New Books of 2016

The new year offers exciting new stories that we can't wait to get our hands on.  Check out these book lists and tell us which books you are most excited about in 2016.

Fiction:

• Bookriot
• Bustle 

Nonfiction:

• Bookriot
• Kid Lit Frenzy

Young Adult:

• Bookriot
• Goodreads

Comics/Graphic Novels

• Hollywood Reporter
• Vox

Picture Books

• Goodreads
• Kirkus

Happy reading! 

Staff Reads: September 25, 2015

Another week, another glorious pile of books to read! First, though, are our book reviews from this past week:

 The Bird's Nest

written by Shirley Jackson  

four stars

This book tells the story of a girl in the middle of dealing with a multiple personality disorder, now better known as dissociative identity disorder. The dialogue and conflict between her personalities is at times both frightening and comical. Shirley Jackson is so good at this kind of dark humor.

The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook

written by Alexe Van Beuren and Dixie Grimes

four stars

Don't you just love a cookbook that's more than a cookbook? Most cookbooks just impart recipes, and recipes only, leaving them as bland as a tomato sandwich without any mayonnaise. This cookbook, though, evokes the heart of small-town America, with the stories, advice, pure heart, and recipes of Water Valley, Mississippi's B.T.C Old-Fashioned Grocery. We recommend the baked grits casserole and the chocolate buttermilk cake--yum--but really, you should just try them all!

 The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend

written and illustrated by Dan Santat

five stars

We're giving 2015 Caldecott winner Beekle five shiny, golden stars, and we'd give even more if we could. Santat's illustrations are sweet and charming; they harmonize perfectly with Beekle's story. And the story! Such simple, strong messages about friendship and imagination and perseverance--lovely from beginning to end. We guarantee that this one will end up in your bedtime reading pile night after night after night after night...

The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl

written by Ryan North

illustrated by Erica Henderson

five stars

Oh Em Gee! Doreen Green--don't you love that name?--is a college girl with super powers. She's super strong. She's got a tail. She's saving the world. Plus, there are oodles and oodles of snarky footnotes. Amazingly fun!

Staff will be reviewing these books next week:

• Mean Streak
  written by Sandra Brown
• Yard War
  written by Taylor Kitchings
• Descender, Volume 1: Tin Stars
  written by Jeff Lemire
  illustrated by Dustin Nguyen
• Humans of New York
  written and illustrated by Brandon Stanton

Until next week, happy reading!

Banned Books Week 2014: Graphic Novels

Banned Books Week’s theme for this year focuses on comic books and graphic novels.  Comic books and graphic novels have become very popular in the last few years, and we see more of them popping up in library collections.  The Mississippi Library Commission has even added a new graphic novels collection.

According to the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, comic books are challenged for the same reasons as other books, but are more vulnerable because of their visual content.  Comic books are commonly challenged for “adult content,” “inappropriate language,” “violence/horror,” “sex/nudity,” or not being “age appropriate.”  Some have the misconception that comic books are a low value of speech and only for juvenile audiences.

Banned/challenged comic books and graphic novels from MLC's graphic novel collection:

Blankets 
by Craig Thompson

•     Sexually explicit/nudity

Fun Home

by Alison Bechdel

•          Sexually explicit/nudity

•          Homosexuality

Maus

by Art Spiegelman

•         Anti-ethnic

•      Unsuited for age group

Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi

•           Offensive language

•            Violence

•            Unsuitable for age group

Stuck in the Middle

edited by Ariel Schrag

•           Offensive language

•           Sexually explicit/nudity

•           Drug reference

      

Watchmen

by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons

•           Violence

•           Sexually explicit/nudity

•           Offensive language

•           Unsuited for age group

For more information about comic books and graphic novels that have been challenged visit http://cbldf.org.
Don't forget to stop by MLC or your local library to check out more banned books.

Happy Friday!

Here's a fun comic we found in The Clarion-Ledger on microfilm from June 7th, 1954!

"You'll have to check that slab out -- we can't have all that noise in here!"

Indeed, time has changed! We don't recommend taking a hammer and chisel to library books. Instead, we hope you'll visit your local library this weekend and check some out (and treat them gently). Have a wonderful Friday!

Microfilm: The Clarion-Ledger. June 7th, 1954. pg 11

Summertime Reading!

This comic called “The Neighbors,” published in the The Clarion-Ledger on July 3, 1954, pretty much sums up most of us book lovers (and hoarders):

The woman says, “Put those books you plan to read this summer here with the ones you meant to read last year,” as the gentleman is about to haul two stacks of books (I counted about 7 books in each stack) to the trunk of their car for their summer vacation.  Maybe it was a bit of wishful thinking on his part.  Do you ever feel like you have a ton of books you want to read, but too little time?  If you ever get a chance to visit us you should check out our current display case of Mississippi authors and other Mississippi fiction titles (I’m not helping, I know) in our Mississippi Collection!  Here’s a peek:

So, what's on YOUR summer reading list?  Do you need suggestions?  Let us know!  There's nothing like going on a mental vacation with a good book!

Clark, George. “The Neighbors.” Comic strip. The Clarion-Ledger [Jackson] 3 July 1954, CXVII ed.: 4. Print.