The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

There are those books that are important and timely, worthy of reading because of the social and/or political message that they send. They fill a gap in the market; they make waves. They need to exist. And there are other books that are well-written, emotionally-charged and unputdownable - books that are not important as such, just really good. But, on occasion, you find one of those rare wonderful creatures that is both important AND really good. The Hate U Give is one of those books. 

Starr Carter may only be sixteen, but she has already witnessed two murders of close friends in her life: the first of Natasha a 10 year old black girl in a drive by and the second of a 16 year old Khalil an unarmed boy shot multiple times by a cop. While she was in the car. Even though they didn’t do anything wrong. Even though he was unarmed. 

The strongest aspect of this book is it's social commentary and political criticism. This is the kind of book that should be in the hands of teens, making them aware of current issues, educating them on pressing matters, and encouraging them to get involved to create change. I absolutely left this read with an entirely new perspective I will carry with me in the future. It poses many important questions about racism, police brutality, discrimination, and prejudice while also answering them in a comprehensive and inviting way.

This book is everything it's been hyped up to be; revolutionary, poignant, heartbreaking and a voice that needs to be heard, no matter what your color.

Recommended by Monica Shine

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What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

This book opens with the best disclaimer I have ever seen:

"Do not try any of this at home. The author of this book is an Internet cartoonist, not a health or safety expert. He likes it when things catch fire or explode, which means he does not have your best interests in mind. The publisher and the author disclaim responsibility for any adverse effects resulting, directly or indirectly, from information contained in this book."

Randall Munroe  takes "absurd hypothetical questions" from readers and tries to answer some of them. Here are some of my favorite questions in this book:

• If every human somehow simply disappeared from the face of the Earth, how long would it be before the last artificial light source would go out?

• From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground? 

• Which US state is actually flown over the most? 

If you are interested to know any of the answers to those questions, this book is for you! What made this so much fun, aside from the ridiculous questions, is Munroe's sense of humor.

Recommended by Monica Shine
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November 9 by Colleen Hoover

No matter what is said there is no question that Colleen Hoover has that incredibly special gift of originality and a way with words that are second to none. When Colleen is in the zone she really and truly is so in the zone that she leaves all other romance writers in the dust.

Ben and Fallon's story spans across a five-year period. He's a college student/aspiring writer and she's an actress, whose career came to a tragic end, leaving her riddled with self-confidence issues. Both are young, and working through loads of emotional baggage. When they first met, it happens to be the day Fallon plans to pack up her life and move from L.A to N.Y. Almost immediately, they’ve formed a bond. Wanting to continue a friendship/relationship, they agree to reunite each year on November 9th.... a sort of 'same bat time, same bat station' type of scenario.

There is one stipulation to their agreement... absolutely no contact or communication above and beyond that one day.  Told from dual POV's, we discover that date is of great significance to both for various reasons - it is a blessing and a curse - and I braced myself for some major drama to come (and trust me, there is  TONS of drama). 

Recommended by Monica Shine
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Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

This book is a geek fantasy. A nerd utopia. Wade Watts, our protagonist, attends school in OASIS an online world created by James Halliday, contains thousands of different worlds.  In a very "Westing Game" move, Halliday leaves his entire $250 billion fortune to the player who can find the Easter egg hidden in OASIS.

Oh, did I mention that Halliday was a fan of 1980s pop culture and built his clues to finding his fortune around his love of that era? To win, you must be well versed in every John Hughes movie, know pretty much every lyric to every 80's song (yes even the obscure ones), and of course be fluent in games like Pac-Man, Asteroids and Joust.

When Wade finds the first clue and opens the first gate of the elaborate treasure hunt he becomes a world sensation, and draws the attention of the Sixers, the evil corporation intent on dominating OASIS. If they find the clues before Wade and his friends, and unlock the Halliday fortune, OASIS would be under their control. 

This was an intense, fast paced read and will resonate for years to come for anyone who loves, trivia, quests and of course video games.  Read this one before the movie (directed by Steven Spielberg) is released later this year!

Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

Ingrid Goes West (Comedy, 2017)

Dark comedy with Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen? Sign me in.

But what I got, was definitely not a comedy. There are some great laughs in this film, but mostly it's a heavy drama about unbalanced, desperate people. And a very well made one. 'Ingrid Goes West' is so real, so brutal, that it makes the audience uncomfortable, but you still can't look away. This is what the world of social media is when taken to extreme. It's reality for thousands of people, if not for millions.

