Monthly Archives: January 2019

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Announcing the NOBLE Book Awards 2018!

Who better to give tips on great books than your local librarians? This year, we all decided to get in on the fun of Book Awards by celebrating our favorite reads of 2018.  After a nomination Library staff voted for their favorite books of 2018 for different age groups and categories.  Here’s a list of the winners and runners up, and a link to the shortlist of nominated books, all linked to the library catalog to make it easy to find and request them!  Stop by any NOBLE library for more information on these excellent books, and to talk to staff members about their favorite reads!

Adult Fiction

First place

The woman in the window : a novel by A.J. Finn: It isn’t paranoia if it’s really happening . . . Anna Fox lives alone—a recluse in her New York City home, unable to venture outside. She spends her day drinking wine (maybe too much), watching old movies, recalling happier times . . . and spying on her neighbors. Then the Russells move into the house across the way: a father, a mother, their teenage son. The perfect family. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare. What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this diabolically gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems.

Runners-up

An American marriage by Tayari Jones: When her new husband is arrested and imprisoned for a crime she knows he did not commit, a rising artist takes comfort in a longtime friendship only to encounter unexpected challenges in resuming her life when her husband’s sentence is suddenly overturned.  An insightful look into the lives of people who are bound and separated by forces beyond their control. By the author of Silver Sparrow.

 

Circe : a novel, by Madeline Miller
A highly-anticipated follow-up to the award-winning The Song of Achilles follows Circe, the banished witch daughter of Helios, as she hones her powers and interacts with famous mythological beings before a conflict with one of the most vengeful Olympians forces her to choose between the worlds of the gods and mortals.  

Shortlist of nominated Adult Fiction

Adult Nonfiction

First place

Educated : a memoir by Tara Westover:  Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her “head-for-the-hills bag.” The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara’s older brothers became violent. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself, learning enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her quest for knowledge would transform her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she’d traveled too far, if there was still a way home.

Runners-up

I’ll be gone in the dark : one woman’s obsessive search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara:  For more than ten years, a mysterious and violent predator committed fifty sexual assaults in Northern California before moving south, where he perpetrated ten sadistic murders. Then he disappeared, eluding capture by multiple police forces and some of the best detectives in the area. Three decades later, Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist who created the popular website TrueCrimeDiary.com, was determined to find the violent psychopath she called “the Golden State Killer.” She pored over police reports, interviewed victims, and embedded herself in the online communities that were as obsessed with the case as she was, and unfortunately the gifted journalist died tragically before completing this book, which was completed from her notes.

 

Calypso by David Sedaris:  A latest collection of personal essays by the best-selling author of Let’s Explore Diabetes With Owls and Me Talk Pretty One Day shares even more revealing and intimate memories from his upbringing and family life, as well as his adventures after buying a vacation house on the Carolina coast and his reflections on middle age and mortality. 

Shortlist of nominated Adult Nonfiction

Adult Graphic Novels

First place

Herding cats : a “Sarah’s scribbles” collection by Sarah Andersen:  With characteristic wit and charm, Sarah Andersen’s third collection of comics and illustrated personal essays offers a survival guide for frantic modern life: from the importance of avoiding morning people, to Internet troll defense 101, to the not-so-life-changing futility of tidying up. But when all else fails and the world around you is collapsing, make a hot chocolate, count the days until Halloween, and snuggle up next to your furry beacon of hope.

Runners-up

Anne Frank’s diary : the graphic adaptation: The only graphic biography of Anne Frank’s diary that has been authorized by the Anne Frank Foundation and that uses text from the diary–it will introduce a new generation of young readers to this classic of Holocaust literature. This adaptation of Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl into a graphic version for a young readership, maintains the integrity and power of the original work. With stunning, expressive illustrations and ample direct quotation from the diary, this edition will expand the readership for this important and lasting work of history and literature.

 

McElroy, Clint
The adventure zone. Here there be gerblins by Clint McElroy:  Join Taako the elf wizard, Merle the dwarf cleric, and Magnus the human warrior for an adventure they are poorly equipped to handle AT BEST, guided (“guided”) by their snarky DM, in a graphic novel that, like the smash-hit podcast it’s based on, will tickle your funny bone, tug your heartstrings, and probably pants you if you give it half a chance.

Shortlist of nominated Adult Graphic Novels

Young Adult Fiction

First place

The poet X : a novel by Elizabeth Acevedo:
Xiomara Batista struggles to navigate her place in the world, with her peers, and in her neighborhood.  As an escape, she pours all her frustrations and passion into poetry, using her words to describe her fears, dreams, hopes, and rages over the injustices that are plainly evident all around her.  And when Xiomara is invited to join the school slam poetry club, she struggles with her mother’s social and religious expectations and her own vital need to be heard,

Runners-up

Children of blood and bone by Tomi Adeyemi:  Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.

 

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak: Upon their father’s return, the five Dunbar boys, who have raised themselves since their mother’s death, begin to learn family secrets, including that of fourth brother Clay, who will build a bridge for complex reasons, including his own redemption.

