Joe Webb Memorial Library

10/23/2026

Villa Coco is the latest book by Pulitzer Prize winner, Andrew Sean Greer. The book was suggested by one of our library patrons whose sister-in-law described the book as hilarious.

It is a very funny coming-of-age story that is full of eccentric characters. Be warned that this story is fully character driven rather than plot driven. The story meanders, but this is offset by a beautiful setting and well written dialogue.

The narrator is a young, gay, American who is fresh out of graduate school and without direction in life. Based on a recommendation from his major professor, he accepts a job as an archivist at an old Tuscan villa. His boss, affectionately known as Coco, has many jobs for the American archivist that have nothing to do with archiving. Instead, she has him hunting for weasel-like martens and dealing with an antiquated septic system. He becomes her assistant in running the villa, and in the process learns unexpected life lessons. We are well into the second half of the book before the young narrator is allowed to begin archiving Coco's immense collection.

In the end, the chaos that is encouraged and engineered by CoCo is revealed to have a purpose, and the book has a sweet ending.

D'Ann Dixon Shannon, CPLibrary

10/22/2026

We are happy to announce that there is a way you can filter out AI content in your LIBBY app. (Personally, I do not want to read AI written books or hear AI produced voices reading them.)

Follow the directions below if you want to set your reading preferences to filter out AI content on your LIBBY app. Let us know if you have a problem with setting up your LIBBY for the filter.
318 927 3845

Pam Suggs, Director,Claiborne Parish Library

10/22/2026

This was a very noteworthy event!

10/20/2026

By April C. Doughty On Friday, Oct. 16, Brad and I had the opportunity to meet Anna Ribbeck, known to fans as Anna the Archer, and Bruce Mitchell, better known as the Alligator Man, before their sc…

10/19/2026

They're here! Come and get 'em! This year's "Historic Claiborne 2026" is one of our best yet with several new writers and plenty of fascinating topics sure to educate and enlighten. Our eight writers combined to produce 37 articles on Claiborne Parish of the past. Special feature this year is folk stories told by Jules Colvin. $20 at the library or by mail add $5 for S&H. To order by mail, send check or money order to Claiborne Parish History Club, 909 Edgewood Drve, Homer, LA 71040. Or pay $25 by Paypal to [email protected]. We also have limited copies of Historic Claiborne 2020, 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025.

10/13/2026

by Wesley Harris Stars of the hit History Channel series Swamp People will bring tales from Louisiana’s swamps—and a message about protecting the state’s natural resources—to the north Louisiana so…

10/06/2026

John Grisham's last book: The French Illusion

The French Illusion, by John Grisham, is not his usual legal thriller. This one is more of an international thriller with some attorneys as characters. This is a well-paced book that is easy to read, and it has plot twists to keep you interested. The book is divided into three sections: The Honeymoon, The Search and The Illusion.

The story begins with a newly married couple honeymooning in Paris. The bride posts all their plans to social media and follows up with photos. Oversharing by the bride makes it extremely easy for a gang to plan and execute a kidnapping of the couple. The kidnappers contact the families for a ransom, and the story builds in complexity.

In part two, The Search, the families reach out to U.S. authorities for support. The French Government is quickly involved and there is an all-out search for the couple. There are few clues to follow, and the families struggle to remain hopeful.

Part three, The Illusion, is almost a separate story. A new set of characters is introduced, and a rescue plan devised. A male and female operative are training together and need to feign love for one another. They quickly realize that there is no romantic spark and they have little in common, so they form a two-person book club. They read books together to discuss and debate and thereby build common ground. I thought that was a fun way for the author to emphasize the importance of books in relationships.

This book touches on challenging themes such as the overuse/misuse of social media, the fallout of counterterrorism, and government bureaucracy. I would recommend this book and think it would be a wonderful choice for a book club discussion.

D’Ann D. Shannon, CPLibrary Staff

09/17/2026

09/14/2026

D'Ann D. Shannon's review of: Ladies in Waiting - Jane Austen's Unsung Characters
(New and available at the library!)

Last week I was working at the JWM Library in Haynesville, and I was looking for a good book to read. Ms. Cathy had just stocked the shelves with new books; however, a patron (who will remain unnamed) came in and checked out her full limit of books. That left me looking at books that I had previously not considered.

In the large print section, I found one that caught my eye, titled Ladies in Waiting: Jane Austen’s Unsung Characters. The book includes 8 short stories, each by a different author, about various characters in Jane Austen novels. Some are set in the time and place of Austen’s novels, but others take an Austen character and place her in a completely different time and setting. Given the current popularity of the BBC series The Other Bennett Sister, and the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed the book of the same name, I decided to give Ladies in Waiting a try. These short stories did not disappoint me.

There are two stories featuring Miss Bates, the dull and chatty spinster in Emma. The Miss Bates stories were completely different from each other. It was touching to see Miss Bates with a happy outcome, and both stories were entertaining.

Adriana Trigiani is an author whose work I enjoy. Her novels are typically centered on Italian characters, so naturally she worked a handsome Italian gentleman into her contribution, The Bennets of Jane Street.

There is even a story that places Caroline Bingley, of Pride and Prejudice, in New Orleans’ Creole society. Her adventure takes her to the American West.

The other stories are about Georgiana from Pride and Prejudice, Margaret from Sense and Sensibility, Eliza from Sense and Sensibility, and Lydia from Pride and Prejudice.

With the modern twist in some of the stories, you don’t need to be an Austen fan to enjoy this book. I thought all the authors showed creativity in crafting their stories and I would recommend this book as a fun read.

09/03/2026

God’s Country by William Kent Krueger

(This beautiful photo was taken by Cully Shannon on his trip to the Boundary Waters. Cully is D'Ann and Keith Shannon's son.)

God’s Country is the 22nd novel in the Cork O’Connor series by William Kent Krueger. This book is shorter than the usual Krueger novel and it could be read as a standalone outside the series. It differs from other books in the series in that the usual cast of characters, Cork’s family and friends, do not play a large part in the story.
Cork is given several warnings when his son and grandson have disturbing visions about him. These visions are followed by a stern warning from his friend and mentor, Henry Meloux. Cork chooses to ignore the warnings and move forward with a canoeing trip in the Boundary Waters of Minnesota. Early in the expedition, the adults in the group realize that something bad has disturbed the pristine wilderness. Cork sends them all home to protect the children on the canoe trip, and he chooses to move deeper into the wilderness in an attempt to help an old friend who is in danger.

The story turns into a spiritual adventure in which Cork ponders the nature of darkness within himself while trying to survive in the wilderness. His blend of Catholicism and native teaching that has served him well as a lawman and family man, leaves him unsure about himself. His situation causes him to recall the traditional tale told by Henry Meloux about two wolves. “There is inside us all two wolves battling one another. One is good and one is evil. The wolf who wins the battle is the one you feed.”

The Boundary Waters themselves act as a character in the plot. Cork describes the beauty of the wilderness and how it has always served as a worshipful sanctuary where he is cleansed. He describes how violence has ruined the holy nature of the wilderness and how this drives him to a darker psychological place.

The action in the story is predictable. In fact, I put the book down a couple of times because Cork refused to heed warnings of danger. However, his introspection added to the tension and I was drawn back into the story. It was a quick read, and I always enjoy visiting Minnesota in my mind. Below you can see a picture from my son’s canoe trip in Minnesota this summer. This will give you a good visual of what Cork experienced in God’s Country.
D'Ann Dixon Shannon, Claiborne Parish Library

Photo courtesy of Cully Shannon - The Boundary Waters.