Kirsten's April Staff Pick

The Chronicles of Narnia 

DVD PN 1997.2 .C47 2006

The Chronicles of Narnia is a classic film based off the classic C.S. Lewis novel. Complete with mythical monsters, a twisted plot, and concealed messages, The Chronicles of Narnia creates a fantasy world that will have everyone looking in the back of their wardrobe. Join Lucy, Peter, Susan, and Edmund as they find out about what it means to really be courageous and as they learn about consequences that have lethal implications. I would advise this movie for anyone, and for all ages. My favorite element is the soundtrack. 

Kirsten's March Staff Pick

 

Holes
 

Louis Sachar
 

PZ 7 S1185 Ho 1998

 

 

  

Holes is one of those books that you will always remember. The main character, Stanley is thrust into a world where “juvenile offenses”, like him are sent to a camp. At the camp they are required to dig holes, holes, and more holes. Our character finds a box which sets him off on an adventure of his lifetime. I love this book because it’s an easy read, but there are complex themes to also think about, such as the symbolism of holes.  If you haven’t read it, I would check it out!

 

Kirsten's October Staff Pick

Slaughterhouse-Five

By Kurt Vonnegut

PS 3572 O5 S51

This is a banned book. Slaughterhouse-Five is about a man, named Billy Pilgrim who is stuck in a time vortex. He never knows if he is going to be in his future, his past, or the present. At one point he is abducted by aliens! Brilliantly written, Vonnegut captures our imagination and somewhat confuses us with his bouncing plot lines which all come together at the end. My favorite part is at the very end, when the author says "poo-tee-weet". 

Kirsten's September Staff Pick

In the Shadow of the Buddha

Written by Matteo Pistono

BQ 978.188 A3 2011

This book is well written and brings the reader to a world stage that is hardly addressed because lack of knowledge about the subject of Buddhism. The author went on a pilgrimage to Tibet, and found atrocities committed by the Chinese government that included secret documents, interviews of torture victims, and many others. The author himself smuggled out photos of prisons and tried to make influential people see what was going on behind the facade of sanctuary China seemed to put off at the time. Brought to a language that Westerners can understand, Pistono cleverly induces our thoughts, and forces us to form our own opinions on matters that we may not know a lot about, while all creatively wrapping the issues up in an almost personal story that is filled with tension, suspense, and a narrator who seems to draw us in with the deliberate placement of every word penned in the book. 

My favorite part is when Pistono quotes a poem from Khenpo-

"Whatever arises, in pure awareness, unaltered and unconfined, Look into the mind that is settled by itself, resting naturally. If you recognize the minds natural clarity, utterly free and unbound, You will instantly traverse all stages of the path, seizing the stronghold of enlightenment"