Wednesday, December 14, 2022

lives lived

 

The next Reader’s Advisory Roundtable meeting will be on Wednesday, February 8th at 9:30am on Zoom and the topic up for discussion will be romance!

Today, RART met to talk about biographies, autobiographies, and memoirs.

In attendance:

Holley
Nicole
Maura
Holly 
Bridget

The Magnolia Story by Chip & Joanna Gaines

The Magnolia Story is the first book from dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV’s Fixer Upper. Offering their fans a detailed look at their life together, they share everything from the very first renovation project they ever tackled together to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriott

For over forty years, generations of readers have thrilled to Herriot's marvelous tales, deep love of life, and extraordinary storytelling abilities. For decades, Herriot roamed the remote, beautiful Yorkshire Dales, treating every patient that came his way from smallest to largest, and observing animals and humans alike with his keen, loving eye.

Shaken: Discovering Your True Identity in the Midst of Life’sStorms by Tim Tebow and A.J. Gregory

In this powerful book, Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow passionately shares glimpses of his journey staying grounded in the face of disappointment, criticism, and intense media scrutiny.

A Season to Remember: Faith in the Midst of the Storm by Carson Tinker and Tommy Ford

In Tuscaloosa, Alabama the world revolves around one thing: The University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide. But on April 27, 2011 everything changed. An EF4 tornado ripped through the small college town and changed it forever. Carson Tinker, the starting long snapper for the 2011 and 2012 National Champion Crimson Tide, was among those forever changed by the events of April 27.

Creativity, Inc: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand inthe Way of True Inspiration by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Creativity, Inc. is a manual for anyone who strives for originality and the first-ever, all-access trip into the nerve center of Pixar Animation—into the meetings, postmortems, and “Braintrust” sessions where some of the most successful films in history are made. It is, at heart, a book about creativity—but it is also, as Pixar co-founder and president Ed Catmull writes, “an expression of the ideas that I believe make the best in us possible.”

Holly recommends all of the books by Lysa Terkeurst.

Lysa TerKeurst is an American speaker and author of Christian non-fiction. She has written more than a dozen books, including the #1 New York Times bestsellers Uninvited: Living Loved When You Feel Less Than, Left Out, and Lonely and Forgiving What You Can't Forget. She is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries.

I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair withNature by J. Drew Lanham

"In me, there is the red of miry clay, the brown of spring floods, the gold of ripening tobacco. All of these hues are me; I am, in the deepest sense, colored.” From these fertile soils of love, land, identity, family, and race emerges The Home Place, a big-hearted, unforgettable memoir by ornithologist and professor of ecology J. Drew Lanham.

Claiming Ground by Laura Bell (also an eaudiobook on Hoopla)

In 1977, Laura Bell left her family home in Kentucky for a wild and unexpected adventure: herding sheep in Wyoming’s Big Horn Basin. The only woman in a man’s world, she nevertheless found a home among the strange community of drunks and eccentrics, as well as a shared passion for a life of solitude and hard work. By turns cattle rancher, forest ranger, outfitter, masseuse, wife and mother, Bell vividly recounts her struggle to find solid earth in a memoir that’s as breathtaking as it is singular.

Fire Season: Field Notes from a Wilderness Lookout by Philip Connors

For a decade Philip Connors has spent nearly half of each year in a 7' x 7' fire lookout tower, 10,000 feet above sea level, keeping watch over one of the most fire-prone forests in America. Fire Season is his remarkable reflection on work, untamed fire, our place in the wild, and the charms of solitude. Written with narrative verve and startling beauty, and filled with heartfelt reflections on his literary forebears who also served as "freaks on the peaks"—among them Edward Abbey, Jack Kerouac, and Norman Maclean—Fire Season is a book to stand the test of time.

Finding Me by Viola Davis (Bridget notes this book deserves a wide readership and an active book group audience. Remember to mention it to any book groups in your area looking for suggestions!)

Finding Me is a deep reflection, a promise, and a love letter of sorts to self. Viola’s hope is that her story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.

Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family by Condoleezza Rice

This is the story of Condoleezza Rice that has never been told, not that of an ultra-accomplished world leader, but of a little girl--and a young woman--trying to find her place in a sometimes hostile world, of two exceptional parents, and an extended family and community that made all the difference.

Where I Come From: Stories from the Deep South by Rick Bragg

In this irresistible collection of wide-ranging and endearingly personal columns culled from his best-loved pieces in Southern Living and Garden & Gun, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Rick Bragg muses on everything from his love of Tupperware to the decline of country music; from the legacy of Harper Lee to the metamorphosis of the pickup truck; and from the best way to kill fire ants to why any self-respecting Southern man worth his salt should carry a good knife.

The Most They Ever Had by Rick Bragg

In the spring of 2001, a community of people in the Appalachian foothills of northern Alabama had come to the edge of all they had ever known. Across the South, padlocks and logging chains bound the doors of silent mills, and it seemed a miracle to blue-collar people in Jacksonville that their mill still bit, shook, and roared. This is a mill story—not of bricks, steel, and cotton, but of the people who suffered it to live.

The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and His People by Rick Bragg

From the best-selling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of All Over but the Shoutin', the warmhearted and hilarious story of how his life was transformed by his love for a poorly behaved, half-blind stray dog.

Don’t Blow Yourself Up: The Further True Adventures andTravails of the Rocket Boy of October Sky by Homer Hickam (also available in ebook and eaudiobook on Hoopla)

From Homer Hickam, the author of the #1 bestselling RocketBoys adapted into the beloved film October Sky, comes this astonishing memoir of high adventure, war, love, NASA, and his struggle for literary success.

The Legacy of Luna: The Story of a Tree, a Woman, and theStruggle to Save the Redwoods by Julia Hill

On December 18, 1999, Julia Butterfly Hill's feet touched the ground for the first time in over two years, as she descended from "Luna," a thousand-year-old redwood in Humboldt County, California. Hill had climbed 180 feet up into the tree high on a mountain on December 10, 1997, for what she thought would be a two- to three-week-long "tree-sit." Over the course of what turned into an historic civil action, Hill endured El Nino storms, helicopter harassment, a ten-day siege by company security guards, and the tremendous sorrow brought about by an old-growth forest's destruction. This story--written while she lived on a tiny platform eighteen stories off the ground--is one that only she can tell.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells—taken without her knowledge—became one of the most important tools in medicine: The first “immortal” human cells grown in culture, which are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb’s effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.

