Hey, comic fans! Thanks for joining me for another edition of Quintessential Comics! This “issue” we’re going to focus on characters that might get overlooked when scouring the shelves looking for that next graphic novel fix. These characters come from both Marvel and DC, so there’s sure to be something you’ll like! I’m not listing anything “indy,” as you really should get out there and read about anything from Image, Darkhorse, etc. The criteria I’m using for these picks are that they are characters that aren’t prominent features in many series, they might have a series of their own, and could possibly have a unique or interesting backstory. I hope you enjoy! Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Dive Into Obscurity”
Here are a few of the most notable debut novels coming out in October. These have all received positive reviews in library journals. For a longer list, please visit our catalog.
“The Last Checkmate” by Gabriella Saab
Maria is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw. Captured by the Gestapo she is imprisoned in Auschwitz, while her family is sent to their deaths. Realizing her ability to play chess, the sadistic camp deputy, Fritzsch, intends to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. However, once he tires of utilizing her skills, he has every intention of killing her.
Befriended by a Catholic priest, Maria attempts to overcome her grief and see the value in survival. Literally playing for her life through four grueling years, her strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive. By cleverly provoking Fritzsch’s volatile nature in front of his superiors, Maria intends to orchestrate his downfall. Only then will she have a chance to evade the fate awaiting her and see him brought to justice.
As she carries out her plan and the war nears its end, she discovers Fritzsch has survived. And so Maria, vowing still to avenge the murder of her family, challenges her former nemesis to one final game, certain to end in life or death, in failure or justice. If Maria can bear to face Fritzsch — and her past — one last time. Continue reading “Debut Author Spotlight: October 2021”
Here I am at the end of my journey, traveling through New England during a glorious fall. I’m not sure why I have taken the path that I did to have me end here as the air is turning crisp and the leaves are presenting a beautiful mosaic, but I like it! Even if the books I’m reading are not set during autumn, my spirit overlays the mood since this is MY time of year. Continue reading “Travel Through Story: New England”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“In the Heights”
Website / Reviews
This musical fuses Lin‐Manuel Miranda’s kinetic music and lyrics with director Jon M. Chu’s lively and authentic eye for storytelling. The film tells the story of the likeable, magnetic, bodega owner Usnavi, who saves every penny from his daily grind as he hopes, imagines, and sings about a better life. Meanwhile, his tight-knit community faces gentrification while trying to better themselves and hold on to their cultures. Continue reading “New DVD List: In The Heights, Mare of Easttown & More”
I’m highlighting some nonfiction books coming out in October. All of the mentioned titles are available to put on hold in our catalog and will also be made available via the library’s Overdrive website on the day of publication in eBook and downloadable audiobook format (as available). For a more extensive list of new nonfiction books coming out this month, check our online catalog.
Top Picks
“The Taking of Jemima Boone: The True Story of the Kidnap and Rescue That Shaped America” by Matthew Pearl (Oct 5)
On a quiet midsummer day in 1776, weeks after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, 13-year-old Jemima Boone and her friends Betsy and Fanny Callaway disappear near the Kentucky settlement of Boonesboro, the echoes of their faraway screams lingering on the air. A Cherokee-Shawnee raiding party has taken the girls as the latest salvo in the blood feud between American Indians and the colonial settlers who have decimated native lands and resources. Hanging Maw, the raiders’ leader, recognizes one of the captives as Jemima Boone, daughter of Kentucky’s most influential pioneers, and realizes she could be a valuable pawn in the battle to drive the colonists out of the contested Kentucky territory for good. With Daniel Boone and his posse in pursuit, Hanging Maw devises a plan that could ultimately bring greater peace both to the tribes and the colonists. But after the girls find clever ways to create a trail of clues, the raiding party is ambushed by Boone and the rescuers in a battle with reverberations that nobody could predict. As Matthew Pearl reveals, the exciting story of Jemima Boone’s kidnapping vividly illuminates the early days of America’s westward expansion, and the violent and tragic clashes across cultural lines that ensue. In this enthralling narrative in the tradition of Candice Millard and David Grann, Matthew Pearl unearths a forgotten and dramatic series of events from early in the Revolutionary War that opens a window into America’s transition from colony to nation, with the heavy moral costs incurred amid shocking new alliances and betrayals. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: October 2021”
The field of urban, or city planning covers all aspects of a city, including housing, economic development, infrastructure, land use, environmental policy and transportation. And a lot goes into planning a well-functioning city. For example, a simple decision to plant trees along streets can increase property value, decrease air pollution, cool streets and sidewalks and decrease rainwater run-off. Many cities now are finding innovative ways to improve the lives of their citizens. Continue reading “Literary Links: Urban Planning”
Often, I’m drawn to a book because it’s related in some way to another book I’ve already read and liked. When this happens, it’s usually a work of fiction leading me to a nonfiction title about a subject that was important to the story. Pairing books like this can add an extra layer of enrichment. In this spirit, here are a few fiction-nonfiction book companions to read together.
After immersing myself in the world of “The Overstory” by Richard Powers, I was compelled to find out more about old growth forests. Powers interweaves the stories of nine different people, each with a personal connection to trees. One of the characters was inspired by real-life scientist Suzanne Simard, who has a new book out this year. Part memoir, part ecology lesson, ”Finding the Mother Tree” relates Simard’s own personal journey while also supplying lots of fascinating information on forest ecosystems. Continue reading “Book Companions: Fiction and Nonfiction Pairings”
Gary Elliott is a Mid-Missouri author whose latest book is “The 1849 Cholera Outbreak in Jefferson City.” The book is an account of the cholera epidemic aboard the steamship James Monroe, which left from St. Louis, Missouri and arrived in Jefferson City in May of 1849. A resident of Jefferson City, Elliott is a land surveyor by profession, and has previously authored two other books related to Missouri history. I emailed some interview questions to him, and he was kind enough to take time to write back some answers. Continue reading “Q&A With Gary Elliott, Author of “The 1849 Cholera Outbreak in Jefferson City””
“Convenience Store Woman” is a story about a woman who truly finds her calling, working part-time at a convenience store. If only everyone else in her life could accept this, things would be peachy. But her parents and sister always hold out hope that she will eventually “get better” over her autistic traits. Keiko tries with all her might to understand and obey the rules of being human, observing that “foreign objects get expelled.” This book will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like a misfit.
Three words that describe this book: quirky, funny, thought-provoking
You might want to pick this book up if: You want a quick read or you like stories about quirky people.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2021. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Thanks for joining me for yet another issue of Quintessential Comics! This time we’re going to focus on graphic novels that have undergone either a film or television series adaptation. Some of these contain mature content. If you’ve been looking for a different format in which to enjoy your comic goodness, this is for you. Let’s get right to it!
“Preacher”
This series is about as wild as they come. Jesse Custer, a preacher hailing from Texas, finds the belief system that he has devoted his entire life to called into question when he realizes that he has the ability to command others to do anything he wants. This mysterious power comes as the result of a merger with a being known as “Genesis.” While it seems as though this gift has been bestowed upon him by Heaven itself, Custer isn’t so sure. He decides to hit the road with his renegade girlfriend Tulip and his unlikely best friend Cassidy, who just so happens to be a vampire, in order to find out the truth about his power and why he was chosen to wield it. Originally airing on AMC, this series is now available through Hulu and you can also check it out on DVD. Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Invasion of the Film Adaptations”
