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...

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood follows fictional characters, Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), as well as Sharon Tate (Margot Robbie). Actor Rick Dalton and his stunt double, Cliff Booth, move through the ups and downs of fame and Hollywood life in the late 1960s, while Sharon Tate has a lot of similar experiences separately. I don’t know that I’ve even seen any of Quentin Tarantino’s other movies, but I still really enjoyed Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. While the movie can be considered slow at times, the portrayal of this time period of Hollywood feels very authentic and pure. After this movie’s 2019 release, Brad Pitt went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2020, which was very well deserved, in my opinion. There’s a sequence at the end that is sure to be enjoyed by anyone who watches the entire movie, even if they didn’t like parts of it. Overall, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood serves as a great period piece and character study, while offerin...

The Suicide Squad is a really good superhero comedy. The cast is great; as always, Margot Robbie is great as Harley Quinn, and Jon Cena makes for a great addition to the DC Extended Universe as Peacemaker. The fighting sequences are very well choreographed, kind of like Birds of Prey (also starring Margot Robbie as Harley Quinn). I had never seen the original, not-so-well-received Suicide Squad from 2016, but this was still awesome. James Gunn killed it with his usual humor and action that superhero fans can recognize from his other movies, like Guardians of the Galaxy. Overall, The Suicide Squad is a spectacular, colorful, and fun adventure, that’s sure to be enjoyed by DC fans and action fans alike! Shaun Hood Library Page

"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...

Detective Jake Peralta, a talented and carefree cop with the best arrest record, has never had to follow the rules too closely or work very hard. That changes when Ray Holt, a man with a lot to prove, becomes the new commanding officer of Brooklyn's 99th precinct. As Holt reminds Peralta to respect  the badge, an extremely competitive colleague - Detective Amy Santiago - starts to close in on the hotshot cop's arrest record. Other members of the precinct include Sgt. Terry Jeffords, a devoted family man, Detective Charles Boyle, a hard worker who idolizes Jake, and Rosa Diaz, a sexy-yet-intimidating detective. Civilian office manager Gina Linetti is tasked with cleaning up everyone's mess, while somehow getting involved in everyone's business* This is hilarious sitcom the members of the 99 th precinct of New York deal solve a variety of crimes all while getting on each other’s nerves. The show features a diverse cast of characters who are guaranteed to make you l...