ShelfLogic Podcast

LGBTQ+ manga deal with all the various issues that plague the community, but from the perspective of Japanese culture. For us and our definition these manga had to truly delve into these issues in at least a semi-realistic way, not ignore them completely or focus purely on the romance aspect. We feel those manga fall into slightly different categories. Join Glen, Tim, and Melanie as we discuss four popular LGBTQ+ Manga: Even Though We’re Adults, My Brother’s Husband, Our Dreams at Dusk, and Boys Run the Riot.

Join us as we cover 5 new mystery titles from Black authors! Titles discussed: "Dead Dead Girls" by Nevesa Afia, "The Other Black Girl" by Zakiya Dalila Harris, "Heaven, My Home" by Attica Locke, "While Justice Sleeps" by Stacey Abrams, and "When No One is Watching" by Alyssa Cole.

Valentine's Day is here! Tune in to this episode as Caroline, Jill, and Jen discuss diverse romance novels. Titles discussed: "I Wish You All the Best" by Mason Deaver, "Full Disclosure" by Camryn Garrett, "A Duke by Default" by Alyssa Cole, "Written in the Stars" by Alexandria Bellefleur.

Join librarian Shelley and author Libby Copeland as they delve into the topic of Copeland's new book "The Lost Family: How DNA Testing is Upending Who We Are."

Video games are one of the most popular mediums for story telling in the world. Sometimes though the game worlds are not enough and so the story is expanded with comics and graphic novels. Join Glen, Jeff, and Tim as they look at four examples of this available through Hoopla: Injustice, Dragon Age, Sonic the Hedgehog, and The Last of Us: American Dream.

Science Fiction films have a history almost as long as film itself. Join Tim and Caroline as they explore four films of the genre available on Hoopla! The films are Metropolis, The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Quiet Earth, and Soldier.

Join Librarian Laura with panelists Byron Aspaas, Naomi Bishop, and Vina Begay as they talk about how books and movies misrepresent Native Americans, how to spot cultural misappropriation, and what advice they have for how writers can correctly and respectfully portray Indigenous cultures in books. Original airdate 7/26/21.

Shounen manga (Japanese graphic novels) is roughly defined as manga targeted at young men ages 12-18, but the genre is enjoyed far outside that specific demographic and is one of the bestselling genres in Japan. Shounen manga focus on high octane plots in almost any setting – fantasy, sci-fi, martial arts, etc. – with elements of humor and friendship/teamwork heavily present. Tune in this week to listen to us drill down in detail on a few of our favorite series: Haikyuu!!, Black Clover, and One Punch Man. We’ll discuss what makes them special in the shounen genre, what we loved and did not love, and how their anime adaptations turned out. And of course we have a whole list of honorable mentions to get through! Original airdate 12/4/2020.

Join Alyssa and Corban from the True Crime section of Ed Robson Library. Titles discussed: “I’ll Be Gone In the Dark” by Michelle McNamara, “Killers of the Flower Moon” by David Grann, “Adnan’s Story” by Rabia Chaudry, “Ripper” by Patricia Cornwell, “Man on the Train” by Bill James, “The Third Rainbow Girl” by Emma Copley Eisenber, and “Home Sweet Murder” & “Murder Interrupted” by James Patterson. Original airdate 11/9/2020.

Children’s Manga, or Kodomo-muke, are Japanese graphic novels targeted at children roughly from the age of learning to read up to and including tweens. Teen manga and up are then further broken down by gender. Children’s manga are often distinguished by simpler stories and art, but many of the titles we discuss can be enjoyed by a wider variety of ages. We will focus on Chi’s Sweet Home, Yotsuba&!, and Little Witch Academia. We will also give a brief over of three other titles: The Legend of Zelda, Splatoon, and Fluffy Fluffy Cinnamoroll.