Smithers Public Library

Highlights

What's Happening

Visit the link below for a full list of upcoming programs and events:

Saturday, May 25th, 11:00 a.m.

Before the community Pride Celebration kicks off on Main Street from 12:00 to 2:00 p.m., join us for a storytime event celebrating diversity and inclusivity. Stories, songs, and a fun craft will feature LGBTQ+2S characters and themes. Everyone is welcome!

May to October 2019
(last Wed of the month)

What do you do with a broken toaster? Or that pair of pants with a hole? Toss it? No way! Smithers Public Library is hosting a Repair Café where volunteer fix-it experts and tools will be available to help make repairs so you can keep those items in use and out of the landfill.

This program is sponsored by the Regional District of Bulkley Nechako and Wetzin’kwa Community Forest Corporation.

Smithers Library-Gallery Project

Fundraising in action

In April 2019, Pacific Northern Gas (PNG) joined the growing list of generous donors who have stepped up to support the Smithers Library-Gallery Project with a generous donation of $5000. The project has received more than half of the $1 million in community contributions it targeted this past year. The fundraising committee thanks the many generous donors who stepped up in this first phase (for details, read the Feb 28, 2019 press release).

Wally Bergen, Fundraising Committee Co-chair, stated on behalf of the Committee that the community has shown tremendous initial support: “We can be proud and continue to move forward with the successful completion of this invaluable project.”

In the coming months, there will be an opportunity for the wider community to make donations to this project and help build a lasting legacy for Bulkley Valley residents to enjoy for generations to come.

New Arrivals

Careless love
Robinson, Peter

"Two suspicious deaths challenge DS Alan Banks and his crack investigative team. A young local student's body is found in an abandoned car on a lonely country road. The death looks like suicide, but there are too many open questions for Banks and his team to rule out foul play. The victim didn't own a car. She didn't even drive. How did she get there? Where--and when--did she die? Did someone move her, and if so, why? A man in his sixties is found dead in a gully up on the wild moorland. He is wearing an expensive suit and carrying no identification. Post mortem findings indicate that he died from injuries sustained during a fall. Was it an accident--did he slip and fall? Or was he pushed? Why was he up there? And why are there no signs of a vehicle near where he fell? As the inconsistencies multiply and the mysteries surrounding these two cases proliferate, a source close to Annie reveals a piece of information that shocks the team and impacts the investigations. An old enemy has returned in a new guise--a nefarious foe who will stop at nothing, not even murder, to get what he wants. With the stakes raised, the hunt is on. But will Banks be able to find the evidence to stop him in time?" -- from Amazon.com

The Cornwalls are gone
Patterson, James

In her career as an Army intelligence officer, Amy Cornwall has seen haunting sights half a world away. None compare to the chilling scene at her Virginia home. A phone rings with a terrifying ultimatum: locate and liberate an unnamed captive in forty-eight hours, or her kidnapped husband and ten-year-old daughter are dead. Amy must employ every lethal tactic she has to save them. To succeed, she must discover not only who dispatched her on this mission, but why.

White elephant : a novel
Langsdorf, Julie

"The White Elephant looms large over the quaint suburban town of Willard Park: a gaudy, newly constructed behemoth of a home, it soars over the neighborhood, dwarfing the houses that surround it. When owner Nick Cox cuts down Allison and Ted Millers’ precious red maple—in an effort to make his unsightly property more appealing to buyers—their once serene town becomes a battleground. While tensions between Ted and Nick escalate, other dysfunctions abound: Allison finds herself compulsively drawn to the man who is threatening to upend her quietly organized life. A lawyer with a pot habit and a serious midlife crisis skirts his responsibilities. And in a quest for popularity, a teenage girl gets caught up in a not-so-harmless prank. Newcomers and long-time residents alike begin to clash in conflicting pursuits of the American Dream, with trees mysteriously uprooted, fires set, fingers pointed, and lines drawn.White Elephant is an uproarious, tangled-web tale of neighbor hating neighbor (and neighbor falling head over heels for neighbor). Soon, peaceful Willard Park becomes a tinderbox with nowhere to go but up in flames."--

Wild card
Woods, Stuart

"Stone Barrington and his latest paramour are enjoying a peaceful country retreat when their idyll is broken by an unwelcome stranger. He was sent by an enemy, someone who'd be happy to silence Stone and all his collaborators for good . . . only it's soon clear that Stone is not an easy man to target.But with boundless resources and a thirst for vengeance, this foe will not be deterred, and when one plot fails another materializes. Their latest plan is more ambitious and subtle than any they've tried before, and the consequences could remake the nation. With the country's future in the balance, Stone will need to muster all his savvy and daring to defeat this rival once and for all."--Provided by the publisher.

