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Audiobook

The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

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The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish
Format: Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

This book is hilarious. The audiobook is exuberantly read by the author and her grit and honesty shine through from the very first line. Haddish unfurls an intense string of experiences that make readers feel a personal connection with her. She shares stories of her grade school bullies, her time in foster care, a mother with mental illness, experiences with sexual abuse, and domestic violence. Her hardships have been intense but through humor and bravery she refuses to fail.
Haddish opens her life to her us with no filter. The language is excessively profane but the blunt retelling of her experiences makes the reader feel spellbound by her strength and self confidence. This book leaves readers with the feeling that they can succeed through anything. If you’re looking for a gritty, uplifting read, this is a winner. Find it in the catalog.

The Poet X

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The Poet X  By Elizabeth Acevedo
Format: Audio
Who it’s for:  Teens, Adults

Xiomara, a Dominican American teen living in Harlem, is struggling to define who she is.  Her twin brother, Xavier, is the smart one.  He skipped a grade and attends a different, “smart” high school.  Xiomara (See-oh-MAH-ruh) is lost in her journal, defending herself from the attention of boys, and running away from her mother’s religion.  Xiomara’s teacher introduces her to slam poetry and invites her to attend a poetry club.  But, it’s at the same time as her confirmation class so she doesn’t attend.    Xiomara continues to write her thoughts, frustrations and passions in her journal.

Xiomara meets a boy in Bio class, Aman, that she is definitely interested in.  She sneaks away to the park to spend time with him.  She reads him her poetry and she realizes that she is good at it.  But, Mami, still expects her to attend confirmation class and be a good, religious girl.  It all comes crashing down on her when her Mami finds out about her boyfriend and finds her journal.

This award winning novel is told in poetry.  It was an amazing audio experience.  To hear the words is very different than to read them.  And, if you do not speak Spanish it is much easier to listen so the words are pronounced correctly.

This book won the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature (2018) and the Michael L. Printz Award (2019).

 Find it in the catalog.

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

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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.

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The House of Special Purpose

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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.

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The Girl with No Name

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The Girl with No Name by Diney Costeloe
Format: CD Book
Who it’s for:  Adults and teens

Lisa is a thirteen year old Jewish girl escaping Nazi Germany after her family has been driven from their home.  She was sent to England with other children and eventually arrived in London, lonely, scared and unable to speak English.  A childless couple took her in and cared for her.  Lisa attended school with many other refugee children and she gradually learned English.  When the Nazis bombed London Lisa escaped to a bomb shelter but she was injured.  She lost her memory and couldn’t recall anything about her previous life.  She was transferred to a children’s home until it also became a target of the attacks.  Another evacuation forced her to find a new home in the country with a kind spinster woman.  If you are a fan of historical novels, listen to this captivating story by Diney Costeloe.  This is the first book in the series.  The next one is The Married Girls.

The narrator, Anna Bentinck, has a wonderful speaking voice and makes this story come to life.  She is a British actress and producer who has done hundreds of broadcasts on BBC, was the voice for an animation series and has narrated many audiobooks.  The author, Diney Costeloe, writes historical novels and also writes romantic novels under the name of Diney Delancey.

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Tradition

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Tradition by Brendan Kiely
Format: Book & Audiobook
Who it’s for: Teens & Adults

Jules Devereux is starting her senior year at Fullbrook Academy, an elite boarding school in New England, and is already counting the days to graduation so she can leave behind her ex-boyfriend, her ex-best friends, and everything she thinks is wrong with Fullbrook.
Always an outspoken advocate, Jules finds herself strangely silenced when she becomes the victim of sexual assault at the annual fall drinking party. Finding an administration unwilling to act, she and her new found friends launch a plan to get everyone’s attention and challenge what is accepted just because it’s always been that way.

I heard the author, Brendan Kiely, speak at a conference and his genuine concern for responsible and respectful behavior made me want to read this book.  It’s thought provoking and made me see how we often let things stay the same for no better reason than that’s how it’s always been. Brendan Kiely also co-authored the 2016 One Maryland One Book: All American Boys.
Find it in the catalog