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The Tea Dragon Society
by Katie (Cartoonist) O'Neill
jGRAPHIC NOVEL O'Neill
Diverse Characters, Adventure, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Kids
After discovering a lost Tea Dragon in the marketplace, apprentice blacksmith Greta learns about the dying art form of Tea Dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners.
The empath's survival guide : life strategies for sensitive people
by Judith Orloff
155.232 /Orloff
Nonfiction, Self Help
"What is the difference between having empathy and being an empath? "Having empathy means our heart goes out to another person in joy or pain," says Dr. Judith Orloff. "But for empaths it goes much further. We actually feel others' emotions, energy, and physical symptoms in our own bodies, without the usual defenses that most people have." The Empath's Survival Guide is an invaluable resource for empaths and anyone who wants to nurture their empathy and develop coping skills in our high-stimulus world--while fully embracing their gifts of intuition, compassion, creativity, and spiritual connection. This practical, empowering, and loving book was created to support empaths through their unique challenges and help loved ones better understand the empath's needs and gifts, "--Amazon.com.
In The Empath's Survival Guide, Judith Orloff discusses what it means to be an empath, and how we can protect our energy while existing in an often overwhelming and draining world. This book was life changing for me, and I hope that it helps others discover that it's okay to feel things deeply! Judith Orloff shows us that our empathic abilities can be used as a powerful tool to build a more compassionate and loving world. -Violette
Heartstopper
by Alice Oseman
GRAPHIC NOVEL Oseman Heartstopper
Diverse Characters, LGBTQ+, Romance, Graphic Novels, Young Adult
Boy meets boy. Boys become friends. Boys fall in love. A sweet and charming coming-of-age story that explores friendship, love, and coming out. This edition features beautiful two-color artwork. Absolutely delightful. Sweet, romantic, kind. Beautifully paced. I loved this book. -- Rainbow Rowell, author of Carry On Shy and softhearted Charlie Spring sits next to rugby player Nick Nelson in class one morning. A warm and intimate friendship follows, and that soon develops into something more for Charlie, who doesn't think he has a chance. But Nick is struggling with feelings of his own, and as the two grow closer and take on the ups and downs of high school, they come to understand the surprising and delightful ways in which love works.
Alice Oseman writes my favorite graphic novel series -- Heartstopper! Nick and Charlie's love story is guaranteed to melt hearts. If you, too, can't get enough of this series, be sure to check out the TV show, which Alice Oseman also helped produce. -Violette
Welcome to Samantha's world, 1904 : growing up in America's new century
by Catherine Gourley
j973.91 Gourley
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Kids, Nonfiction, History
An in-depth look at life for girls and women in America in 1904, discussing city and town life, social reform, new inventions, amusements, and more.
If you're like me and grew up with American Girl, you know that this book was a highly sought after item! I, myself, am a Samantha, and was absolutely thrilled to find that ICPL had a copy of Welcome to Samantha's World in the collection! I'd never had the privilege of looking through this book before, but always dreamed about it when I was younger. Catherine Gourley provides a wider historical context for the Samantha books that illustrate what life what like for young girls at the turn of the century. I would definitely recommend for any fans of American Girl! -Violette
Dolls of our lives : why we can't quit American Girl
by Mary Mahoney
745.59221 /Mahoney
Historical Fiction, Nonfiction
"Are you a Molly (a patriotic overachiever with a flair for drama)? Felicity (the original horse girl)? Kirsten (a cottagecore fan who seems immune to cholera), Samantha (a savior complex in a sailor suit), or Josefina (who dealt with grief by befriending a baby goat)? Have you ever wondered how Britney Spears or Michelle Kwan would answer that question? And why do we care so much which girl we are? Combining history, travelogue, and memoir, Dolls of Our Lives follows Allison Horrocks and Mary Mahoney on an unforgettable journey to the past as they delve into the origins of this iconic brand. Continuing the conversations that began on their podcast, they set out to answer the lingering questions that keep them up at night. What did American Girl inventor Pleasant Rowland hope to say to children with these dolls? Was girl power something that could be ordered from a catalogue, described by a magazine, or modeled in the plot lines of books? And how - and why - did this brand shape an entire generation? Through interviews with a legion of devoted doll lovers, a field trip to Colonial Williamsburg, a place that inspired Pleasant to create American Girl, and an exploration of their own (complicated) fandom, this is a deep dive into one of the 90s most coveted products - the American Girl doll" --
Dolls of Our Lives: Why We Can't Quit American Girl is EXACTLY what my AG-obsessed self needed! Mary Mahoney & Allison Horrocks are hosts of the American Girl themed podcast, Dolls of Our Lives, and their book details what it was growing up with American Girl and how the brand has shaped us into the American Girl Adults we are today. A must read for all of the nostalgic American Girl references, including an essential quiz to find out which character you are (if you don't already know). -Violette
How high we go in the dark : a novel
by Sequoia Nagamatsu
SCIENCE FICTION Nagamatsu, Sequoia
Fiction, Dystopian, Science Fiction, Short Story