Blood oath
Fairstein, Linda A

Assistant DA Alexandra Cooper of the Manhattan Sex Crimes Unit is finally back at work following a leave of absence. With more women feeling empowered to name their abuser, Alex is eager to return to the courtroom to do what she does best. But even she can't anticipate the complexity of her first case when she meets Lucy, a young woman who testified years earlier at a landmark federal trial ... and now reveals that she was sexually assaulted by a prominent official during that time.

Deep harbor
Michaels, Fern

When Carol Ann "CJ" Jansen lost her beloved older brother, Kick, in a boating accident, she came adrift. Kick had taken on the role of caring for his little sister after their parents were killed in a car crash. Inheriting half his fortune has left CJ financially secure--yet needing a purpose. As administrative assistant to powerful congressman Snapper Lewis, she's immersed herself in the exciting and often tumultuous world of politics. But suddenly, the career that anchors her life is threatened. CJ stumbles upon information that could implicate her boss in corruption. When the congressman goes missing, the closer CJ gets to uncovering the truth, exposing one shocking secret after another, the more she wonders if she's also in jeopardy. Moving to a small New England town for her own protection, CJ gradually begins to engage with her new surroundings. Her blossoming friendship with the owner of a charter fishing boat offers the promise of much more. But before she can claim happiness, CJ must navigate a course through all her doubts and fears, and trust that this time, the water that took so much from her might just lead her safely home.

We all fall down
Kalla, Daniel

Alana Vaughn, an infectious diseases expert with NATO, is urgently summoned to Genoa to examine a critically ill patient. She's stunned to discover that the illness is a recurrence of the Black Death. Alana suspects bioterrorism, but her WHO counterpart, Byron Menke, disagrees. In their desperate hunt to track down Patient Zero, they stumble across an 800-year-old monastery and a medieval journal that might hold the secret to the present-day outbreak.

The American agent
Winspear, Jacqueline

When Catherine Saxon, an American correspondent reporting on the war in Europe, is found murdered in her London digs, news of her death is concealed by British authorities. Serving as a linchpin between Scotland Yard and the Secret Service, Robert MacFarlane pays a visit to Maisie Dobbs, seeking her help. He is accompanied by an agent from the US Department of Justice--Mark Scott, the American who helped Maisie get out of Hitler's Munich in 1938. MacFarlane asks Maisie to work with Scott to uncover the truth about Saxon's death. As the Germans unleash the full terror of their blitzkrieg upon the British Isles, raining death and destruction from the skies, Maisie must balance the demands of solving this dangerous case with her need to protect Anna, the young evacuee she has grown to love and wants to adopt. Entangled in an investigation linked to the power of wartime propaganda and American political intrigue being played out in Britain, Maisie will face losing her dearest friend--and the possibility that she might be falling in love again.

War Valley
Hill, Lancaster

"Hank Gannon grew up on a Florida plantation. He fought alongside his brothers-in-arms in the Civil War. Then he joined the Texas Special Police to help build a more peaceful union—and a future for his beloved Constance. That was the plan. But when a prisoner dies in his custody, Gannon is forced to leave Austin and head into Comanche territory. Alone but undaunted, he meets up with Roving Wolf— who has just slain a former soldier from his unit. Gannon can’t let the killing go unpunished. Even here, in this Godforsaken valley, the law must be upheld." -- Publisher

Cobra traitor
Zahn, Timothy

The reconciliation
Simpson, Susan Lantz

The cowboy next door
Ryan, R. C.

Returning home to his family's ranch, cowboy Sam Monroe meets new housekeeper Penny Cash, who takes an instant dislike to him, until he proves his worth when trouble comes calling.

Low Country hero
McClain, Lee Tobin

1636 : the Vatican sanctions
Flint, Eric

The folded land : a Relics novel
Lebbon, Tim

Fleeing the Kin, evil creatures of the underworld, Angela returns to the United States, but when her niece is struck by lightning, she and her lover Vince must face a Kin uprising to rescue the girl from certain death.

