If you have any creative goals this year, Jeff Tweedy of Chicago’s own Wilco has the spark to get you moving, and ways to get those creative juices flowing. I will go so far as saying this book is the contemporary rockstar version of The Artist’s Way. It will give you the motivation to put your nose to the grindstone, or at the least, a greater appreciation for language, music, and art, by taking notice of the world through your senses. Jeff Tweedy’s work ethic and passion for his craft allow him to get away with blunt directives to put down the candy crush, stop doomscrolling and be creative and make something new that’s just waiting to get out. It’s a love letter to the creative process and its fruits.
Since its publication in 1997, the sprawling crime epic Lady Joker by Kaoru Takamaru has come to be considered one of the most important books to have been released in modern Japan, often being taught in their high schools and colleges. However, it was only in the last couple of years that this novel has been officially translated into English. Inspired by a real life crime that shocked the nation, Lady Joker follows a number of characters who have all been wronged by the company Hinode Beer. To get revenge, they form the titular organized crime group in an effort to extort money from that company. At two volumes, totalling over a thousand pages, Lady Joker is sure to keep you busy. But with its complex story full of intrigue, a massive cast of characters and changing perspectives, and extreme attention to detail, this is absolutely a novel to fill your month with.
I have never read a sci-fi book like this. The characters and plot all take place in another world, but ultimately this book is about language and the capacity to communicate with one another. Avice returns to her planet after having been away for a long time, a planet where humans and aliens can only communicate through human “ambassadors” who have been altered to be able to communicate with the alien race. When a new ambassador arrives on the planet, something is unusual about the way they speak and it does something to the alien race that causes a rift between the humans and aliens. Avice and those she is working closely with must find an alternative to save the harmony between these two races forever.
English professor Phoebe Stone is not doing well. During the pandemic her husband left her. And now, her beloved cat has died. She decides she will end it all, but before that she will have a final splurge at an elegant inn in Newport, Rhode Island. She arrives in a green dress and gold shoes and finds herself surrounded by “the Wedding People.” Except for Phoebe, everyone at the inn is attending a weeklong wedding celebration. When Lila, the bride, realizes what Phoebe intends to do, she does everything she can to prevent this from happening. The two women confide in one another, become friendly, and before long, Phoebe has become part of the wedding festivities.
At the end of the year, I always check out The Goodreads Choice Awards to find books that I might like to read. This often funny, sometimes sad book was the top vote getter in the 2024 Fiction Category.
Recommended by Colleen
Recommended by Alicia
How to Share an Egg: A True Story of Hunger, Love, and Plenty by Bonny Reichert
A moving culinary memoir about the relationship between food and family—sustenance and survival—from a chef, award-winning journalist, and daughter of a Holocaust survivor. The author had grown up hearing stories about her father’s near-starvation and ultimate survival in Auschwitz-Birkenau, but she never imagined she would be able to face this epic legacy head on. Then a chance encounter with a perfect bowl of borscht in Warsaw set Bonny on a journey to unearth her culinary lineage, and she began to dig for the roots of her food obsession, dish by dish. Tracing the defining moments of her life, from her colorful childhood in the restaurant business to the crumbling of her first marriage and the intensity of young motherhood, her decision to become a chef and that life-altering visit to Poland, the author recounts a tale of scarcity and plenty, stepping into the kitchen to connect her past to her future. Cuisine is both an anchor and an identity, a source of joy and a signifier of survival. This is one woman's search to find her voice as a writer, chef, mother and daughter.
Mix together a really nosy neighbor (she has a little notebook of who did what wrong and at what time in her apartment complex), a greedy landlord, crazy tenants, and a race against time to save the apartment complex from destruction, and you will get one mystery that will leave you guessing until the end! The plot begins with an introduction to Dorothy Darling, the longest resident of Shelley House, the apartment complex that is deemed to be replaced with shiny new apartments. Dorothy does not trust anyone , and takes it upon herself to make sure the apartment complex is up to code, including the tenants! She believes the whole issue began when a mysterious young person named Kat came to live at Shelley House. Kat’s roommate was injured, the complex was set to be demolished, and no one is sure of who is behind all the sabotage within the building. Is Kat to blame? Or is it one of the other tenants, who all equally have problems and motives? Although the plot leans more into fiction than mystery, you will laugh, you will cry, and you will have a fun time reading about the craziness of Shelley House.
The Alien franchise returns with director Fede Álvarez (Don’t Breathe, Evil Dead) at the helm. This newest installment, which follows a small crew scavenging an abandoned space research station, is full of body horror in a chilling sci-fi environment. It’s a very “back to basics” approach for the series which makes it a great entry point for people looking for something scary in space.
