Public Event
Nerd Nite Ann Arbor presented by AADL at LIVE 102 S First St.
Thursday June 16, 2016: 7:00pm to
9:30pm
LIVE (102 S 1st Street)
Adults
Blog Post
TV Spotlight: Mr. Show With Bob & David
by manz
Mr. Show starred David Cross and Bob Odenkirk and lasted four seasons, airing from 1995-1998. This was Bob and David before Arrested Development and Breaking Bad. The show features a series of sketches, each one linking slightly to the next one and offering ridiculous comedy.
This show was around during the prime 1990s sketch comedy era. You had amazing shows like Ben Stiller Show, The State, Upright Citizens Brigade, In Living Color, and Kids in the Hall, keeping you up late and laughing your face off as they launched the careers of many.
And since 1990s television shows are rebooting all over the place, sketch comedy is in on the game. W/ Bob and David is a new Netflix-only show that began in November and features four half-hour episodes including original cast members in new sketches, as well as a fifth episode acting as a behind-the-scenes.
Blog Post
New TV Shows @ AADL
by manz
The library is always acquiring additional TV shows and new seasons of them, be they hot and new, or oldies but goodies. Into comedy? Here are some new-to-AADL series:
Inside Amy Schumer, Seasons 1-3
Straight from Amy Schumer's provocative and hilariously wicked mind, Schumer explores sex, relationships and the general mix up that is life with sketches, stand-up comedy, and woman-on-the-street interviews.
The Bernie Mac show, Season 1
Bernie is a famous stand-up comedian living the good life in his Los Angeles home. Life was simple and sweet for the Mac-Man. Then one day Bernie's sister in Chicago is sent on a 'state-sponsored vacation' (rehab) and her three children: teenage adolescent Vanessa, asthmatic weaseling Jordan, and sweet, innocent Bryana, are taken into Bernie's custody. Raising kids is hard and these three are always giving poor Uncle Bernie trouble.
Girlfriends, Seasons 1-7
Meet four professional African-American women living in Los Angeles who are struggling with the weighty issues of life, including men, love, money, and more men. No matter what is going on in life, they rely on each other for support and humor.
For more TV shows, be sure to check out AADL’s lists for HOT TV shows, as well as NEW TV shows.
Blog Post
It Ended Badly: a fun winter read
by eapearce
New to the AADL collection is It Ended Badly, a fun book by Jennifer Wright detailing thirteen of the worst breakups in history. The book spans centuries: from medieval Rome to the Debbie Reynolds-Eddie Fisher-Elizabeth Taylor saga of 1950s-60s Hollywood, the breakups in the book are carefully chosen for their drama, their absurdity, and, of course, for the heartbreak they caused. This book is no downer though, despite its technically sad subject matter. Wright describes the characters vividly and throws in amusing anecdotes to keep the overall tone light. “If he was unhappy,” she writes about Timothy Dexter, who told everyone his wife was a ghost while she was still alive, “it seems it would have been easier to divorce than to pretend your wife does not exist, especially when she was still living in your home and throwing things at you.”
The introduction suggests that this book is intended for those who have just undergone a rough breakup (“If you are lying in bed right now, a pint of ice cream in one hand, a bottle of Scotch in the other, and this book clenched between your teeth, with tears streaming down your face over how much you loved, loved, loved your ex, let me commend you on how well you are coping. You could be doing so much worse.”), but I think it’s a fascinating read for anyone. Readers will learn a great deal about the individuals that Wright focuses on in the book, and about the time periods that they lived in, AND feel entirely equipped to answer trivia questions with obscure historical romance themes/have something at least moderately interesting to talk about with anyone at upcoming holiday parties. It Ended Badly is a great book to burrow under a blanket with on a chilly December evening, accompanied by a warm winter beverage.
Blog Post
Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook
by PizzaPuppy
"I'm Ragweed. I'm a farm dog, and I'm really, really good at it. Most dogs aren't. But don't worry. You'll be great! You have the handbook."
Ragweed's Farm Dog Handbook is a delightful new addition to our picture book collection. Throughout this darling book, Ragweed lists off tasks that a farm dog is not supposed to take part in, such as "don't wake the farmer", "don't lie in the mud" and "don't sit on the chickens' nests", but it's not until the end that Ragweed reveals the true purpose of being a farm dog: getting biscuit treats! With each line of advice, Ragweed is quick to break his rule... but usually receives a biscuit for his efforts anyway!
This adorable new book by Anne Vittur Kennedy features a fun premise and a truly charming pup. The humor is instantly identifiable, and readers of all ages will enjoy reading this goofy book together. The bright and colorful illustrations perfectly showcase Ragweed's enthusiasm and fervor for his perfectly suited profession. This hilarious romp through the tricky task of being the world's best farm dog is a real treat!
Writing & Publishing
New Yorker Cartoonist Bruce Eric Kaplan Discusses His New Memoir "I Was A Child"
Wednesday November 11, 2015: 7:00pm to
8:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Blog Post
Pixels on DVD & Blu-Ray
by manz
Pixels hasn’t really gotten good reviews…. But I kind of liked it? Perhaps it was the 1980s arcade video game nostalgia, perhaps it was Adam Sandler, perhaps I was just in the mood for a movie so bad its good?
In Pixels aliens misinterpret video feeds of classic arcade games as a threat and the aliens retaliate by attacking the Earth video-game style with games like Pac-Man, Donkey Kong and Space Invaders as a model for their war plan. The president, played by Kevin James, calls in his childhood best friend, Adam Sandler, who in 1982 was a video game champion, to help defeat the aliens and save the planet. Add in two more 80s childhood pals, one played by Peter Dinklage, a wacky love story, a cute kid, an intergalactic battle, and Q*bert and you’re all set!
Blog Post
The Bureau of Misplaced Dads
by manz
The Bureau of Misplaced Dads is a charmingly weird and beautifully illustrated picture book in which a young boy has misplaced his dad and cannot find him around the house. So naturally he happens upon the Bureau of Misplaced Dads and searches for him there. Is his dad hiding among the dads with beards, dads playing checkers, dads named Michael, or the dancing dads? The book is a bit bizarre and silly, and grown-ups are sure to enjoy it as much as, if not more, than the kiddos.
Public Event
Celebrated Actress, Writer, and Producer Cindy Williams Discusses Her Career And Her New Autobiography: “Shirley, I Jest!: A Storied Life”
Sunday August 9, 2015: 2:00pm to
3:30pm
Downtown Library: Multi-Purpose Room
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #539
by muffy
Exquisite Corpse *, marks the first US release for Paris-born bestselling graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu. This is the English translation of her Cadavre Exquis, originally published in French, and a prize-winner at the 2010 Angoulême International Comics Festival, the second largest comics festival in Europe.
Down-trodden twenty-something Zoe is a "booth babe", hawking luxury goods at trade shows by day and dreading the evenings with the unemployed Neanderthal of a boyfriend at home. On a lunch break, she meets Thomas Rocher, a recluse who happens to be a world-famous author, and soon becomes his girlfriend/muse. Everything is fabulous until Thomas' wife shows up, and that's just the first secrets that put into play an expected yet satisfying ending.
"(An) absorbing, fast-paced erotic literary drama... (this) funny and fresh exploration of authorship and a writer's relationship to fame is utterly charming."
An immensely fun and quick read.
* = starred review