Mission to Methone
Johnson, Les (Charles Les)

"The year is 2065 and an accidental encounter in space leads to the discovery that we are not alone and that our continued existence may be in jeopardy. Scientist Chris Holt, working at the Space Resources Corp., discovers that one of the asteroids he is surveying for mining is actually a derelict spaceship. What Earth doesn't know is that across the galaxy, a war has been underway for millennia. A war between alien civilizations that have very different ideas about what should be done about emerging spacefaring civilizations like our own. The artificial intelligence resident in the derelict has been in our solar system since before the dawn of human civilization, watching, waiting and keeping quiet lest the war return and wipe out humanity."--Provided by publisher.

The Skaar invasion
Brooks, Terry

That ain't witchcraft
McGuire, Seanan

After fleeing from the Covenant of St. George, Antimony Price finds herself in debt to the crossroads and running for her life. Nof family. No mice. No way out. Luckily she's always been resourceful and has been gathering allies as she travels.

Stranglehold
Johnstone, William W.

"Here in America, life is full of surprises. Duff never expected to hear from his old friend Charles McGregor, his batallion commander from the Black Watch Regiment of Her Majesty’s army. Turns out McGregor lives in New Mexico now. And he needs Duff’s help. He’s started a new life as the mayor of Antelope Wells—a mining town that’s being targeted by a power-hungry madman Ebenezer Schofield, who wants to declare the whole area an independent principality—and himself as king. He’s already squeezing taxes out of the local businesses and citizens. But no one has the guts to stop him. Because Parker’s got his own private army of fifty uniformed men, six Mexican revolution cannons—and a traitor working on his side in the heart of Antelope Wells . . ." -- Publisher

The spoilers & the warlords
Braun, Matt

"In The Spoilers, private detective Luke Starbuck has been hired to ferret out the Judas working for the Central Pacific-a mastermind behind a string of train robberies. The target: gold shipments from the Frisco mint. All Starbuck has to do is pass himself off as an outlaw and infiltrate the pack... In The Warlords, It's 1915. In Europe, men are dying in trenches. In Washington, sentiment is growing for war against the Kaiser. And in Mexico, an explosive plot is set in motion by a German agent, a deposed dictator, and an army of murderous rebels." -- Publisher

Professor Chandra follows his bliss
Balasubramanyam, Rajeev

In the moments after the accident, Professor Chandra doesn't see his life flash before his eyes, but his life's work. He's just narrowly missed the Nobel Prize (again) and even though he knows he should get straight back to his pie charts, his doctor has other ideas. All this work. All this success. All this stress. It's killing him. He needs to take a break, start enjoying himself. He doesn't know it yet but Chandra is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, in search of life's most enigmatic skill: happiness.

Where the crawdads sing
Owens, Delia

The handmaid's tale : the graphic novel
Nault, Renee

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships. She serves in the household of the Commander and his wife, and under the new social order she has only one purpose: once a month, she must lie on her back and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if they are fertile. But Offred remembers the years before Gilead, when she was an independent woman who had a job, a family, and a name of her own. Now, her memories and her will to survive are acts of rebellion.

Triple jeopardy
Perry, Anne

"Young lawyer Daniel Pitt must defend a British diplomat who's accused of a theft that may hide a deadly crime in this compelling novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Twenty-one Days. Daniel Pitt, along with his parents, Charlotte and Thomas, is delighted that his sister Jemima has returned to London from the States for a visit. But it's not on the happiest of terms, since a violent theft just before her departure has left Jemima's good friend frightened and missing a treasured family heirloom. The thief appears to be a man named Sydney--a British diplomat stationed in America who, in a cowardly move, has fled to London, claiming diplomatic immunity. But when Daniel is forced to defend Sydney in court, he grows suspicious that he's not getting the whole story; so the lawyer puts on his detective hat to search out what information may be missing. With the help of plucky scientist Miriam Blackwood, Daniel parses through the evidence, and what begins as a stolen necklace turns out to have implications in crimes far greater--including a possible murder"

Dark tribute
Johansen, Iris

Despite her tragic childhood, violin prodigy Cara Delaney has finally found peace in her career as a professional musician and stability in her relationship with her guardians, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan and ex-Navy SEAL Joe Quinn. If only Jock Gavin, Cara's lifelong friend and a man with his own twisted history, would come back into her life, everything would be perfect. But the carefully constructed world Cara has built for herself is suddenly threatened when she is kidnapped by a mysterious man trying to settle a score against her family, setting off a violent chain of events that puts everyone Cara loves in danger. Now Cara will have to use every instinct she has to stay one step ahead, or else she'll pay the deadly tribute of her family's dark past.

