By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

As the end of the year draws near, consumers are inundated with “Best of” lists from the year. In that spirit, the MJB Library would like to share the most popular books of 2025.

Adult Fiction  

1. “Broken Country” by Clare Leslie Hall
2. “James: A Novel” by Percival Everett
3.  “The Crash” by Freida McFadden
4. “The Mirror” by Nora Roberts
5. “Ward D” by Freida McFadden

Adult Nonfiction

1. “Cabin: Off-the-grid Adventures with a Clueless Craftsman” by Patrick Hutchison
2. “Dear Sister: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds” by Judith Summers
3. “The Let Them Theory: a Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About” by Mel Robbins
4. “The Boys of Riverside: a Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory” by Thomas Fuller
5. “Wiseguys and the White House: Gangsters, Presidents, and the Deals they Made” by Eric Dezenhall

Large Print Books 

1. “The Sawmill Book Club” by Carolyn Brown
2. “West with Giraffes: a Novel” by Lynda Rutledge
3. “The Edge of Nowhere” by William W. Johnstone
4. “The Queen’s Cook” by Tessa Afshar
5. “Montana Courage” by Caroline Fyffe

Movies

1. “Moana 2”
2. “Inside Out 2”
3. “Wicked”
4. “Inside Out”
5. “A Minecraft Movie”

Juvenile Fiction

1. “The Couch Potato” by Jory John
2. “The New Girl” by Cassandra Calin
3. “The Bad Seed Goes to the Library: Level”  by Jory John
4. “Squished” by Megan Wagner Lloyd
5. “Dog Man: Big Jim Begins” by Dav Pilkey

Kids’ Books

1. “Disney Princess 5-Minute Princess Stories” by Disney Books
2. “Cranky Makes a Friends” by Phuc Tran
3. “Bluey–Jingle Bells” 
4. “Bluey: How to Be Romance with Bluey and Bingo”
5. “Disney Moana 2: The Great Voyage” by Natasha Bouchard

Young Adult

1. “ Empire of Storms” by Sara J. Maas
2. “Shatter Me” by Tahereh Mafi
3. “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” by Holly Jackson
4. “American Royals” by Katharine McGee
5. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” by JK Rowling

Top Five Most Circulated Materials

1. Hotspots
2. Country Compilation Jigsaw Puzzle
3. Goggles for Immersive Reality Books
4. Department Store Jigsaw Puzzle
5. Memory Lane Jigsaw Puzzle

Most Circulated Library Materials, including all media, equipment, and hardware

1. Apple iPad
2. Computer
3. “Super Smash Bros: Ultimate (Nintendo Switch) 
4. “Broken Country: A Novel” by Clare Leslie Hall
5. “James: A Novel” by Percival Everett

Stop in and check out some of these most circulated materials and see why they were so popular.

The MJB Library Festival of Trees will be up until Jan. 2, so stop in and take some time to enjoy the beauty of the season. For those who decorated a tree for the festival, please plan to pick up your tree during library hours between Jan. 2 and Jan. 10.  

Book club members, stop in and get your copies of the January books. Between the Covers afternoon book club will be reading “When Crickets Cry” by Charles Martin. “The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife” by Anna Johnston is the selection for the Reads Well With Others evening book club. Both selections are available on Libby with a reduced wait time for MJB Library patrons; ebooks and audiobooks are available. 

Cribbage Club meets each Monday from 9-11 a.m., and Bridge Club meets at the same time on Wednesdays. Both groups meet in the Taylor Meeting Room and welcome new participants. MJB Library’s newest group, Craft and Connect, meets weekly on Monday evenings from 4-6 p.m.  Craft and Connect participants just need to bring whatever craft they are working on and socialize with other creative folks while working. 

Preschool Story Hour takes place each Friday at 10 a.m. in the children’s area of the library. Preschoolers and their caretakers are invited to come listen to some stories and do a craft. On Dec. 26, the theme will be cold and snow. There will be no story hour on Friday, Jan. 2.  

Patrons are reminded that the library will be closed on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25, for Christmas.  On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the library will close at 3 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and will remain closed on New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1.

This creative group attended the Creation Corner on Dec. 17 to make some holiday crafts.

