Category: Books

New Nonfiction: Uncultured by Daniella Mestyanek Young

- Claire Leave a comment

One of my favorite aspects of my job is purchasing books for the 200s section of our nonfiction collection–Religion. The number of memoirs and essay collections about people’s religious experiences are vast, passionate, and endlessly fascinating.  

I recently purchased Daniella Mestyanek Young’s memoir Uncultured. Young’s story details her childhood in the religious cult, The Children of God, also known as The Family, and the extreme lengths the community goes to to mold their followers into fervent, unquestioning believers. 

The memoir is anything but light as Young describes the seemingly endless physical and sexual abuse that the leaders of The Family claimed was “godly discipline and love.” The child abuse that is described in Young’s story is abundant, making the book difficult to read at times, but also quite straightforward. Young conveys the details of her traumatic upbringing in a very to-the-point manner, only veiling the most gruesome details for her own privacy. 

When Young turned fifteen, she escaped The Children of God. She moved to Texas to live with a half-sister (of which she has many, due to the sharing of women amongst male cult members), enrolled in high school (her first time in “Systemite” school), finished college, and eventually joins the military and works her way up to a role as an intelligence officer. 

At the end of her time enlisted, Young reckons with her life and choices in a way that she hasn’t been able to before. She originally joined the military to find another community to belong to and a group with a shared goal to work towards. Without realizing it, she essentially joined another cult-like group. Just as in The Children of God, the group mentality and abuse of women were integral to the functionality of the system.

Uncultured is clear-cut and determined: Young responsibly takes her readers through the painful but necessary revelations of a global group that has claimed a faith that allows women and children to only exist in service of perverse men. Eye-opening is just one word to describe this exposé on religious cults and the human destruction they ensue. 

This title is also available in large print.

 

Cinderella and the Glass Ceiling : and other feminist fairy tales : a parody by Laura Lane and Ellen Haun

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Lately I have been wanting to read a book of fairy tales, but not the sanitized versions or the Brothers Grimm ones. Walking the stacks at work, I found a sassy alternative, Cinderella & the Glass Ceiling : and other feminist fairy tales : a parody by Laura Lane and Ellen Haun, illustrated by Nicole Miles. While I found the fairy tales in this book to be humorous, these are ones you will probably want to read yourself before reading to your children (just a word of caution). The language is quite frank, but the authors definitely get their point across with each tale they rewrite.

In this book, readers will find feminist retellings of the Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel, Mulan, Peter Pan, Beauty & the Beast, The Princess and the Pea, Thumbelina, and Goldilocks. These are definitely not the sanitized nice version of the fairy tales. There are plenty of parodies, puns, and jokes throughout this book, though definitely irreverent ones.  This book is also beautifully illustrated by Nicole Miles. Their illustrations add an extra pop to the stories that I enjoyed. The stories are sarcastic and humorous, plus relevant to today. The authors have taken the societal standards present in each story, ramped them up to an extreme, which in turn led to each story being hilarious and full of empowerment. It left me rethinking the sanitized versions of fairy tales I read when I was younger and how those specific ones relate stories of womanhood and relationships. This was a sneaky read that left me thinking about the issues presented for way longer than it took me to read the actual book.

The Miracle of Flexibility by Miranda Esmonde-White

- Brenda Leave a comment

At 459 pages and 2.4 pounds, The Miracle of Flexibility by Miranda Esmonde-White is worth more than its weight in gold. But that’s just my opinion. Check it out and decide for yourself.

The book’s full title is The Miracle of Flexibility: a Head-to-Toe program to Increase Strength, Improve Mobility, and Become Pain Free. It is an illustrated, hardcover guide to the moves that comprise Essentrics, the strength and flexibility routine that former ballerina Esmonde-White developed to help people of all ages maintain mobility and prevent and heal injuries. If you have never heard of Essentrics, I would encourage you to check out additional materials on this topic available in Rivershare. Esmonde-White will tell you first-hand about how she developed the program after suffering a career-ending injury as a ballerina with National Ballet of Canada, and about how strong and flexible she is now.

