Originally in Spanish, this colorful and delightful graphic novel was translated to English, and has captured the hearts of many fans since! Touching on love and longing, this is the story of Ana and Zeno. They felt a connection in their younger years and have kept in touch since through letters and phone calls, although leading completely separate lives. We follow their current love story, where they meet again years later to have a last chance at love, as well as see their love blossom through flashbacks. It was interesting to see the differences in their personality, such as how Ana needed to be grounded and focused in her career, rooted in one city, while Zeno liked to explore the world, but still keep a bookshop near Ana. If you are looking for a beautiful love story that spans years, but want a book that does not span as long, this is the perfect read for you.
With the library’s summer reading theme being “Tails and Tales,” for this month’s newsletter, I wanted to recommend a classic book which fits the theme to a tee. Richard Adams’s 1972 epic Watership Down, an adventure novel about cute, fluffy bunnies, is justifiably marketed as children’s literature, but oh is it so so much more. When a young, prophetic rabbit named Fiver receives an apocalyptic vision in which his colony is destroyed, he convinces his bunny brethren to join him on a pilgrimage to find new land to call home. From there, a journey rivaling both the Odyssey and the Fellowship of the Ring begins. From intense moments of suspense and action, to immense worldbuilding, with the rabbits even having their own Tolkienesque constructed language, Watership Down is absolutely a book anyone can enjoy.
I have read and recommended a few of Grady Hendrix’s books now. This was the latest one I read by him. It follows two adults as they try to sell their late parents’ house. I thought this was initially going to involve ghosts, but this novel centers more around animated puppets doing the haunting. It was creepy and scary but also laugh out loud funny. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins by the McElroys, illustrated by Carey Pietsch
The graphic novel adaptation of the first part of the real-time-play Dungeons & Dragons podcast of the same name, The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins is an excellent introduction to the series. While the graphic novel adaptation had to change a few minor details to avoid copyright infringement with Wizards of the Coast (who own the IP for Dungeons & Dragons), it encapsulates the emotional range of the podcast which is known for having lots of comedic bits but incredibly serious moments. Additionally, Carey Pietsch does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life, with an art style that works perfectly with the overall tone of the series. Now is a fantastic time to get into the series, as the seventh – and final – graphic novel is slated to release sometime this year.
Recommended by Colleen
Recommended by Chris
Fun for the whole family: a novel by Jennifer E. Smith
The four Endicott siblings--Gemma, Connor, Roddy, and Jude--were once inseparable. Decades later, the Endicotts haven't spoken in years; the siblings pursuing different paths. One day, an out-of-the-blue text arrives from Jude, now a famous actress, summoning them to a reunion in a small town in North Dakota. Each sibling is at a crossroads. As the weekend unfolds, they wrestle with their shared past and uncertain futures. This story, told in alternating chapters by all the characters, is a heartwarming tale of family relationships and joint memories, sometimes the same and sometimes far different. The audiobook is read by Lauren Graham.
Alice Scott writes for a pop culture website. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer Prize winning biographer. They have both arrived in coastal Georgia and find that they are competing against one another for the chance to write the glamorous and tragic story of reclusive heiress Margaret Ives.
There are two stories in this book. The first story belongs to Alice and Hayden who keep running into each other and gradually begin to fall in love. The second story is all Margaret; revealed as Alice asks Margaret about her sister, about her husband, about her big, beautiful life.
Emily Henry is a popular author of contemporary romance novels. Her regular readers are divided in their opinions about this, her most recent book. Some readers would have preferred a more traditional romance. Others, like me, loved the two-tiered approach. Margaret’s story was my favorite part of the book.
This delightful fantasy novel features Tao, an immigrant fortune teller, who roams the dusty outskirts of the kingdom of Eshtera, alone in her wagon. When she finds unexpected companionship with a group of misfits: Mash, Silt, Kina, and the wily cat Fidelitus, the book becomes part road trip adventure, part celebration of found family. If you like your fantasy cozy and full of quirky but well-developed characters, this one is for you!
