Cardyn Brooks's Blog, page 6

Simply Irresistible Reads

No blog post about books last weekend did not equal a suspension of acquiring more books.😏  [front cover of a paperback copy of Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti; a man and a woman in 19th-c. garb as they balance precariously in a wooden row boat with a little dog in a city lake setting] 
Ne'er Duke Well by Alexandra Vasti historical romance St. Martin's Griffin, July 2024 
Selina and Peter's love story is a tenderhearted farce of a romp grounded in emotional substance about honoring commitments with love and compassion toward family, friends, and fellow human beings. Mix in precocious children, tenacious animals, and well-intentioned meddlers for a satisfying read filled with lots of grit, affection, and humor along with deeper historical context that's often ignored. 
books borrowed two weeks ago
[a horizontal book stack from top to bottom: The Diamond and the Duke, Counting on the Cowboy, Body Check, Daydream, Better Left Unsent, Alternate Endings, Struck Dead] 
books borrowed this week  [a horizontal book stack from top to bottom: Fall, Fall for Him, Worst in Show, The Enemy, The Match, Golden Lord] 
Multiple project deadlines mean more pictures of books than reviews of them from me, probably until the end of this year.  
Happy reading, writing, creating, surviving & thriving! 

Labor Day Weekend Gratitude + Romance Run Amok

Aawww. Rain in the weekend forecast? How sad. 

[a horizontal stack of 6 books from top to bottom: Undermining Twyla and Frank, Under Your Spell, Four Weekends and a Funeral, Take Me Home, One Last Summer, Just Some Stupid Love Story]  
These are my back-up reading options just in case the books I already have aren't enough to last through the long holiday weekend even though my non-reading to-do list of personal and professional tasks is quite substantial. 
Currently reading  [a horizontal book stack of 3 paperback books: Isabel and the Rogue; Loyally, Luke; Never Duke Well arranged atop a jar candle with a deep turquoise colored abalone shell attached to the front] 
Thank you to everyone who labors to contribute to the economy, society, and humanity!   

Illuminating Pleasures in The City of Light, Recent & Current Reads + Book Events

Every age is an age of infinite possibilities! 
[hardcover copy of I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris by Glynnis MacNicol propped up inside a hat box with a pattern of the Eiffel Tower and "PARIS L'EXPOSITION" around the rim of the top] 
I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself: One Woman's Pursuit of Pleasure in Paris by Glynnis MacNicol non-fiction memoir Viking/Penguin Life, June 2024 
In a world that works hard to shove women over forty into irrelevance and invisibility, this author celebrates life as viewed, lived, experienced to its fullest by one grown woman and other grown women in the present and from the past. The breezy, contemplative narration style invites readers to observe and consider the author's adventurous journey of investigation and confirmation of self through the uninhibited pursuit of all kinds of pleasure. References to other memoirs, movies, art, history, fashion, geography and more parallel, reflect, intersect, and diverge throughout with seamless integration. 
[a horizontal book stack of 3 books from top to bottom: Business Casual by B.K. Borison, The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey, Yellow face by R.F. Kuang] 
Business Casual (Lovelight #4) by B.K. Borison romance fiction  Berkeley, July 2024 
Nora and Charlie's love story is laugh aloud funny, emotionally substantial and everything between those two points. It's a charming farewell to this tenderhearted, delightful series that celebrates found family, chosen family, and the power of intentional friendships that endure. Plus, super sexy scenes of multifaceted intimacy. 
Evie and Beck's story remains my absolute favorite with Nora and Charlie's as a photo-finish second place. The author teases the possibility of future visits to the Lovelight community and this reader - after managing to take days instead of hours to read Business Casual in order to savor this series finale -  hopes that happens sooner rather than later.  