If you love learning about strong women and enjoy movies inspired by true stories, then look no further. It’s inspired by the true story of how the young Ruth Bader Ginsburg went from dealing with gender discrimination in law school and life to how she was able to acquire a case that would be so big, it would create a society shift. The case she took on would set the precedent that would be built on for generations to come for gender discrimination and be the foundation for many more cases. I was blown away by the movie. Not only did it capture what we know about Ruth Bader Ginsburg well, but the casting decisions were really impressive too! I loved every minute of the movie because it was masterfully scripted and artistically done. Most of all? It was inspiring, and it was a great way to get a glimpse into such a fantastic and influential person’s life.
A musical concept album created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, they’ve taken the movie, released originally in 1979, and recreated it musically with their own twists on it. One of the twists being that all the gangs are made of women, and they have done away with a lot of the problematic bits of the movie. Since it was created to be a concept album, they were able to have a lot of big names, ranging from Lauryn Hill to Busta Rhymes to Marc Anthony. There’s even some that have worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda before, such as Jasmine Cepha-Jones and Philippa Soo, who played Peggy and Eliza Schuyler respectively in Hamilton. This is an album you have to listen to, at least the first time, in order and all at once. It’s just over an hour long, but it will have you hooked. What I loved about this album was how I was able to catch little easter eggs, ranging from actors/singers to familiar sounds. I feel with a lot of Lin-Manuel Miranda projects you can just tell that he wrote the music, not because they sound similar, but because of his unique style that he’s able to transcend throughout all genres and storytelling. I really hope they’re able to adapt it to the stage!
A musical concept album created by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Eisa Davis, they’ve taken the movie, released originally in 1979, and recreated it musically with their own twists on it. One of the twists being that all the gangs are made of women, and they have done away with a lot of the problematic bits of the movie. Since it was created to be a concept album, they were able to have a lot of big names, ranging from Lauryn Hill to Busta Rhymes to Marc Anthony. There’s even some that have worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda before, such as Jasmine Cepha-Jones and Philippa Soo, who played Peggy and Eliza Schuyler respectively in Hamilton. This is an album you have to listen to, at least the first time, in order and all at once. It’s just over an hour long, but it will have you hooked. What I loved about this album was how I was able to catch little easter eggs, ranging from actors/singers to familiar sounds. I feel with a lot of Lin-Manuel Miranda projects you can just tell that he wrote the music, not because they sound similar, but because of his unique style that he’s able to transcend throughout all genres and storytelling. I really hope they’re able to adapt it to the stage!
Yakuza 0 provides a glimpse into the world of 1988 Japan, in the middle of the country’s Bubble Period – a time of great economic prosperity – through the eyes of Kazuma Kiryu, a (former) yakuza who gets framed for murder and seeks to prove his innocence, and Goro Majima, a disgraced ex-yakuza attempting to end his exile to Osaka. Chronologically, Yakuza 0 is the first game in the Yakuza/Like a Dragon series, and provides an excellent introduction to the world and characters that were fleshed out over a decade of previous games. It’s the perfect blend of comedic and heart wrenching, with a story that pulls you in and really makes you care about the characters. While the main story only takes about 24 hours to complete, the sheer amount of additional content means there’s always something to do; from baseball to business management to dancing and arcades, there’s truly something for everyone.
It should be noted, however, that – as the name implies – the Yakuza series focuses heavily on the presence of criminal organizations in Japan, and Yakuza 0 is no different. If you’re concerned about potentially triggering content, I recommend looking up content warnings beyond the listed reasons for the games ESRB rating.
A Pickleball magazine! Who knew? As with many magazines, the content can be surprising. An unexpected wealth of information that you didn’t know you needed. The articles in this issue are geared toward amateur, novice players. There’s a list of phone apps to consider, an article about 2025 rule changes, a deep dive into the life of competitive players, and a section about where to vacationl for the best pickleball experiences. Magazines are always available on the Libby app and do not count against your checkout total.
Recommended by Cathy
New! ComicsPlusoffers a free, unlimited, always available collection of comics from popular publishers including Archie Comics, BOOM! Studios, Dark Horse, Dynamite & Fantagraphics, ComicPlus Full Collection, ComicsPlus Children’s Library, ComicsPlus Teen Library. Age guidelines make it easy to find age appropriate titles for adults, teens and kids.
Join our virtual film discussion. Watch the movie beforehand on Kanopy or Hoopla and then join us on Zoom to talk about it. If you need help using Zoom, see our guide here.
