|
SCPL Staff Picks November 2019
|
|
|
|
|
Whiskey & Ribbonsby Leesa Cross-Smith Whiskey & Ribbons is a study of the life of three people doing what they can to live after the unthinkable happens. Evi and Eamon are expecting their first child when Eamon is shot and killed in his work as a police officer. Eamon’s adopted brother Dalton is also left behind. The moving portrayal of all three of these characters is what results in this powerful first novel, published by Spartanburg’s own Hub City Press. Noah is Evi and Eamon’s first child, born six months after his father is killed. Evi juggles the difficult tasks of raising a child and processing the loss of her husband. All of the characters must make decisions and learn to adapt quickly and gracefully. Anyone who has processed such grief knows that this time of transition is not at all quick or graceful. Perhaps that is what I like about this book the most. With grace and precision Leesa Cross-Smith presents a triptych of characters who are processing their love and grief very differently. Cross-Smith discusses what it is like to hope in the time of profound loss, and what it is like to seek love and connection even when one has seemingly lost everything. Whiskey & Ribbons is both beautiful and tragic and it has won many accolades since its release. Pick it up if you are seeking a life affirming and beautiful account of life and what happens after one has lost everything. Vanessa
|
|
|
Radio Girlsby Sarah Jane StratfordMousie Maisie has never fit in anywhere. She’s a Canadian who grew up in New York and served as a nurse in England during the Great War. Now she’s living in London and working as a secretary at the newly formed and highly controversial British Broadcasting Corporation. Her duties are split between working for the conservative Director-General, John Reith, and the radical Director of Talks, Hilda Matheson. Under Hilda’s guidance, Maisie begins to self-actualize and becomes increasingly involved in the day to day running of her department but also the societal implications of radio and insuring the freedom of this new medium. I enjoyed this book for its historical accuracy. Although Maisie was not a real person, Hilda was the first female Director of Talks at the BBC and many of the events in the book did happen. Stratford’s careful attention to detail regarding the technological capabilities at the time made this a convincing and interesting read. Today it is hard to imagine the UK or international press without the fixture that is the BBC but it was fun to read about when it was just a little startup.
Alaina
|
|
|
Your Sh*tty Familyby Unspirational “They may be shitty. But they’re still yours.” Your Sh*tty Family is based on the wildly popular Instagram account of the same name. This Instagram account currently has 1 million followers and counting! Your Sh*tty Family features actual text message conversations between family members sent in by fans & followers of the Instagram account. Some texts were so ridiculous that I was thanking my lucky stars that I don’t belong to some of the families that sent in screenshots of actual conversations between them and their family members. From epic Mom smackdowns to acronyms that don’t exist to questions you do not want your parents ever asking you, Your Sh*tty Family will have you literally laughing out loud. (Silver lining: at least it was through text and not face to face!) With categories like Bad Dad, Old People Say the Darndest Things, & Who’s the Parent Now, Your Sh*tty Family is pure comedic genius. Do yourself a favor and read the introduction and the acknowledgements… you can thank me later! Your Sh*tty Family will be sure to brighten your day and if you find yourself starting a group chat with your family afterwards, keep in mind that sharing is caring! Brandi
|
|
|
The Night Tigerby Yangsze Choo Before Dr. Macfarlane died, he entrusted eleven-year-old Ren with a very strange task. Ren must locate the Doctor’s missing finger and bury it with the rest of the doctor’s remains, and he must do it within forty-nine days of the man’s death. If Ren is unable to return the missing finger to Dr. Macfarlane’s grave in time the doctor’s soul will be unable to find peace because his body is not whole. Not only that, but according to legend his soul will wander the land in the form of a vicious tiger called a weretiger. Several days after Ren is given the mission of finding Dr. Macfarlane’s finger, Ji Lin, a young woman working at a dancing hall to repay her mother’s gambling debt, finds a small glass vial with a severed finger in it. It is hard for me to think of a book that crosses genre lines as well as Yangsze Choo’s The Night Tiger. Choo’s novel is a wonderful melting pot of historical fiction, romance, mystery, and fantasy. The 1930s Malaysia setting contains a plethora of interesting facts. Ji Lin’s love life has all the facets of a great romance, Ren’s search for the missing finger has all the twists and turns of a mystery, and the strange supernatural dreams and superstitions that the characters have contain elements fit right in with fantasy. The Night Tiger has also been picked as a Reese Witherspoon book club book and was named a best historical fiction title of 2019 by Goodreads. If you’re looking for a great book with a little bit of everything, look no further than The Night Tiger. Seth
|
|
|
The Outsiderby Stephen King Detective Ralph Anderson of Flint City, Oklahoma has been handed an impossible case. After all, Terry Maitland, little league coach of the victim, must be the killer; his DNA is all over the scene. There are witnesses, evidence everywhere, but similar evidence places him a hundred miles away and Terry is continuing to protest his innocence. As the city begins to crack over the brutal murder of an eleven year old boy and the people around Ralph are pulling him in opposite directions, the detective must come to terms with the actions he has taken to catch a heinous killer and must reconsider what he previously believed about the nature of reality. The Outsider is a fantastic work of detective fiction that slowly transforms into supernatural horror. King continues to explore a world where, even in the presence of the supernatural, true evil often lies within the hearts of people. With great characters, one of which pops in from another King novel, and a thrilling mystery, the master of horror continues to deliver great novels worthy of the time required to conquer them.
