On the Shelf

Header Right Social

FacebookInstagramMeetupOn the Shelf Blog

Header Right Search

Book

My Sister, the Serial Killer

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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

by Leave a Comment

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.

Tradition

by Leave a Comment

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

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go

by Leave a Comment

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go by Amy E. Reichert
Format: Book
Who it’s for: Adults

The Optimist’s Guide to Letting Go is a touching story that follows three generations of women as they all deal with grief in their own way. The “middle” generation is represented by Gina, a food truck owner still reeling from her husband’s unexpected death while also helping her daughter May cope with her own loss. Just when Gina thinks she and May might be recovering and mending their fractured relationship, Gina’s mother Lorraine suffers a debilitating stroke. In the process of helping her mother heal, Gina slowly discovers a secret Lorraine has fought to keep hidden for decades. All of Reichert’s titles are simply delightful and highly recommended!
Find it in the catalog

My Pictures After The Storm

by Leave a Comment

My Pictures after the Storm by Eric Veille
Format: Book
Who’s it for: Children, adults that like puns and clever jokes

My pictures: Pail.  Slide.  Ice cream cone.

My pictures after the storm: Puddle.  ǝpᴉlS.  Ice cream gone!

My Pictures after the Storm, written and illustrated by Eric Veille, is one of the cleverest children’s books I’ve read in a log time.  To put that statement in context, I am a professional children’s librarian and reading children’s books and being aware of what children’s books are coming out is a significant portion of my job.  There is very little that comes out that I don’t at least offer a cursory thumb through and this book has impressed me with some of its downright ingenious use of wordplay and visual humor.

My pictures: Mother.  Child.  Father.

My pictures after the baby: High Chair.  Rattle.  Bassinet.  Nightlight.  Baby Food.  Formula.  Bib.  Bottle.  Teddy bear.  Crying little sister.  Scared big brother.

The way that Veille is able to arrange the images in such a way as to hit the joke home is one of his strongest qualities.  In the above example, not only is it funny because with a new baby comes a deluge of stuff for that baby, but the images are arranged in a big circle around the baby with the older brother siting  nearby with look of agitation on his face.  This further illustrates how life can feel as if it literally revolves around a new baby, as well as depict how a first born may feel when they have a baby brother or sister.

My pictures: Apple.  Bread.  Boiled Spinach.

My pictures after lunch: Core.  Crumbs.  Boiled Spinach.

Maybe it’s the dad in me, but I’m always down for a good pun. In terms of wordplay and visual humor My Pictures after the Storm is an example of this style of humor at its very best.  Find it in the catalog.