This 1979 film by Polish director Kieślowski showcases life amid Communist rule and life behind the Iron Curtain, focusing on what would be an average man, and more broadly, average life: a 30-year-old factory worker named Filip Mosz. Happily married and economically stable, Filip buys an 8mm film camera with the intention of filming his newborn child and capturing the moments of his lifelong dream of having a job, home, and family. However, when the director of the local factory recruits him to film an important board meeting, Filip's fascination with the camera grows into more of an obsession than the hobby he promised it would be, as he sees 'scenes' of a potential film everywhere he goes and in any interaction he has with his wife, friends and coworkers. His behavior causes immense strain and tensions between him and the people he calls friends and family. Though it technically is a Drama, there are moments of comedy, as Filip bumbles his way into situations, landing himself in the middle of the amateur film scene and frequently makes jabs at media censorship and the potential that the mundane can have in art through an eye like Filip’s. This all goes to show how art can impact one’s life—for better or for worse. It is in the original Polish language with English subtitles.
I’ve been missing the weird and wonderful David Lynch and have been going back and watching some of his films that I missed. I was lucky enough to see this at the Music Box Theatre when they were doing their David Lynch retrospective, but I loved it so much I had to see it again. A young Nic Cage in a snakeskin jacket?! Half the cast of Twin Peaks in a Wizard of Oz fever dream!? The incredible Laura Dern!!! It’s the perfect movie to start the summer.
This 1995 album, coming from the Northern English city Sheffield, was what finally skyrocketed Pulp on the music charts after forming in 1978: more than a decade of missed chances at stardom, becoming major players in what would be known as “Britpop”. What makes this recommendation special is not only the album celebrating its 30th anniversary, but Pulp releasing a new album after more than two decades! Their kitschy, synth-powered pop sound is an excellent experience from start to finish, as each song explores social issues like class inequality with hits like Common People, or Mile-End (which is part of the soundtrack for 1996’s Trainspotting!) or dives into character studies into one's innermost thoughts or feelings like reminiscing on a crush for a childhood friend in Disco 2000, a love ballad from the mind of an overthinker like Something Changed, or calls to action to who lead singer and songwriter Jarvis Cocker refers to as “mistakes, mis-shapes, misfits,” in Mis-Shapes, or the eccentric, the underrepresented, the marginalized. These songs all zoom in on what would be, to many of us, familiar or even mundane thoughts, feelings or moments throughout our lives which may bring embarrassment or shame, which Pulp’s catalog is never shy of exposing due to Cocker’s witty, self-aware lyricism and keen eye for detail on the everyday. Have fun belting along to Common People or potentially finding your new favorite band to start off the summer!
Djo, pronounced like Joe, blew up on the charts last year with their song ‘End of Beginning’ all over social media. Crux is Djo’s third album, and it hits modern mixed with classic. You hear the influences of The Beatles, ELO, and many other iconic bands, while still feeling modern with current alternative pop vibes. Joe Keery, the lead singer and writer, writes about identity and how that changes with time and growth, sometimes even reflection. He has a song dedicated to his parents and another song to his sisters that are next to each other on the album, and he even has a song that mentions, and includes, fellow co-star and friend Charlie Heaton. If you decide to listen to the album, I highly recommend listening to it in order and all at once for at least your first listen as it is very cohesive!
This award-winning fast family game plays 2 or 4 players (for 6 years and older, per Board Game Geek). Gather points by building a 5x5 plot by matching terrains on domino-style tiles. It also travels well!
You must help seven others solve a murder mystery. You know it all–the culprit, the place, even the object. The catch? You can only communicate these in abstract visions, and your friends are too caught up in color schemes to see the finer details.
Mysterium has quickly become a favorite in my friend group. It’s refreshing to play a game that’s collaborative rather than competitive but still has room for disagreement and ranking. We get to learn each other’s thought process through vision cards. This game even has its own special soundtrack available on the publisher’s website!
This new RPG from AA developer Sandfall Interactive has taken the gaming world by storm, and for good reason. One of the most well crafted and engaging turn based RPGs in recent memory, Expedition 33 lives up to the hype in every way. The story is great, the combat is satisfying, the graphics look amazing, and every nook and cranny is filled with fun surprises. I cannot recommend Expedition 33 highly enough, especially if you’re a fan of similar turn based RPGs such as Final Fantasy, Persona, or Chrono Trigger.
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