The tale teller
Hillerman, Anne

"Legendary Navajo policeman Lieutenant Joe Leaphorn takes center stage in this riveting atmospheric mystery from New York Times bestselling author Anne Hillerman that combines crime, superstition, and tradition and brings the desert Southwest vividly alive. Joe Leaphorn may have retired from the Tribal Police, but he finds himself knee-deep in a perplexing case involving a priceless artifact—a reminder of a dark time in Navajo history. Joe’s been hired to find a missing biil, a traditional dress that had been donated to the Navajo Nation. His investigation takes a sinister turn when the leading suspect dies under mysterious circumstances and Leaphorn himself receives anonymous warnings to beware—witchcraft is afoot. While the veteran detective is busy working to untangle his strange case, his former colleague Jim Chee and Officer Bernie Manuelito are collecting evidence they hope will lead to a cunning criminal behind a rash of burglaries. Their case takes a complicated turn when Bernie finds a body near a popular running trail. The situation grows more complicated when the death is ruled a homicide, and the Tribal cops are thrust into a turf battle because the murder involves the FBI. As Leaphorn, Chee, and Bernie draw closer to solving these crimes, their parallel investigations begin to merge . . . and offer an unexpected opportunity that opens a new chapter in Bernie’s life."--

The patient one
Gray, Shelley Shepard

Marie Hartman never thought she'd move back to Walnut Creek but, still reeling from a friend's heartbreaking passing, she's desperate for the comforts of home. And she's determined to surround herself with people who care more about her heart than her striking looks. Vowing to reconnect with her childhood best friends and find a larger meaning in life, she's also decided it's finally time to summon the courage to see if there's something more between her and longtime friend John Byler than just companionship. Marie's homecoming forces John to reassess his life and his hopes for the future. Though he still lives at home with the rest of his Old Order Amish family, lately he's been feeling that God intends for him to go another direction. But does He really want John to go against his faith and finally do something about his longtime crush on Marie?

Boy swallows universe : a novel
Dalton, Trent

Eli Bell's life is complicated. His father is lost, his mother is in jail, and his stepdad is a heroin dealer. The most steadfast adult in Eli's life is Slim - a notorious felon and national record-holder for successful prison escapes - who watches over Eli and August, his silent genius of an older brother. A story of brotherhood, true love, family, and the most unlikely of friendships, this is the tale of an adolescent boy on the cusp of discovering the man he will be.

Who slays the wicked
Harris, C. S.

When the handsome but dissolute young gentleman Lord Ashworth is found brutally murdered, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is called in by Bow Street magistrate Sir Henry Lovejoy to help catch the killer. Just seven months before, Sebastian had suspected Ashworth of aiding one of his long-time friends and companions in the kidnapping and murder of a string of vulnerable street children. But Sebastian was never able to prove Ashworth’s complicity. Nor was he able to prevent his troubled, headstrong young niece Stephanie from entering into a disastrous marriage with the dangerous nobleman. Stephanie has survived the difficult birth of twin sons. But Sebastian soon discovers that her marriage has quickly degenerated into a sham. Ashworth abandoned his pregnant bride at his father’s Park Street mansion and has continued living an essentially bachelor existence. And mounting evidence–ranging from a small bloody handprint to a woman’s silk stocking–suggests that Ashworth’s killer was a woman. Sebastian is tasked with unraveling the shocking nest of secrets surrounding Ashworth’s life to keep Stephanie from being punished for his death."--

The book of dreams : a novel
George, Nina

The tinderbox
Lewis, Beverly

"When Sylvia Miller finds the key to an old tinderbox of her father's, her curiosity is piqued. Shocked by the secrets it holds, Sylvia confronts her father. The truth about the tinderbox will forever change not only her own life, but also that of her family and her Amish community"-- Provided by publisher.

The A list
Jance, Judith A

Ten years ago, when Ali Reynolds's high-profile newscaster life blew up on the West Coast, she went back home to Sedona, Arizona, to reinvent herself. Now while she's living her new life, someone from her past comes asking for help. But will revisiting the past jeopardize her future?

King of kings
Smith, Wilbur A.

Cairo, 1888. A beautiful September day. Penrod Ballantyne and his fiancée, Amber Benbrook, stroll hand in hand. The future is theirs for the taking. But when Penrod's jealous former lover, Lady Agatha, plants doubt about his character, Amber leaves him and travels to the wilds of Abyssinia with her twin sister, Saffron, and her adventurer husband, Ryder Courtney. On a mission to establish a silver mine, they make the dangerous journey to the new capital of Addis Ababa, where they are welcomed by Menelik, the King of Kings. But Italy has designs on Abyssinia, and there are rumours of a plan to invade... Back in Cairo, a devastated Penrod seeks oblivion in the city's opium dens. When he is rescued by his old friend, Lorenzo De Fonseca, now in the Italian army, and offered the chance to assess the situation around the Abyssinian border, Penrod leaps at the chance of action. With storm clouds gathering, and on opposing sides of the invasion, can Penrod and Amber find their way back to one another -- against all the odds?

