Bored Librarians Backlist Book Reviews: Recent Episodes
Adam Pecar
Adam and Simon are two bored librarians who are stuck in quarantine and giving reviews to books available on digital platform Hoopla.
Simon and Adam finish talking about Alan Moore and J. H. Williams' Promethea, They discuss the way art and comics can teach and handle complicated subjects like Western Mysticism in ways much better than a long text book. Promethea is rated Mature and is not for kids. Read it on Hoopla for free. Sign up for Hoopla with your library card at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Adam and Simon start down a multipart series on Alan Moore and J. H. William's comic Promethea. Adam gushes artwork while Simon delves into the history of the comic and they discuss (mostly) the first 12 issues. Promethea is a mature rated comic and not for kids. Promethea in its entirely is available on Hoopla Digital. Sign up for Hoopla with your library card at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Guess what? MORE COMICS! Simon and Adam gush about Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) By G. Willow Wilson and Adrian Alphona and a number of other comic characters she's interacted with. Ms. Marvel is available on Hoopla and is great for teens. See if your library partners with Hoopla and check it out at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Back to comics this week (and if the talk is any indication, many more weeks) with The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl comic series by Ryan North and the early teen novels by Shannon and Dean Hale. Squirrel Girl is the mightiest superhero ever and a perfect comic/book for kids and adults.
Both series are available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library has Hoopla and sign up with you card at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
As a final book for Pride Month, Adam and Simon discuss the sad but sweet young adult novel They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera. The title does spoil the end but shows how it is the journey to that end that is what is important in the story. They Both Die at The End is a teen novel available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library partners with Hoopla and sign up with your card at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Adam and Simon celebrate Pride with a list of LGBTQ+ books that are for youths and young adults. See if your library has Hoopla and sign up for Hoopla with your library card at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Happy Pride Month Everyone.
Life with Kevin – Dan Parent
Dreadnaught – April Daniels
I Am Not OK With This – Charles Forsman
All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens throughout the Ages – Saundra Mitchell
Lumberjanes – Noelle Stevenson
Girl Mans Up – M-E Girard
Backstagers - James Tynion IV, Rian Sygh
Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda – Becky Abertalli
Not Your Sidekick – C.B. Lee
This Book is Gay – Juno Dawson
Man Alive – Thomas McBee
Amateur – Thomas McBee (Not on Hoopla)
Stone Butch Blues – Leslie Feinberg (Available for free on https://www.lesliefeinberg.net/ )
Adam and Simon discuss anime movie Tokyo Godfathers by Satoshi Kon. A feel good movie with a unique visual style and incredible production value that is also, despite being from 2003, ahead of its time in many things including LGBTQ+ characters. Watch Tokyo Godfathers on Hoopla Digital. See if your library has Hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Tokyo Godfathers is rated PG-13
Adam and Simon (well mostly Adam) geek out over web comic turned full comic Dr. McNinja by Christopher Hastings. The comic is available for free on Hoopla Digital. As usual see if your library offers access to hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/. Alternatively, the comic is also available in its entirety for free at Hastings' own http://drmcninja.com/
The comic is pretty safe for older kids and in fact the built in censoring actually makes the comic more fun for adults.
Simon and Adam give a list of readings available on Hoopla that help educate about the history behind Black Lives Matter and the current protests in the streets around the US. Check if your library has Hoopla and sign up at https://hoopladigital.com
Media List
The New Jim Crow (2020) Michelle Alexander
Raising White Kids (2018) Jennifer Harvey
Me and White Supremacy (2020) Layla Saad
Freedom is a Constant Struggle (2016) Angela Y. Davis
Who do You Serve? Who do You Protect? (2016) Maya Schenwar
Civil Rights Unionism (2003) Robert R. Korstad Emergent Strategy (2017) Adrienne Maree Brown
Dixie Be Damned (2015) Neal Shirley, Saralee Stafford
Angels with Dirty Faces (2016) Walidah Imarisha
I Am Not Your Negro (2017) Raoul Peck
I Must Resist (2012) Bayard Rustin
The Stonewall Riots (2019) Gayle E. Pitman
My Grandmother’s Hands (2017) Resmaa Menakem
The Shock Doctrine (2007) Naomi Klein
Lies My Teacher Told Me (2018) James W. Loewen
No age limit given.
https://www.detroitjustice.org/ Website for group working to improve the justice system in Detroit.
This week Adam and Simon delve into discussing a TV show available on Hoopla (yes folks they have TV shows). Steven Universe is a kids show that explores themes of growing up while not skimping on the fun. The show was created by Rebecca Sugar.
Season 1 and 2 are available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library has Hoopla and sign up at https://hoopladigital.com
Adam and Simon discuss the long running series Saga by Brian Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Adam discovers a new comic he really likes and Simon gushes about how he came about falling in love with this series. Saga is available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library has Hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Saga is rated M for not for kids at all, seriously.
Simon and Adam gush over one of their favorite comics. All-Star Superman. A comic by noted wizard Grant Morrison. All-Star Superman is a celebration of the hero from 2011. It is available on hoopla digital. Check with your library if you have access to Hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
All-Star Superman is rated Teen and up, though it could be read by some as young as 10.
Adam and Simon needed a dose of cute so they chose to review Hex Vet by Sam Davies. Hex Vet is a comic aged for children and up with some remarkably charming artwork and writing that is able to be enjoyed by both children and adults.
Hex Vet is available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library has hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Hex Vet - Rated E for everyone
This week, Adam and Simon review the very new comic, Green Lantern Legacy by Minh Lê and art by Andie Tong. The comic is available on Hoopla Digital. See if your library is part of Hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/.
Green Lantern Legacy is rated for youth. Adam and Simon recommend it for anyone 10 and up.
Adam and Simon decide to give you all a treat this week by reviewing a movie based on H. P. Lovecraft's story, The Color out of Space. So enjoy hearing us gush about Nicholas Cage and Tommy Chong in a horror movie that really earned its CGI use card. The Color Out of Space is available on Hoopla Digital as a checkout. See if your library has Hoopla. Sign up for hoopla at https://www.hoopladigital.com/
The Color Out of Space is Rated R
This week Simon and Adam discuss the comic The Wicked + The Divine by Kieron Gillen and art by Jamie McKelvie. This contemporary comic of reincarnated gods as celebrities has many dark twists and turns and is extremely beautiful. This comic is available on Hoopla. See if your library offers Hoopla and sign up at https://www.hoopladigital.com/.
The Wicked + The Divine is rated for Teens 18+ and adults
This week during quarantine, Adam and Simon discuss the book Wishful Drinking by the late, great, Carrie Fisher. In truth we spend much of the time just gushing about how wonderful a woman she was while discussing just how funny a book it is.
The book is available on Hoopla in an audio format read by the author. Ask your library about Hoopla. https://www.hoopladigital.com/
Wishful Drinking is rated for Teens and Older
A couple of bored quarantined librarians discuss Bryan Lee O'Malley's Snotgirl. Adam and Simon are two librarians with a couple cheap computers and cheap microphones just giving some book reviews out during quarantine.
Snotgirl is rated for Teens and Older