Although The Au Pair Affair (Big Shots #2) by Tessa Bailey did a good job of acknowledging the power imbalance between Tallulah and Burgess, and their complicated family dynamics along with the overlapping extended circles of friends, teammates, and associates that offer compelling interest and amusement, something about it just didn't work for me overall. 
Currently reading Yellow face and enjoying it so far.     
[a screenshot of 4 books: Promises & Pomegranates by Sav R. Miller, The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming, Hazardous to a Duke's Heart by Sabrina Jeffries] 
Enjoyed Wednesday night's Buzz Books/Publishers Lunch Editors and Authors Romance Panel chat as an author and as a reading fan. Sav R. Miller, Sara Raasch, Kimberly Lemming, and Sabrina Jeffries and their editors entertained and educated as they discussed their lives, publishing careers, current and upcoming book releases with humorous, thoughtful candor. https://www.youtube.com/@BuzzBooks?app=desktop  
And now that Sara Raasch and her editor Erika Tsang shared their fantasy about having Matt Bomer play Nicholas "Coal" Claus in a movie or television adaptation of The Nightmare Before Kissmas, he's now fixed in my mind as that character even before I've read it.   

Library of Congress National Book Fest!   [3-image collage: author Sandra Cisneros, an "I <3 BOOKS" t-shirt, journalist Rachel Martin and author Sandra Cisneros in conversation while seated facing each other on a stage] 
[screenshot of Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden as she stands in profile at the podium on the Main Stage at the 2024 Library of Congress National Book Fest] 
So thankful for the live streaming option for opportunities to hear Sandra Cisneros (who's composing a "The House on Mango Street" opera!), Doris Kearns Goodwin; Alexis Pauline Gumbs and Tiya Miles conversing with Martha S. Jones about Harriet Tubman and Audre Lorde; Kathleen DuVal and Ned Blackhawk in conversation with Shelley C. Lowe; Abby Jimenez and Casey McQuiston with Megan Labrise; Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden's dishy chat with Tamron Hall and Lish Steiling about their cookbook and their lives, amusing, insightful  banter between moderator Cyndee Landrum and the writing duo of Daniel Abraham & Ty Franck who publish as James S.A. Corey; Emily Kwong and Rebecca Yarros talk dragons, tropes, Chappell Roan, censorship, fan art (with special appreciation to Dr. Hayden for her boss move of extending their session to allow a few additional questions and comments) and more... Plus, thoughtful questions and comments from the audience.  
That's what I was able to watch in real time with plans to check out the Library of Congress YouTube channel and the CSPAN content sometime soon. 
Happy reading, writing, creating, thriving! 


 

Keep Moving Forward & 90s Throwback Jams

Jump, jump into your joy!  

[Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist by Jasmin Graham hardcover book with 3 black & white images of the author on the front; then the following books with their spines facing outward - Yellowface by R.F. Kuang, Business Casual by B. K. Borison, The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey, Summer Romance by Annabel Monaghan, The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson] 
Sharks Don't Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Scientist by Jasmin Graham non-fiction memoir & scientific research Pantheon, July 2024 
Seeing the author during a recent appearance on CBS Mornings made me curious to learn more about her life and her scientific pursuits. To quote a passage from chapter 13, "As is so often the case in science, you go looking for the answer to one question and end up with another unanswered question altogether." 
Throughout the prologue, thirteen chapters, and epilogue filled with thoughtful personal and professional observations, field notes from excursions on research vessels, photos and drawings with amusing captions, Sharks Don't Sink offers readers an intimate personal memoir, glimpses into the sociopolitical swampland of academia and conservation, and intriguing scientific inquiries. Emotionally fraught and ultimately optimistic, this book's brisk pacing reads like an adventure novel narrated by someone who's brave enough to reveal her human vulnerabilities in order to encourage others to prioritize their own well-being while pursuing their intellectual and creative passions. 
another passage from chapter 13: ...I've learned over the past year that there's always a workaround--I can leverage community resources, collaborate, and use plain old duct-tape-and-zip-tie-style innovation...My mental health and my joy right now is more important than putting myself in another environment where I might be prone to the Husk taking over, with her anxiety and panic attacks. 
Wanting to know more about the author led me to Sharks Don't Sink. Now I also want to know more about the reasons for the differences between female and male bonnethead sharks! 
And here's one more passage, this time from the prologue, that sums up the overall vibe of this book: It's a story of my journey to become a shark scientist as a young Black woman from a family rooted in the South, whose members have fought for our right to exist peacefully for centuries. And, importantly, it's a celebration of sharks--all they can teach us about how to live, how to survive and thrive, and how it's up to us now to help them continue to swim, lest we all sink. 


