Posts

Takahata’s films, which range in both genre and tone, and use varied animation styles, demonstrate his incredible scope as a director and storyteller. In this post, I will introduce each of Takahata’s five films made under Studio Ghibli, as well as read-alikes for each. The hope is that this will not only provide book recommendations for fans of any given movie, but that the selection of books can also act as a guide to the movies themselves for those that are not familiar with them....

According to The Associated Press (AP), author Suzanne Collins has announced a prequel to her bestselling Hunger Games trilogy. Currently, the new novel is set to release on May 19, 2020. There is no word yet on what the title will be. In a statement on Monday morning, Collins explained that the prequel will explore the “Dark Days” of Panem, following the failed rebellion. “With this book, I wanted to explore the state of nature, who we are, and what we perceive is required for our survival,” Collins said....

Her letters and diaries are captivating, and she deftly articulates the bleakness of depression, the tentative hope of coming out of that blackness, and the mind-boggling demands of motherhood to small children while maintaining (or trying to, anyway) a writing career and a larger life. She was starkly ambitious and keenly aware that being a female and being a mother made her success harder to achieve. In many ways, she was ahead of her time....

One of the several possible ways to fight book challenges is being tuned into your local school and library boards. School boards tend to be elected offices, while public library boards can either be elected or can be appointed. In the case of elections, you, as a voter and citizen of your community, can not only choose to endorse a candidate who cares about intellectual freedom, but you can run for those positions yourself....

In 2018, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. Her commitment to speaking truth to power and her ability to shape the national conversation have made her one of the most fascinating political figures of our times. The new book AOC: Fighter, Phenom, Changemaker recounts how a 28-year-old Latinx democratic socialist and bartender from the Bronx ousted a ten-term Congressman against all odds and the remarkable life story that got her there....

A number of these pretty, pretty bookstores have caught the eye of Instagram, which absolutely makes sense: it is a social app that focuses on photos. Book lovers (and I can say this with authority, because I am one) love taking photos of books in lovely or iconic places and visiting bookstores in general, so of course we’re going to upload those photos to IG. We wanted to know which bookstores around the world have gotten the most love on Instagram: of all the bookstores out there (I couldn’t even hazard a guess on how many), which ones are the most featured on the app?...

Kids are very loyal to their favourite series, often the sillier the better, but sometimes adults want to find chapter books that have more detail and depth. I’ve tried to put a list together that contains a bit of everything to look for in chapter books aimed at kids – the silly and strange, the realistic and the fantastical. Also, I’ve tried to stay away from reusing books that we’ve previously recommended before, so don’t worry if it seems like there are some amazing books I’ve missed....

Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire, Illustrator Dean Ormston They were superheroes that regularly saved the world…but then found themselves in a timeless farming village without knowing why. Each superhero struggles with their new circumstances. There’s nothing I like more than brooding superheroes and a delicious mystery. —Elisa Shoenberger The Bridge: How the Roeblings Connected Brooklyn to New York by Peter J. Tomasi and Sara DuVall I grew up a five-minute walk from the Brooklyn side of the bridge, and I’ve always felt a certain possessiveness over it....

Daredevil is my all-time favorite Marvel superhero, so I am thrilled by this bounty. If you’re looking to read up on ol’ Hornhead, here’s my list of the best Daredevil comics of all time. I do want to note that as with most long-running superheroes, the creators who have worked on Daredevil over the 58 years of his existence have been overwhelmingly white and male. While this is understandable for the 1960s, Marvel (and DC) has made only marginal improvements in hiring creators of color and women and non-binary creators in recent years, and still has a long way to go....

A thing I deeply enjoyed while compiling this year’s list is learning about books and writers I want to read more from—both from the books in the list, but in the origins of the epigraphs. This is a treasure trove of wonderful books, truly. For past years’ best epigraphs: 2017, 2018, 2019. The Best Epigraphs of 2020

Marian Hayes, the Duchess of Clare, just shot her husband. Of course, the evil man deserved what was coming to him, but now she must flee to the countryside. Unfortunately, the only person she can ask for help is Rob, the charismatic criminal who’s blackmailing her. As they flee across the country—stopping to pick pockets, drink to excess, and rescue injured cats—they discover more true joy than either has felt in ages....

Luckily for us, there are still so many great indie T-shirts available, and you don’t need to actually travel to the store in question to buy them — you can find them on their websites, and on online merchandising sites like Bonfire! Here we’ve rounded up 15 of our favorite indie bookstore T-shirt designs that you can buy from the comfort of your own home, featuring fun bookish designs, clever book puns, and even some amazing art from local talent....

In fantasies with great worldbuilding, lore is the tip of the iceberg, hinting at a lived-in world. Magical settings have a unique ability to clarify and question ideologies, without muddling issues by critiquing any real society. The Girl Who Drank the Moon, the 2016 Newbery Medal–winning middle grade book by Kelly Barnhill, shows characters bravely challenging the status quo. Diana Wagman’s 2016 New York Times review included questioning the status quo among its many possible lessons....

But as the war went on and German losses mounted, Lampe was finally pressed into service, if only in a support role. The front lines were porous at this point, with the Germans in retreat and the Soviets sprinting toward the German capital. And so it was that Lampe and another man were stopped by an advance Russian patrol and were asked for their papers. Lampe was a non-combatant, and so, on the presentation of his papers, had reason to think he would be left alone as the patrol moved along....

All three of the Little Free Libraries are as diverse as the people who live here, all three making me feel just a little bit more like I am home. One is long and green and skinny. It overlooks a vacant lot where The Heartland restaurant once stood. The little library is the last eminent of the rebellious, political, community-based feel of what the restaurant down the street. The second one sits on a narrow road near the L tracks....

Before we get started, it may be helpful to know that The Three Musketeers, published in 1844, is the first of three novels by Dumas that make up the D’Artagnan Romances; it was followed in 1845 by Twenty Years After, which takes place, er, 20 years after The Three Musketeers, and in 1847 by The Vicomte of Bragelonne: Ten Years Later, which includes a section known as “The Man in the Iron Mask” — more on that later....

To find out the top 10 in our school, I do a few things. First, I run stats, because school librarians love to run stats. I look at the top 10 most heavily borrowed comics since September. However, just because a comic has been checked out doesn’t mean that it’s universally loved by the students. I also ask them in both a formal and an informal manner. In our library, there is a whiteboard that students can interact with as they enter the library....

But I know I’m rare. For many book lovers, one of the exciting parts of preparing for baby is thinking about all of the perfect bookish nursery decor that’s possible. This roundup of great art and other decor will be character-neutral, meaning you could incorporate these pieces in any nursery theme. And look: no one will tell if you end up choosing to purchase any of these for your own space....

Editor’s Note: This is not an endorsement of books that claim to cure medical issues or offer medical advice.

I’ve scoured through YA anthologies past and present—up to 2019—and pulled together an index to their contents by author. This is meant to help you seek out stories by your favorite authors, with a guide to the books in which they appear. Call it my librarian brain or my completionist desires, but it made sense to me to organize this information for others who, like me, sometimes just want to read a handful of short pieces by a single author....