Bingeworthy TV: Superstore

The appeal of a sitcom is that you can sit down for 30 minutes and laugh a little, but if you're like me, it can be tricky to find a show that consistently makes you laugh. I started watching Superstore because I love America Ferrera (Ugly Betty).

Superstore is set in the fictional big box retail store Cloud 9, and very few episodes have scenes outside the store itself. If you don't have experience working in retail, you might think this would limit the stories they can tell, but the writers make good use of their talented ensemble cast. If you enjoyed the recurring background characters and sight gags of Community, you'll find similar appeal here.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: "I Believe in a Thing Called Love" by Maurene Goo

If you're looking for a fun, romantic read for Valentine's Day, I suggest you check out I Believe in a Thing Called Love by Maurene Goo. This book is a sweet and goofy look at first love that will remind readers of the fun of watching a romantic comedy, and anyone who loves k-dramas is in for a special treat.

To call 17-year-old Desi Lee a perfectionist is putting things mildly. Desi's mother died when she was very young, and her father was devastated. Desi dedicated herself to being the perfect daughter, excelling in school, in soccer, and helping out at home. Everything about her life is on track, and it seems inevitable that Desi will finish high school and head to Stanford, her mother's alma mater, where she will become a doctor, like her mother. The one blemish in Desi's perfect life is the fact that she is a devastating failure in the romance department.

Not only has Desi never had a boyfriend (or a first kiss), every time she gets even close to the possibility of maybe having a romantic encounter with a boy she likes, she goes down in flames. For example, when she meets the incredibly hot new transfer student, Desi's pants literally fall off. Despite this incredibly cringe-worthy first meeting, Desi is not one to give up. Instead she resolves to overcome her romantic failures and win her crush's heart, taking inspiration from her Korean-immigrant father's favorite television shows.

If you are a k-drama fan, you'll love all of the references to familiar shows. If you haven't seen a k-drama, you're likely to walk away from I Believe in a Thing Called Love wanting to watch one. K-dramas, or Korean dramas, are a specific style of Korean television series similar in some ways to telenovelas. They often have a heavy focus on a romantic plot and typically last for only a single season of 10-20 episodes (though some series last for much longer and some are only one or two episodes long). I highly recommend flipping to the end of the book where there's a list of recommended k-dramas that you can stream (subtitled) through various online services.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Law & Order:SVU

Binge on Law & Order: SVU? Are you crazy? That show is intense and sad*. Well, I had a vacation week and I didn't go anywhere. USA was running a Law & Order: SVU marathon and I swear I spent nearly three days just watching episode after episode. With 19 seasons of SVU, there is a lot of material to choose from. Here is the thing: it really doesn't matter if you watch the episodes in order.  The show has had some character turnover, but the one constant is Olivia Benson.

There are over 400 episodes available. You could conceivably watch SVU for 19 days straight (if you wanted to forego sleep and food and fry your brain). So go ahead, binge on SVU. You know you want to!

*Disclaimer:  SVU stands for "Special Victims Unit".  This show deals with sex crimes of all types and has very adult themes. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Broadchurch

The British crime drama Broadchurch has an impressive cast of talented actors, and viewers are likely to recognize several faces including David Tennant and Olivia Colman, who play the main investigators. The series is set in a fictional coastal town of Broadchurch whose small community is rocked by the murder of an 11-year-old boy.

Ellie Miller (Colman) has recently returned from a family vacation to discover that she's been passed over for promotion in favor of Alec Hardy (Tennant), an outsider with a poor reputation. So tensions are already high when Danny Latimer's body is discovered. The ensuing investigation uncovers painful secrets and divides the town.

Broadchurch is an incredibly tense and rather depressing series, so the use of striking natural visuals (and occasional bits of humor) helped greatly. After the emotional roller coaster of the first season, it took me some time before I was able to pick up the second season, which delves into the trail of Danny's murderer. And while it's hard to revisit these characters and their pain, the compelling storytelling provides a rewarding experience.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Good Place

When I saw the previews for The Good Place I figured it would last five or six episodes and then be cancelled. A show about people dying and then waking up in a utopia doesn't sound very exciting or funny.  But, I love Kristen Bell so I thought I would give it a chance.

