Category: stuff to read Page 2 of 28

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It’s beginning to look a lot like our favourite December holiday! And the bells were ringing through the land, bringing peace to all the world and good will to man. What a bright time, it’s the right time to join in any reindeer games.

Yeah, you better watch out! You better not cry! You better not pout! I’m telling you why! Later we’ll have some pumpkin pie. I gave you my tart, and the very next day, you gave it away, which is wild because pumpkin pie is really nice. All I want for this day is sweets! I mean if you manage a pumpkin pie, that’d be great, but it’s not as big of a thing in New Zealand.

Próspero año y día de la tarta de calabaza!

It’s December 25th, and you know what that means…

Merry Pumpkin Pie Day!

via GIPHY

But Pumpkin Pie, while delicious, doesn’t have the cultural impact here compared to the US of A. So why not celebrate other sweet-themed holidays. It’s the end of the year after all, so why not take a look back on all the various dessert and candy themed holidays!

Now you might not realise this, but there are so many of these sweet holidays, even the mainstream “actually celebrated” holidays. I mean, think of the major holidays: Halloween is about getting free candy, Easter is about getting chocolate eggs, and Valentines Day (plus it’s evil twin White Day) is about giving people heart themed chocolates. Down to our roots we want excuses to eat more sugar.

via GIPHY

Say, if you wanted to have a day for cake, that’s not your birthday, try November 26: Cake Day. There are also subcake days, like pancake day, cheesecake day, cupcake day, sponge cake day, and ice cream cake day. But then you can go hyper specific, like National Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day (April 20th). But it’s not just cake, there are so many random desserts that people apparently care enough to make a whole day about. Like who is that excited over Oatmeal Nut Waffles?

For you, dear reader, I have compiled all of 2023’s various mouthwatering holidays into one convenient place. Have I potentially missed some? Maybe. But am I going to check? No. Am I going to insert random other days to teach you a lesson about blindly trusting internet sources without engaging critical thinking and because I think it’s funny? Perhaps.

Enjoy your journey!

via GIPHY

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: The Summer Round-Up!

By Beth

On Friday, 15 December, 2023

In reviews and reccs, soft apocalypse (for beginners), stuff to do, stuff to read

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

The year is 2023. The global is warming, the 1 are %ing and things are looking iffy… Enter the Soft Apocalypse! It’s time for us to give capitalism the finger, and return to our humble roots as a pastoral society that bakes bread and sings Kumbaya way too often. AKA my escapist daydream when the Stresses of Life get a bit too much (my Soft Apocalypse plan includes joining a commune and becoming the cryptid I want to see in the world).

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

Believe it or not, it’s summer! Since it’s an established fact that you can’t beat Welly on a good day, how exactly can we make the most of the sunny season?? If you’re the type with access to a letterbox, then you will have hopefully received Wellington City Council’s summer edition of Our Wellington – Tō Tātou Pōneke which outlines some of the nifty and magical events that will be taking place in the capital over the next few months. I’ve taken it upon myself to highlight the (in my opinion) niftiest and most magical activities on offer, for your perusing pleasure:

via GIPHY

Marvel: Earth’s Mightiest Exhibition

What: Explore the stories and characters of the Marvel Universe at the world-premiere exhibition.
Where: Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre
When: 14th December 2023 – 28th April 2024

santa at Waitangi Park

What: The last of WCC’s Christmas in the Quarters series of events, come along to meet Papa Tinsel himself and make the most of the activities on offer, including ice skating, a foam pit, face painting, food trucks and more!
Where: Waitangi Park
When: 11am-5pm 16th December

Summer Solstice

What: Celebrate the 2023 summer solstice with music, bonfires, and a solstice ceremony!
Where: Island Bay Beach
When: 8.30pm 22nd December 2023

New year’s eve

What: More live music, more food trucks, and – most importantly – fireworks! Come along to welcome in the New Year with ✨pizazz✨
Where: Whairepo Lagoon
When: 8pm-12am 31st December 2023

Gardens Magic

What: Live music! Lights! Sleepy pigeons! Explore the botanical gardens after dark with the astounding concerts and light displays on offer.
Where: Wellington Botanic Gardens
When: 9-28th January 2024

island bay festival

What: I opened up the website and immediately saw bagpipes and horses, so you know it’s going to be good. Come explore the best of Island Bay!
Where: Island Bay
When: 11-17th February 2024

Wellington pride Parade

What: Celebrate our rainbow whānau in style this summer with the annual Wellington Pride Parade featuring floats, performers, music and more!
Where: Courtenay Place, Dixon Street and lower Cuba Street
When: 5.30pm 9th March 2023

Not too shabby, eh? And that’s just what’s on offer through WCC – explore the wider Wellington region with local berry picking, flower farms, camping spots, and more. Plus – keep an eye on the Wellington Advent Calendar for neat vouchers and nifty inspo for the sand season!

Have a beautiful summer, and meri kirihimete from all of us here at Wellington City Libraries!

Summer in the city of roses / Keil, Michelle Ruiz
“All her life Iph has protected her sensitive younger brother, Orr. This summer, with their mother gone at an artist residency, their father decides it is time for Orr to toughen up at a wilderness boot camp. When he brings Iph to a work gala in downtown Portland and breaks the news, Orr has already been sent away. Furious at his betrayal, Iph storms off and gets lost in the maze of Old Town.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
This one summer / Tamaki, Mariko
“Rose and her parents have been going to Awago Beach since she was a little girl. It’s her summer getaway, her refuge. Her friend Windy is always there, too, like the little sister she never had, completing her summer family. But this summer is different […] It’s a summer of secrets and heartache, and it’s a good thing Rose and Windy have each other.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Fat girls hiking : an inclusive guide to getting outdoors at any size or ability / Michaud-Skog, Summer
” Equal parts empowering and impassioned, personal and practical, this book adds an important voice to the conversation about diversity in the outdoors, raising visibility of hikers who have too long been marginalized. As the Fat Girls Hiking motto goes, “Trails Not Scales!””” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Camp / Rosen, Lev AC
“At Camp Outland, a camp for LGBTQIA teens, sixteen-year-old Randall “Del” Kapplehoff’s plan to have Hudson Aaronson-Lim fall in love with him succeeds, but both are hiding their true selves.” (Catalogue)
Summer days and summer nights : twelve love stories
“Summer meets love in both fantasy and reality in this anthology featuring renowned writers of both teen and adult fiction. Summer is the perfect time for love to bloom, and these short stories of teenagers facing the confusing maze of first love will have you dreaming of sunset strolls by the lake.” (Abridged from catalogue)

The girl’s guide to summer / Mlynowski, Sarah
“Sydney Aarons is leaving her Manhattan townhouse for a summer backpacking around Europe with her best friend, Leela. They’re visiting London, France, Italy, Switzerland and everywhere in between – it’s going to be the trip of a lifetime. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
All summer long / Larson, Hope
“Thirteen-year-old Bina faces her first summer without her best friend, Austin, who has left for soccer camp.” (Catalogue)
Unbored : the essential field guide to serious fun / Glenn, Joshua
“Vibrantly designed and illustrated, it’s crammed with activities that are not only fun and doable, but get kids engaged in the wider world–and provides information to expand their worldviews, too, inspiring them to learn more.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Lumberjanes [1] : beware the kitten holy / Stevenson, ND
“Five best friends spending the summer at Lumberjane scout camp… defeating yetis, three-eyed wolves, and giant falcons… what’s not to love?! Friendship to the max! Jo, April, Mal, Molly and Ripley are five best pals determined to have an awesome summer together…and they’re not gonna let any insane quest or an array of supernatural critters get in their way! ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Recipes from an Italian summer
“380 summer recipes for all lovers of Italian food.” (Catalogue)
Paper planes / Wood, Jennie
“After a life altering incident, Dylan and Leighton are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they’ll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends […] Can Dylan and Leighton save their friendship and protect their future while trying to survive camp?” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Ugly Christmas sweater party : Christmas crafts, recipes, activities / Shay, Brandy
“Put on your ugly holiday sweater and get ready to PARTY! Whether you’re planning your own wacky celebration or contributing to someone else’s festive affair, here are the most deliciously ugly (in a good way!) ideas for making Christmas merry. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Easy vegan Christmas : 80 plant-based recipes for the festive season / Beskow, Katy
“Easy Vegan Christmas is a 80-recipe cookbook showcasing simple vegan recipes, for a fuss-free festive season.” (Catalogue)

✨Unsettling✨ nostalgia for your holiday reading

By Maiph

On Wednesday, 13 December, 2023

In reviews and reccs, stuff to read

Ah, December. A time of things-slowing-down, the official start of Summer, and oh, that Christmas thing as well. With the warm* weather, many people going off on holiday, and the end of the year rolling around, I always start to feel nostalgic. And my nostalgia often manifests as reserving a bunch of my favourite books to re-read.

*Warm-er? Warm-ish? Not-as-much-rain?

Now I’m sure I’ve mentioned before my love for The Queen’s Thief series by Megan Whalen Turner, and my almost-constant-need to be listening to one of the audiobooks**. So if you haven’t read or listened to those you should immediately go and do so! These books are wonderfully written, full of complex and real characters, political machinations, some excellent god/human interactions, complicated relationships, and very good depictions of characters dealing with trauma. But they’re also funny and all the characters tell stories to each other and care a lot about their people and ugh, they’re just so good.

**Yes, I really like them as audiobooks. I have had conversations about this with Teen Blogger Grimm who just cannot get into the audiobooks because magnificent narrator Steve West pronounces the names differently to how she says them in her head, but while we cannot agree on this point, we do agree that these books are Excellent and Everyone should read them.

A small cat lying in a box with all her legs hidden

You need a picture to break up all these words. Please enjoy this unsettled cat – where did all her legs go?!

Why am I telling you about these books again? Well, mainly because the books I tend to get nostalgic for are not books like this series***. I get the itch to go back and re-read some of those (dare I say it) simpler adventure stories**** I enjoyed when I was younger. But whenever I venture forth into the stacks to retrieve these particular books, I’m always surprised by how dark and grim they are, and by the unsettled feeling I’m left with.

***But I still wanted to tell you all about this series again! Go read them. Seriously.

****Ok, ‘simpler adventures’ maybe, but still often a bit twisty.*****

*****I apologise for the footnotes? Not sure why so many are creeping into this particular post.

So, obviously, I’ve decided to share some of these books that I love with you, in case you also want something to read over the summer that is vaguely unsettling, enjoyable, and not too long. So read on for books about bone porridge, many discreet murders, horrible family members, and a fair share of malignant spirits.

The stolen lake / Aiken, Joan
This is always the first one that comes to mind. Joan Aiken wrote a fantastic series of books that started with The Wolves of Willoughby Chase about an alternate history version of England where the Stuarts kept the throne, and it was never passed on to the Hanovers. Different books in the series focus on different characters. The Stolen Lake features Dido Twite, a girl who was swept out to sea and picked up by a ship in a previous book. She’s slowly navigating her way home, and in this book her ship is called to aid fictional New Cumbria in South America. Dido finds herself in a very grim place, where giant birds carry people off and the queen eats bone porridge (sourced from the bones of young girls she’s had thrown to the piranhas) to maintain her youth. Brilliant stuff!

Is underground / Aiken, Joan
Another in the same series as The Stolen Lake! No bone porridge here, just some pretty awful child labour. Children, including the Crown Prince of England, have been going missing in London and another young Twite is tasked with figuring out what’s going on. And what’s going on (and this is not a spoiler given the cover illustration) is that they’re being kidnapped and transported up North to work underground in a coal mine. And a foundry. And there may be accidents involving molten metal.

The owl service / Garner, Alan
Why yes, that character probably did murder that other character in the past. But what can you expect when a fragment of tale from the Mabinogion amplifies itself throughout history and keeps repeating and repeating and repeating? Owls are bad, flowers are not, but both are still creepy. I could say SO MUCH about this book, but that might put you off. Just let me tell you this: you don’t need armies of ghosts or witches with ovens to create something truly spooky and (I can’t forget my keyword here!) unsettling. Just some plates found in an attic, some pebble-dash, and a whole lot of interpersonal angst.

Under the mountain / Gee, Maurice
Ah, my most-read book in my primary school library. It’s set in Auckland and has been made into both a TV series and a movie over the years and is full of volcanoes and weird-worm/slug-mud-aliens that are set on total world domination and annihilation. It’s just one of those fun adventures with some red-haired twins with special powers, right? Err, not quite. It’s slightly scary, very unsettling, and not everyone comes out unscathed in the end.

Tripswitch / Gordon, Gaelyn
Another New Zealand author who has written something that is both kinda fun, and very unsettling the more you think about it. Three orphaned cousins are brought together to live with their aunt (coincidence? Or multiple sororicides on the aunt’s part?), and she’s just so …evil? Mean and nasty yes, but when you find out the reason she had her twins everything just gets much more serious. But there’s also a lot of humour in it (the sports team who just decide to steal a bus??), which possibly makes the grim details stand out a bit more.

Black Maria / Jones, Diana Wynne
Diana Wynne Jones is WONDERFUL. She’s written some marvellously fun and twisty books for children full of weird magic and quirky characters. But she’s also written some truly chilling books. This is one of them, and there’s just so much going on. From buried imprisonment, to not-really-dead fathers, a sweeter-than-ever Great-Aunt with a will of iron, to an entire town under one person’s thumb, it just makes you look at small town life in a different way. And Great-Aunts.

The time of the ghost / Jones, Diana Wynne
More Diana Wynne Jones creepiness. This time, we learn what happens when some kids mess with something beyond their ken or control. When the ghost comes back in time she knows that something awful is going to happen, so we also know this, but all the characters that the ghost is watching don’t know this so as they creep closer to disaster we just know that something will go wrong, but we don’t know what will go wrong… So there’s a lot of tension and trying to figure things out, and let me just say that I will not be going near any soft toys left outside to grow mildew after reading this!

The changeover / Mahy, Margaret
Margaret Mahy’s another author who can write joyful and fun, adventure and excitement, and also haunting and chilling. And this book is the latter. Laura’s day starts with a warning, and ends with her younger brother getting his soul slowly sucked out of him through a stamp on his hand. This is very understated horror, but there’s just so many very normal things in there that what happens really sticks in your mind. They even made a movie of it, set in post-earthquake Christchurch!

And I’ll even add a bonus book in, because how can you talk unsettling childhood stories without delving into the Brothers Grimm?

The complete Grimm’s fairy tales / Grimm, Jacob
We all know some of the Grimm’s fairy tales, but there are a whole lot more that not many people stumble across. And a lot of them are VERY weird!

Below, I have written out one of the shorter unsettling stories from this particular collection, under the Read more. If you want to feel incredulous that such a story was written, and really put the grim in Grimm, well then, just read on…

Memoirs, Mysteries, Memes and Murder: New Books for Teens in the Collection

By TackyCardigan

On Wednesday, 6 December, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, fantasy, horror and spooky stuff, mysteries & whodunnits, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), non-fiction, stuff to read

Those summer holidays are going to be here soon, and it’s the perfect time to get stuck into some new books. I mean, have you considered the Summer Reading Adventure yet? We have a fresh crop of new books to add to your reading list, whether your into comics, fiction or non-fiction… or maybe all three?

