Blog Post
Alex Award Winners
by manz
The American Library Association announced award winners for the best in books, video and audio books for children and young adults at the annual Youth Media Awards. Among the long list of awards is the Alex Award which is given to the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences. As an avid reader of young adult fiction, I love the crossover of teens reading adult fiction. This years picks were mix of fiction, science fiction, fantasy, nonfiction, and graphic novels. Here’s a quick list in the catalog of this year's winners, as well as a long list of all Alex winners since 2002.
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates – The author writes to his 15-year-old son about the inborn hazards of being black in America and his own intellectual, political and emotional confrontation with the need to live fully, even in the face of racialist culture.
Futuristic violence and Fancy Suits by David Wong – Zoey never had much ambition beyond being a barista, but when her father leaves her in control of the lawless city of Tabla Ra$a, she goes from steaming milk to slaying supervillains.
Girl at War by Sara Nović – Ana's early life was ravaged by the 1991 Balkan wars. Now a college student, Ana relives her war and its consequences as she unravels the mystery of herself and the meaning of home.
Half the World by Joe Abercrombie – A bloodthirsty girl and a reluctant warrior are recruited by a cunning minister for a mission that will either save or doom their kingdom.
All Involved by Ryan Gattis – Historical fiction set in 1992 during the LA riots that vividly recreates this turbulent and terrifying time through the stories of six interconnected lives caught up in extraordinary circumstances.
Bones & All By Camille DeAngelis – 16 year old Maren literally eats the ones who love her, bones and all. When her mother abandons her, Maren sets out to find the father she has never met, hoping he can help her understand why she is a monster.
The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen – A high school basketball star lives under the thumb of her grandmother, a fierce believer in Y2K as the apocalypse. The year 1999 alters Mercy’s life in a small Texas refinery town and gives her a future beyond it.
Humans of New York, Stories by Brandon Stanton – In pictures and interviews that captivate, puzzle and reveal, photojournalist collects an immeasurable range of human emotions and perspectives.
Undocumented: A Dominican Boy's Odyssey from a Homeless Shelter to the Ivy League by Dan-el Padilla Peralta – Overstaying his visa in the U.S. before he was in kindergarten, Padilla Peralta joined other young DREAM Act scholars to erase his illegal status. His humor, wisdom, success and very American boyhood smash anti-immigration stereotypes.
Sacred Heart by Liz Suburbia – Adults have disappeared, and Ben Schiller is trying to keep things together until their return in this unsettling graphic novel.
Blog Post
Caldecott and Newbery Youth Book Awards Announced!
by erin
Every year librarians, book lovers, publishers and book sellers look forward to the youth and teen book awards announced at the annual American Library Association conference. This year the awards were announced from Boston in a room filled with hundreds of insanely excited librarians - who gasp, groan and scream throughout the entire ceremony. The two oldest awards, and the most widely known are the Newbery and Caldecott awards.
The Caldecott Medal was named in honor of nineteenth-century English illustrator Randolph Caldecott. Awarded annually since 1938 by the Association for Library Service to Children to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children.
The 2016 Caldecott winner is Finding Winnie, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, written by Lindsay Mattick. Finding Winnie is an incredible account of the friendship and love shared between a soldier and the real bear who inspired Winnie-the-Pooh. Blackall beautifully interprets this multi-dimensional family story through her distinctive Chinese ink and watercolor art, capturing intimate and historical details perfect for a child’s eye.
Four books were chosen as Caldecott Honor titles:
Waiting, illustrated and written by Kevin Henkes. Waiting delivers an intimate story of five figurines, each anticipating the wonder of everyday moments. Using rich brown lines and a soft pastel palette, Henkes invites young readers to slow down and explore a range of emotions in a world on a windowsill.
