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2025 National Book Awards finalist

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According to the National Book Award website “The National Book Awards were established in 1950 to celebrate the best American writing in fiction, nonfiction and poetry.” Since 1989, the Awards have been overseen by the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to celebrate the best literature published in the United States, expand its audience, and ensure books have a prominent place in our culture. The winners will be revealed November 19. Here are some of the finalists: Fiction category “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)” ...

Unranked, unexpected, undeniable

Lifestyle Feature

SLEEPY EYE — Usually if a high school football team heads to consecutive state tournaments, a foundation of expectations is laid. Two years in a row, time to make it three. That outlook and those expectations didn’t follow the 2000 Sleepy Eye Indians football team, however. After ...

Meal Prep for the Win

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Meal prep is a popular trend these days. We’ve all been there: it’s 6 pm, everyone is tired and hungry, and there is no meal in sight. Do you resort to pizza or something that might not be very healthy? Meal Prep can be your secret weapon to less mealtime stress, eating better, and saving money. If you are just getting started with meal prepping, or are looking for some new ideas and recipes, here are some books to check out. Just the pictures alone will inspire you to add these meals to your week. First up is Damn Delicious Meal Prep: 115 Easy Recipes for Low-Calorie, ...

Drums one of Civil War’s rarest artifacts

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Collectors seek out military antiques to preserve veterans’ stories and honor historic heroes. Civil War drums are some of the rarest of these antiques, and they convey powerful imagery along with their historical importance. A Civil War-era drum that sold for $2,783 at Donley Auctions was previously displayed in a museum. Still in excellent condition, it features bold blue trim and is decorated with a painted eagle and shield, as well as all 13 stars representing the Union. These drums were usually painted with patriotic images; eagles were, of course, one of the most popular ...

Painting by robot

Lifestyle Feature

SLEEPY EYE -- Sleepy Eye Public School Facilities Manager Craig Murphy gets excited when he talks about using a new robot to stripe and paint school athletic fields. “The (Pro X Tiny Mobile) robot has been an absolute time and money saver with almost flawless end results on all our fields ...

Recent reads

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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. All the Belles are called back to Bellerton Academy following its 150th anniversary. A discovery was made on the finishing school grounds during the celebration. As each woman returns, they will have to reckon with their shared past and the once-tight ties of sisterhood. The Belles is an atmospheric, eerie suspense novel with a strong sense of place and time. ...