Frannie

The resisters : a novel

by Gish Jen

FICTION Jen Gish
Dystopian

An audacious wonder of a novel about baseball and a future America, from the always inventive and exciting author of The Love Wife and Who's Irish. The time: Some thirty-five years hence. The place: AutoAmerica--governed by "Aunt Nettie," an iBurrito of AI algorithms and the internet, in a land half under water. The people: Divided into the angelfair "Netted," whose fate it is to have jobs and live on high ground, and the mostly coppertoned "Surplus," whose jobs have been stripped and whose sole duty now is to consume, living in plastic houses that talk and multi-colored houseboats at the water's edge. Neither group is happy. The story: A Surplus family--he was once a professor, she is still a lawyer--has a girl child, Gwen, who's born with a golden arm. By two she can throw her toy animals straight to the same spot every time. When AutoAmerica and ChinRussia decide to revive the Olympics, suddenly Gwen, who's been playing in the Resisters League her parents have organized, is in great demand. Soon she's at angelfair university, Net U, falling in love with her baseball coach and facing questions of "crossing over," while her mother and her "group" are bringing charges before the botjudge about Surplus rights. An amazing story of a world that looks only too possible, and a family struggling to maintain its humanity in circumstances that daily threaten their every value as well as their very existence.

A perfect book for the return to baseball! Gish Jen's new book tells of a Dystopian future where the Internet of things has taken over our lives and society is divided into producers and consumers and America is half under water because of rising sea levels. Wait, I thought this was about baseball? It is! The national past time is much different in the future and in this book a young girl gets her opportunity to move up in the class hierarchy due to her talent on the field. Come for the sports, stay for the nuanced description of a world that seems just around the corner... -Frannie

The Dutch house : a novel

by Ann Patchett

eAUDIO

"Ann Patchett, the New York Times bestselling author of Commonwealth and State of Wonder, returns with her most powerful novel to date: a richly moving story that explores the indelible bond between two siblings, the house of their childhood, and a past that will not let them go"--

When this book first came out some months ago I read it quickly, loved it, and more or less moved on. However, working from home my intake of audiobooks has gone way up and I thought it would be good to revisit so I could perhaps form a more nuanced opinion, and it did not disappoint! This rather depressing book involving the life and times of a brother sister duo who grew up in a house that seems cursed has some of the edges blunted when read by none other than Tom Hanks. Author Ann Patchett never lingers on tragedy too, which makes things a little easier to swallow. Also the main characters hold on to resentment and loss, but it isn't the force that drives them. Come for the story, stay for the beautiful descriptions of space! -Frannie

The Topeka school

by Ben Lerner

eBOOK
Literary Fiction

This coming of age novel had special resonance for me growing up in a similar time, place, and milieu where much of the book unfolds. While the book is mostly centered around the fictionalized version of the author, other characters too have their story told from their point of view. Another thing that drew me in was the intimation of events occurring outside the main plot. Additional selling points for highlighting competitive speech and debate, something I dabbled in when in high school and one rarely sees in pop culture. -Frannie

Brown Girl Dreaming

by Jacqueline Woodson

eAUDIO

In vivid poems that reflect the joy of finding her voice through writing stories, an award-winning author shares what it was like to grow up in the 1960s and 1970s in both the North and the South.

This biography beautifully written in verse and read by the author tells of her coming of age in the North and South in the 60s and 70s. From the accounts of racism and growing up Jehovah's Witness this book gives reader's a perspective that might be new to them, and that's what great literature is for! A perfect way for any age person to enjoy National Poetry Month this April. The brief length is perfect for cleaning the house some afternoon, a couple hikes, or making a leisurely meal. -Frannie

Aimless love : new and selected poems

by Billy Collins

eBOOK
Poetry, Humor

Called "the most popular poet in America" by the New York Times and the US Poet Laureate from 2001 to 2003 Billy Collins is a true national treasure. If all that loftiness isn't recommendation enough, honestly I just appreciate Collins' humor. There are no "Ode on a Grecian Urn" or "The Rime of the Ancient Mariner" here, but instead delightful diversions of language. These poems are great to read a few over breakfast, when you can't focus while you're attempting to work from home, or just chill at the end of the day. -Frannie

An elderly lady is up to no good

by Helene Tursten

eBOOK
Mystery, Humor, Short Story

Maud is an irascible 88-year-old Swedish woman with no family, no friends, and... no qualms about a little murder. This funny, irreverent story collection by Helene Tursten, author of the Irene Huss investigations, features two-never-before translated stories that will keep you laughing all the way to the retirement home. Ever since her darling father's untimely death when she was only eighteen, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late eighties, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. It's a solitary existence, and she likes it that way. Over the course of her adventures--or misadventures--this little bold lady will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect?