Shortlist of nominated Young Adult Fiction

Young Adult Nonfiction

First place

(Don’t) call me crazy : 33 voices start the conversation about mental health
Presents an anthology of essays and illustrations that illuminate such mental health topics as autism, bipolar disorder, body dysmorphia, depression, and healing in a straightforward way.

 

Mary Shelley : the strange, true tale of Frankenstein’s creator by Catherine Reef
On the 200th anniversary of the publication of Frankenstein, comes a riveting biography of its author, Mary Shelley, whose life reads like a dark gothic novel, filled with scandal, death, drama, and one of the strangest love stories in literary history.

 

Americanized : rebel without a green card by Sara Saedi:  In San Jose, California, in the 1990s, teenaged Sara keeps a diary of life as an Iranian American and her discovery that she and her family entered as undocumented immigrants.

Shortlist of nominated Young Adult Nonfiction

Young Adult Graphic Novels

First place

The prince and the dressmaker by Jen Wang:  When Prince Sebastian confides in his dressmaker friend Frances that he loves to masquerade at night as the fashionable Lady Crystallia, Frances must decide if Sebastian’s secret is worth a lifetime of living in the shadows.

Runners-up

Brazen : rebel ladies who rocked the world by Pénélope Bagieu:  With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Penelope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies to forge their own path.

 

Hey, kiddo by Jarrett Krosoczka: In kindergarten, Jarrett Krosoczka’s teacher asks him to draw his family, with a mommy and a daddy. But Jarrett’s family is much more complicated than that. His mom is an addict, in and out of rehab, and in and out of Jarrett’s life. His father is a mystery — Jarrett doesn’t know where to find him, or even what his name is. Jarrett lives with his grandparents — two very loud, very loving, very opinionated people who had thought they were through with raising children until Jarrett came along.

Shortlist of nominated Young Adult Graphic Novels

Children’s Picture Books

First place

Julián is a mermaid by Jessica love:  While riding the subway home from the pool with his abuela one day, Julián notices three women spectacularly dressed up. Their hair billows in brilliant hues, their dresses end in fishtails, and their joy fills the train car. When Julián gets home, daydreaming of the magic he’s seen, all he can think about is dressing up just like the ladies in his own fabulous mermaid costume: a butter-yellow curtain for his tail, the fronds of a potted fern for his headdress. But what will Abuela think about the mess he makes — and even more importantly, what will she think about how Julián sees himself?

Runners-up

We don’t eat our classmates! by Ryan T. Higgins:  When the class pet bites the finger of Penelope, a tyrannosaurus rex, she finally understands why she should not eat her classmates, no matter how tasty they are.

 

Square by Mac Barnett:  When his friend Circle asks him to do her portrait after praising him as a sculptor and genius, Square struggles to carve her likeness from a stone block.

Shortlist of nominated Children’s Picture Books

Children’s Graphic Novels

First place

Unicorn of many hats : another Phoebe and her unicorn adventure by Dana Simpson:  Phoebe and her exceptional hooved pal are back in this all-new collection of comics! Laugh alongside the lovable duo as they question the idea of “coolness,” gain a deeper appreciation for the power of friendship, and put off summer reading assignments for as long as physically possible.

Runners-up

Dog Man : lord of the fleas by Dav Pilkey:  When a new bunch of baddies bust up the town, Dog Man is called into action — and this time he isn’t alone. With a cute kitten and a remarkable robot by his side, our heroes must save the day by joining forces with an unlikely ally: Petey, the World’s Most Evil Cat. But can the villainous Petey avoid vengeance and venture into virtue?

 

Baby Monkey, private eye by Brian Selznick:  Baby Monkey, private eye, will investigate stolen jewels, missing pizzas, and other mysteries–if he can manage to figure out how to put his pants on.

Shortlist of nominated Children’s Graphic Novels

Children’s Fiction

First place

Sunny by Jason Reynolds:  Sunny, the Defenders’ best runner, only runs for his father, who blames Sunny for his mother’s death, but with his coach’s help Sunny finds a way to combine track and field with his true passion, dancing.

Runners-up

Louisiana’s way home by Kate DiCamillo: 
When Louisiana Elefante’s granny wakes her up in the middle of the night to tell her that the day of reckoning has arrived and they have to leave home immediately, Louisiana isn’t overly worried. After all, Granny has many middle-of-the-night ideas. But this time, things are different. This time, Granny intends for them never to return. Separated from her best friends, Raymie and Beverly, Louisiana struggles to oppose the winds of fate (and Granny) and find a way home. But as Louisiana’s life becomes entwined with the lives of the people of a small Georgia town — including a surly motel owner, a walrus-like minister, and a mysterious boy with a crow on his shoulder — she starts to worry that she is destined only for good-byes. (Which could be due to the curse on Louisiana’s and Granny’s heads. But that is a story for another time.)

