I admit it…I’m cheating with this week’s Five Book Friday, because the library recently acquired a dvd that has been getting riotous acclaim from a number of different reviewers in plenty of different countries. Horror aficionados will find a lot to like here, but this film is as much a cultural statement as it is a vampire flick…
Otherwise, here are some selections from the wealth of new books lining our shelves. We hope you find something to tickle your literary fancy! Happy Friday, and have a smashing weekend!
A Girls Walks Home Alone at Night: Officially the first Vampire Western to come out of Iran, Ana Lila Amirpour’s film is a sensationally atmospheric, beautifully shot and crazy genre mash-up that will change the way you think about horror. In the ghost town of Bad-City, lonely souls wander every streets. But what few realize is that a vampire also stalks the streets, looking for those most worthy of her vengeance….For those who enjoy Iranian cinema, this film is a treat, and if this is your first introduction, you found a darn good place to start! Be sure to check out the trailer here.
Dark Places of the Earth: The Voyage of the Slave Ship Antelope: In 1820, the Spanish slave ship Antelope was spotted floating off the coast of Florida. Since the US had ceased taking slaves from foreign traders, the 300 Africans on board were considered illegal cargo, however the profit that stood to be made was considerable enough that the issue over their humanity was brought before the Supreme Court–where these souls cargo, or free men and women? Jonathan M Bryant traces the eight year battle that took place over this issue, and emphasizes with heartbreaking clarity just how central slavery was to the United States culture and economy in this fascinating (and often wrenching) new book.
Piano Lessons Can Be Murder: Perhaps the best thing about this fall’s upcoming Goosebumps Movie is that a whole new generation of readers can be exposed to R.L. Stine’s wonderfully creepy, relentlessly tense, and somewhat ridiculous Goosebumps series–and those of us who read them when they were first being released have a chance to relive each story anew! In this installment, Jerry is intrigued by the dusty old piano that he finds in the attic, and delighted by his parents’ offer to pay for lessons…But his teacher, dr. Shreek seems….odd. Then he starts hearing stories about other students who went to lessons–and never returned. Cue the creepy music, the flickering lights, and get ready for a blast from the past that, for once, is totally worth every minute!
Out of Orange: A Memoir: Hundreds of thousands of people have binge-watched Netflix’s hit series Orange is the New Black, based on Piper Kerman’s book. Now, Catherine Cleary Wolters, the real-life Alex Vause tells her own story that not only fills in the details of Kerman’s story, and offers some answers for fans, but also provides some genuinely fascinating insight into Wolters’ life in the drug trade and within the prison system. This is a must-read for series’ fans, but also for those looking for a far-from-conventional view on the justice system.
In the Time of Butterflies: Have you heard of The Big Read? Simply put, this is a program funded by the National Endowment for the Arts that supports organizations across the country in developing community-wide programs which encourage reading and participation by diverse audiences–and the Library is one of those organizations! For our Big Read, we’ll be reading Julia Alvarez’s timeless tale of life in the Dominican Republic under Gen. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo’s rule. The story is told through the eyes of four sisters, all beautifully real, flawed, honest, and utterly empathetic, and all members of Las Mariposas, the leading group working against Trujillo. This is the story of the sisters’ imprisonment in torture, but it is also a story about their loves, their dreams, and their memories, left behind in their surviving sister Dedé. Don’t miss this spectacular story, or all the great programs organized around it. Check out the schedule in the link above…or right here!