Ingrid (Aubrey Plaza)is a lonely Pennsylvania girl who needs friends as she's rejected and bored and wants a change of pace and a new beginning, so when she notices an Instagram star on her iPhone out in California, you guessed it a trip to move to the west coast is on Ingrid's to do list! It's already a slow obsession to be a new friend to this social media star named Taylor Sloane(Elizabeth Olsen) as this attractive bright blond girl seems to have it! Ingrid has a dream come true by getting to meet Taylor and it seems like friendship is rolling along only it's not as each has a different lifestyle and social status. After Ingrid feels rejected and isolated you guessed it she becomes a stalker and it's a dangerous little cat and mouse game with Taylor and others around them. It is a sad, yet important and powerful look at our society today.


Recommended by Monica Shine
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The Glass Castle (Drama, 2017)

We all have our stories. The stories that make up our life. Some of us dwell on the "bad" things, while others remember only the good times. Ms. Walls' memoir describes her unconventional childhood with bohemian parents who cared more for freedom and independence than for feeding their kids. Fortunate we all are to have families that dysfunction in even small ways because they provide us with stories for a lifetime. Such is writer/director Destin Daniel Cretton's The Glass Castle, a story based on Jeannette Wells's (Brie Larson) family, overloaded by a dad, Rex,whose oversized personality, big brain, and capacity for booze dominates the four children through their adult years.


One of The Glass Castle's strongest aspects is how it takes an experience unique to a small amount of people, and makes it so relatable to the masses. 99% of the people watching this movie have not had an upbringing like Jeanette's, but the film crafts the story in a way that you can form parallels to your own life. This isn't just telling the story of someone's childhood; it becomes a commentary on the ups and downs of family life itself. If you're looking for a good (ugly) cry, this is the one for you.


Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

La Vie en Rose (French, 2007)

It is difficult to overstate the necessary caliber of a woman who was raised in a filthy whorehouse, sung and slept on the street, traveled with the circus, lost her child at 20, went blind for a time, was wrongly accused of murder, struggled with a drug addiction and lost other loved ones by the bucketload in her life, and still got up on stage at the end of her life to sing "Je ne regrette rien". La Vie en Rose documents each stage of Edith Piaf's life with creative direction and an intensely brilliant performance by its lead actress, Marion Cotillard.

Cotillard, who won the Best Actress Oscar for this film in 2007, gives additional life to Piaf (who already was a larger than life character in her own right) and will hopefully introduce a new legion of fans for this early 20th century star. Even if you've never heard the name Edith Piaf before, you certainly know her music. In the iconic scene in "Saving Private Ryan", Piaf's hit "Tu Es Partout" provides the soundtrack while the platoon waiting on a German offensive strike. Or in "Inception" where "Je ne regrette rien" is used as the musical Kick needed to help DiCaprio and Company return from a level of sleep.

If you are put off by foreign language films with subtitles, make an exception for this film. As a biopic, Edith Piaf's gravelly voice works its way through her life to the accompaniment of her distinctive songs. I guarantee you will be a fan of Piaf after viewing this film.



Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

Fargo (Season 1)

You don't have to have seen the original Coen film to enjoy this series, nor does it spoil anything for you if you have seen it: the new TV-show 'Fargo' is entirely its own beast. This is black comedy at its best, filled with a stellar cast (like Billy Bob Thornton, Martin Freeman, Colin Hanks and scene-stealer newcomer, Allison Tolman) mixed with a complex crime narrative teat will leave you guessing until the very end.


The premise is simple enough, a jittery underachiever has a random encounter with a charismatic psychopath. Here's where it starts to get crazy; we introduce a high school nemesis, a nagging wife, the chief of police and his second in command, a billionaire with a dirty little secret, and a crime syndicate based out of (you guessed it) Fargo.


Confused yet? Don't worry, the payoff is so satisfying you'll be wanting to watch this one again to pick up any clues you missed.

Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.

Turtles All The Way Down by John Green



John Green is one of those authors that always brings the feels. Turtles All the Way Down is a book about mental illness, it’s a book about the power of lifelong friendship, and there is a bit of romance thrown in the mix (though not much).

The novel tells the story of Aza. She is a teenager dealing with OCD and debilitating anxiety.  Aza has a childhood friend called Davis Picket but they have not been in touch in years. One day Davis's father, who happens to be a billionaire, disappears and there is a $100,000 reward for information pointing to his whereabouts. Unlike Daisy, Aza is not very interested in the reward but is Daisy who pushes Aza to find out what happens to billionaire Russell Picket in the hopes of earning the $100,000.

This is the setup of the novel, it is up to you to find out what happens. The characters are witty, sharp and likeable. As is usual in a John-Green book, you will find humor, regular trivia, nerdy trivia (my favorite), and philosophical themes.


Recommended by Monica Shine
Click here to view in the catalog.