Author: Elena

Romance Awareness Month

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August is Romance Awareness Month! Set 6 months after Valentine’s Day, Romance Awareness Month is a reminder to invest in your relationships year-round. Check out these recent self-help books on relationships, communication, and romance, available at Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Who Deserves Your Love by KC Davis
This bold approach to relationships from celebrated therapist KC Davis will help you determine which relationships are right for you-and which are not-and what to do about them. Is love conditional? What do you do about a relationship where someone’s best efforts are hurting you? When should you step away? KC Davis, the renowned therapist who specializes in difficult relationships, asks and answers these questions. Just as she helps you design a functional home in How to Keep House While Drowning, here she applies the same bold but gentle approach to relationships so that they function, too. She helps you navigate decisions in every type of relationship, whether romantic or platonic. Recognizing that it isn’t always realistic to cut loose the people who rattle you, she explores how to protect yourself in those situations. Who Deserves Your Love is a gentle approach to hard relationships and is written in short bursts of text with visual tools such as lists and diagrams. The writing style is suited for those with ADHD, depression, or anyone who appreciates expertise without being overwhelmed by lengthy descriptions.

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More by Jefferson Fisher
From communication expert Jefferson Fisher, the definitive book on making your next conversation the one that changes everything. No matter who you’re talking to, The Next Conversation gives you immediately actionable strategies and phrases that will forever change how you communicate. Jefferson Fisher, trial lawyer and one of the leading voices on real-world communication, offers a tried-and-true framework that will show you how to transform your life and your relationships by improving your next conversation.

The Love Habit: Daily Self-Care Practices for a Happier Life and Healthier Relationships by Rainie Howard
There’s a secret that most people don’t know: Our self-image defines our relationship experiences with others. In The Love Habit, author and relationship expert Rainie Howard explores the profound connection between self-image and daily habits–emotional, mental, and physical–and how these actions shape our relationships with others. Whether you’re seeking to enhance communication with loved ones, establish boundaries, or foster greater self-love and acceptance, The Love Habit is a persistent commitment to prioritizing yourself in mind, body, and spirit by aligning yourself with appreciation, peace, and joy above all else.

How to Love Better by Yung Pueblo
“Personal transformation, that is grounded in self-love and has greater inner peace as the goal, will naturally teach you how to love better. Seeing yourself clearly opens the door to compassion for yourself and other people.” Love enters our lives in many forms: friends, family, intimate partners. But all of these relationships are defined by the love we have for ourselves. If we see our relationships as opportunities to be fully present in our healing and learn to love each other better, yung pueblo assures us that we can transform and meet each other with compassion instead of judgment. In How to Love Better, yung pueblo examines all aspects of a relationship, from the rose-colored first days when you may be hesitant to show your full self, to the challenges that can arise without clear communication, to dealing with heartbreak and healing as you close a chapter of your life. The power of looking inward remains at the core of all his teachings. Ego and attachment can become barriers in a relationship, so the more self-aware you become, the more you can support your partner and yourself. yung pueblo’s understandings on embracing change, building a foundation of honesty, and learning to listen selflessly will resonate regardless of where you are in your healing journey. And his unique combination of poetry, personal experience, and thoughtful advice will help you grow and strengthen all your relationships.

How to be Dateable by Julie Krafchick and Yue Xu
Does dating feel like an endless maze with no way out? Find your person with this actionable, compassionate guide that will help you break free from the traps of modern dating and change your approach to love. As creators and hosts of the hit dating podcast Dateable, Julie Krafchick and Yue Xu have made breaking down the nuances of the ever-evolving dating world and empowering the people within it their purpose and passion. Drawing on a decade’s worth of research from speaking to thousands of daters and world-renowned experts, Julie and Yue have learned what it takes to find love in today’s dating world. In How to be Dateable, they’ll show you how to take control of your love life and focus on the levers that actually get you results.

During the month of August, look for the “Romance Awareness” displays at all three branches for more recommendations.

