Editor’s note: A new feature from the Tempe Public Library, this periodic contribution offers staff members’ personal suggestions, including fiction and nonfiction, as well as different genres and mate- rials for adults, teens and children.
Among the staff’s picks:
Title: Never Grow Up
Author: Jackie Chan
Format: eAudiobook – (OverDrive)
Genre: Autobiography
Never Grow Up is a fascinating look on the life of Jackie Chan, and provides all the insights and per- sonal stories I’ve been curious about. His life often played out like an action movie, but I was delighted and surprised to learn Jackie is so much more than a Hollywood star. The book is filled with humor, hum- bleness, and almost too-crazy to believe stories. The book is a fun and easy listen which I highly rec- ommend for anyone who has been a fan.
Movie: John Dies at the End Director: Don Coscarelli
Format: Streaming Video (hoopla) Genre: Comedy, Horror
This low-budget horror/comedy does not get nearly enough respect. The actors and acting is amazing, the special effects are really good, and the comedic timing is perfect. At one point, a guy uses a hot dog as a phone—how could you even improve on that? (The novel it’s based on by David Wong is also exceptionally good!)
Fiction: Fruit of the Drunken Tree Author: Ingrid Rojas Contreras
Format: eAudiobook and eBook (OverDrive) Genre: Domestic fiction
This story is captivating, to say the least. I am drawn to stories that are told from a young person’s perspective but are intended for an adult audience. The idea of what girlhood can look like in other countries and cultures is something to consider. This book was a great reminder of the human experience in countries that are riddled with political conflict.
Title: Frederica
Author: Georgette Heyer
Format: eBook (hoopla)
Genre: Historical fiction, Romance
I’m a huge fan of anything Georgette Heyer ever wrote, the lady sure had a way with a pen that makes you feel like you’re curled up in a sunny window seat, happy and warm, as you’re reading. Frederica is a great example of this, with lots of humor, sweet ro- mance, and the surety that any tangles and scrapes will be mild and sorted out by the last pages, leaving our protagonists to live happily ever after.
Title: The Dirt on Clean Author: Katherine Ashenburg Format: eBook (OverDrive) Genre: Nonfiction
I go absolutely wild for weird little niche nonfiction. I love the idea that someone devoted so much time of their life to researching and writing 300 pages on the history of cleanliness—more than “cleanliness” even, on bathing! It’s amazing, reading this is like falling down a Wikipedia hole, but for days rather than an hour.
Title: Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl Author: Carrie Brownstein
Format: eAudiobook and eBook (OverDrive) Genre: Memoir
I love memoirs. We all carry our own life experiences and I value that in our day to day exchanges because we learn from each other, people! This is one of my favorites, as I enjoy musician and comedian memoirs, can can often be caught giggling as I read along. Don’t mind me! You might be familiar with Carrie Brownstein from comedy TV series Portlandia and the rock band Sleater-Kinney.