Wow, this show is just a fantastic way to spend 30 minutes.  The cast is incredible, especially Kristen Bell as "Eleanor" and D'Arcy Carden as "Janet."

Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up in the The Good Place and is so confused.  She wasn't a good person, why is she in The Good Place? Michael, the architect of The Good Place (essentially an angel), has her confused with another Eleanor Shellstrop, one who should be in The Good Place.  He introduces her to Chidi, Tahani, and Jianyu, other recent additions. They all seem to have been wonderful people when alive, or were they?  Then there is Janet. Janet is basically the computer that runs The Good Place.  In The Good Place, everything is wonderful, you find your soulmate, you live in your dream house, everything is coming up sunshine, roses, and unicorns.

Except it isn't. The Good Place seems to be broken so Eleanor and crew try to figure out how to
fix the problem.  To that end, Eleanor decides that she has to learn to be a better person, with Chidi as her teacher.  The alternative to The Good Place is The Bad Place and nobody wants to end up there.  I'm so glad this show was picked up for a second season, because season two has been every bit as fantastic as season one. 

As a side note, one of the things that makes this show so amazing is that nobody can swear in The Good Place.  Eleanor, in particular, likes to swear and the words don't come out as she intends (e.g., mother forking shirt balls). It seems so effortless for Kristin Bell that I find myself wondering if the swearing system from The Good Place has seeped into her real life. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: iZombie

iZombie, a zombie series for people who do not really like the zombie genre.  I am not a fan of The Walking Dead and I do not generally appreciate zombie guts and gore, but if you can make me laugh its all good.  My daughters recommended iZombie to me and after about 3 episodes I was hooked.

The premise is that there are zombies among us but if they are well fed, spray tanned and properly coifed you would never recognize them as the un-dead.  The main character is Liv, a newly minted doctor who had her life all figured out. Surgeon, check; hot fiance, check; awesome best friend, check.  Perfect life, not so fast.  One night at a yacht party there were some funky drugs being passed around and before you know the ship is blowing up and zombies are making a mess of things.  Liv gets scratched and when she wakes up on the beach she is deathly pale, has a white streak in her hair and is oddly starving for brains.  So her saga begins.

She ends up getting a job in the coroner's office because of the steady supply of brains and her co-worker quickly catches her having a snack.  But he's on board in keeping her secret and even begins trying to come up with a cure for zombism.  Liv discovers that she takes on the personality of the person whose brain she has eaten and suddenly she's a magician, a gambler or a dominatrix. Whoever she is channeling is usually very different than her true self.  With the visions she has while on each brain she is spurred to  begin helping a local detective solve crimes.  

The dialog is clever and often funny.  Watching Liv come up with new brain recipes is one of my favorite little bits of each show.  The show isn't all fun and games and there are some tense moments but overall this is more Zombieland than Night Of The Living Dead. I must say I have binged the whole series and am anxiously awaiting the new season!

~Michelle, Circulation

Sarah's Favorite Bingeworthy TV Series

You might think that, as a librarian, I spend all my free time reading books, but in my downtime I'm just as likely to be sitting on the couch watching TV. I was inspired by my colleague Amy to share a few of my favorite bingeworthy TV series that don't appear on HGTV.

I've mentioned two of my favorites here before: Orphan Black and How to Get Away with Murder, so I'll trust you to read my earlier blog posts if you're curious and instead talk about some new favorites!

Elementary A variation on the classic character of Sherlock Holmes transplanted into modern day New York City and featuring Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. This isn't a series that requires you to watch every single episode to enjoy or understand the plot.

Mindy Project Mindy Kaling stars in her own Rom Com-inspired TV series that isn't afraid to change up the cast. Although some episodes rely a bit more on frat boy humor than I'd prefer, when this show is good, it is crazy good.

