A historical K-drama meets murder mysteries meets drama. This gorgeous book set in one of the darkest periods of the Joseon Era of Korean history offers gasp-worthy surprises, heart-wrenching moments, and plenty of romantic tension – all while shining a light on a period that many would rather forget. However, as the author says, history repeats itself if you ignore it – and June Hur makes it hard to ignore this story’s heroes as they experience love, treachery, despair, and begin to hope for a future out of the darkness of the historical moment.
Find A Crane Among Wolves in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook
Read more about the author Here
Spy X Family, Vol. 1 by Tatsuya Endo
I love this book because of the dramatic irony – a spy, an assassin, and a telepath are all using the cover of being a family to avoid suspicion and achieve their goals. The telepath, a very small girl, is the only one who knows the whole truth! It’s hilarious, and also has some action and intrigue, plus an associated anime series.
Find the Spy x Family manga series in the library catalog Here
and the anime series Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBooks
Jen recommends . . .
Where the Dark Stands Still by A. B. Poranek
It's a fascinating world based on and inspired by Polish mythology and folklore, reminiscent of fairy tales and movies from Studio Ghibli. The plot is a wonderful adventure in an unusual forest with a somewhat sentient house, a magician, a sarcastic cat, and centuries-old mysteries to solve. It's a lightly spooky read with rich, descriptive writing style that's perfect for the longer nights and cooler weather of autumn.
Find Where the Dark Stands Still in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Katy recommends . . .
A Snake Falls to Earth by Darcie Little Badger
"This story takes you into a world of magic, friendship, and family that is entertaining and unforgettable."
A Snake Falls to Earth is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism. Darcie Little Badger draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed. Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
Find A Snake Falls to Earth in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Malin recommends . . .
Forever by Judy Blume
Forever has been a popularly banned book and is still being actively banned today, so if that piques your interest, this may be the book for you! This is one of Judy Blume's more mature YA books (maybe more for older teens), and although it is from 1975 and can be a little dated, I still find it to be applicable today. I really appreciate this book because I find it to be an honest depiction of how a teenage relationship might be like. The depictions of this relationship can be specific and vivid. I believe that it is still an important read. Find Forever in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Brazen: rebel ladies who rocked the world by Pénélope Bagieu (Author/Illustrator)
This is an excellent graphic novel and a pretty quick read. It introduced me to many amazing women I knew little-to-nothing about. I especially loved learning about Sonita Alizadeh, a rapper I had never previously heard of who is now one of my favorite artists. I also particularly loved Margaret Hamilton, Tove Jansson, Christine Jorgensen, and Mae Jemison. Each woman in this book has a bite-size chapter that is easy to absorb, and you'll be glad you took the bit of time to read each one.
2019 Eisner Award Winner for Best U.S. Edition of International Material Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit. With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison or Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies. Find Brazen in the library catalog Here
Millie recommends . . .
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
“You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think my way out.”
This book is a testament to the notion that writing, in of itself, is resistance. While many know this book for its movie adaptation and place in pop culture, revisiting this book as an adult introduces you to an entirely new novel. Written by a woman who worked in children's shows for years, this book is a scathing critique of the normalization of child exploitation, both in film and under capitalism. The value of media literacy is explored in this novel, making a statement about media as an effective form of control, power of propaganda, and the waning ability to distinguish reality from entertainment. This book points out that the wealthy can only live in splendor by creating a permanent poverty class; one maintained through military control, restriction of birth control, and lack of upward mobility. In preparation for Collins’ newest novel, I suggest you reexamine this favorite of the YA dystopian genre. Find The Hunger Games in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Tyler recommends . . .
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami
"Very Cool manga series."
To gain the power he needs to save his friend from a cursed spirit, Yuji Itadori swallows a piece of a demon, only to find himself caught in the midst of a horrific war of the supernatural! In a world where cursed spirits feed on unsuspecting humans, fragments of the legendary and feared demon Ryomen Sukuna have been lost and scattered about. Should any demon consume Sukuna's body parts, the power they gain could destroy the world as we know it. Fortunately, there exists a mysterious school of jujutsu sorcerers who exist to protect the precarious existence of the living from the supernatural! Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they'll unleash when they break the seal...
Find Jujutsu Kaisen manga series in the library catalog Here
For these recommendations and more, stop by the library or peruse our online offerings through the Libby and Hoopla apps. If you have a book suggestion of your own, we would love to hear about it! Leave a comment here or fill out a Reader's Pick form at the library.