Essentially a collection of short stories this is a fascinating and occasionally macabre character study of an elderly Swedish lady. It also really captures Scandinavian city life. -Frannie

Uncanny valley : a memoir

by Anna Wiener

eAUDIO

"The story of Anna Wiener's time spent working in Silicon Valley as the tech industry went through monumental changes"--

The author and myself are about the same age so there was more than a few similarities in our path. However, her rundown of life in the San Francisco Bay area made me glad to not have gone that direction with my life. What interested me was the rise of the role of technology in culture which we all seemed to cosign long ago, but then turned away from. Come for the memoir, stay to figure out what all of the code words for different companies actually mean! -Frannie

Monsieur Hulot's Holiday.

by

STREAMING VIDEO KANOPY

Monsieur Hulot, Jacques Tati’s endearing clown, takes a holiday at a seaside resort, where his presence provokes one catastrophe after another. Tati’s masterpiece of gentle slapstick is a series of effortlessly well-choreographed sight gags involving dogs, boats, and firecrackers; it was the first entry in the Hulot series and the film that launched its maker to international stardom. Nominated for Best Writing - Story and Screenplay at the 1956 **Academy Awards**.

A great work of physical comedy, Monsieur Hulot's Holiday, is the movie that introduced Jacque Tati's titular character to audiences. In the tradition of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, the movie's criticism of post World War II France has a light touch and a squeaky door repeating gag that will remind you of the door in Quentin Tarantino's Hateful Eight -Frannie

Breathless = À bout de souffle

by

DVD MOVIE FOREIGN FRENCH Breathless

Jean-Luc Godard's 1960 anything-goes crime narrative about a young thief on the run and his American girlfriend.

Starring Iowa's own Jean Seberg this crime drama set the style for French New Wave. Cinematically gorgeous with great contemporary costuming this fast paced film is a great entry point for anyone hesitant of watching a subtitled movie. -Frannie

The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

by

DVD MOVIE FOREIGN FRENCH Umbrellas

A tender, bittersweet love story, sung throughout in French.

With a name like the Umbrellas of Cherbourg and knowing it is a musical you can't help but expect some sort of Disney-esque farce, but that would be a mistake. The only thing this movie might have in common with those musical comedies is Jacques Demy's keen eye and ability to draw out color. A heart wrenching plot and depictions of classism are what sets this apart from its American cousins like Funny Face too. -Frannie

The Squid and the Whale.

by

STREAMING VIDEO KANOPY

In his third feature, director Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) scores a triumph with an autobiographical coming-of-age story about a teenager (Jesse Eisenberg) whose parents are divorcing. The father (Jeff Daniels) and mother (Laura Linney) duke it out in half-civilized, half-savage fashion, while their two sons adapt in different ways, shifting allegiances between parents. Nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the **Academy Awards.** Nominated for three awards including Best Motion Picture - Comedy or Musical at the **Golden Globes**. Nominated for six awards including Best Feature at the **Film Independent Spirit Awards.** Winner of a Directing Award at the **Sundance Film Festival**. "*Acutely observed, faultlessly acted, graced with piercing emotion and unsparing honesty, it will make you laugh because you can't bear to cry.*" - Kenneth Turan, ***The Los Angeles Times***

Noah Baumbach's coming of age/divorce movie the Squid and the Whale I would consider a prequel to 2019's Marriage Story. Jeff Daniels gives an incredibly difficult to watch performance that can have you cringing every time he enters the frame. The core of the movie is the parent child relationship and how it evolves as we age and perceive each other. -Frannie

The seventh seal

by

DVD MOVIE FOREIGN SWEDISH Seventh

A knight returning home from the Crusades encounters Death, who agrees to a chess game. In the balance hang the lives of the knight and a group of traveling players.

A game of chess with death! This Scandinavian drama is perfect for when you've been running on the existential treadmill trying to make sense of it all. Expert director Ingmar Bergman shoots the blackest blacks in this cinema classic that went on to inspire one of my favorite Scott Walker songs of the same name. -Frannie

World War Z : an oral history of the zombie war

by Max Brooks

eAUDIO

This is the fictional, searing, gruesome account of the decade-long period when civilization stood on the brink of extinction due to a viral plague that transformed anyone it infected into a ghoulish creature with an appetite for living flesh, as told by the civilians, soldiers, and politicians who survived it.