Library Director Jerri Hawkins read “The Night Before Christmas” to the Preschool Story Hour group on Friday.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Craft and Connect is a new library program that meets every Monday from 4-6 p.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Crafters and creators are invited to bring their current projects and join the group. Bring a cozy beverage and your latest craft project and enjoy a couple of hours of creative work alongside fellow crafters.

The group started meeting in the first week of December and has grown from three to eight attendees. Craft and Connect originated when some members of the evening book club came together to make decorations for the library’s Festival of Trees. One member suggested starting a crafting club, allowing people to work on their individual projects while socializing with other creative individuals.

When the idea was presented to Library Director Jerri Hawkins, she scheduled the group to begin the following Monday, and Craft and Connect was established. The group plans to meet weekly at least through the winter months, and everyone is welcome. 

Last week, attendees were engaged in various activities, including crochet, scrapbooking, coloring and embroidery, among others.

So, grab your coffee and your crafts, and stop by on Mondays from 4-6 p.m.

Creation Corner for Youth will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 17, from 2-3 p.m. All ages are welcome.

The Card Making Class is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 18, from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. There is a $5 fee for materials.

The Cookbook Club will hold its annual cookie exchange on Thursday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m. Participants are encouraged to bring two dozen cookies to share with the group.

Story Hour is set for Friday, Dec. 19, at 10 a.m. for preschoolers and their caregivers. This week’s topic will be Christmas.

Please remember that the library will be closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas. We will close at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 31 for New Year’s Eve and will remain closed all day on Thursday, Jan. 1 in celebration of New Year’s Day.

Craft and connect members enjoy some social time while they work on their latest project.

If you’re crafty and want to enjoy some social time while you work, come to MJB Library Craft and Connect Mondays from 4-6 p.m.

Holly Boughs, a quilt made by Cindy Steensen, is on display in the library this month. Stop by before the month is over, since the photo doesn’t do justice to this stunning piece of art.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas inside the MJB Library. Stop in and enjoy the Festival of Trees. In addition, the kids’ area is festively decorated. 

Remember that the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be hosting a bake sale on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the library. Kids are encouraged to stop in on Dec. 13 as well for a special craft project. 

We have plenty of activities planned for youth during December. On Wednesday, Dec. 3, LEGO Mania will be at 2 p.m. Creation Corner will be on Wednesday, Dec. 17, also at 2 p.m. Our weekly preschool story hour will be each Friday beginning at 10 a.m. 

The Between the Covers Book Club will be on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 3 p.m. This month, members will be sharing a book they enjoyed with the group. A reminder that the Reads Well With Others Evening Book Club will meet a week early due to Christmas. The group will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec/ 16, to discuss “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. 

Cribbage Club will meet each Monday from 9-11 a.m. in the Taylor Meeting Room. Wednesday mornings from 9-11 a.m. are reserved for Bridge Club. Players of all ability levels are invited to join. 

Card Making Club meets on Thursday, Dec. 18, from 9-11 a.m. to create unique, handmade greeting cards. Led by Judi Zimmerline, this creative group meets monthly in the Taylor Meeting Room. All supplies are provided. A $5 fee is requested to cover the cost of materials. 

At 6:30 p.m., the Cookbook Club will meet on Thursday, Dec. 18, for its monthly meeting. This month will be a cookie exchange. Each person should bring a dozen cookies and the recipe.  

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library 

**Bake Sale Items Needed**  The Friends of the Guthrie Center Library are organizing a Bake Sale fundraiser for the Library and Friends of the Library on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Please deliver baked goods that do not require refrigeration on Friday, Dec. 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. To inspire creative ideas for what to bring, here are some suggested items: pies, bars, cookies, muffins, snack mix, breads, rolls and jellies. Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will have their next meeting on Monday, Jan. 5 at 6:15 p.m. Anyone who is interested in joining the group is invited to attend.  

Patrons are reminded that the library will have some holiday closures. MJB Library will be closed on Dec. 24 and 25 for Christmas. Additionally, the library will close at 3 p.m. on Dec. 31 and will be closed on Jan. 1. 

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club all got involved in decorating their tree at the MJB Library.

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club members pose with their decorated tree for the MJB Library Festival of Trees.

Cass Pioneers 4-H Club spent a morning at the library getting in the Christmas Spirit.

Library Director Jerri Hawkins and Library Aide Lynda Menefee are decorating the library front window for Christmas. The job is so much more than books.

