Diana DiPierro

What’s New Wednesdays: Oscar Films

Award Winners, In the Collection, In the Headlines, Music and Video / By /

This Sunday, Feb. 9th, the Oscars are on the ABC network, and we have some of the nominated films! A list of the categories with nominees can be viewed, or printed, if you’re participating in any contests during the show.

Please check the “What’s New Wednesdays” (WNW) display case past the Reference Desk to see availability (or click on the title links throughout the blog). If something is already checked out, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for help, or to place a hold.

Joker / Nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor, among others. Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Robert De Niro, Zazie Beetz, Frances Conroy. “Failed comedian Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix) encounters violent thugs while wandering the streets of Gotham City dressed as a clown. Disregarded by society, Fleck begins a slow descent into madness as he transforms into the criminal mastermind known as Joker in director Todd Phillips’ thrilling origin story.”–Container

The Lighthouse / Nominees: Cinematography Starring Robert Pattinson, Willem Dafoe, Valeriia Karaman. “From Robert Eggers, the visionary filmmaker behind the modern horror masterpiece ‘The Witch,’ comes this hypnotic and hallucinatory tale of two lighthouse keepers (Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson) on a remote and mysterious New England island in the 1890s. As an approaching storm threatens to sweep them from the rock and strange apparitions emerge from the fog, each man begins to suspect that the other has become dangerously unmoored.”–Container

Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood / Nominees: Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (DiCaprio), Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Pitt), Best Director (Tarantino) among others. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie. “Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood’ visits 1969 Los Angeles, where everything is changing, as TV star Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and his longtime stunt double Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt) make their way around an industry they hardly recognize anymore. The ninth film from the writer-director features a large ensemble cast and multiple storylines in a tribute to the final moments of Hollywood’s golden age.”–Container

Parasite / Nominees: Best Picture, among others. Starring Song Kang Ho, Lee Sun Kyun, Cho Yeo Jeong, Choi Woo Shik, Park So Dam. “Meet the Park family, the picture of aspirational wealth. And the Kim family, rich in street smarts but not much else. Be it chance or fate, these two houses are brought together and the Kims sense a golden opportunity. Masterminded by college-aged Ki-woo, the Kim children expediently install themselves as tutor and art therapist to the Parks. Soon, a symbiotic relationship forms between the two families. The Kims provide ‘indispensable’ luxury services while the Parks obliviously bankroll their entire household. When a parasitic interloper threatens the Kims’ newfound comfort, a savage, underhanded battle for dominance breaks out, threatening to destroy the fragile ecosystem between the Kims and the Parks. By turns darkly hilarious and heart-wrenching, ‘Parasite’ showcases a modern master at the top of his game.”–Container

Rocketman / Nominees: Music (Original Song)-(I’m Gonna) Love Me Again-Music by Elton John, Lyric by Bernie Taupin. Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Gemma Jones, Bryce Dallas Howard. “‘Rocketman’ is a one-of-a-kind musical celebration set to Elton John’s most beloved songs. Discover how a shy, small-town boy becomes one of the most iconic figures in rock & roll. Featuring an all-star cast, this truly spectacular and utterly electrifying ride is filled with show-stopping musical performances.”–Container

What’s New Wednesdays: History

History, In the Collection / By /
Book cover images from publishers’ websites.

This week’s showcase is on historical subjects. January 27th was the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz death camp, and new to the collection “is the catalogue of the first-ever traveling exhibition about the…concentration camp.” We also have histories on women fighting in the American Civil War, treatment of African Americans’ on their arrival in America, the Constitution, and an early history on polygamy in America.

