On the Shelf

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

The English Patient

by Leave a Comment

The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Adults

Ondaatje’s novel is a poetic intersection of four stranger’s lives during their stay in an abandoned Italian villa at the end of World War II. There is Hana–the nurse, Caravaggio–the handless thief, Kip–the bomb defuser, and the English patient–the mysterious, bedridden man with severe burns covering the entirety of his body. With a slow and eloquent pace, the book gives each character the time to recount and process their lives and identities during the war. All the while, the mystery of the English patient unravels in the form of fragmented and feverish memories that conclude in a tragic tale of love and loss. What is revealed through their stories speaks to the complexity of identity, “otherness,” and the global consequences of war on cultural and geographical borders.

What I love about this book is how four perfect strangers come to realize that they, as people of the world, share “communal histories” and those cultural borders that suggest otherwise are meaningless in the face of loss. Their self identities, which were previously described in terms of nationalities, become blurred and then reactualized in the presence of the English patient–who is both literally and figuratively someone whose identity has been burned away from his very being. Ondaatje’s book is a deep reflection of the shared human experience and the tragedies of war.

Find it in our catalog.

My Hero Academia

by Leave a Comment

My Hero Academia
Format: YA Graphic Novel
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

Attention all heroes in training! There’s only one manga to read if you want to see a new take on the superhero genre. My Hero Academia is the tale of a world where 80% of the world develop powers, known as quirks. Ranging from super strength, to fire powers, to…..being a frog. Our protagonist is Izuku Midoriya, nickname Deku, one of the limited number of people born without a quirk, and thus is mocked for his desire to become a hero. But everything changes after a fateful encounter with the number one hero, and idol of young Midoriya, All-Might. This 9 foot, American oriented hero is the hero of the masses, but hold a fateful secret that Deku soon learns, giving him his chance in order to ascend the ranks and join the prestigious hero academy UA.

From here we’re treated to a delightful assortment of classmates and heros who are just trying to navigate high school life while also occasionally (ok, very often) fighting off villains and even worse, homework! One of the best elements is the growth of the characters in this series, where the ideals of self-sacrifice are examined, and what it means to the future, as well as learning from your mistakes and growing from them. Of particular note is Bakugo, the prodigy childhood friend of Deku turned school bully until fate finds them even ground, shaking Bakugo’s perspective and forcing him to grow as a result.

Overall, I’ve found My Hero to be a fantastic love letter to American superhero comics while still taking it’s own spin on the subject. It’s great for Teens and Adults, if you’re looking at it for younger readers, there’s enough language and action to recommend you to first take a read through to see if it’s right for them. My Hero has also spawned a fantastic anime series and their first movie is actually about to hit our shelves so there’s never been a better time to check it out, Plus Ultra!

Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds

by Leave a Comment

Look Big: And Other Tips for Surviving Animal Encounters of All Kinds
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

This easily-skimmable, illustrated wildlife survival guide, both humorous and helpful, explains what to do (or not do) in a showdown with 50 of the most feared and frustrating of North America’s creatures and critters.  As humans encroach on nature’s stomping ground, these run-ins are becoming increasingly common.  From bunnies to bull sharks, cockroaches to cows, this guide is handy for urban, suburban, and outdoor adventurers alike.  The readers can feel empowered to contain a major critter crisis or diffuse a dangerous disaster as each page contains expert tips, fascinating facts, and harrowing true tales of real-life encounters.  What I’ve learned: never turn your back on a goose, assume every moose is a serial killer, and if the mountain lion attacks, “give ’em hell.” Find it in the catalog.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

by Leave a Comment

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland  By Jim Defede
Format:  Audiobook
Who It’s For:  Adults

Everyone remembers where they were on 9/11.  It was a catastrophic day.  Seldom though, do we think about what happened to the rest of the planes in the sky after planes crashed into the World Trade Center Towers, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, PA.  At 9:42 am, the Federal Aviation Administration grounded all civilian aircraft within the continental U.S., and civilian aircraft already in flight were told to land immediately.  All international civilian aircraft were either turned back or redirected to airports in Canada or Mexico, and were banned from landing on United States Territory for three days.

When the United States shut down its airspace, tiny Gander International Airport in Newfoundland opened its runways, taking in 38 wide-body planes on transatlantic routes.   A town of about 10,000 people, with one hotel, took in nearly 7,000 passengers from more than 100 countries.  They made sure that the people, dogs, cats, and apes that were on board the planes forced to land in Gander, had food, prescriptions, bedding, clothing, toothbrushes, shower facilities and a place to sleep for several days.

Through interviews and research, Jim Defede shares with us the true story of the incredible acts of bravery, kindness, compassion and comfort that the people of Gander shared with those stranded passengers.  A day that was filled with so much terror and grief can also be looked upon as a day that humans were at their best in a small town in Newfoundland.

Find it in the catalog.

The House of Special Purpose

by Leave a Comment

The House of Special Purpose by John Boyne
Format: Audiobook
Who it’s for:  Adults

The House of Special Purpose is an historical novel set in the early to mid-20th century.  Georgy Jachmenev is an old man reminiscing on his former life when he was a youth in Russia.  He lives with his wife Zoya in England.  Georgy’s father, a tenant farmer, is inexplicably abusive to him.  As a teen, Georgy is witness to an event that takes place which precipitates his move to Saint Petersburg, the palace of the czar.  Czar Nicholas II and his wife, Empress Alexandra, have four daughters and a son.  Georgy is brought to the palace to live with the royal family as a companion to the son, young Alexei who was born with hemophilia.  He requires strict governance to prevent injury that could cause internal bleeding.  The story is set in the 1970’s but flashes back to the early 1900’s in Russia.  In the end, the true meaning of the house of special purpose is revealed.

The story is narrated by award-winning Stephan Rudnicki who does an excellent job speaking with a Russian accent.

Find it in our catalog

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

by Leave a Comment

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Format: Digital Audio Book
Who it’s for: Adults

Everyone has those days that never end. Aiden Bishop, however truly is doomed to repeat the same 24 hour period eight times, unless he can learn the truth of who killed Evelyn Hardcastle. Every day, Aiden wakes up in the body of another guest at the party, saddled with that guest’s talents, insecurities, and quirks. And every day, he must work to solve an unsolvable crime. If he cannot do so by the 8th day in the body of the 8th guest, he will have to begin once again from square one. Stuart Turton has created a dark world filled with complex characters who are often not what they seem. If the idea of the Bill Murray movie, Groundhog Day, as a psychological thriller filled with violence and set in the 19th century England appeals to you, you will want to rush to the shelves to get a copy of The 7 ½ Death of Evelyn Hardcastle. The audiobook, available both on Overdrive and Hoopla is particularly well done and read by James Cameron Stewart.
Find it in the Catalog