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Finding Langston

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Finding Langston by Lesa Cline-Ransome
Format: Book
Who it’s for:  Kids

In 1946, Langston and his Dad move to Chicago from rural Alabama.  His mother recently passed away and he is feeling a little lost in this big city.   The city is so noisy and everyone calls him “Country boy” because he has an accent and wears overalls.  He hasn’t made any friends and is experiencing bullying from a few kids in his class.  In order to avoid the bullies, one day he goes a different way home from school and discovers the George Cleveland Hall Branch Library.

The library becomes his home away from home.  He never imagined such a wonderful place and they allow colored folks!  The first book he finds is by Langston Hughes and he wonders if he was named after him?  He finds he has a lot in common with Mr. Hughes and soon discovers more poetry and writings by other Negro writers.

Langston’s journey to discovering himself is beautifully written by Ms. Cline-Ransome.  This is truly a lovely book.  It’s a love story for libraries and writers.  And, it’s a story about the Great Migration when many blacks from the South migrated to the North after World War II.

Find it in the catalog

My Sister, the Serial Killer

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Recommended Book
My Sister, the Serial Killer by  Oyinkan Braithwaite
Publication/Release Date: November 20, 2018
Format: Book or ebook
Who it’s for: Adults

Here is the publisher’s blurb. I’d suggest only reading this much of it. It gives away too much of the story, IMHO. I picked this book based solely on the cover, title, and the author’s name.

Satire meets slasher in this short, darkly funny hand grenade of a novel about a Nigerian woman whose younger sister has a very inconvenient habit of killing her boyfriends.

“Femi makes three, you know. Three and they label you a serial killer.”

Korede is bitter. How could she not be? Her sister, Ayoola, is many things: the favorite child, the beautiful one, possibly sociopathic. And now Ayoola’s third boyfriend in a row is dead. Korede’s practicality is the sisters’ saving grace. She knows the best solutions for cleaning

I read an advanced review copy ebook from Netgalley. We call them ARC’s. If you subscribe to different services or get on publishers’ lists, you can receive ARC’s of books to review before they are released. It’s pretty cool.

I am not sure how to comment on this without giving anything away. Basically, I really like it even though I don’t like any of the characters in the book. Although I can’t really tell they are in Africa, I was glad it was a novel written by an African woman.  I was disappointed about that part. This story reads like any other story of a place I have never been in the USA; except for a few words (that I hope will have definitions in the finished publication), the traffic police, and a mention of a chief. As I read I thought they must be in Nigeria because that is where the author lives but I never could recall the name of the city. Since it’s a great character driven story, not much detail about the city/country where they live.

Korede is the older sister who enables Ayoola, her younger spoiled sister (as does the entire world cuz she is just that pretty). Right off the bat I am not that sympathetic to either of the sisters. Korede cuz she complains bitterly about Ayoola but says nothing and keeps enabling.  Ayoola cuz she is a killer and a spoiled brat. Yet I really liked this book.  It was quite thrilling in some parts and the other parts were equally fascinating.  I did read parts out of order.  The chapters titled Father intrigued me. I had a theory about his death and wanted to see if I was correct. I also read ahead because I wanted to know if Ayoola killed Korede’s crush. It’s a short read so I had already read a third of the book by the time I skipped around.  It was a great, fun read. I hope she writes more and that they get published/released in the USA as well.

Find this thriller here

 

Girls on the Line

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Girls on the Line by Jennie Liu
Publication Date: November 1, 2018
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens

Violating Family Planning regulations by having a child out of wedlock sounds like something from a dystopian novel. In China, it is the reality for millions.

Luli has aged out of the orphanage at 16 and is forced into the world of adulthood. She connects with her friend Yun who aged out of the system the year before. Yun helps Luli to get a job at the factory where she works and promises to show her the ropes. Yun is energetic and precarious, spending her money on eating out with her friends, going to clubs, and spending time with her older boyfriend. Luli is shy, saves her money, and hopes to one day have a family. Luli soon hears the rumors about Yun’s boyfriend. He sells off young girls and women to men in the countryside, he is a bride trafficker. Yun refuses to believe these rumors and finds herself in a position that seems inescapable. She is pregnant with Yun’s child and doesn’t have the money to abide by the Family Planning regulations; get an abortion, or pay the fines for having a child outside of marriage. Luli wants to help her friend, but can she?