CLAMP

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As a classic manga enthusiast, one of my all-time favorite authors is CLAMP. An all-women manga group formed in 1987, CLAMP began creating their original manga works in the 1990s. Early works from the group contributed to the beloved style of 90s shoujo manga. The group continued to write iconic manga series across multiple genres, including magical girl, isekai, dark fantasy, and romantic comedy. The following CLAMP series are available for checkout through the Library. (Descriptions below provided by publishers.)

Cardcaptor Sakura
Cardcaptor Sakura is one of the all-time classics of the magical girl genre, and the Collector’s Edition will be the definitive version of the story, for both long-time fans and readers new to the story. The adventures of the plucky Sakura Kinomoto are as adorably thrilling as ever, as she tracks down the magical Clow Cards and plunges headlong into a world of sorcery beyond anything she could’ve imagined.

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card 
Sakura Kinomoto’s about to start middle school, and everything’s coming up cherry blossoms. Not only has she managed to recapture the scattered Clow Cards and make them her own Sakura Cards, but her sweetheart Syaoran Li has moved from Hong Kong to Tokyo and is going to be attending her school! But her joy is interrupted by a troubling dream in which the cards turn transparent, and when Sakura awakens to discover her dream has become reality, it’s clear that her magical adventures are far from over…

Magic Knight Rayearth
CLAMP’s masterwork Magic Knight Rayearth—now in a new translation! This update of the manga classic forms the centerpiece to any CLAMP collection and is also a fantastic introduction to girl-powered adventure manga—perfect for fans of Sailor Moon and She-Ra. While on a field trip to Tokyo Tower, three teenage girls cross a magical portal and are transported to another world called Cefiro. There they are summoned through the last remaining strength of the Princess Emeraude, who believes the trio will become the magic knights who will save her, as prophesied by legend.

Gate 7
An innocent sightseeing trip to Kyoto opens up a magical realm to shy high schooler Chikahito Takamoto! Visiting a legendary shrine, Chikahito finds himself in the mystical world of Hana and her comrades—and his immunity to their powers leads them to believe that he’s no ordinary, awkward teenager! Protecting our world from violent elemental beasts, Hana and her team welcomes the confused Chikahito—who isn’t quite sure that he wants to be caught in the middle of their war! One’s thing’s certain, though, since he’s smitten with aloof, childlike warrior Hana, he’s along for the ride, for better or worse!

Chobits
After moving from the countryside into the big city, poor college student Hideki Motosuwa finds himself down on his luck. All he wants is a good job, a girlfriend, and his very own “persocom” – the latest and greatest in humanoid computer technology. Hideki’s luck changes one night when he finds Chi – an adorable, but seemingly broken, persocom thrown out in a pile of trash. After taking her home, Hideki discovers that Chi is more responsibility than he expected – and that there’s much more to his cute new persocom than meets the eye.

Prefer watching to reading? Check out these animated adaptations of CLAMP works.

Cardcaptor Sakura, Movie 2: The Sealed Card
With all 52 Clow Cards captured, Sakura should be looking forward to a summer of freedom, yet Syaoran’s last words linger in her heart still. Meanwhile, the demolition of Eriol Hiiragizawa’s former home reveals a threat both new and yet familiar. When cousins Shaoran and Meiling Li return from Hong Kong to pay a surprise visit to their friends in Japan, Sakura receives further encouragement to finally declare her feelings. Will Sakura be able to return Syaoran’s feelings? Or will the hope of something pure be swallowed by the fear of lonely nothingness?

Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, The Complete Season
Sakura had managed to capture all of the Clow Cards which could bring disaster to the world and turned them into her own Sakura Cards. Now it’s spring. With cherry trees in full blossom, Sakura is just entering middle school. Her beloved Syaoran has returned from Hong Kong, and Sakura was thrilled to be going to school with him again. But one night, something strange happens to her Cards…

xxxHolic, First collection and Second collection
There is no such thing as coincidence; there is only the inevitable… Watanuki has been haunted by dark spirits his entire life, a curse flowing through his bloodline preventing peace. When his incessant demons drag him to the ornate door of the Dimensional Witch Yuko, he meets a mystical woman of insight and luxury, quick to help those in a bind…for a fee! One might very well end up paying with their soul! To be free of his visions, Watanuki will work in her shop of dreams and wishes.

Video Game Adaptations

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The Summer Reading Program is here, and the theme is Level Up at Your Library! Video game adaptations are dominating the big screen, television, and streaming platforms. Checkout the following titles available at The Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Arcane: League of Legends
Based on champions and lore from the League of Legends universe, Arcane follows the story of two orphaned sisters, Vi and Powder, as they fight to make a name for themselves in the derelict, underground alleyways of Zaun. Dreaming of a day when they can experience some of the wealth and opulence of the city of Piltover just above them, Vi, Powder, and friends undertake a seemingly simple heist that, unbeknownst to them, will forever alter their destinies and the fate of both cities. Arcane assembles a powerful cast of characters in a thrilling clash of power and politics as they grapple with magical forces beyond their understanding. Riot Games and Fortiche Productions bring the world of League of Legends to life with heart-wrenching storytelling and an animation style all its own in this Emmy-winning series.

Uncharted
Street-smart Nathan Drake is recruited by seasoned treasure hunter Victor “Sully” Sullivan to recover a fortune amassed by Ferdinand Magellan and lost 500 years ago by the House of Moncada. What starts as a heist job for the duo becomes a globe-trotting, white-knuckle race to reach the prize before the ruthless Santiago Moncada, who believes he and his family are the rightful heirs. If Nate and Sully can decipher the clues and solve one of the world’s oldest mysteries, they stand to find $5 billion in treasure and perhaps even Nate’s long-lost brother … but only if they can learn to work together.

The Last of Us
In 2003, a parasitic fungal infection ravaged the planet, turning humans into violent creatures known as the Infected. Twenty years later, hardened survivor Joel is hired to smuggle 14-year-old Ellie to the rebel Fireflies. What should have been a quick job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey across a post-apocalyptic United States, where no one can protect Joel or Ellie except each other.

Sonic the Hedgehog 3
Sonic the Hedgehog returns to the big screen this holiday season in his most thrilling adventure yet. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails reunite against a powerful new adversary, Shadow, a mysterious villain with powers unlike anything they have faced before. With their abilities outmatched in every way, Team Sonic must seek out an unlikely alliance in hopes of stopping Shadow and protecting the planet.

Still catching up? The Library also has Sonic the Hedgehog and Sonic the Hedgehog 2 available for checkout.

Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City
Set in 1998, this origin story explores the secrets of the mysterious Spencer Mansion and the ill-fated Raccoon City. Once the booming home of pharmaceutical giant Umbrella Corporation, Raccoon City is now a dying Midwestern town. The company’s exodus left the city a wasteland… with great evil brewing below the surface. When that evil is unleashed, a group of survivors must work together to uncover the truth behind Umbrella and make it through the night.

During the month of June, look for the “Level Up!: Video Game Adaptations” displays at all three branches for more recommendations.

Level Up at Your Library: New RPGs

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Summer Reading 2025 is here, and the theme is “Level Up at Your Library!” Spend your summer leveling up with video games available for check-out at the Library, including these new RPGs. (Descriptions below provided by the publisher.)

Baldur’s Gate III
Gather your party and return to the Forgotten Realms in a tale of fellowship and betrayal, sacrifice and survival, and the lure of absolute power. Mysterious abilities are awakening inside you, drawn from a mind flayer parasite planted in your brain. Resist and turn darkness against itself. Or embrace corruption and become ultimate evil. Play as an Origin hero, as your choice from the D&D Player’s Handbook, or battle with the Dark Urge, as you and your party traverse the Forgotten Realms and battle for your very survival.

