Langley-Adams Library Recommendations

“ A three-time winner of Goodreads Choice Awards Sixteen-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy suburban prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when Starr witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend Khalil at the hands of a police officer. Khalil was unarmed. Soon afterward, his death is a national headline…”  (Goodreads.com) I didn’t get to read the book when it first came out. I ended up watching the film first, which I thought was good, and I cried. It was such a moving story. I listened to the audio book shortly after watching the film and I cried all over again. The narrator of the audio book did a fantastic job at creating distinct voices for all of the characters and relaying emotions during intense scenes. It’s a must read, or if you prefer, a must listen.  I recommend this book if you like social justice, realistic fiction, and African American main ch...

"Sasha Sagan was raised by secular parents, the astronomer Carl Sagan and the writer and producer Ann Druyan. They taught her that the natural world and vast cosmos are full of profound beauty, that science reveals truths more wondrous than any myth or fable. When Sagan herself became a mother, she began her own hunt for the natural phenomena behind our most treasured occasions--from births to deaths, holidays to weddings, anniversaries, and more--growing these roots into a new set of rituals for her young daughter that honor the joy and significance of each experience without relying on religious framework." (Goodreads.com) Although my first impression of this book was that Sasha Sagan was going to provide alternative ways (in list form) to celebrate special occasions, it was actually more of an historical exploration of other cultures' traditions and rituals. Sagan also related her own experiences growing up and how her family has chosen to celebrate based on their bac...

"On the night of the discovery of a duplicate Earth in the solar system, an ambitious young student and an accomplished composer cross paths in a tragic accident." (IMDB.com) I stumbled upon the film "Another Earth" after looking for movies that starred the writer/actress/storyteller Brit Marling. When Netflix cancelled Marling's TV series The OA, which I highly recommend, I decided I needed more of this fantastic person in my life. After looking past the shaky homemade early 2010s movie style, this science fiction movie asks us to wonder what would happen if suddenly everyone was aware of the existence of  a parallel universe. And if there was another Earth, would you being willing to travel there? That all depends on your point of view and it's mostly certainly never the same answer for everyone. Marling's characters reasoning for why she would go is deeply moving, despite the tragic reasons she ended up in her situation. I would definitely recommen...

"In this visually arresting graphic novel, surfer and illustrator A.J Dungo remembers his late partner and the shared love of surfing that endured throughout their time together.  Dungo explores the beauty and complexity of his relationship with his partner as they face her prolonged battle with cancer. With his passion for surfing uniting many narratives, he intertwines his own story with those of some of the great heroes of surf in a rare work of nonfiction that is as moving as it is fascinating." (Goodreads.com) What initially drew me to this graphic novel was the artwork, the cover caught my attention because even though summer was ending, I still wanted to read about the beach. The artwork is beautiful and monochromatic color palette helped differentiate the alternating story lines. Even though this is a personal story about the author, I learned a lot about surfing. Dungo does a good job of simplifying the history and important figures without putting an overwhelming a...