Running on Ice: The Overcoming Faith of Vonetta Flowers by Vonetta Flowers and W. Terry Whalin

On February 18, 2002, Vonetta Flowers made Olympic history, becoming the first African-American to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Her fellow Olympians chose her to carry the U.S.A. flag in the closing ceremonies. But this historic feat took the faith of a conqueror. 

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey

The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating is a remarkable journey of survival and resilience, showing us how a small part of the natural world can illuminate our own human existence, while providing an appreciation of what it means to be fully alive. While an illness keeps her bedridden, Bailey watches a wild snail that has taken up residence on her nightstand. As a result, she discovers the solace and sense of wonder that this mysterious creature brings and comes to a greater understanding of her own place in the world.

Wednesday, October 12, 2022

spooky specials


 

The next Reader’s Advisory Roundtable meeting will be Wednesday, December 14th and I’m changing the start time from 9am to 9:30am to give folks a bit more room to settle into the day.  The topic up for discussion is biography, autobiography, and memoir.

Today, RART met to discuss all things paranormal/occult.  It was a small but mighty meeting!

In attendance:
Holley W, O’Neal Library
Holly P, Vestavia
Maura D, Trussville
Samuel R, Springville Road
Nicole, Tarrant

One meeting participant mentioned they’d joined in specifically to ask for advice on horror reader’s advisory as it is not a genre in which they are entirely comfortable. 

Holley recommends:

“When patrons approach me and ask for a scary book, my very first question is always, “well, what scares YOU?”  That question is going to be answered differently by each person.  It could be anything from true crime to Hocus Pocus and you certainly don’t want to simply offer them something you find scary or disturbing without knowing a little about the patron first.  I am no purist when it comes to horror, so I want to know what they find horrifying before proceeding.  A great follow up question to this, especially if they are uncertain about what they want, is what films they find scary or disturbing.  There is great insight to be found there in crafting reading suggestions.  Pro tip: this is a decent strategy for sci-fi/fantasy recs too.  I also the movie question frequently for teen suggestion seekers, as well as asking about their gaming preferences, though I am not nearly as conversant with those.”

 

What advice would you offer?

Personally, I (Holley W) can never settle on just one or two titles in this topic as it is one of my absolute favorites, so I have a list of authors I particularly enjoy.

These authors offer more contemporary and (often) violent tales:

Paul Tremblay

A favorite of mine: Head Full of Ghosts

The lives of the Barretts, a normal suburban New England family, are torn apart when fourteen-year-old Marjorie begins to display signs of acute schizophrenia. To her parents’ despair, the doctors are unable to stop Marjorie’s descent into madness. As their stable home devolves into a house of horrors, they reluctantly turn to a local Catholic priest for help. Father Wanderly suggests an exorcism; he believes the vulnerable teenager is the victim of demonic possession. He also contacts a production company that is eager to document the Barretts’ plight. With John, Marjorie’s father, out of work for more than a year and the medical bills looming, the family agrees to be filmed, and soon find themselves the unwitting stars of The Possession, a hit reality television show. When events in the Barrett household explode in tragedy, the show and the shocking incidents it captures become the stuff of urban legend.

Stephen Graham Jones

A favorite of mine: The Only Good Indians

From New York Times bestselling author Stephen Graham Jones comes a novel that is equal parts psychological horror and cutting social commentary on identity politics and the American Indian experience. The novel follows the lives of four American Indian men and their families, all haunted by a disturbing, deadly event that took place in their youth. Years later, they find themselves tracked by an entity bent on revenge, totally helpless as the culture and traditions they left behind catch up to them in a violent, vengeful way.

These authors offer more gothic atmospheric tales, with a bit less gratuitous violence:

Laura Purcell

A favorite of mine: The Silent Companions

When Elsie married handsome young heir Rupert Bainbridge, she believed she was destined for a life of luxury. But pregnant and widowed just weeks after their wedding, with her new servants resentful and the local villagers actively hostile, Elsie has only her late husband’s awkward cousin for company. Or so she thinks. Inside her new home lies a locked door, beyond which is a painted wooden figure—a silent companion—that bears a striking resemblance to Elsie herself. The residents of the estate are terrified of the figure, but Elsie tries to shrug this off as simple superstition—that is, until she notices the figure’s eyes following her. A Victorian ghost story that evokes a most unsettling kind of fear, The Silent Companions is a tale that creeps its way through the consciousness in ways you least expect—much like the companions themselves.

F.R. (Frank) Tallis

A favorite of mine: The Voices

In the scorching summer of 1976—the hottest since records began—Christopher Norton, his wife Laura and their young daughter Faye settle into their new home in north London. The faded glory of the Victorian house is the perfect place for Norton, a composer of film soundtracks, to build a recording studio of his own. But soon in the long, oppressively hot nights, Laura begins to hear something through the crackle of the baby monitor. First, a knocking sound. Then come the voices. For Norton, the voices mark an exciting opportunity. Putting his work to one side, he begins the project of a lifetime—a grand symphony incorporating the voices±—and becomes increasingly obsessed with one voice in particular. Someone who is determined to make themselves heard . . .

Elizabeth Hand

A favorite of mine: Wylding Hall (Hoopla eaudiobook only)

After the tragic and mysterious death of one of their founding members, the young musicians in a British acid-folk band hole up at Wylding Hall, an ancient country house with its own dark secrets. There they record the classic album that will make their reputation but at a terrifying cost, when Julian Blake, their lead singer, disappears within the mansion and is never seen again. Now, years later, each of the surviving musicians, their friends and lovers (including a psychic, a photographer, and the band s manager) meets with a young documentary filmmaker to tell his or her own version of what happened during that summer but whose story is the true one? And what really happened to Julian Blake?

