Fiction

• “I Could Live Here Forever,” by Hanna Halperin | Release date: Apr. 11, 2023 | The novel follows Leah Kempler, a UW-Madison student who falls in love with a recovering heroin addict.
• “Summer of Rain, Summer of Fire” by Bill Meissner | Release date: Nov. 22, 2022 | A coming-of-age novel involving the aerial bombing of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant in Baraboo.
• “I Know What You Did” by Cayce Osborne | Release date: July 18, 2023 | When a bestselling novel fictionalizes the death of her childhood best friend and accuses her of murder, Petal Woznewski must figure out who wrote it and why.

For the family

• “Auction” by Quan Barry | Release date: Sept. 26, 2023 | The Vietnamese-born poet, novelist, and playwright explores the existential nature of experience.
• “Canary Girls” by Jennifer Chiaverini | Release date: Aug. 8, 2023 | The prolific Chiaverini returns with a novel about the “munitionettes,” women who built bombs in Britain’s arsenals during World War I.
• “Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane!” by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker | Release date: Oct. 3, 2023 | Considered one of the greatest comedy movies of all time, the creators let readers go behind-the-scenes.

Learn something new

• “Dane County Farmers’ Market Cookbook” by Terese Allen | Release date: July 8, 2023 | Dane County’s beloved farmer’s market now has a beloved cookbook to go along with it.
• “Queer Forms” by Ramzi Fawaz | Release date: Sept. 9, 2022 | Fawaz explores how the central values of the 1970s movements for women’s and gay liberation were translated into a range of American popular culture forms.
• “Path Lit By Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe” by David Maraniss | Release date: June 6, 2023 | The Pulitzer Prize winner writes about, arguably, the greatest all-around athlete who ever lived.

• It’s a Holiday Panto | Friday, Dec. 22-Friday, Dec. 29 | Bartell Theatre, 113 Mifflin St., Madison | $10-$25 | Follow Charlie Brown as he has another existential crisis.
• Endswell, Sheep, Good News Dudes, & Mordecai | Friday, Dec. 22 | 8 p.m. | High Noon Saloon, 701 E. Washington Ave., Madison | $10-$13 | Listen to local talented songsters at a saloon.

• Winter Solstice Walk | Saturday, Dec. 23 | 1:30 p.m. | Pheasant Branch Encampment, 4864 Pheasant Branch Rd., Middleton | Free | Welcome in the winter season with a pleasant walk on the easy paths of Pheasant Branch Prairie.
• Festivus 2023 | Saturday, Dec. 23 | 8-10 p.m. | The Bur Oak, 2262 Winnebago St., Madison | $15 | Celebrate Festivus for the rest of us, featuring Francie & Josh.

• My Favorite Places | Sunday, Dec. 24 | 1:30 p.m. | UW Lakeshore Nature Preserve, 2002 University Bay Dr., Madison | Free | A nature walk toward hot chocolate and s’mores? Yes, please.

• New Year’s Eve Noisemaker | Tuesday, Dec. 26 | 1:30-3 p.m. | Monroe Street Library, 1705 Monroe St., Madison | Free | Have your children make instruments they can take home. (Earplugs not provided)
• Java Cat Open Mic | Tuesday, Dec. 26 | 6-8 p.m. | Java Cat, 4221 Lien Rd., Madison | Free | Have a poem you want to share? Maybe you’ve been practicing a flute concerto in your laundry room? Share it with others.

• Kwanzaa Basket Crafting | Wednesday, Dec. 27 | 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. | Madison Children’s Museum, 100 N. Hamilton St., Madison | Free | Celebrate Kwanzaa with crafts.
• Holiday Cocktail Class | Wednesday, Dec. 27-Thursday, Dec. 28 | 3-4 p.m. | The Cider Farm, 8216 Watts Rd., Madison | $30 | It’s getting nippy outside. Better learn how to make coctails to nip at.

• Harlem Globetrotters 2024 World Tour | Thursday, Dec. 28 | 7 p.m. | Alliant Energy Center, 1919 Alliant Energy Center Wy., Madison | $26.50-$340 | Trot over to see one of the greatest teams in sports history.
• Insidious: Yule | Thursday, Dec. 28 | 9 p.m. | Crucible, 3116 Commercial Ave., Madison | $5 | The holidays don’t always have to be holly and jolly. Sometimes it can be insidious and still be fun.

• Robert Allen Jr. | Friday, Dec. 29 | 8-11 p.m. | Red Rooster Madison, 2513 Seiferth Rd., Madison | $10 | One of the area’s best blues musicians comes to the Red Rooster.

• Local affordable housing will rise with the help of Rise Madison. The $82.3 million development, to be constructed on a 6.5-acre site at the intersection of East Washington and North Fair Oaks avenues, will be the largest affordable housing project in Wisconsin. (In Business)

• Willy Street Co-op will open a community space on Williamson Street in January. Called Aubergine, the space will be home to cooking and yoga classes, local art, and more. (Channel 3000)

• What rhymes with awesome? The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts & Letters will present Bloom, a series of poetry events offered in person and online in the early months of 2024. On May 23, for instance, US Poet Laureate Ada Limón will visit. (WisBusiness)

• Garver Feed Mill will host the Dane County Late Winter Farmer’s Market from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. each Saturday from Jan. 6 through April 6. There will be 40 vendors selling popular items like vegetables, cheese, baked goods, and more. (Channel 3000)

• For those looking for dresses, skirts, blouses, and more, an Ann Taylor Factory is set to open in Madison at Greenway Station in the spring. It will become the third location in the state to house an Ann Taylor Factory.(WMTV)

• Nine local creatives have formed a cooperative to combat pricey rent. Part of a four-story building at 107 Sutherland Ct., Ground Floor Studios was bought for $479,800 from its original developer, Accipiter Properties. It now shares the building with Linden Cohousing. (Wisconsin State Journal)

• Suds and a sauna? Yes, please. Book an hour-long sauna and then cool off with a refreshing beer at Delta Beer Lab. It takes place on Thursdays in January 5-9 p.m. Limited spots are available, and they go fast.

• How well do you know Wisconsin’s state government? Take a quiz. (Isthmus)

• Well, this is officially our last News Note of 2023. Thank you to our 608today community for staying connected with us this year. If you want to support us in 2024, consider becoming a member — you’ll support us directly and keep these newsletters coming. Until next year, folks.

• Madison College
  Professional and educational opportunities abound at Madison College. Think: web development, business start-up, and Wisconsin archeology.
• UW-Madison
  The university’s Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning Outreach program is a vibrant one with courses from engineering to business, nursing to music theory.

• Madison School and Community Recreation
  There are fitness classes, swimming, sports teams, and adaptive recreational opportunities, also.
• YMCA of Dane County
  With three locations (East, West, and Sun Prairie), the YMCA of Dane County offers programs for the whole family.

• Madison Community Foundation
  There are hundreds of nonprofits in Madison of all stripes for you to give your time to.