Voice of Freedom, illustrated by Ekua Holmes, written by Carole Boston Weatherford. In this biography in verse, Ekua Holmes’ illustrations provide children with an intensely visual encounter with Civil Rights icon Fannie Lou Hamer. The repetition of colors and motifs within the richly layered collage create complex images that capture Hamer’s power and bravery.
Last Stop on Market Street, illustrated by Christian Robinson and written by Matt de la Peña. Readers are transported, along with a young boy and his grandmother, on a journey through the city. Robinson’s illustrations, a colorful mix of acrylic paint and collage, feel both vintage and fresh. The diversity, vibrancy, and beauty of the urban setting are celebrated as CJ and Nana share meaningful moments together.
The Newbery Medal was named for eighteenth-century British bookseller John Newbery">John Newbery. It is awarded annually by the Association for Library Service to Children to the author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for children.
The 2016 Newbery Medal Winner is Last Stop on Market Street, written by Matt de la Peña, illustrated by Christian Robinson. CJ’s journey with his Nana is not just a simple bus ride; it is a multi-sensory experience through which he discovers that beautiful music, nature and people surround him. CJ’s questions are familiar, and Nana answers him with gentle wisdom. Right up until their arrival at the last stop on Market Street, Nana guides CJ to become “a better witness for what’s beautiful.”
Three books were chosen as Newbery Honor titles:
The War that Saved my Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. Bradley’s powerful plot, remarkably drawn characters and sparse language are outstanding components of this novel about courage, community and conviction.
Roller Girl, written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson. Astrid falls in love with roller derby and learns how to be tougher, stronger and fearless. Jamieson perfectly captures the highs and lows of growing up in this dynamic graphic novel.
Echo, by Pam Muñoz Ryan. This original fairytale intertwines with historical fiction to explore music and its power to save, heal and set free.
Blog Post
Golden Globe Award Winners
by manz
Last night the 73rd Golden Globe Award winners were announced in top categories for motion pictures and television from the past year. It’s always fun to see the winners and speculate who will also win at the Oscars.
Best Motion Picture – Drama went to The Revenant, which is in theaters now (also winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for Leonardo DiCaprio and Best Director for Alejandro Iñárritu), Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy went to The Martian (also winning Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for Matt Damon), Best Motion Picture – Animated went to Inside Out, and Best Motion Picture – Foreign Language went to Son of Saul.
As for TV Series… Best Television Series – Drama went to Mr. Robot, Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy went to Mozart in the Jungle, and Best Television Limited Series or Motion Picture Made for Television went to Wolf Hall.
Be sure to check out the full list of winners to see who won in all categories.
Blog Post
2016 Michigan Notable Books Announced!
by Sara W
The 2016 Michigan Notable Book Award winners have been announced! These are books recognized by the Library of Michigan for "celebrating Michigan people, places, and events."
There are 20 books on the list, covering a wide variety of topics and aimed an an array of different audiences, including children's books, nonfiction, fiction, and poetry. This list covers the Michigan Notable titles available for borrowing through AADL, but wait, there's more! Back in October, AADL hosted David Maraniss for a discussion of his book, Once in a Great City: a Detroit story, which can be downloaded or viewed directly library's site.
This list will lead you to explorations of niche Michigan industries, celebrations of famous Michiganders, National Book Award-finalist storytelling, and mouth-watering recipes. So, congratulations to our new Notable authors, and next time you seek a pleasant, Michigan-inspired read, look about you.
Blog Post
NYT Book Review's 100 Notable Books of 2015
by eapearce
As with many other organizations, the New York Times Book Review puts out an annual list of the best books published in the past year. Known for its in-depth, analytical reviews each week, I always enjoy seeing the books that critics at the Book Review consider the best of the best.
