Monthly Archives: October 2015

Reader’s Advisory: Halloween Graphic Novels

Posted on by

Well Club UGLers, it is getting ever closer to Halloween which means it’s time to make costumes, eat candy corn, and scare ourselves with movies, books, and haunted houses. In this week’s Reader’s Advisory, we are going to give you some graphic novel reading suggestions that up the ante on chills, thrills, and blood. The Undergraduate Library has one of the biggest graphic novel collections in the country, so stay tuned because there is bound to be something you’ll like.

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Broshol

Anya’s Ghost, by Russian-American Vera Broshol, is a creepy, yet tame, ghost story option for those who prefer not to be kept up at night. Anya is a Russian immigrant navigating high school with no friends and low self-esteem when she unexpectedly falls into a well and meets a ghost. When Anya is rescued, she also rescues the ghost, who she adopts as her new best friend. The best laid plans go awry in this ghostly graphic novel perfect for someone who gets a bit squeamish in a horror film!

Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

If your favorite part of a graphic novel is the artwork, Through the Woods is sure to suit your tastes. This horror graphic novel by Canadian lesbian author Emily Carroll is composed of five spine-tingling fairy tales gone wrong. From kidnapped sisters in the cold winter to a murdered wife’s ghost, these five tales and the horrifically beautiful depictions will be just creepy enough for people who like fear without the gore.

Dark Metro by Tokyo Calen and illustrated by Yoshiken

For those who prefer manga, Dark Metro is a perfect Halloween choice. This exploration of the Tokyo underground beneath the subways. The boundaries between life and death are challenged by those who spend time here with Seiya, the guide of the land of the dead. These short stories about people preyed upon by the ghosts of the city’s terrifying underworld will please those who are a little into the dark side. This creepy manga has two volumes to keep you reading all Halloween weekend.

Batman: The Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb

If manga isn’t your thing, you could always go to the tried and true Batman for your source of Halloween entertainment. In Batman: The Long Halloween Batman must stop a serial killer called Holiday. Holiday is a crazed maniac who kills people every holiday. In this story, Batman’s greatest foe is defeating this villain while also wrestling with some of the most iconic members of his rogues gallery including Falcone, Two-Face, and the Joker. This graphic novel is sure to delight the murder-mystery fans in us all. Check this one out if you need to quench your superhero fix with a Halloween twist.

30 Days of Night by Steve Niles

Last on the list is easily the most brutal and bloody. 30 Days of Night, takes place in a small town in Alaska where the sun does not rise for 30 days. Vampires come to the town to openly kill and feed on the townspeople. How will this seemingly endless vampire rampage end? You could always check out the graphic novel! This graphic novel is definitely for fans of vampires – and those that aren’t on the squeamish side.

For more Halloween graphic novel suggestions, check out our handy chart:

Halloween Graphic Novels

Have any other suggestions for frightful graphic novels? Tweet at us (@askundergrad) or contact us on Facebook (Undergraduate Library at UIUC)! Happy reading, Club UGL!

Twitter Linkedin Digg Delicious Email Tumblr Reddit

Homecoming Week Events

Posted on by

This week marks University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s 105th Homecoming Celebration, and with that comes a slew of events on campus this week! Kick it off this Wednesday, October 21 with Spirit Day, when we will all wear orange to show our Illini pride and get free stuff. Stop by the Quad to earn discounts at local businesses and receive free stuff just for wearing orange! Did we mention free stuff? Here are a few other events to add to your plans this week:

Photo courtesy of Mike Pettigano via Flickr

Photo courtesy of Mike Pettigano via Flickr

Art Exhibit at the Illini Union Art Gallery – All Week Starting Monday, October 19
Celebrate the diversity of Illini talents with University of Illinois professor Bryan Warsaw’s poetry and photography will be exhibited this week in the Illini Union Art Gallery. His work exemplifies dusk, or the time between day and night. If you’ve been looking for somewhere to take that special someone you met in the UGL last week, this could be the place!

Block Party at the Henry Administration Building Sidewalk – Friday, October 23 at 5pm
This event for students, alumni, and other community members celebrates Homecoming before the parade. There will be games, activities, prizes, and food. Afterward, head to the Homecoming Parade at 6pm. The parade will begin at Sixth and Taft in Champaign, travel through Campustown, and end at the Quad after turning south on Mathews Avenue in Urbana. When the parade ends at 7pm, check out the Pep Rally in Foellinger Hall with performances from Marching Illini and guest speakers. There will be blue and orange fireworks set off in front of Foellinger afterward and the Observatory will host an open house from 8-10pm.

Annual Homecoming Party at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center – Saturday, October 24 9am-1pm
If you aren’t too tired from celebrating all evening Friday, head to the Annual Homecoming Party at the Alumni Center on Saturday morning. This Homecoming party will host musical entertainment, a cash bar, giveaways, spirit beads, and offer discounted park-and-ride passes!

Photo courtesy of Mike Pettigano via Flickr

Photo courtesy of Mike Pettigano via Flickr

Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts – Saturday October 24 at 7:30pm
CUSO will be opening its season with Haydn’s oratorio in collaboration with the UI Oratorio Society. After the Homecoming games, go to Krannert to support the arts! Krannert will also be providing 45-minute tours of the Center all week. If you would rather listen to the orchestra than tailgate, this event might be for you!

