A biweekly selection from our shelves, as curated by your favorite SPL librarians!
For the week of November 9, 2021: Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels | Movies/TV, Music & More
Fiction
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The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara
This subversive retelling of Argentina's foundational gaucho epic Martín Fierro is a celebration of the colour and movement of the living world, the open road, love and sex, and the dream of lasting freedom. With humour and sophistication, Gabriela Cabezón Cámara has created a joyful, hallucinatory novel that is also an incisive critique of national myths. |
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Bolla by Pajtim Statovci
From the author of National Book Award finalist Crossing comes an unlikely love story in Kosovo with unpredictable consequences that reverberates throughout a young man's life--a dazzling tale full of fury, tenderness, longing, and lust. |
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The Human Zoo by Sabina Murray
At once a propulsive look at contemporary Filipino politics and the history that impacted the country,The Human Zoo is a thrilling and provocative story from one of our most celebrated and important writers of literary fiction. |
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The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin
Orphaned young, Ming Tsu, the son of Chinese immigrants, is raised by the notorious leader of a California crime syndicate, who trains him to be his deadly enforcer. But when Ming falls in love with Ada, the daughter of a powerful railroad magnate, and the two elope, he seizes the opportunity to escape to a different life. Soon after, in a violent raid, the tycoon’s henchmen kidnap Ada and conscript Ming into service for the Central Pacific Railroad. |
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The Undertakers by Nicole Glover
Nicole Glover delivers the second book in her exciting Murder & Magic series of historical fantasy novels featuring Hetty Rhodes and her husband, Benjy, magic practitioners and detectives living in post-Civil War Philadelphia. |
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A Woman of Intelligence by Karin Tanabe
From "a master of historical fiction" (NPR), Karin Tanabe's A Woman of Intelligence is an exhilarating tale of post-war New York City, and one remarkable woman's journey from the United Nations, to the cloistered drawing rooms of Manhattan society, to the secretive ranks of the FBI. |
Nonfiction
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The Antisocial Network : The GameStop Short Squeeze and the Ragtag Group of Amateur Traders That Brought Wall Street to Its Knees by Ben Mezrich
Beat-by-beat account of how a loosely affiliate group of private investors and internet trolls on a subreddit called WallStreetBets took down one of the biggest hedge funds on Wall Street |
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Black Nerd Problems by William Evans and Omar Holmon
The creators of the popular website Black Nerd Problems bring their witty and unflinching insight to this engaging collection of pop culture essays--on everything from Mario Kart to issues of representation--that "will fill you with joy and give you hope for the future of geek culture" (Ernest Cline, #1 New York Times bestselling author). |
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Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive by Philipp Dettmer
A gorgeously illustrated deep dive into the immune system that will forever change how you think about your body, from the creator of the popular science YouTube channel Kurzgesagt--In a Nutshell |
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In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone
Chronicles the sprawling saga of Empress Maria Theresa--one of the most renowned women rulers in history--and three of her extraordinary daughters, including Marie Antoinette, the doomed queen of France. |
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What White Parents Should Know about Transracial Adoption by Melissa Guida-Richards
Written by Melissa Guida-Richards--a transracial, transnational, and late-discovery adoptee--this book unpacks the mistakes you don't even know you're making and gives you the real-life tools to be the best parent you can be, to the child you love more than anything. |
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The Woman They Could Not Silence : The Timeless Story of One Woman's Journey to Be Heard by Kate Moore
From the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of The Radium Girlscomes another dark and dramatic but ultimately uplifting tale of a forgotten woman hero whose inspirational journey sparked lasting change for women's rights and exposed injustices that still resonate today. |
Graphic Novels
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Chartwell Manor by Glenn Head
Veteran alternative cartoonist Glenn Head's harrowing graphic memoir is about years of sexual and emotional abuse suffered at a boarding school during his adolescence, and the resultant trauma that took him almost 50 years to process before being able to tell his story publicly. |
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Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe
A reimagining of Persephone and Hades' story from Greek mythology. Scandalous gossip, wild parties, toxic relationships, power plays, and sex are all part of the lives of the gods that Persephone must navigate to find her own power. |
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Snow, Glass, Apples by Neil Gaiman
A chilling fantasy retelling of the Snow White fairy tale by New York Times bestselling creators Neil Gaiman and Colleen Doran! |
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Tidal Wave by Kofi Antwi
In this powerful collection, Kofi Antwi’s poems rise inside of you, revealing a hidden perspective of the Island and illuminating the often overlooked voices of black and brown communities on the North Shore and the terror of racism that threatens to drown us. |
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The Trojan Women by Rosanna Bruno and Anne Carson
Here is a new comic-book version of Euripides's classic The Trojan Women, which follows the fates of Hekabe, Andromache, and Kassandra after Troy has been sacked and all its men killed. This collaboration between the visual artist Rosanna Bruno and the poet and classicist Anne Carson attempts to give a genuine representation of how human beings are affected by warfare. |
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The Weatherman by Jody Leheup
"Nathan Bright had it all: an awesome girlfriend, a kick-ass dog, and a job as the #1 weatherman on terraformed Mars. But when he's accused of carrying out the worst terrorist attack in human history--an event that killed nearly everyone on Earth--Nathan becomes the target of a manhunt that spans the galaxy. Can Nathan truly be responsible for such a horrific crime? And why can't he remember? |
Movies/TV, Music & More
Movies/TV
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Midway by Roland Emmerich Format: BluRay Centers on the Battle of Midway, a clash between the American fleet and the Imperial Japanese Navy which marked a pivotal turning point in the Pacific Theater during WWII. The film, based on the real-life events of this heroic feat, tells the story of the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude, and bravery to overcome the odds. |
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The Paper Tigers by Tran Quoc Bao Format: DVD As teenagers, kung fu disciples Danny, Hing, and Jim were inseparable. Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring, and not at all preoccupied with thoughts of martial arts or childhood best friends. But when their old master is murdered, the trio reunites, soon learning that avenging their sifu will require conquering old grudges if they are to honorably defend his legacy. |
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The Song of Names by Francois Girard Format: DVD An emotional detective story spread over two continents and a half-century. Beneath the film's stunning and pulsing musical revelations burn the horror of war, and the lost souls extinguished from history. |
Music
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If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power by Halsey Format: CD In a bold and unexpected move, Halsey seizes their artistic crown on the creative triumph If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power. Teaming with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, they pack a lifetime of emotions into a ticking time bomb of angst buffered by the Nine Inch Nails duo's unmistakable production, which deftly serves Halsey's whims and allows the artist to outshine not only them, but a team of famous faces from the NIN orbit. |
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In the Heights: Orginal Motion Picture Soundtrack original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda Format: CD Before Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda made his mark on Broadway with In the Heights, which is coming to the big screen. The film's soundtrack includes performances from Miranda as well as cast members Leslie Grace, Anthony Ramos, and more. |
& More
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Beautiful Things: A Memoir by Hunter Biden Format: Spoken CD In Beautiful Things, Hunter recounts his descent into substance abuse and his tortuous path to sobriety. The story ends with where Hunter is today, a sober married man with a new baby, finally able to appreciate the beautiful things in life. |