Another title for this niche: Starve Acre by Andrew Michael Hurley (not in the JCLC, request via Interlibrary Loan)

The worst thing possible has happened. Richard and Juliette Willoughby's son, Ewan, has died suddenly at the age of five. Starve Acre, their house by the moors, was to be full of life, but is now a haunted place. Juliette, convinced Ewan still lives there in some form, seeks the help of the Beacons, a seemingly benevolent group of occultists. Richard, to try and keep the boy out of his mind, has turned his attention to the field opposite the house, where he patiently digs the barren dirt in search of a legendary oak tree. Starve Acre is a devastating new novel by the author of the prize-winning bestseller The Loney. It is a novel about the way in which grief splits the world in two and how, in searching for hope, we can so easily unearth horror.

A viewing recommendation:

Extraordinary Tales (Hoopla streaming video only)

Five of Edgar Allan Poe's best-known stories are brought to vivid life in this visually stunning, heart-pounding animated anthology featuring Sir Christopher Lee, Bela Lugosi, Julian Sands, Roger Corman, and Guillermo del Toro. Murderous madmen, sinister villains, and cloaked ghouls stalk the darkened corridors of Poe's imagination, as his haunting tales are given a terrifying new twist by some of the most beloved figures in horror film history.

Samuel R recommends these authors:

Simone St. James

Simone St. James is the award-winning author of The Haunting of Maddy Clare, which won two RITA awards from Romance Writers of America and an Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada. She wrote her first ghost story, about a haunted library, when she was in high school, and spent twenty years behind the scenes in the television business before leaving to write full-time. She lives in Toronto, Canada with her husband and a spoiled cat.

Thomas Tryon

Tom Tryon was an American film and television actor famous as the Walt Disney television character Texas John Slaughter (1958-1961), as well as author of several science fiction, horror, and mystery novels.

From this author, Samuel recommends:

Harvest Home

After watching his asthmatic daughter suffer in the foul city air, Theodore Constantine decides to get back to the land. When he and his wife search New England for the perfect nineteenth-century home, they find no township more charming, no countryside more idyllic than the farming village of Cornwall Coombe. Here they begin a new life: simple, pure, close to nature—and ultimately more terrifying than Manhattan’s darkest alley. When the Constantines win the friendship of the town matriarch, the mysterious Widow Fortune, they are invited to join the ancient festival of Harvest Home, a ceremony whose quaintness disguises dark intentions. Credited as the inspiration for Stephen King’s Children of the Corn, Thomas Tryon’s chilling novel was ahead of its time when first published and continues to provoke abject terror in readers.

and Holley recommends

The Other

Holland and Niles Perry are identical thirteen-year-old twins. They are close, close enough, almost, to read each other’s thoughts, but they couldn’t be more different. Holland is bold and mischievous, a bad influence, while Niles is kind and eager to please. The Perrys live in the bucolic New England town their family settled centuries ago, and as it happens, the extended clan has gathered at its ancestral farm this summer to mourn the death of the twins’ father in a most unfortunate accident. Mrs. Perry still hasn’t recovered from the shock of her husband’s gruesome end and stays sequestered in her room, leaving her sons to roam free. As the summer goes on, though, and Holland’s pranks become increasingly sinister, Niles finds he can no longer make excuses for his brother’s actions. Thomas Tryon’s best-selling novel about a homegrown monster is an eerie examination of the darkness that dwells within everyone.

Grady Hendrix

New York Times bestselling author Grady Hendrix makes up lies and sells them to people. His novels include HORRORSTÖR about a haunted IKEA, MY BEST FRIEND'S EXORCISM, which is basically "Beaches" meets "The Exorcist", WE SOLD OUR SOULS, a heavy metal horror epic, THE SOUTHERN BOOK CLUB'S GUIDE TO SLAYING VAMPIRES, and THE FINAL GIRL SUPPORT GROUP, coming on July 13, 2021. He's also the author of PAPERBACKS FROM HELL, an award-winning history of the horror paperback boom of the Seventies and Eighties. He wrote the screenplay for, MOHAWK, a horror flick about the War of 1812, and SATANIC PANIC about a pizza delivery woman fighting rich Satanists.

Holly P recommends:

Edgar Allan Poe

Edgar Allan Poe was one of the most original writers in the history of American letters, a genius who was tragically misunderstood in his lifetime. He was a seminal figure in the development of science fiction and the detective story, and exerted a great influence on Dostoyevsky, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jules Verne, and Charles Baudelaire, who championed him long before Poe was appreciated in his own country. Baudelaire's enthusiasm brought Poe a wide audience in Europe, and his writing came to have enormous importance for modern French literature.

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin

For Joanna, her husband, Walter, and their children, the move to beautiful Stepford seems almost too good to be true. It is. For behind the town's idyllic facade lies a terrible secret -- a secret so shattering that no one who encounters it will ever be the same. At once a masterpiece of psychological suspense and a savage commentary on a media-driven society that values the pursuit of youth and beauty at all costs, The Stepford Wives is a novel so frightening in its final implications that the title itself has earned a place in the American lexicon.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

By 2021, the World War has killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remain covet any living creature, and for people who can’t afford one, companies built incredibly realistic simulacra: horses, birds, cats, sheep. They’ve even built humans. Immigrants to Mars receive androids so sophisticated they are indistinguishable from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans can wreak, the government bans them from Earth. Driven into hiding, unauthorized androids live among human beings, undetected. Rick Deckard, an officially sanctioned bounty hunter, is commissioned to find rogue androids and “retire” them. But when cornered, androids fight back—with lethal force.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

Robert Kirkman's Eisner Award-winning continuing story of survival horror- from Rick Grimes' waking up alone in a hospital, to him and his family seeking solace on Hershel's farm, and the controversial introduction of Woodbury despot: The Governor. In a world ruled by the dead, we are finally forced to finally start living.