The movements may seem simple, but don’t be fooled. They are as effective as they are efficient. This guide describes the how and why of each, with mini lessons about human anatomy along the way.  I chuckled as I read one Amazon reviewer’s comment that nerds will like this book. It is very informative. If you are new to Essentrics, however, I would encourage you to watch one of the routines either via one of the library’s DVDs, on the Essentrics subscription streaming service online (which offers a free two week trial), or currently airing at 6am weekdays on IPTV.  Watching them will give you a better idea of how to carry out the moves illustrated in the book. Once you get the hang of them, you can commit some to memory and do them throughout the day, from nearly anywhere. It can be life-changing and has been for several people I know personally who once suffered from ailments such as joint pain and plantar fasciitis.

Esmonde-White’s other books which you can check out from the library include Forever Painless: End Chronic Pain and Reclaim Your Life in 30 Minutes a Day, available on audiobook through RiverShare and Aging Backwards: Fast Track : 6 Ways in 30 Days to Look and Feel Younger on audiobook. There is also the 278-page Aging Backwards: Reverse the Aging Process and Look 10 Years Younger in 30 Minutes a Day.

I’d love to read your comments! Please share if you’ve checked any of these materials out and what you liked or did not like about them. Even if you didn’t check any of them out, I’d be curious to know what kept you from trying.

 

Look Again: A Memoir by Elizabeth A. Trembley

- Stephanie Leave a comment

‘Trauma can make truth hard to find.’ – Look Again: A Memoir  by Elizabeth A. Trembley

Trauma dominates Elizabeth A. Trembley’s graphic memoir, Look Again. She talks about the impact trauma has on your experiences, to the effect that what you swear is the truth may not be what actually happened.

While walking her dogs in the woods years ago, Elizabeth found a dead body. That traumatic, grief-stricken moment of utter confusion overwhelmed her so much that what she looked back at that time all she remembered was shattered images flashing through her mind. In an effort to process, Elizabeth relays, in this graphic memoir, six variations of that same event. Each variation changed when seen through different lenses at different points in her life. She acknowledges that her route to track down the truth was convoluted, much like what other trauma survivors experience in their lives.

This graphic memoir was very well written, smart, enlightening, while also managing to be funny and relatable. Readers are able to walk with Elizabeth through her life as she works through what happened that morning in the woods. How Elizabeth chooses to deal with her trauma is clearly reflected in her words and drawings. Readers see when she is finally able to examine why she behaved the way she did – in a sense, readers grow along with her as the story evolves.

This book shook me, as it had me thinking about events in my past and how my memories may be skewed. Her research into trauma was enlightening. Seeing how she was able to find some answers in her research, as well as how learning more opened up her mind, really impacted and made me want to do more research of my own. At the end of her book, the author has a list of selected resources that helped her learn about her experiences (I’ve already snagged a few to read myself!).

Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper

- Stephanie Leave a comment

As a lover of cozy mysteries, true crime, and Lifetime original movies, I like to think that I pay attention to my surroundings (my family may disagree…). Whenever I’m reading or watching something where someone is trying to solve a murder (or a new person comes to a mysterious town), I frequently find myself mumbling, ‘Don’t do that! That’s not going to end well…’ Imagine my curiousity when I found Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village written by Maureen Johnson and illustrated by Jay Cooper. This is a guidebook full of dark and sarcastic humor all about how to avoid a gruesome death in innocent-looking bucolic English villages, or ‘English Murder Villages’ as the book calls them.

First off, let’s talk about the illustrations. They are absolute perfection, an Edward Gorey-esque set of drawings with only red pops of color to draw your eye to elements of death and murder. Without these illustrations, the book wouldn’t be complete. The illustrations and text perfectly compliment each other.

