An incredible read through and through; so well written. Be prepared for something hard hitting and real. Based on the historical period of the Romanian revolution, this book is literally nothing like I’ve ever read before. I knew absolutely nothing about Romania before reading this, especially considering that all this occurred recently in 1989. This is a book that everyone should read, it is beautiful, deep, and tragic but it must be endured. I wish I would have read this in high school.
For language nerds, lovers of history and pop culture alike: this hilarious and academic deep-dive into the origins of profanity explores how certain words’ perception and usage have shifted across time and cultures. After Noam Chomsky, McWhorter is THE preeminent American linguist of our time. He brings up pivotal historical moments that cause words to go viral or fall out of favor. He also highlights why words that were once highly offensive might now be Ned-Flanders-level wholesome, while new incarnations of English may shock for altogether different reasons.
Ali Hazelwood’s latest release and she does not disappoint! Deep End is about Scarlett “Vandy” Vandermeer, who is a junior on the diving team that has just come back after a year recovering from a terrible, almost career ending, injury. She gets into a more than friends relationship with a swimmer named Lukas Blomqvist, who also happens to be a Swedish Olympic gold medalist. What I love about Ali Hazelwood’s books is how well thought out her characters are. She really gets to know these characters, and you can tell by the story she writes. I found myself rooting for Vandy as she gets over her hurdles after a life altering injury, and for both Lukas and her as they navigate their relationship and their feelings. It was such a great read, and if you’re an Ali Hazelwood fan, there may be a few fun surprises in there for you.
If you’re a fan of haunted house novels, you will enjoy this book. It follows a similar format to other books about haunted houses; a couple looks for a new house, finds the perfect house, is warned about said house, and then finds out it is haunted. But what truly makes this story interesting is that instead of finding the haunted house to purchase, they build it from scratch.
In a quest for a simpler life, Helen and Nate have abandoned the comforts of suburbia to take up residence on forty-four acres of rural land where they will begin the ultimate, aspirational do-it-yourself project: building the house of their dreams. When they discover that this beautiful property has a dark and violent past, Helen, a former history teacher, becomes consumed by the local legend of Hattie Breckenridge, a woman who lived and died there a century ago. With her passion for artifacts, Helen finds special materials to incorporate into the house--a beam from an old schoolroom, bricks from a mill, a mantel from a farmhouse--objects that draw her deeper into the story of Hattie and her descendants, three generations of Breckenridge women, each of whom died suspiciously. As the building project progresses, the house will become a place of menace and unfinished business: a new home, now haunted, that beckons its owners and their neighbors toward unimaginable danger.
Recommended by Colleen
Recommended by Angelo
House of Huawei: the secret history of China's most powerful company by Eva Dou
In 2018, Meng Wanzhou, daughter of Ren Zhengfei, founder and CEO of China's most powerful company, Huawei Technologies, was detained at the request of U.S. authorities as she prepared to board a flight out of Vancouver, Canada. The detention set the U.S.-China trade skirmish on fire - and, for the first time, revealed the Ren family's prominence in Beijing's power structure. Washington Post reporter Eva Dou exposes the untold story of the rise of Ren Zhengfei and the mysterious family dynasty at the center of Huawei, whose connections to state apparatus reveal a deeper truth about China's surveillance web and its global ambitions. This is a timely, informative read that reaches back to the origins of Huawei and the history of business initiatives and ownership in China.
New Suns: Original Speculative Fiction by People of Color
From a world in which emotions are suppressed by revolutionary brain implants as in Anil Menon’s “The Robots of Eden,” to a future in which global warming has led to societal collapse as in Kathleen Alcala’s “The Deer Dancer,” the short story anthology New Suns is a showcase of unique sci-fi scenarios by seventeen contemporary authors, each from diverse backgrounds. In Tobias Buckell’s “The Galactic Tourist Industrial Complex,” New York City has become a vacation spot for octopus-like extraterrestrials. Steven Barnes’s darkly comedic “Come Home to Atropos” is a transcript between two executives editing a commercial for their new island resort. In Chinelo Onwualu’s “The Fine Print,” an African tribe is visited by a mysterious woman arriving in a self-driving car. Other authors featured in this collection include Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Mexican Gothic), Rebecca Roanhorse (Tread of Angels), and Hiromi Goto (Shadow Life).