Yun and Luli live in a culture where superstition and appearances are vital to success in life. These beliefs impact personal relationships and employment prospects. Add to that the government’s Family Planning regulations, and life can be incredibly difficult for women in this culture. The harrowing experiences of these two young women leads them on a journey of self-discovery, selflessness, sorrow, and friendship that is worth reading about.

Find it in the catalog

 

 

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World

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Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World by Vashti Harrison
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Kids

Little Dreamers is a collection of true stories about the women creators, inventors, scientists, artists, and thinkers who changed the world with their ideas. From computer programmer Ada Lovelace to activist Wangari Maathai, this book tells the inspirational tales of those women whom perhaps were previously left out of history’s spotlight. The contributions of these women had profound influence in their respective cultures and ultimately helped to shape our world as we know it today.

The recognition given to each of these women’s accomplishments is presented by Vashti Harrison in a format that is both informative and succinct which would appeal well to the younger, targeted age group. However, I do believe that this could be an enjoyable book for readers of all ages. Harrison’s stories paired with her charming illustrations create a visually appealing timeline; one can flip through the book noting the distinct changes to the illustrations for each woman. While each woman is artistically rendered to represent her unique self, there is a standard stylistic format the author uses for her illustrations which implies that these women are of a strong and singular power. I found this book important because it reminds young audiences us that even the visionary, trail-blazing women of history were all once little dreamers, who dared to dream big.

Find it in our catalog.

Golden Kamuy

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Golden Kamuy by Satoru Noda
Publication Date: June 06, 2017
Format: Graphic Novel
Who’s it for: Teens, Adults

Golden Kamuy is the exciting tale of Sachi Sugimoto, veteran of the Russo-Japanese war, who finds himself wrapped up in the hunt for a trove of hidden Ainu gold. Golden Kamuy paints an interesting picture of survivalist and Japanese society at the turn of the 19th century. Going by the moniker of “Immortal” from his war days, Sugimoto finds himself joined by a variety of allies, from the young huntress Asirpa and the cunning “Escape King”, while opposed by historical figures along the way. The map to the gold is tattooed on the skins of 24 escaped death row convicts, hunted by multiple groups tracking the treasure. Some of the prisoners are inspired by prolific American serial killers, including H.H. Holmes and Henry Lee Lucas.

Golden Kamuy has recently received an anime series, and has proven to be a surprise hit. What really drew me to it was the fantastic interplay between characters, as well as the interesting subject matter. The characters really develop interesting relationships with each other, and sometimes antagonists have surprising moments of depth which really add to their interactions with our heroes. There’s a lot of detail to the hunting aspects prevalent in Ainu culture, and teaching quite a bit about utilizing all of the parts of an animal that I didn’t know about. Golden Kamuy starts as a thrilling hunt for lost gold but quickly becomes more than that, the stories of numerous characters quickly entwining themselves and creating a number of memorable moments and personality clashes. See you in the wilds! Find it in our catalog now.

Dumplin’

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Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy
Format: Book, Audio Book
Whose it for: Adults and Teens

Willowdean Dixon introduces self as “cashier, Dolly Parton enthusiast, and resident fat girl.”  She doesn’t consider her weight and stature to be a nuisance as some might think. “I mean, if it were 1642, my wide birthing hips would be worth many cows or something.” But in Clover City, Texas, football stars and beauty pageant queens reign supreme. Despite this, Will (nicknamed ‘Dumplin’ by her former beauty queen mom) has never struggled to love herself and her body… until she meets Bo Larson aka “Peach Butt” whose attention and affection give Will a whole new sense of self-doubt.  This insecurity is amplified when her best friend, Ellen, makes new “twiggy” friends, who make no secret of what they think of Will, her weight, and her friendship with Ellen.  In order to regain her confidence, Will does the most horrifying thing she can imagine: entering the Miss Teen Blue Bonnet beauty pageant.  Motivated by Will’s bravery, some other unlikely candidates join the cause and gain help from a few unconventional sources.

This book focuses mainly on the theme of body image, but touches on relationships, family life, and grief.  Dumplin’, though adorable and hilarious, teaches about body positivity and self-love, not only for the ample-bodied, but for anyone who views themselves as an obstacle rather than an asset. Find it in the catalog.