March Mania

Yay for spring! As February turns into March, we are excited about the warming of the weather, and also about March Madness. Whether or not you’re a sports watcher, it can be fun to make a bracket (even if it’s wiped out by the quarterfinals).GIF of orange text:

It will be different this year as we all know because of the pandemic, but we can still keep up the tradition. But for those of us who are not sport fans, your sports brackets can become book brackets. One way of doing a battle of the books is through March Book Madness, which was created by two teachers in Ohio. The tournament is broken into young adult and younger novels.

But March is also Women’s Month!

Five women dressed as Rosie the Riveter, flexing their arms

Below is a book battle that will help you read more female writers this month. These items are available at Champaign Public and Urbana Free Libraries and through the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Library system. These items have been published in the last two to three years, although Ark Angels is a series of books, beginning in 2005, but the most recent addition to the series was published within the last two years (we included the first book in this list, rather than starting at the most recent.). This book battle has many options, spanning multiple genres, including romance, science fiction, memoirs, and LGBTQ+ topics.

Cartoon woman drinking coffee and reading at a cafe


Book cover of Hood Feminism

Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall

Today’s feminist movement has a glaring blind spot, and paradoxically, it is women. Mainstream feminists rarely talk about meeting basic needs as a feminist issue, argues Mikki Kendall, but food insecurity, access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, a living wage, and medical care are all feminist issues.

 

Book cover for Before She Disappeared

Before She Disappeared by Lisa Gardner

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner, a propulsive thriller featuring an ordinary woman who will stop at nothing to find the missing people that the rest of the world has forgotten.

 

 

Book cover for Blink of an EyeBlink of an Eye by Iris Johansen

Delilah Winter is one of the hottest pop stars on the planet, so how in the world was she kidnapped right in the middle of a show at the famous Hollywood Bowl? If anyone can figure it out, it’s Dr. Kendra Michaels, who works with local and federal authorities on only the most impossible cases.

 

 

Book cover for The Burning GirlsThe Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

Welcome to Chapel Croft. Five hundred years ago, eight protestant martyrs were burned at the stake. Thirty years ago, two girls disappeared without a trace. Two months ago, the local vicar killed himself. Reverend Jack Brooks, a single parent with a 14-year-old daughter and a heavy conscience, arrives in the village for a fresh start and some peace. Instead, Jack finds a town mired in secrecy and a strange welcome package: an old exorcism kit and a note quoting scripture.

Book cover for Start HereStart Here by Trish Doller

Willa and Taylor were supposed to spend the summer after high school sailing from Ohio to Key West with their best friend, Finley. But Finley died before graduation, leaving them a 25-foot sailboat, a list of clues leading them to destinations along the way, and a friendship that’s hanging by a thread. Now, Willa and Taylor have two months and 2000 miles to discover how life works without Finley, and to decide if their own friendship is worth saving.

 

Book cover for Ark Angels

Ark Angels Graphic Novel Series by Sang-Sun Park

Three young girls. The three girls, Shem, Ham and Japheth, are sisters from another world. Equipped with their magical powers, they are charged with saving all the creatures of Earth from becoming extinct.

 

 

Book cover for AlienationAlienation by Ines Estrada

This book is about Elizabeth, an exotic dancer in cyberspace, and Carlos, who was just fired from the last human-staffed oil rig, attempting to keep their romance alive.

 

 

 

Book cover for Upright Women WantedUpright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey

Esther is a stowaway. She’s hidden herself away in the Librarian’s book wagon in an attempt to escape the marriage her father has arranged for her–a marriage to the man who was previously engaged to her best friend. Her best friend who she was in love with. Her best friend who was just executed for possession of resistance propaganda. The future American Southwest is full of bandits, fascists, and queer librarian spies on horseback trying to do the right thing.

