Category: Genre

Posted in Adult, Horror

My Summer of Vampires

Posted on by Aubrey

This summer, I bit into a Vampire Lit Class! I assumed that I would be (re)reading Dracula, but I was thankfully wrong. My professor was determined to teach from works that existed years before 1897, the year Dracula by Bram Stoker was published. I found it fascinating to learn more about vampires as plot devices, how the creatures represented fears that were in society at the time the stories were written, and about what horror as a genre can reveal about humanity. Yes, I suppose you could say I was “sucked” into this course.

Anyways…

Here’s some pre-Dracula stories you can also sink your teeth into:

  • The Vampyre by John William Polidori, released in 1819

Credited as the first literary vampire story! This story started with a friendly writing contest featuring friends, including renowned author Mary Shelley. (In fact, this contest also helped bring Frankenstein to the world.) The story was first published in the New Monthly Magazine, a British magazine. Finally, it was published as a novel in London in 1819.

This story follows Aubrey, a man who is tormented by former mentor Lord Ruthven. The destruction basically happens because Aubrey calls out Lord Ruthven for being promiscuous when, in reality, Lord Ruthven much worse. Lord Ruthven is *drumroll please* a vampire!

Click here to place a request for a collection of horror stories that includes The Vampyre.

  • The Black Vampyre, a Legend of St. Domingo by Uriah Derick d’Arcy, released in 1819

This is an American short story that was written under a pen name. It’s been unofficially given a nice handful of credits, including: the first black vampire story, the first comedy vampire story, the first vampire story written by an American author, and even the first short story that spoke against slavery.

The short story centers on Euphemia, a woman who has had much tragedy around her. Her first husband did evil deeds, her only son died, and is now in mourning for her third dead husband. Then a prince shows up looking more than love…revenge!

Click here to read the story.

  • Varney, the Vampyre, or, the Feast of Blood by J.M. Rymer, released in 1845-1847

This story was released by chapter weekly as a penny dreadful. When finally put into book format in 1847, it was 232 chapters long! This is the story that is given credit for officially having the first vampire with fangs for chompers.

This is the arguably the closest to Dracula on this list. In this, a family tries to beat Sir Francis Varney, the story’s vampire, as he tries to steal the literal life from women.

Click here to place a request for a collection of vampire stories that includes Varney, the Vampyre, or, the Feast of Blood.

  • Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, released in 1872

This was first published in pieces in a London literary magazine The Dark Blue over the years of 1871-1872. The cost per issue was one shilling. Finally, it was published it its entirety in the author’s short story collection, In a Glass Darkly. Uniquely, Carmilla is written as a medical case for a doctor.

The story centers on young and lonely Laura, as she befriends and loves a young guest, Carmilla. Slowly, Laura learns that Carmila is not what she seems. “Spoiler”: Carmilla is a vampire!

Click here to place a request for a collection of horror stories that includes Carmilla.

I hope you have a bloody good time with these stories, “fangs” for reading!

–Aubrey

Posted in Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Nonfiction, Science, Thrillers

While You Wait August 2023: Tom Lake and Outlive

Posted on by Anneliese

Ann Patchett’s new novel is at the top of our most popular books this month. Set right next door in Northern Michigan, it’s a moving exploration of the relationship between generations, between parents and children, and of how the past informs our view of the present. In non-fiction, we have an investigation into the science of aging – not only how to live longer but how to live better.

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

In the spring of 2020, Lara’s three daughters return to the family’s orchard in Northern Michigan. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the story of Peter Duke, a famous actor with whom she shared both a stage and a romance years before at a theater company called Tom Lake. As Lara recalls the past, her daughters examine their own lives and relationship with their mother, and are forced to reconsider the world and everything they thought they knew.

Tom Lake is a meditation on youthful love, married love, and the lives parents have led before their children were born. Both hopeful and elegiac, it explores what it means to be happy even when the world is falling apart.

Continue reading “While You Wait August 2023: Tom Lake and Outlive” →
Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Romance, Thrillers

Books from my Did-Not-Finish (DNF) pile

Posted on by Molly

What is your deepest-held reading habit? Mine is that I don’t force myself to power through any book that I am not enjoying. My to-be-read list is several hundred books deep, so why would I waste my leisure time struggling? Below, I listed several books that many, many, many other readers loved with their whole hearts, but I personally could not bear, and what I would read instead. Proceed with caution as I included some light spoilers. 