"New Fiction" and "New Books" are the irresistible siren calls from public libraries to booklovers. Looking at you, Anne Arundel County Public Library and Prince George's County Memorial Library System. 
[a three-picture collage of "New Fiction" shelves at a public library featuring Frederick Douglass, A Nest of Vipers, Daughter of the Merciful Deep, The Band, Chicano Frankenstein, Lost Ark, Isabel and the Rogue, Loyally, Luke] 
[three shelves of library books with a "New Books" sign on the top shelf next to four books with spines facing outward: Never Meant to Stay, Ne'er Duke Well, The Game Changer, My Season of Scandal] 

D.J. Jazzy Jeff (with an awesome guest rapper whose name escapes my sieve of a memory), Paula Abdul, and New Kids on the Block delivered a spectacular music entertainment extravaganza of epic nostalgic proportions to a crowd of thousands of fans decked out from head to feet in 90's neon, retro concert shirts, Blockhead gear, and off-the-charts enthusiasm! All of us were singing every word while pumping our fists and dance, dance, dancing. 
[a three-photo collage of "MAGIC SUMMER" neon sign unlit, then lit in 2 different combinations of colors and surrounding graphics]  ["90's BEST HITS" earrings shaped like cassette tapes] 
Happy pursuit of your interests and the things that expand your joy! 

People Showed Up & Tuned In

Gorgeous weather, lovely humans (and a few precious fur babies), talented musicians, artisans, authors, delicious food, assorted adult libations... 

Too much goodness and joy to list. 

Abundant gratitude to every attendee and the phenomenal P.G. Parks & Recreation/Marietta House Museum teams! 

Special thanks to everyone who stopped to chat with the authors and to buy (or find out how to borrow from pgcmls.info) books and pick up some author swag. 

This year's Jazz & Wine Fest at Marietta was outstanding in every way.

[4 musicians moving among a drum set, an amp, music and  instrument stands arranged under a tent] 

[half of a six-foot table assorted author swag of t-shirts, ball caps, a jute & cotton basket containing items for a raffle, framed pages with various QR codes, book purchasing/borrowing instructions, and content warnings, business cards, and hand sanitizer]
[multiple copies of Prison Love, a non-fiction memoir about one woman's experience of incarceration and observations about the ways in which female inmates find and create healthy community, friendship, sisterhood and more] 

[a person seated among mature trees while holding a fruity Italian ice drink with a paper umbrella in a cored pineapple] 
Currently reading 
[front cover of a hardcover copy of Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest by Fawn Weaver] 
Made the rookie error of starting to read this book last night after a long, fantastic, exhausting day of author tabling at the Jazz & Wine Fest at Marietta House Museum. Fifteen chapters into this fascinating amalgamation of memoir, journalistic investigation, U.S. history lesson, ancestry search, family & regional saga combined with entrepreneurial hustle and the more details revealed, the more questions generated. Even knowing beforehand that the Uncle Nearest brand is award-winning and a seismic industry-shifter doesn't dilute the dramatic anticipation of how this story ends. Will probably finish it tonight. 

Your First Million & More Books

  [front cover of a hardcover book of Your First Million: Why You Don't Have To Be Born Into A Legacy of Wealth To Leave One Behind, An Entrepreneur's Course by Arlan Hamilton with a photo of the author] 
[Your First Million by Arlan Hamilton atop and next to two book stacks: the first has three trade paperbacks - Love in Tandem, Love You Mean It, Effie Olsen's Summer Special; second stack: Lady Eve's Last Con, The Body in the Backyard, Pride & Preston Lin, Bruno, Fiasco, The Dixon Rule, Love & Whiskey: The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel His Master Distiller Nearest Green and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest, I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself] 
Your First Million: Why You Don't Have To Be Born Into A Legacy of Wealth To Leave One Behind, An Entrepreneur's Course by Arlan Hamilton non-fiction, business, memoir Little, Brown Spark, January 2024 
Underestimated. Underrepresented. 
Two labels that apply to millions (billions?) of people who have ideas, dreams, and goals that are often ridiculed and dismissed, that this author reframes in practical ways while offering realistic steps for making progress toward achieving measurable success in business and in life. A combination of candid personal memoir, ongoing entrepreneurial saga, workbook, and encouragement mantras, Your First Million is a must-read for high school and college grads as well as potential and current entrepreneurs of any age or level of success. 