  • Auschwitz : Not Long Ago. Not Far Away / edited by Robert Jan van Pelt, with Luis Ferreiro and Miriam Greenbaum – “This book tells a story to shake the conscience of the world. It is the catalogue of the first-ever traveling exhibition about the Auschwitz concentration camp, where 1.1 million people–mostly Jews, but also non-Jewish Poles, Roma, and others–lost their lives. More than 280 objects and images from the exhibition are illustrated herein. Drawn from the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and other collections around the world, they range from the intimate (such as victims’ family snapshots and personal belongings) to the immense (an actual surviving barrack from the Auschwitz III-Monowitz satellite camp); all are eloquent in their testimony. An authoritative yet accessible text weaves the stories behind these artifacts into an encompassing history of Auschwitz–from a Polish town at the crossroads of Europe, to the dark center of the Holocaust, to a powerful site of remembrance. [This book] is an essential volume for everyone who is interested in history and its lessons.”–Book jacket
  • Women’s War : Fighting and Surviving the American Civil War / by Stephanie McCurry – “We think of war as a man’s world, but women have always played active roles in times of violence and been left to pick up the pieces in societies decimated by war. In this groundbreaking reconsideration of the Civil War, the award-winning author of ‘Confederate Reckoning’ invites us to see America’s bloodiest conflict not just as pitting brother against brother but as a woman’s war. When the war broke out, Union soldiers assumed Confederate women would be innocent noncombatants. Experience soon challenged this simplistic belief. Through a trio of dramatic stories, Stephanie McCurry reveals the vital and sometimes confounding roles women played on and off the battlefield. We meet Clara Judd, a Confederate spy whose imprisonment for treason sparked heated controversy, defying the principle of civilian immunity and leading to lasting changes in the laws of war. Hundreds of thousands of enslaved women escaped across Union lines, upending emancipation policies that extended only to enslaved men. The Union’s response was to classify fugitive black women as ‘soldiers’ wives,’ regardless of whether they were married–offering them some protection but placing new obstacles on their path to freedom. In the war’s aftermath, the Confederate grande dame Gertrude Thomas wrestled with her loss of status and of her former slaves. War, emancipation, and economic devastation affected her family intimately, and through her life McCurry helps us see how fundamental the changes of Reconstruction were. ‘Women’s War’ dismantles the long-standing fiction that women are outside of war and shows that they were indispensable actors in the Civil War, as they have been–and continue to be–in all wars.”–Publisher description
  • Collective Amnesia : American Apartheid : African Americans’ 400 Years in North America, 1619-2019 / by Eugene DeFriest Bétit – “‘Collective Amnesia: American Apartheid’ is a comprehensive study of the treatment African Americans have encountered since their arrival in Virginia in 1619, a saga of racism and white supremacy. It is actual history, not the popular mythology about the Civil War and its aftermath taught in our schools. Numerous tables, photographs, maps, and charts make the study easy to read. The topic is extremely pertinent due to the four hundredth anniversary of African Americans’ presence in North America in 2019 and encouragement of racism from the White House. Chapters cover white supremacy and racism, slavery, the service of US Colored Troops in the Civil War, devastation of the South, evolution of emancipation, and Reconstruction and the Freedman’s Bureau. Other chapters address ‘redemption’ and the ‘lost cause,’ Jim Crow, blacks’ significant military contributions in the two world wars, the Great Migration, the civil rights movement, and the backlash that continues today. The book also addresses contemporary issues, including white supremacy, Confederate statuary, and evaluates the status of blacks compared to other groups in society. Note is taken of Professor James Whitman’s observation that Hitler admired Jim Crow and antimiscegenation laws, as well as Richard Rothstein’s study of federal and local housing law, documenting whites’ responsibility for creating inner-city ghettos.”–Publisher description
  • The Second Founding : How the Civil War and Reconstruction Remade the Constitution / by Eric Foner – “From the Pulitzer Prize-winning scholar, a timely history of the constitutional changes that built equality into the nation’s foundation and how those guarantees have been shaken over time. The Declaration of Independence announced equality as an American ideal, but it took the Civil War and the subsequent adoption of three constitutional amendments to establish that ideal as American law. The Reconstruction amendments abolished slavery, guaranteed all persons due process and equal protection of the law, and equipped black men with the right to vote. They established the principle of birthright citizenship and guaranteed the privileges and immunities of all citizens. The federal government, not the states, was charged with enforcement, reversing the priority of the original Constitution and the Bill of Rights. In grafting the principle of equality onto the Constitution, these revolutionary changes marked the second founding of the United States. Eric Foner’s compact, insightful history traces the arc of these pivotal amendments from their dramatic origins in pre-Civil War mass meetings of African-American ‘colored-citizens’ and in Republican party politics to their virtual nullification in the late nineteenth century. A series of momentous decisions by the Supreme Court narrowed the rights guaranteed in the amendments, while the states actively undermined them. The Jim Crow system was the result. Again today there are serious political challenges to birthright citizenship, voting rights, due process, and equal protection of the law. Like all great works of history, this one informs our understanding of the present as well as the past: knowledge and vigilance are always necessary to secure our basic rights.”–Book jacket
  • Polygamy : an Early American History / by Sarah M. S. Pearsall – “A groundbreaking examination of polygamy showing that monogamy was not the only form marriage took in early America. Today we tend to think of polygamy as an unnatural marital arrangement characteristic of fringe sects or uncivilized peoples. Historian Sarah Pearsall shows us that polygamy’s surprising history encompasses numerous colonies, indigenous communities, and segments of the American nation. Polygamy–as well as the fight against it–illuminates many touchstones of American history: the Pueblo Revolt and other uprisings against the Spanish; Catholic missions in New France; New England settlements and King Philip’s War; the entrenchment of African slavery in the Chesapeake; the Atlantic Enlightenment; the American Revolution; missions and settlements in the West; and the rise of Mormonism. Pearsall expertly opens up broader questions about monogamy’s emergence as the only marital option, tracing the impact of colonial events on property, theology, feminism, imperialism, and the regulation of sexuality. She shows that heterosexual monogamy was never the only model of marriage in North America.”–Book jacket