 

Front desk by Kelly Yang:  Recent immigrants from China and desperate for work and money, ten-year-old Mia Tang’s parents take a job managing a rundown motel in Southern California, even though the owner, Mr. Yao is a nasty skinflint who exploits them; while her mother (who was an engineer in China) does the cleaning, Mia works the front desk and tries to cope with demanding customers and other recent immigrants–not to mention being only one of two Chinese in her fifth grade class, the other being Mr. Yao’s son, Jason.

Shortlist of nominated Children’s Fiction

Children’s Nonfiction

First place

Hidden figures : the untold true story of four African-American women who helped launch our nation into space Margot Lee Shetterly:  Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts by Jim Crow laws, these “colored computers,” as they were known, used slide rules, adding machines, and pencil and paper to support America’s fledgling aeronautics industry, and helped write the equations that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space. Drawing on the oral histories of scores of these “computers,” personal recollections, interviews with NASA executives and engineers, archival documents, correspondence, and reporting from the era, Hidden Figures recalls America’s greatest adventure and NASA’s groundbreaking successes through the experiences of five spunky, courageous, intelligent, determined, and patriotic women: Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, Christine Darden, and Gloria Champine. Moving from World War II through NASA’s golden age, touching on the civil rights era, the Space Race, the Cold War, and the women’s rights movement, Hidden Figures interweaves a history of scientific achievement and technological innovation with the intimate stories of five women whose work forever changed the world — and whose lives show how out of one of America’s most painful histories came one of its proudest moments.

Runners-up

Morales, Yuyi
Dreamers by Yuyi Morales: 
An illustrated picture book autobiography in which award-winning author Yuyi Morales tells her own immigration story.

 

Lights!, camera!, Alice! : the thrilling true adventures of the first woman filmmaker: Mara Rockliff:  Meet Alice Guy-Blaché. She made movies–some of the very first movies, and some of the most exciting! Blow up a pirate ship? Why not? Crawl into a tiger’s cage? Of course! Leap off a bridge onto a real speeding train? It will be easy! Driven by her passion for storytelling, Alice saw a potential for film that others had not seen before, allowing her to develop new narratives, new camera angles, new techniques, and to surprise her audiences again and again. With daring and vision, Alice Guy-Blaché introduced the world to a thrilling frontier of imagination and adventure, and became one of filmmaking’s first and greatest innovators.

Shortlist of nominated Children’s Nonfiction

Poetry

First place

Can I touch your hair? : poems of race, mistakes, and friendship by Irene Latham: 
Irene Latham, who is white, and Charles Waters, who is black, present paired poems about topics including family dinners, sports, recess, and much more. This relatable collection explores different experiences of race in America.

Runners-up

For every one by Jason Reynolds:
Originally performed at the Kennedy Center for the unveiling of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, and later as a tribute to Walter Dean Myers, this stirring and inspirational poem is New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist Jason Reynolds’s rallying cry to the dreamers of the world. Jump Anyway is for kids who dream. Kids who dream of being better than they are. Kids who dream of doing more than they almost dare to dream. Kids who are like Jason, a self-professed dreamer. In it, Jason does not claim to know how to make dreams come true; he has, in fact, been fighting on the front line of his own battle to make his own dreams a reality. He expected to make it when he was sixteen. He inched that number up to eighteen, then twenty-five years old..Now, some of those expectations have been realized. But others, the most important ones, lay ahead, and a lot of them involve kids, how to inspire them. All the kids who are scared to dream, or don’t know how to dream, or don’t dare to dream because they’ve NEVER seen a dream come true. Jason wants kids to know that dreams take time. They involve countless struggles. But no matter how many times a dreamer gets beat down, the drive and the passion and the hope never fully extinguish–because just having the dream is the start you need, or you won’t get anywhere anyway, and that is when you have to take a leap of faith and…jump anyway.

 

Wade in the water : poems by Tracy K. Smith:  A Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, using her signature voice–inquisitive, lyrical and wry–mulls over what it means to be a citizen, a mother and an artist in a culture arbitrated by wealth, men and violence, boldly tying America’s modern moment both to our nation’s fraught founding history and to a sense of the spirit, the everlasting.

Shortlist of nominated Poetry

 

Congratulations to all our winners!!

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Steampunk: Science Fiction’s Up and Coming Star!

The term steampunk was coined in the late 80’s by author K.W. Jeter in a letter to Locus Magazine. “Personally, I think Victorian fantasies are going to be the next big thing, as long as we can come up with a fitting collective term for Powers, Blaylock and myself. Something based on the appropriate technology of the era; like ‘steam-punks’, perhaps.” With more steampunk stories becoming mainstream and movies being created with similar themes it seems like this is going to be the next big thing in the science fiction world!

But what is “steampunk” really? The genre usually consists of Victorian era alternative fashion, steam powered machinery, and magic intermingling with science! Steampunk stories almost always have an adventure driven plot with quirky and interesting main characters to help move the plot. Some of these traits can be found in early works such as H.G. Wells’ Time Machine and Edward Ellis’ The Steam Man of the Prairies.