Pros and cons of my library compulsion: Pros - saving tens of thousands of dollars by borrowing instead of buying books, movies, monthly fees for streaming services & the return due dates encourage me to read more quickly; awesome librarians, library staff, research resources, book displays, in-branch programs, activities, special events, technology access...  
Cons - okay, nothing bad about being a really enthusiastic library patron comes to my mind 

Happy reading & creating (& simply surviving)!  
 

Free Your Mind

[a collection of 7 books: Your First Million by Arlan Hamilton & Prison Love by D. Braxtonbrown-Smith with front covers facing up; Bruno by Delaney Diamond, Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb, Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez, The Summer Escape by Jill Shalvis, A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas with their spines facing up] 
[a "Marietta House Museum Adventure Awaits You" postcard slanted across the upper left corner of a "Wine & Jazz at Marietta Sat., Aug. 3 2PM - 7PM $10/Person Ages 21 & up..." flyer with the silhouette of a saxophonist and a wine bottle] 
Prison Love by D. Braxtonbrown-Smith non-fiction memoir AuthorHouse, 2008 
Prison Love offers readers an intimate look at incarceration as experienced by a woman whose education and other advantages weren't enough to protect her from being tangled up in the criminal justice system. With compassionate candor, the author uses the acknowledgments, forword [sic], introduction, and nine titled chapters to examine the imperfect people, flawed structures, and complicated interpersonal dynamics of crime, punishment, enlightened accountability, and effective rehabilitation. 
In the author's own words, Prison Love is "a six-year first-hand account of the power of love." 
Note: This memoir is written from an overall perspective of a Christian cis-hetero binary identity that skews some of the vocabulary and phrasing choices in ways that could be problematic for some readers, especially in the "Gay for the Stay" and "Discovery of Self" chapters. It's clear from the dominant tone of the entire  text that no malice is intended.  

A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8) by Sherry Thomas mystery fiction  Berkley, June 2024 
Radiating a tone of a 19th-century mashup of Mission: Impossible with Scooby Doo makes this most recent installment of this clever reworking of the Sherlock Holmes canon bubble with absurdist fun despite its serious themes and multiple crimes. Lots of moving parts demand that readers pay attention to some confusing details without detracting from the overall tenderhearted, playful charm of this chosen family of crime solvers. The Charlotte and Ash thread is particularly satisfying. 

Also, come enjoy some delicious wine while listening to melodious jazz, meeting talented authors, and maybe buying some entertaining romance novels next Saturday, August 3rd at Marietta House Museum in Glenn Dale, Maryland! Tickets are a deal at only $10 per person ages 21 years old and up.  
Hope to see you there! 
 

21st Authorversary & 20th IPPY Awardiversary + Thanks!