Look for these books on the display case past the Reference Desk. If you need help locating them, or would like to put any on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for assistance.

What’s New Wednesdays-Want to be a Writer?

In the Collection, NaNoWriMo / By /
Book cover images from publishers’ websites.

This week we’re highlighting books about writing, whether you want to become a writer or are a fan of fiction! *Look for these books on display: main floor of Library past the Reference desk.*

  • How to Self Publish Your Book : a Complete Guide to Writing, Editing, Marketing & Selling Your Own Book / by Dr. Jan Yager – “A new world has opened to writers who wish to have their words turned into finished books. With technological advances in typesetting, printing, distribution, and sales, self-publishing has become a reality. But while converting your writing into a commercially available title may sound relatively easy–based upon the claims of some companies that offer this service–there are many important considerations you should be aware of before going to press. Publishing expert Dr. Jan Yager has created an easy-to-follow guide that will take you from a book’s conception and writing to its production and sales. Whether your work is fiction or nonfiction, ‘How to Self-Publish Your Book’ offers sound and proven advice at every turn, enabling you to avoid common pitfalls along the way to becoming a self-published author. The book is divided into three parts. Part One takes you through the initial manuscript preparation–setting your goals, writing, sequencing, editing, and proofing, as well as creating a business plan for your book’s eventual release. Part Two focuses on the actual production of your book. It explains the importance of cover and interior design, what you need to know about producing physical books and e-books, and how to turn your title into an audiobook. Part Three provides key information on how to market and sell your book–subjects that are crucial to a title’s success, but of which most writers have very little understanding. Also included is a valuable resource section that guides you to websites which offer essential information on self-publishing service providers, including complete self-publishing companies as well as freelance editors, proofreaders, printers, distributors, marketers, and publicists. Today, self-publishing workshops and lecturers charge hopeful writers hundreds of dollars, promising to turn their self-published books into bestsellers. The fact is that your book’s chance of success starts at its origin, not with the finished product. However you choose to produce your book, whether through a self-publishing company or through separate services, here is a complete road map to what lies ahead–based not on hype or wishful thinking, but on Dr. Jan Yager’s lifetime of experience in the world of publishing.”–Back cover
  • Monster, She Wrote : The Women Who Pioneered Horror & Speculative Fiction / by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson – “‘Frankenstein’ was just the beginning: horror stories and other weird fiction wouldn’t exist without the women who created it. From Gothic ghost stories to psychological horror to science fiction, women have been primary architects of speculative literature of all sorts. And their own life stories are as intriguing as their fiction. Everyone knows about Mary Shelley, creator of Frankenstein, who was rumored to keep her late husband’s heart in her desk drawer. But have you heard of Margaret ‘Mad Madge’ Cavendish, who wrote a science-fiction epic 150 years earlier (and liked to wear topless gowns to the theater)? If you know the astounding work of Shirley Jackson, whose novel ‘The Haunting of Hill House’ was reinvented as a Netflix series, then try the psychological hauntings of Violet Paget, who was openly involved in long-term romantic relationships with women in the Victorian era. You’ll meet celebrated icons (Ann Radcliffe, V. C. Andrews), forgotten wordsmiths (Eli Colter, Ruby Jean Jensen), and today’s vanguard (Helen Oyeyemi). Curated reading lists point you to their most spine-chilling tales. Part biography, part reader’s guide, the engaging write-ups and detailed reading lists will introduce you to more than a hundred authors and over two hundred of their mysterious and spooky novels, novellas, and stories.”–Publisher description
