New Books In the SEK Library System

The SEKnFind Newsletter
September 2025

We hope you enjoy this newsletter sent as a courtesy to adult patrons of a southeast Kansas library using the SEKnFind catalog.
This selection of titles are NEW at a SEKnFind library and available for a hold.
Need assistance? Your local librarian can show you how!
Happy Reading!

New Fiction

Buckeye : a novel
by Patrick Ryan

In postwar Ohio, a stolen moment between Cal Jenkins and Margaret Salt reverberates through generations, as a small town’s buried secrets and a wife’s spiritual gift expose the longing for love and goodness.

The witch’s orchard : a novel
by Archer Sullivan

Former Air Force Special Investigator Annie Gore is getting by as a private investigator and her latest case takes her to an Appalachian holler not unlike the one where she grew up.

The ghostwriter : a novel
by Julie Clark

“From the instant New York Times bestselling author of The Last Flight and The Lies I Tell comes a dazzling new thriller. June, 1975. The Taylor family shatters in a single night when two teenage siblings are found dead in their own home. The only surviving sibling, Vincent, never shakes the whispers and accusations that he was the one who killed them. Decades later, the legend only grows as his career as a horror writer skyrockets. Ghostwriter Olivia Dumont has spent her entire professional life hiding the fact that she is the only child of Vincent Taylor. Now on the brink of financial ruin, she’s offered a job to ghostwrite her father’s last book. What she doesn’t know, though, is that this project is another one of his lies. Because it’s not another horror novel he wants her to write. After fifty years of silence, Vincent Taylor is finally ready to talk about what really happened that night in 1975”

The literati : a novel
by Susan Coll

Clemi, a broke 26-year-old book lover, lands her dream job at a literary nonprofit only to face absent leadership, legal scrutiny, and a collapsing gala, leading her to question whether the literary life is worth the chaos it brings. Original.

Life, and death, and giants
by Ronald J. Rindo

A remarkable child transforms a small, rural community—and soon the world.

Let’s give ’em pumpkin to talk about
by Isabelle Popp

Prickly textile artist Sadie comes home to Pea Blossom, Indiana, to care for her father’s beloved pumpkin patch until the Indiana State Fair pumpkin contest, but wild hogs destroy the patch; tech-millionaire-turned-farmer Josh offers his help, and a storm-fueled kiss proves there’s something between them. Original.

Play nice
by Rachel Harrison

Clio’s mother Alex lost custody of Clio and her sisters when Alex wrote a book saying their house was possessed; after Alex’s sudden death, the house passes to the sisters, and as the home makeover begins and Clio finally reads the book, the presence in the house becomes real and sinister.

Audition for the fox
by Martin Cahill

“Nesi is desperate to earn the patronage of one of the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven. As a child with godly blood in her, if she cannot earn a divine chaperone, she will never be allowed to leave her temple home. But with ninety-six failed auditions and few options left, Nesi makes a risky prayer to T’sidaan, the Fox of Tricks”

The book of lost hours : a novel
by Hayley Gelfuso

In 1938, 11-year-old Lisavet Levy becomes trapped in a mysterious library of memory called the time space, where her path intertwines with American timekeeper Ernest Duquesne, whose 1965 death compels his niece Amelia to uncover buried truths amid shifting histories and shadowy CIA intrigue.

Dogs : a novel
by C. Mallon

Cruising Carbon’s lonely backroads one night, the quiet Hal witnesses both beauty and horror in his troubled hometown, where a catastrophic chain of events threatens his fragile bond with his compassionate friend Cody John and shatters their world.

A bitter wind
by James R. Benn

U.S. Army Captain Billy Boyle investigates a murder tied to World War II radio espionage at an English airbase, uncovering secrets from the White Cliffs of Dover to war-torn Yugoslavia, in the latest addition to the long-running series following The Phantom Patrol.

I’m here to kill you : the last mountain man and the taming of the West
by William W. Johnstone

Two more tales from Johnstone Country: in “Brutal Night of the Mountain Man,” Smoke Jensen helps a saloon owner defend her family and business against the ruthless Silas Atwood and his army of killers, while “Venom of the Mountain Man” sees Smoke boarding a train east to rescue his wife from Gabe Briggs and his bloodthirsty gang

New Audiobooks

Departure 37
by Scott Carson

On a clear October day, the American skies empty after hundreds of pilots refuse to fly, triggering a complete ground stop as authorities seek to explain an act of baffling coordination that the pilots insist was anything but planned. The pilots received disturbing, middle-of-the-night calls from their mothers, and each mother had a simple and urgent request: do not fly today. There are a few concerning elements to the calls. None of the mothers remember making them—and some of the mothers are dead. While the nation’s military chiefs and artificial intelligence experts mobilize in search of answers, a sixteen-year-old girl named Charlie on the coast of Maine watches a strange, silvery balloon drift across the water and toward her home—a place she loathes. Her father’s dream of opening a craft brewery on an old airfield has been a disaster, and all she wants is an escape back to Brooklyn. She’s about to get much more than that. Her new home is ground zero for a story that begins at a remote naval base in Indiana during the winter of 1962, when a physicist named Martin Hazelton discovered something extraordinary—and deadly. All Hazelton wanted was time to seek an explanation, but pressure from both American and Russian actors forced him into a perilous race.

