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celeste by inj culbard

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Craving a little sci-fi with your we all die alone ennui? I.N.J Culbard's intense depiction of the human condition post-event (although we're not certain that said event actually happened, or what said event may have been) is just the thing. Culbard tells his tale in three parallel narratives, featuring three lonely people: a young girl living with albinism in London, a Japanese comic artist on the brink of taking his own life, and an uptight man stuck in LA gridlock who has just received a mysterious interrupted phone call concerning his wife. The story itself is interesting enough, but what sets Celeste apart is Culbard's phenomenal, one might even say stellar, artwork: a mix of masterful single, multiple, and otherwise mixed-up panels that provide depth for his characters in a way that words never do. While some readers might find the open ending frustrating, I was delighted by the ambiguity and appreciated the opportunity for imaginative interpretation throughout the w

the throwback special by chris bachelder

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I'm not a team sports enthusiast. Truly, I'm vehemently anti-athletics of the team variety, since, among more virtuous geopolitical reasons, they remind me of being tortured by jocks as a new wave teen. Still, I relished Bachelder's book, because it isn't really about organized sport. Rather, it's a near-scientific observation of twenty-two men in the throes of middle life who have gathered annually for the last sixteen years to reenact Joe Theismann's 1985 leg-shattering play, known as "The Throwback Special," laced with heavy doses of bittersweet humor - a favorite flavor of mine. Those of you who miss the pleasure of eavesdropping on humans conversing in public spaces* will appreciate the low- and high-brow overheard philosophical gems sprinkled throughout the work as the men, largely begrudgingly, prepare for a ritual many of them are no longer emotionally invested in. Reading it felt like the best kind of being invisible: reader as witness to a c

saint valentine's picks

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Looking for love in unusual places? I've assembled a group of picks that aren't your standard romance fare - although if it is cheesy romance that you need, I'll gladly be your supplier. In the historical fiction category are three unforgettable love stories, all of which happened to win the Booker prize: Richard Flanagan's heartwrenching The Narrow Road to the Deep North, A.S. Byatt's sumptuous and suspenseful Possession; and Peter Carey's unforgettable tale of misfit love, Oscar and Lucinda. In the YA lit arena, three sad love stand-outs all evolve around mixed race romance; Ashley Hope Perez's Out of Darkness, Jodi Lynn Anderson's Tigerlily, and Martha Brockenbrough's The Game of Love and Death will make your heart hurt just the right way. Only have time for a little love? Check out David Levithan's love lexicon, The Lover's Dictionary, Junot Diaz's smart and funny This is How You Lose Her, or Carlos Fuentes' thinly-veiled trib

griffin & sabine by Nick Bantock

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Need a little something-something to melt away the madness? If you unwittingly made it through the 90s without reading Griffin & Sabine, as I did, you'll find it's just the thing: a delightful anachronistic correspondence via painted carte-postale tucked into actual envelopes, a slow getting-to-know-you, a return to the possibility and pleasure of mystery between two near-strangers. It's a puzzle, it's a love story, it's an artful multi-media mezcla. Griffin, a painter living in London, receives a postcard from Sabine, an artist who designs stamps for a living on a small island in the South Pacific. They have never met, but Sabine can see Griffin's brushstrokes in her mind as he works. Unable to resist the allure of the unknown, Griffin replies with a postcard of his own, and the two of them embark upon their nonnormative relationship with intrigue and aplomb. My only frustration is not having access to the rest of the collection until June! Merci, magnifi

goodbye stranger by rebecca stead

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Girlfriends Bridge, Tab, and Em are a self-determined set; they have Twinkie-sworn* to remain fight-free through their seventh grade year. Their pledge is put to the test as they navigate through conflicts both candid and contemporary - Tab joins a feminist club, Em finds herself in a selfie shaming fiasco, and Bridge isn't sure if her friend Sherm is just a friend. What I love most about award-winning Ms. Stead's latest is a notable absence of typically clichéd treatment of middle school life. Rather, her cast of characters provide a refreshingly real rendition of what it means to be human, not just a middle schooler. GS is a perfect match for tween or teen book clubs, and would be a welcome addition to reading rec lists for the same audience. Click here for a full review. Grade 6+ * a Twinkie-swear is not a Pinkie- swear

librarian picks 2016

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Voila: my 2016 librarian picks - although there was much to be sad about in 2016, it was an exceptionally good year for reading. At the top of the list this year is Paul Beatty's latest, The Sellout, which made me laugh while I cried and made history as the first novel written by an American author to win the Booker prize; Ashley Hope Perez's Out of Darkness and Martha Brockenbrough's The Game of Love and Death were singular stand-outs in the YA Lit poignantly-contemporary-even-though-it's-historical fiction arena; Louise Erdrich's heartwrenching yet surprisingly uplifting LaRose was the sleeper hit of the year; Mat Jonson's ABA winner, Loving Day, tackled love, race and ghosts; Adrian Tomine returned to his special brand of wry observation with Killing and Dying; and finally, two stunning prize-winning poetry collections from American Book Award winner Laura Da' and Whiting Award winner Ocean Vuong rounded out my end-of-the-year recommendations wit

the game of love and death by martha brockenbrough

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A brilliant, beguiling and beautiful book set in Depression-era Seattle in the 1930s, TGOLAD tells the at once heartbreaking and hopeful love story of African American chanteuse Flora Saudade and adopted wealthy white boy Henry Bishop. Forever foes Love and Death are playing a game: Flora and Henry are their unknowing pawns. A pitch-perfect Seattle setting, an indelible ensemble cast of characters, and a hefty dose of high-stakes legerdemain all come together in a mesmerizing cacophony that will keep you turning the pages well into the night. I had the distinct pleasure of listening to Ms. Brockenbrough read at the Washington State Book Awards; the notes of her voice floating through the air were every bit as gorgeous as her words on the page. Not to be missed! Click here for a trailer and here for a full review . Grade 8+