Langley-Adams Library Recommendations

"Based on an award-winning play ("The Audience") by showrunner Peter Morgan, this lavish, Netflix-original drama chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II (Claire Foy) from the 1940s to modern times. The series begins with an inside look at the early reign of the queen, who ascended the throne at age  25 after the death of her father, King George VI. As the decades pass, personal intrigues, romances, and political rivalries are revealed that played a big role in events that shaped the later years of the 20th century." (Google.com) I found the first two seasons of this show fascinating because it captures the important moments in the life of Queen Elizabeth II without being a complete documentary. Although not every part of the show is historically accurate plot-wise, it doesn't take away from showing the daily struggles of the Royal Family. The show also gives a glimpse into the life of Winston Churchill. One of my favorite facts about the show is that the je...

"The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.  But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands."(Goodreads.com) This book is one of the most beautifully written books that I have ever read. The way that the author describes the scenes and char...

Phoebe Robinson is a stand-up comic, which means that, often, her everyday experiences become points of comedic fodder. And as a black woman in America, she maintains, sometimes you need to have a sense of humor to deal with the absurdity you are handed on the daily. Robinson has experienced her fair share over the years: she's been unceremoniously relegated to the role of "the black friend," as if she is somehow the authority on all things racial; she's been questioned about her love of U2 and Billy Joel ("isn't that . . . white people music?"); she's been called "uppity" for having an opinion in the workplace; she's been followed around stores by security guards; and yes, people do ask her whether they can touch her hair all. the. time. Now, she's ready to take these topics to the page and she's going to make you laugh as she's doing it.   As personal as it is political, "You Can't Touch My Hair" examines ...

“ Serina has been groomed her whole life to become a Grace - someone to stand by the heir to the throne as a shining, subjugated example of the perfect woman. But when her headstrong and rebellious younger sister, Nomi, catches the heir's eye, it's Serina who takes the fall for the dangerous secret that Nomi has been hiding. Now trapped in a life she never wanted, Nomi has only one way to save Serina: surrender to her role as a Grace until she can use her position to release her sister. This is easier said than done. A traitor walks the halls of the palace, and deception lurks in every corner. But Serina is running out of time, imprisoned on an island where she must fight to the death to survive and one wrong move could cost her everything.”  (Goodreads.com) I got this book in an Owl Crate subscription box. I wouldn’t have normally chosen this book to read but I wanted to give it a try. The suspense kept me wanting to read well after bedtime. I liked that the book spli...

"Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents — an odd brother and sister — extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late... Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it." (Goodreads.com) Typically I am not a fan of books that lean towards the creepier side but this one surprise...

“Fiona and Danny were born in the same hospital. Fiona’s mom fled with her to the United States when she was two, but, fourteen years after the Troubles ended, a forty-foot-tall peace wall still separates her dad’s Catholic neighborhood from Danny’s Protestant neighborhood. After chance brings Fiona and Danny together, their love of the band Fading Stars, big dreams, and desire to run away from their families unites them. Danny and Fiona must help one another overcome the burden of their parents’ pasts. But one ugly truth might shatter what they have…”  (Goodreads.com) There are so many parts of this book that I enjoyed that it’s hard to pick just one. It deals with displacement and not knowing where you truly belong. It deals with family and political issues. It deals with pride and first love. You could read this text and compare it to our own issues here in the United States. Carlson’s writing made it feel like you were watching a movie. You can see the characters and t...

“Just Peachy is a comic series that explores what the day-to-day is like with depression and/or anxiety. The all-too-real cartoon protagonist gives readers a character to empathize with, and helps explain some of the not often talked about consequences and symptoms of having depression. The comics also explore the themes of heartbreak, finding love, dealing with stress, and capturing the magical moments in life that keep us going. Through dark humor and cute illustrations, the subject matter becomes a bit more bearable, allowing for honest discussion about things like treatment and getting through anxiety attacks, and providing some comfort in times of struggle.  For anyone affected by mental illness, Just Peachy shows that you are not alone. Simply put, this is an encouraging collection of comics about being just okay sometimes.” (G oodreads.com) The best way to describe this short and informative graphic novel is #relatable. I like that more and more authors are writin...

" domino: Your Guide to a Stylish Home  takes a detailed approach to the specifics of making a space your own—the key pieces, accessories, colors, patterns, objects, decorative treatments, lighting, and art that personalize a space and truly make it a unique and stylish home. It aims to help readers achieve  domino ’s number one goal: creating a space you love." (Goodreads.com) This book was a well curated guide to not just decorating but finding the style that you want in your home. It was nice to have the authors walk you through figuring out your design aesthetic before throwing a bunch of design ideas at you. The book also included tips for entertaining guests, which is something that you don't normally find in a decorating book. Even if you don't own your own home this book could easily be used as a reference guide for decorating whatever size space that you live in. I enjoyed because I am trying to figure out my design style before I end up living on my own.  ...

"On March 18, 1990, thirteen works of art, today worth over $500 million, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. It remains the largest unsolved art heist in history, and Claire Roth, a struggling young artist, is about to discover that there's more to this crime than meets the eye.  Making a living reproducing famous artworks for a popular online retailer and desperate to improve her situation, Claire is lured into a Faustian bargain with Aiden Markel, a powerful gallery owner. She agrees to forge a painting a Degas masterpiece stolen from the Gardner Museum — in exchange for a one-woman show in his renowned gallery. But when that very same long-missing Degas painting is delivered to Claire's studio, she begins to suspect that it may itself be a forgery." (Goodreads.com) I found this novel really interesting because it trying to answer the question of what happened to the works that were taken and never recovered from the Isabella Stewart ...