Comics

Mexikid : a graphic memoir / Martin, Pedro
“Pedro Martin’s grown up in the U.S. hearing stories about his legendary abuelito, but during a family road trip to Mexico, he connects with his grandfather and learns more about his own Mexican identity in this moving and hilarious graphic memoir.” (Catalogue)

The Calvin and Hobbes portable compendium. Book 1 / Watterson, Bill
“Calvin and Hobbes is unquestionably one of the most popular comic strips of all time. The imaginative world of a boy and his real-only-to-him tiger first appeared in 1985 and could be read in more than 2,400 newspapers when Bill Watterson retired on January 1, 1996.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

All the lovely bad ones : a ghost story graphic novel / Peterson, Scott
“Travis and his sister, Corey, can’t resist a good trick. When they learn that their grandmother’s quiet Vermont inn, where they’re spending the summer, has a history of ghost sightings, they decide to do a little ‘haunting’ of their own. Before long, their supernatural pranks have tourists flocking to Fox Hill Inn, and business booms. But Travis and Corey soon find out that theirs aren’t the only ghosts at Fox Hill. Their thoughtless games have awakened something dangerous, something that should have stayed asleep. Can these siblings lay to rest the troubled spirits they’ve disturbed?” (Catalogue)

Fiction

Broken hearts and zombie parts / Hussey, William
“A savagely funny gay YA romance about body image, self-acceptance and falling in love. Jesse Spark has a broken heart and in a few short weeks he’ll require major surgery to repair it – which means he only has a month to accomplish two almost-impossible tasks. 1) Shoot his epic zombie movie on a shoestring budget if he has any hope of getting into film school. 2) Fall in love before this surgery lands him with a huge scar – because how will anyone ever fancy him after that?” (Catalogue)

How to find a missing girl / Wlosok, Victoria
“Seventeen-year-old amateur sleuth Iris and her sapphic detective agency investigate the disappearance of Iris’s cheerleader ex-girlfriend, who also happens to be the creator of a notorious true-crime podcast about Iris’s missing older sister.” (Catalogue)

The scarlet veil / Mahurin, Shelby
“Six months have passed since Célie took her sacred vows and joined the ranks of the Chasseurs as their first huntswoman. With her fiancé, Jean Luc, as captain, she is determined to find her foothold in her new role and help protect Belterra. But whispers from her past still haunt her, and a new evil is rising–one that Célie herself must vanquish, unless she falls prey to the darkness.” (Catalogue)

09If you tell anyone, you’re next / Heath, Jack
“Jayden Jones is missing. Everyone thinks he ran away. His best friend, Zoe Ross, knows they’re wrong. Zoe’s search leads her to the 17-a secret group chat, used by anonymous teens to blackmail the powerless. To join, you have to put on a mask and record yourself completing a challenge. The challenges are always illegal. Sometimes dangerous. Maybe deadly. Who are the 17? What have they done to Jayden? And what will they do to silence Zoe?” (Catalogue)

Non-Fiction

Accountable : the true story of a racist social media account and the teenagers whose lives it changed / Slater, Dashka
“When a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew. Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults–educators and parents–whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse. In the end, no one was laughing. And everyone was left asking: Where does accountability end for online speech that harms? And what does accountability even mean?” (Catalogue)

Video game of the year : a year-by-year guide to the best, boldest, and most bizarre games from every year since 1977 / Minor, Jordan
“For each of the 40 years of video game history, there is a defining game, a game that captured the zeitgeist and left a legacy for all games that followed. Through a series of entertaining, informative, and opinionated critical essays, author and tech journalist Jordan Minor investigates, in chronological order, the innovative, genre-bending, and earth-shattering games from 1977 through 2022. Minor explores development stories, critical reception, and legacy, and also looks at how gaming intersects with and eventually influences society at large while reveling in how uniquely and delightfully bizarre even the most famous games tend to be”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

For more new books for teens in the collection, go to: https://wcl.govt.nz/whatsnew/#teens

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… The Marvels

By Gus

On Sunday, 3 December, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, eLibrary, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the cosmic-powered ladies who go higher, further, faster: Carol Danvers, Monica Rambeau and Kamala Khan – The Marvels!

(GIF via Tenor)

Who is Carol Danvers?

Carol Danvers is a US Air Force pilot who was exposed to an alien weapon that belonged to the militaristic Kree Empire. Gaining extraordinary powers of super-strength, flight, energy manipulation and energy absorption, Carol became a superhero. Currently bearing the title of Captain Marvel, she protects the Earth from intergalactic threats.

Carol as Ms. Marvel

Before Carol became Captain Marvel, she was Ms. Marvel, the distaff counterpart to the Kree warrior Mar-Vell, the first Captain Marvel. Carol was a steadfast member of the Avengers during this time, joining on the pro-registration side of the superhero Civil War, fighting against the Skrulls in the Secret Invasion, and opposing the X-Men alongside the entire Avengers roster in Avengers vs X-Men.

Carol as Ms. Marvel appearances

Ms. Marvel : this woman, this warrior. Volume 1, 1977-1978 / Claremont, Chris

The Avengers : the Kang Dynasty / Busiek, Kurt

Civil war : Ms. Marvel / Reed, Brian

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 2 / Reed, Brian

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 3 / Reed, Brian

Ms. Marvel on the Avengers

Avengers Disassembled (only on Libby)

House of M / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

New Avengers: Volume 4 (only on Libby)

Civil war / Millar, Mark (also on Libby)

The Mighty Avengers : Venom bomb / Bendis, Brian Michael

Secret invasion / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Siege : battlefield

Avengers vs. X-Men (also available in Te Reo, where Ms. Marvel is called Hinemīharo)

Carol as Captain Marvel

After going by Ms. Marvel, Binary, and Warbird, Carol took up the mantle of Captain Marvel. Written by Kelly Sue DeConnick (Pretty Deadly) and getting a slick new costume courtesy of artist Jamie McKelvie (The Wicked + the Divine), this series established Carol as a top-tier Marvel hero, gaining her a huge fan community called ‘The Carol Corps’ (which was later made canon in a Secret Wars comic). Here, Carol reconnected with her Air Force roots, confronted the Kree soldier responsible for her heroic origin, and travelled through space saving alien communities in need.

DeConnick Captain Marvel run reading order

Captain Marvel / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (collects the first appearances of the new Captain Marvel)

Captain Marvel. [Vol. 1], In pursuit of Flight / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel [2] : down / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Avengers : the enemy within / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

The Enemy Within storyline is also collected as Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 2 / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

Captain Marvel [1] : higher, further, faster, more / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Stay fly / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel [3] : Alis volate propriis / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (tie-in to Secret Wars)

Captain Marvel [3] and Captain Marvel and the Carol Corps are also collected together in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 4 / DeConnick, Kelly Sue

Alpha Flight

After DeConnick’s departure, Captain Marvel’s series was taken up by Tara Butters and Michele Fazekas (Agent Carter). Here, Carol becomes the leader of Earth’s new space defense force, Alpha Flight.

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Rise of Alpha Flight / Fazekas, Michele

Rise of Alpha Flight is also collected in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 5 / Fazekas, Michele

Alpha Flight later spun-off into the Hulk-hunting team Gamma Flight, who appeared throughout Immortal Hulk and eventually got their own series.

Gamma Flight / Ewing, Al

Civil War II

A surprise attack by Thanos catches the Avengers off-guard, leaving War Machine dead and She-Hulk comatose. As the superhero community reels from the attack, a new hero appears, Ulysses, who has the ability to predict the future. Carol embraces him, believing Ulysses could prevent further crimes and disasters before they happen. Tony Stark opposes her on the premise that these predictions could violate people’s rights, and the Marvel heroes choose sides, setting off a second Superhuman Civil War.

Carol in Civil War II appearances

Captain Marvel Volume 2: Civil War II (only on Libby)

Vol 2: Civil War II is also collected in Captain Marvel : Earth’s mightiest hero. Vol. 5 / Fazekas, Michele

Civil war II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [6] : Civil War II / Wilson, G. Willow

Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

A New Origin

After Civil War II, Carol returns to her role as leader of Alpha Flight, and learns the undiscovered truth about her heritage and her powers.

The mighty Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Alien nation / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The mighty Captain Marvel [2] : band of sisters / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The mighty Captain Marvel [3] : dark origins / Stohl, Margaret (also on Libby)

The life of Captain Marvel / Stohl, Margaret

Kelly Thompson run

In Kelly Thompson’s run on her series, Captain Marvel explores apocalyptic futures, becomes an Accuser for the Kree Empire, and finds a new nemesis in Ripley Ryan, a reality-altering journalist.

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Re-entry / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Falling star / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [3] : the last Avenger / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [4] : accused / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [5] : the new world / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [6] : strange magic / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [7] : the last of the Marvels / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [8] : the trials / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 9, Revenge of the Brood, part 1 / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 10, Revenge of the Brood / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel : dark tempest / Nocenti, Ann

Captain Marvel’s Teams

As Captain Marvel, Carol has been a member of the Avengers, the Guardians of the Galaxy, The Ultimates, and the all-female team A-Force.

Captain Marvel’s team appearances

Avengers [1] : Avengers world / Hickman, Jonathan

Avengers by Jason Aaron. Vol. 1 / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

Guardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Bendis, Brian Michael (also on Libby)

A-Force : hypertime, 1 / Wilson, G. Willow

A-Force [2] : rage against the dying of the light / Thompson, Kelly

The Ultimates [1] : start with the impossible / Ewing, Al

Who is Monica Rambeau?

Monica Rambeau is a harbour patrol lieutenant who became a superhero with the ability to manipulate the electromagnetic spectrum, going by Captain Marvel, Photon, and Spectrum. A natural-born leader, Monica has commanded the Avengers, Ultimates, Thunderbolts, Strikeforce, and the anti-corporate splinter cell Nextwave.

Monica Rambeau appearances

Nextwave, agents of H.A.T.E. : ultimate collection / Ellis, Warren

Captain Marvel [2] : down / DeConnick, Kelly Sue (also on Libby)

Mighty Avengers. Volume 2, Family bonding / Ewing, Al

Mighty Avengers [3] : original sin : not your father’s Avengers / Ewing, Al

Captain America and the Mighty Avengers [2] : last days / Ewing, Al

Avengers : no road home / Waid, Mark

Strikeforce [1] : trust me / Howard, Tini

Captain Marvel [7] : the last of the Marvels / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel [8] : the trials / Thompson, Kelly

The amazing Spider-Man : beyond [4]

Thunderbolts : back on target / Zubkavich, Jim

Monica Rambeau. Photon / Ewing, Eve L.

The Ultimates

Both Monica and Carol (along with Black Panther, America Chavez, Blue Marvel, and a reformed Galactus) were members of the Ultimates, a team dedicated to solving larger-scale threats, like evil living universes and nightmarish cosmic beings. Here, Monica’s powers evolve to the point where she becomes a being of living energy.

The Ultimates reading order

The Ultimates [1] : start with the impossible / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates [2] : Civil war II / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2 [1] : troubleshooters / Ewing, Al

The Ultimates 2. Vol. 2, Eternity War / Ewing, Al

Who is Kamala Khan?

Kamala Khan is a Pakistani-American superhero fan from New Jersey who, after being exposed to the Inhuman’s ‘Terrigen Mist’, gained the ability to grow, shrink and shapeshift. Inspired by her idol Captain Marvel, Kamala took up the identity of Ms. Marvel, fighting any villains that threaten her home of Jersey City while balancing life as a high-school student.

Ms. Marvel reading order

Ms. Marvel [1] : no normal / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [2] : Generation why / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [3] : crushed / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [4] : last days / Wilson, G. Willow (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [5] : super famous / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [6] : Civil War II / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. Vol. 7, Damage per second / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [8] : Mecca / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [9] : teenage wasteland / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. 10, Time and again / Wilson, G. Willow

G. Willow Wilson’s entire run on Ms. Marvel are also collected in these double-sized volumes, which are read in this order:

Ms. Marvel : Kamala Khan / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : metamorphosis / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel [3] / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel meets the Marvel Universe

Ms. Marvel : army of one / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel. Game over / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : something new / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel : generations / Wilson, G. Willow

Ms. Marvel: Outlawed

In the most recent run on Ms. Marvel by Saladin Ahmed (Miles Morales), Kamala battles an alien invasion, gains her version of a symbiote in the living armour ‘Stormranger’, and inadvertently becomes the catalyst for a law that restricts the age of active superheroes to 18 and over.

Ms. Marvel [1] : destined / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [2] : stormranger / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel [3] : outlawed / Ahmed, Saladin (also on Libby)

Marvel voices : identity

Ms. Marvel : beyond the limit / Ahmed, Samira (also on Libby)

Ms. Marvel’s Team-Ups

Ms. Marvel initially joined the Avengers, before she split off with Miles Morales and Nova to form the Champions, a team of young heroes dedicated to fighting the social justice issues that the Avengers don’t address.

Ms. Marvel Team-up collections

Ms. Marvel team-up / Ewing, Eve L.

Ms. Marvel : fists of justice / Houser, Jody

Ms. Marvel in the Avengers and Champions

All-new, all-different Avengers. Vol. 1, The magnificent seven / Waid, Mark (also on Libby)

All-new all-different Avengers [2] : family business / Waid, Mark

All-new all-different Avengers. Vol. 3, Civil War II / Waid, Mark

Champions [1] : change the world / Waid, Mark

Champions [2] : the freelancer lifestyle / Waid, Mark

The first two Champions volumes are also collected as
Champions : because the world still needs heroes / Waid, Mark

Champions. Vol. 3, Champion for a day / Waid, Mark

The Avengers & Champions : worlds collide / Waid, Mark

Champions [1] : outlawed / Ewing, Eve L. (also on Libby)

Champions. Volume 2, Killer app / Lore, Danny (also on Libby)

A grizzled, older variant of Kamala is a member of the Exiles, a multiverse-hopping team of heroes, each from a different parallel universe.

Exiles [1] : test of time / Ahmed, Saladin

Exiles. Vol. 2, The trial of the Exiles / Ahmed, Saladin

Other Captain Marvels

Marvel Comic’s original Captain Marvel was the alien Kree warrior Mar-Vell. Since his passing, both his son Genis-Vell and daughter Phyla-Vell (a member of the Guardians of the Galaxy) have been Captain Marvel, before Carol Danvers took up the name.

Genis and Phyla-Vell appearances

Genis-Vell : Captain Marvel / David, Peter

Guardians of the Galaxy. 1, Then it’s us / Ewing, Al

The Guardians of the Galaxy [2] : “Here we make our stand” / Ewing, Al

Of course, the original Captain Marvel was the Fawcett Comics hero (now owned by DC Comics) we now call Shazam. You can find out about his exploits on our blog for him here.

