The Gentleman Recommends: Juan Martinez

Posted on Friday, January 19, 2018 by Chris

Best Worst American” by Juan Martinez is another delightful and weird collection of short stories published by Small Beer Press. (If you haven’t read the previously recommended works by Kelly Link, I reiterate my recommendation to do so.) (Apologies to Mr. Martinez for immediately hijacking his recommendation to re-recommend another author.)

Best Worst American book cover

Proceeding, then, with the career boost this post inevitably provides and which Martinez indubitably deserves, “Best Worst American” will be appreciated by fans of McSweeney’s (where several of the pieces were originally published) and the sort of stand-up comedy performed by people with hip glasses.  (Not the glasses you think are hip, the ones that actually are hip: I do not know which glasses these are; though, of course, the monocle will never go out of style.) Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Juan Martinez”

Quintessential Comics: Top Five Female-Driven Series

Posted on Wednesday, January 17, 2018 by Josh

Okay, everyone. We’re back for the second installment of Quintessential Comics. This time we’re going to be taking a look at female-centric comics that, either through plot development or thematics, highlight women. If you have ever found yourself dissatisfied with the lack of female representation in comics, or at the mishandling of female characters, this list might be the remedy.

Giant Days book cover

Giant Days

If you’re looking for a comic series with a comedic element, look no further: “Giant Days” is here to scratch that itch. A series that focuses on three young women rooming together in college, this one is sure to bring a smile to your face due to just how relatable and endearing these characters can be. This is a comic that doesn’t need to rely on grandiose thematics. Follow Esther, Susan and Daisy as they stumble through life just like the rest of us. Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Top Five Female-Driven Series”

Reader Review: Queen Bee of Mimosa Branch

Posted on Monday, January 15, 2018 by patron reviewer

Editor’s note: This review was submitted by a library patron during the 2017 Adult Summer Reading program. We will continue to periodically share some of these reviews throughout the year.

Queen Bee of Mimosa Beach book coverQueen Bee of Mimosa Branch” is about Lin, a Southern girl, who married her childhood sweet heart and beat it out of her home town with him as her husband to Atlanta. 30 years later, Lin tucked tail and returned to her little home town without him, after her husband’s antics of disloyalty and insane choices with their money gave her no other choice. Returning to a small town with no money or skills, other than having been a socialite, is compounded by strained relationships with every member of her family.

I liked it this book because I find it therapeutic to read books about women who have experienced life as I have. The characters of the book are friends for that short time it takes to read about them; there is encouragement and there are lessons. I particularly liked the wisdom of grandmas of the South.

Three words that describe this book: awakening, family, acceptance

You might want to pick this book up if: you like books about women for women, their friendships, their talents and that sort of thing.

-Pamela

Literary Links: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement

Posted on Sunday, January 14, 2018 by Eric

The first national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday was observed in 1986, although at that time only 17 states had official King holidays. The intent of the holiday is to celebrate the life and legacy of Dr. King and remindAll Labor has Dignity book cover ourselves of the ideals for which he fought. Observance of a holiday for decades risks becoming a rote exercise that misses the complexities of the person and the historical period. Fortunately, there is a continually growing body of work on Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights movement to keep us engaged with this part of American history and how it connects to our present.

One of King’s most iconic speeches, the “Mountaintop” speech in support of striking black sanitation workers, was given hours before his assassination in Memphis. The progress of King’s thinking on labor and economic justice issues are traced in “All Labor Has Dignity.” This collection of King’s speeches includes the “Mountaintop” speech, as well as other previously unpublished ones in which he advocated for jobs, unionization and other labor concerns. You can also listen to the speeches of the skilled orator in “Martin Luther King, Jr.: The Essential Box Set: The Landmark Speeches and Sermons of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.Continue reading “Literary Links: Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement”

Posthumously Published Books: Read Harder 2018

Posted on Friday, January 12, 2018 by Reading Addict

Man sitting on a bench reading in the snow

It’s January once again — time for reflection and setting new goals. It’s also time for book challenges! I almost always set a yearly goal of so many books but this year the Columbia Public Library is hosting a year-long program around reading through the 2018 Read Harder Challenge. How could I not participate in that? The very first task on the Read Harder Challenge is a book published posthumously, meaning that it must have been published after the author has died. I have a few that I have read and loved. Continue reading “Posthumously Published Books: Read Harder 2018”

New DVD List: Fire at Sea, Twin Peaks & More

Posted on Wednesday, January 10, 2018 by Decimal Diver

Image from Fire at Sea

Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.

