Staff Favorite Books of 2017

OUR STAFF'S FAVORITE MOVIES AND SHOWS OF 2017. 

Our expert staff take a look back at the year and share their favorite titles.  Click on the links below the images to view the item in our catalog.

HARDCORE TWENTY-FOUR                            BEARTOWN                                     THE GLASS CASTLE

by Jeannette Walls                                           by Frederik Backman                                  by Jeannette Walls   

      

 WHEN ALL THE GIRLS                      THE DEMON CROWN                         THE HATE U
HAVE GONE                                                                                                                     GIVE
by Jayne Ann Krentz                                          by James Rollins                                         by Angie Thomas

A LONG WAY HOME                           JANE, UNLIMITED                         A MAN CALLED OVE
by Saroo Brierley                                              by Kristin Chashore                                  by Fredrik Backman

 PLEASE DON'T TELL MY                                     DRAFT NO. 4: ON                                     NEW YORK 2140
                                                                                                          THE WRITING PROCESS
PARENTS I HAVE A NEMESIS
Hoopla Audiobook                                             by John McPhee                                         by Kim Stanley Robinson

IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT                 THE TRESPASSER      THE PEOPLE WE HATE AT THE WEDDING
by Judy Blume                                                 by Tana French                                                     by Grant Ginder

Staff Favorite Movies of 2017

OUR STAFF'S FAVORITE MOVIES AND SHOWS OF 2017. 

Our expert staff take a look back at the year and share their favorite titles.  Click on the links below the images to view the item in our catalog.

         Baby Driver                                             Dunkirk                                       All Eyez On Me 

   Game of Thrones (S7)                    Guardians of the Galaxy v.2                       Hacksaw Ridge

 

           Maudie                                          Orphan Black (S5)                             A Man Called Ove

 Stranger Things (S1)                                Riverdale (S1)                                                   Sully

         Westworld (S1)                               This is Us (S1)                                   Wonder Woman

The Zookeeper's Wife

Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything by Aly Raisman

Most of us only see Gymnastics every 4 years during the Olympics. The Olympic Games, the world's most prestigious sporting event is the pinnacle of sport and achievement. But what we don’t always see is the behind-the-scenes. How does one athlete get picked above the others to compete and why? After all, they don’t magically appear at the event. This is where Aly Raisman's biography "Fierce" fills in these much needed gaps and gives us her honest (and in a certain chapter her bravery) on her road to London in 2012 and Rio in 2016.

I've always had an interest in Gymnastics, the way they tumble on the floor, flip and turn all on a 4-inch wide beam, swing and release on the uneven bars, and rocket to heights on the vault. These feats always seemed like something for superheroes, and I wanted to know more and more about this seemingly impossible sport.

What is most appealing about Aly is that she is not a child prodigy. She was not born with an innate ability to perform gymnastics spectacularly well. She was (and still is) good—great, even—but only because she was passionate about the sport and put in the work necessary to stand out. This book chronicles her tenacity and determination to make it to not one but two Olympic teams. She also is vocal about the abuse she suffered at the hands of now convicted USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

I appreciate such honesty, and in an autobiography that can be rare.  especially sports biographies.  There are platitudes about how much hard work is needed; rinse, wash, repeat. But Aly doesn't shy away from the gritty parts of being an elite gymnast.  She tells us about the times she was made fun of for being muscular, her mixed relationship with social media commentary, and her struggle with healthy living.  

Now I'm far to old (and out of shape) to be a gymnast on any level, but Aly's biography let me see something of myself in this Olympian.  If you love gymnastics, the Olympics, or sports biographies in general ,"Fierce" will satisfy all your cravings.


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

Get Out (Horror - 2017)

Horror, thriller and social messages all blend together into a gripping and formidable nail-biter in "Get Out," the astonishing directorial debut of Jordan Peele. You may recognize the name as a half of the comedy duo "Key & Peele". Whilst establishing himself as a master comedian. He can now add master writer and director to his impressive resume. What emerges is unforgettable, unmistakably modern film which hits on all cylinders with almost no misfires.

In the tradition of "The Stepford Wives" with the twist of "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?," the story follows a young black man named Chris (Daniel Kaluuya) who goes to meet his girlfriend, Rose's (Allison Williams) parents at their fancy estate where things go from slightly uncomfortable to unmistakably sinister within an evening. From this unsettling beginning, the film quietly but effectively builds to a crescendo, that forces the viewer to see prejudices head on.

Without giving away the plot (trust me, you'll want to see if you can figure it out by yourself), not a single scene has been wasted, every little aspect of the movie has a purpose, and ultimately, that's what movies should be about: telling a story with so much love for its details that a viewer can simply sink into the movie and forget what's happening around him.

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