From The Library Catalog

A blog to travel through a librarian's bookshelf and thoughts.

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

It's been a while...

It's been a while, but I'm coming into 2019 with tons of books and ready to hit the ground running. Keep an eye out! New posts will be updated soon ☺

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I got this book as part of the June box from my OwlCrate subscription, and once I saw the camera on the front cover, I was very excited to read it!

Twinkle is an aspiring filmmaker, who wants to bring people together and create change with her films. However, she feels as if she is at the bottom of the social hierarchy at school; barring her from becoming the person she wants to be. Cue in Sahil, who convinces her to create a film for their school’s Midsummer Night arts festival: her as director and him as producer. It just so happens that Twinkle’s longtime crush is Sahil’s popular twin brother, Neil, and she has been receiving mysterious love emails that are signed by “N.” Working with Sahil, Twinkle hopes to fulfill her dreams of being a director and getting closer to Neil, but starts to realize that her feelings for Sahil  just might be changing. 

First, I liked how the book was set up. For Twinkle, it is a journal, but she directs each entry towards a particular female filmmaker. It brings the vibe of the traditional format of the epistolary novel, but with a modern twist. And, as a movie lover myself, it is awesome to see some of my favorite filmmakers getting a shoutout (I’m looking at you, Sofia Coppola and Jane Campion!).

In addition, it was refreshing to read a book with a South Asian/woman of color protagonist. Menon weaves Twinkle’s culture into the story as a part of her character- NOT as a sidepiece/bullet point. As such, besides writing a very cute romance story, Menon also writes a poignant story about the experiences of being a first generation child in an immigrant family. As a WOC myself, I was unable to find many books that represented me and my experiences when I was a teenager (with the exception of the fantastic Millicent Min, Girl Genius by Lisa Yee). As such, it is heartening to see books like these becoming more prevalent in YA culture today.

Overall, this was a very cute summer beach read, that also has some very touching moments. Twinkle’s story is for anyone who has ever fought to reach their dreams, and learned more about themselves along the way. Happy reading!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

CI was at BookCon in NYC at the beginning of the month, and I happened across author Dana Fraedrich’s booth. Noted as being similar to “Pride and Prejudice,” but with a steampunk twist, I was immediately intrigued. Upon reading the first few pages, I was drawn into the Broken Gears world, and proceeded to return the next day, in order to buy the rest of the titles that she was selling.

Set in the Broken Gears world, Lenore has fallen upon hard times. Having lost both her parents to the law, she is forced to live as a thief on the streets. In a town where law and punishment is held to the strictest degree by the police (Enforcers), getting caught means almost guaranteed death. However, one unlucky, but lucky, day, Lenore is caught by the Allen family. Rather than turning her in, they make a deal: Live with them, and start anew. At first overjoyed with the opportunity to restart her life, Lenore begins to find he familial past catching up with her, and a mysterious figure with an unquestioned bond to her is seeking her out.  

I absolutely loved this book. The steampunk aspect of the book is well-balanced with the plot and the characters; not overpowering the rest of the story. In addition, I liked how the world is created in the book. Not all the rules are introduced at once. Rather, aspects of this world that differ from our reality are introduced when they happen to Lenore herself. As such, this world’s workings is not fully outlined until about a third of the way in. For me, this writing style kept me intrigued to read more, and propelled me throughout the story. Lastly, I was very pleased with the way that the character development was created. For all the characters in the story, there is growth, as well as a trajectory of their mindset and emotions. While the story takes place mostly from Lenore’s perspective, to ensure that the reader understands the other characters, Fraedrich switches perspectives to all the other main/secondary characters. In doing so, she allows us to empathize with all the characters, including the ones that are not so nice. 

Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes adventure and romance, wrapped in a layer of steampunk. There is a sequel, called “Into the Fire” that I am excited to start soon! 

Dana Fraedich can be found here, on Tumblr, @danafraedrich I definitely suggest checking out her site, and other books!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I first saw this book, tucked under a librarian’s arm, during a staff meeting. The “grim reaper” on the cover intrigued me, facing away from the light with their blank face and scythe. A few months later, a friend recommended it to me. Since the book had already popped up twice on my radar, I figured that this was a sign that I should give it a chance. 

Citra and Rowan live in a world where science has conquered death, and people have become immortal through the power of technology and modern medicine. To alleviate overpopulation, society has created an organization known as Scythes: people who are required to kill a quota of individuals per year, to keep the ratio of resources and people balanced. However, corruption is running rampant in the organization, and Scythes are starting to split into various ideological factions.  Apprenticed as Scythes, Citra and Rowan become embroiled in the political moves of their superiors, and they must use their wits to keep one step ahead and make it to Scythe-hood. 

