HCL_staff_reviews's Completed Shelf
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The Library BookThe Library Book, Book
by Orlean, SusanBook - 2018 | First Simon & Schuster hardcover editionBook, 2018. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition
Added Mar 27, 2024
The Blood of Emmett TillThe Blood of Emmett Till, Book
by Tyson, Timothy B.Book - 2017 | First Simon & Schuster hardcover editionBook, 2017. First Simon & Schuster hardcover edition
Added Mar 19, 2024
Comment:
The Black Lives Matter movement makes this title more relevant than ever. Tyson uses thorough research, a gift for storytelling, newly assembled evidence and a personal commitment and passion to produce a stunning account of the lynching of 14-year-old Chicagoan Emmitt Till in Mississippi in 1955. He meticulously describes the kidnapping and horrific murder of Till, the trial, including recovered court transcripts, and the open coffin funeral back in Chicago. Before reading this engaging page turner I knew very little about this important event that many say spurred the civil rights movement to move forward with greater urgency. -- Jen L, Ridgedale LibraryThe Black Lives Matter movement makes this title more relevant than ever. Tyson uses thorough research, a gift for storytelling, newly assembled evidence and a personal commitment and passion to produce a stunning account of the lynching of…
The Shape of WaterThe Shape of Water, DVD
DVD - 2018 | Widescreen versionDVD, 2018. Widescreen version
Added Feb 12, 2024
Comment:
Director Guillermo del Torro creates a visually stunning dark fable focused on a top secret 1960s laboratory where a government agent cruelly experiments on an amphibious man. Gentle Elisa works at the facility and bonds with the captive, becoming desperate to save him. An outstanding cast play wonderfully complex characters in a film that explores themes of loneliness and love against a backdrop of Cold War espionage. - Jody W., Web and Online ServicesDirector Guillermo del Torro creates a visually stunning dark fable focused on a top secret 1960s laboratory where a government agent cruelly experiments on an amphibious man. Gentle Elisa works at the facility and bonds with the captive, becoming…
The Infamous Harry HaywardThe Infamous Harry Hayward, BookA True Account of Murder and Mesmerism in Gilded Age Minneapolis
by Peters, Shawn Francis, 1966-Book - 2018Book, 2018
Added Feb 05, 2024
Comment:
Harry Hayward is a local legend in Minneapolis for the plot to murder dressmaker Kitty Ging, but this book does more than tell that story, it gets into a mind of a madman and does so effectively. Highly recommended for true crime and Minnesota history buffs. -- Ian S., CommunicationHarry Hayward is a local legend in Minneapolis for the plot to murder dressmaker Kitty Ging, but this book does more than tell that story, it gets into a mind of a madman and does so effectively. Highly recommended for true crime and Minnesota…
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death CleaningThe Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, BookHow to Free Yourself and your Family From A Lifetime of Clutter
by Magnusson, Margareta (Artist)Book - 2018 | First Scribner hardcover editionBook, 2018. First Scribner hardcover edition
Added Jan 31, 2024
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I was expecting good advice on how to downsize my belongings. What I got was good advice but also a charming almost-memoir from the author, who describes herself as someone between 80 and 100 years old. She has a lot to say about society and how it has changed in her lifetime, and she acknowledges the many differences between her generation and young people today. Bonus: she includes 3 recipes at the end of the book from her old neighbor that look quite delicious. Based on her own criteria, she only keeps the very best! -- Jody W., Web and Online ServicesI was expecting good advice on how to downsize my belongings. What I got was good advice but also a charming almost-memoir from the author, who describes herself as someone between 80 and 100 years old. She has a lot to say about society and how it…
Will's Red CoatWill's Red Coat, BookThe Story of One Old Dog Who Chose to Live Again
by Ryan, TomBook - 2017 | First editionBook, 2017. First edition
Added Dec 18, 2023
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When we think about adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group how many of us are brave enough to take on an older dog? Drawn by an online post Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf and mostly blind elderly schnauzer and brought his home to live with him and his dog Atticus. Will had been left in a kill shelter by his owners who were too frail to care for him or themselves. Tom hoped to give Will a place to die with dignity, amid the rustic beauty of the White Mountains of his New Hamshire home. What happens over time with love and patience is absolutely amazing. For anyone who has loved an old dog more than life itself this is for you. -- Jen L, Hopkins LibraryWhen we think about adopting a dog from a shelter or rescue group how many of us are brave enough to take on an older dog? Drawn by an online post Tom Ryan adopted Will, a frightened, deaf and mostly blind elderly schnauzer and brought his home to…
The Hidden Life of TreesThe Hidden Life of Trees, BookWhat They Feel, How They Communicate : Discoveries From A Secret World
by Wohlleben, Peter, 1964-Book - 2016Book, 2016
Added Oct 03, 2023
