Staff Picks

Keywords & Scorpio in a Nutshell (including a bit of technical stuff)

Scorpio is all about digging deep into the murkiest depths of the psyche and perhaps of the cosmos itself. Scorpio is yet another water sign, this one ruled by Mars in traditional astrology and by Pluto (associated with the mythic underworld) in contemporary astrology. It is a fixed sign so think of a swamp vs. a flowing river. Because of this fixed quality, Scorpios can be quite obsessive which can lead to depression or anxiety, sometimes of the severe variety, as they often struggle to let go of their emotions. They are extremely intense but also tend to be emotionally guarded like Cancers, since they are another sign that is depicted as a creature with an exoskeleton as armor (a scorpion and a crab respectively).

[Read more…] about Scorpio Season Book Recommendations (October 22nd – November 21st): The Detective & the Occultist

It’s a tricky time of year, movie-wise. We’ve moved out of Spooky Season, but while some Christmas die-hards might argue otherwise, it doesn’t really feel right to start indulging in Yule-tide entertainment just yet. And apart from Planes, Trains And Automobiles, there aren’t that many Thanksgiving themed films.

 

Might I suggest an alternative? Something smart but low-key, comforting but not overly sentimental, a cozy movie with just a little bite to it: Stephen Sodeberg’s 2025 spy thriller, Black Bag, currently available on DVD in the library’s A/V collection.

 

Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a pair of married intelligence agents working for the British government. Early in the film, George Woodhouse (Fassbender) learns that there’s a mole working in the agency; it’s his job to find out who that mole is, which includes investigating his own wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Blanchett).

 

It’s a good premise, but what makes the movie so satisfying is the thought and care that went into every element. Characters behave intelligently, and while they make mistakes, the mistakes never read as contrived; the performances are all around excellent (Fassbender is my favorite of them, but there are no weak-links); and the whole thing comes in at a breezy 93 minutes.

 

Saying something is “made for adults” can be a loaded phrase. Here, though, it’s just the pure pleasure of watching clever people spar against each other, holding secrets and following their hearts more than they might realize. If you want a tense yet still relaxing evening watching great actors exchanging witty dialogue, look no further.

Enjoy this mini-quiz/quizlet (just 1 question). Invoke the library spirits via this digital oujia board (just kidding about that part!) to determine what book(s) you ought to be reading this Spooktober (into November).

If all else fails, don’t hesitate to fill out this form to request personalized book recommendations from Courtney, the Adult Services Librarian.

Happy Fall!

Please join MML and the American Library Association (ALA) in raising attention to the timeless problem of censorship via book banning and its devastating impact on intellectual freedom.  Individuals have the right to choose what reading material they wish to consume and every October we celebrate this fundamental democratic right. 

[Read more…] about Banned Books Week 2025