This book is a page turner. Starting on page one, Shusterman quickly outlines the rules that dictate this universe, but does it in a way that feels natural. Rather than a list, rules are introduced by characters’ being affected by them and their consequences. As such, the reader easily understands how this world works, while moving fast through the plot. The book’s perspective mainly alternates between Citra and Rowan, and Shusterman is able to find an individual voice for both of them. It was interesting to see these two different characters dealing with similar issues, but their different reactions and internal conflicts. In addition, because of the very nature of mortality, or the lack of it, in this world, the book raises many ethical and moral questions that the reader must ponder.

Overall, I sped through this book so quickly, that I surprised my friend who recommended it initially, when I called a day later, saying that I wanted the sequel, Thunderhead. For readers interested in a different take of Dystopia YA fiction, I highly recommend this series!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

If it seems like I have been missing lately, I blame it on this behemoth of a book. At a little over 1200 pages, book one of The Stormlight Archive series sucks you into an entirely different universe, and puts reality into the background.

First, I will acknowledge that I generally am not a reader of high fantasy. This genre and I rarely cross paths with one another, so I was surprised when this one was recommended by a number of people, and how easily it grasped my attention. 

The story takes place in Roshar, where the Alethi kingdom is fighting against the Parshendi, a group that claims to be behind the assasination of Alethi’s past king. Amidst this setting, we follow several characters, mainly Kaladin (a soldier turned into a slave in the army, fighting for the life of himself and his crew) and Shallan (a scholar turned thief, intent on stealing a magical device to save her family). Traveling between various perspectives, the reader is slowly drawn to the bigger motivations, and to just who are the Knights Radiant and the impending Desolation. I was very surprised by this book. For a book where the overall motivation is not made clear until near the end, Sanderson is able to hold onto the reader and draw them into an entirely new world. And, Sanderson doesn’t just introduce the story, but also introduces the culture and nuances of the people in this world. Magic also exists here, but it is not overdone, and it is done in a believable manner. With this attention to detail, Sanderson lets you unravel the world itself and become a “part” of it rather than a bystander.

This is book one of what is planned to be a ten book series; book two and three are currently out. I am eager to continue reading the rest of this series, and I do recommend it to anyone who liked the format of Game of Thrones!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

Since March was Women’s History Month, I decided to see to if I could read some books along this theme. At the store, looking at the book display dedicated to this month, this book caught my eye, with its macabre title in bubble-gum pink.

Tori Telfer raises an interesting question at the very start of this book. Women have committed heinous crimes throughout history. However, these crimes are rarely researched or documented, becoming afterthoughts in folklore. This erasure in history has even led to the now infamous quote by an FBI profiler that “There are no female serial killers.” As Telfer’s book highlights though, this is is a widely communicated misconception.

Each chapter is dedicated to an individual “lady killer.” Taking each woman’s story, she weaves it into a tale, making it feel like a short story. As such, the reading is fast-paced and intriguing. These women range from the 16th century, up to the 1950s, but Telfer looks at their stories from a modern perspective. Besides detailing the crime, Telfer also takes a look at various reasons why these stories have been forgotten. As you proceed through the book, many of the reasons align with society’s inability to align such horrible acts with the domestic, loving, and caring stereotype of a woman. Rather than being reported as the calculated, manipulative person that they are and the senselessness of their crimes, these women and their crimes are given less weight than their male counterparts. As such, these women may become a punchline in the newspaper or are relegated as a committer of a “crime of passion,” before being forgotten in history.

Telfer wants to ensure the reader that she does not sympathize with these women. However, by taking a look at history and media’s portrayal of women, she is able to unveil many of these misdeeds and in essence, deconstruct the stereotype that has kept these women hidden for so long. As such, I highly recommend reading this book, to gather information on a different side of history!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I had been seeing trailers for this movie everywhere, and since I am one of those “Read it before you see it” readers, I decided to give it a go.

Simon Spier is your typical teenager. He goes to school, hangs out with friends and family, and hopes to find his place in the world. However, he has one secret that he hasn’t told anyone yet: He’s gay. 

One day, on his school’s version of the Whisper app (basically a blog where people can post anonymously), someone posts that he is gay, but is not ready to tell the world- signed as Blue. Heartened at the thought of someone going through a similar situation as him, Simon starts an email correspondence with this anonymous pen-pal, and starts to fall in love with Blue. However, when someone finds out, and threatens to leak his secret, Simon must navigate his own feelings and endeavor to find his own happily ever after.