  • No plot? No problem! : a Low-Stress, High-Velocity Guide to Writing a Novel in 30 Days / by Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month – “Completely revised and expanded with new tips, tricks, and advice from over 15 years of National Novel Writing Month. You’ve always wanted to write, but…just haven’t gotten around to it. ‘No Plot? No Problem!’ is the kick in the pants you’ve been waiting for. Let Chris Baty, founder of the literary marathon National Novel Writing Month (a.k.a. NaNoWriMo), guide you through four exciting weeks of hard-core noveling. Baty’s pep talks and essential survival strategies cover the initial momentum and energy of Week One, the critical ‘plot flashes’ of Week Two, the ‘Can I quit now?’ impulses of Week Three, and the champagne and roar of the crowd during Week Four. Whether you’re a first-time novelist who just can’t seem to get pen to paper or a results-oriented writer seeking a creative on-ramp into the world of publishing, this is the adventure for you. So what are you waiting for? The ‘No Plot?’ approach worked for the over 300,000 people who’ve signed up for NaNoWriMo, and it can work for you. Let ‘No Plot? No Problem!’ help you get fired up and on the write track.”–Back cover
  • Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers / by Trent Hergenrader – “The digital technologies of the 21st century are reshaping how we experience storytelling. More than ever before, storylines from the world’s most popular narratives cross from the pages of books to the movie theatre, to our television screens and in comic books series. Plots intersect and intertwine, allowing audiences many different entry points to the narratives. In this sometimes bewildering array of stories across media, one thing binds them together: their large-scale fictional world. ‘Collaborative Worldbuilding for Writers and Gamers’ describes how writers can co-create vast worlds for use as common settings for their own stories. Using the worlds of ‘Star Wars,’ ‘Lord of the Rings,’ ‘A Game of Thrones,’ and ‘Dungeons & Dragons’ as models, this book guides readers through a step-by-step process of building sprawling fictional worlds complete with competing social forces that have complex histories and yet are always evolving. It also shows readers how to populate a catalog with hundreds of unique people, places, and things that grow organically from their world, which become a rich repository of story making potential. The companion website collaborativeworldbuilding.com features links to online resources, past worldbuilding projects, and an innovative card system designed to work with this book.”–Back cover
  • Elements of Fiction / by Walter Mosley – “In his essential writing guide, ‘This Year You Write Your Novel,’ Walter Mosley supplied aspiring writers with the basic tools to write a novel in one year. In this complementary follow up, Mosley guides the writer through the elements of not just any fiction writing, but the kind of writing that transcends convention and truly stands out. How does one approach the genius of writers like Melville, Dickens, or Twain? In the ‘Elements of Fiction,’ Walter Mosley contemplates the answer. In a series of instructive and conversational chapters, Mosley demonstrates how to master fiction’s most essential elements: character and character development, plot and story, voice and narrative, context and description, and more. The result is a vivid depiction of the writing process, from the blank page to the first draft to rewriting, and rewriting again. Throughout, the ‘Elements of Fiction’ is enriched by brilliant demonstrative examples that Mosley himself has written here for the first time. Inspiring, accessible, and told in a voice both trustworthy and wise, the ‘Elements of Fiction’ will intrigue and encourage writers and readers alike.”–Publisher description

As always, if you need help finding these books, or would like to place any on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for assistance.

What’s New Wednesdays: Education Edition

Education, In the Collection / By /
Book cover images taken from publisher’s websites & Amazon.com.
Look for this sign on the display box past the Reference Desk!

Welcome back to “What’s New Wednesdays!” Since the Spring semester has just begun, this week’s theme focuses on education. Wanting to make college work for you even though it can be expensive? We have a book for that! Need to write a college admissions essay? We have a book for that too!