I am Legend by Richard Matheson

Robert Neville is the last living man on Earth...but he is not alone. Every other man, woman, and child on Earth has become a vampire, and they are all hungry for Neville's blood. By day, he is the hunter, stalking the sleeping undead through the abandoned ruins of civilization. By night, he barricades himself in his home and prays for dawn. How long can one man survive in a world of vampires?

If you are looking for suspenseful thrillers but not horror, Holly P also recommends the inspirational fiction authors Dani Pettrey and Dee Henderson.

Dani Pettrey is wife, homeschooling mom and author. She feels so very blessed to write inspirational romantic suspense because it incorporates so many things She loves--the thrill of adventure, nail-biting suspense, the deepening of one's faith and plenty of romance. She is a huge fan of dark chocolate, and is always in search of the best iced mocha, and would love to one day own a little cottage on a remote stretch of beach. She lives in Maryland with her husband and their two teenage daughters.

Dee Henderson is the author of many best-selling novels, including the acclaimed O'Malley series and the Uncommon Heroes series. As a leader in the inspirational romantic suspense category, her books have won or been nominated for several prestigious industry awards, including the RWA's RITA Award, the Christy Award, the ECPA Gold Medallion, the Holt Medallion, the National Readers' Choice Award, and the Golden Quill. Dee is a lifelong resident of Illinois and is active online.

Some unusual Christian fiction recommendations from Holley that could fit under the horror umbrella:

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic." For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.

Madman by Tracy Groot

If there is a way into madness, logic says there is a way out. Logic says. Tallis, a philosopher’s servant, is sent to a Greek academy in Palestine only to discover that it has silently, ominously, disappeared. No one will tell him what happened, but he learns what has become of four of its scholars. One was murdered. One committed suicide. One worships in the temple of Dionysus. And one . . . one is a madman. From Christy Award–winning author Tracy Groot comes a tale of mystery, horror, and hope in the midst of unimaginable darkness: the story behind the Gerasene demoniac of the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

Maura D enjoys horror comedy and recently investigated a readalike list for the show, What We Do in the Shadows. 

Christopher Moore’s Love Story trilogy definitely applies:

Blood Sucking Fiends

Jody never asked to become a vampire. But when she wakes up under an alley Dumpster with a badly burned arm, an aching back, superhuman strength, and a distinctly Nosferatuan thirst, she realizes the decision has been made for her. Making the transition from the nine-to-five grind to an eternity of nocturnal prowlings is going to take some doing, however, and that's where C. Thomas Flood fits in. A would-be Kerouac from Incontinence, Indiana, Tommy (to his friends) is biding his time night-clerking and frozen-turkey bowling in a San Francisco Safeway. But all that changes when a beautiful undead redhead walks through the door...and proceeds to rock Tommy's life—and afterlife—in ways he never thought possible.

You Suck

Being undead sucks. Literally. Just ask C. Thomas Flood. Waking up after a fantastic night unlike anything he's ever experienced, he discovers that his girlfriend, Jody, is a vampire. And surprise! Now he's one, too. For some couples, the whole biting-and-blood thing would have been a deal breaker. But Tommy and Jody are in love, and they vow to work through their issues. But word has it that the vampire who initially nibbled on Jody wasn't supposed to be recruiting. Even worse, Tommy's erstwhile turkey-bowling pals are out to get him, at the urging of a blue-dyed Las Vegas call girl named (duh) Blue. And that really sucks.

Bite Me

Moore’s latest in the continuing story of young, urban, nosferatu style love, is no Twilight—but rather a tsunami of the irresistible outrageousness that has earned him the appellation, “Stephen King with a whoopee cushion and a double-espresso imagination” from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and inspired Denver’s Rocky Mountain News to declare him, “the 21st century’s best satirist.”

To those, I would add barely tangentially-related:

Reluctant Immortals by Gwendolyn Kiste

Reluctant Immortals is a historical horror novel that looks at two men of classic literature, Dracula and Mr. Rochester, and the two women who survived them, Bertha and Lucy, who are now undead immortals residing in Los Angeles in 1967 when Dracula and Rochester make a shocking return in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. Combining elements of historical and gothic fiction with a modern perspective, in a tale of love and betrayal and coercion, Reluctant Immortals is the lyrical and harrowing journey of two women from classic literature as they bravely claim their own destiny in a man's world.

Nicole recommends:

Slewfoot by Brom

Connecticut, 1666. An ancient spirit awakens in a dark wood. The wildfolk call him Father, slayer, protector. The colonists call him Slewfoot, demon, devil. To Abitha, a recently widowed outcast, alone and vulnerable in her pious village, he is the only one she can turn to for help. Together, they ignite a battle between pagan and Puritan – one that threatens to destroy the entire village, leaving nothing but ashes and bloodshed in their wake.

Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw

Cassandra Khaw's Nothing But Blackened Teeth is a gorgeously creepy haunted house tale, steeped in Japanese folklore and full of devastating twists. A Heian-era mansion stands abandoned, its foundations resting on the bones of a bride and its walls packed with the remains of the girls sacrificed to keep her company. It’s the perfect venue for a group of thrill-seeking friends, brought back together to celebrate a wedding. A night of food, drinks, and games quickly spirals into a nightmare as secrets get dragged out and relationships are tested. But the house has secrets too. Lurking in the shadows is the ghost bride with a black smile and a hungry heart. And she gets lonely down there in the dirt. Effortlessly turning the classic haunted house story on its head, Nothing but Blackened Teeth is a sharp and devastating exploration of grief, the parasitic nature of relationships, and the consequences of our actions.

These reminded Holley of:

In the House in the Dark of the Wood by Laird Hunt

"Once upon a time there was and there wasn't a woman who went to the woods." In this horror story set in colonial New England, a law-abiding Puritan woman goes missing. Or perhaps she has fled or abandoned her family. Or perhaps she's been kidnapped, and set loose to wander in the dense woods of the north. Alone and possibly lost, she meets another woman in the forest. Then everything changes. On a journey that will take her through dark woods full of almost-human wolves, through a deep well wet with the screams of men, and on a living ship made of human bones, our heroine may find that the evil she flees has been inside her all along.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh

There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives a perfectly unremarkable existence with his cottage, his cat, and his dryads. When Greenhollow Hall acquires a handsome, intensely curious new owner in Henry Silver, everything changes. Old secrets better left buried are dug up, and Tobias is forced to reckon with his troubled past―both the green magic of the woods, and the dark things that rest in its heart.

