I genuinely don’t know how I feel about “Love Letters to a Serial Killer.” It’s a unique story where you are in the head of a person who is clearly not doing well in their personal life and tries to find meaning through other people. She then puts any excitement and “living her life” onto an alleged serial killer, writing letters to him in jail and during his trial.
The main character is unlikable, as are most of the characters are in this book, but I was fascinated by the story and her unreliability. At times her character is definitely satirical, like a hyped up unhinged version of stories you’ve heard about who idolize killers, but she also feels like someone you might know.
The lies she tells herself to rationalize and choices she makes… I just couldn’t stop listening because I had to know what hole she was going to dig herself into next. I agree with another reviewer who said it reminded them of “Yellowface” by R. F. Kuang because in both books you are in the main character’s mind and you see all the ways they justify what are clearly terrible and unethical decisions. “Love Letters to a Serial Killer” was overall fascinating and I would recommend it.
Three words that describe this book: Unhinged, Obsession, Binge-worthy
You might want to pick this book up if: You are interested in true crime, but more interested in the psyche of those people who are super obsessed with serial killers.
-Taira
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
October is a great time to start your holiday gift projects! Many people love getting handmade gifts created just for them, especially ones that match their personality or interests. These gifts show that you’re thinking of them. By starting now, you will experience a calmer holiday season as you wrap your presents in pretty paper, ready for December.
Your library offers resources like Creativebug and Universal Class for video tutorials, as well as physical and digital magazines for ideas. You can also browse through our collection for more inspiration. Continue reading “DIY Suggestions for Holiday Giving”
What I liked about “Different, Not Less”:
- Personal Stories: The book is filled with real-life stories that are both inspiring and relatable, offering a deep understanding of neurodiversity.
- Empowerment: It provides a positive and affirming perspective, encouraging readers to embrace their differences as strengths.
- Educational: The book is informative, helping to break down misconceptions about neurodiversity and promote greater acceptance and inclusion.
Continue reading “Reader Review: Different, Not Less”
“Second Time Around” is about Malloy Farrell, an interior designer, who inherits her grandmother’s run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon. Her plan is to sell the shop. However, she quickly finds out her old childhood crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the shop and redevelop the area into an outdoor mall. So Mallory changes her mind about selling and decides to renovate and open a home decor shop instead. There are many renovating mishaps, entertaining side stories and budding romances in the story until a happily ever after finds Mallory.
I liked this book because Carlson always does an exceptional job with creating relaxing romance reads with enough plot development and twists and turns to keep the story moving. Starting over is a strong theme throughout the book.
Three words that describe this book: Sweet, Romantic, and Enjoyable
You might want to pick this book up if: You might pick up this book if you enjoy reading romance novels and reading novels about characters who are starting over in life.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Food truly serves as a living window into culture, history and societal values. It’s fascinating how food culture can reflect everything from historical trends to social stratification. Food culture includes the way food is prepared, presented, eaten and shared. Food often reflects current trends in society, such as the plethora of cookbooks related to current books, movies and television shows. (Anyone ever try a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster from “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” by Douglas Adams?) Traditional recipes are often passed down for generations and reflect values and beliefs. In the Philippines, Yumburgers from Jollibee restaurants represent a taste of home and cultural pride. A region’s diet often represents the ingredients available in a particular location, such as olives from the Mediterranean. Specific dishes can also tell stories about societal history. Consider the cultural and historical changes that took lobster from a poor family’s meal to its current status as haute cuisine.
Continue reading “Literary Links: Learning Our World Through Food”
Anne Perry, famous for her Victorian-era mysteries, begins a new series set in 1930s Europe, with a great new heroine, young photographer Elena Standish. Elena is drawn into the hidden world of espionage through a nipped-in-the-bud love affair, which in turn pulls her grandfather to reconnect with his past in the secret service from the “war to end all wars.”
“Death in Focus” is a great series starter, with the historical verisimilitude of Perry’s previous books and engaging characters. Elena encounters unsuspected villains, unexpected heroes, and uncertain loyalties amid shifting social and political realities. The plot is satisfyingly complex, yet believable.
Three words that describe this book: Exciting, engaging, expertly plotted
You might want to pick this book up if: You like mysteries and don’t mind the 1930s setting.
-Lynn
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“Elsbeth” – Season 1 – Website / Reviews
A spinoff of “The Good Wife” & “The Good Fight,” this series follows unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni who utilizes her unique point of view to corner criminals alongside the NYPD.
“Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project” – Website / Reviews
Shown at the True False Film Fest, this documentary travels through time and space to reveal the enduring influence of poet Nikki Giovanni and the revolutionary periods in which she wrote.
“Late Night With the Devil” – Website / Reviews
In this supernatural horror film, a live television broadcast of a popular late night talk show in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation’s living rooms.
“Love Lies Bleeding” – Website / Reviews
Set in 1989, this crime drama follows the relationship between a reclusive gym manager, who is part of a crime family, and an ambitious bodybuilder who’s heading to Las Vegas to pursue her dream.
“Longlegs” – Website / Reviews
This horror/thriller follows an FBI agent’s investigation of a serial killer with clues heavily steeped in the occult. Despite a mounting sense of dread, the agent must face her dark past to catch the killer.
Continue reading “New DVD List: October 2024”
Below 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
“Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir” by Ina Garten (Oct 1)
Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose. From a difficult childhood to meeting the love of her life, Jeffrey, and marrying him while still in college, from a boring bureaucratic job in Washington, D.C., to answering an ad for a specialty food store in the Hamptons, from the owner of one Barefoot Contessa shop to author of bestselling cookbooks and celebrated television host, Ina has blazed her own trail and, in the meantime, taught millions of people how to cook and entertain. Now, she invites them to come closer to experience her story in vivid detail and to share the important life lessons she learned along the way: do what you love because if you love it you’ll be really good at it, swing for the fences and always “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.” Continue reading “Nonfiction Round-up: October 2024”
And by “they,” I mean the aliens. Obviously.
Feats of engineering and buildings on a grand scale have long captured the minds and imaginations of futurists. The Eiffel Tower, originally planned to be a somewhat temporary structure for the 1889 World’s Faire, a marvel of being the first man-made structure to surpass both 200 and 300 meters, evoked awe and wonder in attendees and tourists long thereafter as both a symbol of France’s past hundred years as a republic and as a monument to greatness yet to come. The tower held the prestigious record of tallest structure in the world for four decades, before being unseated by the Chrysler Building in the ‘30s. “I ought to be jealous of the Tower,” Gustav Eiffel once bemoaned, “she is far more famous than I.” Quickly, those whose imaginations drifted forward towards the question of “what if” asked: If our mastery of science and technology had given us this power, what more could we build? How much higher will we go? Continue reading “If You Build It, They Will Come: Megastructures and Feats of Macroengineering in Science Fiction”
Sean Spence is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Breaking Barriers: Disability History in the United States.” The book covers key individuals, events and concepts that have affected the history of disability rights in the United States. Spence’s interest in disability starts primarily with his personal experience as someone with multiple sclerosis, combined with his love of history (he earned his BA in US history from MU in 1993). He currently works on fundraising, PR & marketing, and volunteer management for the Salvation Army. He was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Sean Spence, Author of “Breaking Barriers: Disability History in the United States””
I genuinely don’t know how I feel about “Love Letters to a Serial Killer.” It’s a unique story where you are in the head of a person who is clearly not doing well in their personal life and tries to find meaning through other people. She then puts any excitement and “living her life” onto an alleged serial killer, writing letters to him in jail and during his trial.
