First line: I’m not the sort of person who goes around feeling good about himself.
Summary: A collection of previously published essays and stories from David Sedaris. He covers everything from short stories, family drama and the loss of a sibling. His stories range from serious to hilarious.
My Thoughts: Several years ago I fell in love with David Sedaris and his work. I have read all his books, listened to his holiday collection multiple times, and spent hours waiting to see him at Watermark. Ninety percent of these stories were ones I had previously read but I was pleasantly surprised to find a few that I had not experienced yet.
It was great to rediscover some of his early stories that I had forgotten about. I laughed just as hard this time around as I did the first time. Even though Sedaris is considered a humorist he also brings a lot of heart to his work. The way he talks about his family makes one appreciate my own family. Everyone has quirks and life can be crazy but we all love each other and will be there for one another.
I think that this was exactly what I needed at the end of 2020. Focusing has been difficult this year. A book of short stories and essays are perfect for my attention span lately. And the laughs help as well! Thank you Mr. Sedaris!
Trauma is a toxin that hooks into our hair and organs and blood and becomes part of us, the way heavy metals do, our bodies nothing more than a layering of flesh around everything ingested and experienced.
-Sophie Mackintosh
Sisters Grace, Lia and Skye are raised to believe that the world outside of their island is extremely toxic and deadly, especially for women. Their parents, whom they call King and Mother, have the girls living a life of purity, which is practiced through various cleansing rituals. One of which is called the water cure, where the girls put on a weighted dress and hold themselves under the water for as long as they can. This cult-like behavior begins to unravel, first when King disappears, and second when new men from the toxic mainland arrive on their island.
I will admit, this story was quite odd. The behaviors of this family were so strange, but it kept me intrigued. The dysfunction and cruel mindsets of these sisters had me unsure of who I was supposed to root for. All three of the girls had been brainwashed into maintaining an unhealthy lifestyle of “purity”. Although their practices seemed absurd, I am still unsure of what all is true of the outside world and what is not. Since the story is told from the girls’ point of view, we are also experiencing their confusion as the story unfolds. I believe the author, Sophie Mackintosh, left readers a little perplexed on purpose to replicate that of the sisters.
As I listened to this story on Libby, I had to backtrack multiple times to understand who was talking. The viewpoint switches between all of the sisters, so sometimes it was difficult keeping up with who was telling the story. I would recommend reading the hardback version because of this. Overall I found this to be an interesting read. Sophie Mackintosh created an intriguing yet troubling story to experience through the lives of Grace, Lia and Skye.
First Line: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away…
Summary: Leia, the princess of Alderaan, is learning how to lead and one day take over the role of Queen. She needs to prove herself. But she is worried that she will not be able to live up to her parents expectations. And recently she has noticed her parents paying less attention to her. Are they disappointed? Or has she done something to upset them? She decides that she is going to take matters into her own hands with the hopes of earning their approval.
My Thoughts: I’ve read this story before but I had read the novel when it first came out and this is manga. This is my first venture into manga. If you have never read or even heard of manga I will give you a quick summary. Manga is a Japanese comic or graphic novel. They are usually printed in black and white. But the most challenging bit (for me at least) is reading from right to left. It took me a while to get used to the format and focus on following the story properly. I really enjoyed it!
I liked the artwork, the story was still great and it was a new adventure. If you want to try something different and are a fan of Star Wars I would highly recommend picking this up!
FYI: This is the same plot as the novel by the same name.
First line: O mighty Caliph and Commander of the Faithful, I am humbled to be in the splendor of your presence; a man can hope for no greater blessing as long as he lives.