This book is written from the perspective of an author who wants to warn people of the dangers of visiting English Murder Villages. She wants you to not stray from the big towns as venturing off the beaten path will lead to your inevitable and premature death. As a way to help you survive, she has compiled lists of people and locations to be careful of in the village and the manor.  There’s really no safe space, but forewarned is forearmed. This book is full of nods to classic British crime tropes, which I adored. If you have seen/read any Miss Marple, Murder She Wrote, Agatha Christie, or watched/read any cozy mysteries, you may enjoy this death-laden trip through the English countryside (and may pick up some handy tricks to stay alive along the way)!

Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: A Graphic History of Women’s Fight for their Rights by Mikki Kendall

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Do you want to learn more about women’s rights, but aren’t sure where to start? I recommend Amazons, Abolitionists, and Activists: a Graphic History of Women’s Fight for their Rights by Mikki Kendall. This graphic history is gorgeously drawn and covers a wide range of topics, years, and issues. I would treat this book as a primer on women’s rights as readers are introduced briefly to hundreds of different women, but since short descriptions are given of each, you’ll undoubtedly want to learn more! I took notes the whole time I was reading of women I wanted to look up. Definite recommendation from me!

As the title states, this graphic history talks about amazons, abolitionists, and activists and their fight for rights. It’s told from the viewpoint of an AI robot teaching a history class in the future. They grow frustrated with the lack of knowledge and transport the class through time all over Earth to learn about the numerous women and their struggle for basic rights. Traveling from antiquity through to the modern era, readers will learn about different key figures and events such as fighting for the right to vote, work, own property, exercise your own bodily autonomy, getting an education, and so much more. What I enjoyed is that the women covered range all races, jobs, and era: the history of amazons, freedom fighters, queens, warrior women, spies, all the way to supreme court justices and activists fighting today. Readers will learn about the many movements that women have fought in, how they overlapped, yet sometimes stayed separate.  Kendall covers suffrage, abolition, civil rights, reproductive rights, LGBTQ liberation, labor, and many other movements. I enjoyed the snippets provided about each woman, movement, and fight. It’s a fascinating look at the past, present, and future of the fight for various different women’s rights.

AAPI Reading Challenge and Recommendations

- Claire Leave a comment

May is the month of many celebrations, one of those being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month!

To educate on and represent the lives of AAPI individuals, we have put together a list of reading recommendations to celebrate the many heritages uplifted this month.

The library is also conducting a reading challenge in honor of AAPI Heritage Month. Check it out and start logging your reading on Beanstack!

Adult Fiction:

The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo

“Immigrant. Socialite. Magician. Jordan Baker grows up in the most rarefied circles of 1920s American society-she has money, education, a killer golf handicap, and invitations to some of the most exclusive parties of the Jazz Age. She’s also queer and Asian, a Vietnamese adoptee treated as an exotic attraction by her peers, while the most important doors remain closed to her. But the world is full of wonders: infernal pacts and dazzling illusions, lost ghosts and elemental mysteries. In all paper is fire, and Jordan can burn the cut paper heart out of a man. She just has to learn how.” –  Publisher

Bestiary by K-Ming Chang

“With a poetic voice of crackling electricity, K Ming Chang is an explosive young writer who combines the wit and fabulism of Helen Oyeyemi with the magical realist aesthetic of Maxine Hong Kingston. Tracing one family’s history from Mainland China to Taiwan, from Arkansas to California, Bestiary is a novel of migration, queer lineages, and womanhood.” – Publisher

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

“Inspired by dystopian classics such as 1984, Never Let Me Go, and The Handmaid’s Tale, the novel eviscerates the dominant American parenting culture, while highlighting the tragedy of state-sponsored family separation. Is there one right way to mother? Can a bad mother ever be redeemed? With warmth, heart, and dark humor, the novel tells a timeless story of a mother fighting to win back her child, and her struggle to hold onto her integrity while being indoctrinated.” – Publisher

Adult Nonfiction:

