Library Blog

Ellie Norman, Wood River Museum Collections Specialist, recommends Mustang (2015, PG-13), co-written and directed by Deniz Gamze Ergüven.

Mustang is a Turkish-language drama film that follows the story of five young, orphaned sisters living in a rural village in Turkey. After being seen having innocent fun playing with a group of boys on a beach, the girls are subjected to harsh restrictions by their guardians, who fear potential scandals. As the sisters face increasing oppression, their dreams of independence clash with the strict societal norms imposed upon them.

The film explores themes of female empowerment, social restraints, and the resilience of sisterhood.

Mustang has received critical acclaim, including a Golden Globes nomination for best foreign language motion picture, for its poignant storytelling and powerful performances.

In her feature-length directorial debut, Ergüven delves into a nuanced exploration of the challenges faced by the five sisters within the restrictive confines of their conservative environment. The movie provides insight into the intricacies of their evolving relationships and the emotional toll of their struggle for autonomy. Ergüven utilizes dreamy, pastel colors throughout the film to portray the intimate humanity of the girls in contrast with the cruel constraints forced upon their lives. The gradual erosion of the sisters’ individual freedoms, triggered by societal expectations, is depicted with a heartfelt sensitivity that adds layers to their characters.

One of the film’s many strengths lie in its ability to balance moments of quiet introspection with intense bursts of emotion.

From the sisters’ spirited attempts to defy norms to the heartbreaking consequences they face, each scene contributes to a powerful narrative.

The title of the film serves as a potent metaphor for the sisters’ untamed spirits and their yearning for freedom. The performances of the cast—especially the actresses portraying the sisters—heavily contribute to the film’s impact. The authenticity and chemistry among the characters works to heighten the emotional resonance of their collective journey. Mustang tells a compelling and thought-provoking story while shedding light on the universal struggles faced by women living in our patriarchal society. 

Find it on DVD here.

Librarian Andrea Nelson recommends everything Tana French has ever written.

I have never been to Ireland, yet memories of it haunt me. Vivid images of mold creeping up ancient stone walls, decaying row houses with cracked walkways and gardens gone to bramble… I remember someone waiting under a street lamp at the top of the street. He waits there until the lamp flickers on and windows begin to reflect their orange glow on the wet cobblestones. From the shadows, eyes watch him search the empty street one last time. Finally, he turns and walks away—away from his brutal childhood home on the fraying edge of Dublin—away from Faithful Place, where poverty took root a century ago and still winds its tendrils through the generations.

Sometimes my memories swirl and morph to something wilder, more beautiful, more sinister… I go In The Woods, where pine needles drip with rain and moonlight flashes through wind-gripped branches.

Shadows and faceless shapes leap out and reach for me—there and gone.

Or maybe I find myself teetering on the windswept edge of a precipice, my back to the raging surf below, haunted by old bones found in the hollow trunk of The Witch Elm. 

No, I have never been to Ireland, but because of the singular brilliance of critically acclaimed author Tana French, I remember it well.

All good books figuratively transport a reader to another time and place, but with Tana French, it is different. It is visceral. She paints her Shakespearean story arcs with imagery rivaling Steinbeck. Her scenes are so vivid and textured, the reader becomes part of the book.

I can still smell carefully tended rose gardens from a life I never lived with college mates in a bucolic manor village.

Tana French makes her readers question The Likeness in the mirror. What is real, and what is ruse?  For this reason, and for her dazzling, poetic, prose, I read everything Tana French writes.

My most haunting Irish memory takes me back to Broken Harbor, where half framed houses stand ghosted against the night’s gloom, torn plastic construction sheets flap in the wind, and unfinished sidewalks sprout weeds, collecting trash and discarded dreams. Something feral howls in the mist, and my heart pounds in sync with the surf smashing up against an abandoned pier. Things broke, here in the thick sea fog. They splintered into shards as sharp as knives. 

Tana French exploded onto the international literary scene with her first novel, In The Woods. It won the 2008 Edgar Award, the Barry Award, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel and the McCavity Award for Best First Mystery Novel. It was stunning, but for me, surpassed by several of her later books. Next came, The Likeness, my current favorite. Shortlisted for the first annual Ireland AM Crime Fiction Award in 2009, The Likeness inspired a BBC and Starz 2019 series called Dublin Murders.  

French’s first six books are part of a series featuring “The Dublin Murder Squad”. Each protagonist is written in first person past from the point of view of a different member of the Squad. To fully enjoy the overlapping character trajectory, I recommend reading the Dublin Murder Squad series in order of publication: In the Woods, The Likeness, Faithful Place, Broken Harbor, The Secret Place, and finally,The Trespasser.

After The Trespasser, French stepped away from the Murder Squad to experiment with two stand-alone books. The protagonist in The Witch Elm is not a detective, but a young descendant of an old Irish family who returns to his ancestral estate to recover from injuries sustained in a break-in. The Searcher, French’s most recent book, is written from the point of view of a retired Chicago homicide detective who moves to a tiny West Ireland hamlet to rest and recover from a traumatic career. A quieter book, The Searcher embraces the traditional detective mystery genre a bit more than French’s other books, which combine searing crime drama with psychological thriller in different measures. Even within the Dublin Murder Squad series, each book is unique, from the nod to Edgar Allen Poe’s The Black Cat in Broken Harbor to the heart-wrenching and gritty Romeo & Juliet subplot that runs through Faithful Place, to the supernatural tease and the surprising protagonist in The Secret Place.