The End of the World As We Know It : New Tales of Stephen King’s the Stand
by S. A. Cosby

For the first time, Stephen King has fully authorized a return to the harrowing world of The Stand through this original short story anthology as presented by award-winning authors and editors Christopher Golden and Brian Keene. Bringing together some of today’s greatest and most visionary writers, The End of the World As We Know It features unforgettable, all-new stories set during and after (and some perhaps long after) the events of The Stand–brilliant, terrifying, and painfully human tales that will resonate with readers everywhere as an essential companion to the classic, bestselling novel.

Katabasis
by R. F. Kuang

When the greatest magician in the world, Professor Jacob Grimes, dies, two of his graduate students put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save his soul. Alice and Peter have only the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them across Hell, but Hell is nothing like what the storybooks say.

New Nonfiction

Reacher : the stories behind the stories
by Lee Child

These are the origin tales of all of the Reacher novels written solely by Lee Child, chock full of colorful anecdotes and intriguing inspirations; one by one, they expand upon each novel and place it in the context not only of the author’s life, but of the world outside the books.

Mission Driven : The Path to a Life of Purpose
by Mike Hayes

Filled with smart, empathetic guidance, this volume is a road map for discovering what drives you and a playbook for translating those drives into opportunities — a book to help us satisfy our ambitions and our souls.

Anointed : the extraordinary effects of social status in a winner-take-most world
by Toby Stuart

Exploring the hidden force of social status, this analysis reveals how invisible hierarchies shape our decisions, behaviors and opportunities and amplify inequality through small advantages while influencing everything from health and careers to innovation, culture and technology.

Proto : How One Ancient Language Went Global
by Laura Spinney

Daughter. Duhitár-. Dustr. Dukte. Listen to these English, Sanskrit, Armenian and Lithuanian words, all meaning the same thing, and you hear echoes of one of history’s most unlikely journeys. All four languages-along with hundreds of others, from French and Gaelic, to Persian and Polish-trace their origins to an ancient tongue spoken as the last ice age receded. This language, which we call Proto-Indo-European, was born between Europe and Asia and exploded out of its cradle, fragmenting as it spread east and west. Its last speaker died thousands of years ago, yet Proto-Indo-European lives on in its myriad linguistic offspring and in some of our best loved works of literature, including Dante’s Inferno and the Rig Veda, The Lord of the Rings and the love poetry of Rumi. How did this happen? Acclaimed journalist Laura Spinney set out to answer that question, retracing the Indo-European odyssey across continents and millennia.

The beast in the clouds : the Roosevelt brothers’ deadly quest to find the mythical giant panda
by Nathalia Holt

Recounts the perilous expedition into the Himalayas to find the elusive panda undertaken by the two eldest sons of Theodore Roosevelt in 1928, chronicling their scientific achievements, physical hardships, and the broader impact of their journey on Western conservation efforts. Illustrations.

The cook’s garden : a gardener’s guide to selecting, growing, and savoring the tastiest vegetables of each season
by Kevin West

Features practical gardening advice and seasonal cooking techniques to help readers grow and prepare their own produce—regardless of space—while providing tips on preservation and reflections on the deeper value of cultivating and cooking food at home. Illustrations.

The Blue Zones Kitchen one pot meals : 100 recipes to live to 100
by Dan Buettner

Rooted in the dietary habits of the world’s longest-lived communities, this collection of 100 plant-based recipes emphasizes one-pot, one-pan, and sheet pan meals made with accessible ingredients, offering fast, longevity-focused options for breakfasts, mains, snacks, and sides suited to busy home cooks. Illustrations.

Crochet Your Celebrity Crush : Stitch Your Very Own Amigurumi Heartthrobs, Hunks, and Hotties
by Lee Sartori

Features 15 amigurumi patterns inspired by well-known male celebrities, offering step-by-step instructions for creating collectible figures, along with bonus content like fun facts and a personality quiz, appealing to crafters and pop culture fans alike. Original. Illustrations. Index.

Into the ice : the Northwest Passage, the Polar Sun, and a 175-year-old mystery
by Mark Synnott

Determined to navigate the treacherous Northwest Passage solo, an internationally certified mountain guide and Air Force Pararescuemen trainer embarks on a pulse-pounding journey to both complete this rare feat and investigate the 250-year-old mystery of Sir John Franklin’s lost expedition. Illustrations.

History matters
by David G. McCullough

This posthumous collection of essays from the legendary historian looks at subjects such as the character of American leaders, the influence of art and mentors and the importance of understanding the past to better navigate the present and future.

Even more reading suggestions

NextReads Sneak Peek
Looking for something else to read? Try NextReads!
Newsletters are divided into genres and topics. Get recommendations tailored to your interests sent directly to your inbox.
If we don’t yet own a suggested title, make a purchase suggestion or ask your library about interlibrary loan. Here’s a sneak peek of titles from the latest issue:
Historical Fiction

The Harvey girls by Juliette Fay
Fonseca : a novel by Jessica Francis Kane
The art of a lie : a novel by Laura Shepherd-Robinson

More Newsletters…

If you would like to unsubscribe to this newsletter, use the “Manage Subscriptions or Unsubscribe” link at the bottom of this message.
Want even more book suggestions? Subscribe to this and other newsletters using the “Subscribe here!” button below:
See something we don’t have? Make a purchase suggestion.

Southeast Kansas Library System
218 E. Madison Ave.
Iola, Kansas 66749
620-365-5136sekls.org

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *