Blog Post
Happy Birthday, Mr. Groening!
by anned
Matt Groening, cartoonist and creator of The Simpsons, turns 53 today.
He began drawing and self-publishing the comic strip Life in Hell in 1977. This got the attention of Producer James L. Brooks, and led to the creation of the television series The Simpsons, which debuted as shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show in 1987. Futurama began airing in 1999 (and was co-created by Groening and David X. Cohen).
The Simpsons Movie is due out this July.
Blog Post
Future Politics
by RiponGood
What happens when you mix political intrigue with people who pilot massive robots? You get The Scorpion Jar by Jason M. Hardy. The story is set in the Battletech/ MechWarrior universe. Set on Earth, the Exarch Damien Redburn calls a meeting of the Paladins to elect his replacement. The Paladins assemble from all corners of The Republic, each one attempting to persuade the others elect him/her as the new Exarch. Wonderful writing makes this book a great read for any science fiction fan.
Blog Post
I Hate Chaos!
by RiponGood
Lord of the Night, by Simon Spurrier, is a science fiction novel set in the Warhammer_40000 universe. The story pits the Sahaal, a Chaos Marine of the Night Lords Legion against Mita Ashyn, a member of the Imperial Inquisitors. Sahaal uses the skills he learned from his long dead Primarch Konrad Kurze in his attempt to recover his chapter's missing heirloom on the the remote and sunless hive-world of Equixus. The book is a great read and reinforces my dislike for all things Chaos. Long live the Emperor!
Blog Post
November New and Noteworthy
by muffy
Margherita Dolce Vita* by Stefano Benni.
“An elegant little piece of dark comedy” by a prolific Italian author (FFF in translation). Wise and charismatic 15 yr.-old Margherita and her odd-ball family are transformed by their new neighbors from hell.
Harlem Girl Lost* by Treasure E. Blue.
A bright young woman fights her way out of the mean streets of New York, only to be drawn back in to save her man. A lurid, gripping debut and a self-publishing sensation.
Last Seen Leaving* by Kelly Braffet.
New Age spiritualist searches for her estranged daughter who has not been seen after being picked up by a stranger on a deserted highway, while a serial killer is on the loose. Gripping.
Love in a Fallen City* by Eileen Chang (Ailing Zhang).
Six vibrant stories depict life in post WWII China and bristle with equal parts passion and resentment.
Eifelheim* by Michael Flynn.
Young modern historian obsesses with the mysterious disappearance of a German village from all maps during the Black Death. The story intersects with the heartbreaking saga of stranded aliens from a distant star.
Vince and Joy* by Lisa Jewell.
Tired of all the heavy stuff around? Try this deliciously addictive read filled with London oddballs. First loves reunite after 17 years of miscommunication, disappointments and all the things life throw at you. Romantic.
The Sky People* by S.M. Stirling.
First of a new alternate history series with "broad-brush pulp sensibility". Space colonization and a classic love triangle.
The Orphan's Tales : In the night garden* by Catherynne Valente.
“A beautiful relayed, interlinked fairy tales” of magic, adventure, quests and murder, told by a mysterious young woman with tattoos around her eyelids. Think Sheherezade and the Arabian Nights.
Fables: 1001 Nights of Snowfall* by Bill Willingham.
Re-imagined new lives and backstories for fairyland citizens , the likes of Snow White and the Big Bad Wolf, now living as secret refugees in New York - probably the “smartest mainstream comics going”.
*= Starred Review(s)
Blog Post
October New and Noteworthy
by muffy
You don’t need me to harp on about the mega-bestsellers but I would like to bring you each month, some of the easy-to-miss new fiction titles. They might be mainstream or quirky; unusual and trend setting; from a newcomer worth watching or a little-known foreign powerhouse who nevertheless deserves a closer look. Some are personal favorites (you can probably tell) but many are exciting new finds.
One Good Turn* by Kate Atkinson.
The story continues from Case Histories. Crackling one-liners, spot-on set pieces and full-blooded cameos make for another absorbing character study.
Spring and Fall by Nicholas Delbanco.
Sweetly satisfying tale of college lovers reunite after 40 years.
The Uses of Enchantment* by Heidi Julavits
The mystery of what did happened to Mary Veal, a 16 year-old abducted from a New England prep-school. Enthralling, atmospheric tale of "sick twisted love".
American Cookery by Laura Kalpakian
A versatile writer serves up tradition and innovation in a saga based on the joy of cooking, complete with 27 recipes.
The Other Side of the Bridge* by Mary Lawson.
Follow up to her much acclaimed debut novel Crow Lake. Moral quandaries and human drama in the Canadian North.
Bliss by O.Z. Livaneli.
Gripping contemporary story of three travelers who change each other, by an eminent Turkish writer.
New Moon by Stephenie Meyer
Much awaited sequel to her teen/vampire FFF Twilight* (See blog). Don’t miss this one!
The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas.
“(F)ast-paced mix of popular culture, love, mystery, and irresistible philosophical adventure” by a genre-blending young British writer and the author of PopCo. Edgy and worth a try.
* = Starred review(s)
Blog Post
Lambda Literary Award Winners
by nosch
The 18th Annual Lambda Literary Award winners were announced today. Celebrate LGBT literature (or literature that happens to be LGBT) and be the first to get one of these titles - as I write, many of our copies are still on the shelves! Categories and titles for which AADL has holdings are:
Anthology Freedom in This Village: 25 Years of Black, Gay Men's Writing ed. E. Lynn Harris
Belles Lettres The Tricky Part by Martin Moran
Biography February House by Sherill Tippins
Gay Men's Debut Fiction You Are Not the One by Vestal McIntyre
Gay Men's Poetry Crush by Richard Siken
Humor Don't Get too Comfortable by David Rakoff
Lesbian Fiction Wild Dogs by Helen Humphreys
Lesbian Mystery Desert Blood: The Juarez Murders by Alicia Gaspar de Alba
Lesbian Poetry Directed by Desire: Collected Poems by June Jordan
Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Daughters of an Emerald Dusk by Katherine V. Forrest
Blog Post
Curiouser and curiouser ...
by carbonear
Ever feel as though it's all been done before? As though you may as well give up trying to create anything new, because your efforts will never equal those of the masters?
The Alexandrians, named "for the fire, not the library," feel the same way.
To help pave the way for new art, they have orchestrated the planned removal from society of works of art, literature, music, film ...
A talking dog, a nine-year pregnancy, Hank Williams ... with this strange brew, Terry Bisson, author of the short story "Bears Discover Fire," delivers the increasingly odd story of one of those charged with doing the removing: The Pickup Artist.
Blog Post
X-Men Extravaganza
by carbonear
Loved the new movie and want more? Didn't care for it and want something different? Somewhere in the middle? Wherever you fall, the AADL is here to help.
Ultimate X-Men, a guide to the universe, covers the original Dark Phoenix saga. Astonishing X-Men Volume 1: Gifted contains the story of the "cure" for mutancy, as written by Joss Whedon of Buffy and Firefly fame.
One thing is certain: for better or for worse, none of the books feature Kelsey Grammer in a Cookie Monster suit.
Blog Post
Han Shoots First!
by Edith Wharton
It appears that LucasArts has finally given in to fan demands and promised to release the original Star Wars trilogy in all its unaltered glory. I am glad the greed finally won out over Lucas's strange need to tinker..