After ALIEN: COVENANT, Try These...All on Hoopla!

Are you a fan of the Alien franchise? Just got back from the latest box office hit in the franchise, Alien: Covenant? Check out these similar titles, all available FREE on Hoopla!

Movies

• Dead Ringers: This Cronenberg horror features twin brothers who take advantage of the fact that nobody can tell them apart - just like Michael Fassbender's android role in Covenant. 
• Europa Report: An international crew of astronauts makes the long journey to Jupiter's fourth moon, seeking alien life.
• The Last Days on Mars: The discovery of fossilized evidence of life on Mars is not as innocent as it seems in this Sci-Fi thriller. 

Books

• The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff VanderMeer: Area X, a mysterious quarantine zone of the unexpected, has had eleven expeditions. The first returned with reports of the beautiful landscape. The third expedition self-destructed and murdered each other. The eleventh expedition died of cancer months after returning. Annihilation, the first book in this acclaimed trilogy, begins with expedition number twelve. The spooky atmosphere, hiding unknowable horrors, is a perfect fit for Alien: Covenant's sense of dreaded discovery.  
• At the Mountains of Madness by H. P. Lovecraft: This classic Lovecraft novella follows an expedition to the Antarctic and the chilling discoveries they make there. It's not as interstellar as the Alien franchise but the scares are just as cosmic. 
• The Manitou by Graham Masterton: Karen Tandy discovers a mysterious lump growing under her skin that baffles all of her doctors. This chilling piece of body horror was the debut novel of eminent horror novelist Masterton. 

Comics

• Aliens: Hoopla has more than enough Alien comics to keep you busy for a long time. A great way to dive into the extra mythology of this popular franchise. 
• Hellboy: Mike Mignola's acclaimed series is all available on Hoopla! 

After GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2, Try...

Marvel's latest blockbuster comes out this Friday, May 5th - here are some similar titles to sate your appetite!

Movies:

• Super: Directed by James Gunn, director of the Guardians of the Galaxy Movies, Super follows everyday guy Frank as he dons a slapdash superhero outfit and attempts to rescue his estranged wife. Look for hints of the superhero formula that Gunn uses in both Guardians movies! 
• Men In Black: Two members of a secret organization established to police alien activity on Earth find themselves in the middle of an assassination plot. While the action is less galactic than Guardians, the imaginative alien designs and sense of humor makes this a perfect double feature. 
• Galaxy Quest: This loving spoof of the Star Trek series shows what might happen if the cast of the series were suddenly forced into real action - to hilarious effect! 
• Starman: A road movie, a romance, a science fiction drama - Starman, directed by horror legend John Carpenter, is a perfect companion to Marvel's latest adventure. 
• The Usual Suspects: A twisting crime caper, The Usual Suspects is a classic thriller due to its fantastic ensemble cast. The Guardians might be slightly more heroic, but they have a lot in common with the crew here. 
• Serenity: The cinematic conclusion to the cult classic television series Firefly, this space-faring adventure features a renegade crew on the run from a galaxy-spanning government. 

Music: Here are just a few of the artists featured on the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 soundtrack:

• Electric Light Orchestra
• Fleetwood Mac
• George Harrison
• Cheap Trick
• Cat Stevens
• Sam Cooke

Books:

• The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers: Tired of your science fiction stories always featuring a galaxy-threatening, world-ending terror? Try the first entry of the Wayfarers series, a pleasant adventure through a richly detailed galaxy. 
• The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: Moments before the Earth is destroyed, everyman Arthur Dent is rescued by a friend and sent on a universe-spanning, hilarious adventure. Try the movie, too.
• Saga by Brian K. Vaughan: Two soldiers from opposite sides of an eternal war find themselves in love and with child. This epic graphic novel series features an endless parade of alien species and a beautiful, sometimes heartbreaking, story. Pick it up now and you'll be clamoring for the next volume - of which there are currently 7. Also available on hoopla. 
• Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey: In this first book of The Expanse series, Captain Holden and Detective Miller find that their mysteries are interwoven into a terrifying conspiracy. A fresh take on space opera, not to be missed! 
• Ready Player One by Ernest Cline: A dystopic, page-turner sci-fi adventure packed to the absolute brim with 80's pop culture references. 
• The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: Locke Lamora, leader of an infamous gang of thieves and con artists, finds that his confidence games have finally caught up to him in this first entry to a popular fantasy series. Trade Guardians' science fiction for fantasy, but keep the humor and fun character relationships. 

Great Women in Comics

In honor of Women's History Month, here are some of my favorite books and graphic novels featuring strong female characters, written by amazing female writers.

Ms Marvel: No Normal by G. Willow Wilson

Kamala Khan is an ordinary girl from Jersey City -- until she's suddenly empowered with extraordinary gifts. But who truly is the new Ms. Marvel? Teenager? Muslim? Inhuman? Find out as she takes the Marvel Universe by storm! When Kamala discovers the dangers of her newfound powers, she unlocks a secret behind them, as well. Is Kamala ready to wield these immense new gifts? Or will the weight of the legacy before her be too much to bear? Kamala has no idea, either. But she's comin' for you, New York!

Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson

Friendship to the max! At Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet's camp for hardcore lady-types, things are not what they seem. Three-eyed foxes. Secret caves. Anagrams. Luckily, Jo, April, Mal, Molly, and Ripley are five rad, butt-kicking best pals determined to have an awesome summer together...and they're not gonna let a magical quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way!

Batgirl: The Darkest Reflection by Gail Simone

The nightmare-inducing brute known as Mirror is destroying the lives of Gotham City residents seemingly at random. Will Barbara be able to survive her explosive confrontation with this new villain, as well as facing dark secrets from her past?

Agatha: The Real Life of Agatha Christie by Anne Martinetti

The life of Agatha Christie was as mysterious and eventful as her fiction. This beautifully illustrated graphic novel traces the life of the Queen of Whodunnit from her childhood in Torquay, England, through a career filled with success, mischief, and adventure, to her later years as Dame Agatha.

Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel

From the best-selling author of Fun Home, Time magazine’s No. 1 Book of the Year, a brilliantly told graphic memoir of Alison Bechdel becoming the artist her mother wanted to be.

Something New by Lucy Knisley

In 2010, Lucy and her long-term boyfriend John broke up. Three long, lonely years later, John returned to New York, walked into Lucy's apartment, and proposed. This is not that story. It is the story of what came after: The Wedding.

Pretty Deadly by Kelly Sue Deconnick

Presents the collected opening arc of the author's series that marries the magical realism of Sandman with the western brutality of Preacher. Death's daughter rides the wind on a horse made of smoke and her face bears the skull marks of her father. Her origin story is a tale of retribution as beautifully lush as it is unflinchingly savage.

A Long Time Ago, in a Galaxy Far, Far Away...

This week marks the release of the newest Star Wars film, Rogue One, which takes place in between 2005’s Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and 1977’s original Star Wars film, Episode IV – A New Hope. It is the first Star Wars film to stray from the Skywalker family saga, though dedicated Star Wars fans know that the expanded universe has told stories from all over the galaxy. Here are a few Star Wars titles to enjoy, whether you’re counting down the minutes to Rogue One’s release, or just looking for a fun scifi adventure. 

• The Clone Wars
• Television Series. This animated series takes place in between Episode II - Attack of the Clones and Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. 
• Catalyst
• Novel. This new novel takes place before Rogue One and gives some background on some of the key new characters in the film. 
• Episode IV- A New Hope
• Movie. The blockbuster that started it all! Rogue One takes place just before A New Hope and ties in directly - so make sure you remember how it goes! 
• Vader Down
• Graphic Novel. Marvel's Star Wars comics feature a huge variety of your favorite Star Wars characters and take place all over the Star Wars timeline. This particular volume is in between A New Hope and Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back and shows the iconic Darth Vader at his most fearsome. 
• Heir to the Empire
• Novel. Known to many fans as "The Thrawn Trilogy", Heir to the Empire is the first of three novels and takes place shortly after Episode VI - Return of the Jedi. 

For even more Star Wars reads, stop at the Reader Services desk or browse the STAR WARS call number in our Science Fiction and Fantasy section. 

National Book Awards Announced November 16, 2016

Colson Whitehead has won the National Book Award for fiction for his novel The Underground Railroad.  A New York Times bestseller and an Oprah Book Club pick, the book chronicles the daring survival story of a young plantation slave in Georgia who makes a desperate bid for freedom as she races through the Underground Railroad with a relentless slave-catcher close behind.

Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibrim X. Kendi won the nonfiction award.  A comprehensive history of anti-black racism, this book focuses on the lives of five major players in American history, including Cotton Mather and Thomas Jefferson, and highlights the debates that took place between assimilationists and segregationists and between racists and antiracists.

The award for poetry went to Daniel Borzutzky for The Performance of Becoming Human.

Borzutzky's work draws connections between the U.S. and Latin America, specifically touching upon issues relating to border and immigration policies, economic disparity, political violence, and the disturbing rhetoric of capitalism and bureaucracies.

The award for Young People’s Literature went to Congressman John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell for the graphic memoir March: Book Three.

March: Book Three is the final book in Lewis's graphic memoir trilogy. The trilogy gives a first-hand account of the author's lifelong struggle for civil and human rights. It begins with Lewis's life as a child in rural Alabama and continues to his involvement in the Freedom Vote and Mississippi Freedom Summer campaigns, and the Selma to Montgomery march. While March: Book Three won the Award for Young People's Literature, the whole trilogy will be of interest to a broad audience, including adults.

The National Book Awards, which were established in 1950 and are presented by annually by the National Book Foundation. This year’s awards were open to American authors who published books between Dec. 1, 2015, and Nov. 30, 2016. 

Horror Graphic Novels

As we creep past Halloween and prepare for the coming darkness of winter, curl up with one of these graphic novels and settle in for a bit of a scare.

Locke & Key by Joe Hill

The story of the Keyhouse, a New England mansion, with doors that transform all who walk through them...and home to a hate-filled and relentless creature that will not rest until it opens the most terrible door of all.

American Vampire by Scott Snyder

A new vampire for a new century. Cunning, ruthless, and rattlesnake mean, Skinner Sweet has a reputation for cussedness as long as he is ornery. As the first vampire conceived on American soil, however, he's not your usual creature of the night. Stronger, fiercer and powered by the sun, Sweet is the first of a new breed of bloodsucker: the American Vampire. Forty-five years after rising from his grave, Sweet finds himself in 1920s Los Angeles, where the young and beautiful are drawn like moths to the burning lights of Hollywood. Something beyond simple human greed is at work here, however, as struggling young actress Pearl Jones is about to discover. When her movie-star dreams are transformed into a bloody nightmare, Sweet provides her only chance for survival as well as the power to take revenge.

From Hell by Alan Moore

From Hell is the story of Jack the Ripper, perhaps the most infamous man in the annals of murder. Detailing the events leading up to the Whitechapel killings and the cover-up that followed, From Hell is a meditation on the mind of a madman whose savagery and violence gave birth to the 20th century. The serialized story, presented in its entirety in this volume, has garnered widespread attention from critics and scholars. Often regarded as one of the most significant graphic novels ever published, From Hell combines meticulous research with educated speculation, resulting in a masterpiece of historical fiction both compelling and terrifying. This new edition, which has been completely re-mastered, is certainly the finest edition of the book produced to date.

Arkham Asylum: Madness by Sam Kieth

It is the House on Haunted Hill. It is the Last House on the Left. It is the place that Batman's most dangerous and psychotic villains call 'home,' and you are cordially invited to spend 24 hours within its walls. It takes a special type of person to end up here, no matter what side of the law you're on, or what your job is. For when the midnight hour approaches, all hope is abandoned and inmates and workers alike will wish for the daylight-- and for their sanity. Pray you get out before the darkness comes. Pray you get out before your shift is over. Pray that you do not go mad

The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa

On the eve of her sixteenth birthday, the young sorceress Sabrina Spellman finds herself at a crossroads, having to choose between an unearthly destiny and her mortal boyfriend, Harvey. But a foe from her family's past has arrived in Greendale, Madame Satan, and she has her own deadly agenda.

The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman

An epidemic of apocalyptic proportions has swept the globe causing the dead to rise and feed on the living. In a matter of months society has crumbled--no government, no grocery stores, no mail delivery, no cable TV. In a world ruled by the dead, we are forced to finally start living

Toyko Ghoul by Sui Ishida

Ghouls live among us, the same as normal people in every way, except their craving for human flesh. Ken Kaneki is an ordinary college student until a violent encounter turns him into the first half-human half-ghoul hybrid. Trapped between two worlds, he must survive ghoul turf wars, learn more about ghoul society, and master his new powers.

Shirley Jackson's The Lottery by Miles Hyman

In a graphic-novel adaptation of the classic spine-tingler, the grandson of the story's original author depicts the eerie town and their shocking ritual in detailed four-color panels that breathe new life into the iconic tale.

Want to read some comics but don't want to leave the house? Did you know Hoopla offers comics? All you need is an internet connection and your library card. Check out their selection of horror comics now!

Liked Suicide Squad? Try These!

The recent blockbuster Suicide Squad has broken the August box office records, earning roughly $135 million (compared to the previous record holder, Guardians of the Galaxy, at 94 million). Did you see it? Looking for more like it? Look no further:

• Batman V Superman: Dawn of Justice
• Another big blockbuster from this summer, this kickstarted the DC movie universe and shares Ben Affleck (or Batfleck) as Batman with Suicide Squad.
• Fury
• Directed by David Ayer, the director of Suicide Squad, this visceral World War II movie features Brad Pitt. 
• The Dirty Dozen
• An older World War II film, The Dirty Dozen shares a premise with Suicide Squad: the US army uses convicted soldiers for a desperate mission to disrupt the Nazi's chain of command. 

Why not try some music featured in the film as well:

• Skrillex
• Grimes
• Creedence Clearwater Revival 

And while you're at it, grab some graphic novels. After all, these characters started off in comics!

• Arkham Asylum: A Serious House on a Serious Earth 
• Hellboy

Why Read a Graphic Novel?

Graphic novels? Aren’t those Japanese comic books? And, I’m a grown-up now. I’m too old for comics.

While some still think of graphic novels as only manga or Japanese comics, there are now graphic novels with sophisticated themes like the Holocaust, the revolution in Iran, and all types of memoirs. Graphic novels regularly show up on best book lists and win book awards, even the Pulitzer Prize.

If you haven’t yet, you owe it to yourself to read some of these outstanding works of literature and art. Avid readers all have their favorites, but here a few to get you started.

Maus by Art Spiegelman

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Nonfiction in 1992.

Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

The author’s childhood in revolutionary Iran.

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel.

A musical adaptation of this story is now on Broadway.

Blankets by Craig Thompson

A beautiful story of love and loss.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

The problems of three young Chinese Americans

Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant 

by Roz Chast

A portrayal of Chast’s aging parents in their final years.

Awards for "Horrific" Writing!

Since I select/edit GPL's NextReads Newsletter in the Horror genre I have become fascinated with the genre that provokes terror in the reader. Maybe it's the approach of Halloween, gray skies, dreary days, and too early darkness that encourages me to choose this writing in the Fall. I simply want to be scared by a story!