Josiah
|
|
|
Waiting for Tom Hanksby Kerry Winfrey Annie Cassidy is obsessed with romantic comedies, particularly those starring Tom Hanks…so obsessed, in fact, that she dreams of one day meeting her very own version of Tom Hanks. When a film crew comes to her hometown to shoot an upcoming romantic comedy, Annie, with the help of her uncle, lands the director’s assistant job. As an aspiring romantic comedy screenwriter herself, Annie feels this may be the big break she needs. And what better place to have her very own “meet-cute” than on the set of an actual rom-com? Annie soon finds that life and the pursuit of a happily ever after isn’t always like the movies. Waiting for Tom Hanks is an adorable ode to classic romantic comedies. The cover initially caught my eye, quickly followed by the title and those two things were enough to make me check out this endearing book. Kerry Winfrey delivers a fresh, well-written, and enjoyable read with quirky and lovable characters. References to some of my favorite rom-coms were such a plus! Apparently, I’m more of a rom-com fan than I thought because I knew all the references. Waiting for Tom Hanks is a quick, charming, warmhearted read and perfect for anyone who loves watching romantic comedies. Brandi
|
|
|
Inside Out: A Memoirby Demi MooreDemi Moore’s new biography, Inside Out, is a fantastic read. Moore doesn’t hold back anything. She gives readers an honest, raw look at her younger life in New Mexico, her failed marriages, and her drug use. Moore starred in some of my favorite movies, like Ghost and A Few Good Men, and was once Hollywood’s It Girl. If you’re looking for an interesting, quick read, I would highly recommend Demi Moore’s new book Inside Out. Shannon
|
|
|
Exhalation: Storiesby Ted Chiang To say that Exhalation is excellent would be to water it down to one note of goodness. Nine short stories--some only two pages long, others close to a hundred--told through a science fiction lens force readers to consider questions of free will and control through vastly different worlds. In the standout story, “Lifecycle of Software Objects”, zookeeper Ana is hired to help train digital pets, but things take a turn when the company operating them goes belly up, leaving Ana and her former colleague Derek to raise some of the erstwhile technological youth. As Ana raises Jax, a precocious robot, and Derek takes on Marco and Polo, a pair of pandas, they butt up against typical questions of parenthood, but are ostracized by many of their peers for what (or who?) they love. In another story, “The Great Silence”, a parrot explains how difficult it has been to get humans to understand that voices beyond human ones exist right here on this earth. “The Truth of Fact, the Truth of Feeling” is an article from a man who is able to rewind his memories, and is shocked to find that what he remembers is actually not the truth of what happened (and isn’t this all of us?). Beyond words, beyond emotion, somewhere out in the ether lies my thoughts on Exhalation: an incredible thinking set of stories that forces us to look both outside and within to determine who we really are and what in this world we can truly control. Jess
|
|
|
by Olga Tokarczuk Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, the 2018 Nobel Prize for Literature winner, is an entertaining and thought-provoking literary mystery and fable that explores life on the margins and self-destructive masculine cultures of violence. The novel is narrated by Vanina, a European translator of the British poet William Blake and student of astrology who is given over to reflections on the various orders that organize and confine our lives. When her neighbor Big Foot is found dead, Vanina’s mystery begins as she consults the stars, her poems, and local animal activity for clues. As more bodies turn up, her suspicions broaden to consider possible suspects who might not be human. One of the joys of reading this book is the way Tokarczuk uses the mystery framework and her idiosyncratic narrator to explore far-ranging ideas concerning the treatment of non-human animals and the broader cultural disrespect and mistreatment of elderly people, especially women. In this way, the novel resembles other, perhaps more familiar, philosophical mysteries like Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose or Paul Auster’s The New York Trilogy or even television shows like Twin Peaks and True Detective, focusing less on the nature of knowledge or truth and more on the seductive brutality of social power. As the novel moves towards its surprising conclusion, the reader is left wondering about their own sympathies and the real justifications for violence. This was one of my favorite reads from 2019 and a novel I suspect will linger with me for years to come. Joseph
|
|
