guide to help you encourage different types of insect pollinators into your garden.
Insect pollinators not only bring joy to our gardens, they also provide an essential service for our planet. Without bees, flies, hoverflies, butterflies, moths and beetles, some of our favourite foods, flowers and plants would cease to exist.
Whether you have a large garden, an urban balcony or just a window box, planting to encourage pollinators is a fantastic and surprisingly easy first step in creating a wildlife-friendly space. Planting for Pollinators features a wide range of plants, with guidance on the best ways to nurture lawns and verges, pollinator predation and tips on watching and photographing wildlife. Beautifully illustrated throughout with images from award-winning wildlife photographer Heather Angel, this essential guide will show you how plants communicate with insects, and why it's so important to protect our pollinators.
Organised by season and featuring more than 100 plant species – including bulbs, annuals, perennials, shrubs and climbers – this practical guide will help you to discover the short- and long-term benefits of having a variety of pollinators visit your garden. -
How to Keep Your Plants Alive
If you’re horticulturally challenged, then this book’s for you. Learn to be the best plant parent you can be with How to Keep Your Plants Alive, featuring over 50 houseplants that are exceptionally hard to kill.
We’ve all been there: your beloved plant is looking a little too droopy, but are you supposed to water it or have you overwatered it? Or maybe you meant to take care of it, but life got away from you and suddenly it’s been a week without any plant nurturement. When your houseplants continue to suffer no matter how much TLC you show them, it’s time to up your game with this beginner’s guide to plant parenting. With houseplant profiles detailing individual plant needs and vital tips, you’ll have all the knowledge you need to successfully care for your greenery. If you’d like to strike “Plant Assassin” from your résumé, then read on.
Inside you’ll find:
- 50+ low-maintenance houseplants with care and keeping instructions
- Tips for selecting the best houseplants for your home
- Warning signs for spotting a dying plant, plus the best rescue plans
- Beautiful illustrations of succulents, air plants, cacti, and more
Don’t have a green thumb? No problem. With How to Keep Your Plants Alive, your indoor plants will be flourishing in no time at all, no matter what you throw at them. -
Easy Money
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
"A smart, savvy road map through the mayhem of the cryptocurrency madness."
--RON CHERNOW, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Alexander HamiltonFrom "one of the crypto industry's unlikely but most prominent critics" (Washington Post), an entertaining and well-researched account of the rise and fall of cryptocurrency.
At the height of the pandemic, TV star Ben McKenzie was the perfect mark for cryptocurrency: a dad stuck at home with some cash in his pocket, worried about his family, armed with only the vague notion that people were making heaps of money on something he--despite a degree in economics--didn't entirely understand. Lured in by grandiose, utopian promises, and sure, a little bit of FOMO, McKenzie dove deep into blockchain, Bitcoin, and the various other coins and exchanges on which they are traded. But after scratching the surface, he had to ask, "Am I crazy, or is this all a total scam?"
In Easy Money, McKenzie enlists the help of journalist Jacob Silverman for an investigative adventure into crypto and its remarkable crash. Weaving together stories of average traders and victims, colorful crypto "visionaries," Hollywood's biggest true believers, anti-crypto whistleblowers, and government operatives, Easy Money is an on-the-ground look at a perfect storm of irresponsibility and criminal fraud. Based on original reporting across the country and abroad, including interviews with Sam Bankman-Fried, Tether cofounder Brock Pierce, Celsius's Alex Mashinsky, and more, this is the book on cryptocurrency you've been waiting for. -
The Breakaway
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets, and a life-changing journey.
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood summer sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.
Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right...or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invitation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.
But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the trip: her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.
Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways...and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love. -
Hurt You
With echoes of Marieke Nijkamp and Jason Reynolds, acclaimed author Marie Myung-Ok Lee's stunning YA homage to Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men tells the tragic story of a Korean American teen who fights to protect herself and her neurodivergent older brother from a hostile community.
Moving beyond the quasi-fraternal bond of the unforgettable George and Lenny from Of Mice and Men, Hurt You explores the actual sibling bond of Georgia and Leonardo da Vinci Daewoo Kim, who has an unnamed neurological disability that resembles autism. The themes of race, disability, and class spin themselves out in a suburban high school where the Kim family has moved in order to access better services for Leonardo.
Suddenly unmoored from the familiar, including the support of her Aunt Clara, Georgia struggles to find her place in an Asian-majority school where whites still dominate culturally, and she finds herself feeling not Korean "enough." Her one pole star is her commitment to her brother, a loyalty that finds itself at odds with her immigrant parents' dreams for her, and an ableist, racist society that may bring violence to Leonardo despite her efforts to keep him safe.