Available on: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

Ys X: Nordics
This journey takes place in the northern islands collectively known as Obelia Gulf. In this harsh land, the young adventurer Adol Christin encounters the Normans, a seafaring people, and is quickly drawn into the conflict between them, the residents of Obelia Gulf, and the Griegr, undying monsters with a mysterious agenda. Partnering up with the Norman warrior Karja, Adol must take to the waters of Obelia Gulf, navigating vast stretches of ocean, consulting maritime maps, and even getting into naval battles with enemy ships.

Available on: PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch

Black Myth: Wukong
Black Myth: Wukong is an action RPG rooted in Chinese mythology and based on Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. You shall set out as the Destined One to venture into the challenges and marvels ahead, to uncover the obscured truth beneath the veil of a glorious legend from the past.

Available on: PlayStation 5

The First Berserker: Khazan
Khazan and Ozma, the heroes who saved the Pell Los Empire from Hismar the Berserk Dragon and the Dragon Legion. However, General Khazan, falsely accused of treason, becomes a wretched outcast as he is condemned to exile beyond the empire through brutal torture. The player will become the hero “Khazan,” the ancestor of all Slayers and the one who defeated Hismar the Berserk Dragon, proceeding to uncover the truth of his downfall within the empire.

Available on: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
You are Henry of Skalitz – an ordinary man doing extraordinary things – caught in a gripping tale of revenge, betrayal and discovery. Henry will embark on an epic journey, “from a humble blacksmith’s forge to the court of Kings”, as he searches for purpose in this beautiful but brutal medieval world. From bustling city streets to lush forests, discover an open-world medieval Europe through this unforgettable adventure filled with action, thrills and wonders.

Available on: PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S

The Korean Wave: K-pop

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Have you heard the term “hallyu?” “Hallyu,” also called the “Korean Wave,” refers to the increasing global popularity of South Korean pop culture, including music, film, television, and comics.

We’ve previously introduced Korean pop music (aka K-pop) in this 2021 blog post. But did you know that you can now listen to K-pop music on Freegal with your Davenport library card? With unlimited streaming and up to 5 song downloads per week, your K-pop listening is covered! If you aren’t sure where to start, I’ve put together An Introduction to K-pop playlist for everyone to enjoy. Or, if you still prefer listening to music the old-fashioned way, check out these recent K-pop CDs available at the library.

During the month of May, look for the “Hallyu: The Korean Wave” displays at all three branches for more Korean pop culture recommendations.

The Korean Wave: Manhwa

- Elena Leave a comment

Have you heard the term “hallyu?” “Hallyu,” also called the “Korean Wave,” refers to the increasing global popularity of South Korean pop culture, including music, film, television, and comics.

Korean comics, or “manhwa,” have been largely digital since the early 2000s. As smartphones grew more common, the industry standard became full-color art and vertical formatting for easy scrolling. Manhwa really took off internationally in 2014, when Naver’s Line Webtoon app became popular with younger readers for its digital access and free chapter model. Now, some titles are popular enough for physical print editions. The following series are available at Davenport Public Library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Villains are Destined to Die
In the Easy Mode of Daughter of the Duke Love Project!, you play as Ivonne, the duke’s long-lost daughter who quickly gains the affection of the various male characters to win the game. Very easy! In Hard Mode, you play as “villainess” Penelope Eckhart, the duke’s fake daughter who starts her adventure with negative affection points. Very hard…and filled with gruesome deaths?! Misunderstood and pining for love, one girl finds that she has much in common with Penelope and tries again and again to get her “good ending.” She is granted one more try…when she falls asleep and wakes up as Penelope herself in the hostile world of the game!

Solo Leveling
The weakest of the weak, E-class hunter Jinwoo Sung has no money, no talent, and no prospects to speak of. And when he enters a hidden dungeon that fateful day, he ends up being left to die in the aftermath of a horrendous tragedy. At death’s door, Jinwoo is suddenly invited to be a “player” by a mysterious voice. Desperate to live, Jinwoo jumps at the chance…but what is this strange new leveling system that only he can see?