  [front cover of Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks with the image of an open hand making a beckoning gesture, a "2004 Independent Publisher IP Award Finalist" medallion sticker; back cover with blurb, "authorHOUSE" logo - formerly 1st Books, barcodes] 
Self-publishing 21 years ago was still often considered "vanity publishing" as in ego-driven by writers not talented enough to merit a contract with a traditional  publisher. My decision to self-publish came after years of feedback praising the compelling nature and professional quality of my submission as prefaces to rejections that included phrases like, "Will your target audience of readers relate to the level of privilege your main characters have?"  
WT... 
It took me awhile to understand that since my Black characters are educated and middle class, agents and editors assumed that most readers wouldn't identify with them since (they also assumed) most Black people were poor or working class and only Black people would have any interest in reading erotic fiction written by a Black author. (Last year's American Fiction film felt like deja vu.) 
My erotica is romantic, offered as sexy, fun brain candy with as much emotional intimacy as sexual explicitness for grown-ups. It's upbeat escapism. 
Acoustic fiction describes my writing style of thematically linked vignettes stripped down to their essential emotional chords, leaving as much space as possible for readers' imaginations to personalize their experience with the story and the characters. 
My characters love and respect themselves and each other, making mutual pleasure the ultimate priority, featuring Black and Brown people as loving, loved, and deserving of joyous HEAs. 
In 2004 Seducing the Burks: Five Erotica Tales was an Independent Publisher Awards finalist in the erotica/sexuality category, which encouraged me to keep writing. 
[collage of three front cover images: Safe Word: An Erotic S/M novel with the image of a coiled bull whip; The Story of O with an image of scrunched bed sheets; Carrie's Story: An Erotic S/M Novel with a riding whip] 
Reading The Story of O by Pauline Reage in the late 1990s led me to Carrie's Story and Safe Word by Molly Weatherfield. All three are titillating and super sexy, yet emotionally unsatisfying for me because the cynical about love and clinical regarding sex tone of chateau stories seems informed by the attitudes of privileged women who're disillusioned with the questionable rewards for meeting expectations of being sexually virtuous. Their variations on themes of pushing boundaries, consensual submission and defilement challenge and shock. Although both authors present provocative ideas about self-determination in the context of the pursuit of pleasure, their stories and characters operate from the perspective of cis-hetero hypermasculinity.  
Being descended from people who were kidnapped and enslaved is probably a major reason why bondage fiction almost never works for me. (The performative elements of BDSM don't either.) My ancestors' endurance and faith laid the foundation for the opportunities and privileges in my life. It was against the law for my enslaved ancestors to learn to read and write. Now people pay to read my written words. That's a significant part of my personal HEA. 

[split image of a bouquet of flowers in a short glass vase on the left and the front of a "Thanks" notecard on the right] 
[four images clockwise: 1. a china plate holding six mini cupcakes  2. a tabletop covered in a linen cloth with a woven runner across the center; a platter of chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, a dish of tomatoes, and a dish of celery sticks, all in front of a paperback copy of Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales by Cardyn Brooks propped upright on a book stand  3. same as 2nd image minus the platter of chocolate cupcakes, but with the addition of a ceramic dish filled with scones  4. a long view of the same table setup with the addition of a bowl of strawberries and a plate of sliders] 
Many thanks to author & founder of The Write Women Network, Write Women Publish & The Write Women Book Fest, Heather Brooks (who writes as H.L. Brooks), for hosting a charming tea party in celebration of my 21st self-publishing anniversary and 20th IPPY Awards Finalist anniversary for Seducing the Burks: Five Erotic Tales. She baked, decorated, and created a lovely setting that made me feel loved and my accomplishments recognized. Thanks also to my childhood bestie (since 4th grade) for adding to the fun along with Heather's husband. 
Thank you to my family, friends, readers, book clubs, librarians, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Anne Arundel County Public Library, and every person who has supported me in any way as an independent author and as a human being.  

https://www.authorhouse.com/en/bookstore/bookdetails/233815-Seducing-the-Burks 

https://bookshop.org/p/books/seducing-the-burks-five-erotic-tales-cardyn- brooks/7387231?ean=9781410709554 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/218809 

Available to borrow from the Prince George's County Memorial Library System: https://catalog.pgcmls.info/polaris/search/searchresults.aspx?ctx=1.1033.0.0.3&type=Browse&term=Seducing%20the%20Burks:%20five%20erotic%20tales&by=TI&sort=RELEVANCE&limit=&query=MTE=%27332858%27&page=0&searchid=0 
It's also available on the billionaire's site. 
  