The Durrells in Corfu Louisa Durrell’s husband died a few years ago and now the family is in financial straits. To economize she moves her family from England to the Greek island of Corfu. Upon arrival, the family realizes Corfu is not the affordable paradise they had hoped for. Their new home is in shambles and without electricity not to mention the culture and language barrier being larger than expected. Hilarity ensues as they make the island their new home and try not to upset the locals too much. It is hard to describe The Durrells in Corfu. It is part historical drama, part comedy, part dysfunctional family, part small town drama, but all fun. If you like quirky, eccentric characters and beautiful, far off places, I highly recommend picking up season one and giving this show a try! Alaina
|
|
|
The Nightmare Before Christmas Jack Skellington is the creepy, scary King of Halloweentown but as another Halloween comes to a close he wonders if something in his life is missing. When he comes across a mysterious ring of trees with weirdly shaped doors (an Easter egg, a Christmas tree, you know where this is going), he falls into the North Pole and discovers a whole new way of life. Convinced that taking over Christmas will offer fulfillment, he kidnaps Santa Claus and holds him captive so that he and his creepy friends can bring their own version of Christmas to life. Along the way, Jack will sing songs, dodge surface to air missile fire, and maybe find true love. 'Tis the season, squarely placed between Halloween and Christmas, to watch The Nightmare Before Christmas. Most people have seen it, but if you haven’t the wonderfully catchy songs and the fantastic stop motion animation is well worth viewing this short 70 minute film. It’s a fun time for family viewings with just a few PG scares and plenty of holiday cheer.
Josiah
|
|
|
The Lion KingDisney always seems to amaze me. The visuals in the 2019 live action The Lion King are truly stunning. The Lion King follows the adventures of young Simba, who is the son of Mufasa, King of the Pride Lands. Simba’s Uncle Scar kills Mufasa and tricks Simba into thinking it was him. Simba flees and lives in exile, ashamed of what he has done. With the help of Nala and his friends Timon and Pumbaa, Simba sets out to become the “mighty king” that he was meant to be. Full of great music, The Lion King is a must see! Shannon
|
|
|
The Truman ShowI’m not a huge fan of Jim Carrey, but I’m very interested in surveillance and Big Brother, so the idea behind the Oscar-nominated The Truman Show has always fascinated me. Truman (played by Carrey) is a man living in the idyllic coastal town of Seahaven, where his deep fear of water, imbued in him by a boating accident when he was young, stops him from ever leaving. Unbeknownst to him, every human in his life, from his mother to his best friend to his boss, is actually an actor, and Truman’s entire life is taking place in a dome outside of Hollywood. Truman’s entire life has been viewed by millions of people worldwide, thanks to hundreds of hidden cameras stationed throughout Seahaven. The mastermind of the 24/7 reality show, Kristoff (played expertly by Ed Harris), watches Seahaven and Truman from the fake blue skies of the dome. As Truman experiences heartbreak and begins to question life around him, the “residents” of Seahaven must make every attempt to keep the ruse. In addition to being an entertaining, funny film, The Truman Show raises intriguing questions about surveillance and the ability to consent: can we consent to having our lives watched if we don’t know about it? How would we handle finding out that we are? What if we ARE? Viewers who want their funny with a side of thought are in for a treat by watching The Truman Show. Jess
|
|
|
Midsommar Ari Aster’s second feature Midsommar is a complex horror film set (mostly) in daylight where our feelings of fear arise from a gradual loss of control. It follows the story of Dani (Florence Pugh), a young woman mourning a family tragedy, who travels to a remote Swedish village with her boyfriend, Christian (Jack Trainor), and his fellow anthropology graduate students to witness and document a midsummer festival. Aster expertly captures the fog of grief surrounding Dani’s life before and even during the early days of her trip to Sweden, editing moments together to blur the passage of time. The film’s score, composed by electronic artist Bobby Krlic, accentuates this sense of loss by mixing dissonance strings with more melodramatic sequences. Most of the film is set at the festival, dropping the audience in with Dani and the anthropologists as fellow strangers unaccustomed to local customs and their severe rituals surrounding aging, reproduction, and agriculture. As viewers, this gives us a unique perspective from other horror films: we do not know more than the characters do and actions occur at a naturalistic pace. By the film’s end, everyone is given a role to play in the festival – some are elevated while others are sacrificed – and we are left unsure of exactly how to feel. Is it a fairy tale about chosen family or is a fever dream of trauma and grief? This uncertainty of feeling and open-ended interpretation, along with the excellent acting and production design, make Midsommar a powerful film and one of my favorites of the year. Joseph
