Last year, Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge asked participants to read a graphic memoir. I happen to love comic books and graphic novels but have never been a fan of non-fiction or biography. As a result, I was really dreading this particular task. I ended up enjoying the graphic memoir I chose so much, that by the end of last year, I would end up reading a dozen more. This book was on my list of graphic memoirs I wanted to read, but I chose to focus on lesser-known titles. By the time I had crossed those other titles off my list, I realized I was burned out on graphic memoirs.
Over a year after I read my first graphic memoir, I decided to sit down and finally read “They Called Us Enemy.” Since May was Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and June is Pride Month, it felt like the perfect time to cross this book off my list. Co-written by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, “They Called Us Enemy” chronicles Takei’s experiences growing up in a Japanese internment camp. The book also highlights Takei’s efforts to fight intolerance and to stand up for equity, equality, and justice. Takei and his co-writers also sprinkle bits of history into the narrative of Takei’s life, adding context to the emotional events playing out on the page. Continue reading “Reader Review: They Called Us Enemy”
Move over, beach reads! The pandemic forced me to be a lot more outdoorsy than usual just to get out of the house. I’ve always enjoyed camping, but I definitely started doing it more frequently when it became my only vacation option. I know definitions of what can actually be considered “camping” vary widely from person to person. For some people, a cabin in the woods with AC and a functional toilet counts. For others, if it’s not in a tent with no access to running water, it’s not “real camping.” Some people are into yurts. I’m not here to gatekeep. Whatever the case, camping is prime reading time. You’re surrounded by nature, you’re disconnected from wifi and technology … what else is there to do? One of my favorite things about camping is picking out which books I’m going to bring along. Here are some suggestions for whatever genre you’re into. Continue reading “Camping Reads”
Our Summer Reading theme this year is “Tales & Tails,” so our next Crafternoon-To-Go kit is using the traditional art of origami to make a paper crane (with a tail, of course.) These kits are for adults and will be available while supplies last in all of our branches Friday, June 25. You may pick them up at the second-floor reference desk at the Columbia Library and by the service desks at our other branches.
There are instructions and supplies in your kit to make four cranes (or if you are like me, extra paper for mistakes). We also supplied some fishing line if you would like to hang them. If you find these difficult, here is an online video that provides step-by-step instructions. This is an inexpensive craft that can be done with friends, family and kids, so check our library collection for more resources.
In the cozy mystery “The Broken Spine,” the main character is a librarian whose small town leaders want to change the library to offering only digital resources. How can a library be a library without any books?! She has a plan, but will a murder stop it? What about the new man in town who doesn’t talk about his past, or the new police detective who broke her heart in high school? The likable characters and plausible story make this an enjoyable read.
Three words that describe this book: Cozy, library, cat
You might want to pick this book up if: If you like cozy mysteries. The setting is a library. The main character adopts a cat, or does the cat adopt her?
-Mary
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
It is a truth universally out there that any discussion of UFOs must be in want of an “X-Files” reference. For several decades at least, humans have been fascinated by the idea of extraterrestrial life, which might explain why many television viewers were as obsessed with “The X-Files” as Agent Mulder was with finding aliens. Of course, that wasn’t the first or last TV show centered on the idea of otherworldly visitors to Earth. There’s been the ever-enduring “Doctor Who” and more recently, “Project Blue Book,” with dozens of others along the way.
Since the release of U.S. Department of Defense videos showing navy pilot encounters with unexplained aerial phenomena and the announcement of a forthcoming Pentagon report on the same subject, UFOs have become an even hotter topic. For folks trying to sort out fact from rumor and alien spacecraft from weather balloon, you have lots of company. Several authors have tackled the issue. Continue reading “UFOs”
“What Happens in Paradise” is a book about a woman who is grieving the unexpected loss of her husband who died in a helicopter crash. The woman is also grappling with the news that her husband was leading a double life in the Caribbean with a mistress and a 13-year-old daughter. In this second installment of the series, the woman and her two adult sons are back on the island of St. John to uncover the truth about the death and double life of their husband and father. In the process, they learn truths about themselves and what they want for their futures. This book is a true page turner, and I could not wait to read what new information would be revealed or what would happen next. This book was also very clean — no uncomfortable intimate moments.
Three words that describe this book: Page-turner, Dramatic, Tropical
You might want to pick this book up if: You want to escape to the island of St. John for family drama and secrets, romance, and overall fun in the sun.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
In the book “The House in the Cerulean Sea,” a lonely middle aged bureaucrat is sent on a classified trip to inspect an orphanage of highly unusual magical children living on an isolated island. He finds himself being drawn in by these strange children and even more so by their enigmatic and protective headmaster as his objectivity is tested as it’s never been tested before. I loved this book so much even though it’s not my typical genre. It was such a wonderfully crafted story that made me laugh and cry and I didn’t want it to end.
Three words that describe this book: Endearing, fantastical, heartwarming
You might want to pick this book up if: You love Harry Potter.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
I’m continuing my tour of the US and leaving the Rocky Mountains to travel the Great Plains. This part of the trip is a bit nostalgic for me because I have lived in two of the five states. Continue reading “Travel Through Story: The Great Plains”
Most people know the basics of the story of the Trojan War, but “A Thousand Ships” tells the stories of the women who were affected by the war, including those mostly ignored by history. Through their voices and tales, the reader has a better understanding of the time period and what women went through. I love mythological stories, so this was right up my alley.
Three words that describe this book: mythological, feminist, historical
You might want to pick this book up if: You like authors Madeline Miller and Mary Renault, or the book “The Silence of the Girls” by Pat Barker.
-Ashley
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog.
I’ve recently devoured Christopher Buehlman’s oeuvre, and I hereby enthusiastically recommend all six of his novels. Here’s a quick rundown of the first five.
“Those Across the River” is about some bad things across a river. This book makes emphatically the case that if your town ritualistically sends a pig into the woods, it’s best that the ritual continues.
“Between Two Fires” is about a girl on a mission to save the world and the disgraced knight that accompanies her. The Black Plague is ravaging France. Also ravaging France are demons. On their travels they have a series of horrific encounters. Classic horror travelogue thing going on here. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Christopher Buehlman”
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