Remembering & Reclaiming

 

[horizontal bookstack of 2 hardcover books: Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton and The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center]  

[9 books in a messy horizontal stack next to 4 books arranged vertically: When I Think of You, A Gamble at Sunset, The Prospects, The Takedown, The Fake Out, The Five Year Lie, A Grave Robbery, Winter Lost, Madness..., I Curse You With Joy, Inconceivable, Dear Black Girls: How to Be True to You]   

Madness: Race and Insanity in a Jim Crow Asylum by Antonia Hylton* non-fiction Legacy Lit, January 2024 
Crownsville State Hospital began as Maryland's Hospital for the Negro Insane. This author's personal family history and academic and professional pursuits led to this detailed, thoughtful investigation into the overlapping layers of racism with access to resources, compassion, and opportunities for healing and advancement. It's an emotional, informative, and essential read in order to honor past suffering and victories, and to improve outcomes for Black and Brown people who are experiencing mental health challenges. 
From the introduction: ... our traumas and illnesses are frequently intertwined with American history and the peculiar reality of being Black. 
A compelling author's note, introduction, five thematic parts, acknowledgments, sources, and a comprehensive index offer readers a mix of historical fact, documents, images, and recollections that engage the heart as much as the mind. 
*Reading experience enhanced by the April 7, 2024 Zoom author chat sponsored by the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Annapolis Chapter, which Gov. Wes Moore was scheduled to attend until the collapse of the Key Bridge forced him to cancel. 

The Swans of Harlem: Five Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History by Karen Valby non-fiction Pantheon Books, April 2024 
Lydia Abarca Gayle Mc-Kinney-Griffith Sheila Rohan Marcia Sells Karlya Shelton-Benjamin 152nd Street Black Ballet Legacy Council 
Why aren't the above individuals and organization common cultural knowledge? The Swans of Harlem answers that question in three acts that examine the ways in which marginalization, dismissal, exclusion, and erasure combine with the application of racist ideas about superiority in the arts. 
From the prologue: Black excellence is not a one-off but a spectacular ongoing fact. 
Before the birth of the incomparable Misty Copeland, many other exquisite Black and Brown ballerinas overcame multiple obstacles to earn the highest acclaim in dance until much of the world forgot or ignored them. This text reintroduces them with deep respect for the complexity of their humanity and the sociopolitical context of their lives and careers.  

Last Weekend at Marietta House Museum & More Books

  [two-image collage: on the left, an outdoor scene with a "Marietta House Museum EVENT sign next to a blue door that leads to a lower level conference room; on the right, a "Manifest a Writerly Life" worksheet with a Marietta marketing postcard arranged on top] [two-image collage:on the left, an arrangement of 7 books* - Women Without Kids, Flashpoint, The Burnout, Taking Initiative, Christa Comes Out of Her Shell, A Run at Love, Waiting for Friday Night - spread across the cushion of an outdoor loveseat; on the right, a long-distance view of the same outdoor loveseat with a striped area rug beneath it and a white chair with striped seat cushion and part of a table in the foreground] [two hardcover books: Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood face-up and Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner spine-up] 

Last Sunday Heather Brooks, founder and co-host of The Write Women Book Fest who writes as H.L. Brooks, hosted her "Manifesting an Author's Life" day retreat for women at Marietta House Museum. She offered encouragement and practical insights with these highlights: Prioritize yourself and your writing. Write down your thoughts and ideas without judgement or editing. Don't compare yourself, your writing or your progress with the journey of other writers.  Consider what writing success means for you. Heather discussed overcoming doubts, how to start writing, some basic guidelines for writing and understanding how the publishing business impacts a writer's strategy for moving forward. After that, attendees ate lunch then started writing! So many shared that they completed short pieces and/or made progress on ideas they'd been carrying around in their heads.  
Heather and I are hosting "Make Your Idea Into a Manuscript - A Workshop for First-time Authors" from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, July 21, 2025 at Marietta House Museum https://www.pgparks.com/event_list/make-your-idea-into-a-manuscript-a-workshop-for-first-time-authors-2 
Hope to see you there and check out Heather's The Write Women Network Facebook group. 

Happy creating! 
*Books shown borrowed from Prince George's Memorial Library System and Anne Arundel County Public Library.