December 2025 A FEW STAFF FAVORITES FROM 2025 READS Which will you be adding to your reading list in 2026? As the year comes to a close, we’re looking back on some of our favorite reads from 2025. Take a moment to browse this list of staff favorites — you might spot a few you’ve already enjoyed or discover new titles to add to your 2026 reading list. Want to see more of what our staff is reading? Visit us on Facebook or Instagram, or check out a review on our YouTube channel. Even better, stop by the front desk and ask for a personal recommendation! A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett Shadow of the Bridge by Áine Cain and Kevin Greenlee Not They Who Soar by Amanda Flower The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong BookClub For Troublesome Women by Marie Bostwick The Names by Florence Knapp The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt King Sorrow by Joe Hill The Hounding by Xenobe Purvis The Stolen Queen by Fiona Davis The Starving Saints by Caitlin Starling If Wishes Were Retail by Austen Habershaw Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry Demon Song by Kelsea Yu Love Forms by Claire Adam The Names by Florence Knapp One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad Twice by Mitch Albom Glint by Raven Kennedy Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
Dec 1 Lapsit Baby Time @ 11am Teen Money Talk @ 5pm Dec 2 Fiction Book Discussion @ 6pm Dec 3 The Holly Jolly Upcycle @ 5:30pm RVHS Orchestra Holiday Music @ 6pm Dec 4 Story Time! @ 10 & 11am Teen Tabletop Time @ 3:15pm Dec 8 Lapsit Baby Time @ 11am Dec 9 Books in Focus @ 3pm Make with MPL @ 5:30pm Dec 10 Family Fun Night: Do You Wanna Build a Snowflake? @ 5:30pm Dec 11 Story Time! @10 & 11 am Teen Tabletop Time @ 3:15pm Dec 13 D&D Crafts @ 12pm Dec 15 Lapsit Baby Time @ 11am Dec 16 Dog Tag Sales with Marion County Auditor @ 5pm Nonfiction Book Discussion @ 6pm Dec 17 Game Night @ 5:30pm Dec 18 Story Time! @ 10 & 11am Teen Tabletop Time @ 3:15pm Dec 20 All Ages Gingerbread Style House Building @ 10:30pm Dec 22 Lapsit Baby Time @ 11pm TEEN STEAM Kart Tournaments! @ 3:30pm Dec 23 Book Show & Tell @ 3pm Dec 24 Closed - Christmas - All day Dec 25 Closed - Christmas - All day Dec 29 Lapsit Baby Time @ 11am Dec 31 NOON Year’s Eve Story Time @ 11:30am - Library Closing at 5pm Jan 1 Closed - New Year’s Day calendar of events https://www.MarionLibrary.org/calendar/month *ALL - Registration and a fee required Adult Child/Teen ALL Digital Lit Did you know that on July 4, 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence? MPL is gearing up to celebrate over two centuries of American history in 2026 with many programs and activities for all ages being planned throughout the year. We’ll be compiling all of our America 250 related programs on one page on our website MarionLibrary.or/America250 for easy reference as we update and add programs. Additionally, MPL has a special offering for adults who attend selected programs in 2026! Adults can pick up an America 250 Passport at the library starting in January; attend six out of the ten designated library programs between January and June to receive stamps; and enter your completed Passport for the chance to win a prize! We look forward to commemorating this momentous occasion with the Marion community! We are pleased to be able to bring some of these programs to you because of an America 250 grant through Marion Community Foundation to foster America 250 involvement. For additional Marion County programing, visit the Marion Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s web page: https://www.visitmarionohio.com/ news/america-250 MPL & AMERICA 250 A nationwide celebration STOCKING STUFFER Swoop -- unconditional listener $10 NOW Holiday shopping starts here! Stop by the Library Front Desk to pick up your very own Swoop Plushie — the perfect stocking stuffer for the little ones and the grown-ups in your life! Swoop was $15.00, now only $10.00 plus tax. Swoop is an unconditional listener who’s always ready for a cuddle. Supplies are limited — get yours while they last! plus tax