The Moonstone (1868) by Wilkie Collins
Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
This doorstop of a novel is often considered the first English-language detective story. I love mystery fiction above all genres and I like to spend time looking for and reading titles that are considered ground-breaking or otherwise important to the genre. 

What went wrong:
Books written over one hundred years ago often contain outdated and offensive language that would have been common at the time, or certainly not considered shocking. The titular Moonstone is an object of value taken by theft from a rich Indian household during the British Raj. People from India are depicted throughout the book in a racist light, which ruined any enjoyment of the actual plot and non-stereotyped characters. I wasn’t too hot with the depiction of women, either. Save yourself ten hours of reading and look up the Wikipedia plot summary. Please do not tell my library school professors that I told you to do this.

Classic detective fiction I would rather read:

  • The Winteringham Murder (1927) by Anthony Berkeley
  • The Thin Man (1933) by Dashiel Hammet
  • A Rage in Harlem (1957) by Chester Himes
  • The Honjin Murders (1946) by Seishi Yokomizo

NOS4A2 (2013) by Joe Hill
Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
Joe Hill has horror pedigree. He’s Stephen King’s son for one thing, and several of his books routinely appear on “best horror novel” lists. I like vampire stories, and Hill’s take on the genre was intriguing.

What went wrong:
Although I have read my fair share of skin-crawling horror novels, there was something about the tension running throughout this book that kept my ears up around my shoulders for DAYS after I put the book down for good. This happened at a point in the story in which the protagonist has a retrograde moment after years of progress from dealing with an unnamable supernatural evil, and my poor little heart could not take the suspense. This should be understood as a resounding endorsement of the book.

What I would rather read instead:

  • The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires (2020) by Grady Hendrix
  • ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) by Stephen King
  • What Moves the Dead (2022) by T. Kingfisher
  • I am Legend (1954) by Richard Matheson

Bigfoot and the Librarian (2019) by Linda Winstead Jones
Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
A librarian moves to a rural area for work and begins to discover her service area is populated with actual bigfoots and other mythical creatures. Hilarity/inappropriate romance ensues. 

What went wrong:
Being a librarian my own self, it was obvious to me that the author was not of my cohort, and did not understand libraries or librarians. The protagonist was short, so she was fixated on wearing heels and at one time implied only unintelligent women eat carbs. Firstly, I’ve worked in libraries for a total of seven years, and I can assure you that our preferred footwear is geared toward comfort rather than style. Secondly, oh please piss off with your anti-carb food gatekeeping. Everyone knows carbs are the tastiest foods, don’t you dare tell me otherwise. 

Books featuring libraries and librarians I would rather read:

  • The Secret, Book, & Scone Society (2017) by Ellery Adams
  • The Librarian of Crooked Lane (2022) by C.J. Archer
  • The Name of the Rose (1980) by Umberto Eco
  • The Woman in the Library (2022) by Sulari Gentill

The Woods are Always Watching (2021) by Stephanie Perkins
Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
Stephanie Perkins’ 2017 title There’s Someone Inside Your House was a tight, creepy, effective teen slasher novel that I really enjoyed. It’s also a fun title to shriek at your friends. Try it, you’ll like it. This led me to believe the 2021 followup The Woods are Always Watching would be more of the same. Plus, I love books with spooky woods shit.

What went wrong:
Both teen girl protagonists were insufferable. So insufferable, in fact, that I decided to look up the plot summary on Wikipedia (as I do) to determine if the initial aggravation was worth it. It turned out that a major plot point involves one of the insufferable girls falling into a hole in the woods and breaking her leg. This mattered a lot to me, because I had suffered a pretty bad leg break days before I picked up this book. Reading about someone else’s pain and trauma did not sound like the light-hearted escapism I needed, so this book went straight into my DNF pile. 