Moonstone and Star

Carol Danvers has inspired not just heroes, but villains as well. Her enemy Karla Sofen, the super-powered psychologist Moonstone, once impersonated her as Ms. Marvel on Norman Osborn’s ‘Dark Avengers’.

Moonstone as Ms. Marvel appearances

Captain Marvel : Carol Danvers : the Ms. Marvel years. Vol. 3 / Reed, Brian

Dark Avengers (only on Libby)

Dark X-Men / Cornell, Paul

Siege : Mighty Avengers / Slott, Dan

Recently, Carol fought Ripley Ryan a.k.a Star, a reporter and wannabe hero who became the host to the Infinity Gauntlet’s world-altering Reality Stone.

Star appearances

Captain Marvel. Vol. 1, Re-entry / Thompson, Kelly

Captain Marvel. Vol. 2, Falling star / Thompson, Kelly

Star : birth of a dragon / Thompson, Kelly

King in black : thunderbolts / Rosenberg, Matthew

Summer Reading: A Guide for Adventurers

By Stephen

On Friday, 1 December, 2023

In real life, real problems, stuff to do, stuff to read, troubled teens trying to put their past behind them

The first day of December is a sacred day for the librarians of Wellington — for today, the Summer Reading Adventure begins!

Yes, that’s the Wellington Cable Car. Yes, that does appear to be a rather cranky dragon nesting at the cable car station. What of it?

From now until the 31st of January 2024, you can win free stuff just by reading books, writing or filming book reviews, and undertaking perilous quests for the betterment of all humankind*!

Every time you complete an activity or log a book in the Summer Reading Adventure, you go in the draw to win one of our fabulous Grand Prize packs, which include things like tickets for the movies and theatre shows, book vouchers, gaming-related paraphernalia, and much more. We’ll also be doing weekly spot prize draws for the best-written book reviews. And what’s more, you even get a rad collectible badge just for signing up, and can earn more along the way!

So what are you waiting for? Pick up an Adventurer’s Guide from your local library, or check it out below, to get started — or just head straight over to our Summer Reading website to kick things off. Don’t forget to check out our previous blog post for heaps more info about how you can take part in this year’s Summer Reading festivities!

* well, okay, maybe just the betterment of the library. But still!

Soft Apocalypse for Beginners: It’s the [Fri]End Times

By Beth

On Friday, 24 November, 2023

In exclusive academies for rich kids who form cliques, real life, real problems, soft apocalypse (for beginners), stuff to learn

Folks! Friends! Fellow humans living on this nice crispy earth!

Welcome to Soft Apocalypse for Beginners, where we will be embarking on a journey of Learning to Look After Ourselves Even if the World is Ending (and saving the bees while we’re at it)!

It’s the [Fri]End Times and you’re only as strong as your commune, so today is a crash course in Having Healthy Friendships by me (a certified Friend who receives an enormous amount of trickle-down therapy through Pinterest).

Friendships can sometimes be more complicated to manage than romantic relationships simply because we live in a romance-obsessed society, and so we’re constantly being bombarded with advice, dos/don’t-dos, and narratives that are tuned towards maintaining or ending romantic relationships. While some of these lessons are applicable to our friendships too, we often fall down because we just don’t think about having to apply them. But unhealthy friendships and poor boundaries with your platonic pals can be just as damaging as the worst romantic relationship.

So here I am with your annual reminder that the ancient Greeks had eight words for love (including words specifically for the love and connection between friends), and it’s time we all invested a little more into looking after our friendships.

via GIPHY

One Flag, Two Flag, Red Flag, [Green] Flag

It’s 2023 and red/green flags aren’t just for romantic relationships any more. While it’s great to DIY the flag identification in your relationships, sometimes the best thing to do is to consult the impartial judge of a healthy relationship checklist. This can be especially helpful if you’ve experienced gaslighting in the past and want the validation of an unbiased outside source.

Some examples of red flags could look like:

Your friend putting you down, hurting your feelings, or causing you deliberate discomfort
Feeling drained after every interaction with them
Nagging or pressuring you into something you’re not comfortable with
Their friendship and support are conditional

Good vibey green flags might look like:

Sharing positive, uplifting experiences together
You both have lives and relationships outside of your friendship
They celebrate your wins rather than getting jealous
You feel comfortable expressing boundaries with one another

Check out some more great friendship checklists here and here!

In Our Boundaries Era

I’ve spent the last couple of years getting into my boundaries era – and ngl it absolutely slaps. Having better boundaries has been insanely helpful with improving my relationships with family, friends, partners, myself, my finances, my phone… Anything you can think of, I’ve slapped a boundary on it. And don’t get me wrong, it can be hard and embarrassing and make you say “ew ew ew” while doing an uncomfortable dance and crying alone in your room. But it’s been completely worth it. Boundaries are a vital form of self-care, and anyone who tells you that it’s selfish to protect yourself is a Bit of a Twerp. Because here’s the thing – anybody who loves you, respects you, and is worth any of your time will be proud of you for looking out for yourself.

As we’ve established, I am not a therapist, I am just a vibey lady who likes boundaries and Taylor Swift. So instead of walking you through the boundary setting process, allow me to direct you to:

Go forth! Block that person, mute that channel, set that bedtime, tell your overbearing auntie that you don’t like it when she pinches your cheek! I believe in you <3

And I extra believe in your ability to forgive me for that YouTube clip <3

Friendship is a Two-Way Street (and other things the Muppets might have said)

Do I need to say more than that heading? Friendship is a two-way street – not only do you have to make sure the friends in your life are right for you, but it’s your responsibility to make sure you’re being a good friend to others. Now, this doesn’t mean sacrificing yourself or your needs to make them happy (boundaries, remember?). But it does mean that it takes two to platonic tango.

Is your friend always the one making plans, taking cute candids of you, and generally romanticising the world into a nicer place for the two of you to be? The emotional labour is very real, so it’s always worth a check-in to make sure you’re contributing equally to the relationship. If you feel like maybe you’re getting your affection wires crossed (not an innuendo), maybe take a love languages quiz and see if there are better ways for you to make each other feel cared about.

Do it for the found family trope. And make some friendship bracelets while you’re at it.

Squad / Tokuda-Hall, Maggie
“Becca moves to an upscale Silicon Valley suburb and is surprised when she develops a bond with girls who belong to the popular clique – and even more surprised when she learns their secrets”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

We used to be friends : a novel / Spalding, Amy
“At the start of their senior year in high school, James (a girl with a boy’s name) and Kat are inseparable, but by graduation, they’re no longer friends. James prepares to head off to college as she reflects on the dissolution of her friendship with Kat while, in alternating chapters, Kat thinks about being newly in love and having a future that feels wide open”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Ivies / Donne, Alexa
“The Ivies, five prep school elites who would kill to get into the colleges of their dreams, has a showdown after Liv gets into Harvard and queen bee Avery does not.” (Catalogue)

How to break up with your friends : finding meaning, connection, and boundaries in modern friendships / Falconer, Erin
“With clear-eyed guidance, you’ll learn how to take stock of those currently in your life, see exactly how you are serving each other, deepen your essential friendships, and, ultimately, have the courageous conversations needed when it’s time to “break up” with others.”– Provided by publisher.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The kid table / Seigel, Andrea
“Explores the quirky dynamics in an extended family full of close-knit cousins who both help and hinder each other as they celebrate holidays and momentous occasions together.” (Catalogue)

Elles 2 : The Elle-Verse / Toussaint, Kid
“Elle is just another teenage girl… most of the time. Bubbly and good-natured, she wastes no time making friends on her first day at her new school. But Elle has a secret: she hasn’t come alone. She’s brought with her a colorful mix of personalities, which come out when she least expects it… Who is Elle, really? And will her new friends stand by her when they find out the truth?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The do-over / Painter, Lynn
“Sixteen-year-old Emilie, stuck in a cosmic Groundhog/Valentine’s Day nightmare where she discovers her family is splitting up and her boyfriend is cheating on her, decides to embark upon The Day of No Consequences, but when her repetitive day suddenly ends, she must face the consequences of her actions.” (Catalogue)

The Raven Boys / Stiefvater, Maggie
“Though she is from a family of clairvoyants, Blue Sargent’s only gift seems to be that she makes other people’s talents stronger, and when she meets Gansey, one of the Raven Boys from the expensive Aglionby Academy, she discovers that he has talents of his own–and that together their talents are a dangerous mix.” (Catalogue)

Three sides of a heart : stories about love triangles
“These top YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic short stories you don t want to miss. A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

What is consent, why is it important, and other big questions / Spilsbury, Louise
“”A detailed look at the concept of consent, how it works, and why it matters. The book encourages children to think about what consent means to them, and about the importance of personal boundaries – both knowing your own, and respecting other people’s. It talks about how to say no, and what to do if you feel your consent has been violated.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The teenage guide to friends / Morgan, Nicola
“A comprehensive guide to teenage friendships, by award-winning author and well-being expert Nicola Morgan […] Contents include a section on making friends, keeping friendships strong, and what happens when they break down – as well as a look at online friendships, cyber-bullying, toxic friendships and frenemies, and empathy.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Summer Reading Adventure for Teens Looms on the Horizon

By Stephen

On Tuesday, 21 November, 2023

In real life, real problems, stuff to do, stuff to read, troubled teens trying to put their past behind them

Welcome, Adventurer

Is reading kinda your thing? How about slaying dragons? Facing off against a centuries-old archmagus in order to steal his arcane codex so you can use the magic contained therein to pull off similar heists in the future sound like a fun and standard start to your summery mornings?

From 1 December 2023 — 31 January 2024, you are invited to take part in an Adventure — a Summer Reading Adventure, to be precise. In this year’s Summer Reading Adventure, teens aged 13-18 will be able to embark on the journey of a lifetime by reading books; writing, drawing or filming reviews; and completing quests to help you either specialise as one reader class, or multi-class as them all!

Hark — is that the unearthly screech of some otherworldly demon we hear reverberating in the deep places beneath our beloved city?

How to Play

All Adventurers, seasoned or otherwise, need somewhere to start. From the 1st of December, you’ll be able to pick up an Adventurer’s Guide from the library, but you don’t need to wait! Right now, you can head over to our Summer Reading Adventure website to pre-register. You can take part in the Adventure in three different ways, depending on how far you’re willing to take your newfound powers:

Log your reading — tell us how many books you’ve read and you’ll earn mysterious tickets that you can cash in to get a chance to win the Grand Prize of your choosing!
Write, draw or film book reviews — get creative and tell us what you thought about the books you’ve read, and you’ll go in the draw to win fabulous spot prizes as you do.
Complete quests — choose your own adventure and complete up to three unique questlines, following the path that most closely aligns with the type of Adventurer you wish to be.

You mentioned something about quests?

Indeed, questing is possibly the most important part of being an adventurer. The adamantine dragon that has taken up residence in the Cable Car tunnel is unlikely to vanquish itself.

For this Summer Reading Adventure, you can complete quests in three categories:

Might: a fitting first choice for an Adventurer! Will you follow the path of axe and spear as a mighty Barbarian; take up sword and shield as a Fighter of the realm; mix sword and warhammer with holy fire as a learned Paladin; or opt for the relative quietude of life as a wise Cleric?
Magic: ever has the pen been more mighty than the sword! Will you tame the wild elements as a powerful Sorcerer; accept the bargain of he-who-dwells-between-worlds as a mysterious Warlock; harness the power of books and learning as a scholarly Wizard; or heed the call of the wild as a shapeshifting Druid?
Stealth: why bludgeon your enemies with a mace or blow them apart with crude magicks when a soft word in the right ear could be all it takes to ease your passage through this perilous land? Will you use your voice to influence those around you as an inspiring Bard; hone your natural agility as an ascetic Monk; keep yourself and your companions out of harm’s way as a hardy Ranger; or strike from the shadows as a sharp-tongued Rogue?

Each quest you complete helps you further specialise as a Reading Adventurer — complete enough of them, and you can Multi-Class, which puts you in the running to earn some sweet spot prizes.

Reaping Your Reward

As with all good Adventures, these quests come with the tantalising promise of reward for your Herculean (or perhaps Sisyphean) efforts. Each quest chain you complete, or reading milestone you meet, will earn you collectible badges, digital achievements, and the chance to win awesome spot prizes, as well as tickets towards one of our four Grand Prize packs.

Prizes for this year’s Summer Reading Adventure have been generously sponsored by our friends at Ben & Jerry’s, Experience Wellington, Read NZ Te Pou Muramura, Te Papa Press, Wellington Zoo, Zealandia, Staglands, Wētā Workshop, Ye Olde Pinball Shoppe, and Light House Cinema. Keep an eye out on the blog to find out more as the prize packs get announced over the summer.

Get Your Greek On! The Percy Jackson and the Olympians TV Show is Out Soon!

By J'Shuall of Jackanapery

On Monday, 20 November, 2023

In fantasy, movies (they're like books that move!), stuff to read

18 years after the release of The Lightning Thief, the Percy Jackson series is finally getting a proper adaptation into live action for the first time!

For the first time!

The FIRST time!

You cannot convince me otherwise.

To celebrate this momentous occasion, why not get our Greek on by reading stories about their oh so wonderful mythology?

Now, where else to start our Greek Mythology bonanza than where it all began. No, not with those old geezers from Greece but Percy Jackson! Why not give the old Lightning Thief a reread for the millionth time (or gods forbid, the first time). How else are you going to be able to go through every new episode of the show knowing exactly what minute detail they miss or change? We’ve got to get our smugness supply somewhere. Here at the library, we have all the Percy Jacksons you could ever want. Obviously we have the book, but that’s not all we got! We got the eBook, the audiobook (on CD (which are those old person things used in cars)), the audiobook again (but this time digital), the terrible movie that does not exist, and the graphic novel! So many options, so many books.

The lightning thief / Riordan, Rick
“After learning that he is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, god of the sea, twelve-year-old Percy is sent to a summer camp for demigods like himself, and joins his new friends on a quest to prevent a war between the gods.” (Catalogue)

But why stop there?

One of the great parts of Percy Jackson is how he takes these millennia-year-old stories (back when the world was still in black and white) and modernises them, retelling them for newer generations. The Lightning Thief is a delightful hodgepodge of various different myths and legends. However, Mr Riordan wasn’t the first person, nor the last, to do this to Greek myth. So lets have a look at other people’s takes on the monsters, deities, heroes, and tales told in The Lightning Thief.

Super minor spoilers for that book ahead.