Most all of the libraries represented have Halloween/spooky/suspenseful displays of books and movies up. In particular, O’Neal has dark thrillers, horror short stories (Holley’s TBR from that display is The Ghost Stories of Edith Wharton), ghostly stories from the 133 section of nonfiction, and the PBS documentary series, Secrets of the Dead. 

Some last minute additions via email!

Riana recommends:

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo is one of my favorites. It's her first adult book, she usually does YA and it is much darker than her usual writing, getting into the occult. 
The Hacienda by Isabel Canas just came out this year and it's fantastic! It's a gothic adult novel set in Mexico around the time of the revolution and get's into ghosts and witches in an old family mansion. 
The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo is another of my favorites and even has a great Netflix adaptation! It is partially set in the Chinese afterlife and deals with ghosts and Chinese mythology. It's an adult fiction.
Mongrels by Stephen Graham-Jones is a great adult fiction werewolf book and I love a good werewolf story! This one is a little different than your traditional werewolf fantasy tale, it is more of a realistic view of what a Southern family of Werewolves might be like. It is darkly humorous and had me laughing quite a lot but also feeling a whole range of other emotions. 
Squad is a Young Adult Graphic Novel by Maggie Tokuda-Hall and is another one about werewolves. This time, the werewolves are an all female pack and it gives big mean girls vibes while also being very feminist. The artwork as well as the story is just so good. 
Lobizona by Romina Garber is yet another Young Adult werewolf book I'd recommend. It's another interesting take on the werewolf story, not going in the horror direction, but more fantasy. The main character's family is from Argentina and is currently living undocumented in the U.S. so between that and her becoming a werewolf, there is a lot about belonging. 
House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland is another Young Adult novel that goes in a darker direction and has very spooky vibes great for this time of year. It deals with sisters that after going missing and then turning back up, have a strangeness that seems to have stuck to them. 

 Rebecca recommends:

Cackle by Rachel Harrison for a great lite-spooky book.

Mark recommends:

Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife by Mary Roach is a classic!


Saturday, September 17, 2022

JCLC Bookgroups

Good morning!  I like to keep a list of county book groups current for staff as well as customers who may be looking for a book group in their community.  This list is current as of September 2022.

Bookgroups in the public libraries of Jefferson County:

BESSEMER

Page Turners Book Club meets at the library on 3rd Tuesdays at 11am. Deidre P. Sims (205-428-7882 or bessemerlibrary@gmail.com) www.bessemerlibrary.org/adultservices

BOTANICAL GARDENS

Thyme to Read explores gardening, nature, food, the environment, horticulture, botany, plants, and pretty much anything that is outside.  They meet 1st Tuesdays each month at 4:30pm. For more information, contact Hope Long at hlong@bbgardens.org or 205-588-4593) https://bbgardens.org/programs/thyme-to-read-book-club/

CENTER POINT

As the Page Turns meets via Zoom the last Tuesday of each month at 7pm, discussing both fiction and nonfiction. Cara Wilhelm (cara.wilhelm@centerpointlibrary.org)

GARDENDALE

The Gardendale Book Club meets 2nd Mondays each month at 6pm.  Contact Irma LaBorde for more information at Irma.laborde@gardendalelibrary.org or 205-631-6639.

HOMEWOOD

Better Than Therapy Book Club meets the last Wednesday of each month at 2pm in-person in the Library Boardroom (or on Zoom). Leslie West (205-332-6620 or leslie.west@homewoodpubliclibrary.org
 https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs

The Educator Book Club meets one Monday a month at 4pm at the library and/or on Zoom to discuss a different juvenile or YA title. Contact Joi Mahand for more information (205-332-6636 or joi.mahand@homewoodpubliclibrary.org) Visit https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs to register.

Not Your Mama’s Book Club meets 1st Tuesdays at 2pm at the library and/or on Zoom.  Leslie West (205-332-6620 or leslie.west@homewoodpubliclibrary.org  https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs

Oxmoor Page Turners meets 2nd Tuesdays at 6:30pm in the library’s Boardroom. Contact the library for more information at info@homewoodpubliclibrary.org.

Read It & Eat Book Club meets at Homewood Urban Cookhouse (1920 29th Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35209) on 1st Wednesdays each month at 6:30pm. Food is not provided, but participants are encouraged to purchase food/beverages to enjoy during the meeting. Contact Ellie Hagar, (205)332-6625 or ellie.hagar@homewoodpubliclibrary.org. https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs

Senior Center Book Club meets one Thursday a month at the library or at Homewood Senior Center. Leslie West (205-332-6620 or leslie.west@homewoodpubliclibrary.org  https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs

Social Justice Book & Film Club meets 2nd Tuesdays each month at 6:30pm via Zoom. To sign up for meeting information, email Leslie West at Leslie.west@homewoodpubliclibrary.org.  https://www.homewoodpubliclibrary.org/book-clubs

HOOVER

Beyond Words Fiction Book Club meets 1st Thursdays and is hybrid. Patrons vote for 12 selections each year. Shannon Haddock, shannon.haddock@hooverlibrary.org   (205) 444-7820. https://www.hooverlibrary.org/book-groups/first-thursday

Insatiable Readers explores nonfiction titles based on a different theme each month with no reading required before the meeting.  They meet one Saturday each month at 10:30am.  Pam Bainter (205-444-7840 or pam.bainter@hooverlibrary.org )

NovelTea meets one Sunday afternoon each month at 3pm. Tea and cookies provided and there are frequent author interviews. Amy Harrell (amy.harrell@hooverlibrary.org ) or Lea Davis (lea.davis@hooverlibrary.org )

True Crime Book Club engages armchair detectives and those fascinated by cold cases.  They meet the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in the Allen Board Room.  Meetings are currently hybrid (in-person and Zoom). Carrie Steinmehl (carrie.steinmehl@hooverlibrary.org )

True Stories Nonfiction Book Club meets one Thursday afternoon each month at 2pm. Pam Bainter, pam.bainter@hooverlibrary.org (205) 444-7840. https://www.hooverlibrary.org/book-groups/nonfiction/day

Hoover library is also starting another book club in March 2023 to held monthly at the East 59 Café at Lee Branch. More information to come.

