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What was a queer person to do in the ignorant and uneducated years of decades past when queer literature was declared obscene? In the 1950s and 1960s, an era when male homosexuality was illegal, it was exceedingly rare to find media of any kind, including literature, where queer people of all stripes were not portrayed as mentally ill or as villains simply because they were not heterosexual. And, if they weren’t portrayed as mentally ill or criminally reckless, queer characters were still most likely the punchline of every and any joke. Oh, and they also almost always suffered violent and tragic endings.

Although the library’s collections would be inaccessible to those under the age of 18, Donnelly Public Library emphasized that they remain committed to serving the young people of their community. They will continue their After-School Programming and Summer Programming. But instead of having access to the library itself, all attendees would have to have a parent or guardian sign an agreement that their child can be part of the program and that they would have access to reading materials “carefully curated by library staff” specifically related to the program. 

But what is unhinged? Let’s picture a door. One with no hinges. It’s detached; it’s hanging by, at best, a thread, and it’s disconnected from the frame that holds it up. Unhinged, to me, implies a disconnect from reality — the character has come unglued from the world, the norms that keep us all running as something of a functioning society. 

And I think there are two distinct categories of unhinged: the chaotic and the evil. 

Obviously, what scares people is different for every person, and there are a LOT of amazing horror story writers out there — Stephen King and Shirley Jackson go without saying. They’re masters and two of the most famous scary storywriters. These books on this list are some more of our favorites, each book with varying terrors and turmoil to keep your brain twisting while you try to sleep. There’s a little something horrifying between these for all you ghouls and goblins, so hold on to your butts and get ready to get scared!

In this detailed comparison, I ranked the top five best book tracker apps, with the best coming first. Though all of these apps track the books you read, they differ in many ways. I will break them down by price, whether they are free, paid, or freemium; their core features and what sets them apart; how each one works, how easy they are to navigate; how they differ; their strong suits and their shortcomings. At the end of the piece, you will find my recommendations for which app you should use based on what kind of reader you are.

Do you need some good books to read this summer? We’ve got you covered with the best beachy, summery books to bring with you to read poolside or beside your beloved air conditioner. In these recommendations for summer 2024, we have fantasy, nonfiction, magical realism, romance, and everything in between—from a new blockbuster King Arthur adaptation to a poetic book by one of our generation’s best writers on the city he grew up in, basketball, and his coming of age.

Earlier this year, Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts introduced March Meowness to help cardholders who may have fines on their accounts due to damaged or lost items. The library, already fine free for overdue materials, offered to waive fees for damaged or missing items if patrons showed them a photo or drawing of a cat. It was an exceptionally popular program, and now, more libraries are using their innovative idea as a template to help their own patrons get rid of fines related to material damage.