The Accident Season, Moria Fowley-Doyle

 

October is almost here, so I thought it was the perfect time of year to blog about The Accident Season, by Moria Fowley-Doyle...which, as (very bad) luck would have it, takes place in October.

Let me explain. About the bad luck bit.

Most people love October. There's the fall colors, the cider and donuts, the cooler (but not cold) weather, all the best fallish fun, and, of course Halloween, which is pretty much the best holiday of all. I know I love October. But the same can't be said for Cara and her family. That's because her family is cursed to be plagued by the worst luck as soon as the calendar flips from September. And we're not just talking unfortunate situations. We're talking serious injuries, broken bones, sometimes death. The last week of the month is always the worst. And no one is safe until November arrives. 

But this year things are different. This year is a really bad year, true, but this is also the year Cara and her siblings (and step-siblings) finally get to the bottom of why they might be cursed. Trust me when I say none of them saw the truth coming.

Gotta admit it: Getting into The Accident Season was a bit difficult. The narrative style is odd and it almost felt like the author began writing in the middle of the story. Upon beginning, I felt like I was missing something I should already know. But once the story got going I couldn't "put it down" (I use that phrase loosely as I  treated myself to the audio format so I could experience the story while on my lengthy daily commute).

The Accident Season is a quirky, almost Gothic mystery. Perfect for this time of year. I recommend it.

--AJB

Strange Planet, by Nathan Pyle

 

If you are a Being who has experienced multiple revolutions around the Star and who has even the most remote access to the Internet, it is likely you are familiar with the most humorous artistic renderings of Nathan Pyle. 

Strange Planet collects the most noteworthy of Pyle's works into a single volume and introduces the reader to the curious Alien Beings and their literal observations of life on Earth. Experience anew emotions, food & drink, creatures friendly & sharp, nature, and life as seen through the eyes of these Strange Beings. And maybe discover it is WE who are the strange ones.

I've been a fan of Strange Planet since Day One, so was joyful to discover these comics had been collected into a single volume. And if it is more entertainment you require, be on the lookout for Stranger Planet (the sequel), which should be hitting our New Book Shelf very soon.

--AJB

Tea Dragons (series), by Katie O'Neill

 

If you're looking for a fun and adorable and feel-good fantasy, look no further than Katie O'Neill's Tea Dragon series. 

The adventure begins in The Tea Dragon Society, when Gretta, a lonely young blacksmith apprentice, rescues a strange creature from the Marketplace. This creature turns out to be a lost Tea Dragon belonging to the local tea shop owner. Soon Gretta befriends HeseKiel, Eric, and Minnette and becomes absorbed in the ancient and magical world of Tea Dragons. 

The second book, The Tea Dragon Festival, departs from Gretta's adventures and introduces Rinn, Erik's niece. Rinn is familiar with Tea Dragons, but is surprised to discover a full-sized dragon asleep in the woods one day. This dragon was supposed to protect the village, but dozed off...

The third book, The Tea Dragon Tapestry, is set a year after the first book. It's due to be released in October. I loved the previous two Tea Dragon books (especially the first) and am excited for the third! These books are adorable! I'm hoping it will tie the two stories together somehow. Only time will tell.

The Tea Dragon Society and Tea Dragon Festival can be found in our Graphic Novel section. Both come highly recommended.

--AJB

Non-Fiction Novel Biographies (new display)

 

Think non-fiction is boring? Think again! The ever-popular Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a completely true story and one of the books featured on our new display of Non-Fiction Graphic Novels. So stop by the Teen Section and check out Smile (if you haven't done so already) and all the other great non-fiction Graphics on this display. 

--AJB

Misfit City, by Kiwi Smith

When I was a kid, I was absolutely enchanted by the movie The Goonies...and it's still one of my favorites of all time (definitely Top Five material). Because nostalgia and because who wouldn't want to go on a high-stakes treasure hunt with your best friends and (a few years older) crush? It's pretty obvious author Kiwi Smith felt a similar kinship with this classic film when she drew inspiration for her graphic novel series Misfit City. 

Wilder and her friends live in a small coastal town that was the setting for a (now) cult classic, Goonies-esque film. Any kid not from Cannon Cove would be thrilled to live there, but for someone born and raised and having to deal with tourists and the constant mention of the movie that put the town on the map... And then there's the legend of the supposed real-life pirate Black Mary upon whose story the movie was based (there's even a museum devoted to her). Well...it can wear on a person. In fact, Wilder can't wait to get out of Cannon Cove and move somewhere else. Anywhere else. Even if it means leaving her best friends behind.

