February 18th is Toni Morrison Day in Ohio. To celebrate, I’ve spent the last couple weeks rereading my favorite Morrison novel, Song of Solomon. Toni Morrison’s novels live on the top shelf of my bookcase at home, a space reserved for reverence. I first read her as a college student, and she quickly superseded the ranks to become one of my favorite authors.
Are you planning to visit the Immersive Van Gogh Exhibit Columbus? Or maybe you already have? Perhaps the buzz alone has sparked your interest to learn more about the artist and his work. I recently checked ticket availability and discovered the exhibit date has been extended through February 27. That allows time for some homework. As a self-described lifelong learner, I draw great joy from a tall stack of study materials. When I go to the exhibit it will not be a Wikipedia-on-the-way type situation. This month, I plan to spend a couple of mornings before work with art books open on the kitchen table, followed by evenings absorbed in Van Gogh biopics. Immersive is in the exhibit’s title, and I want a truly immersive experience, which wouldn’t be complete without a worthy read and watch list. Let’s indulge in Van Gogh, shall we?
Blaze | dvd pairs well with Heartworn Highways | dvd
I recently borrowed a feature film that happened to pair perfectly with a documentary I’d watched the month prior. I love serendipitous moments like this, when threads connect and suddenly things deepen and contextualize before your very eyes.
Welcome to our yearly round up! Each December it’s become Bexley Library tradition to collect a sampling of our favorite releases from the past 12 months. We hope this year’s compilation inspires you this holiday season! For even more great recommendations, listen to our recent podcast episode, “Best of 2021!”
“National Novel Writing Month began in 1999 as a daunting but straightforward challenge: to write 50,000 words of a novel in thirty days. Now, each year on November 1, hundreds of thousands of people around the world begin to write, determined to end the month with 50,000 words of a brand new novel. They enter the month as elementary school teachers, mechanics, or stay-at-home parents. They leave novelists.”
Ernest Hemingway’s ubiquitous influence is felt by all who visit Key West. The Pulitzer Prize winning author lived and wrote on the island during the 1930s and experienced the most prolific decade of his career there. Now every July Key West celebrates Hemingway Days in commemoration of the author’s July 21 birthday. Events include a look-alike contest, short story contest, deep-sea fishing tournaments, and literary readings. In the spirit of Hemingway Days, BPL would like to invite you to armchair travel to Key West!
As 2020 comes to a close, I asked staff to reflect on their favorites books, movies, and albums from this year. Some staff found it easy to narrow it down, while others couldn’t choose just one! Here are the BPL staff favorite books of 2020:
Christian’s Pick – The Lucky Star by William T. Vollmann | print
David’s Pick – COVID-19: The Pandemic that Never Should Have Happened and How to Stop the Next One by Debora MacKenzie | print
Hannah’s Pick – Wilderness Chef: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Outdoors by Ray Mears | print
Juliana’s Favorite Memoir – This Is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire by Nick Flynn | print
Juliana’s Favorite Fiction Read – Writers & Lovers by Lily King | print / digital
Leann’s Science Fiction Pick – A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor by Hank Green | print / digital
Leann’s Favorite Thriller – The Guest List by Lucy Foley | print / digital
Nichole’s Pick – Being Lolita by Alisson Wood | print
Sue’s Pick – Deacon King Kong by James McBride | print / digital
Our favorite films from 2020 include:
Christian’s Pick – Feels Good Man *currently unavailable through the CLC
Juliana’s Pick – The Devil All the Time *currently only available on Netflix
Nichole’s Pick – The King of Staten Island | DVD / Blu-Ray
And finally, our BPL staff favorite albums from 2020 include:
Christian’s Pick – Heaven to a Tortured Mind by Yves Tumor | CD
Hannah’s Pick – Old Flowers by Courtney Marie Andrews | CD