Hi everyone! We were off last week, but as Summer comes to a close we’re back with another batch of staff picks! Featuring movies, music, books, and games there should be something here for everyone, so let’s see what we’ve got!
JAWS
In honor the classic film’s 50th anniversary, it is returning to theaters in a new 4k remaster. The movie that invented the Summer blockbuster, it still holds up remarkably well today, inspiring at least a little fear of the ocean in generation after generation. Seeing it on the biggest screen possible is highly recommended, but if you don’t want to make your way to the theater, it is of course available to borrow at the library and via several streaming services. – Sean Farrell
THIS IS HAPPINESS BY NIALL WILLIAMS
Niall Williams’ This Is Happiness is one of those books you sink into—it’s funny, poignant, and full of Irish charm. Told through the eyes of Noe, a young man spending a summer with his grandparents in a tiny village just as electricity is arriving, the story mixes first love, family, friendship, and the magic in everyday life with truly spectacular prose. If you enjoyed A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles or Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson, I recommend it. – Erin Brown
ZOMROMCOM BY OLIVIA DADE
If you put a little bit of Twilight, a little bit of Supernatural, and a little bit of Walking Dead together you would have this exceedingly well-crafted book. We’re dropped into a world of humans and supernatural beings trying to survive a (mostly-contained) zombie apocalypse – the romance is sweet and spicy, the banter is funny, and the zombie storyline is so well thought out. – Kara Buono
PIPS
The latest puzzle game from the New York Times has players arranging a set of dominoes to match different conditions on the board. Sometimes you have to make all the sections in a certain color add up to a specific number, other times they need to all be the same number, and more. Three different difficulties of puzzle are made available each day and the tutorial is very helpful, so it’s easy to pick up and addictive to play. And don’t forget that you can access the New York Times Games for free with your library card! – SF
RECURSION BY BLAKE CROUCH
Even though this came out over six years ago, if you haven’t yet read this wild and twisting story, I highly recommend picking it up. Recursion dives into the question of what is memory – and how does it affect time? This mind-bending story does not shy away from sharing the lengths that humans would go to in order to change the outcome of their worst memories. – KB
ESSEX HONEY BY BLOOD ORANGE
On his fifth LP, UK singer Blood Orange (real name Dev Hynes) has crafted an experience that is both very “now” and utterly unique. Mixing dashes of countless genres into his mellow, alt-pop, r&b sound, Essex Honey contains little surprises around nearly every corner. The perfect record to take us from Summer into Fall. – SF
THE REALITY OF HOPE
In this short documentary, a pair of friends who had previously only met in online virtual reality become bonded forever when one agrees to donate his kidney to the other. Largely shot inside VRChat, this is a surprisingly lovely and moving story that should put to rest the question of whether online friends are “real” friends or not. You can watch it on YouTube below. – SF
The library and its staff do not receive compensation for inclusion on this list, nor do we receive compensation for clicks to or purchases on outside websites.
Cover image created with Midjourney prompt: a friendly shark is impressed by something that is happening off camera.
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