  • Indebted : How Families Make College Work At Any Cost / by Caitlin Zaloom – “How the financial pressures of paying for college affect the lives and well-being of middle-class families. The struggle to pay for college is one of the defining features of middle-class life in America today. At kitchen tables all across the country, parents agonize over whether to burden their children with loans or to sacrifice their own financial security by taking out a second mortgage or draining their retirement savings. ‘Indebted’ takes readers into the homes of middle-class families throughout the nation to reveal the hidden consequences of student debt and the ways that financing college has transformed family life. Caitlin Zaloom gained the confidence of numerous parents and their college-age children, who talked candidly with her about stressful and intensely personal financial matters that are usually kept private. In this remarkable book, Zaloom describes the profound moral conflicts for parents as they try to honor what they see as their highest parental duty–providing their children with opportunity–and shows how parents and students alike are forced to take on enormous debts and gamble on an investment that might not pay off. What emerges is a troubling portrait of an American middle class fettered by the ‘student finance complex’–the bewildering labyrinth of government-sponsored institutions, profit-seeking firms, and university offices that collect information on household earnings and assets, assess family needs, and decide who is eligible for aid and who is not. Superbly written and unflinchingly honest, ‘Indebted’ breaks through the culture of silence surrounding the student debt crisis, revealing the unspoken costs of sending our kids to college.”–Book jacket
  • The Years That Matter Most : How College Makes or Breaks Us / by Paul Tough – “The best-selling author of ‘How Children Succeed’ returns with a powerful, mind-changing inquiry into higher education in the United States. Does college still work? Is the system designed just to protect the privileged and leave everyone else behind? Or can a college education today provide real opportunity to young Americans seeking to improve their station in life? ‘The Years That Matter Most’ tells the stories of students trying to find their way, with hope, joy, and frustration, through the application process and into college. Drawing on new research, the book reveals how the landscape of higher education has shifted in recent decades and exposes the hidden truths of how the system works and whom it works for. And it introduces us to the people who really make higher education go: admissions directors trying to balance the class and balance the budget, College Board officials scrambling to defend the SAT in the face of mounting evidence that it favors the wealthy, researchers working to unlock the mysteries of the college-student brain, and educators trying to transform potential dropouts into successful graduates. With insight, humor, and passion, Paul Tough takes readers on a journey from Ivy League seminar rooms to community college welding shops, from giant public flagship universities to tiny experimental storefront colleges. Whether you are facing your own decision about college or simply care about the American promise of social mobility, ‘The Years That Matter Most’ will change the way you think–not just about higher education, but about the nation itself.”–Book jacket
  • The Knowledge Gap : The Hidden Cause of America’s Broken Education System–and How to Fix it / by Natalie Wexler – “It was only after years within the education reform movement that Natalie Wexler stumbled across a hidden explanation for our country’s frustrating lack of progress when it comes to providing every child with a quality education. The problem wasn’t one of the usual scapegoats: lazy teachers, shoddy facilities, lack of accountability. It was something no one was talking about: the elementary school curriculum’s intense focus on decontextualized reading comprehension ‘skills’ at the expense of actual knowledge. In the tradition of Dale Russakoff’s ‘The Prize’ and Dana Goldstein’s ‘The Teacher Wars,’ Wexler brings together history, research, and compelling characters to pull back the curtain on this fundamental flaw in our education system–one that fellow reformers, journalists, and policymakers have long overlooked, and of which the general public, including many parents, remains unaware. But ‘The Knowledge Gap’ isn’t just a story of what schools have gotten so wrong–it also follows innovative educators who are in the process of shedding their deeply ingrained habits, and describes the rewards that have come along: students who are not only excited to learn but are also acquiring the knowledge and vocabulary that will enable them to succeed. If we truly want to fix our education system and unlock the potential of our neediest children, we have no choice but to pay attention.”–Publisher description
  • From Couch to College : The Fast Track to Writing Standout Admissions Essays / by Lauren Gillespie – “If you’ve already built an orphanage in Africa or are on your way to curing cancer, great. You might not need help writing a terrific essay. But for everyone else, this book will help you transform ordinary human experiences into extraordinary–and memorable–admissions essays. For those of you curled in the fetal position with a rough draft crumpled in one fist, you can finally relax. Lauren Gillespie is the Chuck Norris of essay writing, and this brief guide boils the admissions essay process down to its most basic, accessible form. No more stressing, over-researching, or analyzing other people’s ideas. And you don’t need to read a 200-page ‘How To’ in order to write your way in! Whether you’re applying for college admissions, vocational schools, or study abroad programs, this entertaining, six-step guide will cut the fat and teach you how to write an amazing admissions essay…and quickly!”–Back cover

These books are located on the display box past the Reference Desk. Look for the sign posted above in this blog. If you need help finding these books, or would like to place any on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for assistance.