Fire at Sea dvd coverFire at Sea
Website / Reviews
An Academy Award nominee for Best Documentary Feature, this film takes place in Lampedusa, a remote Mediterranean island that has become a major entry point for refugees into Europe. There, we meet Samuele, a 12-year-old boy who lives simply, climbing rocks by the shore and playing with his slingshot. Nearby, we bear witness as thousands of people risk their lives to make the brutal crossing from Africa. Continue reading “New DVD List: Fire at Sea, Twin Peaks & More”

Nonfiction Roundup: January 2018

Posted on Monday, January 8, 2018 by Kirk

Here is a quick look at the most noteworthy nonfiction titles being released this January. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.

TOP PICKS

All-American Murder book coverJames Patterson is moving into true crime in a big way this year. He will release three true crime titles in January. Two of them, “Murder, Interrupted” and “Home Sweet Murder” will coincide with the first episodes of the television show “Murder Is Forever.” The third is “All American Murder,” the story of the professional football player Aaron Hernandez. A fourth is slated for release in February and it would not be surprising to see others announced for later in the year. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: January 2018”

Reader Review: Get Well Soon

Posted on Friday, January 5, 2018 by patron reviewer

Editor’s note: This review was submitted by a library patron during the 2017 Adult Summer Reading program. We will continue to periodically share some of these reviews throughout the year.

Get Well Soon book cover

Get Well Soon: History’s Worst Plagues and the Heroes Who Fought Them” is great because it does not pretend to be something it’s not. From the onset, the author is unapologetic about her opinions, lets her sense of humor fly with abandon and is clear on her message. It works because she labels her opinions for what they are. There is snarky humor galore and the pages are rife with pop culture references. This topic is one for which laughter really is the best medicine, and making historic events tangible to modern readers is beneficial for being able to internalize the very serious issues at hand. The overarching “stunningly obvious” messages of this book are: (i) learn from the mistakes and successes of the past, (ii) our survival and quality of life during a plague depends on all of us, (iii) diseases do not infect people based on personality traits, income, sexual orientation or sin, and (iv) care about your fellow humans. Yet, as the epilogue reminds us, we continue to make the same mistakes through modern times.

Three words that describe this book: sincere, worthwhile, humorous

You might want to pick this book up if: you are interested in surviving an epidemic and you enjoy snarky humor.

-Shannon

A Year in Reading: Rereads and More Favorites

Posted on Wednesday, January 3, 2018 by Kat

Editor’s note: Several of our regular blog writers have looked back at the books they read in 2017, and they’ve each written their own “Year in Review.” This is the last installment. Enjoy! 

2017 Year in Reading
Jeremiah

A Little Life book cover2016 was tough; 2017 could have been better than 2016, but wasn’t. So, this year I re-read books for the comfort of knowing I’d spend hours reading well. I returned to Hanya Yanahihara’s “A Little Life” for the third time, and re-read, slowly, Maggie Nelson’s “The Argonauts,” “The Red Parts,” “Jane: A Murder,” “Bluets” and “The Art of Cruelty.” For their elegant sentences, challenging ideas, and strobe-like illumination, these books are treasures to me. The character of Jude, in “A Little Life,” reminded me that healing isn’t for all—that some people don’t change, that fate, in all its dogmatic baggage, binds, stills, abides, sustains. This novel again taught me also, among many other things, that happiness is plush, a privilege, not for everyone. I coupled this thought with Nelson’s insistence on queer world-making and queer family-makingThe Red Parts book cover in “The Argonauts.” Even if happiness dissembles and eludes, there is pleasure. Continue reading “A Year in Reading: Rereads and More Favorites”

A Year in Review: Travels and “Best of”

Posted on Monday, January 1, 2018 by Kat

Editor’s note: Several of our regular blog writers have looked back at the books they read in 2017, and they’ve each written their own “Year in Review.” This is the first installment. Enjoy! 

My Year in Books: Literary Travels
Anne

One of my favorite things to do in December is reflect on the books I’ve read over the past year. Reading is a bit like traveling, and it’s really nice remembering all the places I’ve been able to visit over the past year. In my “real life” I was blessed with trips to Hawaii and Colorado this year, but thanks to the books I’ve picked up this year, I’ve been able to travel to many other places and times. Here are some of the highlights:

Big Little Lies book coverI journeyed to Australia in the twisty domestic thriller “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty. This book recently inspired an award-winning miniseries on HBO, but the book is even better, offering a darkly humorous and suspenseful tale of how friendships and lies can lead to murder. Continue reading “A Year in Review: Travels and “Best of””