Hurt You is a deep exploration of family, society, and the bond between siblings and reflects the reality that people with intellectual disabilities are far more likely to be the victim of a violent crime, not the perpetrator.
-
Secrets in the Dark
Over a century after Jack, a new Ripper is on the loose.
Following in the footsteps of notorious serial murderer Jack the Ripper, a killer is stalking the streets of London. The self-dubbed Ripper King strikes at night, leaving a trail of eviscerated bodies in his wake. Fresh off a case with potential ties to the recent rash of killings, FBI agents Della Hamilton and Mason Carter are all too familiar with a slayer set to rule with a lethal fist. And they'll stop at nothing to end his reign.
The killer's MO may be nothing new, but his desire to be infamous makes him dangerous. Della and Mason know it's only a matter of time before their investigation emboldens this new Ripper, forcing the agents to work quickly before another woman winds up dead. But now that the heat is on, their game of cat and mouse takes an unexpected turn, leading Della and Mason into a deadly trap they never saw coming...
The Blackbird Trilogy
Book 1: Whispers at Dusk
Book 2: Secrets in the Dark
Book 3: Cursed at Dawn -
Notes on Complexity
"An electrifying introduction to complexity theory, the science of how complex systems behave--from cells to human beings, ecosystems, the known universe, and beyond--that profoundly reframes our understanding and illuminates our interconnectedness. Nothing in the universe is more complex than life. Throughout the skies, in oceans, and across lands, life is endlessly on the move. In its myriad forms--from cells to human beings, social structures, and ecosystems--life is open-ended, evolving, unpredictable, yet adaptive and self-sustaining. Complexity theory addresses the mysteries that animate science, philosophy, and metaphysics: how this teeming array of existence, from the infinitesimal to the infinite, is in fact a seamless living whole and what our place, as conscious beings, is within it. Physician, scientist, and philosopher Neil Theise makes accessible this "theory of being," one of the pillars of modern science, and its holistic view of human existence. He notes the surprising underlying connections within a universe that is itself one vast complex system--between ant colonies and the growth of forests, cancer and economic bubbles, murmurations of starlings and crowds walking down the street. The implications of complexity theory are profound, providing insight into everything from the permeable boundaries of our bodies to the nature of consciousness. Notes on Complexity is an invitation to trade our limited, individualistic view for the expansive perspective of a universe that is dynamic, cohesive, and alive--a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Theise takes us to the exhilarating frontiers of human knowledge and in the process restores wonder and meaning to our experience of the everyday"--Publisher's website.
-
The Beach at Summerly
"There are few more skilled practitioners of the craft of summer fiction than Beatriz Williams." -- The New York Times Book Review
A ravishing summer read from New York Times bestseller Beatriz Williams, sweeping readers back to a mid-century New England rich with secrets and Cold War intrigue.
June 1946. As the residents of Winthrop Island prepare for the first summer season after the sacrifice of war, a glamorous new figure moves into the guest cottage at Summerly, the idyllic seaside estate of the wealthy Peabody family. To Emilia Winthrop, daughter of Summerly's year-round caretaker and a descendant of the island's settlers, Olive Rainsford opens a window into a world of shining possibility. While Emilia spent the war years caring for her incapacitated mother, Olive traveled the world, married fascinating men, and involved herself in political causes. She's also the beloved aunt of the two surviving Peabody sons, Amory and Shep, with whom Emilia has a tangled romantic history.
As the summer wears on, Emilia develops a deep rapport with Olive, who urges her to leave the island for a life of adventure, while romance blossoms with the sturdy and honorable Shep. But the heady promise of Peabody patronage is blown apart by the arrival of Sumner Fox, an FBI agent who demands Emilia's help to capture a Soviet agent who's transmitting vital intelligence on the West's atomic weapon program from somewhere inside the Summerly estate.
April 1954. Eight years later, Summerly is boarded up and Emilia has rebuilt her shattered life as a professor at Wellesley College, when shocking news arrives from Washington--the traitor she helped convict is about to be swapped for an American spy imprisoned in the Soviet Union, but with a mysterious condition only Emilia can fulfill. A reluctant Emilia is summoned to CIA headquarters, where she's forced to confront the harrowing consequences of her actions that fateful summer, and a choice that could destroy the Peabody family--and Emilia's chance for redemption--all over again.
