25 for ’25
Renee Mazin
Now that we are reaching the end of 2025, SaddleBrooke volunteers would like to recommend 25 books published in 2025 that we enjoyed this year. They are all available within the SaddleBrooke Community Libraries system.
The Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries (FSL) provides the funding to purchase new materials like the books listed below. This funding makes our libraries stand out above those in other senior communities. Without FSL funding, our libraries would only be able to offer used, older, donated books. Being able to purchase new and bestselling fiction and nonfiction books keeps our library collections topical and vital. This funding also enables the libraries to offer large print books, movies and TV series on DVD, audiobook CDs, and special collections, including the Southwest section, travel guidebooks, and children’s books.
If you value our libraries’ resources and services, please consider volunteering for the board of the Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries. Contact fsl@sbfsl.org to learn about open board and committee positions. FSL needs your talents, expertise, and commitment to assure that funding for your libraries continues!
In 2025 our most prolific and popular authors wrote mysteries and thrillers: The First Gentleman, by Patterson and Clinton; Badlands, by Preston and Childs; Shadow of the Solstice, by Hillerman; Overkill, by Jance; The Grave Artist, by Deaver and Maldonado; and We Are All Guilty Here, by Slaughter.
Newer authors also like writing mysteries and thrillers: The Amalfi Curse, by Penner; A Murder in Zion, by Maggi; The Medusa Protocol, by Hart; The Witch’s Orchard, by Sullivan; Mask of the Deer Woman, by Dove; and Head Cases, by McMahon.
Historical Fiction took us to Europe: The Lost Baker of Vienna, by Kurtzman, and The Stolen Life of Colette Marceau, by Harmel. In England there was The Queens of Crime, by Benedict, and Broken Country, by Hall. The Jackal’s Mistress, by Bohjalian, occurs during the Civil War, and Fonseca, by Kane, is in Mexico during the 1950s. If you like a touch of mystery with history, try The Librarians of Lisbon, by Nelson, or The Quiet Librarian, by Eskens.
A touch of humor can be found in How to Age Disgracefully, by Pooley.
Nonfiction titles include Memorial Days: A Memoir, by Brooks, and insight into wildfire fighting in When It All Burns, by Thomas.
Family drama can be found in Beartooth, by Wink; Famous Last Words, by McAllister; and The View from Lake Como, by Trigiani.
The last pick, number 25, can be yours to decide! Favorite authors who published a book this year include McFadden, Ragnar Jonasson, Box, Follett, Steel, Robb, Castillo, Krueger, Silva, Cameron, King, Reid, Henry, Hilderbrand, Baldacci, and Connelly.
Find books by these authors and more using the easy link to the library catalog on the library website at sblibraries.com. Books can also be reserved for quick pick-up at either the DesertView Library or the SaddleBrooke One Library.
November Lecture on Native Plants
Heather Wolf
The Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries are thrilled to announce that our November lecture will offer expert information on native plants.
Join us on Nov. 13 in the DesertView Theater at 4 p.m. as we welcome our speaker Jack Dash to help us learn about the wonderful plants we find in the Southwest. As Tucson has become more parched, one result has been the trend in gardening that leans into native plants. They are a positive and integral part of the environment, easy on water, and easy on maintenance.
Jack is a horticulturist and writer who is currently Gardens Manager at Tohono Chul Botanical Garden. His book The Southwest Native Plant Primer introduces 235 wildflowers, grasses, vines, cacti, and trees recommended for gardeners of any skill level. As the population of our area increases and water becomes scarcer, this book informs us how native plants can foster sustainability in our desert environment—gardening with nature, not against it. Jack is an advocate for ecologically-based urban landscaping and co-creator of Atascosa Borderlands, a visual storytelling project centered on the culture and ecology of the Atascosa Highlands in Southern Arizona.
As always, this lecture is free for Friends of SaddleBrooke Libraries members and just $5 for non-members. If you are not a member or your membership has lapsed, you can learn more about our mission and join/renew at www.SBFSL.org or in person in the lobby prior to the lecture.