African-American Homecoming Party at Campus Rec Center East (CRCE) – Saturday, October 24 at 11pm
For the night owls and dancers, this Homecoming dance party for African-American students will host DJ Matrix playing hip-hop and rhythm-and-blues music. Purchase your tickets at the Quad Shop now to dance the night away for $10 for students or $15 for non-students with a UIUC sponsor!

Homecoming Games: Did you really think we would forget about the football and soccer game? Finish off your Homecoming week by showing your school spirit and cheering on the Illini this Saturday!
Illinois Vs. Wisconsin Homecoming Game at Memorial Stadium – Saturday, October 24 2:30pm kickoff
Illinois Vs. Northwestern Women’s Soccer Game at Soccer & Track Stadium – Saturday October 24 6pm

Learn more about these events and others this Homecoming Week: http://homecoming.illinois.edu/schedule.html

Twitter Linkedin Digg Delicious Email Tumblr Reddit

Viewer’s Advisory – Horror Films

Posted on by

Club UGLers! It’s that time of the year again. Grab all of the Halloween candy you can get your hands on because this week we’re talking horror films. Halloween gives us numerous opportunities to act out of the ordinary. Whether it’s dressing like vampires or eating ridiculous amounts of candy, Halloween is a special time. Our media collection has a wide variety of horror films – from the gruesomely bloody, to the outrageously weird. In this week’s Viewer’s Advisory, we will be detailing some of our little known horror flicks from around the globe. So get your popcorn ready, these movies won’t watch themselves.

Trollhunter

First on the list is a little watched movie all the way from Norway. Trollhunter (2011), details the accounts of a group of reporters who follow an enigmatic hunter in the frozen forests of the country. Little do they know, there aren’t just deer and rabbits in those trees. From the big and gruesome to the bigger and more gruesome, this movie has some delightful scares, inside jokes, and a much needed application of humor. This movie would be a great watch for those of you who are a little on the squeamish side when it comes to gore.

The Host

Speaking of monster movies, no one does it better than Joon-ho Bong in the South Korean flick The Host. The movie follows a father looking for his daughter who was kidnapped by a monster. With numerous monster scenes, action sequences, and thrills, this will be another palatable horror movie for those who aren’t into slasher flicks. But be warned, the monster is awesomely terrifying.

Let the Right One In courtesy of Josh Daniels via Flickr

Vampires have been a staple in Halloween celebrations for decades because vampires are awesome. Immortal, strong, and ravenous, vampires are pretty terrifying. Let the Right One In, a Swedish romantic horror film, takes the classic villain of the night and incorporates a stunning and beautiful friendship. Oskar, a fragile boy, meets a strange but charming girl who lives next door. As their friendship grows and people start mysteriously disappearing, Oskar is confronted with the fact that Eli may be more than she seems. This movie is the perfect combination of horror and friendship that makes the story equal parts endearing and frightening. It’s not the date night movie of the year, but it definitely is the date night movie of October.

Martyrs

The last movie on our list is easily the most unsettling. Martyrs is not a movie for the faint of heart. When a young girl is rescued from her gruesome captors, she begins seeing a horrible and ghoulish creature. After years of torment the young girl teams up with others who have been held captive by the same people. In their hunt for revenge they uncover something more terrifying and bloody then they could have imagined. Martyrs is easily the most terrifying and gruesome movie on this list. Just remember to keep something nearby to cover your eyes.

Check out our handy flowchart for other Halloween suggestions:

Have any other suggestions on foreign horror movies? Follow us on Facebook or Twitter and comment with your favorite horror flicks!

Twitter Linkedin Digg Delicious Email Tumblr Reddit

READ.WATCH.PLAY: Be Library Famous!

Posted on by

Ever look at your dorm room or apartment walls and wonder, “My decorations are alright, but a poster of myself would really spice this place up”? Well, it’s your lucky day! The UGL is excited to announce the second annual READ.WATCH.PLAY. Poster Contest. All you have to do is tell us about your favorite library resource and you could be featured on a poster in the UGL! Not only will you get to keep a copy of the poster, but all of your hard work during those late-night study sessions will pay off when you become Library Famous.

READ.WATCH.PLAY. Poster Contest READ.WATCH.PLAY. Poster Contest

Here’s how it works:
1. You must be a current undergraduate student at the University of Illinois.

2. You must follow us on at least one of our social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Pinterest.

3. You will then pick a book, movie, or video game that you want to pose with. Explain to us (just 2 or 3 sentences) why you chose that book, movie, or video game and why you think other undergrads would be interested in it.

4. Tell us about your favorite service or space at the Undergraduate Library.

A print application will be available at the Circulation Desk on the Upper Level of the UGL. Too excited to wait? Click here for an online application!

Winners will be chosen on November 9 and a “photo shoot” will take place at the video production studio in the UGL. Be prepared to reveal your inner supermodel. Once the photos are done, your poster will be printed out and displayed in our wonderful library through spring. An extra poster will be printed out for you to keep!

Twitter Linkedin Digg Delicious Email Tumblr Reddit