All the bad guys in this month’s puzzle come from books (and film, and in at least one case, a play). Love them or hate them, they’re often the characters most responsible for keeping us immersed in a story, so let’s give them credit for that, anyway. If you’ve been reading like a fiend lately, turn yourself into a hero by logging how many minutes you’ve read for our community reading challenge this summer! Also—breaking news!—we’ve just added a couple new games to our board games collection, including one called, appropriately enough, Villainous: Infinite Power.
Queer Voices
Pride Month is drawing to a close but you can still check out these memoirs by LGBTQ+ folks from all walks of life! Many of them are also available as audiobooks read by the authors.
June is Caribbean American Heritage Month
June is Caribbean American Heritage Month! Why not check out one of these great books by Caribbean American authors?
LGBTQ+ History
The Stonewall Uprising in 1969 is often considered the start of the USA's LGBTQ+ rights movement, but queer people have existed throughout history. Here are some books to check out if you're interested in learning more!
Juneteenth: Celebrating Freedom
The library will be closed on Monday June 19th in observance of Juneteenth. June 19th has a long history of being celebrated by Black Americans, particularly in Texas, to celebrate the reported end of slavery in the United States after the Civil War. In 2021, it was established as a federal holiday. If you'd like to learn more about the history of slavery and Reconstruction in the United States, here's a booklist for you.
June 2023 Mid-Month Sudoku
As Sudoku solvers who know and appreciate the numbers 1 through 9 we thought you might enjoy these helpful conversions for people who struggle with the metric system 1 million microphones 1 megaphone 2000 mockingbirds 2 kilomockingbirds 1 millonth of a fish 1 microfiche 4536 graham crackers 1 pound cake 10 rations…
2023 Stonewall Book Awards
Each year the American Library Association's Rainbow Roundtable presents the Stonewall Book Awards to "English-language works of exceptional merit for children or teens relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience." Here are this year's winners. There's a great variety here that should have something for every reader!
National Pet Appreciation Week
The first full week in June is National Pet Appreciation Week. If you've got pets in your life--whether they are cats, dogs, or more unusual creatures--MHL has books to help you make sure those pets are living their best lives. (And they might just improve your life, too!)
Rainbow Romance
June is Pride Month, so what better time to celebrate LGBTQ+ love? Here are some recent adult romance novels featuring LGBTQ+ characters. No matter what kind of romance novels you prefer--historical, contemporary, fake dating, royalty...this list has something for everyone.
Artist of the Month: June 2023 – Don Hammontree
“When it comes to my artwork, there are three personal traits of mine that are usually reflected in it, though not necessarily all at once. Firstly, I’ve got a vivid imagination. As an example, I’m fascinated by older cars and how their front and rear-end designs almost mirror human expressions – the headlights resemble eyes; a bumper may reflect a smile. There’s also a sense of deep curiosity — I’ll often seek out buildings in a new city that have unique (though not necessarily pretty) architectural details for inspiration, or I’ll search street-view sites online for interesting scenes of places I’ve never been. And lastly, I have a strong memory — if so moved, I’ll try to re-create scenes from my past that I find special or inspiring with as many details as I can recall.