HUEYTOWN

Hueytown Public Library Book Club meets at 2pm on the last Thursday of each month, January through October, and the 3rd Thursday of November.  December's meeting is a holiday luncheon. Sue Hodges (sue.hodges@hueytownlibrary.org )

IRONDALE

IPL Book Club meets 2nd Mondays at 2pm January to October. Newcomers always welcome. Book selections are voted on by regular attendees. Contact Del Wilson at 205-951-1415 or librarian@irondalelibrary.org.

NORTH BIRMINGHAM

Fully Booked Book Club meets 2nd Tuesdays at 2:30pm in the library auditorium. Come join us for interesting book discussions and snacks! Contact Samantha Gaston for more information at 205-226-4027 or Samantha.gaston@cobpl.org.

O'NEAL (MOUNTAIN BROOK)

Bookies Book Club meets 2nd Tuesdays at 10am in the Conference Room. Contact Katie Moellering (205-445-1118 or kmoellering@oneallibrary.org) for more info. https://oneallibrary.org/adults---book-clubs

Books & Beyond allows members to read, listen to, or watch the media of their choice within a given topic and then discuss their selections with other participants. They meet the last Tuesday of each month at 6:30pm in the Conference Room.  Meetings are hybrid (in-person and Zoom).  Holley Wesley (205-445-1117 or hwesley@oneallibrary.org ) https://oneallibrary.org/adults---book-clubs

Great Short Stories meets 2nd Mondays at 6:30pm in the Conference Room.  Meetings are hybrid (in-person and Zoom).  Holley Wesley (205-445-1117 or hwesley@oneallibrary.org ) https://oneallibrary.org/adults---book-clubs

PLEASANT GROVE

The Pleasant Grove PL Book Club meets 3rd Wednesdays at 10am in the library. Refreshments provided.  Our saying is “What happens in book club stays in book club.” Contact Annette Holsomback (205-744-1731/Annette.holsomback@jclc.org) or Jennie Patterson (205-744-1742/jennie.patterson@jclc.org) for more information.

SMITHFIELD

Smithfield Book Club meets 2nd Tuesdays at 2:30pm. For more information, contact the library at (205)324-8428.

SPRINGVILLE ROAD

Beyond Your Ordinary Book Club (BYOB) allows members to read, listen to, or watch the media of their choice within a given topic and then discuss their selections with other participants.  They meet 3rd Tuesdays at 2pm.  Meetings are currently hybrid (in-person and Zoom). Samuel Rumore (205-226-4083 or samuel.rumore@cobpl.org )

Fiction Book Club meets 2nd Tuesdays at 2pm.  Meetings are currently hybrid (in-person and Zoom). Laura Gentry (205-226-4083 or laura.gentry@cobpl.org )

TITUSVILLE

The Adult Book Club meets on 2nd Wednesdays at 11am and discusses both fiction and nonfiction.  For more details, contact the library at 205-322-1140.

TRUSSVILLE

The Adult Book Club meets on the third Wednesday of each month at 2PM in the library. We will read a variety of selections, both fiction and nonfiction. For more details, contact the Adult Dept (205-655-2022 or tr.adult@jclc.org ) or visit our website https://www.trussvillelibrary.com/adult-2/

Books & Brews is an evening adult book club from the Trussville Public Library! Share your thoughts about this month's book while enjoying delicious food and drinks at Ferus Artisan Ales in Trussville. We will meet each month on the second Monday of the month at 7:15 PM in the event room at Ferus. For more details, contact the Adult Dept (205-655-2022 or tr.adult@jclc.org ) or visit our website https://www.trussvillelibrary.com/adult-2/

VESTAVIA LIBRARY IN THE FOREST

Read & Feed meets on 1st Thursdays after hours at 6pm in the library for lively discussions of both fiction and nonfiction. Refreshments provided. Terri Leslie (205-978-4678 or terri.leslie@vestavialibrary.org )

WYLAM

Wylam Book Club meets 3rd Wednesdays each month at 11am to discuss novels. Selina Johnson (205-785-0349 or selina.johnson@cobpl.org )


Wednesday, August 10, 2022

banned and challenged books

 

Today RART reelected Holley W as moderator for the 2022-2023 year and selected topics for the 2023 meeting dates.  A date for resuming meetings at other library locations is TBD. 

February 8, 2023 – Romance

April 12 – Afrofuturism

June 14 – Graphic novels/manga

August 9 – Disability Representation

October 11 – Emerging/Debut Authors

December 13 – Gender Representation

Please keep great audiobook versions in mind to mention during all discussions.

______________________

At today’s Zoom meeting, participants shared Banned Book Week display ideas and favorite banned/challenged titles.

11 people in attendance:

Holley W, O’Neal
Joi M, Homewood
Kelly C, Homewood
Erika W, BPL Powderly
Teddy R, Central
Shannon H, Hoover
Bridget T, Homewood
Michelle H, Irondale
Holly, Vestavia
Shawn C, Pinson
Riana M, Pinson

-staff photos holding their favorite title

-bookmarks with reason for ban/challenge

-barebones display, just signage noting it is for banned/challenged books

-involve patrons: bookmarks with a reason for the ban/challenge and room for patrons to make comments.  They drop them in a comment box and can be displayed on or near the books

-match the book to the ban/challenge reason, turn in ballot for a prize drawing

-a “versus” jar (book vs book, ban/challenge reason vs reason, etc)

________________

Seeing highly regarded classics on the list is often shocking for some readers. For more information on book bans/challenges, visit the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom https://www.ala.org/advocacy/bbooks/frequentlychallengedbooks

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (sexual material and homosexual themes)

The Holy Bible (religious viewpoints)

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (use of racial slurs)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (racist language and the plot centers on an allegation of rape)

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling (glorifying witchcraft, promoting the occult, tones of death, hate, lack of respect and sheer evil, leading children to hatred and rebellion, confusing children)

Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R. Tolkien (originally banned in various US states because it was considered Satanic) 

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (challenged for dark imagery, violence, Holocaust)

The Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis (challenged for religious veiwpoints)

_________________

Individual titles we discussed today that have been banned and/or challenged:

Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park

Barbara Park’s #1 New York Times bestselling chapter book series, Junie B. Jones, has been keeping kids laughing—and reading—for more than twenty-five years. Meet the World’s Funniest Kindergartner—Junie B. Jones! Remember when it was scary to go to school? In the first Junie B. Jones book, it’s Junie B.’s first day and she doesn’t know anything. She’s so scared of the school bus and the meanies on it that when it’s time to go home, she doesn’t.