You're the Worst The humor in this series is very adult and very dark. Casual sex, drug use, and profanity are just the tip of the iceberg of reasons why you might not enjoy this show. At some point I have declared each of the main characters as the Absolute Worst, but I still love these deeply flawed and vulnerable fictional people.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine I avoided this series for three years because I was somehow convinced I wouldn't like a series about a scrappy Brooklyn police department. I was wrong: I love it. This is my new go-to upbeat ensemble comedy (I miss you, Parks & Rec!) and it is the show I turn to when I've had a bad day.

Leverage When I've had a really bad day, I turn on Leverage. Absolutely any episode leaves me feeling better about humanity. It's quirky, goofy, and most importantly, this team of bad guys always helps the normal people hurt by the rich, powerful and corrupt to get justice.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Binge Worthy TV Shows

Sometimes I think the DVR is the best and worst invention ever.  The best because I can record shows when I'm not home and watch them whenever.  The worst because I record a lot of TV shows and then I end up watching an entire season over the course of a day or two. For a television junkie, the DVR is a big old enabler. 
 
Here are a few of my favorite binge worthy shows: 


Angie Tribeca on TBS

From the mind of Steve Carell and his wife, Nancy Walls Carell, Angie Tribeca is a police procedural satire in the spirit of Police Squad.  Rashida Jones plays the titular detective who gets a new partner in the pilot episode. TBS aired the first season of 10 episodes as a 25-hour marathon, so this show was truly made for binge watching.  The humor is very reminiscent of the movies Airplane! and The Naked Gun. Surely (don't call me Shirley) you will want to give this show a try. 




Killjoys on Syfy

Killjoys follows a trio of bounty hunters, Dutch, Dav and Johnny as they work in a four planet system called The Quad. Hello, space bounty hunters!  What isn't to love about this show?  Killjoys, especially in the second season is a great mix of humor, drama and action.  The leader of this rag-tag trio is Dutch, and she is a woman who knows how to take care of herself.  You wouldn't want to meet her in a dark alley.  The best part of this show is her relationship (strictly platonic) with Johnny.  Also Pree, every episode with Pree is automatically my favorite episode. 




Dark Matter on Syfy

Dark Matter is a bit darker (ha) in tone than Killjoys.  A group of six people wake up on the space ship Raza, with no memory of who they are.  They name themselves One through Six based on the order in which they woke up.  Dark Matter was created by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie based upon their comic book of the same name.  Both men at one time or another were writers and executive producers on the Stargate TV shows. If you are a fan of the Stargate shows, you will see some familiar faces pop up now and then. Even without their memories, it becomes clear that the leader of the Raza crew is "Two" and she is a kick-butt, take names later (if they are still alive) kind of woman.   

 
The 100 on the CW

This post-apocalyptic drama follows a group of teens (100 of them in all) as they become the first humans to return to Earth, 97 years after a devastating nuclear apocalypse.  The twist here is that the teens are all technically criminals and Earth isn't quite as uninhabited as those still living in space think.  Also, the colony of space ships is failing so returning to Earth is pretty much their only chance of survival.  The CW is famous for dramas with very pretty people, and The 100 does deliver on that front. However, they don't stay so pretty (yes they actually get dirty and the dirt sticks) and life on planet Earth is BRUTAL.  Think Lord of the Flies, Game of Thrones brutal.  I record this show because sometimes I just need to stop my DVR, walk away and decompress.  Fair warning, this show will bring about emotions.


 UnREAL on the Lifetime channel.

I did a review of this show that you can read here.  Basically this is a show about the making of a fictional reality dating show and it is CRAZY.  Plus each season (season 2 just ended) is only 10 episodes long so you could easily watch a season in one day.







~Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: UnREAL

Let's face it folks, America is obsessed with reality television, especially dating shows. How else would The Bachelor last 20 seasons and The Bachelorette 12?   Have you ever been glued to your television thinking "these people are crazy, why would they go on a show like this"? I've probably seen a handful of Bachelor and Bachelorette episodes, dating shows are not my cup of tea, but I find UnREAL fascinating.  This show is a a train-wreck, and I just can't look away. 