Want to continue exploring the exciting world of steampunk? Here are some great reads to get you started!

Clockwork Angel (Infernal Devices Series) by Cassandra Clare
The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

The Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles) by Philip Reeve
London is hunting again. Emerging from its hiding place in the hills, the great Traction City is chasing a terrified little town across the wastelands. Soon, London will feed. In the attack, Tom Natsworthy is flung from the speeding city with a murderous scar-faced girl. They must run for their lives through the wreckage–and face a terrifying new weapon that threatens the future of the world.

Leviathan (Leviathan Series) by Scott Westerfeld
It is the cusp of World War I. The Austro-Hungarians and Germans have their Clankers, steam-driven iron machines loaded with guns and ammunition. The British Darwinists employ genetically fabricated animals as their weaponry. Their Leviathan is a whale airship, and the most masterful beast in the British fleet. Aleksandar Ferdinand, a Clanker, and Deryn Sharp, a Darwinist, are on opposite sides of the war. But their paths cross in the most unexpected way, taking them both aboard the Leviathan on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure….One that will change both their lives forever.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials) by Philip Pullman
Lyra is rushing to the cold, far North, where witch clans and armored bears rule. North, where the Gobblers take the children they steal–including her friend Roger. North, where her fearsome uncle Asriel is trying to build a bridge to a parallel world. Can one small girl make a difference in such great and terrible endeavors? This is Lyra: a savage, a schemer, a liar, and as fierce and true a champion as Roger or Asriel could want–but what Lyra doesn’t know is that to help one of them will be to betray the other.

Boneshaker (The Clockwork Century Series) by Cherie Priest
In the early days of the Civil War, rumors of gold in the frozen Klondike brought hordes of newcomers to the Pacific Northwest. Anxious to compete, Russian prospectors commissioned inventor Leviticus Blue to create a great machine that could mine through Alaska’s ice. Thus was Dr. Blue’s Incredible Bone-Shaking Drill Engine born. After the devastating failure of the machine sixteen years later, a wall has been built to enclose the devastated and toxic city. Just beyond it lives Blue’s widow, Briar Wilkes. Life is hard with a ruined reputation and a teenaged boy to support, but she and Ezekiel are managing. Until Ezekiel undertakes a secret crusade to rewrite history.

The Aeronaut’s Windlass (The Cinder Spires) by Jim Butcher
Since time immemorial, the Spires have sheltered humanity, towering for miles over the mist-shrouded surface of the world. Within their halls, aristocratic houses have ruled for generations, developing scientific marvels, fostering trade alliances, and building fleets of airships to keep the peace. Captain Grimm, who commands the merchant ship, Predator is offered a proposition from the Spirearch of Albion—to join a team of agents on a vital mission in exchange for fully restoring Predator to its fighting glory. During this dangerous task, he will learn that the conflict between the Spires is merely a premonition of things to come.

Happy Reading!

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Looking Ahead to February!

The period after New Year’s isn’t, frankly, that much fun.  It’s cold, it’s dark, and this year, we don’t even have the benefit of snow cover to reflect any kind of light back to us, making everything just a little bit bleaker.

Image result for february

Here at the Library, we try to disrupt the winter doldrums by providing fun classes, lecture series, and other events that can keep your brain buzzing and your imagination humming.  Here are just a few of the events we have on the horizon.  And keep your eye out, as our spring calendar will be out in a few short weeks with another helping of programming.

And, as always, if there are events or classes you’d like to see offered here or at our branches, let us know!  We aim to provide the best possible programming we can, and your input is vital to that process.

At the Main Library

Wednesday, February 20, 7:00 – 8:00pm: Guided Meditation

So often in our hurried lives we become ungrounded, unfocused and scattered. Please come for an evening of relaxation as Reiki Master Teacher Valerie York leads us in a guided meditation to ground and call back our energy.

At the Main Library

Tuesday, February 26, 6:00 – 7:00pm: Writing for Professional Success

Strong writing skills and a good understanding of grammar are more than just helpful assets to list on a resume. In fact, effective business writing skills, from emails and memos to reports and presentations, are the tools that can launch and build careers. This workshop is designed for those who are looking to explore the fundamental skills needed for effective professional writing. We will focus on some basic rules of grammar and sentence structure that will provide clarity to your writing, as well as tips and tricks for making your writing more credible and persuasive. We will also discuss etiquette for composing workplace emails and helpful strategies for networking and collaborating with co-workers. This course is designed for those who are new to professional writing, or just entering the workforce, as well as those looking to brush up on their writing skills or make a career change.

In the Teen Room

Wednesday, February 6, 10:00am – 12:00pm: Mosaic Sun Catchers

Bring some light and color into the gray landscapes of winter!  Join Leslie Doherty of Ways of Color for this workshop where you will learn to create a mosaic sun catcher. All materials will be provided.

