What To Read Next from FADL: Kelly’s New Year Picks
(Jeff Milo, FADL Circulation Specialist, Jan.17, 2015)
This can be a slow and quiet time of year. It’s when a lot of awards for films and books from the previous year are handed out and we’re inundated with previews or sneak peeks of critics and tastemaker’s picks for what will be the hottest titles or coolest movies of 2015… That’s not going to help you if you’re looking for something right now.
That’s why these biweekly columns of recommendations from the staff of the Ferndale Area District Library can be so rewarding, particularly during this break between big-name releases; we’ll help you find something new (to you), something that you missed from the last year.
Kelly Bennett is the Head of Circulation at the Ferndale Area District Library. Among her many contributions to the library is the Local Music Program, a curation of more than 300 albums from Michigan artists along with the Start Here Saturdays concert showcase, a monthly program of live music hosted afterhours on the first Saturday of each month. More info: http://www.ferndale.lib.mi.us/index.php/movies-music
Kelly’s New Year Picks
It’s been an interesting year for me. I’ve lost 40 pounds (and counting) and especially at the beginning of the year, I spent a lot of my exercise time listening to audiobooks. Having a compelling book to get me through my long walks or home workouts was instrumental to my success. It was a lean year for movies for me, but the ones I saw had a tremendous impact. Check out my list for a little of both!
Station Eleven by Mandel, Emily St. John
Call #: FIC MANDEL
The last ten years have been rife with post-apocalyptic books, shows and movies. Station Eleven stands out from the crowd primarily because it makes room for art in its ruined world. The criss-crossing storylines bring depth to the characters by filling in their histories, and the intersections of those paths is where much of the magic of this book lies.
Find it: http://bit.ly/1wkZDOf
Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Mukherjee, Siddhartha
Call #: 616.991 M
If you’ve ever said or thought, “with all the money spent on cancer research, why hasn’t a cure been developed?” then I highly recommend reading this book. While the news isn’t necessarily sunny, the insight gained is worthwhile. The history of cancer, its classification, and treatments are laid out in detail without being confusing. The best part of this book for me, though, was learning about all of the people tied into the story of cancer; from maverick scientists to gutsy patients.
Find it: http://bit.ly/1FibvKj
The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
Call #: FIC GALBRAITH
This sequel to J.K. Rowling’s The Cuckoo’s Calling is as much of an indictment of the cutthroat literary world as that first book was of celebrity obsession. A missing novelist’s scandalous manuscript which skewers everyone in his literary circle is at the center of this mystery. But the real stars are the book’s main characters: Cormoran Strike, the kind of f-ed up detective and his assistant, Robin Ellacott, whose recent passion for crime-solving is not doing her relationship any favors.
Find it: http://bit.ly/17gDQS4
Only Lovers Left Alive – Directed by Jim Jarmusch
Call #: DVD DRAMA O
Twenty-Fourteen was not a big movie year for me, but what I lost in quantity I think I made up for in quality. This movie felt like the grown-up version of a romantic vampire film. Its protagonists, expertly played by Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton, are old, languid vampires. Adam makes music that everyone in the Detroit scene loves, though they don’t know the mysterious creature behind it. If you truly give into this film, you won’t mind its near lack of plot, because inhabiting the gorgeously distressed cities with these characters is like the best aimless hangout of your youth.
Find it: http://bit.ly/1wkYBBD
The Grand Budapest Hotel – Directed by Wes Anderson
Call #: DVD COMEDY G
Another of the few films I saw this year, The Grand Budapest Hotel is the only one that I saw twice. In the theater. The preciseness of the whimsy in this movie is appealing to me on so many levels. Who would go so far for a short sight-gag? Wes Anderson, would and that’s why I love him. Ralph Fiennes is spectacular, proving that an actor can be just as mesmerizing and impressive when he’s being laugh-out-loud hilarious. And the fact that his character, the center of this story, is still so flawed, has a certain kind of hopefulness to it that just breaks my heart.
Find it: http://bit.ly/1DgEJas
More info: http://ferndale.lib.mi.us
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