That time some spooky grandmas knitted a sock ominously

Threads that bind / Hatzopoulou, Kika
“Descendants of the Fates are always born in threes: one to weave, one to draw, and one to cut the threads that connect people to the things they love and to life itself. The Ora sisters are no exception. Io, the youngest, uses her Fate-born abilities as a private investigator in the half-sunken city of Alante. But her latest job leads her to a horrific discovery: somebody is abducting women, maiming their life-threads, and setting the resulting wraiths loose in the city to kill. To find the culprit, she must work alongside Edei Rhuna, the right hand of the infamous Mob Queen—and the boy with whom she shares a rare fate-thread linking them as soul mates before they’ve even met. But the investigation turns personal when Io’s estranged oldest sister turns up on the arm of her best suspect. Amid unveiled secrets from her past and her growing feelings for Edei, Io must follow clues through the city’s darkest corners and unearth a conspiracy that involves some of the city’s most powerful players—before destruction comes to her own doorstep.” (Catalogue)

Sometimes people are just really stubborn about things… Bull-headed, if you will

Bull : a novel / Elliott, David
“A modern twist on the Theseus and Minotaur myth, told in verse. Much like Lin-Manuel Miranda did in Hamilton, New York Times best-selling author David Elliott turns a classic on its head in form and approach, updating the timeless story of Theseus and the Minotaur for a new generation. A rough, rowdy, and darkly comedic young adult retelling in verse, Bull will have readers re-evaluating one of history’s most infamous monsters. — Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Gods really need to get better at holding on to their stuff

Daughter of Sparta / Andrews, Claire
“Seventeen-year-old Daphne has spent her entire life honing her body and mind into that of a warrior, hoping to be accepted by the unyielding people of ancient Sparta. But an unexpected encounter with the goddess Artemis—who holds Daphne’s brother’s fate in her hands—upends the life she’s worked so hard to build. Nine mysterious items have been stolen from Mount Olympus and if Daphne cannot find them, the gods’ waning powers will fade away, the mortal world will descend into chaos, and her brother’s life will be forfeit. Guided by Artemis’s twin—the handsome and entirely-too-self-assured god Apollo—Daphne’s journey will take her from the labyrinth of the Minotaur to the riddle-spinning Sphinx of Thebes, team her up with mythological legends such as Theseus and Hippolyta of the Amazons, and pit her against the gods themselves.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

To be honest, I’m actually quite fond of snakes, I don’t know what all this fuss is about

Medusa / Burton, Jessie
“Exiled to a far-flung island by the whims of the gods, Medusa has little company except the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. But when a charmed, beautiful boy called Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is disrupted with the force of a supernova, unleashing desire, love, betrayal … and destiny itself.” (Catalogue)

The Goddess of Love is a nosey busybody and more trouble than she’s worth

Lovely war / Berry, Julie
“In the perilous days of World Wars I and II, the gods hold the fates — and the hearts — of four mortals in their hands. They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect-turned-soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the U.S. Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though War is a formidable force, it’s no match for the transcendent power of Love.” (Catalogue)

Going to the underworld? Pshh, what could be so hard about that?

The shadow thieves / Ursu, Anne
“Something extraordinary is about to happen to Charlotte Mielswetzski. It’s not the very cute kitten that appears out of nowhere. It’s not the arrival of her cousin Zee, who believes he’s the cause of a mysterious sickness that has struck his friends back in England. And it’s not the white-faced, yellow-eyed men in tuxedos who follow Charlotte everywhere. What’s so extraordinary is not any one of these things. It’s all of them. Then Charlotte’s friends start to get sick, Charlotte and Zee set out to find a cure. Their quest leads them to a not-so-mythical Underworld, where they face Harpies that love to rhyme, gods with personnel problems, and ghosts with a thirst for blood. Charlotte and Zee learn that in a world overrun by Nightmares, Pain, and Death, the really dangerous character is a guy named Phil. And then they discover that the fate of every person — living and dead — is in their hands.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Daughter of darkness / Corr, Katharine
“Enter the Underworld in an epic new fantasy, where the Gods of ancient Greece rule everything but fate. Deina is trapped. As one of the Soul Severers serving the god Hades on earth, her future is tied to the task of shepherding the dying on from the mortal world unless she can earn or steal enough to buy her way out. Then the tyrant ruler Orpheus offers both fortune and freedom to whoever can retrieve his dead wife, Eurydice, from the Underworld. Deina jumps at the chance. But to win, she must enter an uneasy alliance with a group of fellow Severers she neither likes nor trusts. So begins their perilous journey into the realm of Hades. The prize of freedom is before her but what will it take to reach it?” (Catalogue)

Even! More! Myths!

Mythos / Fry, Stephen
“The Greek myths are amongst the best stories ever told, passed down through millennia and inspiring writers and artists as varied as Shakespeare, Michelangelo, James Joyce and Walt Disney. They are embedded deeply in the traditions, tales and cultural DNA of the West. You’ll fall in love with Zeus, marvel at the birth of Athena, wince at Cronus and Gaia’s revenge on Ouranos, weep with King Midas and hunt with the beautiful and ferocious Artemis. Spellbinding, informative and moving, Stephen Fry’s Mythos perfectly captures these stories for the modern age – in all their rich and deeply human relevance.” (Catalogue)

Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods / Riordan, Rick
“Who could tell the stories of the gods of Olympus better than a modern-day demigod? In this whirlwind tour of Greek mythology, Percy Jackson gives his personal take on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece, and reveals the truth about how they came to rule the world.” (Catalogue)

Percy Jackson and the Greek heroes / Riordan, Rick
“If you like poisonings, betrayals, mutilations, murders and flesh-eating farmyard animals, keep reading…In this gripping follow-up to Percy Jackson and the Greek Gods, demigod Percy Jackson tells the stories of twelve of the original Greek heroes in all their gory, bloodthirsty glory. Want to know who cut off Medusa’s head? Which hero was raised by a she-bear? Who tamed Pegasus, the winged horse? Percy has all the answers…” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Invincible

By Gus

On Wednesday, 15 November, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, eLibrary, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the teenage superhero who doesn’t always live up to his name… Invincible!

(GIF via Giphy)

What is Invincible?

Invincible is a comic series published by Image Comics about the adventures of a young superhero, Invincible. Written by Robert Kirkman (The Walking Dead) and drawn by Cory Walker and Ryan Ottley (The Amazing Spider-Man), the series ran for 144 issues, plus a couple of spinoff series.

Invincible was praised for its clever skewering of classic superhero tropes, memorable and well-developed characters, and phenomenal fight scenes that rival nothing else in modern comics. In 2021, Invincible received an animated adaptation on Amazon Prime, and is currently being adapted into a live-action movie.

Who is Invincible?

Mark Grayson is your average high schooler, except that his dad is the hero Omni-Man, a superpowered alien representative from the distant planet Viltrum. When he turns 17, Mark discovers he has superpowers just like his father, including flight, super-strength and invulnerability, and creates his own costumed moniker, Invincible.

Omni-Man takes Invincible under this wing, joining a world already full to the brim with heroes, like Atom Eve, the Teen Team, and the Guardians of the Globe. But as he begins to adjust to his new powers and responsibilities, Mark gets more than he bargained for when he learns the real purpose behind his father’s mission to Earth.

How to read Invincible

We have the entire Invincible series in our collection, and there are a couple different ways you can read it.

Ultimate Collections

The entire Invincible series has been reprinted in twelve giant Ultimate Collections, each volume containing around 12 issues of the series apiece.

Invincible : ultimate collection, Volume 1 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 2 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 3 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 4 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 5 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 6 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 7 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 8 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 9 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 10 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 11 / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible : ultimate collection. Volume 12 / Kirkman, Robert

Original Volumes

We still have most of the original volumes of Invincible from when it was still being published. If you’re waiting on reserves for the Ultimate Collection, these might help you out in the meantime (each catalogue entry will tell you what issues are collected in each volume).

Invincible [4] : head of the class / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [5] : the facts of life / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [6] : a different world / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [7] : three’s company / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [12] : still standing / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [14] : the Viltrumite War / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [15] : get smart / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [16] : family ties / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [17] : what’s happening / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [18] : the death of everyone / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [19] : the war at home / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [21] : modern family / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [22] : reboot / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [23] : full house / Kirkman, Robert

Invincible [24] : the end of all things. Part one / Kirkman, Robert

Compendiums on the eLibrary

We also have the entire series on our eLibrary, Libby!

Invincible. Compendium One (issues #0-47)

Invincible. Compendium Two (issues #48-96)

Invincible. Compendium Three (issues #97-144)

Invincible spinoffs

Not included in the Invincible Ultimate Collections are the spinoff series Guarding the Globe and Invincible Universe. These series focus on a new team of the Guardians of the Globe as they tackle the global crises that spin out of the events of the main Invincible comic.

Guarding the Globe takes place after the Invincible War arc (collected in Ultimate Collection Volume 8), while Invincible Universe takes place after The Death of Everyone arc (collected in Ultimate Collection Volume 9).

Guarding the globe [1] : under siege / Kirkman, Robert

Guarding the globe [2] : hard to kill / Hester, Phil

Invincible Universe. Volume 1 / Hester, Phil

Invincible Universe [2] : above the law / Hester, Phil

Stand Alone Graphic Novels for Teens with Busy Schedules

By TackyCardigan

On Monday, 6 November, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, lgbtqia+, stuff to read

It’s that time of year, exams, assignments, school dances and proms, everything is happening and it’s really hard to find time to concentrate on reading anything too lengthy or complex. Picking up a series right now could be just a bit much in a busy schedule. But you need some down time, right? Here’s a list of recent picks of standalone graphic novels for you to give yourself a break with.

Four-color heroes / Fairgray, Richard
“Written and illustrated by Aotearoa/New Zealand-born creator Richard Fairgray, the story is set in a New Zealand high school during the passing of the Civil Union Act 2004. As tensions rose nationwide over the basic equal rights of same-sex couples, two boys were fighting a battle on a smaller scale, against enemies from within and without, as they found love and self-discovery through the pages of a comic book.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Crumbs / Stirling, Danie
“In a very special town, there’s an even more unusual bakery with a selection of baked treats hand-crafted to help your dreams come true. For Ray, a quiet young woman with special powers of her own, the order is always the same: a hot tea with a delicious side of romance. When Ray meets Laurie, the kind barista who aspires to be a professional musician, she gets a real taste of love for the first time. But even with a spark of magic, romance isn’t so simple.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Family style : memories of an American from Vietnam / Pham, Thien
“Thien’s first memory isn’t a sight or a sound. It’s the sweetness of watermelon and the saltiness of fish. It’s the taste of the foods he ate while adrift at sea as his family fled Vietnam. After the Pham family arrives at a refugee camp in Thailand, they struggle to survive. Things don’t get much easier once they resettle in California. And through each chapter of their lives, food takes on a new meaning. And for Thien Pham, that story is about a search… for belonging, for happiness, for the American dream.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Every day : the graphic novel / Levithan, David
“Every morning A wakes in a different person’s body, in a different person’s life, learning over the years to never get too attached, until he wakes up in the body of Justin and falls in love with Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Sunshine : how one camp taught me about life, death, and hope / Krosoczka, Jarrett
“When Jarrett J. Krosoczka was in high school, he was part of a program that sent students to be counselors at a camp for seriously ill kids and their families. Going into it, Jarrett was worried: Wouldn’t it be depressing, to be around kids facing such a serious struggle? Wouldn’t it be grim? But instead of the shadow of death, Jarrett found something else at Camp Sunshine: the hope and determination that gets people through the most troubled of times. He learned about the captivity of illness, for sure but he also learned about the freedom a safe space can bring.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

In limbo / Lee, Deborah
“Ever since Deborah (Jung-Jin) Lee emigrated from South Korea to the United States, she’s felt her otherness. For a while, her English wasn’t perfect. Her teachers can’t pronounce her Korean name. Her face and her eyes – especially her eyes – feel wrong. In high school, everything gets harder. Friendships change and end, she falls behind in classes, and fights with her mom escalate. But Deb is resilient and slowly heals with the help of art and self-care, guiding her to a deeper understanding of her heritage and herself.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Breath of the giant / Aureille, Tom
“The Giants live in the Lost Territories of the North, atop the mountains. The Ones who find their way there will, by killing one of these beasts, collect his breath and pass it on to a lifeless body. Against the Gods’ will, the deceased will then come back to life. Sisters Iris and Sophia are determined to find one of these Giants. They lost their mother too soon and put all their hopes in this quest. But the journey ahead of them will bring way more than they were bargaining for.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Issunboshi : a graphic novel / Lang, Ryan
“In a feudal Japan where creatures of myth and folklore are real, a demon sets out to reforge an ancient weapon to take over the world. The only person who can stop him is a six-inch-tall would-be samurai, who also happens to be the final and most important piece of the weapon.” (Catalogue)

Over my dead body / Boo, Sweeney
“One day, everything was exactly as it was supposed to be. And the next, the closest thing Abby ever had to a sister, Noreen, was just… gone. Distracted by the annual preparations for the Samhain festival, Abby’s classmates are quick to put Noreen’s disappearance aside. The Coven will find her, Abby’s friends say. They have it under control. But Abby can’t let it go. Soon a search for answers leads her down a rabbit hole that uncovers more secrets than Abby can handle.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Big Library Read – Artie and the Wolf Moon

By Joey Jonouchi

On Wednesday, 1 November, 2023

In horror and spooky stuff, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), stuff to read

The Big Library Read is now underway!

Big Library Read is like a worldwide digital version of a book club! Big Library Read is an opportunity for library users around the whole world to read the same ebook at the same time without any reserves queue!

This year, from 2 until 16th November 2023, the selected title is Artie and the Wolf Moon by Olivia Stephens.

Click here to borrow the book on Libby now!

After sneaking out against her mother’s wishes, Artie Irvin spots a massive wolf—then watches it don a bathrobe and transform into her mom. Thrilled to discover she comes from a line of werewolves, Artie asks her mom to share everything—including the story of Artie’s late father. Her mom reluctantly agrees. And to help Artie figure out her own wolflike abilities, her mom recruits some old family friends. Artie thrives in her new community and even develops a crush on her new friend Maya. But as she learns the history of werewolves and her own parents’ past, she’ll find that wolves aren’t the scariest thing in the woods—vampires are.

– Blurb

Just like a book club, you can contribute to discussion here: https://biglibraryread.com/join-the-discussion/.

Check out a letter from the author, and a discussion guide, over on Big Library Read’s current title page.

If you haven’t already, you can always download Libby on your smartphone as your one-stop-shop eLibrary! eLibrary Help – Getting started (wcl.govt.nz)

Happy reading folks!

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Loki

By Gus

On Tuesday, 31 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about Marvel’s God of Mischief, Loki!

Who is Loki?

Born to the Frost Giants of the realm of Jotunheim and adopted by Odin, the King of Asgard, Loki is the Norse God of Mischief and sibling to Thor, the God of Thunder.

When Thor is banished to Earth and becomes a superhero, Loki follows to menace him as a supervillain. Using their magic powers and skills in deception, Loki has been a thorn in Thor’s side for years. Famously, they were also the first threat to ever assemble The Avengers, and they’ve kept a vested interest in the team ever since, even becoming a member of the Young Avengers.

After years of villainy and mischief, Loki now plays a more ambivalent role in the Marvel Universe; sometimes they’re a hero, sometimes they’re a villain, sometimes they’re working for higher powers, sometimes they’re working for themselves. But whatever they do for whatever reason, to those that know them, Loki will never be trusted.