One of my professors recommended this book to me, and I’m so glad to have picked it up! Susan Orlean explores the story behind the fire at the L.A. Public Library, as well as the history of the library. Her descriptions of the people she met and interviewed were utterly charming. I loved how she not only discussed the library’s book collection, but the way all departments of the library functioned at the time of writing.
Paleo Power Bowls: 100 easy, nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory meals by Julia Mueller
Most cookbooks have a mixture of hit-and-miss recipes, but this book impressed me so much that I bought my very own copy! It covers everything from breakfast to dessert and includes sides, sauces, and more. Every recipe we’ve tried so far has been fantastic, and it’s true that they are easy recipes that are well-suited for novice and experienced cooks alike. My family’s personal favorite is the carnitas taco bowls with cabbage rice and mango salsa (we sub in chicken), which is ridiculously easy to make and is great for leftovers. Not following a Paleo diet? Not a problem! You can easily make swaps to the recipes. Or, just try out their healthier version for a sauce or pesto to bring in more nutrition to your meal. This is perfect for those who want easy, healthy, and delicious recipes where the hardest part is not eating the whole pot.
An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin
The venerated presidential historian, Doris Kearns Goodwin has added a personal touch to her latest book. Part memoir, part biography of her husband Robert Goodwin, this is a story of a young, brilliant intellectual and his essential place behind the scenes of 1960s politics and the White House. Using a storehouse of memorabilia saved from these times, Doris and Robert relive events as a final project celebrating their 40 years of life together. Their personal love story is poignantly portrayed as well as their mutual love of their early professional years in the thick of those turbulent times. Unexpectedly touching, and a strong book club choice.
A robot made to help humans in a dystopian world has accidentally traveled to an uninhabited island – uninhabited except for wild animals. Roaming the island, the robot, named Roz, realizes her internal programming is no match for the ferocity of animals defending their homeland! She decides to learn the languages around her, overriding her programming, and learns how to effectively communicate with the animals around her in an attempt to figure out how to get back to human civilization. However, after an unfortunate series of events, Roz finds herself the mother of a gosling, and questions how one becomes a mother. A heartwarming animated movie based on thebook series by Peter Brown and featuring a stellar cast, will make you laugh, cry, and realize what it really means to be a parent.
Listen to the album that made Beyonce the first black woman to win a Grammy for a country album. Stream with Freegal 24/7 with your library card. Download five of your favorite tracks to keep forever.
I love an album that takes you on a journey, and Ethel Cain delivers with this eerie, hypnotic album. Cain’s songwriting and music touch on many influences, from Americana to ambient music, to tell the dark story of a deacon’s daughter. A must listen for the next grey, chilly day we get.
I figured there was no better time to recommend one of my favorite games than now, during the series’s 25th anniversary. Whether you want to create a family and watch their lives unfold or just want to build houses, the Sims has cemented itself as one of the best life-simulation games because of its versatility. While the fourth entry in the series has its fair share of flaws, it’s addictingly fun – I’ve sunk hours into the game without even realizing how much time has passed.
Sky Team is a quick 2-person co-op board game that’s perfect for a date night-in this Valentine’s Day. Seeing as this recommendation will likely be published after Valentine’s Day, I guess you could also just pick it up for a totally platonic game night-in. Or wait a year. Your choice.
Sky Team has you and a partner flying a plane in for landing and using dice to make sure that you’ve taken all the steps necessary to land safely. You take turns placing dice every round to keep the plane level, control your speed, put down landing gear, raise your flaps, radio your position, and even brew some coffee. The only catch: don’t talk to each other.
Sky Team is a brilliant cooperative balancing act that will keep you coming back for more with its various modules, scenarios, and difficulty levels. If you’ve got a board gaming partner in crime and haven’t given this one a try yet, I highly recommend checking it out.
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.
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