I loved this book. One thing that I truly liked was that the author, Becky Albertalli, stresses to make sure that the reader knows that, while being gay is a part of Simon’s identity, it is not the only thing that defines him. Too often in stories, characters who do not fit the hetereonormative structure are relegated as being only defined and characterized by their sexuality. While Simon’s sexuality is a very important part of the book, Albertalli takes the time to explore other facets of his identity/personality, such as his relationships with his friends and family, the music he likes, what he thinks about, etc., etc. 

I liked how Alertalli uses the email format between Simon and Blue to showcase their growing affection and love for one another. The reader sees that the emails transform from general talking about shared experiences, to growing romantic inclinations for one another. It is cute and heartwarming, as you see how they slowly get to personally know one another as a person, rather than just as a jumble of digital letters. In addition, I like how, besides being a coming of age story, there is a hint of detective work at play, as Simon tries to discover who Blue is at his school.

I also saw the movie, titled as Love, Simon. I think they did a fantastic job at adapting the original book for the screen. The movie has a few minor changes, but those are more meant to throw off people who have already read the book rather than to change the meaning/story. And, I was reading a review the other day, and they said that this is one of the first major LGBTQ+ movies that is being released as a teen movie, by a big movie studio. As of recent, LGBTQ+ movies are directed towards adults (which is fine, as those movies are awesome too!). However, it is awesome that 20th Century Fox is backing this movie, in a big way, and that it is finding success at the box office!

Overall, I highly recommend both the book and movie to anyone who wants to rediscover what first love is all about!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I managed to get my hands on an advance copy of this book (it officially comes out on March 20, 2018), and it was absolutely delightful.

The story centers around the life of Charles “Pinch” Bavinsky- the son of the larger-than-life artist Bear Bavinsky. Bear is notorious: a womanizer with multiple children from various wives, a destroyer of his own “imperfect” paintings, obsessed with artistic legacy, and strives to criticize but also take part in the art world. However, for all of his failings, Bear is loved by Pinch, who strives to be like his father, both in opinion and professionally, 

However, it is not long before Bear abandons Pinch and his mother for the next woman who has caught his eye. As Pinch grows, his adoration is a mainstay, but starts to be questioned when Bear’s faults are no longer seen through the eyes of a child, but of an adult. Having lived in his father’s shadow, Pinch tries to break out and create his own lasting legacy. 

First, because I am a very visual person, I do want to point out how much I love the cover of this book. The swirl of colour is gorgeous and it definitely caught my eye.

Second, I was surprised by this book. As the book covers Pinch’s life from birth to death (mostly) from his perspective, there is a lot of material to get through. At first, I was a bit cold to it, as it took a while to acclimate to Pinch’s perspective; when he is so adoring of his father while the reader can tell that Bear is a horrible person. However, as I progressed through the story, and you see how his childhood adoration affects him as an adult and his relationships, I began to root for Pinch and his quest of carving his own life separate from his father’s influence.

I like that, for what starts as a simple storyline, becomes much more; introducing themes like family, legacy, art/culture, language and the power to communicate, and what it means to be your own person while holding onto your roots. 

In addition, I liked how realistic the book seemed. Pinch’s development is one that is victorious, but not in an obvious way. And by exploring Pinch’s relationships with family, lovers, and friends, Rachman develops a more in-depth portrait of the man.

Overall, when the book comes out in stores next month, I highly recommend grabbing a copy of this book!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

For a bit of a change of pace, today, we’ll focus on poetry! 

I received this book as a gift, and it definitely packs a punch with words. The text is split into 3 parts, each portraying a different style of poetic writing.

For me, the main highlight of this book was part one, entitled “The Same-Different.” I think one of Park’s strengths lies in her ability to twist and shift words; showing the difference between how a word is written and how it sounds out loud. For instance, in the first poem “Bang,” it starts off with:

“Just what they said about the river:

rift and ever.”

As you can see, there is the spelling of “river.” But, it can be separated just enough that, if said slowly enough, syllable by syllable,  you get the words “rift” and “ever.” 

This is a clever way of pulling more meaning out of each individual word that is present in the poem. As such, for part one, it is highly beneficial to read the poems out loud, to get the full effect.

Part 2, called “Mutability,” reminded me of another poetry collection called Transformations by Anne Sexton. In this section, Park focuses on giving her own interpretation on folktales from around the world. While these poems display less of the word play that was prevalent in part one, they are  still enticing and create their own little worlds on the page. And, they spark interest in the folktales that inspired Park.

Lastly, the final section is entitled “Fear.” It is one long poem concerning this topic, On the surface, I interpreted it as fear that is present in human relationships. However, going deeper, it is a reflection on how much time we have, and our relationship with our past and its effect on our future. 