"For fans of Cloud Atlas and Station Eleven, a spellbinding and profoundly prescient debut that follows a cast of intricately linked characters over hundreds of years as humanity struggles to rebuild itself in the aftermath of a climate plague-a daring and deeply heartfelt work of mind-bending imagination from a singular new voice. Beginning in 2030, a grieving archeologist arrives in the Arctic Circle to continue the work of his recently deceased daughter at the Batagaika crater, where researchers are studying long-buried secrets now revealed in melting permafrost, including the perfectly preserved remains of a girl who appears to have died of an ancient virus. Once unleashed, the Arctic Plague will reshape life on earth for generations to come, quickly traversing the globe, forcing humanity to devise a myriad of moving and inventive ways to embrace possibility in the face of tragedy. In a theme park designed for terminally ill children, a cynical employee falls in love with a mother desperate to hold on to her infected son. A heartbroken scientist searching for a cure finds a second chance at fatherhood when one of his test subjects-a pig-develops the capacity for human speech. A widowed painter and her teenaged granddaughter embark on a cosmic quest to locate a new home planet. From funerary skyscrapers to hotels for the dead to interstellar starships, Sequoia Nagamatsu takes readers on a wildly original and compassionate journey, spanning continents, centuries, and even celestial bodies to tell a story about the resiliency of the human spirit, our infinite capacity to dream, and the connective threads that tie us all together in the universe"--
Sequoia Nagamatsu's How High We Go in the Dark consists of several fascinating short stories that feature characters whose lives are inextricably linked, even if not directly. If you're like me, this book will remain in the back of your mind for a long time. -Violette
Always Matt : a tribute to Matthew Shepard
by Lesléa Newman
BIOGRAPHY Shepard, Matthew
LGBTQ+, Nonfiction, Memoir
On the night of October 6, 1998, in Laramie, Wyoming, Matthew Wayne Shepard (1976-1998) was brutally killed solely because he was gay. It was a shocking murder that was nationally covered in the media, and it became a rallying cry for the LGBTQ+ rights movement. In 2009, the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was signed by President Barack Obama, expanding the federal hate crime law to include crimes motivated by a victim's actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. With a foreword by Jason Collins--the first openly gay active player in the NBA--and written by Lesléa Newman--author of the Stonewall Honor-winning novel-in-verse October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard and a friend of the Shepard family--Always Matt is an emotional yet ultimately hopeful look at the progress that's been made, as well as the work that still continues, in advocating for the dignity and equality of all people.
Always Matt is a beautiful tribute to the life and memory of Matthew Shepard. As someone who grew up in Wyoming and went to school in Laramie, Matt's story is always on my mind. I appreciate that author Lesléa Newman tells this incredibly important narrative in verse style, leaving "a great deal of empty space on the page, which mirrors the empty space Matt left behind when he was taken from this world." A must read! -Violette
Lessons in chemistry : a novel
by Bonnie Garmus
FICTION Garmus, Bonnie
Fiction, Historical Fiction, Science
"Set in 1960s California, this blockbuster debut is the hilarious, idiosyncratic and uplifting story of a female scientist whose career is constantly derailed by the idea that a woman's place is in the home, only to find herself starring as the host of America's most beloved TV cooking show. Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it's the 1960s and despite the fact that she is a scientist, her peers are very unscientific when it comes to equality. The only good thing to happen to her on the road to professional fulfillment is a run-in with her super-star colleague Calvin Evans (well, she stole his beakers.) The only man who ever treated her-and her ideas-as equal, Calvin is already a legend and Nobel nominee. He's also awkward, kind and tenacious. Theirs is true chemistry. But as events are never as predictable as chemical reactions, three years later Elizabeth Zott is an unwed, single mother (did we mention it's the early 60s??) and the star of America's most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth's singular approach to cooking ('take one pint of H2O and add a pinch of sodium chloride') and independent example are proving revolutionary. Because Elizabeth isn't just teaching women how to cook, she's teaching them how to change the status quo. Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist"--
Bonnie Garmus' Lessons in Chemistry is my favorite read of this year! Readers will love Elizabeth Zott's incredible strength and sharp wit in this novel, as she perseveres against a 1960s male-dominated world that doesn't believe in her abilities. She'll prove them wrong. -Violette
Old enough : a novel
by Haley Jakobson
FICTION Jakobson Haley
Diverse Characters, Fiction, LGBTQ+, Romance, Young Adult
"Savannah 'Sav' Henry is almost the person she wants to be, or at least she's getting closer. It's the second semester of her sophomore year. She's finally come out as bisexual, is making friends with the other queers in her dorm, and has just about recovered from her disastrous first queer 'situationship.' She is cautiously optimistic that her life is about the begin. But when she learns that Izzie, her best friend from childhood, has gotten engaged, Sav faces a crisis of confidence. Things with Izzie haven't been the same since what happened between Sav and Izzie's brother when Sav was sixteen. Now, with the wedding around the corner, Sav is forced to reckon with trauma she thought she could put behind her. On top of it all, Sav can't stop thinking about Wes from her Gender Studies class--sweet, funny Wes, with their long eyelashes and green backpack. There's something different here--with Wes and her new friends; it feels, terrifyingly, like they might truly see her. With a singulary funny, heartfelt voice, Old Enough explores queer love, community, and what it means to be a survivor in a post #MeToo world. Haley Jakobson has written a love letter to friendship and an honest depiction of what it means to find your people"--
I love this book because it illustrates what it's like to be a young queer woman navigating the world through self discovery. I would recommend Old Enough to anyone who is questioning their identity, as Haley Jakobson shows the power of finding your community and loving yourself just as you are. -Violette
The fellowship of the ring : being the first part of The Lord of the Rings
by J. R. R. (John Ronald Reuel) Tolkien
SCIENCE FICTION Tolkien, J. R. R.
