Langley-Adams Library Recommendations

In need of a humorous feel-good book? I highly recommend "All About Me" by Mel Brooks! I also recommend that you listen & read it-as Mel narrates it and the book provides photos. I listened to this while I was walking and found myself laughing out loud. I am sure all that walked past me wondered what I was listening to-ha!        Mel Brooks is more than meets the eye by the way. Did you know that Mel, 95 years old, was taught military engineering skills at the Virginia Military Institute and served as a corporal in the 1104th Engineer combat Battalion, 78th Infantry Division defusing land mines as the Allies advanced into Nazi Germany? That his real name is Melvin Kaminsky? Did you know thanks to Brooks' production company "The Elephant Man", "The Fly", "84 Charing Cross Road'-just to name a few dramatic movies got made? Mel was smart enough to realize he was too known for comedy to let his association with these great films be known (unti...

" Long before George Takei braved new frontiers in  Star Trek , he woke up as a four-year-old boy to find his own birth country at war with his father's -- and their entire family forced from their home into an uncertain future. In 1942, at the order of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was rounded up and shipped to one of ten "relocation centers," hundreds or thousands of miles from home, where they would be held for years under armed guard. They Called Us Enemy  is Takei's firsthand account of those years behind barbed wire, the joys and terrors of growing up under legalized racism, his mother's hard choices, his father's faith in democracy, and the way those experiences planted the seeds for his astonishing future." (Goodreads.com) They Called Us Enemy   was a moving personal account of the internment of Japanese Americans in the United States during World War II. In this graphic novel Takei does a...

" March is a vivid first-hand account of John Lewis' lifelong struggle for civil and human rights, meditating in the modern age on the distance traveled since the days of Jim Crow and segregation. Rooted in Lewis' personal story, it also reflects on the highs and lows of the broader civil rights movement. Many years ago, John Lewis and other student activists drew inspiration from the 1950s comic book  Martin Luther King and the Montgomery Story . Now, his own comics bring those days to life for a new audience, testifying to a movement whose echoes will be heard for generations." (Goodreads.com) The March series  is a great resource not only for educators but for anyone who is interested in learning more about the American Civil Rights Movement .  Being a graphic novel does not make this an easy read. It really brings to life the events that John Lewis experienced and is full of information. Meghan McCabe Children & Youth Services Librarian Available at the Langle...

" At its heart,  Dearie  is a story about a woman’s search for her own unique expression.  Julia Child was a directionless, gawky young woman who ran off halfway around the world to join a spy agency during World War II.  She eventually settled in Paris, where she learned to cook and collaborated on the writing of what would become  Mastering the Art of French Cooking,  a book that changed the food culture of America.   She was already fifty when  The French Chef  went on the air —  at a time in our history when women weren’t making those leaps.  Julia became the first educational TV star, virtually launching PBS as we know it today; her marriage to Paul Child formed a decades-long love story that was romantic, touching, and quite extraordinary" (Goodreads.com) This is a very in depth look into the life and career of Julia Child and her Husband. The page count is a bit daunting but the audiobook makes the commute fly by. Get re...

"For as long as she can remember, it’s been Robin and her mom against the world. Growing up in the 1990s as the only child of a single mother in Seoul, Korea, wasn’t always easy, but it has bonded them fiercely together.  So when a vacation to visit friends in Huntsville, Alabama, unexpectedly becomes a permanent relocation—following her mother’s announcement that she’s getting married—Robin is devastated. Overnight, her life changes. She is dropped into a new school where she doesn’t understand the language and struggles to keep up. She is completely cut off from her friends at home and has no access to her beloved comics. At home, she doesn’t fit in with her new stepfamily. And worst of all, she is furious with the one person she is closest to—her mother.  Then one day Robin’s mother enrolls her in a local comic drawing class, which opens the window to a future Robin could never have imagined." (Goodreads.com) This is a bittersweet account about how Ha and her mother strugg...

"Axton Betz-Hamilton grew up in small-town Indiana in the early '90s. When she was 11 years old, her parents both had their identities stolen. Their credit ratings were ruined, and they were constantly fighting over money. This was before the age of the Internet, when identity theft became more commonplace, so authorities and banks were clueless and reluctant to help Axton's parents. Axton's family changed all of their personal information and moved to different addresses, but the identity thief followed them wherever they went. Convinced that the thief had to be someone they knew, Axton and her parents completely cut off the outside world, isolating themselves from friends and family.  As a result, Axton spent her formative years crippled by anxiety, quarantined behind the closed curtains in her childhood home. Years later, her parents' marriage still shaken from the theft, Axton discovered that she, too, had fallen prey to the identity thief, but by the time she ...