Summary and Thoughts: In Exhalation, multiple short stories written by Ted Chiang either look at the future or even the past through futuristic lenses and technology. Morals and ethics are brought up in each story. The reader is taken to a magical place in the Middle East, a distant planet, and other dimensions throughout this book. From an old-age robot nanny to built-in memory hardware for humans, there’s a short story for everyone. The first story takes a look at a young man’s journey into a time-traveling portal where he learns that fate and what is meant to be can never be altered. The second story is about a civilization on a foreign planet whose lungs need to be physically taken out to be filled up with oxygen, meaning their life expectancy is practically immortal, but that also comes with a price. What happens when the oxygen supply is running out? The next one, ‘What’s Expected of Us’, deals with the concept of free will with a button game and how it turns people mad when they think too hard about it. The fifth story is about a robot nanny who causes some trouble from humans, especially the inventor and his family. ‘The Truth of Fact, The Truth of Feeling’ is technically two stories alternating, but they both share the essential theme of memory. One half is set in the future, memory is now digitally stored in the human brain. One can now skim through old memories and relive or inspect them. The other half is set in with a native tribe and their journey with an English missionary. ‘The Great Silence’ is a haunting read as it’s told from a near-extinct bird’s thoughts. The story after that is a tale of religion and science co-existing together, but a religious archeologist is not so sure after a latest discovery. The last story is set in a world where it is easy to communicate with yourself in a different dimension. Of course, people use this to their advantage and not in a good way. Each story is different in length and in story-telling.
This was one of my favorite reads ever. Each story left me questioning my and society’s relationship with technology. Each story was beautifully crafted and unique, writing styles and storytelling differed so it never felt like I was reading one book. Some parts I did have to re-read to get as he sometimes gets confusing when dealing with past, present, and future being told as one. I liked that this didn’t feel like your typical science fiction book, so people who usually don’t read this genre can enjoy it too. He also spends some time explaining the science behind certain products used in stories which I was grateful for. Chiang doesn’t outright tell the reader what point he is trying to make so I often had to stop and ask myself what is he trying to say exactly. My favorite thing about this book is though the genre is science fiction, Chiang often sets his stories in the past. I like the blend of old and new he uses, to me it keeps the book from being repetitive. I would definitely recommend this book to people who read any type of genre.
FYI: There are sexual themes within one of the short stories but this isn’t a graphic book.
Reading comics can be a complicated thing. The main character’s stories are told and retold by different authors, artists, and illustrators. They are reproduced, collected, recollected.
Popular issues are reprinted. Unpopular issues never see the light on their illustrations again. So how does one read a popular comic’s story from beginning to finish– alpha to omega? They search online for an ultimate guide, that’s how!
Today, I have for you an ultimate guide to reading Wonder Woman. This guide, however, is specific to what the Derby Public Library (and the consortium we are a part of) owns and lends out to the public.
Here we go:
Wonder Woman was “born” in the Golden Age of comics– 1942. I say born meaning published for the first time. Her story has been “restarted” multiple times, though. In other words, there are several options for “starting points” within Wonder Woman’s stories.
Her story was introduced in 1942 by William Moulton Marston. She was redesigned with the Silver age of comics in 1958 by Robert Kanigher. It was reintroduced in 1987 by George Perez, and again by Greg Rucka in 2006. Wonder Woman New 52 was introduced in 2011 by Brian Azzarello. Greg Rucka took another stab at a Wonder Woman reintroduction in 2016 with the “Rebirth” relaunch.
I like to start at the beginning, so that is what I will do with you. Keep in mind, though, that YOU can start wherever you want!
From here, I’ll leave you a list (with links!) of which books to read in which order. Each book will fall into one of four categories: DPL book Consortium Book ILL book Not currently Collected
A DPL book, is a book we carry here at the Derby Public Library. A Consortium book is a book one of our “sister” libraries has available for check out. You can check it out with you Derby Public Library Card, and it will be brought here via courier for your convenience. An ILL (or Inter Library Loan) book is not available in our consortium, but thanks to some amazing people here at the Derby Public Library… someone in Alaska, Florida, or anywhere in between might have a copy available for you to borrow. Our ILL team with source it, have it shipped here, and available for you to pick up with the simple request form. There is, unfortunately, a fourth category: the Currently Uncollected category. These are issues I have been unable to find collected CONVENIENTLY for you, the reader. These issues may be easier found as singles at your local comic book shop (or Amazon), or if you are lucky available for read online.
Without further adieu, your reading list:
How to Read Wonder Woman, at the Derby Public Library
Finally, if you LOVE the character, but aren’t so into the original story & trajectory, there have been many novelizations over the years. Too many to list here (perhaps another post, another day). They are easy to find with a quick Koha search at the library, though. We have novelizations (and graphic novels) for those interested in all ages: picture books, beginner readers, chapter books, young adult, and graphic novelizations!