Tana French’s novels have been translated into 37 languages and have sold over eigh million copies worldwide. Her next book, The Hunter is expected in 2024.

Warning: Tana French novels contain graphic descriptions of crime scenes and may describe autopsies, though nothing is gratuitous. Every book is an Irish tale shot through with history and tragedy. You will also find plenty of colorful, creative, Irish cursing! Some books have hopeful endings; others do not. Please be aware that it is difficult to emotionally distance yourself from a Tana French novel. She’s just too good.

Find Tana French titles at the Library here.

Brigid Miller, Wood River Museum Community Engagement Manager, recommends A Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire, edited by Jehad Abusalim, Jennifer Bing, and Michael Merryman-Lotze.

As we watch what is happening in Palestine, I realized how little I knew about this place, its people, and its history. As an historian, I felt compelled to learn more about the history of Palestine, from Palestinian voices. Enter A Light in Gaza: Writings Born of Fire. This anthology is a collection of essays and poems by eleven Palestinian writers about the history, culture, and daily life of Gaza in the time before the 1948 establishment of Israel, during the ongoing Nakba (catastrophe), and up until 2021 when the book was published.  

A Light in Gaza gives firsthand accounts of life under Israeli occupation and the hope that these authors have for the future of Gaza and Palestine. The book begins with a clear statement of its intention: “May this book inspire us all to find and nurture the roses and light among those who struggle for survival and freedom in Gaza, in all Palestine, and in every corner of the world where injustice still haunts the wretched of this earth.” Through essays that talk about electricity, architecture, olive trees, and powerful poems, this book exceeds this intention.   

Gaza is often referred to as the largest open-air prison in the world, and thus, I expected to only read about the issues and negative parts of Gaza.

Instead, these artists wove together stories of violence with moments of beauty and resilience.

For example, Refaat Alareer* explains how teaching The Merchant of Venice allowed his students to shatter some of the prejudices they held and the emotion of this moment for him. While explaining this impactful moment, he says that the papers his students wrote about this play were destroyed when the Israeli army bombed the university in 2014, reflecting the violent reality of life under occupation.  

The writing is academic and personal, the stories heartbreaking and hopeful, and in its entirety A Light in Gaza presents Gaza and Palestine as place that is steadfast and resilient in the face of unimaginable circumstances.  

I learned so much from this book and was struck and inspired by the vulnerable writing of each author. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone looking to learn more about Palestine. 

Find it here. 956.943 ABU 

*Note: On December 7, 2023, Refaat Alareer, his brother Salah, his sister Asmaa, and Asmaa’s four young daughters were killed by an Israeli airstrike. Refaat will be remembered as one of Gaza’s most prominent writers, poets, and activists.

Library Assistant Karen Little recommends the Library’s magazine and newspaper collection.

They are free. No subscription needed. You’ll be able to read whole articles and see all the pictures. You’ll have the pleasure of holding them in your hands and turning pages with no swiping or clicking. And new ones arrive monthly or quarterly from around the country with content so rich and diverse that it is unlikely you will ever find it on a news feed. Drum roll please!

Introducing print magazines available for check-out at The Community Library.

The magazine and newspaper collection can be found in the Learning Commons, and it holds more than 100 magazines and at least 10 newspapers that include local, regional, and national titles. 

The Library keeps a mix of national favorites, such as People, Time, and Vogue, and a large selection of adventure magazines for sports enthusiasts. You’ll also find magazines devoted to cooking, crafts, and diverse lifestyles. The collection also offers eclectic fare like Skeptical Inquirer, The Paris Review, and Astronomy, along with financial magazines and national and foreign policy journals.

A unique regional offering is the Sho-Ban News, the weekly tribal newspaper published on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation.

New to the collection is Orion, a magazine that focuses on nature and culture, and inspires new thinking about how humanity might live on Earth justly and sustainably. A selection of Spanish magazines can be found in the language section of the Library. 

Get the scoop on electric vehicles in Car and Driver. Interested in refurbishing a vintage block plane or carving wooden spoons? Find out how in Fine Woodworking. Check out future cars in MotorTrend. An estimated price for a 2024 Aston Martin Valhalla could set you back $800,000. Curious about the origin of the Post-it note? Skeptical Inquirer explores this creative invention.

Staff Picks: 

Don’t miss the Mountain Gazette, a favorite of Cathy Butterfield, recently retired Collections Manager, who likes this iconic oversized magazine for its articles on alternative mountain lifestyles.

Kelly Noble, Processing Manager at the Gold Mine says, “I love The New Yorker for its incredible journalism, articulate commentaries, and best of all, its contemporary fiction. I feel this magazine helps bring big city life to small towns like ours.” 

Molly! Goodyear, Manager of Gold Mine Consign, likes the contemporary home and interior design magazine, Dwell, from a style and sustainability point of view.

Print magazines, including the most current issues, are available for checkout, here.

You will also find a selection of digital magazines in Libby/Overdrive.

Find your niche in lifestyles or news, print or digital, take home or nestle in by the fireplace … we have you cover-to-covered!