 

Book cover for Broken Places and Outer SpacesBroken Places and Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity by Nnedi Okorafor

Nnedi Okorafor was never supposed to be paralyzed. A college track star and budding entomologist, Nnedi’s lifelong battle with scoliosis was just a bump in her plan–something a simple operation would easily correct. But when Nnedi wakes from the surgery to find she can’t move her legs, her entire sense of self begins to waver.

 

Book cover for A Long Petal of the SeaA Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende

In the late 1930s, civil war gripped Spain. When General Franco and his Fascists succeed in overthrowing the government, hundreds of thousands are forced to flee. Among them is Roser, a pregnant young widow, who finds her life irreversibly intertwined with that of Victor Dalmau, an army doctor and the brother of her deceased love.

 

Happy March Madness!

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Written by: Simone
Edited by: Nicole

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Books That Will Almost Make You Want to Stop Watching TikTok…

As the year comes to a close and it somehow still feels like March, we thought you might need some books that fill you with joy and keep you entertained. It’s quite the understatement to say that 2020 has been a strange year, and we’ve probably all spent a record-breaking number of hours staring at screens for work, school, and entertainment. You know when you scroll through TikTok for 15 minutes but somehow two hours passed? Here are some books that will make you feel the same way!

Click on each book title for links to access through the University Library, or check out your local public library.

The Wangs vs. the World by Jade Chang

The Wang family is super wealthy. At least, they were. When they lose their fortune, the Wangs pack their few remaining possessions into an old car and drive from California to New York. Filled with humor, charm, and a healthy dose of awkward reality, this book will also fill the void of Schitt’s Creek being over.

 

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before by Jenny Hahn

Whether or not you’ve seen the Netflix film adaptation, this book is worth the read. Lara Jean Song has written a letter to every boy she’s ever loved, and they’re all tucked away in a secret box. Somehow, her letters get mailed and now she’s being confronted by all her past crushes that she may or may not really be over.

 

You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
(not available through UIUC, link goes to Champaign Public Library)

While everyone in her small town is completely obsessed with prom, Liz Lighty just wants to escape to college. But winning prom queen comes with scholarship money, so even though she thinks she’s too poor, too Black, and too awkward for her classmates, Liz decides to do whatever it takes to win that prize. She doesn’t like the spotlight, but she does like spending time with the new girl who is also running for prom queen…

 

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

If you love dramatic reality shows, this book has that same addictive, guilty-pleasure feeling. Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nick, but he fails to mention that his family is outrageously wealthy and their home is more like a palace. Since Nick is one of the island’s most eligible bachelors, Rachel finds herself with a target on her back in this world of gloriously insane wealth. After you read the book, there’s also a film adaptation!

 

When We Were Vikings by Andrew MacDonald

Zelda is a 21-year-old Viking enthusiast born with fetal alcohol syndrome. She lives with her older brother, Gert, and traverses life’s difficulties by adhering to some simple rules and ideals. After finding out that Gert has some questionable methods of making money, Zelda embarks on a heartwarming quest and discovers what makes a hero.

 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

For a non-stop joyride, look no further than this novel about the son of America’s first female president. Alex Claremont-Diaz is charming and popular, in fact, he gets along with everyone – except for England’s Prince Henry. The two long-time nemeses make international news after causing a commotion at a royal wedding, and now they have to stage a fake friendship to do some damage control. The two have more in common than they realized, and their fake friendship evolves in a way that could have serious consequences for them and their nations.

 

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

This graphic novel is filled with fall vibes, friendship, and fun. Deja and Josiah have worked together every fall at the world’s best pumpkin patch, and this is their last shift together before they head to separate colleges. They decide to turn it into an epic night, eat all the best snacks, and finally talk to the girl Josiah has been mooning over for the past three years. Finding the girl isn’t as simple as they expect, but Deja and Josiah find lots of adventure along the way.

 

We hope you enjoy these books, let us know what you think!

 

Written and edited by: Nicole

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Dystopian Novels That Don’t Feel Like Fiction…

Escapism is great. Many of us have been watching a lot of Great British Baking Show and playing Animal Crossing through the pandemic. But sometimes, in the face of crises, it can feel satisfying to watch or read something that reflects what’s happening around us. Often, we are drawn to fiction that vocalizes something we have experienced but have never been able to fully understand or explain. Maybe that’s why these books feel so comforting and exciting right now. The following novels are all fictional, of course, but their apocalyptic and dystopian plots resonant a little bit more than usual. If you’re looking to pick up novels exploring what it’s like to live through pandemics, climate change, and political turmoil, check out some of these titles.

Click on each book title for links to access through the University Library, or check out your local public library.

Black Wave by Michelle Tea (2015)

This apocalypse novel takes place in California in 1999, but in a version of 1999 where the world is officially ending in a year because the environment is too messed up. Michelle, the main character, leaves the San Francisco Queer scene for L.A., trying to escape drug problems and failed relationships. But with only a year left, people begin dreaming collectively, and the lines of reality are increasingly blurred. Somehow, this book will quell your existential dread about climate change, at least temporarily.

 

Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (1993)

Written by science fiction icon Octavia Butler, Parable of the Sower takes place in a dystopian version of California in the 2020s. The state is plagued by fires, water shortages, drugs, lack of jobs, and violence. Meanwhile, teenager Lauren Olamina struggles to survive and to protect the people she loves while living with hyperempathy, a condition causing her to feel the pain of others. Meanwhile, she develops a new religion she hopes can save humanity. Needless to say, there is a whole lot going on in this book, and its iconic for a reason.

 

The Last Man by Mary Shelley (1826)

Frankenstein author Mary Shelley’s dystopian apocalypse novel is set in the late 21st century after a plague has destroyed humanity. The plague first hits warmer regions of the world, sending refugees north to England. But eventually it spreads and kills almost everyone, along with other climate disasters like floods and extreme weather. Eventually, the narrator is the only human left on Earth, and the book is ultimately about isolation, something many of us have become more familiar with lately.

 

Red Clocks by Leni Zumas (2018)

In this near-future dystopian novel, abortion and in-vitro fertilization have become illegal in the United States with the Personhood Amendment, which grants rights to fetuses. The book follows five women living through the consequences of this legislation. If you liked The Handmaids Tale, this one’s for you.

 

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (2015)

Another one about climate change. This sci-fi novel takes place on a planet with one supercontinent and a fifth season that hits every few centuries, bringing devastating climate change along with it. Other planetary woes include a complex and oppressive caste system and a collapsing empire. Meanwhile, a woman tries to rescue her daughter as the world falls apart around her.

 

Zone One by Colson Whitehead (2011)

Written by Colson Whitehead, author of The Underground Railroad, Zone One is another novel about a pandemic. In this one, the virus is finally receding, but the zombies it created are still roaming Manhattan. Civilians team up to try to rid the island of zombies and resettle the city.

 

Severance by Ling Ma (2018)

Candance Chen is a millennial and a first-generation American living in New York City during a pandemic of Shen Fever, a fungal infection originating in China. Her boring office job is replaced with a cross-country trek for survival. It’s a science fiction satire of capitalism, with some eerie similarities to the pandemic we are all living through.

 

A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (2019)

In this science fiction novel, the government has made large public gatherings illegal due to virus outbreaks and terror attacks. Luce Cannon was a successful musician until concerts were banned, but she still plays illegally. Rosemary Laws, on the other hand is used to doing things virtually, until she goes out scouting musicians for her new job. This one isn’t exactly dystopian, but music lovers missing live shows will appreciate this story about sharing art and connecting in difficult times.

 

If you need a break from reality after reading these almost-real-life novels, check back next week for books that are easy to escape into!

 

Written by: Izzy

Edited by: Nicole

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Bring Your Own Book Club+

The Undergraduate and the Residence Halls Libraries are putting together a book club this semester!

Gif of Emperor Penguins marching

Work Before

Gif of a child in sunglasses dancing with text "Workin' from home"

Now…

With the inability to hang out in-person because of the current environment, we wanted to provide an opportunity for members of the University of Illinois to connect via books and other forms of media such as movies and video games. We hope to provide this program throughout the semester. There will be prizes for individuals who can attend (or participate by writing a blurb, if they cannot make the scheduled meeting).

You might be asking yourself, why a book club?  

Book clubs are great because they provide an opportunity for socialization! Additionally, a book club is a chance to explore and discover new things, particularly while we are limited in our ability to travel and socialize like usual. For instance, campus book clubs held this summer were a great way to get to meet new people over Zoom while everything was shut down. It was also a wonderful way to build reading lists as each attendee shared some great new recommendations. Additionally, these groups provided suggestions of shows and movies, like Great Teacher Onizuka 

Most importantly, reading books, watching television, or playing games is fun! And by extension, so are book clubs. Perhaps the strongest reason to join this book club is that you will meet fellow media and book enthusiasts who are as invested in learning about your likes as we are about you. Maybe we can bond over a show like Lovecraft Country? 

Our first meeting is Wednesday, September 23rd at 6 p.m. RSVP at this sign-up form.  We can’t wait to see you there!

Gif of Aladdin and Jasmine with text "A whole new world"

Written by: Simone

Edited by: Maurissa & Nicole

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Digital Book Display: Black Lives Matter

There are countless lists of books addressing issues of systemic racism, internal bias, police brutality, and the prison-industrial complex, but the books themselves might not be as easy to find. Many of these books are on backorder or have overwhelmingly long waitlists, as bookstores and libraries around the country are facing a demand larger than their supply. Having an abundance of people wanting to educate themselves is an excellent problem to have! Following is a list of books (in no particular order) that are available online for free, so you don’t have to wait to start exploring these important topics.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Written as a letter to his teenage son, Coates explores his own experiences confronting American history and ideals. Intensely personal, this book focuses on lived experience and finding one’s place in a world while carrying generations of pain. This book is temporarily available in our library catalog through HathiTrust, requiring your NetID and password.

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color edited by Cherríe L. Moraga and Gloria E. Anzaldúa

This collection is a feminist anthology on the intersectionality of gender, race, sexuality, immigration status, and other identities. A mix of personal essays, poetry, interviews, and stories, this book brings to focus the importance of a feminism that liberates all. This book is temporarily available in our library catalog through HathiTrust, requiring your NetID and password. 

Are Prisons Obsolete? by Angela Davis

Looking at the history and evolution of our prison system, Davis breaks down complex issues in an easy-to-understand way. She examines the interactions of politics, economics, race, gender, and incarceration, and offers new ways to think about crime and punishment. This book is temporarily available in our library catalog through HathiTrust, requiring your NetID and password.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (audiobook)

This critique of the criminal justice system challenges the belief of a post-racial society. Well-researched and thoughtful, Alexander discusses many issues faced by Black Americans and examines the intention behind our systems. This audiobook is available in our catalog through RB Digital, requiring you to create an account.

Backlash: What Happens When We Talk Honestly about Racism in America by George Yancy

After writing an op-ed in the New York Times entitled “Dear White America,” Yancy faced backlash beyond his expectations. This book asks white Americans to face the ways they have benefited from racism, and it looks to understand why his article was met with so much controversy. This book is available in our catalog through ProQuest Ebook Central and can be read online, or downloaded using a third-party software.

Who Do You Serve, Who Do You Protect? Police Violence and Resistance in the United States Edited by Joe Macaré, Maya Schenwar, and Alana Yu-lan Price

From specific stories to policies and research, this book looks at how the recent police killings of Black individuals fit into a larger context of policing. It has contributions from many writers and offers solutions to the institutional treatment of Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities, mental illness, pregnancy, queerness, and more. This book is temporarily available for free through the publisher.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi (audiobook)

Covering the long history of racist ideas in America, this book displays how racism was purposefully created for power and economic gain. Kendi offers an understanding of how we got here, and gives us tools for how we can move forward. This audiobook is temporarily available for free on Spotify. 

