December marks the beginning of the Delaware County District Library’s winter programming, and with it comes the kick off to the annual Winter Reading Club. The goal of the Winter Reading Club is to give all DCDL patrons the opportunity to read or experience a library program, even during the cold and dark winter months.

Pick up one of the library’s quarterly “Check it Out” newsletters or stop by a branch – Delaware, Orange, Ostrander, Powell or Liberty – to grab a bookmark and get started on your Winter Reading Club challenge. You can also view details and download your bookmarks from www.delawarelibrary.org/WinterReading.

Fill the four spaces on the bookmark with books you’ve read or programs you’ve attended. Any combination of books or programs may fill the four lines. When the bookmark is full, return it to your home library branch and place it in a prize basket of your choice.

The baskets are filled with things from new books and library goodies to gift cards and other unexpected surprises. They are themed for three age groups: 0-5 years old, 6-12 years old, teen and adult. The participant can choose any basket they’d like to win. Whether you’re a grandparent entering to win goodies for your grandkids, or a teen who prefers the gift cards of the adult basket – it’s readers’ choice!

Participants may fill out as many bookmarks as they are able. The Delaware County District Library Winter Reading Club runs from Dec. 1 through Jan. 31. That’s the joy of the Winter Reading Club, the more you read and attend, the more likely your chances are to win a prize. The first week of February our staff at each location will randomly select the bookmarks for each prize basket and give our winners a call.

For those who need help finding a book or looking for a great recommendation, stay tuned for next week’s column when I talk about the return of our semi-annual Personalized Picks program at the Delaware County District Library.

This week, we jump into Fantasy and Science Fiction recommendations that are new on our shelves at the Library. See what you’ll add to your winter reading list.

• “The Hexologists” by Josiah Bancroft. When Hexologists Iz and Warren Wilby (reluctantly) take on a case involving the King of Luthland, they soon find themselves embroiled in supernatural intrigue. This fast-paced series opener by the author of “Senlin Ascends” introduces a husband-and-wife team of magical investigators, a Victorian-inspired gaslamp fantasy world, and a central mystery full of twists and turns.

• “The Hurricane Wars” by Thea Guanzon. For years, Lightweaver Talasyn has managed to conceal her forbidden magic as she fights for the Sardovian Allfold against the invading Night Empire. That changes after a battlefield encounter with Prince Alaric, the Master of the Shadowforged Legion and heir to the throne. This opening installment of the “Hurricane Wars” series offers a slow-burning, enemies-to-lovers romantic fantasy set against the backdrop of a Southeast Asian-inspired world at war.

• “The Pomegranate Gate” by Ariel Kaplan. When the Queen of the Sefarad orders all Jews to convert or face exile, Toba Peres flees her home and, after becoming separated from her fellow refugees, stumbles into the Mirror Realm, a strange world inhabited by powerful beings called Maziks. This marks the first book in the “Mirror Realm” series.

• “The Shadow Speaker” by Nnedi Okorafor. In 2074 Niger, teenaged “shadowspeaker” Ejii Ugabe embarks on a quest to find her father’s murderer and, along the way, meets Dikéogu Obidimkpa, who’s not what he seems. Originally published in 2007, this revised and expanded edition of the 1st book in Nnedi Okorafor’s “Desert Magician” duology adds depth and detail to the story’s compelling characters and intriguing post-apocalyptic world.

• “The Navigating Fox” by Christopher Rowe. In disgrace after the failure of his last expedition, “knowledgeable” fox Quintus Shu’al, the only creature capable of navigating the mystical Silver Roads, gets a chance to redeem himself by leading a new party on a dangerous mission. Parallel narratives gradually reveal the secrets of Quintus’ past, as well as those of the world he inhabits, in this inventive science fantasy debut.

• “The Fragile Threads of Power” by V.E. Schwab. This spin-off of the “Shades of Magic” series picks up seven years after the events of “A Conjuring of Light,” reuniting readers with familiar characters Kell, Delilah Bard, Alucard Emery, and King Rhy Maresh, while introducing new ones, including magical tinkerer Tesali “Tes” Ranek and the determined Queen Kosika of White London.

• “The Salvation Gambit” by Emily Skrutskie. When their luck finally runs out, Hark’s all-women crew of con artists – including hacker Murdock, driver Bea, and smooth-talking Fitz – end up on a prison ship run by a sentient AI in this action-packed SF thriller by the author of “Bonds of Brass.”

If you have a question that you would like to see answered in this column, mail it to Nicole Fowles, Delaware County District Library, 84 E. Winter St., Delaware, OH 43015, or call us at 740-362-3861. You can also email your questions by visiting the library’s web site at www.delawarelibrary.org or directly to Nicole at [email protected]. No matter how you contact us, we’re always glad you asked!