Southie friends, what’s better than discovering a recent New York Times best seller, the next pick from Jenna’s Book Club, one from Frieda’s long list, or even the perfect Eric Carle for your young one?

Normally I’d say sunsets at the Heights, a hot dog from Sully’s, or a latte from Broadway’s Pastry… but not today folks – the only thing better is getting that book for FREE!

Did ya know? 

May 17th is National Little Free Library Day, and there are plenty of locations in Southie to check out.   The premise of a Little Free Library is a teeny-tiny pop-up library that provides 24/7 free access to books, placed there by community members, encouraging others to give and take.  On any given day, you may find best sellers, recent publications, classics, and plenty of picture books.   The idea originally started in Minneapolis and has grown to include thousands of libraries nationwide.  Not only do they promote the sharing of books, but they also highlight diversity among authors/characters, bring literacy to high-need areas, & also a way to build community and put books back in the hands of EVERYONE!

My personal Go-Tos include:

• Julie’s Family Learning Center Parking Lot (West 4th Street)

• G Street and East 8th

• Seaport Commons by the Current

• The Clock Tavern (not an official LFL, take only – no drop offs)

Additional Southie libraries include:

• In the Laboure Parking Lot (D Street)

• By the Tynan Elementary School (East 4th Street)

• Martin’s Park (by the Children’s Museum)

• Colin’s Courtyard (in honor of Colin McGrath – L Street)

To note:

• There are a number of libraries in the Boston area, in every neighborhood.  Official libraries can be found on the website www.littlefreelibrary.org – with a corresponding map and app!

• Little Free Libraries are often a labor of love.  A family, a school or an organization took the time to build and volunteers to host the library.  They commit to its upkeep and ask the community to be considerate when visiting.  That includes helping to organize, bringing clean literature, considering what is being donated, and keeping the site neat/tidy.  It’s appreciated.

While we have you here, a few books I recently read that will be dropped off at some of the above libraries include: 

Yesteryear, by Caro Claire Burke – I was absurdly excited to read this book, but I must inform you that the main character is the most annoying and deserving of everything terrible that comes her way.  Yes, I cheered when the trap snapped.  I’m not sure if it’s the way it was written, the things the character thinks or says. But if I could reach through the page and…. Yeah.  She needed a shake.  Did you like this book?  Did you ever start to like this character?  Do you relate to her?   If yes, who are you?

HOWEVER, I couldn’t stop reading it.  I think the story was extremely original (though I do understand it may be inspired by Ballerina Farm or Ruby Franke), with a modern-day, Instagram-obsessed tradwife who wakes up one day in 1855.  Great, let’s see this woman who churns butter for views actually do it for real – let’s see her hand wash all of the clothes and pump out that sourdough – all while submitting to her husband – woo hoo!!   I appreciated that it highlighted that what is seen via social media is often fake and only what we want shown.  A reminder for us all as we double-click and repost.

But as a hater, yes, I still recommend it and yes I’ll see Anne Hathway’s on-screen version of this.

Molka, by Monika Kim, was a sleeper hit, AKA a book I’d never have chosen if I didn’t have a free book credit.  I guess peeping Toms is a big problem in South Korea, with videos hidden away in vents and perverts sharing these clips across the web.  The government appears to do a little slap on the wrist for those who are caught, so when the main character, Dahye’s sex life is broadcast for everyone to see, she decides to take punishment into her own hands.   Your head will whip back and forth between how these characters intertwine and who you’re angry at.   I’m not sure if this is based on a real issue in South Korea (?), but we even see news articles about creepers in Boston, so I was cheering Dahye on as she became fixated on revenge.  There were a few plot lines – more on the horror side that aren’t my usual book choice, but for this one, they were a perfect addition.  I recommend that you take a chance on something completely different.

Lady Tremaine, by Rachel Hochhauser – LOVED IT.  It was Cinderella’s story retold from the point of view of the stepmother.    I love anything that’s a classic with a twist – and I never would have thought I’d feel sympathy for the evil woman. I also thought I’d feel anger towards Cinderella.  (Is anger a theme in all of the books recently?)  She was so helpless, so weak in this version – plus I thought she was sneaky!  Does she deserve the prince?  And what’s his deal?  Is he actually a catch?  We begin to see how the family came together and what this mother did for her children.  Note: the stepsisters are not as “ugly” as the cartoon makes them out to be.  I just thought it was such a creative re-telling, and if I ever could write a book, I’d love to do a POV from another character in a classic!

And now…

I’m currently reading The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff, but I’m only a few pages in.  A few bookish friends told me it was their favorite book of 2025, so I’m excited!

If you got this far, thank you.  Let us know if you’ve read any of these choices or want to share what you’ve got next on your list. Please do so via the comments on @caughtinsouthie or catch me on Instagram at @glossinbossin / @josiegl.