By Beverly Ewart
Last Novel of 2025
How many books do you think you’ll read in 2026? I never had a reading goal for 2025, but I managed to read close to 50 novels over the course of the year, and some of them have been highlighted in this weekly column.
Pictured above is the last novel I read in 2025. No surprise that it was historical fiction based on WWII. The cover is pretty, but the contents were rough – as one would expect in a war story.
You might like to check it out for yourself:
The Librarian Spy by Madeline Martin. Ava thought her job as a librarian at the Library of Congress would mean a quiet, routine existence. But an unexpected offer from the US military has brought her to Lisbon with a new mission: posing as a librarian while working undercover as a spy gathering intelligence. Meanwhile, in occupied France, Elaine has begun an apprenticeship at a printing press run by members of the Resistance. It’s a job usually reserved for men, but in the war, those rules have been forgotten. Yet she knows that the Nazis are searching for the press and its printer in order to silence them. As the battle in Europe rages, Ava and Elaine find themselves connecting through coded messages and discovering hope in the face of war. –Provided by publisher.
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CFL will be closed on Monday, January 19, 2026, for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
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Chess Free Play at CFL – Chess Club with Ryan meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-4. Tuesday is free play, and Thursday is learn to play. We welcome chess players of all ages and levels to take part in our weekly get-togethers!
Grab a board, find a friend, and start a game at any open table in the Main Reading Room. Other board games are available or bring your own.
For more details, contact Ryan at 315.854.6123.
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TEEN ANIME meets on Thursdays from 5-7pm.
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Chess Club with Zach! – Thursdays 3-4 PM in the main room: Curious about Chess but don’t know where to start? Try Chess Club with Zach! We offer rudimentary instruction and a judgement free space for younger players to establish and build on their fundamentals. No registration needed, ages 12 and below. Questions? Contact Zach at zwoodleywhite@ncls.org
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Children’s Programming at the Canton Free Library:
O-17 months: Baby Storytime is for our library babies and their caregivers. We’ll share books, bounce rhymes, songs, finger plays, lots of smiles, and then close with social/play time. Tuesdays 10:30-11:30 am. No registration is needed.
18-35 months: Toddler Storytime for children and their caregivers. We’ll share books, rhymes, music, movement, and lots more early literacy fun! Mondays 10:30-11:00 am. No registration is necessary during the school year.
3-5 years: Preschool Storytime is for children and their caregivers. Stories, songs, movement, crafts, friends, and lots of fun! Wednesdays 10:30-11:15 am. No registration is needed during the school year.
K-2nd grade: Each month at Books and Beyond, we’ll explore themes with books, activities, games, and art. Books and Beyond meets each third Thursday afternoon from 3-4 pm. Registration for each month is required by the Monday before the program.
3rd-6th grade: Tween Time offers a mix of cool crafts, art exploration, games, STEAM, and book talks of popular and classic literature. Tween Time meets every fourth Thursday afternoon from 3-4 pm. Registration for each month is required by the Monday before the program.
K-6th grade: Lego Club: A different challenge/theme will be given at the start of each meeting. Lego Club meets on the last Monday of the month (unless that’s a holiday, whereupon the date will be announced) from 3:00-4:00pm. Registration is required by the Friday before the program, but it fills fast! Don’t wait!
Ages 5-up: Arts After School: Artist Kris Rozelle will lead a different art project each month for kids 5 and up. Arts After School is free, but registration is needed for each class. Since class size is limited, please let us know if your registered child cannot attend so another child may have their spot. Thanks!
Battle of the Books: The 2026 list for the NCLS Battle of the Books for children in grades 4-6 is out! It may be found on our website, our Facebook page, or you may pick up a copy in the children’s room at the library.
For questions or registration email Ms. Val at vwhite@ncls.org or
call 315-386-3712 ext. 4
Programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Canton Free Library and the St. Lawrence County Youth Bureau.
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Curbside Service is always available: Call (315) 386-3712 and choose option 1 “Front Desk,” or send an email to canlib@ncls.org.
MORLEY BRANCH is open Tuesday 1pm-3pm; Wednesday 4pm-6pm; Thursday 10am-12pm. Call for more information: (315) 379-0066.
RENSSELAER FALLS BRANCH is open on Tuesdays from 11am – 5pm. Call the library at (315) 344-4155 for more information.
CANTON BRANCH is open 9am-6pm Monday – Friday; 10am-3pm Saturday. Contact us at (315) 386-3712 or cantonfreelibrary.org.