Here are few of my favorite recent reads. Library staff would be happy to help you place requests on these or any other titles. If you’d like to place your own request, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog.

As a Swiftie, I am enjoying the recent wave of books about Taylor Swift, two of which I’ve included here. The first is “The Eras Tour Book,” Swift’s official photography book for her historic concert tour. It’s full of colorful images celebrating the energy and joy of the 3.5-hour show. Although many of the images have been shared widely through social media and in her Eras Tour film, this book is still a lot of fun to explore. I especially enjoyed browsing the behind-the-scenes photos and seeing the variety of costumes Swift wore while on tour.

Sarah Chapelle runs the popular blog Taylor Swift Style, in which she breaks down the pop megastar’s fashion choices and the intention behind each outfit through a “critically kind” lens. Her book, “Taylor Swift Style: Fashion through the Eras,” dives deep into Swift’s style evolution. This includes Swift’s tour costumes, awards show gowns, and street style from the beginning of her country music career though her epic Eras Tour. Chapelle’s insightful commentary and hundreds of color photos are sure to please even the casual Swiftie.

While I very much enjoyed these Taylor Swift books, I also made time for some fiction, including “The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year” by Ally Carter. Cozy mystery author Maggie Chase can’t believe her luck – she’s been invited to spend Christmas with her idol, legendary mystery author Eleanor Ashley. If only fellow author and perpetual-thorn-in-Maggie’s-side Ethan Wyatt hadn’t also been invited. When Eleanor goes missing from a locked room in the middle of the night, Maggie and Ethan will have to put aside their differences to figure out if Eleanor’s in danger or if she just pulled off her biggest plot twist yet. This is a fast-paced and fun romantic mystery.

There’s not much I can say about this sequel to “The Plot” without spoiling the first book’s ending. So I’ll say this: “The Sequel” by Jean Hanff Korelitz is just as enjoyable as its predecessor, and deliciously builds up dread and tension. Although I didn’t think the final reveal was quite as strong as “The Plot,” I enjoyed the journey just as much while reading “The Sequel.” If you love to cheer on a villainous character, this might be the book for you.

Cary and Shiloh have been in love since high school. They just didn’t know it. Their infatuation with each other was obvious to everyone around them, but they were blinded by their hang-ups and insecurities. Fifteen years later, Cary is back in town for a mutual friend’s wedding and Shiloh finds him as magnetic as ever. “Slow Dance” by Rainbow Rowell is a slow-burn romance that is strengthened by its author’s recognition that the complexities of life can make love richer and deeper.

If you’d like to request these or any other titles, visit www.newulmlibrary.org and choose Library Catalog, or call the library at 507-359-8331. New Ulm Public Library is located at

17 North Broadway and is open from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. on Monday-Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. on Friday-Saturday.