What’s New Wednesdays

In the Collection, In the Headlines / By /
Book cover images from the publishers websites.

No theme this week, just some interesting books…although one title correlates with Merriam-Webster’s 2019 Word of the Year.

  • Consent : a Memoir of Unwanted Attention / by Donna Freitas – “A powerful memoir about a young woman’s toxic relationship with her mentor, an acclaimed professor, whose dark, stalking obsession altered her future forever. Donna Freitas has lived two lives. In one life, she is a well-published author and respected scholar who has traveled around the country, speaking about Title IX, consent, and sex on college campuses. In the other, she is a victim, a woman who suffered and suffers still because she was stalked by her graduate professor for more than two years. As a doctoral candidate, Freitas loved asking big questions, challenging established theories, and sinking her teeth into sacred texts. She felt at home in the library and safe in the book-lined offices of scholars whom she admired. But during her first year, one particular scholar became obsessed with Freitas’s academic enthusiasm. He filled her student mailbox with letters and articles. He lurked on the sidewalk outside her apartment. He called daily and left nagging voice mails. He befriended her mother and made himself comfortable in her family’s home. He wouldn’t go away. While his attraction was not overtly sexual, it was undeniably inappropriate and, most important, unwanted. In ‘Consent: A Memoir of Unwanted Attention,’ Freitas delivers a forensic examination of the years she spent stalked by her professor and uses her nightmarish experience to examine the ways in which we stigmatize, debate, and attempt to understand consent today.”–Publisher description.
  • Autobiography of a Face / by Lucy Grealy – “At age nine, Lucy Grealy was diagnosed with a potentially terminal cancer. When she returned to school with a third of her jaw removed, she faced the cruel taunts of classmates. It took her twenty years of living with a distorted self-image and more than thirty reconstructive procedures before she could come to terms with her appearance. In this lyrical and strikingly candid memoir, Grealy tells her story of great suffering and remarkable strength without sentimentality and with considerable wit. She captures with unique insight what it is like as a child and young adult to be torn between two warring impulses: to feel that more than anything else we want to be loved for who we are, while wishing desperately and secretly to be perfect.”–Publisher description.
  • She Said : Breaking the Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite a Movement / by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey – “For many years, reporters had tried to get to the truth about Harvey Weinstein’s treatment of women. Rumors of wrongdoing had long circulated. But in 2017, when Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey began their investigation into the prominent Hollywood producer for the New York Times, his name was still synonymous with power. During months of confidential interviews with top actresses, former Weinstein employees, and other sources, many disturbing and long-buried allegations were unearthed, and a web of onerous secret payouts and nondisclosure agreements were revealed. These shadowy settlements had long been used to hide sexual harassment and abuse, but with a breakthrough reporting technique Kantor and Twohey helped to expose it. But Weinstein had evaded scrutiny in the past, and he was not going down without a fight; he employed a team of high-profile lawyers, private investigators, and other allies to thwart the investigation. When Kantor and Twohey were finally able to convince some sources to go on the record, a dramatic final showdown between Weinstein and the New York Times was set in motion. Nothing could have prepared Kantor and Twohey for what followed the publication of their initial Weinstein story on October 5, 2017. Within days, a veritable Pandora’s box of sexual harassment and abuse was opened. Women all over the world came forward with their own traumatic stories. Over the next twelve months, hundreds of men from every walk of life and industry were outed following allegations of wrongdoing. But did too much change–or not enough? Those questions hung in the air months later as Brett Kavanaugh was nominated to the Supreme Court, and Christine Blasey Ford came forward to testify that he had assaulted her decades earlier. Kantor and Twohey, who had unique access to Ford and her team, bring to light the odyssey that led her to come forward, the overwhelming forces that came to bear on her, and what happened after she shared her allegation with the world. In the tradition of great investigative journalism, ‘She Said’ tells a thrilling story about the power of truth, with shocking new information from hidden sources. Kantor and Twohey describe not only the consequences of their reporting for the #MeToo movement, but the inspiring and affecting journeys of the women who spoke up–for the sake of other women, for future generations, and for themselves.”–Publisher description.
  • They/Them/Their : a Guide to Nonbinary and Genderqueer Identities / by Eris Young – “In this insightful and long-overdue book, Eris Young explores what it’s like to live outside of the gender binary and how it can impact on one’s relationships, sense of identity, use of language and more. Drawing on the author’s own experiences as a non-binary person, as well as interviews and research, it shares common experiences and challenges faced by those who are non-binary, and what friends, family, and other cisgender people can do to support them. Breaking down misconceptions and providing definitions, this much-needed guide is for anyone wanting to fully understand non-binary and genderqueer identities.”–Publisher description.