So, this is how I became aware that there is a whole culture out there of horror readers and writers and that these writers are annually celebrated. Each year, the Horror Writer's Association presents the Bram Stoker Awards for Superior Achievement named in honor of Bram Stoker, author of the seminal horror work, Dracula. These awards are given for "superior achievement," not for "best of the year," so ties are quite probable. The first awards were presented in 1988 (for works published in 1987) and they have been presented every year since. The award itself is a replica of a fanciful haunted house where the door of the house opens to reveal a brass plaque engraved with the name of the winning work and its author. This past June 2013 the Horror Writers Association chose a historic hotel in the haunted city of New Orleans to announce the winners of the 2012 Bram Stoker Awards.
Bronze haunted-house statuettes were handed over to the writers responsible for creating superior works of horror - and the winners for Superior Achievement:

in a NOVEL
The Drowning Girl by Caiylin R. Kierman

in a FIRST NOVEL
Life Rage by L. L. Soares

in a YOUNG ADULT NOVEL
Flesh and Bone by Jonathan Maberry

in a GRAPHIC NOVEL
Witch Hunts: A Graphic History of the Burning Times by Rocky Wood and Lisa Morton

in an ANTHOLOGY
Shadow Show: All-new Stories in Celebration of Ray Bradbury edited by Mort Castle* and Sam Weller

in a FICTION COLLECTION (tie)
New Moon on the Water by Mort Castle*
Black Dahlia and White Rose: Stories by Joyce Carol Oates

in NON-FICTION
Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween by Lisa Morton

The Lifetime Achievement Awards went to Robert R. McCammon and Clive Barker.
The Specialty Press Award went to Jerad Walters of Centipede Press.

Choose one or more (if you can take it) of these award-winning horrific titles.
Hope you are frightened and terrorized in a superior way!

*Mort Castle is a Chicago author who teaches at Columbia College Chicago.

Free Comic Book Day!

All teens are invited to pick up a free comic book in the Teen Scene on Saturday, May 5th in honor of Free Comic Book Day!

Free Comic Book Day is celebrated each year on the first Saturday in May.  There are several comic books available for the taking each year, and this year Glenview will have 5 to choose from.  The selection will be:  DC Comics: The New 52 Special Ed., Peanuts /Adventure Time, Star Wars/Serentiy, Transformers, and Sonic the Hedgehog. 

To find a complete listing of what other places might have available, check out the official web site at http://www.freecomicbookday.com/ for details and store locator.  There are also many independant comic book shops that will have comic authors and illustrators on hand to sign copies. 

This is a great way to become familiar with the comic format and to try out some of the latest comics for free! 

Any questions about the May 5th Free Comic Book Day selection can be directed to Nicole M. Mills, Young Adult Librarian, at 847-729-7500.

Spring Into Teen Programs!

The Glenview Public Library has a great assortment of teen programs coming up for April and May!

Brush up your financial planning skills during Money Smart Week with Financial Aid 101 on Wednesday, April 25th from 7-8:30PM. Karen Macella, U.S. Department of Education, will be on hand to talk about the college planning process and the complex FAFSA form, as well as other areas of interest. For high school students and their parents.

Later that week, Gamer's Paradise will resume on Friday, April 27th from 5-9PM. This monthly event has been going strong since 2007. All teens ages 13 and up are encouraged to use the Library's many gaming systems (Nintendo Wii, XBOX360, Playstation 3) as well as variety of games. Come solo, bring a friend, or bring a group of friends! Pizzas are donated by generous Glenview-area vendors each session, and pop is also provided. What is better than of entertainment AND dinner? Free of charge! Teens may also bring their own games to play and share.

Free Comic Book Day will take place on Saturday, May 5th. Teens will be able to choose from an assortment of free comic books provided by Comix Revolution, Mount Prospect, in the Teen Scene. Available all day for the taking!

Any questions or suggestions for future teen programs, please contact Nicole M. Mills, Young Adult Librarian, at 847-729-7500 x2613.