"The true story of one family, caught between America’s two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina.  Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home. Told with eloquence and compassion, Zeitoun is a riveting account of one family’s unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water." (Goodreads.com) The damage that Hurricane Katrina caused is something that I've always been vaguely aware of because I was so young when it happened. So when I picked up this book to read it was the first look that I had into what it was really like for the families that went ...

"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...

“Maya Angelou recounts the story of her life up to the birth of her child. Though she faces many hardships in her life, including being raped and living in a junkyard, she's able to find love and happiness as a mother.” (Goodreads.com) It took me a long time to finish this book. I almost gave up on it, and I’m glad I didn’t. Angelou’s writing is beautiful. You can tell she loves the English language. This book jumps around to different moments in her life and I connected with some stories more than others. It wasn’t an easy read, for me, but it was worth it. I recommend this book if you enjoy personal narratives, African American History, classic literature. Meghan McCabe Children & Youth Services Librarian Available at the Langley Adams Library

“From a leader of feminist punk music at the dawn of the riot-grrrl era, a candid and deeply personal look at life in rock and roll… Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl is the deeply personal and revealing narrative of Brownstein's life in music, from ardent fan to pioneering female guitarist to comedic performer and luminary in the independent rock world…” (Goodreads.com) I’ve had an interest in the Riot Grrrl movement for sometime. A couple of years ago I read “Girls to the Front: The True Story of the Riot Grrrl Revolution” by Sarah Marcus and it was interesting to learn about its origins. Carrie Brownstein’s book came out in 2015. I was familiar with her from the show ‘Portlandia’ with Fred Armisen, but not as a musician. I enjoyed learning about her experiences of being in a band, dealing with all that comes with being on tour, and what life is like after it ends. I recommend this book if you like memoirs, female musical artists, and you’re interested in the Riot Grrrl movement. ...

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 ...

“When the unconventional Durrell family can no longer endure the damp, gray English climate, they do what any sensible family would do: sell their house and relocate to the sunny Greek isle of Corfu. My Family and Other Animals was intended to embrace the natural history of the island but ended up as a delightful account of Durrell’s family’s experiences, from the many eccentric hangers-on to the ceaseless procession of puppies, toads, scorpions, geckoes, ladybugs, glowworms, octopuses, bats, and butterflies into their home.”  (Goodreads.com) I chose to read this book because of the PBS television show “The Durrells in Corfu.” I thoroughly enjoyed the show about the English family who decided to move to Greece. While I waited for the fourth season to come out I needed something to fill the void. I knew the show was based on a series so I started with the first book. Now, I should warn you, if you are infatuated with the relationship between Louisa and Spiro   and ho...

"A Year Off  is one part travel guide, one part travel essays and photos, and one part memoir documenting the story of Alexandra and David Brown, a couple who decided to take a year off from their jobs and 'regular lives' to travel the world together after only knowing each other for a few months.  This inspiring book is for all the dreamers, would-be adventurers and endearingly practical professionals looking to scratch the travel itch and take a risk on what may be the best time of their lives."* Originally I thought I was just going to flip through this book but the authors stories and tips really captured my attention as someone who wants to travel a lot more. Their approach to traveling was practical and I believe anyone could replicate the advice that it given. The photos that were included in this book were beautiful and just added more appeal to the book. I would recommend this book if you having a love of traveling. Kelsey Fitzgerald Library Assistant ...

"Set in 1935 when the Englishwoman Louisa Durrell, whose life had fallen apart, decided to move from Bournemouth to the Greek island of Corfu. Her husband had died some years earlier and she has financial problems, when she suddenly announces that she and her four children will move to the island and a Homeric battle ensues as the family adapt to life on the island, especially when they discover that Corfu does not even have electricity at that time. But it is cheap, an earthly paradise and the Durrell family make the big step that will change their lives."* This TV Series is based on the The Corfu Trilogy by Gerald Durrell. It was very easy to get invested in this show between the beautiful scenery, variety of animals and the antics of the main characters. The Durrell family is quite the dysfunctional one, with each child always getting into something and Mrs. Durrell learning how to appreciate life again. I enjoyed getting to see the family grow from being in this new en...

10% of FBI special agents are trained and certified to work undercover. A Fourth of these agents work more than one undercover assignment. By the end of his 30 year long career, Mike McGowan worked more than 50! Luckily for us, after Mike retired, he wrote this fascinating autobiography about his career. A second generation cop, Mike shares how he went from police work to FBI SWAT and later to undercover work.  Mike then lays out some of his biggest cases-from international drug busts, contract killers, corrupt unions, to infiltrating the Russian and Italian mobs (just to name a few).* Already a fan of The Godfather movies, Donnie Briscoe- you name it, I was curious of the cases Mike worked on. More importantly, how had he survived?! Hooked after reading the first chapter, I found this page turner an eye opening experience.   I totally get why Balboa Productions (owned by Sly Stallone) bought the movie rights. But don’t wait for the movie! Read Mike’s book now. Bett...