But then an actual treasure map turns up. And actual bad guys after the map (and the treasure to which it leads). And when Wilder and her friends get caught up in the drama, they discover that some legends just might be true.

Misfit City is awesome and the perfect thing to read on a gloomy early-fall afternoon. It's part Goonies, part Scooby-Doo, and all awesome! 

--AJB

His Dark Materials (season 1)/ The Golden Compass

I've been a fan of Philip Pullman's epic fantasy trilogy The Golden Compass  (a.k.a. His Dark Materials) since the first time I read it. I adored everything about it and, to this day, it remains my Number One Choice for Favorite Series. More than Harry Potter. More than Lord of the Rings. Even more than Books of Pellinor (which is a very close second - and which I highly recommend). 

When I first learned that BBC and HBO were parterning to adapt the trilogy into a television miniseries, I was over the top excited (We shall not speak of the disastrous abomination that was the 2007 movie attempt. In fact, I pretend it didn't even happen. Forget I brought it up). And when I got my hands on Season One, which covers the first book in the trilogy, I only regretted I had to get through an entire work day and a drive home before I could begin watching. I only hoped the source material would be treated respectfully and done the justice it so rightfully deserves. Considering the past, I had a right to be concerned. But I shouldn't have worried. This newest adaption met and even exceeded any and all expectations I had. True, some artistic liberties were taken (as is done with all book-to-movie adaptions), but I understand why that was done. Said liberties even enhanced the story in unexpected ways. I won't say more, though. To say more would mean spoilers.

So what IS The Golden Compass, you ask? For those who have not yet read the books, The Golden Compass (or His Dark Materials, if we're speaking officially) is the story of Lyra, a tween girl from an alternate universe who stumbles into the Ultimate War between Good and Evil. The villains are worse than Voldemort and Emperor Palpatine put together. The heroes are characters you can really root for. The battles are legendary. The world-building is most phenomenal. There is a great prophecy. There is epic excitement... Basically, the trilogy has everything a reader seeking adventure could want and more.  And the TV adaption is definitely worthy

The Golden Compass is the first book. If you haven't read it yet, why not? You absolutely should!

If you haven't read it yet...what are you waiting for? Go check it out today!!

--AJB

The Village (dvd)

We're getting into that time of year when suddenly a suspenseful movie sounds awesome. Maybe not a scary movie yet (that's for next month), but something with a creepy vibe that'll keep you guessing.

For this, I recommend The Village. It's older (2004) and maybe not as well known as some of the director's other movies, so maybe you haven't seen it. But it's definitely worth it. The plot centers on Ivy, a young blind woman who lives in a small, frontier-type village in the 1800s. The residents here are plagued by terrible, bloodthirsty monsters who live in the surrounding woods. A.k.a. "Those We Don't Speak Of"...but we're not talking Voldemort here. We're talking something that's, when you think about it, something far more sinister and disturbing. Entering the woods is forbidden, per the village Elders, lest they incur the wrath of Those We Don't Speak Of. But when her fiancee is wounded, Ivy is sent on a dangerous mission to the town on the other side of the woods to get medical help. But it's not just monsters awaiting her in the woods, but something far more dangerous. And when she finally arrives in town, what she learns...is shocking!!

I first saw The Village in the theater, but didn't remember much about it except that it had a creepy tension to it that built and built throughout the movie until the Big Reveal at the end. Perfect for this soon-to-be Fall time of year. So I decided to revisit it. Although I remembered the Twist almost as soon as I started watching, I still enjoyed the film. That creepy tension was still there and, knowing what I knew, I was able to pick up on certain subtle cues a first-time viewer would probably miss. Also, there were some great "jump" moments! The scenes, the acting, the way everything about it was just slightly (and intentionally?) off... Overall, I thought the film was well-done and I enjoyed the second viewing.

p.s. Is it just me, or are the monsters reminiscent of something you'd see on The Dark Crystal or Labyrinth?

And if you enjoyed The Village, I recommend Margaret Peterson Haddix's novel Running Out of Time, another suspenseful story about a girl who must save her town.

--AJB