Tower of God
Twenty-Fifth Bam must journey skyward in a mysterious tower if he has any chance of reuniting with his best friend Rachel, even if that means facing his own death. Before mysteriously disappearing into the tower gates before his very eyes, Rachel cautions Bam to forget all about her. Unwilling to lose her, Bam enters the Tower completely surrounded by Shinsu — a divine and magical water, at his own peril. The Tower itself contains multitudes of floors as vast as continents, each one with its unique geography, language and culture. Confronted by skillful tests each step of the way, Bam meets powerful guardians and otherworldly environments, making his quest to the top no easy feat. At each level Bam is constantly tested for his strength, dexterity and wit. With help from fellow travelers and unlikely villains, Bam makes both allies and enemies in order to find Rachel.

The Dangerous Convenience Store
College student Yeo Eui-joon works the graveyard shift at a convenience store to pay his bills. The shift sucks, but the money’s good, and the customers—mostly mobsters and hoodlums—don’t cause too much trouble. That might be due to Gunwoo, a tall, hunky gangster who frequents the store for booze and cigarettes. He’s scarier than the rest of the clientele, but seems to have a soft spot for Eui-joon, defending him from the more volatile customers. Could there be more behind Gunwoo’s protective actions? And if so, is Eui-joon prepared to be a part of Gunwoo’s violent world?

True Beauty
After binge-watching beauty videos online, a shy comic book fan masters the art of makeup and sees her social standing skyrocket as she becomes her school’s prettiest pretty girl overnight. But will her elite status be short-lived? How long can she keep her real self a secret? And what about that cute boy who knows her secret? Caught in a love triangle between a mystery man and a bad boy, Jugyeong navigates high school and her personal life while her self-esteem and romantic life are constantly in flux.

During the month of May, look for the “Hallyu: The Korean Wave” displays at all three branches for more Korean pop culture recommendations.

The Korean Wave: K-Dramas

- Elena Leave a comment

Have you heard the term “hallyu?” “Hallyu,” also called the “Korean Wave,” refers to the increasing global popularity of South Korean pop culture, including music, film, television, and comics.

This popularity includes Korean television, better known as “K-Dramas.” K-Dramas typically run for a single season and span a wide variety of genres, from romance comedies to historical period dramas to crime thrillers. Interested in learning more about K-Dramas? Davenport Public Library has you covered! Check out the following K-Drama titles, available for checkout on DVD at the library. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Queen of Tears
The queen of department stores and her small-town husband weather a marital crisis — until love miraculously begins to bloom again. Baek Hyun Woo, who is the pride of the village of Yongduri, is the legal director of the conglomerate Queen’s group, while Chaebol heiress Hong Hae in is the “Queen” of Queens group’s department stores. “Queen of Tears” will tell the miraculous, thrilling, and humorous love story of this married couple, who manage to survive a crisis and stay together against all odds.

See You in My 19th Life
Ban Ji Eum has the ability to remember all her past lives, living through countless reincarnations for nearly a thousand years. After a tragic accident ends her previous life, she seeks to reconnect with the people from that life, focusing on Moon Seo Ha, whom she met in her 18th life. As she navigates her 19th life, will memories of her past hinder her romance, or can love endure across lifetimes?

A Business Proposal
Shin Ha Ri, nursing unrequited feelings for a male friend, discovers he has a girlfriend. Seeking solace, she agrees to impersonate her wealthy friend, Jin Young Seo, on a blind date. To her surprise, her date is Kang Tae Moo, the CEO of her workplace. Kang Tae Moo, pressured by his grandfather to marry, decides to wed the next woman he meets on a blind date to end the interference in his work life. Unaware of Shin Ha Ri’s true identity, he proposes to her the next day, setting the stage for a romantic entanglement.