Some Low-Key Notes Before We Begin

Given Loki’s penchant for trickery, disguise, time travel, faking their death, and actually dying and being resurrected a couple of times, their timeline is incredibly complicated, weaving back and forth across the Marvel canon. I’ve done my best to put Loki’s appearances in chronological order of their personal timeline rather than the publishing date of the series they appear in.

In addition, Loki has three notable iterations (the original Norse god ‘Old Loki‘, the young anti-hero ‘Kid Loki‘, and the present incarnation Loki), the former two identifying as male with he/him pronouns and the third being genderfluid, able to change gender at a whim and identifying with the relevant pronoun depending on appearance. I’m going to default to ‘they/them’ for this incarnation, as current writers have done in Loki’s recent appearances.

Loki: God of Mischief

Following Thor to Earth, Loki uses his skill with magic and trickery to be a supervillain. In addition to continuing to menace his brother across Earth and Asgard, Loki also becomes the first threat that the Avengers ever assembled against. Loki’s iteration from his early appearances up to Siege is retroactively called ‘Old Loki’, though he will occasionally pop up via time travel to antagonise both Thor and his future self (see Agent of Asgard below).

‘Old Loki’ appearances

Thor : the mighty avenger / Langridge, Roger

The Avengers : Earth’s mightiest heroes. Volume 1, 1963-1965 / Lee, Stan

Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 1 (only on Libby)

Marvel Masterworks: The Avengers Volume 2 (only on Libby)

Loki (the Marvel-Verse collection)

The mighty Thor [3] / Simonson, Walter

Thor : Ragnaroks / Oeming, Michael Avon

Loki and the Siege of Asgard

When Norman Osborn (the Green Goblin) takes over the Avengers and SHIELD following Secret Invasion, he forms the Cabal (the villain equivalent of the Illuminati) and asks Loki to join. When Osborn begins to lose his grip on absolute power, Loki suggests he boost his status by leading a false flag attack on Asgard (which at this point in time hovered over a small town in Oklahoma), leading to the crossover story Siege.

Loki’s Journey to Siege

Secret invasion : Thor / Fraction, Matt

Dark reign : accept change

Siege : battlefield

Siege : Mighty Avengers / Slott, Dan

Siege / Bendis, Brian Michael

Kid Loki

After Siege, Loki is reborn as ‘Kid Loki’, a preteen Asgardian looking to get a fresh start. This Loki is still a schemer, but also more of a team player, working with Thor, the Young Avengers, and a cosmic team of gods called ‘The Asgardians of the Galaxy’.

Kid Loki appearances

The mighty Thor : journey into mystery : everything burns / Fraction, Matt

Young Avengers [1] : style > substance / Gillen, Kieron

Young Avengers [2] : alternative cultures / Gillen, Kieron

Mic-drop at the edge of time and space / Gillen, Kieron

The three Young Avengers volumes are also collected together as Young Avengers : the complete collection / Gillen, Kieron

Asgardians of the Galaxy [1] : the Infinity Armada / Bunn, Cullen

Asgardians of the Galaxy. Vol. 2, The war of the realms / Bunn, Cullen

There’s also a prose novel of the adventures of a younger Loki in nineteenth-century London, written by The Gentlemen’s Guide author Mackenzi Lee.

Loki : where mischief lies / Lee, Mackenzi

Loki: Agent of Asgard

After their adventures with the Young Avengers, Loki becomes the Agent of Asgard, working behind the scenes to maintain their hallowed home’s place in the cosmic order. Along the way, Loki confronts their alternate selves, gains a greater awareness of their purpose, and later assists the Defenders in an adventure beyond the Multiverse.

Loki: Agent of Asgard reading order

Loki : agent of Asgard [1] : trust me / Ewing, Al

Original sin : Thor & Loki : the tenth realm / Aaron, Jason

Loki : agent of Asgard [2] : I cannot tell a lie / Ewing, Al

Loki : agent of Asgard [3] : last days / Ewing, Al

The entire Agent of Asgard series is also collected as Loki, agent of Asgard : the complete collection / Ewing, Al

Defenders : beyond / Ewing, Al

Loki: Schemer, Sorcerer… Politician?

When the multiverse resets following Secret Wars, Loki has a pretty full schedule of mischief: menacing the new Thor Jane Foster, running for president in Vote Loki, briefly becoming the Sorcerer Supreme, awakening a dead Celestial buried on Earth (which kicks off Jason Aaron’s long-running and recently concluded Avengers run), and leading a ragtag team of Avengers to gather the Infinity Stones.

Post-Secret Wars Loki appearances

The mighty Thor [1] : thunder in her veins / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The mighty Thor [2] : Lords of Midgard / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The mighty Thor [3] : the Asgard/Shi’ar war / Aaron, Jason

Vote Loki / Hastings, Chris

Doctor Strange. 1, God of magic / Cates, Donny (also collected in Doctor Strange / Cates, Donny)

Marvel legacy

The Avengers [1] : the final host / Aaron, Jason

Infinity Wars / Duggan, Gerry

War of the Lokis

Loki learns that their past self had a hand in starting The War of the Realms, a massive conflict between the Avengers and an invasion force of villains from across the Ten Realms. They also learn of a prophecy where a version of ‘Old Loki’ is fated to destroy Asgard, which is explored in the miniseries King Thor.

Loki in the War of the Realms reading order

Thor [1] : God of Thunder reborn / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

Thor [2] : road to war of the realms / Aaron, Jason (also on Libby)

The unbeatable Squirrel Girl. Vol. 11, Call your squirrelfriend / North, Ryan

The war of the realms / Aaron, Jason

Loki : the god who fell to Earth / Kibblesmith, Daniel (also on Libby)

King Thor / Aaron, Jason

Return of the God of Lies

In their most recent series, Loki must travel the universe to find the pieces of a cursed weapon he built back in ancient times to prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.

Loki : the liar / Watters, Dan

Thor and Loki

Despite their differences over the centuries, the two Asgardian brothers make a great team, with Thor’s brash honesty and raw strength complimenting Loki’s trickery and magical deceptions. Here are a few series that feature their adventures together (and if you’re interested in more Thor books, I wrote a guide for them here!)

Thor and Loki adventures

Thor & Loki . Blood brothers / Rodi, Robert

The mighty Thor : journey into mystery : everything burns / Fraction, Matt

Original sin : Thor & Loki : the tenth realm / Aaron, Jason

Loki : agent of Asgard [2] : I cannot tell a lie / Ewing, Al

Thor and Loki : double trouble / Tamaki, Mariko

An Anthology of Anthologies of Anthologies! S̶͖̎̍̃͠ṗ̸̠O̴̤͑ọ̵͛̇̃Ḱ̴͕̝̞̌̾͌ỳ̷͓̜̄̃̽ ̵̭͓͍̄́͂Ș̵̝̱͍̐̈́͆̇c̷̭̜̹̀̿͝͠Ä̵͕́̿r̶̢̘̗̂͆͛̅Y̵͓̰̬̘̓͠ ̷͈̺̊̈̀ͅh̵͉̀̿̏̚O̸̦̥͖͓̽͛͝ȑ̵̡̼̈́̄́R̸͙͎͗̽ö̶̳̀͝R̴̤̓͘ͅ ̷̨̡̨͍͂s̷̫̠̎͒͂͜T̴̠͕̖͔̈́̒͛̅ơ̶̜̮̝̇͌R̸͉̲̂͌̃ì̵̢͋̈́͒Ȩ̴̟̩̻̅s̵̹̠͈̀͜͠!

By J'Shuall of Jackanapery

On Saturday, 28 October, 2023

In An Anthology of Anthologies of Anthologies, cryptids (yes, father christmas is a cryptid), horror and spooky stuff, silly holidays everyone cares about, stuff to read

via GIPHY

On this very dawn of All Hallow’s Eve
Where ghost and ghouls; the horrors you conceive
Come out, come play, do some trick or treating
For that joyous time that’s oh so fleeting
It’s the spooky season: great October
Macabre machinations are in order
And what’s more in spirit of the season
Terrifying ourselves, within reason
A tradition as old as time itself
Only a little hazardous to health
Some scary stories to tell in the dark
Are you afraid? With goosebumps you embark
Into the twilight zone, where you will find
The Cryptkeeper telling tales most unkind
What better a place for the short story
Bound to an end that’s doomed to be gory
A pinprick of fear, or if you have guts
Torment yourself with a thousand papercuts
So gather ’round the fire, go dim the lights
And prepare yourself for a world of frights

via GIPHY

Skin and other stories / Dahl, Roald
“”Who could imagine that a woman would kill her husband with a frozen leg of lamb – and then feed it to the police investigating the murder? Or that a greedy group of art dealers would stop at nothing to separate a poor man from a valuable picture – that’s tattooed on this back?” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Hometown haunts : #LoveOzYA horror tales
“One bite of an apple from a family shrine unearths hungry ghosts. A poison garden unfurls a polite boy’s deepest, darkest desires. Interfering with an Indigenous burial site unleashes ancestral revenge, to a metal soundtrack. An underground dance party during Covid threatens to turn lethal. And on the edge of a coastal rainforest, a grieving sister waits to witness a mysterious ‘unravelling’. The stories in this wide-ranging collection dig deep and go hard. From body horror to the supernatural, hauntings to transformations, and the everyday evil of humans to menacing outside forces, Hometown Haunts will have you glued to your chair … until you leap out of it!” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Extremities : stories of death, murder, and revenge / Lubar, David
“A group of high school girls takes revenge on their sadistic gym teacher in the most fitting way possible. Two stowaways find themselves on a ship for the dead. An ancient predator stalks the wrong victim. Here are thirteen tales of death, murder, and revenge”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The Dark-Thirty / McKissack, Patricia
“In that special half-hour of twilight–the dark-thirty–there are stories to be told. Mesmerizing, suspenseful, and breathtakingly original, these tales make up a heart-stopping collection of lasting value, a book not quickly forgotten. From the Trade Paperback edition.” (Catalogue)

Monstrous affections : an anthology of beastly tales
“An anthology of stories explores the intersection of fear and romance, ambition and sacrifice, loneliness and rage, love requited and avenged, and the boundless potential for connection, even across extreme borders.” (Catalogue)

NEvermore! : tales of murder, mystery & the macabre : neo-gothic fiction inspired by the imagination of Edgar Allan Poe
“22 original, modern stories, many by New York Times bestselling mystery and dark fantasy authors, recreating Poe’s genius and atmospheric brilliance through riffs on his classic tales.”–Back cover,” (Catalogue)

Teeth : vampire tales
“The first bite is only the beginning. Twenty of today’s favorite writers explore the intersections between the living, dead, and undead. Their vampire tales range from romantic to chilling to gleeful–and touch on nearly every emotion in between. Drawn from folk traditions around the world, popular culture, and original interpretations, the vampires in this collection are enticingly diverse. But reader beware: The one thing they have in common is their desire for blood… ” (Catalogue)

The complete stories / Poe, Edgar Allan
“Edgar Allan Poe’s gift for the macabre influenced Baudelaire and French symbolism, Freudian analysis, the detective novel and the Hollywood film. His psychologically profound stories, which comprise this book, represent the darker side of the 19th-century American sensibility.” (Catalogue)

Uncle Montague’s tales of terror / Priestley, Chris
“Uncle Montague lives alone in a big house and his regular visits from his nephew give him the opportunity to relive some of the most frightening stories he knows. But as the stories unfold, a newer and more surprising narrative emerges, one that is perhaps the most frightening of all.” (Catalogue)

Man made monsters / Rogers, Andrea L.
“Haunting illustrations are woven throughout these horror stories that follow one extended Cherokee family across the centuries and well into the future as they encounter predators of all kinds in each time period.” (Catalogue)

Slasher girls & monster boys
“Inspired by classic tales and films, a collection of fourteen short stories ranging from bloody horror, to psychological thrillers, to supernatural creatures, to unsettling, all-too-possible realism, by acclaimed YA authors of every genre”– Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

Red Spikes / Lanagan, Margo
“Ten stabs to the heart. Ten tales to jab and poke – at your darkest fears, your secret desires. Margo Lanagan’s short stories take place in worlds not quite our own, and yet each one illuminates what it is to be human. They are stories of yearning for more, and learning to live with what you have. Stories that show the imprint love leaves on us all. For anyone who likes to be surprised, touched, unsettled, intrigued, or scared, prepare to be dazzled by what a master storyteller can do in a few short pages.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The ghosts of heaven / Sedgwick, Marcus
“The spiral has existed as long as time has existed. It’s there when a girl walks through the forest, the moist green air clinging to her skin. There centuries later in a pleasant green dale, hiding the treacherous waters of Golden Beck that take Anna, who they call a witch. There on the other side of the world, where a mad poet watches the waves and knows the horrors they hide, and far into the future as Keir Bowman realises his destiny. Each takes their next step in life. None will ever go back to the same place. And so their journeys begin…”–Book jacket” (Catalogue)

Look No Further: New Teen Books in the Collection

By TackyCardigan

On Wednesday, 18 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, dystopia, espionage and sneaky spies, mysteries & whodunnits, realistic fiction, stuff to read

October’s crop of new books for teens is a bumper one! There’s a little bit of something for everyone in these latest arrivals, mystery, romance, survival, families, murder, suspense… even Batman’s butler Alfred in his youth. Take a look at just a few of the new titles available this month…

Look no further / Robinson, Rioghnach
“When Nico and Ali meet at Ogilvy Summer Art Institute, a selective camp for art students in New York City, they seem like complete opposites. When a teacher assigns them as pairs for a genealogy project, Ali and Niko are shocked to find they have a lot more in common than they bargained for. On a quest to uncover their shared history, Ali finds herself falling for her roommate, who may have already fallen for another girl at Ogilvy. Surfer-bro Niko struggles to find his footing in the glamorous NYC art scene. Only when they face real heartbreak can they accept the most transformative revelation of the best art is what you make, not just what you see.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Frontera / Anta, Julio
“As long as he remembers to stay smart and keep his eyes open, Mateo knows that he can survive the trek across the Sonoran Desert that will take him from Mexico to the United States. That is until he’s caught by the Border Patrol only moments after sneaking across the fence in the dead of night. If you’d asked him if ghosts were real before he found himself face-to-face with one, Mateo wouldn’t have even considered it. But now, confronted with the nearly undeniable presence of Guillermo, he’s having second thoughts. As his journey stretches on, Mateo will have to decide exactly what and who he’s willing to sacrifice to find home.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Ride or die / Musikavanhu, Gail-Agnes
“From illegal snack swapping in kindergarten to reckless car surfing in high school, Loli Crawford and Ryan Pope have been causing trouble in their uptight California town forever. Everyone knows that the mischief starts with Loli. When Loli throws the wildest party Woolridge High has ever seen just to steal a necklace, she meets X, an unidentified boy in a coat closet, who challenges her to a game she can’t refuse. Loli and X and X exchange increasingly risky missions. As she attempts to one-up X’s every move, Loli risks losing everything– including her oldest friend.” (Catalogue)