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H

Spanning childhood to an elite college in the US and early adult life in New York City, each essay places Lamya’s struggles and triumphs in the context of some of the most famous stories in the Quran. She juxtaposes her coming out with Musa liberating his people from the Pharoah; asks if Allah, who is neither male nor female, might instead be nonbinary; and, drawing strength from the faith and hope of Nuh building his ark, begins to build a life of her own-all the while discovering that her identity as a queer, immigrant devout Muslim is, in fact, the answer to her quest for safety and belonging.” – Publisher

My Life: Growing Up Asian in America

“There are 23 million people, representing more than twenty countries, each with unique languages, histories, and cultures, clumped under one Asian American. Though their experiences are individual, certain commonalities appear. Through a series of essays, poems, and comics, thirty creators give voice to moments that defined them and shed light on the immense diversity and complexity of the Asian American identity. Edited by CAPE and with an introduction by renowned journalist SuChin Pak, My Growing Up Asian in America is a celebration of community, a call to action, and a road map for a brighter future.” – Goodreads

From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry: The Killing of Vincent Chin and the Trial that Galvanized the Asian American Movement

“From a Whisper to a Rallying Cry is a searing examination of the killing and the trial and verdicts that followed. When Ebens and Nitz pled guilty to manslaughter and received only a $3,000 fine and three years’ probation, the lenient sentence sparked outrage in the Asian American community. This outrage galvanized the Asian American movement and paved the way for a new federal civil rights trial of the case. Extensively researched from court transcripts and interviews with key case witnesses-many speaking for the first time-Yoo has crafted a suspenseful, nuanced, and authoritative portrait of a pivotal moment in civil rights history, and a man who became a symbol against hatred and racism.” – Publisher

Graphic Novels:

 Skim by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki

“Heartbreakingly funny, moving and vibrantly drawn, Skim is an extraordinary book—a smart and sensitive graphic novel of the highest literary and artistic quality, by and about young women. “Skim” is Kimberly Keiko Cameron, a not-slim, would-be Wiccan goth who goes to a private girls’ school. When Skim’s classmate Katie Matthews is dumped by her boyfriend, who then kills himself, the entire school goes into mourning overdrive. As concerned guidance counselors provide lectures on the “cycle of grief,” and the popular clique starts a new club (Girls Celebrate Life!) to bolster school spirit, Skim sinks into an ever-deepening depression. And falling in love only makes things worse…” – Publisher

The Best We Could Do by Thi Bui

“The Best We Could Do, the debut graphic novel memoir by Thi Bui, is an intimate look at one family’s journey form their war-torn home in Vietnam to their new lives in America. Exploring the anguish of immigration and the lasting effects that displacement has on a child and her family, Bui documents the story of her family’s daring escape after the fall of South Vietnam in the 1970s and the difficulties they faced building new lives for themselves. At the heart of Bui’s story is a universal struggle: While adjusting to life as a first-time mother, she ultimately discovers what it means to be a parent–the endless sacrifices, the unnoticed gestures, and the depths of unspoken love. Despite how impossible it seems to take on the simultaneous roles of both parent and child, Bui pushes through.” – Publisher

Killing and Dying by Adrian Tomine

“With Killing and Dying, Adrian Tomine presents six new stories unlike any he has told before. Unpredictable, darkly funny, and deeply moving, they display an exceptional range of focus and technique. The Village Voice called Tomine “one of the most masterful cartoonists of his generation,” and this is his most ambitious and empathetic work to date.” – Publisher

Young Adult:

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

“Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can’t remember exactly when the question took root, but the answer was in full bloom the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father–despite his hard-won citizenship–Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.” – Publisher

Shine by Jessica Jung  

“What would you give for a chance to live your dreams? For seventeen-year-old Korean American Rachel Kim, the answer is almost everything. Six years ago, she was recruited by DB Entertainment—one of Seoul’s largest K-pop labels, known for churning out some of the world’s most popular stars. The rules are simple: Train 24/7. Be perfect. Don’t date. Easy right? Not so much. As the dark scandals of an industry bent on controlling and commodifying beautiful girls begin to bubble up, Rachel wonders if she’s strong enough to be a winner, or if she’ll end up crushed… Especially when she begins to develop feelings for K-pop star and DB golden boy Jason Lee. It’s not just that he’s charming, sexy, and ridiculously talented. He’s also the first person who really understands how badly she wants her star to rise.” – Publisher

Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi

“Jayne Baek is barely getting by. She shuffles through fashion school, saddled with a deadbeat boyfriend, clout-chasing friends, and a wretched eating disorder that she’s not fully ready to confront. But that’s New York City, right? At least she isn’t in Texas anymore, and is finally living in a city that feels right for her. On the other hand, her sister June is dazzlingly rich with a high-flying finance job and a massive apartment. Unlike Jayne, June has never struggled a day in her life. Until she’s diagnosed with uterine cancer. Suddenly, these estranged sisters who have nothing in common are living together. Because sisterly obligations are kind of important when one of you is dying.” – Publisher

 

Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo

- Stephanie Leave a comment

We are so excited to announce that See YA is back! See YA is our adult book club with a teen book twist. See why so many teen books are being turned into movies and are taking over the best seller lists. We meet the first Wednesday of the month at Eastern at 6:30pm. Registration is not required. Books are available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the Eastern Avenue library.  Stop by the service desk for more information.

On June 7th, we will be discussing Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. This book is highly praised! It won the National Book Award, the Stonewall Book Award, and the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature(it also was the Goodreads Choice Award for Best young Adult Fiction in 2021). This is also a Michael L. Printz honor book, a We Need Diverse Books Walter Dean Myers honor book, and a Los Angeles Times book prize finalist. This book was also a New York Times bestseller. Now that I’ve hyped up the book, let’s get into what it’s about!

Last Night at the Telegraph Club is the story of a high school girl struggling to find her own identity amidst familial and cultural pressures. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown during the Red Scare in the 1950s, seventeen-year-old Lily Hu feels the push and pull of love and duty every single day. After discovering a book that was about two women who fell in love with each other, Lily starts to examine her feelings more and more. The more she examines, the more Lily realizes that these aren’t new feelings, but she can’t exactly pinpoint when they started. When Lily meets fellow high school student Kathleen Miller, she finds a safe space to explore this different side of her life. As soon as the two set foot in a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club, Lily knew she had an answer to her question: there were women out there who fell in love and it wasn’t weird or abnormal. Outside of the Telegraph Club however, Lily finds resistance. 1954 in America isn’t a safe space for two girls to fall in love. Lily’s family complicates matters, given that they live in Chinatown, the Red Scare is running rampant, and deportation rumors abound. Chinese Americans are subject to more scrutiny, leaving Lily to wonder where she falls and whether love or duty will win.

I don’t want to give away too much, but highly encourage you to check out this title and then come to See YA to discuss it with us on Wednesday June 7th at 6:30pm at our Eastern Avenue Branch. (If you end up liking this title, I highly suggest you also try A Scatter of Light, which is the companion novel to Last Night at the Telegraph Club.)

This title is also available as a Libby eBook, Libby eAudiobook, in large print, and as single book club books.

New Cozy Mysteries for Spring!

- Michelle Leave a comment

Some of the best loved cozy mystery series continue every spring with the next book in the series to enjoy.  Below are some of the most popular cozy mystery titles to read over the next few months!  

Curds of Prey  by Korina Moss

As the social wedding of the summer hears up, Cheesemonger Willa Bauer is busy preparing her famous cheese bar for the festivities at the request of the bride and groom.  All is well with the preparations until a member of the wedding party is found dead at the bridal shower and Willa is charged with finding a killer.  Curds of Prey is the third book in the Cheese Shop Mystery series.

 

Digging Up Daisy  by Sherry Lynn

Digging Up Daisy, the first book launching the Mainely Murder Mystery series, introduces us to Kinsley Clark, owner of the landscaping company SeaScapes.  Kinsley is thrust into a murder investigation after finding a mud-covered shoe while moonlighting at her aunt’s bed and breakfast.  Is this shoe linked to an infamous case from years ago that remains unsolved?  Kinsley delves into the cold case and finds herself in the thick of the investigation to find a killer.