Melissa by Alex Gino

When people look at Melissa, they think they see a boy named George. But she knows she's not a boy. She knows she's a girl. Melissa thinks she'll have to keep this a secret forever. Then her teacher announces that their class play is going to be Charlotte's Web. Melissa really, really, REALLY wants to play Charlotte. But the teacher says she can't even try out for the part... because she's a boy. With the help of her best friend, Kelly, Melissa comes up with a plan. Not just so she can be Charlotte -- but so everyone can know who she is, once and for all.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young wizard, Harry Potter, and his friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry020100000465

And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson, Peter Parnell, and Henry Cole

At the penguin house at the Central Park Zoo, two penguins named Roy and Silo were a little bit different from the others. But their desire for a family was the same. And with the help of a kindly zookeeper, Roy and Silo got the chance to welcome a baby penguin of their very own.

A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo by Jill Twiss, Marlon Bundo, and EG Keller

HBO's Emmy winning Last Week Tonight with John Oliver presents a children's picture book about a Very Special boy bunny who falls in love with another boy bunny. Meet Marlon Bundo, a lonely bunny who lives with his Grampa, Mike Pence the Vice President of the United States. But on this Very Special Day, Marlon's life is about to change forever...With its message of tolerance and advocacy, this charming bunny book for kids explores issues of same sex marriage and democracy. Sweet, funny, and beautifully illustrated, this better Bundo book is dedicated to every bunny who has ever felt different.

All versions of Stamped:

Chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power over the course of American history for adults, teens, and kids.

Stamped From the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi
Stamped (For Kids): Racism, Antiracism, and You by Sonja Cherry-Pau, Jason Reynolds, et al.

The Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey

Fourth graders George Beard and Harold Hutchins are a couple of class clowns. The only thing they enjoy more than playing practical jokes is creating their own comic books. And together they've created the greatest superhero in the history of their elementary school: Captain Underpants! His true identity is SO secret, even HE doesn't know who he is!

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline. Some are calling him a thug, maybe even a drug dealer and a gangbanger. Protesters are taking to the streets in Khalil’s name. Some cops and the local drug lord try to intimidate Starr and her family. What everyone wants to know is: what really went down that night? And the only person alive who can answer that is Starr. But what Starr does—or does not—say could upend her community. It could also endanger her life.

All Boys Aren’t Blue: A Memoir-Manifesto by George M. Johnson

In a series of personal essays, prominent journalist and LGBTQIA+ activist George M. Johnson explores his childhood, adolescence, and college years in New Jersey and Virginia. From the memories of getting his teeth kicked out by bullies at age five, to flea marketing with his loving grandmother, to his first sexual relationships, this young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, All Boys Aren't Blue covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. Johnson's emotionally frank style of writing will appeal directly to young adults.

Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman

A brutally moving work of art—widely hailed as the greatest graphic novel ever written—Maus recounts the chilling experiences of the author’s father during the Holocaust, with Jews drawn as wide-eyed mice and Nazis as menacing cats. Maus is a haunting tale within a tale, weaving the author’s account of his tortured relationship with his aging father into an astonishing retelling of one of history's most unspeakable tragedies. It is an unforgettable story of survival and a disarming look at the legacy of trauma.

This Book is Gay by Juno Dawson with contributions by  David Levithan

This candid, funny, and uncensored exploration of sexuality and what it's like to grow up LGBTQ also includes real stories from people across the gender and sexual spectrums, not to mention hilarious illustrations.

Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe

In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Then e created Gender Queer. Maia’s intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fan fiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: It is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.

Go With the Flow by Karen Schneemann and Lily Williams

Sophomores Abby, Brit, Christine, and Sasha are fed up. Hazelton High never has enough tampons. Or pads. Or adults who will listen. Sick of an administration that puts football before female health, the girls confront a world that shrugs―or worse, squirms―at the thought of a menstruation revolution. They band together to make a change. It’s no easy task, especially while grappling with everything from crushes to trig to JV track but they have each other’s backs. That is, until one of the girls goes rogue, testing the limits of their friendship and pushing the friends to question the power of their own voices. Now they must learn to work together to raise each other up. But how to you stand your ground while raising bloody hell?

Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin

Riley Cavanaugh is many things: Punk rock. Snarky. Rebellious. And gender fluid. Some days Riley identifies as a boy, and others as a girl. But Riley isn't exactly out yet. And between starting a new school and having a congressman father running for reelection in über-conservative Orange County, the pressure—media and otherwise—is building up in Riley's life.

On the advice of a therapist, Riley starts an anonymous blog to vent those pent-up feelings and tell the truth of what it's really like to be a gender fluid teenager. But just as Riley's starting to settle in at school—even developing feelings for a mysterious outcast—the blog goes viral, and an unnamed commenter discovers Riley's real identity, threatening exposure. And Riley must make a choice: walk away from what the blog has created—a lifeline, new friends, a cause to believe in—or stand up, come out, and risk everything. From debut author Jeff Garvin comes a powerful and uplifting portrait of a modern teen struggling with high school, relationships, and what it means to be human.