A Sci-Fi book for our moment! I was reminded of this gem of an audiobook after listening to an interview with the author Max Brooks on Fresh Air with Terry Gross. Brooks knows what he writes about, this book is well researched, and it shows. Personally, I got a bit burned out on zombies in pop culture, but this one is a standout. The real draw is the all-star vocal talent. I think my favorite was trying to figure out what voice Star Wars' Mark Hamill, finally figuring it out, and being just blown away by his performance. -Frannie

City of thieves

by David Benioff

eAUDIO

This book written by David Benioff, one of the creators of HBO's "Game of Thrones", is a historical fiction delight, and when narrated by Ron Perlman it is beyond good. Winning the Alex Award (adult fiction with appeal to young adult readers) in 2009, this quickly paced buddy comedy set during the siege of Leningrad is unforgettable in Perlman's voice. There's a reason why this character actor featured on Sons of Anarchy, Beauty and the Beast, and Hellboy seamlessly transitions into voice work. You would never think a fraught quest for a dozen eggs would have so many twists and turns! -Frannie

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

eAUDIO

For Edmond Dantes, life couldn't be better. At 19, he is soon to be captain of his own ship and about to be married to his true love, Mercedes. But his life is suddenly turned upside down when on his wedding day he is arrested. Without a fair trial, he is condemned to solitary confinement in the miserable Chateau d'If. Soon, it is clear that Edmond has been framed by a handful of powerful enemies, jealous of his success.

This page turning classic gives people a point of entry when they say something is too long to read. One of my favorite books of all time, many people scoff when they see the doorstop size. However, as an audiobook, it can be far more palatable to read with your ears any classic work of literature. -Frannie

The nickel boys : a novel

by Colson Whitehead

eAUDIO

Colson Whitehead is probably my favorite contemporary author, and the Nickel Boys is another entry in a stellar oeuvre. At times this book can become difficult to read, whether it is depictions of violence and detailing real examples of racism, sometimes I had to put the book down because it was a little too real. Narrator JD Jackson softens the difficult content and forces listeners/readers to confront the issues raised in the book. -Frannie

All the light we cannot see : a novel

by Anthony Doerr

eAUDIO

"From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, a stunningly ambitious and beautiful novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II. Marie Laure lives with her father in Paris within walking distance of the Museum of Natural History where he works as the master of the locks (there are thousands of locks in the museum). When she is six, she goes blind, and her father builds her a model of their neighborhood, every house, every manhole, so she can memorize it with her fingers and navigate the real streets with her feet and cane. When the Germans occupy Paris, father and daughter flee to Saint-Malo on the Brittany coast, where Marie-Laure's agoraphobic great uncle lives in a tall, narrow house by the sea wall. In another world in Germany, an orphan boy, Werner, grows up with his younger sister, Jutta, both enchanted by a crude radio Werner finds. He becomes a master at building and fixing radios, a talent that wins him a place at an elite and brutal military academy and, ultimately, makes him a highly specialized tracker of the Resistance. Werner travels through the heart of Hitler Youth to the far-flung outskirts of Russia, and finally into Saint-Malo, where his path converges with Marie-Laure. Doerr's gorgeous combination of soaring imagination with observation is electric. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another. Ten years in the writing, All the Light We Cannot See is his most ambitious and dazzling work"--

I can not sing the praises of this book enough. The plot moves quick, the characters are fully realized, and the prose is beautifully written. The audiobook narrated expertly by Zach Appelman imbues every sentence with emotional gravitas. I was left searching for ways to continue to listen to this making it the audio equivalent of reading with a flashlight under the covers. -Frannie

The testaments : a novel

by Margaret Atwood

eAUDIO

Set fifteen years after Offred stepped into an unknown fate, this sequel to "The Handmaid's Tale" relates the experiences of three female narrators from Gilead.

Did you love reading "the Handmaid's Tale" and then watching the show? This book is a great followup, but my favorite part of the audio is that a good amount is read by Ann Dowd who plays Aunt Lydia on the Hulu show. Having her reading the back story of "Aunt Lydia" is really fantastic on so many levels -Frannie

Bossypants

by Tina Fey

eAUDIO

From her youthful days as a vicious nerd to her tour of duty on Saturday Night Live; from her passionately halfhearted pursuit of physical beauty to her life as a mother eating things off the floor; from her one-sided college romance to her nearly fatal honeymoon, comedian Tina Fey reveals all, and proves that you're no one until someone calls you bossy.