Being a lover of clever wordplay and deconstruction of words, I enjoyed this collection a lot and would recommend this to others!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

With a title and cover that titillates the casual observer, Herman’s book can be mistaken for a shallow study of the famous mistresses that perpetuate Europe’s royal families. However, the text delves deeper into the lives of these royal mistresses, peeling back the tabloids to discover these lovers’ motivations and the culture that supported this lifestyle.

Rather than focusing on one woman per chapter, each chapter focuses on a single theme and how several women exemplify it. Herman’s research takes her from the Medieval Ages up to modern times, including notables like Madame de Pompadour, Nell Gwynn, all the way up to Wallis Simpson and  Camilla Parker-Bowles. This structure of the text truly benefits its source material, by showing the many parallels (and the occasional deviations) that occur in the lives of multiple royal mistresses. While today’s society often views mistresses negatively, the book’s structure shows how society from “back then” mightily supported, and even expected, the presence of mistresses in the beds of royals.

Typically, mistresses are often imagined as being strongly sexual and extremely beautiful. However, while these characteristics were recommended in a lover, to be a royal mistress required much more. Herman shows that many mistresses were well-educated, artistic, great listeners, able to cater to every mental whim of her royal lover, and in certain cases, even act as political advisers. As such, Herman pulls back the stereotype of the image of the royal mistress, and shows that these women were much more complex than how they are traditionally portrayed.

Often, I am not a fan of non fiction books. However, I highly recommend this one, as Herman’s writing is brisk and playful; showcasing the general history, but also self-aware of the interesting gossip that permeates in the primary source material. In doing so, this book is educational, but also pure fun to read!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I decided to pick this up, as I recently saw the trailer of the movie adaptation that is coming out in March. Written by Joe Kelly (who you might recognize from the DC and Marvel Universes) and illustrated by  J. M. Ken Niimura, I was perturbed at the start. By the end, I was struggling not to start tearing up in the workroom.

Barbara is a bit different from everyone else. She is aggressive, has an attitude problem, and her only form of socializing involves playing D&D with her brother’s friends. Oh, and before I forget, she keeps insisting that she kills giants.  

Barbara believes that the giants’ arrival is soon, and she wants to be prepared to slay them with her ultimate weapon: a hammer called Covaleski. Around this time, she befriends her classmate Sophie, who slowly gets drawn into Barbara’s world of fantasy, and the school therapist, who wants to understand what is motivating Barbara. The lines of reality and fantasy start to become blurred, as elements of grief, growing up, and the meaning of hope are explored.

The artwork for this comic was extremely well-done. Barbara tends to be fairly tight-lipped about her emotions, but Niimura circumvents that issue by giving her bunny ears. These wearable ears become a barometer for Barbara’s behavior and emotions, as she struggles against the giants and grim reality. In addition, the reader initially sees what the general “observer” would see: Barbara acting out against “invisible” enemies. However, as the story progresses, you start to slowly see the “invisible” sprites that she conspires with, and the giants that she fears. By slowly lowering the reader into Barbara’s reality, we sympathize and become sucked into what she is calling her “truth.”

In regards to story, it is a tearjerker. At first, you might not like Barbara. But as you move along in the story, you start to empathize with her situation, and root for her to beat her demons. And in turn, there is a powerful lesson about facing our demons, and what it means to have hope. I do not want to give away too much, but I definitely recommend reading this one, before it comes out in theatres!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I have been hearing about this graphic novel for a few years now, and when I recently saw it in the library, I figured it was a sign for me to finally pick it up and read.

Coarsegold Online is a MMO (Massive Multiplayer Online Game; ie think of games like World of Warcraft) and Anda is in love with it. Playing as her avatar in this world, she is able to meet people and be a swashbuckling fighter. Quickly leveling up, she teams up with another player to start battling gold farmers: people who collect items in the game and illegally sell them for real money, in the “real world.”

At first, Anda feels justified in doing so. These gold farmers are ruining the “economics” of the game, and are giving unfair advantage to people who have money. But she one day meets a gold farmer, who in the “real world” is Raymond, a poor teenager from China who games for a company that provides poor/unfair conditions. However, he does so, in order to help his family. In these situations, where reality and virtual worlds collide, what is considered the right thing to do?

First, I absolutely loved the artwork for this graphic novel. The colors are vibrant and the character designs are memorable. The design for the gold farmers was interesting, as they reminded me of sprites. And, I liked how Anda is portrayed in “real life.” She looks like a normal teenager, and I felt that it helped to make her easy to relate to.