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Think trees are just hanging out quietly in the forest minding their own business? Think again. They are communicating with each other, sending warnings about predators, raising up saplings, and even sharing nutrients in a hive mind sort of way. This is science, not science fiction. If you aren't a tree hugger now you will be after reading this book. Fascinating. -- Beth B, Minneapolis Central LibraryThink trees are just hanging out quietly in the forest minding their own business? Think again. They are communicating with each other, sending warnings about predators, raising up saplings, and even sharing nutrients in a hive mind sort of way. …
Star Wars BattlefrontStar Wars Battlefront, BookTwilight Company
by Freed, AlexanderBook - 2015 | First editionBook, 2015. First edition
Added Sep 25, 2023
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This book occurs before and after the Battle of Hoth, which is at the beginning of "Empire Strikes Back." This is an interesting look at how the frontline troops fare in the Galactic Civil War. The Skywalker family is absent with the exception of a Vader cameo and this is an advantage of the novel, keeping the focus on the rank and file and noncommissioned officers of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Recommended for Star Wars Battlefront fans and fans of the greater Star Wars universe. If you are only obsessed with the Skywalker family timeline, skip it. -- Ian S., CommunicationThis book occurs before and after the Battle of Hoth, which is at the beginning of "Empire Strikes Back." This is an interesting look at how the frontline troops fare in the Galactic Civil War. The Skywalker family is absent with the exception of a…
Added Sep 21, 2023
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Video games are often considered an escape from reality, and in 2044, reality is something that really needs to be escaped from. Massive poverty, unemployment, a housing crisis, and ecological disasters are things that plague the average human being. But the escape is OASIS—a full immersion video game where you can be who you want to be, where you want to be. The mad genius creator of this world, James Halliday, also left behind a fun "easter egg": whoever finds the three keys and the three gates is the new heir to OASIS. Wade Watts, a kid from Oklahoma, is the first to get the first key and his life changes more than he ever could have imagined. Action-packed, fun, and surprisingly moving, "Ready Player One" is an exciting story. — Cassandra J., St. Anthony LibraryVideo games are often considered an escape from reality, and in 2044, reality is something that really needs to be escaped from. Massive poverty, unemployment, a housing crisis, and ecological disasters are things that plague the average human…
L'appartL'appart, BookThe Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home
by Lebovitz, DavidBook - 2017 | First editionBook, 2017. First edition
Added Aug 21, 2023
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Are you an armchair renovator? Do you like to daydream about the perfect Instagram-ready life in Paris? This is your book. You can live vicariously through ex-pat food blogger and former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz's misadventures in French bureaucracy and social protocols from the safety of your own home, with some recipes. -- Mee T at Minneapolis Central LibraryAre you an armchair renovator? Do you like to daydream about the perfect Instagram-ready life in Paris? This is your book. You can live vicariously through ex-pat food blogger and former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz's misadventures in…
Added Aug 16, 2023
Comment:
In a freak accident, Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind, presumed dead. On Mars. Once he comes to, he realizes his predicament and focuses all of his scientific skills on survival. It's a nonstop science action adventure, and it's coming soon to a theater near you, but it is probably a better book. — Chuck K., Brookdale LibraryIn a freak accident, Astronaut Mark Watney is left behind, presumed dead. On Mars. Once he comes to, he realizes his predicament and focuses all of his scientific skills on survival. It's a nonstop science action adventure, and it's coming soon to a…
The Goblin EmperorThe Goblin Emperor, Book
by Addison, KatherineBook - 2014 | First EditionBook, 2014. First Edition
Added Aug 16, 2023
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An airship accident claims the life of the Emperor and most of his close relatives. Maia, his last living son, must assume the throne. He's very quickly thrown into a world of courtly intrigue. Addison crafts a fascinating world filled with colorful and dangerous characters. It's the most exciting book about fantasy politics I've ever read. -- Chuck K., Brookdale LibraryAn airship accident claims the life of the Emperor and most of his close relatives. Maia, his last living son, must assume the throne. He's very quickly thrown into a world of courtly intrigue. Addison crafts a fascinating world filled with colorful…
Dear Miss BreedDear Miss Breed, BookTrue Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and A Librarian Who Made A Difference
by Oppenheim, JoanneBook - 2006 | 1st edBook, 2006. 1st ed
Added Jul 18, 2023
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I learned so much from this book about the American internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. Based heavily on the letters sent between incarcerated Japanese-American children and a children's librarian in San Diego as well as photographs, propaganda, and interviews, this book is a wealth of information and really shows what these children and their families lived through. I found it to be frighteningly relevant today and recommend it as another great read about America's racist history. The audiobook was absolutely phenomenal but definitely get a hard copy too to see all the photos and other extra stuff! -- Baileigh F. at Walker LibraryI learned so much from this book about the American internment of Japanese-Americans during WWII. Based heavily on the letters sent between incarcerated Japanese-American children and a children's librarian in San Diego as well as photographs,…