This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Peabody Institute Libraries.

At the South Branch

Thursday, February 7, 7:30 – 8:30pm: Real Talk Real Moms

Join Peabody native, Jessica Luque, to discuss the joys and hardships of being a mom. Jessica is a mom of 3 all under 4 years old and knows the struggle of working full time, raising her kids, and trying to squeeze in time for herself. Come to the South Branch to sit back, relax, and meet other moms who know just how you feel. Feel free to talk or just listen — all moms are welcome!   Moms, we encourage you take this hour for YOU, so we ask that you do not bring children along.  Registration is not required. Just show up!

For more information, please feel free to call 978-531-3380 x11 or email Jessica at jessicaluque86@gmail.com.

 

 

At the West Branch:

Wednesday, February 28, 1:00 – 2:00pm: Heritage Films presents “Ol’ Time Radio Days”

Before there were podcasts, there were radio shows.  The origins of most of our popular entertainment, from soap operas to game shows, got their start on the radio.  Come join us for a 40 minute film presentation by local historian and film maker Dan Tremblay of Heritage Films! This particular film will focus on the history of the Ol’ Time Radio Days.

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Five Book Friday!

And guess what?

We have tax forms!

Just so you are aware, things are a little bit different this year.  For Tax Year 2018, you will no longer use Form 1040A or Form 1040EZ, but instead will use the redesigned Form 1040. Many people will only need to file Form 1040 and no schedules.

While our tax appointments are all full, if you need assistance from AARP, you can contact them.  Their website also offers a wealth of other numbers and institutions that can provide you with tax assistance.

Not only that, but we have books, too!  Here are just some of the new titles that forged their way through this ridiculous week of weather to grace our shelves this week!

Ghost Wall:  Sarah Moss is a remarkable author, whose stories always bend and weave around your expectations to produce something truly unique.  This slim little tale is packed with emotions and revelations, and is an ideal read for those looking for something to add to the ambiance of a dark winter night.   In the north of England, far from the intrusions of cities but not far from civilization, Silvie and her family are living as if they are ancient Britons, surviving by the tools and knowledge of the Iron Age.  For two weeks, the length of her father’s vacation, they join an anthropology course set to reenact life in simpler times.  The students are fulfilling their coursework; Silvie’s father is fulfilling his lifelong obsession. He has raised her on stories of early man, taken her to witness rare artifacts, recounted time and again their rituals and beliefs―particularly their sacrifices to the bog. Mixing with the students, Silvie begins to see, hear, and imagine another kind of life, one that might include going to university, traveling beyond England, choosing her own clothes and food, speaking her mind.  The ancient Britons built ghost walls to ward off enemy invaders, rude barricades of stakes topped with ancestral skulls. When the group builds one of their own, they find a spiritual connection to the past…and the brutalities that marked it.  This is a unique kind of dystopian novel that has been riveting readers in the UK and Europe for a while.  We’re delighted to finally get our hands on the book that the The Wall Street Journal described as “A master class in compressing an unbearable sense of dread into a book that can be read in a single horrified (and admiring) hour . . . perhaps the finest novel so far to come out of the British literary response to these uneasy times.”

Unmarriageable: Fans of Pride and Prejudice, rejoice!  Soniah Kamal has provided you with a delightful retelling of this classic tale, set in modern-day Pakistan.  A scandal and vicious rumor concerning the Binat family have destroyed their fortune and prospects for desirable marriages, but Alys, the second and most practical of the five Binat daughters, has found happiness teaching English literature to schoolgirls. Knowing that many of her students won’t make it to graduation before dropping out to marry and have children, Alys teaches them about Jane Austen and her other literary heroes and hopes to inspire the girls to dream of more.  When an invitation arrives to the biggest wedding their small town has seen in years, Mrs. Binat, certain that their luck is about to change, excitedly sets to work preparing her daughters to fish for rich, eligible bachelors. On the first night of the festivities, Alys’s lovely older sister, Jena, catches the eye of Fahad “Bungles” Bingla, the wildly successful—and single—entrepreneur. But Bungles’s friend Valentine Darsee is clearly unimpressed by the Binat family. Alys accidentally overhears his unflattering assessment of her and quickly dismisses him and his snobbish ways. As the days of lavish wedding parties unfold, the Binats wait breathlessly to see if Jena will land a proposal—and Alys begins to realize that Darsee’s brusque manner may be hiding a very different man from the one she saw at first glance.  Kamal is a witty, insightful writer, and this twist on Austen’s story opens a cultural window that makes it feel fresh and new.  Publisher’s Weekly gave this book a starred review, calling it “funny, sometimes romantic, often thought-provoking glimpse into Pakistani culture, one which adroitly illustrates the double standards women face when navigating sex, love, and marriage. This is a must-read for devout Austenites.”