You can see the entire list of the New York Times Book Review’s 100 Notable Books of 2015 here, and make requests on books you’re interested in! What’s on the list this year? Some widely acclaimed titles like Lauren Groff’s Fates and Furies, Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me, and Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life won’t surprise readers, but there’s a fair share of unique titles on the list too:
Vanessa and Her Sister is the story of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, both exceedingly talented, and both part of a turn-of-the-century group of eccentric artists and intellectuals. Told through the eyes of Vanessa, readers get a fascinating perspective on the life of Virginia Woolf and her long-term struggle with mental illness.
Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life, is the story of author William Finnegan’s actual experiences as a life-long surfer. The breezy book is reminiscent of a day spent surfing the California coast, although Finnegan began his career in Honolulu and eventually traveled to the most exotic of exotic locales chasing the perfect wave.
Do No Harm, by neurosurgeon Henry Marsh is an interesting behind-the-scenes look at what goes on in hospitals and surgical rooms. Part biography, part consideration of health policy, and party absorbing description of operations and procedures, this account is brutally honest and sheds new light on the outlook of doctors everywhere.
Blog Post
2015 Thumbs Up award from the Michigan Library Association winner
by gulickb
Every year the Michigan Library Association gives out the Thumbs Up award that recognizes books that offer an outstanding contribution to young adult literature. This years winner is Through the Woods by Emily Carroll.
The book has 5 graphic stories in it each one a complete "fairy tale" type story. The artwork is just phenomenal and the stories gave me chills. Th stories included in the book are Our neighbor's house - A lady's hands are cold - His face all red --My friend Janna - The nesting place and each one creates a great feeling of the "weird" that really works great in tandem with the artwork.
So if you are interested in a great series of short weird graphic stories then give the 2015 Thumbs Up award winning Through the Woods a read!
Blog Post
NPR's Best Books of 2015
by eapearce
NPR recently released its Best Books of 2015 list, an in depth yearly endeavor where critics and NPR staff choose their favorite books of the year and compile them into a genre-spanning list of several hundred titles. I love that, along with the expected books on the list that are getting accolades from numerous publications and organizations, NPR’s list always contains more obscure titles that many readers likely missed over the course of the year.
You can view all of the titles from the list that we have available in our catalog here.
So what’s on this list of nearly 300 books? Here’s a preview:
In Speak, by Louisa Hall, a young Puritan woman travels to America with her unwanted husband, while in other time and place Alan Turing writes letters to his best friend’s mother and a Jewish refugee tries to reconnect with his distant wife. Elsewhere in time and space, a lonely young girl speaks with an intelligent software program and a formerly celebrated Silicon Valley entrepreneur is imprisoned for making illegal lifelike dolls. How does Hall tie all these characters together? As they all try somehow to communicate across gaps, Hall connects their stories, creating an amazing book that is a blend of historical fiction, science fiction and fantasy.
V is for Vegetables offers more than 140 simple recipes for cooking vegetables in unique and unexpected ways at home. Author and chef Michael Anthony has cleverly divided the chapters of the book by vegetable, so if you ever find yourself staring at kohlrabi or tomatillos in the grocery store, curious about how one cooks such things, this is the book for you! And even expert cooks will be refreshed by Anthony’s new ideas for ways to use common vegetables like broccoli, tomatoes, carrots and squash.
The Battle of Versailles tells of a little-known event that took place at the Palace of Versailles: as a fundraiser for the restoration of the palace, the world’s elite gathered in the grand theater there for a “fashion competition” of sorts: five American designers (including Oscar de la Renta and Anne Klein) faced off against five French designers considered to be the best designers in the world—Yves Saint Laurent, Hubert de Givenchy and others. The American clothes were expected to be a laughingstock but instead, the garments and the energy of the models who wore them wowed the crowd. By the end of the evening, American fashion in the world had transformed from a footnote to an enormous influence, not only on style itself but also on the way race, gender, sexuality and economics were treated in fashion in the years to come.