Let us know what you think!

 

Written and edited by Nicole

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Book Bracket – Best Books of the Decade

With March Madness cancelled and everyone quarantined at home there isn’t a better time to vote on your favorite book of the past decade! For the next three weeks we will be hosting two separate polls, on both our Twitter and Facebook, that pit two of the most popular books of the past decade against each other. You’ll notice a variety of genres, ranging from young adult fiction, historical non-fiction, memoirs, and fantasy!

Some of our favorite books include:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Divergent by Veronica Roth

And many, many more!

Let us know what you enjoyed! Keep tabs on our Facebook and Twitter in the coming weeks (first poll on April 6th!) to keep up to date on the bracket and let us know your thoughts and opinions!

 

 

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UGL Book Madness Bracket

This is a book bracket that students are welcome to fill out in the spirit of 'March Madness' - it features all of the books listed below!

UGL Book Madness Bracket

The Undergraduate Library has taken inspiration from March Madness, and in the spirit of the tournament we’ve created a 2018-2019 Book Madness bracket of some of our favorites published this year.

Meet the Books

 Fiction:

“An American Marriage” by Tayari Jones: “An American Marriage” is about family, love, and identity. It will captivate readers as it explores ideas about race and justice for an African American couple in the south.

“Girls Burn Brighter” by Shobha Rao: This novel spans from India to America, following the stories of two girls as they struggle against the expectations and circumstances of their lives. This book is a testament to the love found in true friendship as the girls-turned-women sacrifice and fight to find their way back to one another again.

Mystery:

“The Witch Elm” by Tana French: Tana French is one of the most well known current authors in the mystery/crime genre. With “The Witch Elm”, French delivers yet another chilling mystery for her readers to solve after a skull is found buried in a suitcase on an old family estate.

“The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton: In this unique taste on a murder mystery, you are invited to a masquerade ball set at the country estate of the Hardcastle family. As guests arrive, one guest wakes up in a new body every day and must solve the murder of the daughter of the house, or be forced to live the same day over and over and over and…

Historical Fiction:

“The Great Alone” by Kristin Hannah: The newest novel by bestselling author Kristin Hannah, “The Great Alone” tells the story of one struggling family in 1970’s Alaska. This is a story of survival, as the family faces dwindling resources in the winter wilderness as well as mental crisis during the long eighteenth hour nights.

“The Tattooist of Auschwitz” by Heather Morris: What makes this novel especially compelling is that it’s based on the true story of the man who served as the tattooist of Auschwitz death camp for years during the Holocaust. While it is certainly a story about struggle and pain, the main message is one of love and human bravery.

Romance:

“The Kiss Quotient” by Helen Hoang: In this refreshing love story, successful business woman Stella Lane hires an escort to teach her all the ins and outs of dating. You see, Stella has Asperger’s and her business algorithms make more sense to her than french kissing. Can Stella let go of her no-nonsense logic long enough to learn about love?

“The Wedding Date” by Jasmine Guillory: Can you imagine agreeing to be a guy’s wedding date after getting stuck in an elevator together? That’s what happens in this fun and flirty debut novel where a fake date just may turn into something more.

Young Adult:

“Kingdom of Ash” by Sarah Maas: Sarah Maas’s “Throne of Glass” series has inspired and captivated readers with its epic fantasy setting and cast of beloved characters. “Kingdom of Ash” is the seventh installment full of faeries, witches, magic, and featuring a harrowing battle against an ancient evil.

“Children of Blood and Bone” by Tomi Adeyemi: In this new series by a debut author magic, danger, and revenge tangle together as one girl goes on an epic journey to avenge her people.

Fantasy:

“Circe” by Madeline Miller: You don’t need to be familiar with the original myth to enjoy this feminist retelling of the ancient Greek sorceress Circe. Miller breathes new life into a tragic character from Greek mythology by allowing Circe to take control of her own story and perhaps even change her destiny.

