November 2022
Laura's Picks
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (2022)
Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie are ready to go on a post-retirement cruise. They've just retired from the Museum-a code name for the institute that trains and employs assassins. Unfortunately, the Museum has plans to retire them… permanently. These four friends are about to show them just what ladies of a certain age are capable of. Recommended for fans of Richard Osman's Thursday murder club series.
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe (2014)
Entertaining flights of fancy (comically illustrated by the creator of xkcd webcomic) followed by serious scientific research and hard facts. What would happen if the solar system was filled with soup? No, seriously-what would happen? It goes without saying, none of this should be tried at home.
John's Picks
My Songs by Sting (2019)
Also available to stream free on hoopla!
The fourteenth studio album by Sting and his second to feature new renditions of his classic songs. Sting wanted to give the fifteen songs on this record a more contemporary feel as some date back to the eighties. The deluxe edition also includes four live tracks. Overall, it's a nice reminder of Sting's songwriting skills.
Greatest Hits by Huey Lewis and the News (2006)
Also available to stream free on hoopla! The second compilation of hits and singles released by Huey Lewis more than a decade after the band's first collection. Versions of the album entitled Greatest Hits and Videos came with a companion DVD that featured music videos for the tracks as well as a different cover art. If you're a fan of Huey Lewis and the News, this is the definitive compilation with all of their best songs.
Volver (2008)
A Spanish-language dramedy written and directed by Pedro Almodóvar and starring Penélope Cruz. Cruz portrays a working-class woman in Madrid dealing with her eccentric family and the possibility that her mother, who died in a fire years earlier, has returned as a ghost to help the family in their endeavors. Tackling serious subject matters mixed with farce and a bit of surrealism, Volver may be a film you'll need to subtitles to follow along with, but you'll no doubt be able to understand its message.