If you have any trouble locating these books, or would like to place any on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for assistance!

What’s New Wednesdays: Ripped from the Headlines

In the Collection, In the Headlines / By /
Book cover images taken from the publishers websites.

“What’s New” for this week are books that are ripped from the headlines!

  • Member of the Family : My Story of Charles Manson, Life Inside His Cult, and the Darkness that Ended the Sixties / by Dianne Lake and Deborah Herman – “In this poignant and disturbing memoir, Dianne shares the full story of her time with Manson, revealing how she became the youngest member of his Family and offering new insights into one of the twentieth century’s most notorious criminals. While much has been written about Charles Manson, ‘Member of the Family’ re-creates in vivid detail the firsthand experience of someone who survived his wrath, returning to a time and place that changed America forever–a moment when anything seemed possible and the horrors to come unthinkable.”–Publisher description.
  • Manson : the Life and Times of Charles Manson / by Jeff Guinn – “More than forty years ago Charles Manson and his mostly female commune killed nine people, among them the pregnant actress Sharon Tate. It was the culmination of a criminal career that author Jeff Guinn traces back to Manson’s childhood. Guinn interviewed Manson’s sister and cousin, neither of whom had ever previously cooperated with an author. Childhood friends, cellmates, and even some members of the Manson family have provided new information about Manson’s life. Guinn has made discoveries about the night of the Tate murders, answering unresolved questions, such as why one person near the scene of the crime was spared. ‘Manson’ puts the killer in the context of the turbulent late sixties, an era of race riots and street protests when authority in all its forms was under siege. Guinn shows us how Manson created and refined his message to fit the times, persuading confused young women (and a few men) that he had the solutions to their problems. At the same time he used them to pursue his long-standing musical ambitions. His frustrated ambitions, combined with his bizarre race-war obsession, would have lethal consequences.”–Publisher description.
  • The Family Next Door : the Heartbreaking Imprisonment of the Thirteen Turpin Siblings and their Extraordinary Rescue / by John Glatt – “On January 14, 2018, a seventeen-year-old girl climbed out of the window of her Perris, California, home and dialed 911 on a borrowed cell phone. Struggling to stay calm, she told the operator that she and her twelve siblings–ranging in age from two to twenty-nine–were being abused by their parents. When the dispatcher asked for her address, the girl hesitated. ‘I’ve never been out,’ she stammered. To their family, neighbors, and online friends, Louise and David Turpin presented a picture of domestic bliss: dressing their thirteen children in matching outfits and buying them expensive gifts. But what police discovered when they entered the Turpin family home would eclipse the most shocking child abuse cases in history. For years, David and Louise had kept their children in increasing isolation, trapping them in a sinister world of torture, fear, and near starvation. In the first major account of the case, investigative journalist John Glatt delves into the disturbing details and recounts the bravery of the thirteen siblings in the face of unimaginable horror.”–Publisher description.

This week’s picks are located among the “New Arrivals” in the Library Lounge. If you need help locating them, or would like to put any on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for help.

What’s New Wednesdays: Kids Books

In the Collection, Juvenile Collection / By /
Book covers taken from publisher’s websites.

In honor of Family Reading Night tomorrow (held annually in Illinois the third Thursday in November) we’re showcasing some new kids books from our Juvenile Collection. Spend quality time reading with your kids over the coming holidays!