What I would recommend instead for those who also enjoy stories with spooky woods shit:

  • Small Spaces (2018) by Katherine Arden
  • Near the Bone (2021) by Christina Henry (TW for domestic abuse and cryptids)
  • The Box in the Woods (2021) by Maureen Johnson
  • The Twisted Ones (2019) and The Hollow Places (2020) by T. Kingfisher (I REALLY like her)

Mistborn (2006) by Brandon Sanderson

Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
Sanderson is a big name in fantasy fiction, and several of my workmates adore his oeuvre. An informal survey pointed towards this series as a good entry point to Sanderson’s deep back catalog.

What went wrong:
Before the Sanderson stans come after me with their pitchforks and torches, please understand that I can DNF a book and still understand its cultural and historical import; see The Moonstone above. Perhaps Lord of the Rings ruined me for all other high fantasy, but I simply could not muster the enthusiasm needed to care about the rag-tag group of underdogs and the Very Special Boy at the center of the story.

Fantasy books I would rather read instead:

  • Sorcerer to the Crown (2015) by Zen Cho
  • Ring Shout (2020) by P. Djeli Clark
  • Pet (2019) by Akwaeke Emezi
  • Middlegame (2019) by Seanan McGuire

Dial A for Aunties (2021) by Jesse Q. Sutanto
Why I thought I would enjoy this book:
I was looking forward to this one. The premise reads like Weekend at Bernie’s meets Crazy Rich Asians; what could go wrong? 

What went wrong:
One major trope I despise in any of the media I consume are circumstances that would never happen if at least one person involved were an effective communicator. Incredibly unappealing trope. This book was full of these situations from top to bottom. Although the characters are admittedly charming, I could not cope with the screwball nature of it all. 

What I would prefer to read instead:

  • The Stranger Diaries (2018) by Elly Griffiths
  • Arsenic and Adobo (2021) by Mia P. Manansala
  • The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches (2022) by Sangu Mandanna
  • The Guncle (2021) by Steven Rowley

Hey, maybe you are the kind of reader who enjoys difficulty or discomfort while you read. I know John Waters is this type of reader, and I really respect his approach (check out his fantastic collection of essays, Role Models, to learn what I mean. Audio copy available in Hoopla). And that’s cool, I do not judge the hows and the whys surrounding individual reading habits. It’s if you don’t read at all, that’s when I start to reassess one’s character.

If none of the above books come across as appealing, and you are still unsure what to read next, you’re in luck. Consider utilizing Mead’s book recommendation service Your Next Five Books and/or our brand new Your Next Five Movies tool. We usually respond within a few days with a list of books/movies you might love. Call us at 920-459-3400 option 4 for additional book pick help, or for help requesting materials.

Posted in Adult, Biography & Memoir, Fantasy, Fiction, History, Nonfiction

While You Wait July 2023: Fourth Wing and The Book of Charlie

Posted on by Anneliese

Another couple of unique picks this month – seems like people are branching out in the summer, or publishers are branching out in the summer! The top fiction book looks to be an action-packed fantasy complete with war, dragons, and political intrigue. Then, on the non-fiction side, we have a book about the life-lived wisdom of 109-year-old Charlie: both the stories of his life and what he’s learned from those experiences.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away…because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.
She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom’s protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Continue reading “While You Wait July 2023: Fourth Wing and The Book of Charlie” →
Posted in Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, Historical, Mystery, Nonfiction, Romance, Thrillers

While You Wait June 2023: The Covenant of Water and Small-Town Wisconsin

Posted on by Anneliese

It’s no surprise to find a novel that’s been chosen for Oprah’s Book Club at the top of our most-requested books, and that’s the case with The Covenant of Water. I was pretty surprised at our top nonfiction book, however – I don’t think I’ve ever seen a travel book so high up on the list before! It does make sense, however, given the time of year – this might be the perfect season to get out for some Wisconsin road trip fun.

The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese

Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, The Covenant of Water is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: in every generation, at least one person dies by drowning—and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a twelve-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her forty-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl—and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi—will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants.

Continue reading “While You Wait June 2023: The Covenant of Water and Small-Town Wisconsin” →
Posted in Adult, Award Winners, Fiction, New & Upcoming

June 2023 Library Reads

Posted on by Carol

Every month, library workers from across the country vote on their favorite upcoming books. This month’s selections include a time travel romance, a historical novel about Eleanor Roosevelt and Mary McLeod Bethune’s friendships, and a recently elected sheriff trying to track down a killer in rural Virginia.

