Shelburne library says hello to 2026 and goodbye to librarian Jan. 9

January 8, 2026 · 0 Comments

For many, the new year brings a beautiful beginning, an exciting time for change and new adventures. Here at SPL, we are facing a bittersweet beginning as we say farewell to the best librarian we know.

Jade, our technical services and communications librarian, is headed off on a new journey in Library Land and, although we couldn’t be happier for her, we are certainly sad for us. Jade’s last day is Jan. 9 and we invite you to drop by to wish her well.

As we look back on the year, some of our best memories are the times we escaped into great books – the kind that stay with you long after you finish reading. Check out our team’s top titles of 2025 and place your hold today.

Humankind by Rutger Bregman

“This book knocked a few fiction titles I enjoyed right out the window with its realistic optimism. I found myself reassured and renewed with a motivation to seek out the good in everyone again. Top recommendation for somewhat natural Grinches.” – Molly

Night Watcher by Daphne Woolsoncroft

“I knew all the way back in July that for another book to dethrone Night Watcher as my favourite book of 2025, it would have to be perfect. Night Watcher had everything I wanted: a chilling atmosphere, a dynamic protagonist, and a true crime podcast with an epic live reveal. If you get the chance to listen to the audiobook, you’ll experience top-tier narration, which is always a bonus.” – Jade

The High House by Jessie Greengrass

“I am a sucker for a good dystopian novel and the majority of this book is written through the eyes of children and adolescents. This smooths some of the heavy topics like the disastrous climate change, world-wide catastrophes, loss of life, and instead shows the day-to-day life of children as bystanders while the world moves around them. Often people talk about children being resilient. They’re not. They are just often distracted in serious situations so they can cope. This book digs into that and, although the ending is not happy, it does show major growth and how this type of world would affect how young people would think, live, and survive.” – Brittany

Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

“This is my favourite read of the year for so many reasons. It’s got an incredible atmospheric setting: a tiny remote island near Antarctica, which is being ravaged by climate change and an unprecedented storm on the way. Layered in are interesting characters, each operating with their own secret agendas and emotional connections as they try to figure out what happened to others who vanished from the island and how they can get themselves out of there alive. Amidst the escalating tensions, the author intersperses beautiful descriptions of nature that highlight our human connectedness to the land around us. The prose evokes a deeply unsettling awareness about our current environmental decline and all that is at stake in our own lives. It’s the kind of book that will leave you thinking about it long after you finish.” – Amy

The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

“This is Louise Penny’s 20th book in the Chief Inspector Gamache Series. The Black Wolf continues where The Grey Wolf left off. All our favourite characters are there with Three Pines as their base and their haven. This is a timely and frightening thriller with references that may be predications of our future. With tension building, relief came in a laugh-out-loud moment with Rosa and Gamache, and a road trip taken by four women and a duck. Racing to finish this story and worried about the outcome of these conflicts, I realized that this author will not disappoint me.” – Trudy