Waking up WhiteWaking up White, BookAnd Finding Myself in the Story of Race
by Irving, DebbyBook - 2014Book, 2014
Added Jul 18, 2023
Comment:
This is a great book for white people who wish to gain a better understanding of institutional racism and to start the personal work of understanding their racial identity. I enjoyed the audio (read by the author) but would recommend the print since the author closes each chapter with questions for reflection. -- Deb G. at Golden Valley LibraryThis is a great book for white people who wish to gain a better understanding of institutional racism and to start the personal work of understanding their racial identity. I enjoyed the audio (read by the author) but would recommend the print since…
Added Jul 10, 2023
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A haunting literary take on the zombie apocalypse story. The reader follows three days in the life of one of the human survivors who works on a team trying to secure part of Manhattan from the zombies while getting flashbacks of what he has gone through since the plague began. — Laura C., Eden Prairie LibraryA haunting literary take on the zombie apocalypse story. The reader follows three days in the life of one of the human survivors who works on a team trying to secure part of Manhattan from the zombies while getting flashbacks of what he has gone…
Gods Behaving BadlyGods Behaving Badly, BookA Novel
by Phillips, Marie, 1976-Book - 2007 | 1st American edBook, 2007. 1st American ed
Added May 08, 2023
Comment:
The Greek Gods, for all their power and responsibility, kind of suck at living in the 21st Century. They've lost their followers due to that Hebrew upstart, and are slowly losing their powers. Worse, they're all stuck living in the same house! This book was funny, weird, and deeply satisfying. — Cassandra J., Pierre Bottineau LibraryThe Greek Gods, for all their power and responsibility, kind of suck at living in the 21st Century. They've lost their followers due to that Hebrew upstart, and are slowly losing their powers. Worse, they're all stuck living in the same house! This…
Get in TroubleGet in Trouble, BookStories
by Link, KellyBook - 2015 | First editionBook, 2015. First edition
Added May 08, 2023
Comment:
Kelly Link is an outstanding short story writer. If you usually stick to novels, Link will make you a short story reader.
Link hasn't released a collection of short stories for adults since 2005's "Magic for Beginners," and it has been worth the wait.
This high-quality fiction lets us get invested in the characters in a short amount of time. There are also mysterious and unsettling aspects to the stories that stick with you long after you're done reading. — Ian S., CommunicationKelly Link is an outstanding short story writer. If you usually stick to novels, Link will make you a short story reader.
Link hasn't released a collection of short stories for adults since 2005's "Magic for Beginners," and it has been worth the…
Ella Minnow PeaElla Minnow Pea, BookA Progressively Lipogrammatic Epistolary Fable
by Dunn, Mark, 1956-Book - 2001Book, 2001
Added Apr 24, 2023
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This was one of the most FUN reads in my adult life. There was humor, intrigue, and a brilliantly executed idea. I devoured it in one sitting like Garfield devours lasagna. If you've ever downloaded a font, you've likely seen the pangram "A quick brown fox jumps over a lazy dog" which includes all 26 letters of the alphabet. The islanders of Nollop revere the creator of this sentence and believe he essentially invented the English language. A large century-old monument stands in the center of the island. Just as you might expect with a sign so old, it starts to fall apart. One by one, letters from the pangram start to fall down and the High Island Council views this as a divine directive to eliminate that letter from all written and spoken language. Cousins Ella and Tassie maintain pen-pal correspondence and desperately fight against a suddenly totalitarian government. Will they be able to stop the mind control in time? - Jodi P., Webber Park LibraryThis was one of the most FUN reads in my adult life. There was humor, intrigue, and a brilliantly executed idea. I devoured it in one sitting like Garfield devours lasagna. If you've ever downloaded a font, you've likely seen the pangram "A quick…
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Arthur Less escapes the impending marriage of his former boyfriend, Freddy, and the impending reality of his fiftieth birthday by leaving the country. He travels around the world in hopes of assuaging his broken heart and facing his own mortality. Less does it in the style, sly wit, and humanity of the words of novelist Andrew Sean Greer. Less won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize. Readers will find that Less is in every way a delight. - Maureen M., Edina LibraryArthur Less escapes the impending marriage of his former boyfriend, Freddy, and the impending reality of his fiftieth birthday by leaving the country. He travels around the world in hopes of assuaging his broken heart and facing his own mortality. …