I am a sucker for a funny lady memoir, and have yet to meet one that I didn't like. Tina Fey's "Bossypants" kicked off the publishing of some of this sub-genres greats by carving a niche in the market. What's even better? Listening to Tina Fey read "Bossypants", it is her story and she knows how to read it. Always hilarious and often inspiring, I can't recommend enough. -Frannie

The yellow wallpaper and other writings

by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

FICTION Gilman, Charlotte Perkins
Short Story, Literary Fiction

The classic story "the Yellow Wallpaper" will not only affect your home decorating decisions but provide unique insight into mental illness that can feel a bit too real. -Frannie

Her body and other parties : stories

by Carmen Maria Machado

FICTION Machado Carmen
LGBTQ+, Short Story

Contains short stories about the realities of women's lives and the violence visited upon their bodies.

Machado has a unique ability to get inside your head with her writing and just creep you out. Genre blend of body horror and LGBTQIA+ literary fiction with lasting results -Frannie

Difficult women

by Roxane Gay

FICTION Gay Roxane
Short Story, Literary Fiction

"Award-winning author and powerhouse talent Roxane Gay burst onto the scene with An Untamed State and the New York Times bestselling essay collection Bad Feminist (Harper Perennial). Gay returns with Difficult Women, a collection of stories of rare force and beauty, of hardscrabble lives, passionate loves, and quirky and vexed human connection. The women in these stories live lives of privilege and of poverty, are in marriages both loving and haunted by past crimes or emotional blackmail. A pair of sisters, grown now, have been inseparable ever since they were abducted together as children, and must negotiate the elder sister's marriage. A woman married to a twin pretends not to realize when her husband and his brother impersonate each other. A stripper putting herself through college fends off the advances of an overzealous customer. A black engineer moves to Upper Michigan for a job and faces the malign curiosity of her colleagues and the difficulty of leaving her past behind. From a girls' fight club to a wealthy subdivision in Florida where neighbors conform, compete, and spy on each other, Gay delivers a wry, beautiful, haunting vision of modern America reminiscent of Merritt Tierce, Jamie Quatro, and Miranda July"--

Far from "Chick Lit" (no shade!), this short story collection of various female characters captures the spirit and struggle of every woman. -Frannie

Dear life : stories

by Alice Munro

FICTION Munro Alice
Literary Fiction, Short Story

Varied and beautiful, a collection of Alice Munro's stories is an essential to every bookshelf, but this entry in particular is from an artist at her peak. -Frannie

A manual for cleaning women : selected stories

by Lucia Berlin

FICTION Berlin Lucia
Literary Fiction, Short Story

"Stories from a lost American classic "in the same arena as Alice Munro" (Lydia Davis) "In the field of short fiction, Lucia Berlin is one of America's best kept secrets. That's it. Flat out. No mitigating conditions." --Paul Metcalf A Manual for Cleaning Women compiles the best work of the legendary short-story writer Lucia Berlin. With her trademark blend of humor and melancholy, Berlin crafts miracles from the everyday--uncovering moments of grace in the cafeterias and Laundromats of the American Southwest, in the homes of the Northern California upper classes, and from the perspective of a cleaning woman alone in a hotel dining room in Mexico City. The women of Berlin's stories are lost, but they are also strong, clever, and extraordinarily real. They are hitchhikers, hard workers, bad Christians. With the wit of Lorrie Moore and the grit of Raymond Carver, they navigate a world of jockeys, doctors, and switchboard operators. They laugh, they mourn, they drink. Berlin, a highly influential writer despite having published little in her lifetime, conjures these women from California, Mexico, and beyond. Lovers of the short story will not want to miss this remarkable collection from a master of the form"--

Taking you all over, Berlin's stories give reader's the perspective of characters often unseen on the page. -Frannie

In the dream house : a memoir

by Carmen Maria Machado

BIOGRAPHY Machado, Carmen Maria
Memoir

The author's engrossing and wildly innovative account of a relationship gone bad, and a bold dissection of the mechanisms and cultural representations of psychological abuse. Tracing the full arc of a harrowing relationship with a charismatic but volatile woman, Machado struggles to make sense of how what happened to her shaped the person she was becoming.