In regards to story, I felt it was a bit weak in places. At the beginning, the authors have written an introduction, that briefly mentions some of the story’s themes, mainly the bits concerning economics and technology. These are covered in the story, but other themes are touched upon as well, such as women in gaming, cultural clash/understanding, identity, union and workers’ rights, etc. With all of these themes, I would have liked each of them to have been expanded upon rather than being briefly covered. While this allows the story to move at a quick pace, I was left wanting more. I felt that if the story moved slower, and allowed more breadth for the other themes, I would have been more satisfied with the resolution.

Overall, while I felt the plot could have used a bit more, I was pleased with this book and its message of understanding other perspectives. And, like I said, the artwork is gorgeous and I will be following the artist’s work, from here on out!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

When the library patron goes from “Its a blue book...” to “That’s the book!”

[rafawriter]

[chadzia-deactivated20180101]

the fun part is trying to figure out what everyone in the notes’ real names are

[vaspider]

Aaadmn

um

my fantasy novel name sounds like an existential scream ending in being strangled

i’m here for it

[cersei-the-truth-bombardier]

Abeehilst

Yeah okay =)

[thebibliosphere]

…Joy.

Okay, this proves nothing. All y’all calling me a protagonist, this proves nothing.

[omskivar]

Aahrs.

Sounds like a gnoll learning how to say the word “arse”. Lovely.

[kpltumblarians]

Eeiknrst I don’t know what to make of that. 

[woodlibraryteens]

Aeikt

[schlowlibrary-deactivated202302]

Aeklyy. Yikes

[ntlibrary]

Eklly.  Phonetically the same as Aeklyy?  And then there’s the library:

Hnort Aadnnotw Bclpu Abilrry.  It’s like someone shouting underwater.

[cobblibrary-deactivated20240715]

Ahnnnos.

I have too many N’s.

[kanawhalibrary-deactivated20221]

Arsttu. Could also double as a Star Wars name.

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

Aj-nno. Leaving the hypen where it usually is in my name, I think I can come soaring in as a manga protagonist!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I will admit, the trailer for the new TNT show of this book inspired me. With the trailer’s emphasis on the macabre and gothic, I was curious to see how such elements were represented in the written word. And this book definitely delivers.

Traditionally, alienists was the term that was used for what we now call psychiatrists/psychologists. These were people who would evaluate and study people’s mental states, and would determine if a person was able to stand trial.

In this particular story, the setting is 1896, and the alienist Dr. Laszlo Kreizler. In the midst of corruption and the stratification of wealth in the city, a number of ritualistic murders are occurring. Teaming up with our narrator, the police journalist Mr. John Moore, and the Police’s 1st female employee, Ms.Sarah Howard, the three use forensic clues in a race against time to catch the killer.

Besides having an entertaining story, the reader can tell that Carr did a large amount of in-depth research concerning NYC at the turn of the century. His characters encounter real figures in history, like Jacob Riis, Pierpont Morgan, and Theodore Roosevelt (who actually figures largely in this story). Real events are often referenced, and people are traveling along real streets that are still around today. And, rather than feeling forced, these references meld into the story and become a part of the setting for this story. 

In addition, it is extremely entertaining to see how our crew takes each clue and traces it back, incorporating what would have been new forensic ideas and technology at the time. By using these new methods, the reader can see them deconstruct a crime scene to not just indicate what happened, but also the backstory of the criminal themselves.

If you want to read a book that is both entertaining and contains an interesting historical backdrop, I high recommend reading this one!

[tampabaylibraryconsortium-blog]

Because it’s cardigan weather #cardigansallday #librariancardigan — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2zRypqI

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

Because librarians are superheroes, and therefore their cardigans are capes!

[fromthelibrarycatalog]

I would be lying, if I said I did not enjoy this book. I started it at 7:30 in the morning, and did not put it down until 3AM...the next morning. 

Needless to say, as I read this book in less than 24 hours, I was very tired at work the next day.

But, the story is definitely worth it. The start of the novel is simple. 5 students, like The Breakfast Club, walk into detention: a jock, a nerd, a princess, a bad boy, and the gossiper. 

However, the book takes a quick turn when only 4 students walk out.The 5th student has died, the police start to classify it as a murder, once it is discovered that the other 4 students each had a motive for killing him.

The story is told from the perspective of the 4 students, as they try to figure out which of them had a hand in the murder of their classmate. 

McManus does a great job in handling 4 perspectives, and making them distinctive from one another. She is able to use this structure to make the story snappy and quick-paced. While I am still unsure of how exactly I feel about the ending, it will definitely surprise the reader. I definitely recommend this one.