Blog Post
Lila: Raw and Beautiful
by mansii
After repeated suggestions to read Gilead, Marilynne Robinson's Pulitzer prize winning novel, I gave in and picked up the book's prequel, Lila, a 2014 National Book Award Finalist itself, as a starting point. I picked it up and, in a sense, I don’t think I will ever put it down. It did what an excellent book should do: it twisted my heart and in so doing challenged my way of thinking, and my compassion.
"Lila" follows the inward and outward journey of a wandering street girl to whom hardship is just a way of life. She has endured childhood abuse, the shame of a whore house, and the hunger pains and hardness of a life on the run. This background has become more than an experience but an identity. Though Lila's particular tragedies are hers alone, her questions and struggles strike a universal cord and make her achingly relatable. Which of us has not felt alone in a room of friends, or tried to earn the gifts of love and acceptance even when freely given? Which of us do not doubt our place in the world, or try to self-purge shame and fear? When Lila unexpectedly finds herself in the kind, small town of Gilead with the new comforts of a house, family, and community, she now wrestles with receiving this grace of the present. It seems unfitting to the tainted Lila she sees herself to be.
Lila slowly transforms as she works through an unlikely romance with an aging pastor who does not view her colored by her past, and offers her Hosea-like love. Far from stereotypical, rather than sermonizing the reader and wrapping up answers to age-old questions with a bow, this pastor is raw and human with his own pains and his own searchings. Together with us this pair considers troublesome questions that remain unsatisfied with trite answers. Questions such as what do we make of a world of suffering? What would it look like to be made new? How do we love flawed people who can display towards us both good and evil? And how do we live in light of loss? Together they learn to receive grace for themselves, and allow grace to transform their scars into compassion for others.
Marilynne Robinson has given us a book that is raw, humble, honest, and beautiful. Through her I am learning compassion for those I relate to least. Her wisdom challenges me to resist simplifying knotted questions, and in the not knowings to live in light of the gifts of grace.
If you have already enjoyed "Lila" as I have, you may also enjoy these finds:
Someone (2013) by Alice McDermott
The Thing About December by Donal Ryan
Benediction by Kent Haruf
I Curse the River of Time by Per Petterson
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #567
by muffy
The Boys * * is the first of Toni Sala's books to ever be published in English. The recipient of the 2005 National Literature Prize awarded by the Catalan government, Sala also received the Premis de la Crítica (The Critics Prize for Fiction Catalan) for The Boys in 2014.
In the sleepy Catalonian village of Vidreres, at the foothills of the Pyrenees, two teenage boys, sons of a powerful landowner, were killed in a horrible accident. Overnight, the grief changed the lives of everyone in town, including our four narrators: Iona, a teenage girl who narrowly escapes the same fate by refusing a ride, now she is left to wrestle with survivor's guilt; Ernest, the local banker heads out to the crash site and seeks solace by visiting a hooker; brutish trucker Miqui, no stranger to mayhems, is quietly touched by the deaths; and Nil, an unhinged artist is in pursuit of Iona.
"Long recognized among Catalonia's leading authors, Toni Sala is at his dark, mischievous best, delivering a sinister, fast-moving tale laced with labyrinthine meditations... From Internet hookups and face transplants to tense standoffs, sexual fantasies, and the loss of the ones we hold most dear, Sala offers us a frighteningly contemporary vision of how alone we are in an age of unparalleled connectivity."
Will appeal to fans of Javier Marias, Horacio Castellanos Moya; Michael Ondaatje; and Michel Houellebecq.
* * = 2 starred reviews
Blog Post
2015 Mitten Award Winner: Maple by Lori Nichols
by gulickb
Every year the Michigan Library Association gives out a Mitten Award for quality in youth picture books. This year the winner was Maple by Lori Nichols.
Maple follows the early life of a young girl named Maple and her best friend, a maple tree. The illustrations are vibrant and wonderfully drawn, and it's very easy to get pulled into Maple's little world. This is a great book for those who are about to have a new member in the family, or for those who already have a younger brother or sister, and there are sequel books as well!!!