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Staff Picks: Great Graphic Novels
by emjane
We’re finally at the point where we can move beyond convincing adult readers that graphic novels are a valid format, right? (But just in case you need the pep talk – “Comics aren’t just for kids! Adding visuals to storytelling makes for a full reading experience and engaging and varied reading pace!”) Sometimes it’s wonderful to dive into a long, multi-volume Graphic Experience (and if that’s what you’re looking for, might I recommend Chew, Fables, or Scott Pilgrim, three of my favorites I find myself returning to) – but there’s something wonderful about a stand-alone graphic novel. Here are four of my favorites!
Seconds by Bryan Lee O’Malley | Request Now
We’ve all made decisions that, in hindsight, we’d make differently if given a second chance. Well, Chef Katie has stumbled across a way to do just that. Simply write down the thing you’d like to redo, eat one of the mushrooms the mysterious girl who appeared in your bedroom gave you, and go to sleep. When you wake up, you get your second chance. Nothing sketchy about that, right? But of course, like any media where you’re messing with the past, nothing is simple and consequences grow. O’Malley’s characters – both Katie and the folks who staff her restaurant – are likable, funny, and deeply relatable. It’s hard to avoid reading this book all in one sitting, but at the same time, I wish it had lasted longer. It’s a story fully told in one volume, but selfishly, I’d love to get more of Katie’s world.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Celebrate National Arab American Month!
by lucroe
April is National Arab American Heritage Month, and to celebrate the many voices of Arab & Arab American writers here are some highlights of books in our collection from fantasy to poetry to cooking. We also have an ever-growing collection of materials in the Arabic language that you can browse here. Of course, there are too many titles to include in one small blog but we hope you enjoy these authors’ works!
This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi | Request Now
Alizah is an orphan servant and also a Jinn, still persecuted, even though the wars between Jinn and humans have ended. She is also of royal blood that makes her heir to the Jinn’s lost kingdom. Kamran is the current royal prince in this Kingdom of Ardunia who wants to be a just king like his grandfather. They eventually meet and fall in love. But of course, it is not that easy with possible violent upheavals surrounding them that could potentially put them on opposing sides. This novel has roots in Islamic texts and the Persian epic, Shahnameh. Fantastic world-building and beautiful prose, this should engage any epic fantasy reader. Also, the sequel was just released, These Infinite Threads. If you like this fantasy you may also enjoy The Daughters of Izdihar by debut writer Hadeer Elsbai who blends a unique feminist fantasy inspired by modern Egyptian history.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Stuck Inside? We Can Help!
by emjane
With early spring, you never know what you’re going to get! I usually dream of front porch swing weather, but more often than not, we’re stuck in second (or third) winter and I’m desperate for something engaging to do indoors. Luckily, we’ve got lots of books that can help spur some indoor fun.
The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies & Bars by America’s Test Kitchen| Request Now
Baking is an ideal indoor activity – it’s a fun process and as an added bonus, you end with delicious treats! America’s Test Kitchen is one of my go-to sources for recipes, especially baking. They do a great job of breaking down the steps that go into a recipe, so even if you’re not making something you’re familiar with, you have a high rate of success!
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Staff Picks: Spring Clean Your Life
by lucroe
Spring will be here soon, even though with snow on the ground it seems so distant. Along with flowers blooming and sunnier days, Spring brings thoughts of renewal. With this sometimes comes thoughts of cleaning house and organizing one’s life. Here are some books that can provide tips and suggestions in this time of Spring rejuvenation.
Make Space for Happiness : How to Stop Attracting Clutter and Start Magnetizing the Life You Want by Tracy McCubbin | Request Now
Founder of the L.A. company, dClutterfly (the site also has resources for decluttering), has come out with this book to help everyone deal with the emotional attachment of objects in one’s life that may lead to material excess. She provides tips in how to motivate the disorganized or stressed in order to make more meaningful purchase choices as well as letting go of those things that she considers clutter magnets.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Animal Lives
by lucroe
There is so much to gain from being immersed in and observing nature, besides an overall appreciation of its beauty and wonder, there is the hope that we can become better stewards of our environment. To study nature is not only to understand ourselves and our place in it, but to learn about our fellow creatures as well. Here are but a few of the more recent plethora of books that open up our minds to a new understanding of animals, whether it is the dog in our house, the crustacean in the sea, or ants in the garden, these books fascinate.
Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? By Frans de Waal | Request Now
Dutch primatologist and frequent writer on animal behavior, de Waal here tackles the way research has been conducted on animals in the past (along with its bias), and how tests should be species specific rather than humancentric. In vignettes, he shows how intelligence tests when given correctly to fit the species, show not only that animals are much smarter and that previous tests were flawed, it challenges the idea that humans are the superior intellect. He also points out through research that animals show empathy, cooperation, and problem-solving capabilities. Well worth the read along with his book on animal emotions called Mama’s Last Hug.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Award-Winning Audiobooks
by eapearce
Along with using the Libby app to checkout ebooks and audiobooks, AADL has a wide-ranging collection of audiobooks on CD! We’re adding new titles to this collection all the time. Here are some favorite and award-winning audiobooks you might want to check out.
Finding Me, by Viola Davis | Request Now
There’s something special about hearing a book read in the author’s own voice, especially when that book is an autobiography, and especially when the author is Viola Davis. In her memoir, Davis talks about coming-of-age under challenging circumstances in Rhode Island after her sharecropper grandparents migrated there from South Carolina. Listeners follow along with her fascinating story of outrunning her past all the way to finding her true purpose of a creative life on the New York stage and beyond. Davis has said that she hopes her story inspires others to find their outlets for creative expression and not be held back by labels that the world puts on people, especially young Black women.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Exploring Afrofuturism
by lucroe
Afrofuturism is a wide-ranging social, political and artistic movement that imagines a world where African-descended peoples and cultures (largely ignored in mainstream depictions of a utopian future) play a central role in the creation of that world. Afrofuturism’s influence is represented in every art form from the literature of Octavia Butler and Samuel Delaney to the music of Sun Ra and Janelle Monae to Black Panther and its costume designer Ruth E Carter. The list goes on….
Afrofuturism : the World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture by Ytasha Womack | Request Now
A primer for understanding Afrofuturism and those that play a role in it. Whether one is interested in knowing the artists or further understanding the movement from its beginnings, this informative and entertaining work is, as DJ Spooky puts it a “…quantum romp through the Afro-Multiverse…”
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Skip the Hold Line and Check Out the Express Shelf!
by emjane
You may gulp when you see the length of the hold list for these amazing titles. They’re deservedly in high demand and are worth the long wait. But sometimes you just don’t feel like waiting for that hot new title! And if you’re lucky, you might be able to snag an Express Shelf copy.
What is the Express Shelf? We get extra copies of super popular books and rather than using them to fill holds, we put them back on the shelf as soon as they’re returned! They check out for two weeks and can’t be renewed, but with books this good, you’ll want to find the time to read them before the due date! It’s a bit of a lottery, but I recommend making a quick perusal of the Express Shelf a part of every library trip. You never know what great thing you might be lucky enough to find!
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Black Comic Book Creators
by lucroe
In celebration of Black History month, we present a series of graphic novels featuring powerful stories by Black creators, exploring many aspects of race in ways both real and fantastic.
Bitter Root Vol 1 by Check Brown, Sanford Greene, Rico Rizzi & Clayton Cowless | Request Now
Set in Harlem renaissance New York, it tells the tale of the Sangereye family that use roots and potions to fight supernatural forces that threaten the world in a blend of horror and historical fiction.
Blog Post
Staff Picks: Spotlight on Ukraine
by eapearce
The ongoing war in Ukraine has many people interested in learning more about the country and in reading titles by Ukrainian authors. AADL is growing our collection of these titles! We’re also growing our collection of books in Ukrainian for both kids and adults. Browse AADL’s World Languages collection to see newly added titles in Ukrainian. In March, you can also view our Spotlight on Ukraine display in the Downtown Library lobby. For English speakers interested in Ukraine, here are a few titles to start with!
Budmo!: Recipes from a Ukrainian Kitchen, by Anna Voloshyna | Request Now
In this new cookbook, you can celebrate the rich culture of Ukrainian cuisine with traditional recipes with a modern twist. Anna Voloshyna is a young Ukrainian chef who moved to the Bay Area in 2011 from Kyiv. There, she began hosting Eastern European pop-up dinners featuring recipes from her homeland, and from these, Budmo! was born. Voloshyna’s mouth-watering recipes include her grandmother’s roasted duck, reinvented borscht with sorrels and soft eggs, and roasted beet pkhali, a minced vegetable dish topped with pomegranate molasses. “Budmo!” means “cheers!” in Ukrainian and you’ll want to host your own dinner party featuring recipes from this gorgeous book after you flip through the pages!