Reborn Rich
After serving the Jin family and Soonyang Group faithfully for years, Yoon Hyeon Woo is embroiled in their succession battle and tragically murdered as collateral damage. Miraculously, fate gives him a chance to exact his revenge when he finds he’s brought back in time inside the body of Jin Do Jun, the youngest grandson of Soonyang Group. Using his new identity and knowledge of the future, Do Jun plots a hostile takeover of the Soonyang Group. Will Do Jun succeed in his revenge and find his murderer?

Perfect Marriage Revenge
Han Yi Joo naively tries to see the best in everyone, though she’s shunned and betrayed by a family who never loved her. After a terrible accident at the hands of her mother, Yi Joo unexpectedly finds herself transported back in time. Realizing she has a second chance to change her fate, Yi Joo teams up with wealthy tycoon Seo Do Guk to exact revenge on those who’ve wronged her. Will this new alliance allow Yi Joo to create the life she’s always wanted?

The Story of Park’s Marriage Contract
As a newly married woman in 19th-century Korea, Park Yeon Woo’s life should have been a happy one. But when her new husband dies shortly after their wedding, her life goes from bad to worse when she’s kidnapped and thrown down a well. What should have been the end of her story turns out to be just the beginning when her fall into the well lands her in a swimming pool in modern-day Korea. Fished out by Kang Tae Ha, Yeon Woo soon finds herself presented with a strange request: to join him in a contract marriage. Lost in a strange new world, will Yeon Woo agree to make a dying man’s wish come true?

During the month of May, look for the “Hallyu: The Korean Wave” displays at all three branches for more Korean pop culture recommendations.

Anime on Kanopy

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April 15th is National Anime Day! Did you know that you can stream anime on Kanopy with your Davenport Public Library card? These must-watch series ran for a single season and are available to watch on Kanopy. (Descriptions below provided by Kanopy.)

Dororo

During the Warring States period, the young thief Dororo encounters Hyakkimaru, a strange, sightless boy who wields fearsome prosthetics in place of his missing limbs. Parts of Hyakkimaru’s body were traded to a group of 12 demons by his father in exchange for power, but thanks to a kindly medicine man, Hyakkimaru survived his horrifying ordeal. Now he roams the land in search of his missing body, and together he and Dororo will fight to survive in an unforgiving, demon-plagued world.

Parasyte: The Maxim

One night, a quiet invasion takes place. Across the world, mysterious parasites fall to earth and begin possessing humans one by one with the rest of humanity none the wiser. Shinichi Izumi is one such victim. But when his would-be invader fails to take over his brain and takes root in his arm, instead, Shinichi finds himself forced to share his body with a horrific creature that has a mind and an agenda all its own.

Carole & Tuesday

Fifty years after humankind began migrating to Mars, people live in comfort with help from AI. Carole makes her way to Mars with dreams of forging a career in music. But there’s a spark that’s missing. Tuesday has lived a life of comfort, so no one expects it when she runs off to another city with nothing more than her guitar. When the two of them meet, Tuesday’s spark ignites Carole’s fire. As long as they don’t give up, every planet will know the names CAROLE & TUESDAY!

Akame Ga Kill!

Tatsumi arrives in the Imperial Capital in hopes of earning money for his village. After becoming stranded in the streets, a wealthy family offers to take him in for the night. But when his would-be benefactors are attacked by a group of killers known as Night Raid, Tatsumi learns that beneath the thin veneer of the Capital lies a teeming hive of corruption. With nowhere else to turn, Tatsumi joins the Night Raid to help put a stop to the wicked ways of the Capital once and for all.

Kids on the Slope

In the summer of 1966, high school freshman Kaoru struggles to adjust to the latest move. It’s not easy fitting in, but this time is different. This time he makes friends and discovers a passion that rocks his soul. It’s called jazz, and with bad boy Sentaro and music store girl Ritsuko, they follow their muse wherever their music takes them! Travel to a time when dreams and musical instruments changed the world! Be blown away by a tale of life, love and all that jazz in The Kids on the Slope!