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

In a few days, families will be gathering to celebrate Thanksgiving. We look forward to family time, and while we are thankful for the chance to all be together, sometimes all that togetherness can be a lot. Here is a reason for gratitude. In the event that all that family time becomes overwhelming, the library has everything you need to keep your family entertained. 

In case you need family activities to keep everyone engaged and off their phones, consider checking out a jigsaw puzzle. We have a large selection of different sizes and difficulty levels. A wide variety of board games are available to check out for your family game time. We have games that are appropriate for all ages and interest levels.  

If you are hosting a lot of small children, stop in and get some picture books. Older kids can read to the younger children or to the entire family. We have read along books and playaways for screen-free entertainment. Our read-along books range from picture books to beginning readers to chapter books. Playaways are audiobooks that can be used with standard headphones. These are also great for long car trips; the audiobook can be used in the car with an auxiliary cord so the entire family can listen. 

We have a large selection of family movies, holiday favorites and TV series that you could check out to have on hand in case your family gets tired of watching football or the Westminster Dog Show.

Plan ahead because the library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 27, and Friday, Nov. 28. We will have our regular hours of 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday. We will also be closed for Christmas on Wednesday, Dec. 24, and Thursday, Dec. 25. On Wednesday, Dec. 31, the library will close at 3 p.m. for New Year’s Eve and will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 1.  

After the Thanksgiving holiday, be sure to plan to stop in the library to take a look at the Festival of Trees decorated to complement the theme of Silver and Gold. Groups, businesses and families who want to participate in the Festival of Trees can still sign up on the MJB Library website and set up trees for the event.  

Beginning on Monday, Dec. 1, the library will launch a new program, Craft and Connect, which will meet in the Taylor Meeting Room from 4-6 p.m. This program is geared toward adults who would like to bring their craft projects to work and socialize with other craft enthusiasts. Bring your coffee and whatever project you are working on, from crochet to coloring, and spend some time with friends and hobbies.

On Dec. 3 at 2 p.m., the library will have LEGO Mania Day. The LEGO challenge will be to make a Christmas tree.  

On Dec. 13, the Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be having a bake sale and craft time for kids from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Stop by during our regular Saturday hours to buy holiday goodies. Kids will have a special project to create in the Taylor Meeting Room. Friends of the Library who are willing to donate baked goods should contact the library to sign up. 

By Karen Kelly | Special to the Times Vedette

Card making class will meet on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9-11 a.m. to make handmade greeting cards. All supplies for the class are provided. The $5 fee for the class pays for materials. 

At 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 20, Cookbook club will gather to share food made with recipes from the “Taste of Home Soups and Breads Cookbook.” If you’d like to join the group, stop by the library to choose a recipe from this month’s cookbook to make and take to share at the meeting on Thursday evening. 

Story Hour on Friday, Nov. 21, will be all about turkeys. Story Hour is on Friday mornings at 10 a.m. Preschoolers of all ages and their caregivers are welcome to join for books and a craft. There will not be a story hour on Nov. 28 due to the library being closed for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

Reads Well With Others Book Club will meet at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 25. The group will be discussing “Listen for the Lie” by Amy Tintera and decorating the tree for the Festival of Trees. The December book will be “The Wedding People” by Alison Espach. 

The library will be closed on Thursday, Nov. 26, and Friday, Nov. 27, to allow staff to observe the Thanksgiving holiday. With winter weather on the way, library patrons are reminded that if ACGC Schools are closed because of inclement weather, the library will also be closed.  

Local businesses and organizations are reminded that the Festival of Trees will be here soon. Those wanting to display a tree at the Festival of Trees can sign up on the library website. This year’s theme is Silver and Gold. Set-up begins on Nov. 20.  

Friends of the Guthrie Center Library will be having a Bake Sale and a Children’s Craft on Saturday, Dec. 13, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Members of the Friends group are asked to sign up to bring baked goods. 

LEGO Day participants were tasked with creating a catapult with LEGOs.

This young engineer is deeply concentrating as she designs her catapult.

Some of the LEGO Day participants pose with their finished catapults, loaded with marshmallows and ready to test.

The MJB Library hosted LEGO Day on Nov. 12.

This project is a challenge but one that the LEGO builders enjoyed.