Library Service - Hampshire County Council

16/10/2026

It's and New Milton Library have created this full costume recreation of 'Murder in the Queen's Wardrobe' by Kathy Lynn Emerson.

Reserve a copy: https://hampshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?ENTRY1_NAME=TI&ENTRY1=murder%20in%20the%20queen%27s%20wardrobe&ENTRY1_TYPE=K&ENTRY2_NAME=AU&ENTRY2=kathy%20lynn%20emerson&ENTRY2_TYPE=K&NRECS=20&SORTS=HBT.SOVR

'London, 1582. Mistress Rosamond Jaffrey, a talented and well-educated woman of independent means, is recruited by Queen Elizabeth I's spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, to be lady-in-waiting to Lady Mary, a cousin of the queen. With her talent in languages and knowledge of ciphers and codes, she will be integral to the spymaster as an intelligence gatherer, being able to get close to Lady Mary just at the time when she is being courted by Russia's Ivan the Terrible. However, there are some nobles at court who will do anything they can to thwart such an alliance and Rosamond soon realises the extent of the danger when a prominent official is murdered and then there is an attempt on both her and Lady Mary's lives.'

15/10/2026

For October, our online reading group, The Digital Readers, have chosen The Distant Hours by Kate Morton.

Join the Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDigitalReaders and download the eBook or eAudiobook on BorrowBox.

'Edie Burchill and her mother have never been close but, when a long-lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Kent, Edie begins to suspect that her mother’s emotional distance masks an old secret.

Evacuated from London as a thirteen-year-old girl, Edie’s mother was chosen by the mysterious Juniper Blythe and taken to live at Milderhurst Castle with the Blythe family.

Fifty years later, Edie, too, is drawn to Milderhurst and the eccentric Sisters Blythe. Old ladies now, the three still live together as the twins nurse Juniper, whose abandonment by her fiancé in 1941 plunged her into madness.

Inside the decaying castle, Edie begins to unravel her mother’s past. But there are other secrets hidden in the stones of Milderhurst Castle, and Edie is about to learn more than she expected. The truth of what happened in the distant hours has been waiting a long time to be uncovered . . .'

15/10/2026

Tahereh Mafi is a #1 New York Times bestselling and National Book Award-nominated author, best known for the Shatter Me series. Her books have sold millions of copies and been translated into over 30 languages. Her novel A Very Large Expanse of Sea was named one of Time magazine’s best YA books of all time.

Find books on BorrowBox:
and our catalogue: https://hampshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?QRY=SVL(OCT26YAF)&SORTS=SQL_RANDOM&QRYTEXT=Young%20Adult%20Focus&NRECS=12

14/10/2026

What is it about murder and food that makes such an irresistible recipe for crime fiction? Join bestselling authors Orlando Murrin, Suk Pannu and Fliss Chester for a mouth-watering discussion exploring the deliciously dark world of culinary crime, at Waterlooville Library. 🔪

🎟 Book tickets: https://shop.hants.gov.uk/products/murder-on-the-menu-orlando-murrin-suk-pannu-fliss-chester-waterlooville-library-saturday-21st-november-2026-12-30pm


Fliss Chester Suk Pannu

14/10/2026

Our Rhyme of the Month for October is Wind The Bobbin Up. 🧵

This is a great rhyme to help children link actions and words together. It also helps them learn about following instructions.

Sing along on the CBeebies parenting website: https://www.bbc.co.uk/tiny-happy-people/articles/zn3dvk7"

13/10/2026

There's still time to book your tickets to this great author event at Aldershot Library! 📚🤩

Local author Emma Robertson will be chatting about the inspiration behind A Girl’s Girl, exploring why school friendships can leave such a lasting mark, and sharing insights into her writing process, love of travel, and the stories that shaped her debut novel. You'll even get a tea or coffee with your ticket ☕

Book now through the link below ⬇

Meet the Author: Emma Robertson Aldershot Library Saturday 17th October 2026 2.00pm Ticket price includes a cup of tea or coffee! If you love your holiday reads with sunshine, secrets, and just the right amount of drama, then this author event is for you! Join debut novelist Emma Robertson, author o...

13/10/2026

A selection of books from the authors attending the Only Murders in the Library Crime and Thriller author event at Basingstoke Discovery Centre. 🔍

On BorrowBox: https://hampshire.borrowbox.com/product-group/49364/only-murders-in-the-library
On our catalogue: https://hampshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?QRY=SVL(OCT26OML)&SORTS=SQL_RANDOM&QRYTEXT=Only%20Murders%20in%20the%20Library&NRECS=12

There's still time to book your tickets to these author events: https://shop.hants.gov.uk/collections/library-events?filter.p.tag=Only+Murders+in+the+Library+2026

12/10/2026

Our Story of the Month for October is 'Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes' by Mem Fox and Helen Oxenbury. 👐👣

'All over the world, babies are different. Yet in some ways they are very much the same: each one has ten little fingers and ten little toes - to play with, to tickle, to wave. And each child is very, very special to its parents.'

Find a copy in our libraries, or on our catalogue: https://hampshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?ENTRY1_NAME=TI&ENTRY1=ten%20little%20fingers%20and%20ten%20little%20toes&ENTRY1_TYPE=K&ENTRY2_NAME=AU&ENTRY2=mem%20fox&ENTRY2_TYPE=K&NRECS=20&SORTS=HBT.SOVR

11/10/2026

Patrice Lawrence writes stories for children and young people. Before she became a full-time writer, she worked for charities that helped children, families and adults.

Her books have won many awards and have been praised by judges. She was given an MBE for her work in literature and is a member of the Royal Society of Literature. Patrice is also the Waterstones Children’s Laureate, a special role where she helps inspire children to enjoy reading, until 2028.

Find her titles on BorrowBox:
and our catalogue: https://hampshire.spydus.co.uk/cgi-bin/spydus.exe/ENQ/WPAC/BIBENQ?QRY=SVL(OCT26CHAOM)&SORTS=SQL_RANDOM&QRYTEXT=Children%27s%20Author%20of%20the%20Month&NRECS=12