"Grand and gripping...shot through with suspense, romance, and glorious, beach-laden locales. I could not put it down."--Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Mitford Affair
-
Crocheting For Dummies with Online Videos
Get hooked on the art of crochet
The crochet craze has taken the craft world by storm. If you've caught the bug and want to take your skills from beginner to beguiling, look no further than the friendly guidance in this bestselling guide. In Crocheting For Dummies, 3rd Edition, you'll find out how to choose the right hooks and yarns to complete your project, switch colors as you go, utilize various crochet stiches for different looks, and so much more. Online companion project videos will help readers master the concepts and techniques covered in the book.
Julia Roberts and countless other celebrities are doing it—and you can, too! Taking the intimidation out of the timeless art of crocheting, this updated edition gives crafters of every skill level the knowledge and know-how to choose the right tools, create basic stitches, and finish off their work to make beautiful pieces of art. From learning to create consistency with gauge swatches to decoding patterns, symbols, and diagrams, this easy-to-follow guide is all you need to create beautiful designs in no time!
- Includes fresh new patterns, stitches, and techniques
- Covers common crocheting mistakes and how to correct them
- Provides guidance on crocheting with eco-awareness, like working with organic yarns, tie-dye yarns, and free trade and sustainably sourced fibers
- Gets you up to speed on resources and events held within the crochet community
- Provides free online access to videos to teach you how to tackle various stitches and crochet in the round
Whether you're a first-time crocheter or looking to expand your skillset, Crocheting For Dummies gives you everything you need to get hooked like a pro.
-
How to Be a Rule-Breaking Letterer
Break the rules, embrace imperfection, and express your unique self through lettering art!
This book is for anyone who's felt the pressure of perfection. As a schoolgirl in Vietnam and later in online lettering classes, Huyen Dinh was always told to perfect her penmanship. Instead, she started embracing her own imperfect style--with squiggly lines, cheeky messages, and pastel colors.
In this upbeat guidebook, Dinh walks you through the basic rules of lettering and then teaches you how to break them in clever and creative ways. She shares challenges and triumphs from her own artistic journey and offers inspiration as well as technical tips. You can use your new lettering skills to tell your personal story, support a cause you care about, or decorate your tote bags and sneakers! Fully illustrated in Dinh's signature pastel palette, this book is the perfect companion for any aspiring creative.
EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN ONE BOOK: This fresh and fun guide includes:
- Affirmations for a positive mindset
- Lettering language 101
- A step-by-step guide from brainstorming to finished art
- Inspiration for telling your story through lettering
- Fun DIY projects with how-to instructions
- And much more
MAKES LETTERING FUN: No need to sweat over creating technically perfect calligraphy. Instead, let this guidebook infuse your creative projects with fun. Lettering is a chance to explore your personal style and share your passions with the world.
EMPOWERING MESSAGE: By sharing her own story, Dinh offers inspiration for anyone who dreams of a creative career, especially other young Asian American women. This is an approachable and inclusive handbook for pursuing your artistic goals.
RISING STAR: Huyen Dinh's refreshing honesty and irresistible illustration style have resonated with thousands of fans online. Her lettering art has graced murals, sweatshirts, magazine covers, and more. With this book, she welcomes anyone to join her in creating perfectly imperfect lettering.
Perfect for:
- Letterers, artists, and illustrators looking for a fun and practical resource
- Students of all ages looking for a creative outlet
- Casual creatives and hobbyists who love hand lettering, drawing with letters, and font, alphabet, and script design
- Fashionistas who want to add personal flair to their accessories
- Engaged couples doing hand-lettered DIY wedding invites
- Pinterest addicts and bullet journaling enthusiasts seeking new letter design ideas and inspiration
Upcoming Events
Friends of the Library Meeting
Friends of the Library Meeting
Tots and Tunes and Tales
Picture Book Theater
Library News

The Farmington Libraries are looking for local artisans to participate in our 2024 Maker Fair. This event is tentatively scheduled for Sunday, March 24 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at the Main Library, 6 Monteith Drive, Farmington.

Monday: 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Thursday: 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Friday: 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Only one ride per visit!

Girl Scout Troop 66309 will be in the Lobby at the Farmington Main Library on Saturday, September 23, between 2:00 and 5:00 PM, to provide visitors with information on Braille, introduce the Braille books that they purchased for the children's collection, and offer a bookmark activity. All are w

Do you have what it takes to go up against teens from Simsbury & Avon in our Percy Jackson Trivia challenge? Show off your Percy Jackson knowledge and join us at the Avon Public Library for the ultimate trivia competition!
Registration Required! Open to those in Grades 6-12.