|
|
|
|
Golden Kamuyby Satoru Noda Saichi Sugimoto is a veteran of the twentieth century Russo-Japanese war. When Sugimoto returned from the war, he came back poor with nowhere to go or call home. Therefore, to try to earn some money Sugimoto decided to pan for gold in the wild frontier of Hokkaido. One day while panning for gold Sugimoto runs into a man in a drunken stupor that tells him a story of a massive hoard of gold that a convict hid in the Japanese frontier. In order to locate the gold, the convict tattooed maps on the backs of other convicts. Although it makes for an interesting tale Sugimoto believes it is just a story, that is until the man sobers up and points a gun in his face. Little does the drunk know that Sugimoto was known as one of the most proficient killers in the war, the man that could not be killed, the Immortal Sugimoto. Now that Sugimoto has a way to solve his financial woes nothing will stop him, not a horde of ruthless convicts, and certainly not a drunk with a gun. Saichi Sugimoto is a veteran of the twentieth century Russo-Japanese war. When Sugimoto returned from the war, he came back poor with nowhere to go or call home. Therefore, to try to earn some money Sugimoto decided to pan for gold in the wild frontier of Hokkaido. One day while panning for gold Sugimoto runs into a man in a drunken stupor that tells him a story of a massive hoard of gold that a convict hid in the Japanese frontier. In order to locate the gold, the convict tattooed maps on the backs of other convicts. Although it makes for an interesting tale Sugimoto believes it is just a story, that is until the man sobers up and points a gun in his face. Little does the drunk know that Sugimoto was known as one of the most proficient killers in the war, the man that could not be killed, the Immortal Sugimoto. Now that Sugimoto has a way to solve his financial woes nothing will stop him, not a horde of ruthless convicts, and certainly not a drunk with a gun. I am a big fan of manga, but I have never read a manga that is as richly steeped in history and culture as Golden Kamuy. In fact, the way that Satoru Noda weaves history and cultures into his story is easily the best thing about Golden Kamuy. Early into Sugimoto’s quest to find the hidden gold he teams up with a girl from the indigenous people of Japan known as the Ainu. As Sugimoto gets to know more about the girl, he also gets to know more about the Ainu culture which she comes from. By having Sugimoto learn about the Ainu culture as the story progresses, he gives his readers the feeling that they are learning right along with the main protagonist. Noda’s story is increasingly violent and graphic as the story progresses so if you’re not up for that this may not be the graphic novel for you, but if that doesn’t bother you give Golden Kamuy a shot. The plot is fast paced and full of action and you can also learn some interesting things about the Ainu, I know I did!
Seth
|
|
Me: Elton Johnby Elton John Who isn’t aware of Elton John as a performer? I recently watched his new biopic Rocketman, so I was excited to find out more in the pages of this book. Me is narrated by Taron Egerton, the actor who plays him in the movie. Egerton has received acclaim for his work in the film and it was a natural fit to hear him reading Elton John’s more personal thoughts and emotions. Me on audiobook is equal parts adventure and emotion, with some revelations that took me by surprise. I expected great amounts of celebrity gossip because Sir Elton is known to have connections with some very famous and creative people. Truly, in the course of any individual's life there are some painful losses--Elton addresses the memories of people like John Lennon, Princess Diana, Gianni Versace, Ryan White, Michael Jackson and many others--in their living and dying. His work with AIDS and the creation of his own AIDS foundation is also detailed at length. Perhaps the most surprising and revealing thing I came across in the book was Elton’s personal struggles with addiction to drugs, alcohol, shopping and destructive actions. Rough familial experiences and strained parental relationships contributed to his initial resistance to be a father, but a brief encounter began to change his mind. Elton John as we know him came to be through so many difficult circumstances, and his life is an amazing inspiration for anyone who may have had their own struggles. I am glad I read Me for all of its emotional layers; it is one of the best biographies I have read in quite a while. Vanessa
|
|
|
Book or Movie?: Breakfast at Tiffany's
|
|
|
Breakfast at Tiffany'sThis is the story of a young woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her apartment building. He is with an older woman who is very wealthy, but he wants to be a writer. She is working as an expensive escort and searching for a rich, older man to marry.
|
|
|
|
|
|