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Hakan, a young Swedish boy is sent with his older brother to take a ship to New York. The boys are going to make their fortunes and send money back to their impoverished families. The novel is set in the nineteenth century. America is still largely unsettled. There is a Gold Rush in California. Slaves are the labor of the South. On the crowded docks, Hakan is separated from his brother and ends up on a ship to San Francisco. He speaks no English. All this tall boy knows is that he must walk east to reach New York. His journey begins. This fabulous novel will remind readers of Larry McMurtry's Lonesome Dove. It was a 2018 finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. - Maureen M., Edina LibraryHakan, a young Swedish boy is sent with his older brother to take a ship to New York. The boys are going to make their fortunes and send money back to their impoverished families. The novel is set in the nineteenth century. America is still largely…
The Storied Life of A.J. FikryThe Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, BookA Novel
by Zevin, GabrielleBook - 2014 | First editionBook, 2014. First edition
Added Apr 24, 2023
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A.J. Fikry owns Island Books on Alice Island off the coast of New England. He is a young widower. His beloved wife, an admittedly bad driver, died in a car crash. Grieving A.J. is cranky with his customers, whom he finds intellectually suspect, and outright rude to Amelia Loman, the new Knightley Press representative. In the morning after a night of drinking, he finds a toddler left in his bookstore. The note attached to the child reads "This is Maya -- she is twenty-five months old." The story begins. Zevin is an incredible storyteller. This novel is a delight. - Maureen M., Edina LibraryA.J. Fikry owns Island Books on Alice Island off the coast of New England. He is a young widower. His beloved wife, an admittedly bad driver, died in a car crash. Grieving A.J. is cranky with his customers, whom he finds intellectually suspect, and…
Red ClocksRed Clocks, BookA Novel
by Zumas, Leni, 1972-Book - 2018 | First editionBook, 2018. First edition
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Red Clocks is a compelling dystopian novel about what happens to four women in a small Oregon town after abortion and in-vitro fertilization are banned in the wake of the "Personhood Amendment." Interspersed with the lives of these four--a teacher, a housewife, a high school student, and a witchy "mender"--is the tale of a 19th-century female polar explorer, whose story resonates with the other characters' lives. It is a suspenseful story of complex people making difficult choices, and Zumas's writing often rises to the level of poetry. - Ashleigh L., Eden Prairie LibraryRed Clocks is a compelling dystopian novel about what happens to four women in a small Oregon town after abortion and in-vitro fertilization are banned in the wake of the "Personhood Amendment." Interspersed with the lives of these four--a teacher,…
How to Find Love in A BookshopHow to Find Love in A Bookshop, Book
by Henry, VeronicaBook - 2016Book, 2016
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Following the death of her father, Emilia Nightingale moves back to her hometown in England and takes over the bookshop he owned. As she works through her grief and the financial mess she inherited, Emilia discovers how important her father was to the community. With a pushy property developer wanting Emilia to sell, several townspeople assist in revamping the shop to keep it in business. Each character has a well-developed storyline that links them to other characters, whether they know it or not, resulting in a book more about the personal connections found in a bookshop than the bookshop itself. The book is a light and enjoyable read that allows the reader to escape to the small town of Peasebrook and into the lives of its residents. - Alyssa K., Eden Prairie LibraryFollowing the death of her father, Emilia Nightingale moves back to her hometown in England and takes over the bookshop he owned. As she works through her grief and the financial mess she inherited, Emilia discovers how important her father was to…
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Reminiscent of the movie Notting Hill, P.S. From Paris by Marc Levy is a story about a world-famous actress and an American writer as they seek respite from their lives in Paris. Mia is avoiding her philandering husband while Paul, hiding from the worldwide popularity of his first novel, is comfortable with the mediocre success his recent novels have found only in South Korea. When Paul’s friends trick him into going on a blind date with Mia, they bond and struggle to keep their relationship uncomplicated. The book’s humor and levity made it a quick and enjoyable read. - Alyssa K., Eden Prairie LibraryReminiscent of the movie Notting Hill, P.S. From Paris by Marc Levy is a story about a world-famous actress and an American writer as they seek respite from their lives in Paris. Mia is avoiding her philandering husband while Paul, hiding from the…
No One Can Pronounce My NameNo One Can Pronounce My Name, BookA Novel
by Satyal, RakeshBook - 2017 | First editionBook, 2017. First edition
Added Apr 24, 2023
Comment:
Middle-aged Harit spends his days selling men's clothing and his evenings trying to support his mother's belief that her daughter, his sister Swati, is still alive. Ranjana and her husband are empty nesters now that their only son has left for college. Ranjana works as a receptionist, writes a novel in her spare time, and worries that her son and husband are drifting away from her. When Ranjana and Harit meet, an unlikely relationship begins. The well-drawn and sympathetic characters drew me into this hopeful story of friendship and family as Ranjana and Harit help each other to find a way forward. - Kathryn Z., Brooklyn Park LibraryMiddle-aged Harit spends his days selling men's clothing and his evenings trying to support his mother's belief that her daughter, his sister Swati, is still alive. Ranjana and her husband are empty nesters now that their only son has left for…
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