The Kingdom of Copper: S.A. Chakraborty’s follow-up to The City of Brass brings readers right back into her magical fantasy world for a second book that is being hailed by many as better than the series’ debut–no easy feat to manage!  Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.  Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her family—and one misstep will doom her tribe.  Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid—the unpredictable water spirits—have gifted him.  But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.  This is a book, and a trilogy, in which to get lost entirely.  Library Journal agreed, giving this book a starred review and noting  “With a richly immersive setting and featuring complex familial, religious, and racial ties and divides, Chakraborty’s second book in the trilogy wraps readers in a lush and magical story that takes over all the senses.”

No Sunscreen for the Dead: This is Tim Dorsey’s 22nd crime novel, an a rollicking good time it is, too!  Serge A. Storms, known to readers and reviewers alike as “The Sunshine State’s most lovable psychopath”, is at it again with his buddy Coleman,  ready to hit the next stop on their list of obscure and wacky points of interest in Florida.  This time, Serge’s interest is drawn to one of the largest retirement villages in the world—also known as the site of an infamous sex scandal between a retiree and her younger beau that rocked the community.  What starts out as an innocent quest to observe elders in their natural habitats, sample the local cuisine, and scope out a condo to live out the rest of their golden years, soon becomes a Robin Hood-like crusade to recover the funds of swindled residents. After all, our seniors should be revered and respected—they’ve heroically fought in wars, garnered priceless wisdom, and they have the best first-hand accounts of bizarre Floridian occurrences only Serge would know about. But as the resident’s rally for Serge to seek justice on their behalves, two detectives are hot on the heels of Serge and Coleman’s murderous trail.  A time-hopping narrative full of quirky characters and mayhem, this is a book that series regulars and newcomers alike will be able to enjoy.  Booklist loved this installment, saying in its review, “Dorsey’s novels are unfailingly entertaining… Serge is, hands down, the most smoothly charming, irrepressibly goofy, joyfully out-of-his-mind series lead in contemporary mystery fiction…. Don’t miss this one.”

Women Who Rock: Bessie to Beyonce, Girl Groups to Riot Grrrl: Women have played an essential and undeniable role in the evolution of popular music including blues, rock and roll, country, folk, glam rock, punk, and hip hop since the dawn of the music industry. Today, in a world traditionally dominated by male artists, women have a stronger influence on popular music than ever before. Yet, not since the late nineteen-nineties has there been a major work that acknowledges and pays tribute to the female artists who have contributed to, defined, and continue to make inroads in music.  In this sensational book, writer and professor of journalism Evelyn McDonnell leads a team of women rock writers and pundits in an all-out celebration of 104 of the greatest female musicians. Organized chronologically, the book profiles each artist and places her in the context of both her genre and the musical world at large. Sidebars throughout recall key moments that shaped both the trajectory of music and how those moments influenced or were influenced by women artists.  Packed full of illustrations and sensational details, Vulture echoed our sentiments when it said in its review, “It’s about damned time there was a collection dedicated to major women musicians. Women Who Rock is a neon-pink compendium of odes to legends past and present…[It] takes the rallying cry “Girls to the front” to another level.”

 

Until next week, beloved patrons, happy reading!

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Starting Some New Habits: Podcasts (2)

We here at the Library are 100% for all acquiring new good habits and expanding our horizons, and in support of that, we have recently started a round-up of our favorite podcasts, available for free on the internet.

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The Library offers a multitude of ways for you to learn and experience more, both ‘in house’, so to speak, as well as online.  But there is a world full of knowledge, and we cannot hope to contain every single molecule of it.  So this year, we wanted to offer you some other ways to be educated and entertained for free.  We start today with podcasts.

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As we mentioned last week, these podcasts are not run by, or in any way affiliated with the Peabody Library–or any library.  You don’t need a library account to listen to them, either.  They are freely available to all listeners on the internet.  These selections are, however, ones that staff members of the Peabody Library greatly enjoy.  For those of you with an iTunes account or similar smart phone app, you can also search for these podcasts and download them that way.  If you would like help with this process, just let us know!

And, by the way, if you have any suggestions for podcasts that you enjoy, be sure to let us know!  We’re always looking for recommendations ourselves.

Cinema Sins:

For those of you who enjoy poking fun at pop-culture, Cinema Sins is a terrific source.  Started as a YouTube channel by Jeremy Scott and Chris Atkinson, the premise of the entire enterprise is that no movie is without sin, even the greatest and bestest of all films.  In their YouTube channel, CinemaSins calls out continuity flaws, plot holes, wonky film logic, and odd acting choices.  They’ve come under criticism by several film makers for “ruining” movies, but honestly, they don’t take themselves too seriously, so there’s no reason for the rest of us to do so.  In their podcast, Atkinson and Scott are generally joined by co-writer Barrett Share.  Generally the trio discuss a larger topic for the greater part of the episode and then round of the episode by answering a couple of questions from listeners. The topics include discussion about upcoming movies, their favorite movies in different genres, stories from the host trio’s time as movie theatre employees and recasting classic movies. They also occasionally have special guests.  For film buffs and pop culture fans, this is a fun, and often edifying podcast that can certainly add a new depth to your movie-going experience.

