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Talking to Strangers

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Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know by Malcolm Gladwell
Format: eAudiobook, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

Talking to Strangers takes a close look at how we interact with each other and what assumptions we make everyday that change the way we communicate, judge, and interact. Gladwell, a #1 New York Times bestselling author dives into what at first appear to be separate and unrelated true stories of human interactions but then lead to his discussion of how many of the tools and strategies we use to make sense of people and their actions actually don’t help us make good judgements or decisions. If we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect on our interactions and relationships.

Gladwell narrates the audiobook and it is highly recommended. Not only do you hear Gladwell, but also interviews of many of the people he discusses. Even the court transcripts are brought to life with actors re-enactments. It is fascinating to learn about famous examples such as Bernie Madoff, Amanda Knox, and Sylvia Plath, hearing directly from many of the people involved in these real-life stories.  

Find it on Libby/Overdrive

Renegades Series

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Renegades by Marissa Meyer
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

What if superheroes were real? The Renegades are an organization led by the heroes who saved the world from anarchy, and made up from prodigies who are humans with extraordinary abilities. The Renegades are champions of justice and peace, a symbol of hope and courage to most – just not the ‘villains’ who they overthrew to gain power.

Nova is a prodigy on a mission for vengeance. The Renegades weren’t there for her when she needed them most, and therefore she wants to show the world who they truly are. As she infiltrates the ranks of the Renegades, she learns that not everything is as it seems and that it’s hard to paint anyone as all hero or all villain.

Book 1: Renegades
Book 2: Arch Enemies
Book 3: Supernova

Find it in the catalog

The War I Finally Won

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The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Format: eBook
First Book: The War That Saved My Life
Who it’s for: Kids

The War I Finally Won is the second book following the story of Ada and her brother Jamie living in England during World War II. The first book, The War That Saved My Life, tells of how Ada and Jamie flee London and find safety with their guardian, Susan. This second book starts with Ada’s clubfoot being surgically fixed and the many emotions she experiences as she realizes that she is able to walk, run and do all the things her mother always derided her for not being able to do. She has to grapple with the question: who is she now? As the war continues, Ada and Jamie must learn to find hope and joy in difficult times while experiencing loss and fear. Can they learn to love a German? Can they help the war effort and stay optimistic? Ada makes new friends in unexpected places, and she is finally able to find her home. Find it in the catalog.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo

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Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo by Zora Neale Hurston
Format: Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens and Adults

Barracoon: The Story of the Last Black Cargo is excellent as an audiobook! Zora Neale Hurston interviewed 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis, the last living person able to tell the story of being transported from Africa to America as a slave. Cudjo was born in Africa and as a young man was captured and brought to America packed on a slave ship with more than 100 others, lived as a slave for several years, through the Civil War and then many years after as a free man in Alabama. Told in his voice using Cudjo’s unique vernacular, the audiobook helps the reader hear and understand Cudjo’s story. Barracoon is recommended for people interested in history, civil rights, and stories about the resilience of the human spirit.

Find it in the catalog or on Hoopla

Fahrenheit 451

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Listen to the Book, Watch the Movie!

Audiobook: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Movie: Fahrenheit 451 – HBO Original Movie
Movie Release Date: May 12, 2018
Starring: Michael B. Jordon, Lilly Singh, Sofia Boutella and Michael Shannon

Listen to Ray Bradbury’s classic novel Fahrenheit 451, narrated by Tim Robbins, and then watch the new HBO Original Movie starring Michael B. Jordon as Montag, a fireman whose job is to burn rather than save. Montag becomes increasingly concerned about his career of burning books as he meets a stranger (Clarisse) who sees the world in a very different way than anyone he has met before. He grows tired of the mindlessness of his everyday life and seeks guidance and comfort in the very books he has been told to burn. The story follows the conflict between what Montag knows and what he seeks to know while exploring his struggle with his fire captain mentor, Captain Beatty; his wife, Millie; and a new mentor who loves books and knowledge, Faber.

Find it in the catalog