Library AF

This came as a recommendation from the Adult Materials Selector when I asked for "a fiction title to discuss at book group in 2026." She steered me away from something that would have given us whiplash, so I'm excited to select Allow Me to Introduce Myself by Onyi Nwabineli.

"Ever since she was a child, Anuri’s life was chronicled and monetized by her influencer stepmother. Now an adult, she’s finally broken free. But when her stepmother starts preying on her young half-sister, Anuri decides she must stop the cycle of abuse. Really Good, Actually meets City of Likes in a stunning page-turner about overcoming toxic family and reclaiming identity and, ultimately, hope."

Synopsis from Goodreads.com

Sacramento Public Library and the American River Parkway Foundation are delighted to extend their collaboration and bring more book-based programming to the parkway in 2026.

The Silent Reading Group is designed to make space in our busy lives for reading and listening to books, meeting new people, and sharing a community space together. Bring the book currently holding your bookmark (or occupying your headphones) and spend some time enjoying your book and the outdoors. There will be time at the end of the silent reading session to chat with fellow readers and to explore the parkway at River Bend Park.

Parking info TBD

Other business:

• This program will take place outdoors. You are encouraged to wear clothing and footwear that provide some protection and bring what you need to feel comfortable (water, hat, sunscreen, etc.).
• Bring a chair or blanket if you have one! Some seating will be available onsite.

• 6:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Welcome and introductions from Sacramento Public Library
• 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. | Silent reading session
• 7:30 - 8:00 p.m. | Share-out from 916 Ink and the opportunity to meet and chat with fellow readers

Our August title is a previous Science Friday Book Club selection that had me sharing wild facts with my reader friends. I'm excited to dig back into Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet by Ben Goldfarb.

"An eye-opening account of the global ecological transformations wrought by roads, from the award-winning author of Eager. Some 40 million miles of roadways encircle the earth, yet we tend to regard them only as infrastructure for human convenience. While roads are so ubiquitous they’re practically invisible to us, wild animals experience them as entirely alien forces of death and disruption. In Crossings, environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb travels throughout the United States and around the world to investigate how roads have transformed our planet. A million animals are killed by cars each day in the U.S. alone, but as the new science of road ecology shows, the harms of highways extend far beyond roadkill. Creatures from antelope to salmon are losing their ability to migrate in search of food and mates; invasive plants hitch rides in tire treads; road salt contaminates lakes and rivers; and the very noise of traffic chases songbirds from vast swaths of habitat. Yet road ecologists are also seeking to blunt the destruction through innovative solutions. Goldfarb meets with conservationists building bridges for California’s mountain lions and tunnels for English toads, engineers deconstructing the labyrinth of logging roads that web national forests, animal rehabbers caring for Tasmania’s car-orphaned wallabies, and community organizers working to undo the havoc highways have wreaked upon American cities. Today, as our planet’s road network continues to grow exponentially, the science of road ecology has become increasingly vital. Written with passion and curiosity, Crossings is a sweeping, spirited, and timely investigation into how humans have altered the natural world―and how we can create a better future for all living beings."

Synopsis from Goodreads.com