“Spinning SIlver” by Naomi Novik: In “Spinning Silver,” Naomi Novik has captured the essence of Eastern European folklore while taking inspiration from the tale of Rumpelstiltskin. In this retelling, three brave young women discover love and friendship as they battle forces out of their control with help from a little magic.

Horror:

“Dracul” by J.D. Barker: “Dracul” is the first in a new series, fashioned to be the prequel of “Dracula.” This new series was inspired by notes and texts written by Bram Stoker himself, and features the author as a protagonist in the story.

“Baby Teeth” by Zoje Stage: This is a novel about a family gone wrong. Hannah loves Daddy, but Mommy stands in her way and she wants to be rid of her for good. Suzette struggles with her daughter and fears that something may be seriously wrong with her little girl, though her husband seems blind to the problems and the tricks their little girl plays.

Nonfiction:

“I’ll Be Gone in the Dark” by Michelle McNamara: This incredible true crime account was published after the death of Michelle McNamara, a true crime journalist and detective who was determined to find and unmask the serial killer she called the Golden State Killer. Merely two months after its publication, police were able to finally make an arrest in the case after nearly thirty years.

“The Library Book” by Susan Orlean: “The Library Book” is one journalist’s investigation into the Los Angeles Public Library fire which occurred in 1986. The fire destroyed over 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. This is a story of libraries and librarians, and of what libraries and books can mean to the greater communities around them.

Written by Jayde

Edited by Lauren

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The UGL’s Guide to Fall Break

Who’s ready for fall break?

Image of Uggles laying on top of a fruit and vegetable basket

Uggles is allowed on the dining table

Whether you’re staying in the Champaign-Urbana area or traveling away, here are some UGL-approved ideas of how to spend your week of freedom before the final exam crunch begins!

Reading for FUN

A gif image of a cat reading

Plenty to read is available for you and your cat

Missing the good old days of summer when you could read what you wanted, not what your professor assigned? Before you head out of town, stop by the UGL to check out popular novels, graphic novels, and more.

  • Find out more about our Fiction collection, or browse our genre binders on the lower level.
  • If you have a specific book in mind, try searching the Library Catalog to see where to find it.
  • If you’re more of an e-book kind of person, check out our Finding Ebooks guide and find the book for you.

eAudio Books

Screenshot of the rb Digital library for Ebooks

The rb Digital ebook library

The library has an eAudio collection with thousands of audiobooks you can access to make tedious chores or long car rides less boring. Head to the link above for a guide to using this collection, or go straight to the library catalog listing. Once you click “Online Access,” you’ll be brought to a site called rb digital where you can browse or search for books.

Explore C-U

The Explore C-U homepage

Explore C-U

Whether you’re stuck on campus over break or just happen to have family in the area, check out Explore C-U, a University Library developed project that has stories and self-guided tour routes to learn more about the arts, culture, and history of Champaign-Urbana. Examples of tour include:

School Stuff

Maybe you’ve been putting off that research paper, or maybe you just really love your classes. Whatever the reason, know that you still have access to the library’s databases and resources when you’re out of town and off-campus!

Gif of a cat using a laptop and a mouse

Digital access to all of the library’s resources

Start from the library’s home page and find whatever database or journal you need. You’ll be prompted to log in with your NetID and password, then you are good to go. If this doesn’t work, pop in the Ask A Librarian chat on the library’s website for help or check out our guide on accessing databases off campus for other ways you can connect.

Take a little cat nap!

Gif of two very cuddly and very sleep cats yawning

A few extra cat naps over break will be welcome

Whatever you choose, we hope you enjoy the time off and come back refreshed and ready to tackle all of your end-of-semester projects and final exams.

~authored by Amy

~Edited by Zander

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Summer Reads & Films

We’re just about two months into our summer break and less than a month into the official summer season. It’s hard to admit, but sometimes we need something to break up the countless hours at the beach, playing video games, and all the other stuff that fewer classes and warmer weather allow us to do. Why not pick up or watch one of these newly released or upcoming books and films to pass the time until you’re ready to hit the waves or pick up a controller again?

