Reader Review: Stay Sexy And Don’t Get Murdered

Posted on Thursday, August 8, 2019 by patron reviewer

Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered” is a dual-memoir from the hosts of popular podcast “My Favorite Murder.” They tell stories that have been touched on in episodes of the podcast, as well as other topics that have never been discussed. Each chapter is under a certain theme or inside joke often referenced in the podcast, such as “Stay Out of the Forest” or “Sweet Baby Angel,” and it was interesting to see how they incorporated stories from their pasts to jokes on the show. I loved it because it was like hearing words of wisdom from two older friends who swear a lot and have experienced very relatable lives, all while through a lens of humor.

Three words that describe this book: Irreverent. Hilarious. Nostalgic.

You might want to pick this book up if: You love true crime and comedy and swearing.

-Elizabeth

National Bad Poetry Day

Posted on Wednesday, August 7, 2019 by Alyssa

Mark your calendars because the most prominent holiday of the year is quickly approaching. August 18 is National Bad Poetry Day! 

Whether you’re reading or writing it, bad poetry is fun. Maybe it’s the pure schadenfreude of watching someone be bad at something. It makes us feel better about ourselves, especially when good poets put out bad poetry. The same poet who penned beautiful lines such as:  Continue reading “National Bad Poetry Day”

Nonfiction Roundup: August 2019

Posted on Monday, August 5, 2019 by Liz

Here is a quick highlight of some of the noteworthy nonfiction titles being released the August. Visit our catalog for a more extensive list.

Interesting Picks

Ghosts of Eden Park book coverThe Ghosts of Eden Park: The Bootleg King, the Women Who Pursued Him, and the Murder That Shocked Jazz-Age America” by Karen Abbott
In the early days of Prohibition, long before Al Capone became a household name, a German immigrant named George Remus quits practicing law and starts trafficking whiskey. Within two years he’s a multimillionaire. The press call him “King of the Bootleggers,” writing breathless stories about the Gatsby-esque events he and his glamorous second wife, Imogene, host at their Cincinnati mansion, with party favors ranging from diamond jewelry for the men to brand new Pontiacs for the women. By the summer of 1921, Remus own 35 percent of all the liquor in the United States. Pioneering prosecutor Mabel Walker Willebrandt is determined to bring him down. Willebrandt’s bosses at the U.S. Attorney’s office hired her right out of law school, assuming she’d pose no real threat to the cozy relationship they maintained with Remus. Eager to prove them wrong, she dispatches her best investigator, Franklin Dodge, to look into his empire. It’s a decision with deadly consequences: with Remus behind bars, Dodge and Imogene begin an affair and plot to ruin him, sparking a bitter feud that soon reaches the highest levels of government — and that can only end in murder. Continue reading “Nonfiction Roundup: August 2019”

LibraryReads: August 2019

Posted on Friday, August 2, 2019 by Kat

Library Reads logoIt’s really summertime now, so grab a new book and sit in the shade (or stay inside, I won’t judge you!). We have a great lineup of LibraryReads books for August, so read on to find a favorite to stay cool with.

The Right Swipe book coverThe Right Swipe
by Alisha Rai

“An intelligent, multicultural contemporary romance. Rhi, CEO of the Crush dating app, and Samson, NFL star, embark on a joint project that turns into more than just talk. Issues of #MeToo in the tech industry and the NFL’s concussion problem are woven in. For readers of the Forbidden Heart series, Elle Wright, and Alyssa Cole.”
~Jessica Werner, The Seattle Public Library, Seattle, WA Continue reading “LibraryReads: August 2019”

Reader Review: Giraffes on Horseback Salad

Posted on Thursday, August 1, 2019 by patron reviewer

Giraffes on Horseback Salad book coverGiraffes on Horseback Salad” is a graphic novel depicting a movie written by Salvador Dali, meant to star the Marx Brothers, which was pitched to MGM in 1937, but was never made. The author of the graphic novel, Josh Frank, calls himself a forgotten pop culture archaeologist and used source documents from the Dali and Marx estates to re-create Dali’s vision in graphic novel format, but as if it were the movie. Manuela Pertega’s artwork is fantastical⁠ — you may forget that Dali himself did not illustrate this book. While the artwork steals the show, it does feature the Marx Brothers, so there is humor, song, romance and drama. It pits “normal” society versus dreamers, asking at one point, “Reality is the nightmare of the dreamer, isn’t it just?”

Three words that describe this book: Surreal, Funny, Unique

You might want to pick this book up if: you like surreal art⁠ — even if the humor or the story doesn’t appeal, the artwork is worth checking the book out!