FICTION: December 2 @ 6pm The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley NONFICTION: December 16 @ 6pm When Women Ran Fifth Avenue by Julie Satow Find the NEW 2026 Book Discussions List: www.MarionLibrary.org/bookdiscussions Full video on our Library YouTube channel at: https://youtu.be/LTQB3jXc1pc book discussion Stop by, pick up a book, read and join the discussion. books in focus Check out the new titles hitting our shelves within the month of December. This holiday season, while you’re reflecting on what means the most, we ask you to consider giving back to the library. Giving Tuesday is December 2, and you have the opportunity to make a lasting impact on your community by supporting the Marion Public Library through the BookMarks Friends group. Since 2015, BookMarks has raised $230,000 to help fund library programs, author visits, and events. These funds directly support nearly 400 programs each year, ensuring that everyone in Marion – from toddlers to seniors – has access to the resources and opportunities the library provides. Your donation helps keep the library a vibrant and essential part of our community. With your gift, we can continue to grow and serve. Join us in giving back this Giving Tuesday and throughout the month. https://www.marionohbookmarks.org/Donate REMEMBER MPL BOOKMARKS On Giving Tuesday and throughout the month STOP BY OUR IMAGINATION LIBRARY display for a Dolly selfie and to donate to literacy Marion County Imagination Library succeeds because of your donations to the Marion Community Foundation fund that pays to have all of the books sent to the children, making it FREE for all children registered. The State of Ohio generously pays 50% of the monthly invoice, and as a community partner with the State of Ohio, Marion Public Library finds community supporters to pay the other 50%. Registering for the books has now been made easier than ever for parents of newborns. Parents can choose to recieve books when filling out the birth certificate application. This will help statewide registration numbers climb, so your donation matters to the longevity of the program in Marion County. Stop by to pick up an envelope on the giving panel, drop in your donation, write your name on the back and hand it in at the front desk. You can also go online to MarionLibrary.org/ImaginationLibrary to find a direct link to give to the Marion Community Foundation fund. Don’t forget to get a selfie with Dolly before you leave the Library so you can share it on your social media and tag the Library or Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio.
Monique: A financial advisor returns to his Virginia hometown after his father is injured in a hit-and-run; intensifying pace; action-packed; bleak; gritty; flawed characters facebook.com/mplohio instagram: @MarionPublicLib twitter: @MarionPublicLib youtube: @MarionPublicLibraryOhio linkedin: @MarionPublicLibraryOhio Marion Public Library 445 East Church Street Marion, Ohio 43302 740-387-0992 MarionLibrary.org Board of Directors Malcolm Goodman, President Patrick Carey Jennifer Donelson Blake Gates Phyllis Butterworth Dana Booker Leslie Schneider Gary Branson Executive Director Whittney: A man and woman share a desk at a publishing company; romance element; enemies to friendship theme; back and forth between present and past; quick, snappy dialogue #staffRA Madison: Amateur sleuth looks into missing persons in the Pacific Northwest; horror/ mystery; strong sense of place; lots of characters; gross; themes of climate change and female rage Danielle T: Inspired by Chinese myth; a young woman and her mother on the run; written as a letter to the reader; quick read; reads like YA https://youtu.be/ezJhkG4fUow Watch more extensive reviews on our YouTube channel. Coming soon! Check out a full list of books at MarionLibrary.org. Please remember you can always place a hold if the book has not arrived yet or is currently checked out. new for young readers BOOKMARKET HAS STOCKING STUFFERS Let them pick their own books from the BookMarket Gift certificates are available for purchase in the BookMarket. These are the perfect stocking stuffer or gift exchange ideas for readers of ALL ages. The certificates give the recipient the option to pick out the books they enjoy from the BookMarket. The small shop is run by the BookMarks Friends of Marion Public Library volunteer group. Shoppers can find all varieties of gently used books at discounted prices. The Market is open Moday through Thursday from 10am to 4pm, and Saturday from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Stop by before its too late. There is a short holiday break the week of Christmas and New Year. Check the calendar for current hours: MarionOHBookmarks.org/bookmarket Susan: (Translated from Korean); 2nd book in a cozy mystery series set in a fantasy department store where dreamers can buy their dreams; diverse, likable characters; office-life theme; whimsical tone; lush writing; lighthearted, easy read
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