Summer Reads

Cover art for the book, Calypso

Calypso

Calypso by David Sedaris

Although this was released at the end of May, it’s still worth checking out as a summer read. From the author of Me talk pretty one day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Calypso brings back Sedaris’ cunning wit and relatability in yet another must-read collection of essays.

All We Ever Wanted by Emily Griffin

Fans of romantic comedies will instantly recognize Griffin from her hit Something Borrowed, which was adapted into a film starring Ginnifer Goodwin, Kade Hudson, John Krasinski, and Colin Egglesfield. Nina Browning’s life is going well. She’s successful financially and family-wise, her husband recently sold his business for a not-so-small fortune, and her son has been accepted into an Ivy League university. But single father Tom and a single photograph make her question everything in this drama-filled novel. Fans of romance do not want to miss out on this one!

Cover art for the book, Believe It

Believe It

Believe It by Nick Foles 

This humble memoir details how Foles overcame a torn ACL and other obstacles that led him to the Eagles’ first Super Bowl victory in 2017. Foles uses his storytelling to not just recount his own success but to also inspire his readers to be the best they can be. This is a must-read for sports lovers or anyone who needs some inspiration to overcome this upcoming academic year.

Summer Films

Art for the movie, Ant Man and the Wasp

Ant Man and the Wasp

Ant-Man and the Wasp 

Paul Rudd is back as Ant-Man in the sequel to the 2015 superhero blockbuster directed by Peyton Reed, this time joined by the Wasp, played by the returning Evangeline Lilly. Those starving for Marvel-related media after the insane ride that was Avengers: Infinity War will have a great time exploring the quantum realm with Rudd and Lilly.

BlacKkKlansman (Release Date: August 10, 2018)

This Spike Lee-directed comedy is about a black detective from Colorado who goes undercover to infiltrate and eventually lead a chapter of the KKK. Starring John David Washington, son of actor Denzel Washington, and Star Wars-famous Adam Driver, this comedy is set to release in major theaters on the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville rally with Lee using his and his cast’s comedic talent to tackle very serious social issues.

Art for the movie, Slenderman

Slenderman

Slender Man (Release Date: August 24, 2018)

There’s about a month until this horror film comes out, so you have time to gather up some courage before watching this controversial but highly anticipated film. For those unfamiliar with the story of Slender Man, he’s an impossibly tall, dark, and murderous figure that was created on the online forum Something Awful. It inspired countless stories and memes as well as a real-life murder, sparking the controversy regarding this film’s release. We won’t blame you if you skip out on this one out of fear, but horror film buffs should be in for a treat.

If you’ve already read or seen these books and films, don’t forget to check out the UGL’s New Books section on the upper level and the Media Collection on the lower level. You can browse or use our online catalog. Feel free to ask a student assistant or staff member at the front desk if you need any assistance or recommendations!

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Binge on This: Books That Inspired the Latest Shows

Summer is the perfect time to unwind and catch up on your reading and binge-watching. Many books are brought to life as films and television programs, so if you need suggestions on what to read next, check out these books which have spawned television shows just this year! (And don’t forget: the libraries at the University of Illinois often have items available in audiobook or e-book format!)

Read Before You Watch

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

American Gods on HBO

American Gods on HBO

For the three years Shadow spent in prison, all he wanted was to get back to the loving arms of his wife and stay out of trouble for the rest of his life. But days before his release, he learns that his wife has been killed in an accident, and his world becomes a colder place. On the plane ride home to the funeral, Shadow meets a man who calls himself Mr. Wednesday, a self-declared grifter, who offers Shadow a job. Shadow, a man with nothing to lose, accepts. But he soon learns that his role in Wednesday’s schemes will be far more dangerous than he could have ever imagined. Find the book on our shelves, and the show on Starz.

Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty

Big Little Lies on HBO

Big Little Lies on HBO

Big Little Lies follows three women, each at a crossroads: Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny and biting, passionate, she remembers everything and forgives no one. Her ex-husband and his yoga new wife have moved into her beloved beachside community, and their daughter is in the same kindergarten class as Madeline’s youngest (how is this possible?). And to top it all off, Madeline’s teenage daughter seems to be choosing Madeline’s ex-husband over her. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare. While she may seem a bit flustered at times, who wouldn’t be, with those rambunctious twin boys? Now that the boys are starting school, Celeste and her husband look set to become the king and queen of the school parent body. But royalty often comes at a price, and Celeste is grappling with how much more she is willing to pay. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for the nanny. Jane is sad beyond her years and harbors secret doubts about her son. But why? While Madeline and Celeste soon take Jane under their wing, none of them realizes how the arrival of Jane and her inscrutable little boy will affect them all. Find the book on our shelves and the show on HBO.

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale on Hulu

The Handmaid’s Tale on Hulu

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, serving in the household of the enigmatic Commander and his bitter wife. She may go out once a day to markets whose signs are now pictures because women are not allowed to read. She must pray for the Commander to make her pregnant, for in a time of declining birthrates her value lies in her fertility, and failure means exile to the dangerously polluted Colonies. Offred can remember a time when she lived with her husband and daughter and had a job, before she lost even her own name. Now she navigates the intimate secrets of those who control her every move, risking her life in breaking the rules. Find the book on our shelves and the show on Hulu.

Coming Soon! Check out these books before their small-screen counterparts premiere later this year.

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith

The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith

After losing his leg to a land mine in Afghanistan, Cormoran Strike is barely scraping by as a private investigator. Strike is down to one client, and creditors are calling. He has also just broken up with his longtime girlfriend and is living in his office. Then John Bristow walks through his door with an amazing story: His sister, the legendary supermodel Lula Landry, known to her friends as the Cuckoo, famously fell to her death a few months earlier. The police ruled it a suicide, but John refuses to believe that. The case plunges Strike into the world of multimillionaire beauties, rock-star boyfriends, and desperate designers, and it introduces him to every variety of pleasure, enticement, seduction, and delusion known to man. Find the book on our shelves and the show, known as Strike, on HBO later this year.

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Cover of Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Purity by Jonathan Franzen

Young Pip Tyler doesn’t know who she is. She knows that her real name is Purity, that she’s saddled with $130,000 in student debt, that she’s squatting with anarchists in Oakland, and that her relationship with her mother — her only family — is hazardous. But she doesn’t have a clue who her father is, why her mother chose to live as a recluse with an invented name, or how she’ll ever have a normal life. Enter the Germans. A glancing encounter with a German peace activist leads Pip to an internship in South America with The Sunlight Project, an organization that traffics in all the secrets of the world–including, Pip hopes, the secret of her origins. TSP is the brainchild of Andreas Wolf, a charismatic provocateur who rose to fame in the chaos following the fall of the Berlin Wall. Now on the lam in Bolivia, Andreas is drawn to Pip for reasons she doesn’t understand, and the intensity of her response to him upends her conventional ideas of right and wrong. Find the book on our shelves and the miniseries on Showtime.

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Cover of Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, Camille’s first assignment from the second-rate daily paper where she works brings her reluctantly back to her hometown to cover the murders of two preteen girls. Since she left town eight years ago, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed again in her family’s Victorian mansion, Camille is haunted by the childhood tragedy she has spent her whole life trying to cut from her memory. As Camille works to uncover the truth about these violent crimes, she finds herself identifying with the young victims — a bit too strongly. Clues keep leading to dead ends, forcing Camille to unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past to get at the story. Dogged by her own demons, Camille will have to confront what happened to her years before if she wants to survive this homecoming. Find the book on our shelves and the show on HBO.

Whether you’re a binge reader or a binge watcher, we’ve got you covered. Let us know what your favorite show to binge watch is on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram!

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