-Anonymous

Reader Review: The Rescue Artist

Posted on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 by patron reviewer

Rescue Artist book coverI really enjoyed “The Rescue Artist,” which I read for the 2019 Book Riot Read Harder Challenge book of non-violent true crime. The story of the theft of Edvard Munch’s “The Scream” from Norway’s National Gallery in Oslo in 1994 (the same morning the Olympics started in Lillehammer) is the through-line of the story, as well as profiling Scotland Yard Art Squad detective Charley Hill, who eventually recovered the painting. The story meanders into major art thefts and art thieves in history, how those cases were often worked (or not), Munch and his works, museum security and more. I actually liked how it wandered around topics, always coming back to “The Scream” and Charley Hill. It’s how my brain works, but might be annoying to some who like a straight-line story.

However, in a classic case of judging a book by its cover, I first saw the paperback version of this title at a bookstore, which drew my eye with its brightness and the dynamic illustration on the cover, plus the pull-out quote about it being fast-paced, rollicking and beautifully written. Then I realized it would work for one of the Read Harder challenges, so I requested it from the library, which only had the hardback with a much less interesting cover! So even though I was enjoying it when I read, and it was pretty fast-paced and well-written, etc., I found myself loath to pick it up because the cover turned me off so much! So, it took longer than it should have, but I’m glad I finished it.

Three words that describe this book: art theft investigation

You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy art, true crime written with some humor, detective work, or mysteries.

-Debbie

Read Harder 2019: A Book of Nonviolent True Crime

Posted on Monday, July 29, 2019 by Ida

Task number 19 of this year’s Read Harder Challenge has participants reading a book of nonviolent true crime. Titles under this heading include stories of forgeries and thefts carried out by individuals, as well as accounts of large-scale malfeasance committed by multi-national corporations.

Can You Ever Forgive Me?Can You Ever Forgive Me?” is a memoir by literary forger Lee Israel. Melissa McCarthy starred in the movie version. Israel was a highly-esteemed author, earning top dollar for her work. But as she entered middle age, one big publication flop marked the beginning of the end of her literary career. Desperate for an income, she turned to forging letters, purportedly by famous authors of the past. The book is a quick read and focuses a lot on the process of creating the forgeries, which involved a ton of research, it turns out. While the author takes full responsibility for her own behavior, her account also sheds a light on some the unsavory parts of both publishing and autograph collecting, as well as our culture of celebrity. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Book of Nonviolent True Crime”

Read Harder 2019: A Book by or About Someone That Identifies as Neurodiverse

Posted on Friday, July 26, 2019 by Ida

It’s always a good thing when people attempt to understand each other. The 2019 Read Harder Challenge is here to nudge us along in this pursuit with task number 13, a book by or about someone that identifies as neurodiverse.

Book cover for "Animals Make Us Human"Temple Grandin is an animal scientist and perhaps the country’s most well-known author with autism. She’s spent decades educating the public on both issues. Her book, “Animals Make Us Human” is the product of 30 years of research into how to help animals live their best lives. She covers pets, zoo animals and livestock, with an eye to meeting their needs in a compassionate way, rather than prioritizing human entertainment. The book contains some disturbing facts about factory farms and other settings, but also offers ways to improve. Continue reading “Read Harder 2019: A Book by or About Someone That Identifies as Neurodiverse”

Reader Review: Their Eyes Were Watching God

Posted on Thursday, July 25, 2019 by patron reviewer

Their Eyes Were Watching God book coverHurston’s 1937 novel “Their Eyes Were Watching God” is a classic work, and it contributed to the Harlem Renaissance. The novel follows the romantic life of Janie, who searches for a lasting love throughout her life. Janie marries three times and each of her relationships is unique, with none of her three husbands meeting her expectations or needs, but all in different ways. Janie is stubborn and determined, but faces expectations from her husbands and society in general to be more subservient to her men, something she wrestles with and even rebels against. The novel also explores African American life and culture in the early to mid-twentieth century. The setting of Eatonville, Florida, is based on Hurston’s own upbringing in this African American town. Eatonville was⁠ — and is — unique because it was a haven for African Americans in an era of segregation and white supremacy. Hurston also uses heavy dialect throughout the novel, which can be hard to read, but reflects her desire to highlight African American language and culture. The Harlem Renaissance is still often remembered as a time in which African American men flourished artistically, but Hurston’s work reminds us that African American women contributed to the arts as well.

Three words that describe this book: Historic, romance, African American culture

You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy classic literature, especially from African American and/or women writers

-Anonymous