Top Pick: The Quiet Tenant by Clémence Michallon

The entire town feels sorry for Aidan Thomas when his wife dies. But the mysterious woman staying in the house Aidan shares with his teenage daughter has seen a very different side of him … and knows her every move has life-or-death stakes. A great pick for thriller fans looking for a page-turner with a strong female protagonist. —Mara Bandy Fass, Champaign Public Library

While you wait: The Last Housewife by Ashley Winstead

Continue reading “June 2023 Library Reads” →
Posted in Adult, Fiction, Film, New & Upcoming, Nonfiction

Read Now, Watch Later

Posted on by Aubrey

As always, Hollywood is taking from the pages for inspiration! See below for a list of books that are being adapted for the screen.

**Click the book title to be brought directly to our online catalog’s listing to place the title on hold or learn more.

American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

This book’s adaption will be released under a shorter name: Oppenheimer. Both mediums are about Physicist J Robert Oppenheimer as he works with a team of scientists during the Manhattan Project, leading to the development of the atomic bomb. The film, directed by Christopher Nolan, has a runtime of 2 hours and 30 minutes. It will explode into theaters on July 21, 2023.

Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie

This year marks the release of the third Hercule Poirot movie staring Kenneth Branagh as the brainy detective. The movie will be called A Haunting in Venice. The story follows Poirot investigating a murder that happens during a Halloween seance at a haunted palazzo in Venice, Italy. Spooky! The film is set to release September 15, 2023, right before your own Halloween party.

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry is a bestseller that has been impossible to keep on our shelves. It follows female chemist Elizabeth Zott in the 1950’s and 60’s. Elizabeth loves science but, when life happens, ends up on a cooking show. On the show, Elizabeth teaches women not just how to cook but to change their lives. This novel is being adapted into a mini-series on Apple-TV staring Captain Marvel‘s Brie Larson. The series is expected to be out in 2023.

Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann

Another story inspired by real life! Killers of the Flower Moon is about the murders of 24 members of oil-rich Osage tribe in 1920s Oklahoma, all for gold. The film directed by the renowned Martin Scorsese and is set to release on October 6, 2023. While you can take a break between reading chapters, note that the film has announced it has a runtime of 3 hours and 26 minutes. With its star studded cast, subject matter, and big budget, the film is rumored to be expected to win many awards.

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

My Lovely Wife is a psychological thriller that hooks readers in. The story is a mixture of Gone Girl meets American Psycho as it follows a couple who, to keep their marriage alive, find murderous ways to spice things up. Of course, things don’t always go as planned. Netflix has the rights and the director lined up, so hopefully more updates will come soon!

It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover’s hit book It Ends with Us is in production. Behind the scenes set photos featuring Blake Lively have been popping up online. Some fans are excited while others say that 23 year old main character isn’t perfectly cast. Only time will tell! While there is no release date for the film yet, readers have time to read both the novel and its sequel It Starts With Us. Fun fact: Collen Hoover has sold more books than James Patterson in 2022!

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Set to premiere on Amazon Prime in August 2023, Red, White &Royal Blue is a enemies to lovers rom com. The story centers on the romance between Alex Claremont-Diaz, a first son of the United States, and Prince Henry, a British prince.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

The Color Purple is slated to get its second movie adaption. Currently, the film is expected to premiere on December 25, 2023 in theaters. The film is produced by Oprah Winfrey and stars Fantasia Barrino, Halle Bailey, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson. Rumors have already begun that this classic book’s adaptation will be up for numerous Oscars.

Do you think the books will be better than the adaptions? Only one way to find out!

Posted in Adult, Contemporary, Fiction, History, Nonfiction, Romance

While You Wait May 2023: The Five-Star Weekend and The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

Posted on by Anneliese

Elin Hilderbrand has a new novel out, and that’s topping our fiction holds right now – not too surprising as she’s a very popular author! And on the non-fiction side, we have the dramatic story of an 18th-century shipwreck and the chaos that ensued after one group of survivors washed ashore… only to be followed six months later by a second group accusing them of murder!