Fiction, Adventure, Fantasy
After discovering the true nature of the one ring, Bilbo Baggins entrusts it to the care of his young cousin, Frodo, who is charged with bringing about its destruction and thus foiling the plans of the Dark Lord.
My favorite book in the LOTR trilogy! I could read this series over and over again and never tire of Frodo and Sam's adventures. -Violette
Gender queer
by Maia Kobabe
306.768 /Kobabe
Diverse Characters, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Memoir, Young Adult
"In 2014, Maia Kobabe, who uses e/em/eir pronouns, thought that a comic of reading statistics would be the last autobiographical comic e would ever write. At the time, it was the only thing e felt comfortable with strangers knowing about em. Now, Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma and fundamental violation of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity--what it means and how to think about it--for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere."--Amazon.
Gender Queer is one of my favorite graphic novels of all time. In this memoir, we follow Maia's journey of self discovery in finding eir gender identity, coming out to eir friends and family, and making eir place in this world. A truly essential text for LGBTQ+ young adults, advocates, and anyone wishing to make the world a kinder, more compassionate place for everyone to exist in. -Violette
Our work is everywhere : an illustrated oral history of queer & trans resistance
by Syan Rose
306.76 /Rose
Diverse Characters, LGBTQ+, Graphic Novels, Nonfiction
"A visually stunning graphic non-fiction book on queer and trans resistance. Over the past ten years, we have witnessed the rise of queer and trans communities that have defied and challenged those who have historically opposed them. Through bold, symbolic imagery and surrealist, overlapping landscapes, queer illustrator and curator Syan Rose shines a light on the faces and voices of these diverse, amorphous, messy, real, and imagined queer and trans communities. In their own words, queer and trans organizers, artists, healers, comrades, and leaders speak honestly and authentically about their own experiences with power, love, pain, and magic to create a textured and nuanced portrait of queer and trans realities in America. The many themes include Black femme mental health, Pacific Islander authorship, fat queer performance art, disability and health care practice, sex worker activism, and much more. Accompanying the narratives are Rose's startling and sinuous images that brings these leaders' words to visual life. Our Work Is Everywhere is a graphic non-fiction book that underscores the brilliance and passion of queer and trans resistance. Includes a foreword by Lambda Literary Award-winning author and activist Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, author of Care Work : Dreaming Disability Justice."--
Our Work Is Everywhere is a beautiful graphic novel depicting the history of queer and trans resistance. Syan Rose's illustrations are so stunning--I could read this book over and over again. You should too! -Violette
Malibu rising : a novel
by Taylor Jenkins Reid
FICTION Reid Taylor
Diverse Characters, Fiction
August 1983. Everyone wants to be around the famous Rivas: Nina, talented surfer and supermodel; brothers Jay and Hud, one a championship surfer, the other a renowned photographer; and their baby sister, Kit. The siblings are a source of fascination in Malibu and the world over-- especially as the offspring of legendary singer Mick Riva. It's the day of Nina's annual end-of-summer party, and she's the only person not looking forward to it after being abandoned by her pro tennis player husband. Hud needs to confess something to the brother from whom he's been inseparable since birth. Jay is counting the minutes until the girl he can't stop thinking about promised she'll be there. And Kit has a couple secrets of her own. The alcohol will flow, the music will play... and by morning the Riva mansion will have gone up in flames. -- adapted from jacket
I love all of Taylor Jenkins Reid's books, but this one is my favorite! The family dynamics are written incredibly well in this novel, and I would certainly recommend it as a summer read! -Violette
About Me
My name is Violette, and I'm a Bookmobile Aide at the Iowa City Public Library! At work, you can usually find me traveling throughout the community on the Bookmobile, or prepping crafts and other fun activities for our upcoming outreach events. I enjoy reading graphic novels, nostalgic American Girl books, and anything featuring diverse characters. My favorite series of all time is The Lord of the Rings trilogy, and I never tire of Tolkien's wonderful characters and magical worldbuilding! Outside of my work at the ICPL, you can find me studying for my MLIS, playing video games with my cats, Sebastian and Pepe, or enjoying a book with my partner at our favorite local coffee house.
The Tea Dragon Society by Kay O'Neill introduces us to an incredible world filled with miniature dragons that, when loved and cared for properly, produce magical tea leaves. When these tea leaves are brewed and consumed, they have the power to share memories. Check out this trilogy for an incredibly heartwarming universe -- complete with a miniature tea dragon guide that I just adored! -Violette