Renowned as an author of “weird” literature, Jeff Vandermeer’s new novel, “Borne,” again showcases his spectacular imagination by placing his thrilling tale in an unthinkable setting: a world ravaged by climate change, war, a refugee crisis, poison rain and the mistakes and cruelties of corporations. He grounds the scenario by including a bevy of things we all fear and do our best to stay clear of on a daily basis: food scarcity, roving gangs of mutant children whose bodies are augmented by scavenged technologies and, of course, a giant flying venomous bear named Mord and the smaller proxy bears that do his bidding.
People that survive do so by eating bugs, lizards and whatever biotech they can scavenge. This biotech originates from an organization referred to as the “Company,” and it allows for such nifty items as “alcohol minnows” (tiny fish that provide both sustenance and tipsiness) and “memory beetles” (beetles that provide both sustenance and memories). The world Vandermeer created is vivid and interesting enough to sustain a much longer novel, but his focus is on the relationship between his narrator, Rachel (a scavenger living with her partner in a fortified cliffside) and Borne (a colorful chunk of biotech that initially seems inanimate). Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Jeff Vandermeer (again)”
This September, our community will get to know the Turners, a lively, complicated, resilient clan dealing with a dying matriarch, long-held grudges, personal secrets, an underwater mortgage on the family home – oh, and a ghost. Angela Flournoy’s debut novel and National Book Award finalist “The Turner House” narrowly beat out “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race” by Margot Lee Shetterly to be named this year’s One Read.
Before the public vote, a panel of community members considered 10 finalist books that address extremely timely topics, from race and class in America to the effects of the technology-everywhere-share-everything culture on our lives. Here is an overview of the other eight finalists, a varied list that includes historical and contemporary fiction, nonfiction and a fantasy that defies categorization. Continue reading “Literary Links: One Read Finalists 2017”
Images and stories of refugees fleeing war-torn nations are haunting and have unfortunately become a fairly regular sight in our news. The journeys these displaced people find themselves on are perilous and traumatic and for some, even deadly. Once they manage to arrive in their sanctuary countries, settling into a place where the language and cultures are different can be tremendously challenging. Continue reading “Center Aisle Cinema and Discussion With Refugee and Immigration Services”
TOP PICKS
Here is a quick look at the most noteworthy nonfiction titles being released in June. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.
“American Eclipse: A Nation’s Epic Race to Catch the Shadow of the Moon and Win the Glory of the World” by David Baron
This book documents the efforts of three late-19th-century scientists to observe the rare total solar eclipse of 1878, and it cites how the respective ambitions of James Craig Watson, Maria Mitchell and Thomas Edison, juxtaposed against the challenges of the Wild West, helped America’s early pursuits as a scientific superpower. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: June 2017”
Book I Read: “Company of Liars” by Karen Maitland
Why I Checked It Out: I regularly read from a variety of genres and had a craving for something historical. I hadn’t visited the Middle Ages lately during my literary travels, so it seemed like I was due for a visit. The mix of religion and superstition that were such driving factors in people’s lives during that time period fascinates me, and I’m also intrigued by the day-to-day challenges people faced in a world that lacked the modern day conveniences I take for granted. In my search for a Medieval tale, I stumbled across Karen Maitland’s book, which was billed as a take on Chaucer’s “Canterbury Tales.” It seemed like just the thing to cure my reading craving. Continue reading “Staff Book Review: Company of Liars by Karen Maitland”
Today marks the first day of Summer Reading! While summer reading often invokes memories of programs and activities for children, DBRL has versions for all ages. This year our theme is “Build a Better World,” and we’re hoping to inspire you to build a better personal world and better your community. The library will be hosting a number of fun programs to spark your excitement.
Take a peek at our website for the full list of Adult Summer Reading programs. We’ve also put together a couple of lists that feature people and communities that improve their world. There is a fiction list, and a nonfiction list — enjoy!
You can sign up for the Adult Summer Reading program here, and you’ll be entered in our weekly drawings for a bookstore gift card. You can also submit book reviews, and in doing so, get extra entries for the gift card drawings. Starting later this month, we will be publishing the best book reviews here on the Adults Blog.
Get reading and reviewing, and remember to consider what you can do to build a better world!
Many musicians start out small and rise to be successful, but that process is not always captured on film. Check out these documentaries featuring musicians rising from obscurity.
“Breaking a Monster” (2015)
Three grade schoolers spend their weekends playing heavy metal/speed punk in Times Square as Unlocking the Truth. After the band achieves internet fame, the boys are confronted with the realities that come with being rock stars. The documentary chronicles their first year, as the band enters the very adult world of touring, managers and contracts.
Continue reading “Way to the Top: Docs Featuring Musicians Rising From Obscurity”
It has been 100 years since his birth, but John F. Kennedy remains a popular historic figure. People are fascinated with his privileged upbringing and the complicated politics of his presidency. His abbreviated life continues to inspire books, televisions series and movies. If you’re interested in reading more about this man who managed to leave a lasting mark on this country despite his short life, the library offers a large selection of interesting titles.
Before he was president, Kennedy showed promise as a leader when PT 109, the torpedo boat he served on, was downed by a Japanese Destroyer in the South Pacific. The ship’s surviving crew was stranded on an island, and Kennedy risked his life several times, swimming miles through the ocean in search of both food and escape from the island. “PT 109: An American Epic of War, Survival, and the Destiny of John F. Kennedy” by William Doyle explores how Kennedy’s experience shaped him from a spoiled, wealthy youth into his destiny as the inspirational war hero who beat the odds to win the presidency. Continue reading “Remembering Our Fellow American, John F. Kennedy”
May is National Bike Month, sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. We are extremely fortunate that in Columbia we have a world class network of paved and limestone trails, bike lanes, lightly traveled rural gravel and asphalt roads and single track mountain bike loops basically a doorstep away. One might even go so far as to say that Columbia, Missouri is one of the country’s hidden cycling gems. Bicycling magazine thinks so — we were recently rated as the 42nd most bike friendly city in the nation.
To get a good feel for the current cycling-friendly projects that the city (and Boone County) are working on, please visit Pednet, a nonprofit alternative transportation advocacy group in Columbia. The fine folks at Pednet have assisted in cycling-related development and have pushed for many of the infrastructure changes and redesigns that have made our city so welcoming to cyclists and pedestrians. Their website also offers solid information about non-motorized advocacy and opportunities to get involved at the ground level. Continue reading “National Bike Month”
It’s May and that means it is National Stroke Awareness Month. The American Heart Association (AHA) and the American Stroke Association (ASA) have teamed up, campaigning to raise public awareness about stroke, a disease affecting the arteries leading to and within the brain that causes brain injury. Their educational efforts cover the warning signs of stroke, symptoms of a stroke, stroke prevention, and the impact of stroke on survivors, families and caregivers.
Stroke (originally known as apoplexy and now also known as a cerebral vascular accident — CVA) has been around for a long time. It is unknown how many people suffered from stroke 2,400 years ago when it was first recognized by Hippocrates, the father of medicine. But today almost every one of us knows someone, who has suffered a stroke — it’s the fifth highest cause of U.S. deaths. It is also a leading cause of long-term disability, including paralysis, pain, aphasia, problems with thinking or memory and emotional disturbances. Continue reading “Knowing Stroke: Preventing it or Surviving it”