A uniquely written account of the often uncovered topic of domestic abuse in the queer community. Bonus: set at times in Iowa City, you will find yourself asking, "Where did this take place?" -Frannie

The Chain

by Adrian McKinty

FICTION McKinty, Adrian
Suspense

Your phone rings. You child has been kidnapped. And to free her, you must abduct someone else's child. Your child will be released when your victim's parents kidnap another child. Rachel will be part of the chain... or her daughter Kylie will be killed. But the masterminds may have made a mistake this time. Rachel may be the one to finally break the chain.

A fast paced, crime thriller that all parents should read if they want to be terrified. -Frannie

How we fight for our lives : a memoir

by Saeed Jones

BIOGRAPHY Jones, Saeed
Biographies

Haunted and haunting, Jones's memoir tells the story of a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. Through a series of vignettes that chart a course across the American landscape, Jones draws readers into his boyhood and adolescence--into tumultuous relationships with his mother and grandmother, into passing flings with lovers, friends and strangers. Each piece builds into a larger examination of race and queerness, power and vulnerability, love and grief: a portrait of what we all do for one another--and to one another--as we fight to become ourselves.

A beautifully written memoir of a black gay man coming of age in America. For such a short work it is astounding the number of exquisitely crafted sentences. An essential work of contemporary nonfiction. -Frannie

Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

jGRAPHIC NOVEL Telgemeier
Kids

Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?

I'm always into whatever Raina Telgemeier puts out, and this is not exception. Closer in tone to her more autobiographical works like Sisters or Smile this one deals with how sometimes kids can struggle with putting words on their emotions and inner life. A great title for all ages, and because it took me so little time to read I had the privilege of passing my copy on to my nephew. Win-win! -Frannie

Food52 vegan : 60 vegetable-driven recipes for any kitchen

by Gena Hamshaw

641.56362 /Food
Cookbooks

Gena Hamshaw has a great blog and sends out recipes regularly that I am eager to test, and as an RD she knows her stuff and is reflected in this book. Except recipes that aren't difficult, are healthful, and keep you going to your next meal. -Frannie

But I could never go vegan! : 125 recipes that prove you can live without cheese, it's not all rabbit food, and your friends will still come over for dinner

by Kristy Turner

641.56362 /Turner
Cookbooks

A common misconception of plant based eating is that you'll be hungry an hour later. This, and the other books on this list, de-bunk that. The recipe for savory oatmeal is a perfect fall breakfast and a great way to use end of season tomatoes and some kale. -Frannie

Oh she glows every day: quick and simply satisfying plant-based recipes

by Angela Liddon

641.56362 /Liddon
Cookbooks

While this book does have some corny recipe names, the content is unmatched. Some of my best smoothies are based on one's in this book, and the lentil fusilli bolognese is a Sunday evening favorite. -Frannie

Thug Kitchen : eat like you give a f*ck : the official cookbook.

by

641.56362 /Thug Kitchen
Cookbooks

"Thug Kitchen started their wildly popular web site to inspire people to eat some Goddamn vegetables and adopt a healthier lifestyle. Beloved by Gwyneth Paltrow ("This might be my favorite thing ever") and named Saveur's Best New Food blog of 2013--with half a million Facebook fans and counting--Thug Kitchen wants to show everyone how to take charge of their plates and cook up some real f*cking food. Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell--and most people can't afford the hype. Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they're throwing down more than 100 recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks, and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs. (Roasted Beer and Lime Cauliflower Tacos? Pumpkin Chili? Grilled Peach Salsa? Believe that sh*t.) Plus they're going to arm you with all the info and techniques you need to shop on a budget and go and kick a bunch of ass on your own.This book is an invitation to everyone who wants to do better to elevate their kitchen game. No more ketchup and pizza counting as vegetables. No more drive-thru lines. No more avoiding the produce corner of the supermarket. Sh*t is about to get real. "--

A cookbook with a sense of humor and personality much like mine, Thug Kitchen is a perennial favorite. Nothing difficult, everything's delicious and Thug Kitchen always brings the goods to plant based eating. -Frannie

Isa does it : amazingly easy, wildly delicious vegan recipes for every day of the week

by Isa Chandra Moskowitz

641.56362 /Moskowitz
Cookbooks

The cookbook that started it all! While most people turn to Isa Chandra Moskowitz' (and Terry Hope Romero) Veganomicon as the tried and true vegan bible, this one is my jam. From building block seitan recipes, the bestest pesto, and an excellent cookie or 4, I give it 2 enthusiastic thumbs up. -Frannie