The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand

Hollis Shaw’s life seems picture-perfect. She’s the creator of the popular food blog Hungry with Hollis and is married to Matthew, a dreamy heart surgeon. But after she and Matthew get into a heated argument one snowy morning, he leaves for the airport and is killed in a car accident. The cracks in Hollis’s perfect life—her strained marriage and her complicated relationship with her daughter, Caroline—grow deeper.

So when Hollis hears about something called a “Five-Star Weekend”—one woman organizes a trip for her best friend from each phase of her life: her teenage years, her twenties, her thirties, and midlife—she decides to host her own Five-Star Weekend on Nantucket. But the weekend doesn’t turn out to be a joyful Hallmark movie.

The husband of Hollis’s childhood friend Tatum arranges for Hollis’s first love, Jack Finigan, to spend time with them, stirring up old feelings. Meanwhile, Tatum is forced to play nice with abrasive and elitist Dru-Ann, Hollis’s best friend from UNC Chapel Hill. Dru-Ann’s career as a prominent Chicago sports agent is on the line after her comments about a client’s mental health issues are misconstrued online. Brooke, Hollis’s friend from their thirties, has just discovered that her husband is having an inappropriate relationship with a woman at work. Again! And then there’s Gigi, a stranger to everyone (including Hollis) who reached out to Hollis through her blog. Gigi embodies an unusual grace and, as it happens, has many secrets.

Continue reading “While You Wait May 2023: The Five-Star Weekend and The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder” →
Posted in Fantasy, Film, LGBTQI+, Science Fiction

I Sense a Disturbance in the Force

Posted on by Zachary

May the 4th has come and gone. You’ve marathoned the movies. Maybe you’ve read the comics or one of the novels. Perhaps you’re still working through Star Wars: Jedi Survivor. But you’ve still got a hankering for even more content like Star Wars. Don’t worry! I have a few suggestions.

Spaceballs (DVD/Blu-ray)

Spaceballs is a comedy classic. Arguably, it’s my favorite of Mel Brooks’ films. It hits just the right blend of slapstick and satire. There’s a great merchandizing joke in the film that feels so appropriate with just how much Star Wars merch there is these days.

Continue reading “I Sense a Disturbance in the Force” →
Posted in Adult, Fantasy, Fiction, Staff Picks, Uncategorized

A Series of Love Affairs

Posted on by Corrina

Dear reader, I have a confession. Until several months ago I have never read a romance book. But then, I bought this magical thing called a Kindle and ever since then I’ve been reading books I never would have before…like romance! This is my first Kindle so I don’t know if this phenomenon has happened to other people, or is it just me? Something about reading books on that little screen has opened up a portal into new authors and genres.

The romance series I’m going to be talking about today popped up in the Kindle store. It includes a strong female heroine raised by mercenaries, a handsome and chivalrous male lead, dragons, magic, swords, and sarcasm! What more could you want, right? Immediately hooked, I downloaded it and have now devoured three books in the 12 book series. It is definitely one of those series where the romance bits give you a warm, fuzzy feeling inside. ‘Twas perfect reading for our extended winter!

What series is this? Well, I’m glad you asked! It is The Nine Kingdoms series by Lynn Kurland. It follows Morgan as she rises from an orphan trained as a lethal wielder of a sword to a woman who just might contain the only power needed to save the nine kingdoms! Along the way she discovers startling revelations about her family, the man she slowly falls in love with, and herself.

Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland

Darkness covers the north, since the black mage has begun his assault on the kingdom of Neroche. Legend has it that only the two magical swords held by Neroche’s king can defeat the mage. Now the fate of the Nine Kingdoms rests in the hands of a woman destined to wield one of those blades…

In this land of dragons and mages, warrior maids and magical swords, nothing is as it seems. And Morgan will find that the magic in her blood brings her troubles she cannot face with a sword-and a love more powerful than she has ever imagined.

If you love slow-burn romances, then this book – and series – is for you! Are you ready to fall in love with the characters of the nine kingdoms?

Continue reading “A Series of Love Affairs” →