Mendocino Community Library Newsletter Summer 2026
Welcome to the new Mendocino Community Library Newsletter! We are excited to bring you the latest updates, events, and news from our vibrant library community. Once you’ve read this newsletter, I’d like to challenge you to think of a suitable name for it. Email your ideas plus any feedback to [email protected].
Sarah Nathe, Board Chair
New Arrival Highlights We have added many new titles this year, including best-selling novels, nonfiction, and children’s books. Stop by and browse our shelves or ask a librarian for recommendations! Later in this newsletter you’ll see a longer list of new titles on our shelves in all the main categories.
A few highlights include Tayari Jones’s new novel Kin (Fiction), in which two girls, Annie and Vernice, are both robbed of their mothers while still infants. They grow up together in the tiny town of Honeysuckle, LA, but they are fated for different paths. As they follow them, they learn about mothers and daughters, friendship and sisterhood, and the complexities of being a Black woman in the South.
The Golden Gate by Amy Chua (Mystery) is her debut historical mystery novel, set in 1944 Berkeley, California, involving the assassination of a presidential candidate connected to a decade-old death at the Claremont Hotel. This noir-style detective story blends in fascinating historical fiction while exploring themes of race, class, and power in wartime California.
The Correspondent (Fiction) by Virginia Evans is about the comforts of literature & connections with other people. Most mornings, Sybil Van Antwerp, a retired lawyer, sits down to write letters: to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to critique their books, and to one person to whom she never sends the letters.
From the bestselling author of Too Big to Fail comes a narrative of the infamous stock market crash: 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How it Shattered a Nation. Andrew Ross Sorkin takes you inside the battle between Wall Street and Washington, and studies the characters whose ambition and naïveté led to disaster.
2026 ‘Study Club’ Reading Challenge Beginning this Summer, MCL is beginning a ‘Reading Challenge’. Each month, we encourage you to read a book from a specific category which our library staff can help you find. It would be great if you shared your choice and also your review on your Facebook page with the hashtag #MCLChallenge2026 and then share your posts to our Facebook page (facebook.com/mendocinocommunitylibrary ).
July: Any book with the word ‘Summer’ in its title. We have hundreds to choose from!
August: Any book about ‘Travel’. We have over 150 books to choose from.
September: Any book from our ‘Pop-up’ paperback shelf.
Upcoming Library & Community Events
July 4th Parade. MCL will be participating in the parade. Come and cheer us on, or volunteer to help. If you want to get into the July 4th spirit consider checking out the DVD Independence Day (1996) starring Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum, and for our younger audience consider reading The 4th of July Story (J/973.31/DAL)
July 11-25: Mendocino Music Festival. Get in the mood by finding music-related books, DVDs and puzzles. The featured artist this year is Beethoven, and your library has several choices related to him. Beethoven: The Man Revealed (920/BEE) by John Suchet is a popular biography that explores his turbulent life. For our younger readers, The Heroic Symphony (J/CEL) by Anna Harwell Celenza is an illustrated book that focuses on his third symphony, originally written to celebrate Napoleon’s victories. For movie fans, consider Copying Beethoven (DVD 2006) featuring Diane Kruger and Ed Harris which gives a fictionalized account of the composer’s last years.
July 30 – August 1: Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. If you are a budding author, MCL has numerous books about writing such as the wonderful Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott (Non-Fiction 808.02/LAM) or to inspire our younger readers, consider Rocket Writes a Story by Tad Hills (Juvenile – JE/HIL). If you just what a taut psychological thriller about writers, consider the 2023 book The Writing Retreat: A Novel by Julia Bartz (Fiction – BAR)
September 7-13: Mendocino Open Paint Out. Organized by the Mendocino Art Center, MOPO offers a unique opportunity for artists, visitors and residents to build community around a shared love for art and nature. If art appeals to you, check out the Complete Guide to Watercolor Painting by Edgar A. Whitney (Non-Fiction: 751.422/WHI) or John Robinson’s How to Paint Seascapes in Watercolor (Non-Fiction: 751.422/ROB).
Hidden Gems Our catalogue includes many award-winning novels. One highlight is Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie (Fiction: RUS) which is a loose allegory for events in 1947 British Raj India and after the partition of India. This novel won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981 and the Best of the Booker in 1993 & 2008.
Another highlight is Truman by David McCullough (Non-Fiction: 920/TRU). This 1992 Pulitzer winner is a comprehensive account of the 33rd U.S. President, Harry S. Truman portraying him as an ordinary "man from Missouri" who, through diligence and integrity, became a courageous leader, handling massive challenges like the atomic bomb and the Cold War.
