Browse New Materials-- April 10, 2023

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A selection from our shelves, as curated by your favorite SPL librarians!


For the week of April 10, 2023:  Fiction | Nonfiction | Graphic Novels | Movies/TV, Music & More


Fiction

Fic Afterglow: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors by Grist

Afterglow is a stunning collection of original short stories in which writers from many different backgrounds envision a radically different climate future. Published in collaboration with Grist, a nonprofit media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions, these stirring tales expand our ability to imagine a better world.

Big Chicas Don't Cry Big Chicas Don’t Cry by Annette Chavez Macias

Four cousins, who were exceptionally close as children, have grown apart and are struggling with their own issues. When tragedy reunites them, will they remember their abuelita's lessons about family and forgiveness--or is a fifteen-year separation too much to overcome?

Donut Fall in Love Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

Actor Ryan Kwok is taking some long overdue time off in his Toronto hometown after promoting his latest film when he falls for local baker Lindsay McLeod after knocking over her tray of fresh donuts in this sweet and charming contemporary romance.

In the Upper Country In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas

A sweeping, well-researched historical novel framed with the stories of two women (told to each other) in a Canadian town in 1859: a new resident who just shot a slave hunter and a freeborn biracial housekeeper-journalist from the north.

Witchful Thinking Witchful Thinking by Celestine Martin

It's the eve of homebody Lucy Caraway's ten year high school reunion and the New Jersey witch is wishing she could show up with the man of her dreams in tow. A rum-induced night of spell casting brings high school crush and merman Alex Dwyer into her orbit. As the spell runs its course, Lucy and Alex wonder if their mutual attraction is meant to last, or just a passing enchantment.

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Nonfiction

Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures edited by Kevin M. Strait and Kinshasha Holman Conwil

A highly visual authority on afrofuturism covering aspects of space, art, gender and music.

A Black Women's History of the United States A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross

This accessible and captivating work by two award-winning black female scholars takes the reader through centuries of American history using well-researched stories of black women from all walks of life.

NF Elderflora: A Modern History of Ancient Trees by Jared Farmer

In Elderflora, historian Jared Farmer reveals the fascinating story behind the work to accurately date the oldest living things on Earth. His holistic study includes research based on the testimonies of scientists, indigenous peoples, and spiritual figures.

Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers' Poetry Hustling Verse: An Anthology of Sex Workers' Poetry edited by Amber Dawn and Justin Ducharme

A trailblazing poetry anthology from over 50 sex workers as they express themselves with complexity, honesty, and agency. Together, contributors from Canada, the US, Europe, and Asia harmoniously offset stigmatizations around sex work in their exploration of intimacy, transactional sex, identity, healing, and resilience.

I Can't Save You I Can't Save You by Anthony Chin-Quee

A raw reflection on past mistakes, this ear nose and throat doctor turned TV writer examines the intersection of race and medical practice.

The 2000s Made Me Gay The 2000s Made Me Gay by Grace Perry

In the 2000s, Grace Perry's journey of discovering her sexuality sent her looking for gay representation in the mostly straight culture of The OC, Gossip Girl, Taylor Swift lyrics, and Mean Girls. A fun balance of memoir and pop culture analysis, these essays will transport you through the aughts, a nostalgic ride through one millennial's queer coming-of-age.

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Graphic Novels

Love Everlasting Vol. 1 Love Everlasting Vol. 1 by Tom King, writer ; Elsa Charretier, artist ; Matt Hollingsworth, colorist ; Clayton Cowles, letterer ; Marla Eizik, editor

Reminiscent of vintage romance comics, this meta reworking finds Joan stuck in an endless loop of melodramatic romantic tropes. As soon as happily ever after is on its way, she's starting all over again, setting up many questions to be answered in the next volume.

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Movies/TV, Music & More

Movies/TV

Bodies Bodies Bodies Bodies Bodies Bodies directed by Halina Reijn
Format: DVD

When a group of rich twenty-somethings plan a hurricane party at an isolated family mansion, a party game turns deadly in this fresh and funny look at backstabbing, fake friends, and one party gone very, very wrong.

The Earth is as Blue as an Orange The Earth is as Blue as an Orange directed by Iryna Tsilyk
Format: DVD

Krasnohorivka: a town on the front lines of the war-torn region of Eastern Ukraine. When poet/filmmaker Iryna Tsilyk first visits the Trofymchuk-Gladky family home, she is surprised by what she finds: while the outside world is made up of bombings and chaos, single parent Anna and her four children are managing to keep their home as a safe haven, full of life and full of light. Every member of the family has a passion for cinema, so it feels natural for them to shoot a film inspired by their own life during a time of war. The creative process raises the question of what kind of impact cinema might have during times of disaster, and how to picture war through the cameras lens. For Anna and the children, transforming trauma into a work of art is the ultimate way to stay human.

Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. Honk for Jesus. Save Your Soul. produced by Rowan Riley
Format: DVD

Proud first lady of a Southern Baptist megachurch, Trinitie Childs carries immense responsibility on her shoulders. After a scandal involving her husband, the church is forced to temporarily close, leaving Trinitie struggling to manage the aftermath. Now, she and her spouse must rebuild their congregation and reconcile their faith by all means necessary to make the biggest comeback that commodified religion has ever seen.

The Menu The Menu directed by Mark Mylod
Format: DVD

A young couple travels to a secluded island to eat at an exclusive restaurant where the chef has prepared an extravagant menu. What they don't know is tonight's clientele have been selected for a specific reason, and they are all involved in the spectacle he intends to perform.

Radium Girls Radium Girls directed by Lydia Dean Pilcher and Ginny Mohler
Format: DVD

Starring Joey King and based on the bestselling book of the same name, Radium Girls is inspired by true events about women watch workers in New Jersey's American Radium factory in the late 1920s. Teen sisters and Radium factory workers Bessie and Jo uncover a lethal corporate cover-up and band together to fight for justice.

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