 

Friday, June 10, 2022

social justice topics

Reader’s Advisory Roundtable

6/8/2022

10 people in attendance:

Holley W, O’Neal
Pam J, Southside
Maura D, Trussville
Alisha J, BPL
Michelle, Irondale
Tisha, Leeds
Nicole, Tarrant
Reba W
Bridget T
S Lewis

The next meeting will be on Wednesday, August 10th at 9am.  It will be hybrid so you can come to O’Neal Library or join in via Zoom.

We were trying to come up with books that discuss civil discourse and non-contentious approaches to leading/moderating discussions.  Here are a few:

Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work by Peter Bregman

Why Are We Yelling?: The Art of Productive Disagreement by Buster Benson

Let’s Talk About Hard Things by Anna Sale

How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide by Peter Boghossian

Mingling with the Enemy: A Social Survival Guide for Our Politically Divided Era by Jeanne Martinet

Talking Across the Divide: How to Communicate with People You Disagree With and Maybe Even Change the World by Justin Lee

We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter by Celeste Anne Headlee

Compassionate Conversations: How to Speak and Listen From the Heart by Diane Mucho Hamilton

How to Have That Difficult Conversation: Gaining the Skills for Honest and Meaningful Communication by Henry Cloud

Beyond Your Bubble: How to Connect Across the Political Divide, Skills and Strategies for Conversations That Work by Tania Israel

I Think You’re Wrong (But I’m Listening): A Guide to Grace-Filled Political Conversations by Sarah Stewart Holland

It’s Time to Talk (and Listen): How to Have Constructive Conversations about Race, Class, Sexuality, Ability and Gender in a Polarized World by Anatasia Kim

The topic of our meeting was material on social justice issues.  Before discussing titles, we talked briefly about environmental activism, challenges and questions about LGBTQ+ displays during Pride month, and First Amendment audits in libraries.

Inventing Human Rights: A History by Lynn Hunt

How were human rights invented, and how does their tumultuous history influence their perception and our ability to protect them today? From Professor Lynn Hunt comes this extraordinary cultural and intellectual history, which traces the roots of human rights to the rejection of torture as a means for finding the truth. She demonstrates how ideas of human relationships portrayed in novels and art helped spread these new ideals and how human rights continue to be contested today.

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents by Isabel Wilkerson

The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling author of The Warmth of Other Suns examines the unspoken caste system that has shaped America and shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions.

Shaking the Gates of Hell: A Search for Family and Truth in the Wake of the Civil Rights Revolution by John Archibald

On growing up in the American South of the 1960s—an all-American white boy—son of a long line of Methodist preachers, in the midst of the civil rights revolution, and discovering the culpability of silence within the church. By the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and columnist for The Birmingham News.

Allies: Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again by Shakirah Bourne et al.

This book is for everyone. Because we can all be allies. As an ally, you use your power—no matter how big or small—to support others. You learn, and try, and mess up, and try harder. In this collection of true stories, 17 critically acclaimed and bestselling YA authors get real about being an ally, needing an ally, and showing up for friends and strangers. 

In the Shadow of Statues: A White Southerner Confronts History by Mitch Landrieu

The New Orleans mayor who removed the Confederate statues confronts the racism that shapes us and argues for white America to reckon with its past. A passionate, personal, urgent book from the man who sparked a national debate.

The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man’s Love Affair with Nature by J. Drew Lanham

By turns angry, funny, elegiac, and heartbreaking, The Home Place is a remarkable meditation on nature and belonging, at once a deeply moving memoir and riveting exploration of the contradictions of black identity in the rural South—and in America today.

The Experiment: Stories from an Unfinished Country podcast from The Atlantic Monthlly and WNYC Studios

It's easy to forget that the United States started as an experiment: a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, with liberty and justice for all. That was the idea. On this weekly show, we check in on how that experiment is going.

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Today in the United States, there are more than five hundred federally recognized Indigenous nations comprising nearly three million people, descendants of the fifteen million Native people who once inhabited this land. The centuries-long genocidal program of the US settler-colonial regimen has largely been omitted from history. Now, for the first time, acclaimed historian and activist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz offers a history of the United States told from the perspective of Indigenous peoples and reveals how Native Americans, for centuries, actively resisted expansion of the US empire.

American Indians in Children’s Literature

Established in 2006 by Dr. Debbie Reese of Nambé Pueblo, American Indians in Children's Literature (AICL) provides critical analysis of Indigenous peoples in children's and young adult books. Dr. Jean Mendoza joined AICL as a co-editor in 2016.

Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy (publishing August 2, 2022)

An inclusive and landmark history, emphasizing how essential Asian American experiences are to any understanding of US history. Despite significant Asian American breakthroughs in American politics, arts, and popular culture in the 21st century, a profound lack of understanding of Asian American history permeates American culture. Choy traces how anti-Asian violence and its intersection with misogyny and other forms of hatred, the erasure of Asian American experiences and contributions, and Asian American resistance to what has been omitted are prominent themes in Asian American history. This ambitious book is fundamental to understanding the American experience and its existential crises of the early 21st century.



Saturday, April 23, 2022

reading social change

 

The next Reader's Advisory Roundtable meeting will be on Wednesday June 8, 2022 at 9am and the topic up for discussion is social justice.  This is not meant to represent itself as a comprehensive list of resources, but rather a jumping off spot for your own research. There will be overlap among these lists and lists of lists.  I look forward to seeing you on June 8th and learning more!

 

Community, Connecting, Cultivating, and Constructing Conversations Through Literacy, a collaborative effort between the Black Caucus of the American Library Association and ALA’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC)

Inclusive booklists that ensure underrepresented voices are heard, compiled by ALA

Unity and Justice booklists from ALSC

Recommended books from ALSC

Reading about Race: Free YA Book Club Resources Created by Librarians & Literature Scholars from ALA

Social Justice and Comics reading lists from ALA’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table

20 social justice books for young adults and middle grades from BookRiot

Commonsense Media: books about racism and social justice

ERIC social justice book lists

National Book Foundation Literature for Justice book lists

New Orleans Museum of Art Themes of Social Justice reading list

University of Georgia School of Law Alexander Campbell King Law Library social justice resource guide