Lost roses : a novel
Kelly, Martha Hall

"It is 1914 and the world has been on the brink of war so many times, many New Yorkers treat the subject with only passing interest. Eliza Ferriday is thrilled to be traveling to St. Petersburg with Sofya Streshnayva, a cousin of the Romanovs. The two met years ago one summer in Paris and became close confidantes. Now Eliza embarks on the trip of a lifetime, home with Sofya to see the splendors of Russia. But when Austria declares war on Serbia and Russia's Imperial dynasty begins to fall, Eliza escapes back to America, while Sofya and her family flee to their country estate. In need of domestic help, they hire the local fortuneteller's daughter, Varinka, unknowingly bringing intense danger into their household. On the other side of the Atlantic, Eliza is doing her part to help the White Russian families find safety as they escape the revolution. But when Sofya's letters suddenly stop coming she fears the worst for her best friend. From the turbulent streets of St. Petersburg to the avenues of Paris and the society of fallen Russian émigrés who live there, the lives of Eliza, Sofya, and Varinka will intersect in profound ways, taking readers on a breathtaking ride through a momentous time in history"-- Provided by publisher.

The girl he used to know
Garvis Graves, Tracey

Annika (rhymes with Monica) Rose is an English major at the University of Illinois. Anxious in social situations where she finds most people's behavior confusing, she'd rather be surrounded by the order and discipline of books or the quiet solitude of playing chess. Jonathan Hoffman joined the chess club and lost his first game -- and his heart -- to the shy and awkward yet brilliant and beautiful Annika.

Someone knows
Scottoline, Lisa

Allie Garvey is heading home to the funeral of a childhood friend. She is not only grief-stricken, she's full of dread. Because going home means seeing the other two people with whom she shares an unbearable secret. The dark secret has eaten away at her, distancing her from everyone she loves including her husband. Because she wasn't punished by the law, Allie has punished herself, and it's a life sentence. Now Allie stands on the precipice of losing everything. She digs to unearth the truth, but reaches a shocking conclusion that she never saw coming.

When you are near
Peterson, Tracie

Blood for blood
Johnstone, William W

When he is hired by Judge Ephraim Doolittle to stop a killer from exacting revenge on both judge and jury, John Henry Sixkiller goes undercover in an outlaw haven run by an amoral woman, but then his target comes gunning for him.

The big gundown : a novel
Brooks, Bill

"A talented healer forced to become a fugitive for a killing he wasn't responsible for, Jake Horn found sanctuary in the rough Dakota town of Sweet Sorrow—and in the tin badge that marks him as the local law. Now his discovery of a dead ranch hand is bringing his demons home." -- Publisher

Dark territory
McCauley, Terrence

A rash of deadly train robberies has the chief investor of Dover Station feeling itchier than a quick draw without a target. And he wants Sheriff Aaron Mackey to scratch that itch with every bullet his battered badge authorizes him to shoot. When Mackey and his backup gun down four kill-crazy bandits, they uncover a plot cooked up by respected citizens of Dover Station.

Relic
Foster, Alan Dean

Fleet insurgent
Matthews, Susan R.

"Together for the first time, here are the novellas, novelettes, and short stories that complete Matthews' epic science fiction series. Plus, supplemental materials that flesh out Matthews' characters and detailed worldbuilding."--Goodreads.com.

Neogenesis
Lee, Sharon

Slow ride
Foster, Lori

"Ronnie Ashford needs a distraction. In the morning, she has to offer arrogant, conventional Jack Crews a job and convince him not to take it. She doesn't need anyone's help, thank you very much. But tonight is all about the tall, sexy stranger who just walked in the bar--and all the delicious trouble they could get into together. Too bad just as things are heating up between them, he whispers the three little words that destroy everything: 'I'm Jack Crews.' Jack is determined to connect with fiery Ronnie--in bed and out of it--but her terms are clear. If he takes the job, helping her acquire prized artifacts for her mysterious bosses, anything between them is strictly off-limits. Somehow he has to convince a woman who's never felt like she belonged that she's found her place--with him. And with the danger sparking hotter than the fire between them, it's going to be one unforgettable trip..." -- Publisher's description.