Happy Fall reading everyone!
Emmon recommends . . .
A historical K-drama meets murder mysteries meets drama. This gorgeous book set in one of the darkest periods of the Joseon Era of Korean history offers gasp-worthy surprises, heart-wrenching moments, and plenty of romantic tension – all while shining a light on a period that many would rather forget. However, as the author says, history repeats itself if you ignore it – and June Hur makes it hard to ignore this story’s heroes as they experience love, treachery, despair, and begin to hope for a future out of the darkness of the historical moment.
Find A Crane Among Wolves in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook
Read more about the author Here
I love this book because of the dramatic irony – a spy, an assassin, and a telepath are all using the cover of being a family to avoid suspicion and achieve their goals. The telepath, a very small girl, is the only one who knows the whole truth! It’s hilarious, and also has some action and intrigue, plus an associated anime series.
Find the Spy x Family manga series in the library catalog Here
and the anime series Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBooks
Jen recommends . . .
It's a fascinating world based on and inspired by Polish mythology and folklore, reminiscent of fairy tales and movies from Studio Ghibli. The plot is a wonderful adventure in an unusual forest with a somewhat sentient house, a magician, a sarcastic cat, and centuries-old mysteries to solve. It's a lightly spooky read with rich, descriptive writing style that's perfect for the longer nights and cooler weather of autumn.
Find Where the Dark Stands Still in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Katy recommends . . .
"This story takes you into a world of magic, friendship, and family that is entertaining and unforgettable."
A Snake Falls to Earth is a breathtaking work of Indigenous futurism. Darcie Little Badger draws on traditional Lipan Apache storytelling structure to weave another unforgettable tale of monsters, magic, and family. It is not to be missed. Nina is a Lipan girl in our world. She's always felt there was something more out there. She still believes in the old stories. Oli is a cottonmouth kid, from the land of spirits and monsters. Like all cottonmouths, he's been cast from home. He's found a new one on the banks of the bottomless lake. Nina and Oli have no idea the other exists. But a catastrophic event on Earth, and a strange sickness that befalls Oli's best friend, will drive their worlds together in ways they haven't been in centuries. And there are some who will kill to keep them apart.
Find A Snake Falls to Earth in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Forever has been a popularly banned book and is still being actively banned today, so if that piques your interest, this may be the book for you! This is one of Judy Blume's more mature YA books (maybe more for older teens), and although it is from 1975 and can be a little dated, I still find it to be applicable today. I really appreciate this book because I find it to be an honest depiction of how a teenage relationship might be like. The depictions of this relationship can be specific and vivid. I believe that it is still an important read.
Find Forever in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
This is an excellent graphic novel and a pretty quick read. It introduced me to many amazing women I knew little-to-nothing about. I especially loved learning about Sonita Alizadeh, a rapper I had never previously heard of who is now one of my favorite artists. I also particularly loved Margaret Hamilton, Tove Jansson, Christine Jorgensen, and Mae Jemison. Each woman in this book has a bite-size chapter that is easy to absorb, and you'll be glad you took the bit of time to read each one.
Find Brazen in the library catalog Here
“You’re not leaving me here alone,” I say. Because if he dies, I’ll never go home, not really. I’ll spend the rest of my life in this arena, trying to think my way out.”
This book is a testament to the notion that writing, in of itself, is resistance. While many know this book for its movie adaptation and place in pop culture, revisiting this book as an adult introduces you to an entirely new novel. Written by a woman who worked in children's shows for years, this book is a scathing critique of the normalization of child exploitation, both in film and under capitalism. The value of media literacy is explored in this novel, making a statement about media as an effective form of control, power of propaganda, and the waning ability to distinguish reality from entertainment. This book points out that the wealthy can only live in splendor by creating a permanent poverty class; one maintained through military control, restriction of birth control, and lack of upward mobility. In preparation for Collins’ newest novel, I suggest you reexamine this favorite of the YA dystopian genre.
Find The Hunger Games in the library catalog Here
Also available for digital checkout:
Libby eBook and audiobook
Hoopla eBook and audiobook
Read more about the author Here
Tyler recommends . . .
"Very Cool manga series."
Find Jujutsu Kaisen manga series in the library catalog Here
For these recommendations and more, stop by the library or peruse our online offerings through the Libby and Hoopla apps. If you have a book suggestion of your own, we would love to hear about it! Leave a comment here or fill out a Reader's Pick form at the library.
Happy Fall reading everyone!
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