Paper planes / Wood, Jennie
“After a life altering incident, Dylan and Leighton are sent to a summer camp for troubled youth. They both need a good evaluation at the camp. Otherwise, they’ll be sent away, unable to attend high school with their friends. While participating in camp activities and chores, Dylan and Leighton are pushed onto personal journeys of self-discovery and are forced to re-examine the events that led up to the incident that sent them to camp, the incident that threatens their futures and their friendship with each other. Can Dylan and Leighton save their friendship and protect their future while trying to survive camp?” (Catalogue)

Thirty to sixty days / Wood, Alikay
“A compulsive liar with a quick-witted response to everything, Hattie Larken is willing to do whatever it takes to just skate through the rest of high school and she can escape the mind-numbing monotony of this town. Then she finds out she is dying– exposed to a parasite because of a mistake her mom’s company made. Two other kids from her class also have been exposed: Carmen, the class president with a loving family, and a totally beautiful girlfriend; and Albie, a quiet kid who survived childhood cancer only to deal with this. With only thirty to sixty days to live, they decide to: Steal and sail a boat to Miami. Adopt a turtle. Sneak into a sold-out music festival. And maybe film all their misadventures….” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Young Alfred : pain in the butler / Northrop, Michael
“Bruce Wayne wouldn’t be Batman without his righthand man, Alfred Pennyworth. But was Alfred born to be the greatest butler in the world? Not exactly… When Alfred attends the prestigious Gotham Servants School, he is a clumsy and nervous boy going to fulfill his father’s last wish–he will become…a butler! Pushed out of his comfort zone, Alfred must adjust to new surroundings and responsibilities while trying to ace his courses and get along with his classmates. But when he suspects that his school may be involved in a criminal plot, Alfred must look within himself to see if he has what it takes to be not only a butler, but a hero.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Four found dead / Richards, Natalie D.
“Tempest Theaters is closing: tonight is their last night. It’s the last remaining business in a defunct shopping mall. The moviegoers have left, and Jo and her six coworkers have the final shift, cleaning up popcorn and mopping floors for the last time. An unexpected altercation puts everyone on edge, the power goes out– and the manager disappears, along with the keys to the lobby doors and the theater safe, where the crew’s phones are locked each shift. When a body is discovered, their only escape is through the dark, shuttered mall. To survive the night, Jo and her coworkers must trust one another, navigate the ruins of the mall, and outwit a killer before he kills again.” (Catalogue)

Firebird / Sunmi
“Caroline Kim is feeling the weight of sophomore year. When she starts tutoring infamous senior Kimberly Park-Ocampo – a charismatic lesbian, friend to rich kids and punks alike – Caroline is flustered… but intrigued Their friendship kindles and before they know it, the two are sneaking out for late-night drives, bonding beneath the stars over music, dreams, and a shared desire of getting away from it all. A connection begins to smolder… but will feelings of guilt and the mounting pressure of life outside of these adventures extinguish their spark before it catches fire?” (Catalogue)

I am the Mau : & other stories / Glasheen, Chemutai
“This enticing collection of contemporary fiction is a celebration of our ubuntu- the invisible ties that bind us all together. From ancient forest guardians to modern cultural warriors, from grappling with age-old traditions to championing hair identity, these evocative stories explore the duality of Kenyan life and how to find a way between two cultures, both of which are yours.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Monstrous : a transracial adoption story / Myer, Sarah
“Sarah has always struggled to fit in. Born in South Korea and adopted at birth by a white couple, she grows up in a rural community with few Asian neighbours. People whisper in the supermarket. Classmates bully her. She has trouble containing her anger in these moments – but through it all, she has her art. She’s always been a compulsive drawer, and when she discovers anime, her hobby becomes an obsession. Though drawing and cosplay offer her an escape, she still struggles to connect with others. And in high school, the bullies are louder and meaner. Sarah’s bubbling rage is threatening to burst.” (Catalogue)

For more new books in the collection, go to: What’s new / October 2023 (wcl.govt.nz)

An Anthology of Anthologies of Anthologies! Merry Generic Book Celebration Time!

By J'Shuall of Jackanapery

On Sunday, 8 October, 2023

In An Anthology of Anthologies of Anthologies, internet culture, isn't that cool?, silly holidays everyone cares about, stuff to read

It may come to no surprise that I am interested in silly holiday celebrations. But where do I find all of these preposterous party-purposes?

Well.

To pull back the curtain a bit…

via GIPHY

There’s this funny little website I use to look through all the different days of the year, called (shockingly enough) Days of the Year. It tells me every*^{I mean, I assume, it’s not like I check*^{Plus it doesn’t seem to care very much about actual “real” holidays that people actually celebrate but pssh we don’t need people or authority}} holiday for any day I want to look of. Now, these are all super official holidays™ that absolutely everyone™ knows. Like our beloved and much celebrated National Small Press Month. Whether these days are actually pertinent to us in New Zealand is irrelevant. For example, this lovely month of October is none other than Library Month*

…

*In Canada…

Look, there’s 365 and a quarter days in a year, and each day is generally celebrating like 9ish different things, not even including special months. Not all of them are winners. In fact, there can often be a lot of overlap, like how August 8 is International Cat Day, which is separate from October 29: National Cat Day, or October 16: Global Cat Day.

I like to look through all these days to find exciting and strange holidays to celebrate fun things, but I end up finding patterns sometimes. There are a whole bunch of days that are just gimmes for a librarian writing about books. Days about books and libraries and whatnot. But if I just wrote for those holidays what would be the point? They’d all be the same. Instead, I decided to knock them all out. In the spirit of Canadian Library Month let’s have a look at all the generic book holidays!

January!

National Word Nerd Day (January 9th) | Days Of The Year

February!

National Library Lover’s Month (February 2024) | Days Of The Year

World Read Aloud Day (February 3rd) | Days Of The Year

National Read In The Bathtub Day (February 9th) | Days Of The Year

International Book Giving Day (February 14th) | Days Of The Year

March!

Return Borrowed Books Week (Mar 3rd to Mar 9th) | Days Of The Year

Read an E-Book Week (Mar 3rd to Mar 9th) | Days Of The Year

World Book Day (March 7th, 2024) | Days Of The Year

International Read To Me Day (March 19th) | Days Of The Year

April!

National Librarian Day (April 16th) | Days Of The Year

World Book Night (April 23rd) | Days Of The Year

English Language Day (April 23rd) | Days Of The Year

National Tell A Story Day (April 27th) | Days Of The Year

May!

National Get Caught Reading Month (May 2023) | Days Of The Year

June!

Audiobook Month (June 2023) | Days Of The Year

July!

Paperback Book Day (July 30th) | Days Of The Year

August!

Blogger Day (August 5th) | Days Of The Year

National Book Lovers Day (August 9th) | Days Of The Year

September!

National Read a Book Day (September 6th) | Days Of The Year

National Buy a Book Day (September 7th) | Days Of The Year

International Literacy Day (September 8th) | Days Of The Year

Read An Ebook Day (September 18th) | Days Of The Year

National Library Card Sign-up Month (September 2023) | Days Of The Year

Read A New Book Month (September 2023) | Days Of The Year

October!

Canadian Library Month (October 2023) | Days Of The Year

✨Nothing✨

…

Nothing!

via GIPHY

The gall! I bet they’re just mad because despite being named the 9th and 10th month (novem means 9 and decem means 10 in Latin) they’re the 11th and 12th months. Do they think they’re better than us? BAH! We don’t need them!

ahem

Anyway.

To lean into this generic bookishness, I have gathered some anthologies together for your reading pleasure. A grand variety of different genres and types of story. So go ahead and read, before the baleful November and December rains its fury.

A tyranny of petticoats : 15 stories of belles, bank robbers & other badass girls
“From pirate ships off the coast of the Carolinas to the peace, love, and protests of 1960s Chicago, take a thrill ride through history with American girls charting their own course. They are monsters and mediums, bodyguards and barkeeps, screenwriters and schoolteachers, heiresses and hobos. They’re making their own way in often-hostile lands, using every weapon in their arsenals, facing down murderers and marriage proposals. And they all have a story to tell.” (Catalogue)

Willful impropriety : 13 tales of society, scandal, and romance
“The Season has finally arrived, filled with the magnificent balls, scandalous gossip, and clandestine romances that every lord and lady in good society has come to expect. But far within the walls of lavish estates and in the dark corners of the city lies a world that the aristocracy dares not touch, with rules and risks that glamour cannot overpower. Yet true love has no boundaries, and heiresses and street thieves alike must use their savvy and strength to create new beginnings and happily-ever-afters. Sometimes luck is enough, but every once in a while, a touch of magic may be needed.” (Catalogue)

That stubborn seed of hope : stories / Falkner, Brian
“A boy helps his sister disguise her birthmark on her first day of school. A seventeen-year-old awakens to find himself trapped in an elderly body. A teenage girl discovers her boyfriend has a life-threatening virus the day after they share their first kiss. A high school student tries to communicate to his hospitalised brother who is in a vegetative state. Brian Falkner serves up bite-sized tales of fear – fear of rejection, fear of dying, fear of disease, fear of the unknown, fear of exclusion, fear of being caught and fear of embarrassment – showing how that stubborn seed of hope hungers our darkest moments.” (Catalogue)

Who done it? : investigation of murder most foul
“When over eighty prominent children’s authors learn they are suspects in the murder of despicable book editor Herman Mildew, they provide less-than-credible alibis.” (Catalogue)

Rags & bones : new twists on timeless tales
“In this collection, award-winning and bestselling authors reimagine their favorite classic stories, the ones that have inspired, awed, and enraged them, the ones that have become ingrained in modern culture, and the ones that have been too long overlooked.” (Catalogue)

Tales from the inner city / Tan, Shaun
“World-renowned artist Shaun Tan applies his unique imagination to a reflection on the nature of humans and animals, and our urban coexistence. From crocodile to frog, tiger to bee, this is a dark and surreal exploration of the perennial love and destruction we feel and inflict – of how animals can save us, and how our lives are forever entwined, for better or for worse.” (Catalogue)

Athletic Shorts / Crutcher, Chris
“These six powerful short stories chronicle bits of the lives of characters, major and minor, who have walked the rugged terrain of Chris Crutcher’s earlier works. They also introduce some new and unforgettable personalities who may well be heard from again in future books. As with all Crutcher’s work, these are stories about athletes, and yet they are not sport stories. They are tales of love and death, bigotry and heroism, of real people doing their best even when that best isn’t very good. Crutcher’s straightforward style and total honesty have earned him an admiring audience and made readers of many nonreaders.” (Catalogue)

Off the map / Gardner, Scot
“Our home town. Sometimes it feels like the centre of the universe, sometimes it’s the bum-end of nowhere. We are her sons and daughters. These are our triumphs and our heartaches, our fears and hopes for a better life. Getting lost, falling in love, pushing boundaries, exploring the world – powerfully honest stories to make you think and feel, from the award-winning author of The Dead I Know and Changing Gear.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

Sixteen / McCafferty, Megan
“Dating! Drama! Driving!Remember what it was like to be sixteen? Whether it was the year your teeth were finally free of braces or the year you were discovered by the opposite sex, that magical, mystical age is something you will never forget. Sixteen: Stories About That Sweet and Bitter Birthday is a compilation of short stories inspired by all the angst, melodrama, and wonderment of being sixteen. Sarah Dessen’s “Infinity” is about a girl confronting two major milestones: getting her driver’s license and losing her virginity. The Dead Girls in Jacqueline Woodson’s “Nebraska 99” have already decided to “do it” and must now cope with being teenage mothers. And Carolyn Mackler’s “Mona Lisa, Jesus, Chad, and Me” explores whether friendship can survive when partying and prayer clash.” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The realm of possibility / Levithan, David
“A variety of students at the same high school describe their ideas, experiences, and relationships in a series of interconnected free verse stories.” (Catalogue)

Unnatural creatures
“Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds–collected and introduced by beloved New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman. The sixteen stories gathered by Gaiman, winner of the Hugo and Nebula Awards, range from the whimsical to the terrifying. Magical creatures from the werewolf, to the sunbird, to beings never before classified will thrill, delight, and quite possibly unnerve you in tales by E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Gahan Wilson, and other literary luminaries. Sales of Unnatural Creatures benefit 826DC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students in their creative and expository writing, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.” (Catalogue)

Blutant Blurtles: The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… Blue Beetle and Ninja Turtles

By Gus

On Thursday, 5 October, 2023

In comics and graphic novels, stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

“Blutant Blurtles: Adolescent Armored Animals”

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about two armoured animal adolescent heroes who recently made the leap from comics to the big screen: Blue Beetle, and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Who is Blue Beetle?

Blue Beetle is a title held by heroes who possess the Scarab, a beetle-shaped artifact that can turn into a metallic insectoid armour. Its most recent bearer is high school student Jaime Reyes, who uses the Scarab’s abilities to protect Palmera City alongside his mentor, the previous Blue Beetle Ted Kord.

Blue Beetle’s Surprisingly Important History

Despite being a minor hero compared to the likes of Superman or Spider-Man, Blue Beetle has a long and storied history in the world of comics.

For starters, Blue Beetle was not originally a DC Comics character; the first Blue Beetle, a rookie cop named Dan Garrett, was first created by Charles Wojtkoski for Fox Feature Syndicate in 1939 (a year after the debut of Superman). The character was later bought by Charlton Comics, where he received a new identity in businessman Ted Kord and got a sleek redesign (see right) by original Spider-Man artist Steve Ditko.

After Charlton went under, their characters were bought by DC and incorporated into their multiverse on Earth-4. You can read about their adventures in the story ‘Pax Americana‘ in The Multiversity series.

Versions of the Charlton heroes also exist in the ‘prime’ DC Comics timeline of Earth-0, including the atomic army man Captain Atom, the faceless detective The Question, the shadow-wielding spy Nightshade, the patriotic soldier (and recent TV sensation) Peacemaker, and of course, Blue Beetle.

The Charlton heroes then went on to inspire the characters of Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ celebrated comic Watchmen, considered one of the greatest graphic novels ever made; Blue Beetle’s analogue there is the tech-using animal-themed hero Nite Owl. ‘Pax Americana‘ in Multiversity incorporates elements of Watchmen into its version of Earth-4, and Watchmen‘s official sequel Doomsday Clock has the Charlton heroes collide with the graphic novel they influenced in the most obvious way possible, fighting Doctor Manhattan on the surface of Mars.

Ted Kord – Blue Beetle II

The first Blue Beetle was Dan Garrett, a blue-armoured adventurer in the 1940s. The Scarab then passed to businessman Ted Kord, who couldn’t use the Scarab’s powers but incorporated its design into his costume and his trademark insect-shaped aircraft, the Bug. Ted has been a member of the Justice League International and its low-rent revival ‘the Super Buddies’.