 

Mother of the Bride Murder  by Leslie Meier 

Lucy Stone travels to France for her daughter’s nuptials and happens upon a killer in Mother of the Bride Murder, the 29th installment of this popular cozy mystery series.  While touring the French countryside, a body is pulled from the moat of a historic chateau.  Will the wedding go off as planned or will the body count continue to rise?  Lucy Stone is determined to find out and not let it ruin her daughter’s big day.

 

Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie  by Sarah Graves

Another chocolate shop is coming to town and is about to encroach on Ellie’s chocolate store the Chocolate Moose in Death by Chocolate Marshmallow Pie!  After the owner of Choco, the rival store, is found dead after a heated incident with Ellie.  All fingers point to Ellie as the possible culprit and she has to act fast to clear her name!  This is the sixth book in the Death by Chocolate mystery series.

 

Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust  by Mindy Quigley 

Set in a Wisconsin pizzeria, owner Delilah O’Leary has her sights set on winning the annual “Taste of Wisconsin” culinary contest with her crowd favorite pizza recipe in Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust, the second book in the Deep Dish Mystery series.  When another culinary contestant is poisoned, everyone in the contest is a suspect.  Will Delilah find the killer before they strike again?

 

Cinnamon Twisted  by Ginger Bolton 

A mundane afternoon at the Deputy Donut café turns upside down when café owner Emily Westhill takes on the nearly impossible task of trying to return an earring to a customer in Cinnamon Twisted.  She gets more than she bargained for when, after finally locating the customer, Emily finds her dead!  Things become even more complicated for her when a police officer finds the other earring with a note attached to Emily herself.  Time is of the essence as Emily works to find a connection between the victim, earring and the mysterious history of the building that houses the Deputy Donut cafe!  Fans will enjoy this seventh book in the Deputy Donut mystery series.

Death Comes to Marlow  by Robert Thorogood 

The very popular Marlow Murder Club series returns in the second book in the series!  The trio of amateur sleuths make their next appearance in Death Comes to Marlow.  Recovering from the holiday festivities, Judith is invited to a pre-wedding celebration at the home of her aristocratic neighbor.  Events then go south from a blissful festive occasion to tragedy after the groom is found dead in a locked room.  Is it an accident or murder?  The sleuthing trio will have to find out!

 

Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow 

Hot Pot Murder, the second book in the LA Night Market mystery series, find cousins Yale and Celine Yee involved in another food stall escapade. After being invited to a gathering of local food vendors, one of the attendees doesn’t make it through the dinner and another vendor may be the culprit!  The cousins join forces to get to the bottom of the caper so the food market won’t close for good!

The Passenger

- Lynn Leave a comment

The Passenger, by Lisa Lutz, appeared in a list of books that had highly effective surprise endings. Not only are there abundant  twists and turns in this book, Lutz is able to create a plot in which our heroine, Tanya Dubois, is able to repeatedly go off the grid, even in this day and age. She travels the country by car and by rail, surviving by her considerable wits, know-how and ability to read people.

Although she adopts different names, hair colors and identities, “Tanya” is not really your typical unreliable narrator. Readers can believe what she tells them; but no one else should. We have the sense that even though she’s on the run, and whatever the catalyst may have been, it wasn’t her fault.  For one thing, she maintains an ironic, self-deprecating – and very dark – humor, which, for whatever reason, creates trust.

This novel is compelling on many levels. Tanya is like an onion; her secrets are many-layered, and peeled back ever so slowly. Information about her early life is gradually revealed in emails to and from a childhood friend. These emails are fraught with blame and bitterness and hint at traumatic events the two experienced during high school.

The surprise ending is well-earned and feels just. However, it’s so unexpected you want to go back and re-read the book with the new knowledge in mind.

I don’t understand why Lutz has never hit it big(ger). From the Spellman series onward, all her novels are finely crafted and populated with unique and/or eccentric characters.