Women’s Biopics

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March is Women’s History Month, focusing on women’s contributions to culture, history, and society. To celebrate, check out these recent biopics detailing the lives of influential women. (Descriptions below provided by publisher.)

Cabrini

From Alejandro Monteverde, award-winning director of “Sound of Freedom”, comes the powerful epic of Francesca Cabrini, an Italian immigrant who arrives in New York City in 1889 and is greeted by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to convince the hostile mayor to secure housing and healthcare for society’s most vulnerable. With broken English and poor health, Cabrini uses her entrepreneurial mind to build an empire of hope unlike anything the world had ever seen.

Back to Black

The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.

Priscilla

When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a gentle best friend. Through Priscilla’s eyes, Sofia Coppola tells the unseen side of a great American myth in Elvis and Priscilla’s long courtship and turbulent marriage, from a German army base to his dream-world estate at Graceland, in this deeply felt and ravishingly detailed portrait of love, fantasy, and fame.

Golda

On October 6th, 1973, under cover of darkness, on Israel’s holiest day and during the month of Ramadan, the combined forces of Egypt, Syria, and Jordan begin a surprise attack on the Sinai Peninsula and the Golan Heights. Outnumbered and outgunned, Israel’s only female Prime Minister, Golda Meir, confronts the immediate, clear, and present danger of a ticking timebomb that she hoped never to face. Surrounded, isolated, and frustrated by the infighting of her all-male cabinet, with little hope of rescue, one woman is in a race against time to save millions of lives on both sides of the conflict.

Harriet

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, the movie tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

 

During the month of March, look for the “Women’s History Month” display at all three branches for more recommendations.

Romance Manga

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As Valentine’s season hits, I always find myself in the mood for romance– the sweeter, the better. And nothing scratches that reading itch quite like a romance manga. Here’s a few of my favorite series, guaranteed to get you giggling and kicking your feet. (Descriptions below provided by the publisher.)

Honey Lemon Soda by Mayu Murata

Uka Ishimori has one dream in life: to have fun in high school! As a self-avowed dense, stone-faced introvert who spent all of middle school hardening her heart against a daily barrage of bullying, breaking out of her shell is easier said than done. Luckily, she’s not alone—Kai Miura, a classmate whose blond hair reminds her of the lemon soda he so enjoys, has her back. Step by step, she endeavors to cast off the shadows of her past and reinvigorate her life!

A Sign of Affection by suu Morishita

Yuki is Deaf and a typical college student, whose world revolves around her friends, social media, and the latest sales. But when a chance encounter on a train leads to her meeting friend-of-a-friend and fellow student Itsuomi, her world starts to widen. But even though Itsuomi can speak three languages, sign language isn’t one of them. Can the two learn to communicate the budding feelings between them?

My Love Mix-Up! by Wataru Hinekure

In this warmhearted romantic comedy, mistaken identity leads to a blossoming romance between two boys. Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she’s written the name of another boy—Ida—on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!

The Girl I Like Forgot Her Glasses by Koume Fujichika

The distance between a boy and his crush shrinks every time she forgets her glasses! Komura starts his school year with a new seat neighbor in homeroom—the bespectacled Mie. Before long, he’s nursing a raging crush on his quirky classmate who’s always forgetting her glasses! While this might be ideal for Komura to get to know Mie better, will his poor heart give out from the daily strain of being up close and personal with the girl he likes?!

Words Bubble Up Like Soda Pop by Imo Oono

He’s a shy haiku writer who wears headphones to keep people at a distance. She’s a streamer who always hides behind a mask. After their worlds suddenly collide, these two strangers find themselves sharing secrets they’ve been desperate to keep under wraps. Even though their methods of self-expression couldn’t be more different, they’ll find they understand each other better than they ever expected…