Blue Beetle Ted Kord appearances

Blue Beetle. Volume one / Wein, Len

Justice League task force. Volume 1, The purification plague / Michelinie, David

Formerly known as the Justice League / Giffen, Keith

Convergence : infinite earths. Book two

Suicide Squad : bad blood / Taylor, Tom

Doomsday clock : the complete collection / Johns, Geoff

The human target. Volume one / King, Tom

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua

The Blue and the Gold

In the days of Justice League International, Ted was frequently paired with time-travelling hero Booster Gold as a comedy duo, with the modest, level-headed Ted trying to keep the vainglorious, easily duped Booster out of trouble. After Ted died, Booster would try to use time travel to revive his friend by meddling with history. With the timeline being rewritten after DC Rebirth, Ted is alive once more, mentoring the third Blue Beetle, Jaime Reyes.

Booster Gold and Blue Beetle team-ups

Formerly known as the Justice League / Giffen, Keith

Booster Gold : blue and gold / Johns, Geoff

Justice League 3000. Volume 2, The Camelot war / Giffen, Keith

Convergence : flashpoint book 1

Heroes in crisis / King, Tom

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua

Ted Across the Multiverse

As mentioned above, a version of Ted appears on Earth-4 with the original Charlton characters in Multiversity. Ted is finally able to use the Scarab’s armour in Kingdom Come and takes Batman’s side in an encroaching superhero war (the other Charlton heroes also cameo in the story’s inciting incident). In a twisted possible timeline from the Dark Multiverse, Ted becomes a technologically enhanced tyrant called ‘OBAC’ – the One-Beetle Army Corps.

Kingdom come : the 20th anniversary deluxe edition / Waid, Mark

The Multiversity / Morrison, Grant

Tales from the DC dark multiverse

Jaime Reyes

Jaime Reyes is a Mexican-American high schooler from Texas who comes across the Scarab, which promptly fuses to his body and allows him to manifest armour and weapons at will. Jaime learns the Scarab is actually an agent of a conquering alien empire called The Reach, and he sets out to redeem its power for good. Proving his worth as a hero, Jaime later joins the Teen Titans.

Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes appearances

Post-Crisis

Blue Beetle : road trip / Rogers, John

Blue Beetle : boundaries / Sturges, Matthew

Teen Titans : Titans of tomorrow

Teen Titans : changing of the guard / McKeever, Sean

The New 52/DC Rebirth

Blue Beetle. Volume 1, Metamorphosis / Bedard, Tony

Threshold. Volume 1, The hunted / Giffen, Keith

Blue Beetle. Vol. 3, Road to nowhere / Sebela, Christopher

Dark crisis on infinite Earths / Williamson, Joshua

Blue Beetle : graduation day / Trujillo, Josh

Jaime Across the Multiverse

Jaime is a late recruit to ‘The Team’ in the world of Young Justice, where the sidekicks of the Justice League form a black ops unit to save the world covertly. In the second series of Injustice, Jaime becomes Blue Beetle after Ted Kord’s passing, and joins Batman’s resistance.

Young Justice [4] : invasion / Weisman, Greg

Injustice 2. Vol. 1 / Taylor, Tom

Who are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Four ordinary turtles were exposed to a can of Ooze, which caused them to mutate into humanoid forms. Falling into the sewers and adopted by a kindly rat named Splinter, the four turtle brothers learned martial arts under his tutelage and took on names and trademark ninjutsu weapons, defending New York in secret from ancient and alien threats.

Leonardo leads. Donatello does machines. Raphael has attitude. Michelangelo is a party dude. They are the heroes in a half shell, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles!

Original Indie Ninja Turtles

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles first appeared in an indie comic by Kevin Eastman and Peter Laird, skewering the 1980s obsession with ninjas, especially in Frank Miller’s Daredevil (the Ooze is implied to be the radioactive waste that blinded a young Matt Murdock). We have the earliest issues of their indie comic in this volume here:

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume one / Eastman, Kevin B

Licensed Comic Ninja Turtles

The Turtles have been rebooted numerous times across media, including comics, television, and movies. The current Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles comic series is a reboot by original Turtles creator Kevin Eastman and artist Tom Waltz, aiming to streamline the Turtles lore from various media into one comic.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 1, Change is constant / Eastman, Kevin B

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 2, Enemies old, enemies new / Eastman, Kevin B

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 3, Shadows of the past / Waltz, Tom

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 4, Sins of the fathers / Waltz, Tom

Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Volume 5 / Lawson, Jim

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles : the Armageddon game / Waltz, Tom

Explore the World’s Literature for International Translation Day!

By J'Shuall of Jackanapery

On Saturday, 30 September, 2023

In silly holidays everyone cares about, stuff to read

I’ll make a bet with you, I bet that for the vast majority of readers of this here blog the best book you have ever read was written in English.

Did I get it right?

Of course I did, I’m a psychic. That and the fact that this is an English language blog, written for a library in a predominantly English speaking country, aimed at teenagers, who (considering our education system) are probably only fluent in English. (If that’s not you, rock on!) One could be mistaken for thinking that only the anglophones can write good books.

Well you’re wrong, Blatant Straw Man!

There is a whole world of great literature that is just waiting for us, if only we could read the funny letters… I mean look at the word “baguette,” what is one to comprehend from these squiggles?

But there is a solution!

(There is always a solution)!

Some wild people have this superpower where they can understand more than one language, unbelievable I know. These people, these “cultured human beings” or “polyglots” for short, take the words of these foreign stories and transform them into words us Anglos can understand. This is called translating, and some lucky books receive this treatment, transcending the boundaries of language.

Wow, look at the calendar, it just so happens to be September 30th, International Translation Day. What a coincidence.

To celebrate these oft forgotten workers, let us embrace the foreign and delight in the stories only they could bring to our eyes.

So, without further ado, let us look at some English books from our collection that weren’t always in our mother tongue (if you’re in the market for more such stories, check out our Books From Around the World list here!)

Beginning with!

Japanese!

via GIPHY

The girl from the other side : siúil, a rún. Vol. 1 / Nagabe
“In a world split between the Inside and the Outside, those living in both realms are told never to cross over to the other side, lest they be cursed. A young girl named Shiva lives on the other side, in a vacant village with a demonic guardian known only as Teacher. Although the two are forbidden to touch, they seem to share a bond that transcends their disparate appearances. But when Shiva leaves Teacher’s care to seek out her grandmother, the secret behind her mysterious living arrangement comes to light.” (Catalogue)

Komi can’t communicate. Volume 1 / Oda, Tomohito
“Socially anxious high school student Shoko Komi would love to make friends, but her shyness is interpreted as reserve, and the other students keep her at a distance. Only timid Tadano realizes the truth, and despite his own desire to blend in, he decides to help her achieve her goal of making 100 friends.”–Provided by publisher.” (Catalogue)

The beast player / Uehashi, Nahoko
“Elin’s family care for the fearsome serpents that form the core of their kingdom’s army. When some of the beasts mysteriously die, Erin’s mother is sentenced to death. Elin is sent to safety and soon discovers that she can talk to terrifying water serpents and the flying beasts that guard her queen. This skill gives her great powers but endanger her life. Can she save herself and prevent her beloved beasts from being used as tools of war?– Adapted from back cover.” (Catalogue)

Brazilian Portuguese!

via GIPHY

Where we go from here / Rocha, Lucas
“When Victor finds himself getting tested for HIV for the first time, he can’t help but question his entire relationship with Henrique, the guy he has-had-been dating. See, Henrique didn’t disclose his positive HIV status to Victor until after they had sex, and even though Henrique insisted on using every possible precaution, Victor is livid. That’s when Victor meets Ian, a guy who’s also getting tested for HIV. But Ian’s test comes back positive, and his world is about to change forever. Though Victor is loath to think about Henrique, he offers to put the two of them in touch, hoping that perhaps Henrique can help Ian navigate his new life. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

French

via GIPHY

You can’t kill Snow White / Alemagna, Béatrice
“A retelling of Snow White from the point of view of the stepmother queen, whose blinding obsession and insatiable jealousy lead inexorably to her own violent undoing.” (Catalogue)

The Count of Monte Cristo / Dumas, Alexandre
“Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. (Goodreads)

A winter’s promise / Dabos, Christelle
“Plain-spoken, headstrong Ophelia cares little about appearances. Her ability to read the past of objects is unmatched in all of Anima and, what’s more, she possesses the ability to travel through mirrors, a skill passed down to her from previous generations. Her idyllic life is disrupted, however, when she is promised in marriage to Thorn, a taciturn and influential member of a distant clan. Ophelia must leave all she knows behind and follow her fiancé to Citaceleste, the capital of a cold, icy ark known as the Pole, where danger lurks around every corner and nobody can be trusted. There, in the presence of her inscrutable future husband, Ophelia slowly realizes that she is a pawn in a political game that will have far-reaching ramifications not only for her but for her entire world.”– Amazon.com.” (Catalogue)

German!

via GIPHY

The storyteller / Michaelis, Antonia
“Wealthy, seventeen-year-old Anna begins to fall in love with her classmate, Abel, a drug dealer from the wrong side of town, when she hears him tell a story to his six-year-old sister, but when his enemies begin turning up dead, Anna fears she has fallen for a murderer.” (Catalogue)

Erebos : it’s a game, it watches you / Poznanski, Ursula
“Ages 12 to 14 years When 16-year-old Nick receives a package containing the mysterious computer game Erebos, he wonders if it will explain the behavior of his classmates, who have been secretive lately. Players of the game must obey strict rules: always play alone, never talk about the game, and never tell anyone your nickname. Curious, Nick joins the game and quickly becomes addicted. But Erebos knows a lot about the players and begins to manipulate their lives. When it sends Nick on a deadly assignment, he refuses and is banished from the game. Now unable to play, Nick turns to a friend for help in finding out who controls the game. The two set off on a dangerous mission in which the border between reality and the virtual world begins to blur. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)

The book jumper / Gläser, Mechthild
“Amy Lennox doesn’t know quite what to expect when she and her mother leave Germany for Scotland, heading to Lennox House, her mother’s childhood home on the island of Stormsay. Amy’s grandmother insists that Amy must read while she resides at Lennox House — but not in the usual way. Amy learns that she is a book jumper, able to leap into a story and interact with the world inside. As thrilling as her new power is, it also brings danger: someone is stealing from the books she visits, and that person may be after her life. Teaming up with fellow book jumper Will, Amy vows to get to the bottom of the thefts — at whatever cost.” (Catalogue)

Swedish!

via GIPHY

Maresi / Turtschaninoff, Maria
“Maresi came to the Red Abbey when she was thirteen, in the Hunger Winter. Before then, she had only heard rumours of its existence in secret folk tales. In a world where girls aren’t allowed to learn or do as they please, an island inhabited solely by women sounded like a fantasy. Then one day Jai, tangled fair hair, clothes stiff with dirt, scars on her back arrives on a ship. She has fled to the island to escape terrible danger and unimaginable cruelty. And the men who hurt her will stop at nothing to find her. Now the women and girls of the Red Abbey must use all their powers and ancient knowledge to combat the forces that wish to destroy them. And Maresi, haunted by her own nightmares, must confront her very deepest, darkest fears.” (Goodreads)

The legend of Sally Jones / Wegelius, Jakob
“Another gripping Sally Jones adventure – the gorgeously illustrated, prizewinning prequel to The Murderer’s Ape This is the story of a gorilla like no other. This is the story of a fantastic voyage across the world, from the Congolese rainforest to the grand bazaar of Istanbul, from Borneo to London, Singapore and beyond. The story of a mysterious jewel thief and a sad sailor with a heart of gold. A story of friendship and adventure on the high seas. This is the story of Sally Jones.” (Catalogue)

The Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide to… One Piece

By Gus

On Friday, 8 September, 2023

In anime & manga, fantasy, new stuff (ooh, shiny!), stuff to read, the wellington comic lover's guide to...

Welcome to the Wellington Comic Lover’s Guide, where we take you through the Wellington City Libraries’ collection of a comic book character or series. This post is all about the story of a kid who wants to be King of the Pirates and sets out find the world’s greatest treasure: One Piece!

The Straw Hats’ ship, the Thousand Sunny, sails off into the horizon (via GIPHY)

What is One Piece?

Luffy (centre) and the Straw Hats (clockwise from top left) Nami, Zoro, Brook, Franky, Usopp, Sanji, Robin, and Chopper (via GIPHY)

One Piece is a weekly manga published by the anthology manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump. Written and drawn by mangaka (manga artist) Eiichirō Oda, it’s the longest-running manga in the magazine’s history, running for over 26 years, and has been adapted into movies, video games, a long-running anime, and a live-action TV series on Netflix.

The story of One Piece takes place following the capture of notorious pirate Gol D. Roger, who proclaims before his execution that he hid a fabulous treasure named ‘The One Piece’ at the end of the world’s most perilous ocean, the Grand Line. This inspires a generation of pirates to seek out the treasure, including Monkey D. Luffy, a boy with the power of the Gum-Gum Fruit, which allows him to stretch his body like rubber at the cost of being able to swim.

Luffy gathers a loyal crew (named the ‘Straw Hat Pirates’ after his signature lid) including ace swordsman Zoro, sassy cat burglar Nami, cowardly sharpshooter Usopp, and chivalrous chef Sanji, and they set off to find the One Piece, battling rival pirates, crime lords, sea monsters, corrupt governments, and despotic rulers, while gathering new crew members along the way.

How do I start reading One Piece?

Start at Volume 1! You can reserve it here or start reading here on our eLibrary app Libby. We have the first four volumes on the eLibrary, and the first 99 volumes of the series in tankōbon (manga collection). In fact, the most recent tankōbon in our collection has the series milestone 1000th chapter in it, which sets up the series’ final arc. So now has never been a better time to get caught up!

That’s the how explained, but the more important question is why should you start reading One Piece? A series this long is a big commitment, but as someone who is currently up to date with the manga (all 1091 chapters as of this writing), I can tell you from experience that it is well worth the journey. Come aboard, and let us count the ways…

Luffy and the Straw Hats in the order they joined the crew (via GIPHY)

The Story

Come aboard and bring along all your hopes and dreams! (via GIPHY)

While One Piece‘s overall story is literally just the world’s biggest treasure hunt, it’s the journey that matters, as the Straw Hat crew travel from island to island encountering rivals and obstacles to their quest. The series is divided into discrete arcs, which vary in length and build in complexity as more characters are introduced and the world gets further fleshed out.

My personal favourite One Piece arcs are:

Baroque Works (vol 13-24) – The Straw Hats help a princess disguised as a bounty hunter save her desert kingdom of Arabasta from Crocodile, a crime lord with the power of the Sand-Sand Fruit. The first major arc of the series which sets the template for the rest of One Piece’s storylines.

Skypiea (vol 25-33) – Arguably the most imaginative setting in One Piece, here the crew ascends up a giant geyser to a civilization in the sky, where ships can sail on clouds and an indigenous population protects their land from the ‘Sky People’ and the self-proclaimed lightning god Eneru.