Ten years ago in 2016, Spotlight won the Oscar® for Best Picture and Best Screenplay. The film is noted for its restrained, procedural focus on the work of journalism at Boston Globe rather than sensationalism. Other 2016 winners were Leonardo Di Caprio (Best Actor) for his role in The Revenant while Mad Max: Fury Road swept many of the technical categories. All of these films are available in our video library.
Crime Genre Scandinavian noir (or Nordic noir) is a crime fiction genre from Nordic countries like Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. In brief, it’s known for dark, bleak tones with moody settings, like cold landscapes, and long winters. The novels often feature flawed, troubled detectives rather than heroic ones and the narrative often delivers a social critique by using crime to explore issues like inequality, immigration, corruption, or the cracks in welfare states. Many of the genre’s best-selling authors are available in our mystery collection. Consider Macbeth by Jo Nesbø (Norway), Reykjavik: A Crime Story by Ragnar Jónasson (Iceland) or The Stranger by Camilla Läckberg (Sweden) which is available on audio CD.
Book Awards & Best Sellers All of the following books are best-sellers this year according to the New York Times and are available at MCL. Fiction titles include The Widow by John Grisham, The Housemaid by Freida McFadden, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, Theo of Golden by Allen Levi, Judge Stone by Viola Davis & James Patterson, and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. Mystery titles include Dear Debbie by Freida McFadden and The Crossroads by C. J. Box. Lastly a non-fiction to consider is1929 by Andrew Ross Sorkin.
New Arrivals Below are some of our newest arrivals. A complete list is in the online catalog which can be accessed via the buttons on the front page of our website.
Fiction:Transcription by Ben Lerner; American Han by Lisa Lee; Python's Kiss by Louise Erdrich; Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke; Brawler by Lauren Groff; A Far-flung Life by M.L. Stedman; American Fantasy by Emma Straub; Last One Out by Jane Harper; Son of Nobody by Yann Martel Mystery:Revenge Prey by John Sandford; Hope Rises by David Baldacci; The Body of David Hayes by Ridley Pearson; Killer (Alex Delaware) by Jonathan Kellerman; Day of Judgement by Charles Todd; The Most Mysterious Bookshop in Paris by Mark Pryor; The Keeper by Tana French; The Vanishing Box (Brighton Mysteries) by Elly Griffiths; The Crossroads (Joe Pickett) by C.J. Box; Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbo. Non-Fiction:Vesper Flights by Helen MacDonald; When The Forest Breathes by Suzanne Simard; Mind of the Raven by Bernd Heinrich; Streetwise by Lloyd Blankfein; We Did OK, Kid by Sir Anthony Hopkins; Framed – Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham; My Next Breath by Jeremy Renner; Saving the Grey Whale by Serge Dedina; The Hidden Language of Cats by Sarah Brown. Media: The following films were recently added, and none is available on Netflix! Hamnet (2025) – Oscar Winner; Sinners (2025) – Multiple Oscar Winner; One Battle After Another (2025) – Multiple Oscar Winner; Notting Hill (1999) – BAFTA Winner; Black Bag (2025) – WGA Award Winner; The Ballad of Wallis Island (2025) – Multiple British Independent Film Awards. Puzzles:Novel Neighborhood (1000 pc); Mushroom Rainbow (1000 pc); British Classics (1000 pc); Peacock Garden (750 pc); Holly Birds (500pc); Garden Pups (500 pc).
Facebook If you aren’t following us on Facebook, please join us there as we refresh our profile. We will be sharing updates on new acquisitions, hidden gems, our #MCLChallenge2026 and upcoming events. We’ll also introduce you to our volunteers and keep you updated on news and happenings at your library. Go to: Facebook.com/MendocinoCommunityLibrary to join the conversation.
Volunteer & Support Opportunities The library is seeking volunteers to help expand our hours and assist with other functions. If you are interested in joining our dedicated team, please visit the front desk. Other ways you can support the library is through donating books or making a financial contribution. While our membership dues help keep the lights on, donations enable us to acquire more books, media & puzzles.
Library Jokes
Why did the library book feel so confident? It had spine!
Why did the librarian slip on the library floor? She was in the non-friction section.
How do librarians flirt? They check you out!
Closing Thoughts We hope you’ve enjoyed this summer newsletter. If you have any suggestions on how we can add value to you, our members, through this newsletter’s content then do email us at: [email protected] .
Thank you for supporting the Mendocino Community Library and if you are not yet a member, please consider joining us now by asking any team member.