Summary: Walker and Alec Holland are twin brothers who are nothing alike but are still inseparable. Walker loves to be the center of attention while Alec is more quiet and reserved. Their last summer before college is spent in a rural town with their cousins. While Walker makes friends and parties, Alec spends his time working on a science experiment that starts to affect the swamp outside of town.
My Thoughts: This is a DC Comics reimagining of the origin story of Swamp Thing. Author Maggie Stiefvater works with illustrator, Morgan Beem to create a new beginning for one of their classic villains. I liked how they included science and information about plants into the story. It does a little teaching while also entertaining. I wasn’t completely sold on the art work but near the end as the swamp and its creatures started to appear I came to like it more. I am not familiar with the character Swamp Thing but I did enjoy this. It is a fast story from one of my favorite YA authors.
I got to watch an interview with the author, illustrator and moderator (Laini Taylor – another fantastic YA author) via Watermarks Books. It was great to listen to them talk about their work and how they developed the book. If you would like to see their conversation it can be found on Watermark’s Facebook page.
First Line: The starter gun shatters the silence, releasing the runners from their blocks.
Summary: At 10:05 am gunshots ring out. Within a span of 54 minutes four students must come face to face with the possibility of death; their hopes and dreams could be over in a single second. Anything can happen. Anyone can live and anyone can die. Who would do this? Why would they do this? And who will survive the next 54 minutes?
My Thoughts: I have mixed reviews about this books. While it does offer some intense scenery, I felt like the author didn’t really dive deep into the psychology as to why this student felt the need to commit such a violent act. Yes, there was some reasoning explained, but I felt like as a whole there could’ve been more offered to the character of Tyler, the shooter.
There were certain parts of the book that kept me reading due the intense nature of a school shooter and the desire to know why, but there were other parts where I became frustrated with the characters who were trying to survive the dangerous situation that they were forced upon. School shootings are such a deep and tragic event that you have to bring the right amount emotion writing about it in a fiction setting.
I wish that the author would’ve dedicated a little more time with the character development as well. I lacked a certain amount of emotion with the characters and didn’t really feel as bonded to them. I would give this book a 3 out of 5.
Trigger Warnings: mass shootings, violence, death, sexual assault, and some language
I love a good reading challenge! It makes me read books that have been on my TBR list and diversify my selections as well. Plus it is fun! I was so excited when Alyssa decided to do another readathon this fall and I immediately started looking at which books to choose. My final list is below.
The criminal was Colonel Mustard (a book set during a time of war).
My favorite of the six books was Mindy Kaling’s collection of essays. I follow her on all the social media. She is funny, insightful and just a happy person. Her other two books, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me and Why Not Me?, are great as well. If you want a laugh then these are perfect! I had a great time reading these books! I cannot wait to do another challenge.
A young horse discovers that, whatever our differences, love connects us all. (summary from back cover)
Amelia loved this book immediately. The different contrasts of the illustrations caught her eyes. She’s very much into the moon & stars right now, and quite a few pages had something related to that. She also loved what she called “The baby horse and mama horse” and enjoyed seeing the two of them interacting throughout the pages. It’s another one of those books that there isn’t a lot of reading to it, which Amelia prefers right now, because she studies the pictures pretty closely. She wanted to “read” to me.
First line: I duck down and pull my hoodie close around my face.
Summary: Owen Pick, a college teacher, has just lost his job after a student accuses him of inappropriate actions. He doesn’t remember the incident and he tries to be very professional in all things. When he goes looking for advice he finds “incel” forums. Through the chatrooms he meets other men who have had similar experiences but are much more radical in their beliefs.
The Fours family live across the street from Owen. He has always seemed a little odd. When a teenage girl goes missing in their area they believe that it may have something to do with the creepy single man who lives on their street. And maybe he has something to do with the other sexual assaults happening in the area too?
My Thoughts: This is the first book by Lisa Jewell that I was not really impressed with. I liked it. It kept me reading till the end but it just didn’t have the same magic. I would almost say that it is mix of thriller and chick lit. It had more of a drama feel rather than suspense.
I liked the characters but most of them fell flat. I think they needed more developing. Everything seemed so obvious. I kept hoping for something shocking. Even at the end. But the last chapter was exactly what I expected. I felt very let down by this book.