Enies Lobby (vol 39-45) – After fighting through a train that rides over the ocean, the Straw Hats must rescue a member of the crew from a government stronghold guarded by highly trained secret agents. This arc sees the crew come face-to-face with the oppressive World Government, the major governing body of the One Piece world that silences or imprisons anyone who threatens their power.

Impel Down (vol 55-57) – To save his brother Ace from execution, Luffy teams up with a number of the series’ previous villains to break him out of the titular prison island, which is inspired by the circles of Hell from Dante’s Inferno. This story also sets up the Marineford arc, a major turning point in the One Piece narrative and the halfway point of the manga’s overall story.

Whole Cake Island (80-90) – Luffy and half of the Straw Hat crew venture to a chain of fairy tale-inspired islands to save Sanji from an arranged marriage. Despite the island’s (literally) sugar-coated surface, the lands of Whole Cake are ruled with an iron fist by the villainous ‘Big Mom’, a giantess pirate and member of the series most powerful villains, the Four Emperors.

The Fights

Luffy performs his Gum-Gum Jet Gatling attack (via GIPHY)

It wouldn’t be a shōnen manga if the fights weren’t top-notch, and in that respect One Piece does not disappoint. In addition to a litany of sword-wielders, martial artists, cyborgs, and mythical creatures like giants and fishmen that inhabit the Grand Line, we have the signature superpowers of One Piece that come from the mysterious Devil Fruits. When eaten, these fruits grant their user supernatural abilities, ranging from ‘growing extra limbs at will’ to ‘turning into a dinosaur’ to ‘being able to manipulate biscuits’, making the fights incredibly imaginative depending on each character’s particular skillset.

Nico Robin has the Flower-Flower Fruit, allowing her to grow copies of her limbs onto anything or anyone (via GIPHY)

Every One Piece arc has an act dedicated just to Luffy and the Straw Hats going mano-a-mano with the antagonists of that storyline. Over the course of the series, we’ve seen such hits as:

The Crew Fights a Pirate Circus, Led by a Clown Who Can Split His Body into Pieces!
Who Can Sword More: The Crew’s Swordsman, or A Literal Man Made of Swords?
Usopp and Chopper Fight a Mole-Woman and a Guy Whose Dog is a Bazooka!
Zoro and Usopp Fight a Sword-Wielding Giraffe-Man… While Handcuffed Together!
How Many Biscuit Soldiers Can Luffy Eat in One Battle? The Answer May Surprise You!
Sanji Abandons His Noodle Stand and Embraces His Power Ranger Heritage to Beat Up a Spinosaurus-Man!

While those all sound ridiculous, every fight is written with an emphasis on showing growth through conflict, and drawn to showcase action and exaggerate the impact of each blow (it helps when your main character can squash and stretch like a Looney Tune). Some of the best moments in One Piece are when a character overcomes a limitation or sees their motivation in a new light while mid-conflict. It’s classic shōnen manga stuff, but filtered through One Piece‘s signature brand of wackiness, it’ll make you laugh and cheer (and sometimes cry).

Zoro always gets the final cut (via GIPHY)

The Art

The art style of One Piece is unlike a lot of other manga, which in the 90s tended to favour sharper designs and large, expressive eyes. Though Oda was inspired by earlier Japanese mangaka like Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball), his style also takes influence from Western comics and animation, giving his characters a more noodley, ‘cartoonish’ quality.

When your characters are mostly leg, they gotta know how to use them (via GIPHY)

In contrast, every background in One Piece is drawn with the utmost attention to detail, thanks to Oda and his team of tireless art assistants that maintain the manga’s quality week after week. Because of this unique blend of dense worldbuilding and cartoony characters, the series can shift tones from goofy to serious on a dime, but still never break your immersion in the story.

Yes, the joke is Chopper doesn’t know how to hide, but can we take a second to notice someone had to draw ALL those bricks? (via GIPHY)

Oda is a notorious fiend for research and he puts all on the One Piece page, pulling inspiration from mythology, animation, history (including, naturally, the Golden Age of Piracy), architecture, cinema, even professional wrestling. It keeps the Grand Line interesting, and it only gets better as Oda keeps adding new ideas to the story and grows more confident in his draftsmanship, cramming immense amounts of detail into each page.

Over the course of the series, the Straw Hat crew have visited such imaginative locales as:

Baratie, a giant floating restaurant for pirates in the middle of the ocean (I do not envy who had to draw all those floorboards…)
Skypiea, a civilization in the clouds built on floating islands, full of dense jungles and ancient temples
Water Seven, a massive canal city that puts Venice to shame, with multi-tiered, interconnected river roads
Fishman Island, a colourful kingdom of fishmen located deep under the ocean, which can only be accessed by covering your ship in an airtight bubble of a special tree sap and sinking straight down
Zou, a society of humanoid animals called ‘Minks’ that live on the back of a colossal, centuries-old talking elephant who walks through the ocean
Thriller Bark, a Tim Burton-inspired island full of zombies and Frankensteined animals that’s basically just ‘The Straw Hats go to Nightmare Before Christmas‘

Five minutes in Thriller Bark and Luffy is already sick of it (via GIPHY)

Oda clearly never wants the series to grow stagnant by staying in one setting for too long, and that promise of novelty is what keeps every One Piece fan coming back to the series week after week.

The Writing

‘Warlord of the Sea’ Doflamingo explains the ‘justice’ of the Grand Line (GIF via Anime Amino)

A world as dense and diverse as the Grand Line needs to be populated with characters that believably inhabit that world. Every character in One Piece, from the Straw Hat crew to the villains to the incidental villagers, have motivations, habits, beliefs, even specific laughs. But where the manga really shines in terms of character writing is when you get to see how a character became the way they are, and some of One Piece‘s most affecting moments are when a character’s ambition comes into harsh conflict with the unfair world around them.

This comes to a head in the series’ halfway point, the Summit War, a massive battle between the authoritarian World Government and a united army of pirates. The tension in the story comes from not from who will win, but how the winning side will determine what justice in the world gets to be. Pirates are defined against the laws and norms of their society, branded as criminals by the governmental and economic powers of their era. This makes One Piece uniquely suited to explore themes of justice, inequality, and resistance against entrenched power structures. English teachers, take note!

Storylines like Arlong Park and Fishman Island not only examine systemic racism experienced by the series’ unique aquatic peoples, but also their disagreements on how they respond to their oppression. Characters like Nico Robin and Luffy’s brother Ace are targeted for their ties to historical events that the World Government has tried to cover up, touching on ideas of “history being written by the victors” and whether any one person is a criminal simply for existing.

The people of Skypeia fly into battle (via GIPHY)

And in my opinion, the Skypiea arc is one of the best fictional interpretations I’ve seen of indigenous resistance to colonisation, written in a way that is both broad yet specific, and one that immediately made me think of Aotearoa’s own history. Probably helped by the fact that it literally takes place on a land of long white cloud.

The Journey

Will Monkey D. Luffy be the one to challenge the world? (via Pinterest)

At over 1000 chapters and counting, One Piece is a truly monumental feat of serialised storytelling for any medium. Unlike American comics, where writers and artists change hands on a title regularly, Eiichirō Oda has been the sole creator of One Piece since it began in July 1997, which gives the series a consistent level of quality. It’s exceedingly rare to read something still being published today that is written and drawn by the same person, where everything that excites, fascinates, and concerns them has been filtered into one work of art over two and a half decades.

With recent buzz that the manga is heading into its finale, all eyes are on One Piece to stick the landing, especially as it’s grown more popular worldwide in recent years. But it would go against the series’ goals to recommend it solely on how it might end. After all, it’s the journey that matters.

Recommending One Piece is like talking about your best overseas trip: you can explain all the specifics of what you did, who you met or how you got there, but you really just have to experience it for yourself. And the more people you can share that experience with, the better it becomes.

Set sail for One Piece! (via GIPHY)

From the Vaults IX: Award-Winners

By Stephen

On Tuesday, 5 September, 2023

In aotearoa new zealand, from the vaults, stuff to read

Well, the world has hurtled around the sun exactly once since we last added to the From the Vaults series. For those of you who are new here, From the Vaults is where we delve into the weirdest corners of our shelves to dust off some of the cool, bizarre, interesting, or just plain old stuff we have that you might not know about. So far, we’ve covered really old stuff, the Archives of Sexuality and Gender, manga gems from the ’80s and ’90s (twice!), books in languages other than English and te reo, printed music, and much more.

Anyway, since the heavens have literally aligned today, we thought it would be a good idea to bring this series back from the brink of death. And, fresh from the excitement around the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, what better topic to choose than award-winning books?

Sorry, not quite those awards. via GIPHY

For today’s post, we are going to be focussing on past winners of the YA Fiction Award from the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults. This award has an interesting history. Prior to 1993, there was no separate award recognising Young Adult fiction, but some winners of the general Fiction award would be considered part of the YA canon today. The YA Fiction Award proper came into existence in the year 1993 as part of the AIM Children’s Book Awards, and was known as the “Senior Fiction Award” from 1993-2004. In 1997, the AIM Children’s Book Awards became the New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards, and then it changed again to the New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults in 2004, at which time the “Senior Fiction Award” became the “Young Adult Fiction Award.”

Fastforward to 2023, sidestep another couple of minor name changes, and the overall awards are now known as the New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults, and the Young Adult Fiction Award carries prize money of NZ$7,500. In its distinguished history, it has been won by a number of the greats of New Zealand literature, with luminaries like Margaret Mahy, Jack Lasenby, Kate De Goldi, Maurice Gee, Tessa Duder, Elizabeth Knox and more in its list of recipients.

We have most of the award-winning books in our collection — explore the full list below, and visit our Book Award Winners booklist to find more juicy reads that have won other literary prizes.

New Zealand Book Awards for Children and Young Adults — Young Adult Fiction Award (2015 – 2023)

Iris and Me / Philippa Werry (2023 winner)
Learning to Love Blue / Saradha Koirala (2022 winner)
The Pōrangi Boy / Shilo Kino (2021 winner)
Aspiring / Damien Wilkins (2020 winner)
Legacy / Whiti Hereaka (2019 winner)
In the Dark Spaces / Cally Black (2018 winner)
The Severed Land / Maurice Gee (2017 winner)
Battlesaurus: Rampage at Waterloo / Brian Falkner (2016 winner)
Stray / Rachael Craw (2016 Children’s Choice winner)
Singing Home the Whale / Mandy Hager (2015 winner)
Night Vision / Ella West (2015 Children’s Choice winner)

New Zealand Post Book Awards for Children and Young Adults — Young Adult Fiction Award (2004 – 2014)

Mortal Fire / Elizabeth Knox (2014 winner)
Into the River / Ted Dawe (2013 winner)
Calling the Gods / Jack Lasenby (2012 winner)
The Bridge / Jane Higgins (2012 Honour Award)
Fierce September / Fleur Beale (2011 winner)
Smiling Jack / Ken Catran (2011 Children’s Choice winner)
The Crossing / Mandy Hager (2010 winner)
Brainjack / Brian Falkner (2010 Children’s Choice winner)
The 10pm Question / Kate De Goldi (2009 winner)
Salt / Maurice Gee (2008 winner)
The Sea-Wreck Stranger / Anna Mackenzie (2008 Honour Award)
Genesis / Bernard Beckett (2007 winner)
With Lots of Love from Georgia / Brigid Lowry (2006 winner)
Kaitangata Twitch / Margaret Mahy (2006 Honour Award)
Malcolm and Juliet / Bernard Beckett (2005 winner)
Thunder Road / Ted Dawe (2004 winner)

New Zealand Post Children’s Book Awards — Senior Fiction Award (1997 – 2003)

Alchemy / Margaret Mahy (2003 winner)
Owl: A Novel / Joanna Orwin (2002 winner)
Voyage with Jason / Ken Catran (2001 winner)
The Tiggie Tompson Show / Tessa Duder (2000 winner)
Taur / Jack Lasenby (1999 winner)
Dare Truth or Promise / Paula Boock (1998 winner)
Sanctuary / Kate De Goldi (1997 winner)

AIM Children’s Book Awards — Senior Fiction Award (1993 – 1997)

Crossroads / Janice Marriott (1996 winner)*
The Blue Lawn / William Taylor (1995 winner)
The Value of X / Pat Quinn (1994 winner)*
Songs for Alex / Tessa Duder (1993 winner)

* Unfortunately these titles are unavailable to be borrowed from Wellington City Libraries.

Next time on From the Vaults, we’ll explore the winners of the Storylines Tessa Duder Award for young adult fiction and its historical predecessors, so stay tuned for more literary greats!

Reading, Wellington, and whatever else – teenblog@wcl.govt.nz

Category: stuff to read Page 2 of 28

Comics

Fiction

Non-Fiction

Who is Carol Danvers?

Carol as Ms. Marvel

Carol as Captain Marvel

Alpha Flight

Civil War II

A New Origin

Kelly Thompson run

Captain Marvel’s Teams

Who is Monica Rambeau?

The Ultimates

Who is Kamala Khan?

Ms. Marvel: Outlawed

Ms. Marvel’s Team-Ups

Other Captain Marvels

Moonstone and Star

One Flag, Two Flag, Red Flag, [Green] Flag

In Our Boundaries Era

Friendship is a Two-Way Street (and other things the Muppets might have said)

Welcome, Adventurer

How to Play

You mentioned something about quests?

Reaping Your Reward

That time some spooky grandmas knitted a sock ominously

Sometimes people are just really stubborn about things… Bull-headed, if you will

The Gods really need to get better at holding on to their stuff

To be honest, I’m actually quite fond of snakes, I don’t know what all this fuss is about

The Goddess of Love is a nosey busybody and more trouble than she’s worth

Going to the underworld? Pshh, what could be so hard about that?

Even! More! Myths!

What is Invincible?

Who is Invincible?

How to read Invincible

Ultimate Collections

Original Volumes

Compendiums on the eLibrary

Invincible spinoffs

Who is Loki?

Some Low-Key Notes Before We Begin

Loki: God of Mischief

Loki and the Siege of Asgard

Kid Loki

Loki: Agent of Asgard

Loki: Schemer, Sorcerer… Politician?

War of the Lokis

Return of the God of Lies

Thor and Loki

January!

February!

March!

April!

May!

June!

July!

August!

September!

October!

“Blutant Blurtles: Adolescent Armored Animals”

Who is Blue Beetle?

Blue Beetle’s Surprisingly Important History

Ted Kord – Blue Beetle II

The Blue and the Gold

Booster Gold and Blue Beetle team-ups

Ted Across the Multiverse

Jaime Reyes

Blue Beetle Jaime Reyes appearances

Jaime Across the Multiverse

Who are the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?

Original Indie Ninja Turtles

Licensed Comic Ninja Turtles

Japanese!

Brazilian Portuguese!

French via GIPHY

German! via GIPHY

Swedish! via GIPHY

What is One Piece?

French

via GIPHY

German!

via GIPHY

Swedish!

via GIPHY