The Mountain Goats

For those who enjoy the Welcome to Night Vale podcast we mentioned last time around, this podcast is  hosted by John Darnielle with Joseph Fink of Welcome to Night Vale.  This podcast is part of a current pop-culture phenomenon where hosts do a deep dive into a certain artists’ work (or works) and come up with revelations or commentary (another podcast features two men who watch the same Adam Sandler film for a year and talk about it on a weekly basis…which we probably won’t be featuring here…). In this podcast, the hosts analyze one album by the group The Mountain Goats, an American band based in North Carolina.  The title of the podcast is a reference to a slogan appearing on Mountain Goats merchandise such as T-shirts and stickers.  This is a great way to become familiar not only with a group of talented podcasters, but also talented musicians!

The Moth

This is a podcast that features the best stories and the art of storytelling.  Each episode features a person recounting a true story, told by an individual, live and without notes, in front of a live audience.  The result is beautiful, vibrant, and often surprising, reminding us anew of the power of stories and storytelling to us as humans.  This is a perfect podcast for those looking for a good story and new perspectives, as well as those who enjoy the high-wire magic of live performances.  These podcasts are recorded at events throughout the country, so there’s always something new to savor here.  To learn more about The Moth and its projects, check out their website, too!

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In Honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Letter From Birmingham Jail
By Martin Luther King, Jr., August 1963
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Martin Luther King Jr. looks out the window of his cell at the Birmingham City Jail. The photo was taken by the Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker in October 1967. Via The Washington Post

From the Birmingham jail, where he was imprisoned as a participant in nonviolent demonstrations against segregation, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., wrote in longhand the letter which follows, in response to a public statement of concern and caution issued by eight white religious leaders of the South. 

While confined here in the Birmingham city jail, I came across your recent statement calling our present activities “unwise and untimely.” Seldom, if ever, do I pause to answer criticism of my work and ideas. If I sought to answer all of the criticisms that cross my desk, my secretaries would be engaged in little else in the course of the day, and I would have no time for constructive work. But since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I would like to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms.

I think I should give the reason for my being in Birmingham, since you have been influenced by the argument of “outsiders coming in.” I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every Southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty-five affiliate organizations all across the South, one being the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Whenever necessary and possible, we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates. Several months ago our local affiliate here in Birmingham invited us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct-action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promises. So I am here, along with several members of my staff, because we were invited here. I am here because I have basic organizational ties here.

Beyond this, I am in Birmingham because injustice is here. Just as the eighth-century prophets left their little villages and carried their “thus saith the Lord” far beyond the boundaries of their hometowns; and just as the Apostle Paul left his little village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to practically every hamlet and city of the Greco-Roman world, I too am compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my particular hometown. Like Paul, I must constantly respond to the Macedonian call for aid.

Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. Never again can we afford to live with the narrow, provincial “outside agitator” idea. Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider.

You deplore the demonstrations that are presently taking place in Birmingham. But I am sorry that your statement did not express a similar concern for the conditions that brought the demonstrations into being. I am sure that each of you would want to go beyond the superficial social analyst who looks merely at effects and does not grapple with underlying causes. I would not hesitate to say that it is unfortunate that so-called demonstrations are taking place in Birmingham at this time, but I would say in more emphatic terms that it is even more unfortunate that the white power structure of this city left the Negro community with no other alternative.

To read the full letter, please click this link.

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Five Book Friday!

And today, beloved patrons, we celebrate the life of Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Mary Oliver, who passed away on January 17 at the age of 83.

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Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? (Mary Oliver, “Summer’s Day”) Image via thebark.com

Mary Oliver was one of America’s most popular and oft-quoted poets.  She was born on September 10, 1935, in Maple Heights, Ohio, and attended, but did not graduate from, Ohio State University and Vassar College, finding her best education in nature.  As she explained in a rare 2012 interview with NPR, “The two things I loved from a very early age were the natural world and dead poets, [who] were my pals when I was a kid.”

The love of Oliver’s life was the photographer Molly Malone Cook, to whom she dedicated much of her work. The pair met in the late 1950s, and remained together until Cook’s death in 2005.  In the book they produced together, titled Our World (Oliver wrote the text and Cook provided the photographs), Oliver wrote : “I took one look and fell, hook and tumble”.

Oliver’s poetry is still under copyright, so we can’t reproduce it here without permission, but we welcome you to come and meet her beautiful body of work in our books at the library anytime!

And now…on to the books!