  • How Do You Care For A Very Sick Bear? / by Vanessa Bayer ; illustrated by Rosie Butcher. “When someone dear is dealing with illness, it’s difficult to know what to do or say. The actor Vanessa Bayer experienced this firsthand when she was treated for childhood leukemia. In her first children’s book, she offers gentle, reassuring advice that people of all ages will appreciate.”–Publisher description.
  • When Aidan Became a Brother / by Kyle Lukoff ; illustrated by Kaylani Juanita. “When Aidan was born, everyone thought he was a girl. His parents gave him a pretty name, his room looked like a girl’s room, and he wore clothes that other girls liked wearing. After he realized he was a trans boy, Aidan and his parents fixed the parts of life that didn’t fit anymore, and he settled happily into his new life. ‘When Aidan Became a Brother’ is a heartwarming book that will resonate with transgender children, reassure any child concerned about becoming an older sibling, and celebrate the many transitions a family can experience.”–Publisher description.
  • A Stage Full of Shakespeare Stories / written by Angela McAllister ; illustrated by Alice Lindstrom. “Step on to a stage full of stories with this beautiful anthology of 12 stories from Shakespeare. Featuring much-loved classics such as ‘The Tempest,’ ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream,’ ‘Romeo and Juliet,’ ‘Hamlet,’ and ‘Othello,’ each story is rewritten in a comprehensive way that is accessible for children and stunningly illustrated by collage artist Alice Lindstrom.”–Publisher description.
  • Where Are You From? / by Yamile Saied Méndez ; illustrated by Jaime Kim. “When a girl is asked where she’s from–where she’s really from–none of her answers seems to be the right one. Unsure about how to reply, she turns to her loving abuelo for help. He doesn’t give her the response she expects. She gets an even better one. Where am I from? You’re from hurricanes and dark storms, and a tiny singing frog that calls the island people home when the sun goes to sleep…With themes of self-acceptance, identity, and home, this powerful, lyrical picture book will resonate with readers young and old, from all backgrounds and of all colors–especially anyone who ever felt that they don’t belong.”–Publisher description.

All of these books are currently available in our Juvenile Collection (both fiction & nonfiction) located at the lower level of the Library. If you need help locating these books, or would like to place them on hold, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian.”

We also have MANY more kids books to choose from so come & check out the collection!

What’s New Wednesdays: Environmental Theme

In the Collection, In the Headlines, Sustainability / By /

This week’s new book recommendations have an environmental theme; the photos alone in “Plastic Soup” will tug at the heartstrings.

  • Plastic Soup : an Atlas of Ocean Pollution / by Michiel Roscam Abbing. “A beautifully-illustrated survey of the plastics clogging our seas, their impacts on wildlife and people around the world, and inspirational initiatives designed to tackle the problem.”–Publisher description.
  • How to Give Up Plastic : a Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time / by Will McCallum. “An accessible guide to the changes we can all make–small and large–to rid our lives of disposable plastic and clean up the world’s oceans. It takes 450 years for a plastic bottle to fully biodegrade, and there are around 12.7 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. At our current pace, in the year 2050 there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish, by weight.”–Publisher description.
  • The Conscious Closet : the Revolutionary Guide to Looking Good While Doing Good / by Elizabeth L. Cline. “‘The Conscious Closet’ is not just a style guide. It is a call to action to transform one of the most polluting industries on earth–fashion–into a force for good. Readers will learn where and how their clothes are made, before connecting to a passionate global community of stylish fashion revolutionaries.”–Publisher description.

All of these books are currently available on our New Arrivals shelves in the Library Lounge. Enjoy!

If you have trouble finding any of these books, don’t hesitate to “Ask a Librarian” for help. They can also place any of these books on hold if interested.

What’s New?

In the Collection, Music and Video / By /

The Library has every movie adaptation of A Star is Born to suit one’s fancy! Check them out:

  • A Star is Born (1937) / directed by William A. Wellman ; produced by David O. Selznick ; starring Janet Gaynor & Fredric March
  • A Star is Born (1954) / produced by Sidney Luft ; directed by George Cukor ; starring Judy Garland & James Mason
  • A Star is Born (1976) / produced by Jon Peters ; directed by Frank Pierson ; starring Barbra Streisand & Kris Kristofferson
  • A Star is Born (2018) / directed by Bradley Cooper ; produced by Bill Gerber, Jon Peters, Bradley Cooper, Todd Phillips, Lynette Howell Taylor ; starring Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper  

All are currently available and located either at the New Arrivals section in the lounge, or downstairs among the DVD collection. If you can’t find one of the DVDs, please don’t hesitate to ask a librarian for assistance.

New Arrivals

In the Collection / By /

Among the new arrivals this week are these book recommendations:

These and other new items are located at the New Arrivals section in the Library Lounge.

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