Fault Lines: A History of the United States Since 1974: We hear a lot of discussion these days about the polarization of American society and its inhabitants–but when did it start?  For leading historians Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer, it all starts in 1974. In that one year, the nation weathered the Watergate crisis and the departure of President Richard Nixon, the first and only U.S. President to resign.  In addition, people coped with the winding down of the Vietnam War and rising doubts about America’s military might, as well as the fallout from the OPEC oil embargo that paralyzed America with the greatest energy crisis in its history.  More locally, the desegregation busing riots in South Boston showed a horrified nation that our efforts to end institutional racism were failing. Longstanding historical fault lines over income inequality, racial division, and a revolution in gender roles and sexual norms would deepen and fuel a polarized political landscape in the years to come, and were widened thanks to profound changes in our political system as well as a fracturing media landscape that was repeatedly transformed with the rise of cable TV, the internet, and social media.  This is a fascinating, insightful, and thoroughly engaging book from some genuinely savvy historians that earned a starred review from Library Journal, who called it “a concise, riveting, and carefully argued chronicle of the last four decades of American history…This highly readable, compelling book should be required reading for all Americans of voting age.”

The Shaker Murders: Have you met Eleanor Kuhns’ hero Will Rees?  If not, this is a perfect time to get acquainted with the revolutionary war veteran and traveler weaver, because these historical mysteries are fascinating.  In this sixth series installment, Will is still trying to reconcile himself with his previous case, and has taken his heavily pregnant wife Lydia and six adopted children to take refuge in Zion, a Shaker community in rural Maine. Shortly after their arrival, screams in the night reveal a drowned body … but is it murder or an unfortunate accident? The Shaker Elders argue it was just an accident, but Rees believes otherwise.  As Will investigates further, more deaths follow and a young girl vanishes from the community. Haunted by nightmares for his family’s safety, Rees must rush to uncover the truth before the dreams can become reality and more lives are lost. Yet can the Shaker Elders be trusted, or is an outsider involved?  Publisher’s Weekly praised this book’s “authentic period detail and nuanced characterizations”, and noted that “Kuhns makes the most of the cloistered Shaker community setting in this top-notch outing.”

The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man: Another hilarious, witty, and entertaining novel from bestselling author Jonas Jonasson is just what readers need on a cold and snowy weekend like this, and this brilliant second outing for our favorite centenarian is going to make your weekend so much better.  It all begins with a hot air balloon trip and three bottles of champagne. Allan and Julius are ready for some spectacular views, but they’re not expecting to land in the sea and be rescued by a North Korean ship, and they could never have imagined that the captain of the ship would be harboring a suitcase full of contraband uranium, on a nuclear weapons mission for Kim Jong-un. Yikes!  Soon Allan and Julius are at the center of a complex diplomatic crisis involving world figures from the Swedish foreign minister to Angela Merkel and President Trump. Needless to say, things are about to get very, very complicated.  Booklist wrote a delightful review of his novel, calling it  “A welcome visit from an old friend that’s filled with laugh out-loud hijinx as well as thought- provoking and timely satire on the current state of the world and the perils of power.”

An Orchestra of Minorities: Man Booker Prize finalist Chigozie Obioma provides a stunning modern retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey set on the outskirts of Umuahia, Nigeria, and narrated by a chi, or guardian spirit.  Chinonso, a young poultry farmer whose soul is ignited when he sees a woman attempting to jump from a highway bridge. Horrified by her recklessness, Chinonso joins her on the roadside and hurls two of his prized chickens into the water below to express the severity of such a fall. The woman, Ndali, is stopped her in her tracks.  Bonded by this night on the bridge, Chinonso and Ndali fall in love. But Ndali is from a wealthy family and struggles to imagine a future near a chicken coop. When her family objects to the union because he is uneducated, Chinonso sells most of his possessions to attend a college in Cyprus. But when he arrives he discovers there is no place at the school for him, and that he has been utterly duped by the young Nigerian who has made the arrangements.. Penniless, homeless, and furious at a world which continues to relegate him to the sidelines, Chinonso gets further away from his dream, from Ndali and the farm he called home.  A book that is both enormous in scope and deeply personal in its subject matter, this book has earned starred reviews from a number of national outlets, including Publisher’s Weekly, who said in its review “Obioma’s novel is electrifying, a meticulously crafted character drama told with emotional intensity. His invention, combining Igbo folklore and Greek tragedy in the context of modern Nigeria, makes for a rich, enchanting experience.”

Joy Enough: A moving account of loss, love, family, this debut by Sarah McColl,  founding editor-in-chief of Yahoo Food, is making waves with reviewers and readers alike.  Mining the dual losses of both her young marriage and her beloved mother, McColl confronts her identity as a woman, walking lightly in the footsteps of the woman who came before her and clinging fast to the joy she left behind.  Even as she was coping with her marriage ending, McColl drops everything when her mother is diagnosed with cancer, returning to the family farmhouse and laboring over elaborate meals in the hopes of nourishing her back to health. In this series of vibrant vignettes, she reveals a woman of endless charm and infinite love for her unruly brood of children. Booklist wrote a glowing review of this book, saying in part that is it “Written with enough beauty to stop clocks ticking and heart’s beating…. McColl’s resonant first book is resplendent with love, and the hope she finds in discovering that her unfathomable grief also carved a space for more profound joy.”

 

Until next week, beloved patrons–happy reading!