UnREAL is in its second season on Lifetime.  When I think of Lifetime, I think of feel good programming featuring female leads. There is some angst, some sort of tragedy the main character needs to overcome and it ends with a happily ever after.  The only thing UnREAL has that fits my perception of Lifetime is female lead characters.  

UnREAL is a show about the making of a reality dating show called "Everlasting". Marti Noxon, one of the creators of UnREAL, has said in interviews that this series is based on what really happens behind the scenes of a reality dating show.  Given how dark and twisty UnREAL is, I truly hope that the majority of the show is a gross exageration. On Everlasting, producers are assigned girls (called wifeys) and there are bonuses based on how long the girls last on the show.  What does it mean to produce a girl?  It means manipulation pure and simple.  Create drama, film drama, air drama for all the world to see.  That is what Everlasting is all about. 

The main female characters are Quinn and Rachel.  Quinn is the Executive Producer of Everlasting, this show is her life and she will do anything to make it a success.  Rachel is one of the show producers.  In the first season she returns to Everlasting after having a monumental breakdown on camera during Everlasting's finale.   Rachel is damaged, actually everyone making and starring in Everlasting seems to be damaged. 

A few more notable characters are Chet and Jeremy.  Chet is the creator of Everlasting (or so he would have you believe), he has a substance abuse problem, a wife, and has been having a long-term affair with Quinn.  Jeremy is one of the cameramen and Rachel's ex-boyfriend.  Jeremy starts out as a sympathetic character, but apparently Everlasting sucks the soul right out of you and everyone associated with the show becomes horrible.

To give you an idea about how successful UnREAL has been, after season 1, Lifetime renewed the show for a second and third season.  It is possible the show won't last more than 3 seasons, but I will tune in for as long as it lasts.  Each season is 10 episodes so it has excellent binge-watching potential.

Disclaimer: This show is rated Mature for some serious adult content, including sex and language. It may be on Lifetime, but it is something you would expect to see on HBO or Showtime.

~Amy, Adult Services  

From Page to (Small) Screen - Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

Thanks to Downton Abbey and Call the Midwife, period dramas are all the rage, especially if they take place in a foreign country and are produced by a foreign country's broadcasting corporation.  Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries is a period drama, produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) which makes sense, because the show takes place in Australia, specifically Melbourne in the 1920s.  ABC, BBC, it doesn't matter who produced this show, it is a wonderful period drama with an amazing lead character and oh my, the costumes!  I'll get to the costumes later.

Kerry Greenwood created the Honorable Phryne Fisher for her series of detective novels starting with Cocaine Blues in 1989.  Phryne (pronounced Fryne) is a wealthy aristocrat living in St. Kilda, Melbourne in 1928.  She is a 28-year-old detective who solves all types of crimes with the help of her maid, Dot, and a couple of taxi drivers named Bert and Cec.  Phryne was not always rich, when all the other male heirs in her father's line were killed, he inherited a title and a great deal of money.  She worked as an ambulance driver in France during WWI, as an artist model in Montparnasse (an area of Paris, France) after the war and eventually ends up in Melbourne.  She is an amazingly accomplished woman.  She can fly a plane (gasp!), drives her own car (the horror!) and sometimes she wears trousers (stop! I'm having heart palpitations!).  Phryne is a bohemian, but she is incredibly stylish and classy at the same time. 

When ABC was looking to adapt a crime novel for television, Kerry Greenwood's series was brought to their attention.  In June of 2011, ABC commissioned a thirteen-part series to air the following year.  Thus, the wonderful, visually appealing, Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries television show was born. 

The main cast of characters from the book appear in the television show. In addition to Phryne there is:

• Detective Inspector John "Jack" Robinson - a police detective who reluctantly works with Miss Fisher

• Dorothy "Dot" Williams - Miss Fisher's companion/maid, she is a devout Catholic and often acts as Miss Fisher's moral compass and voice of reason

• Constable Hugh Collins - Inspector Robinson's right hand man

• Mr. Butler - Miss Fisher's loyal butler

• Bert Johnson and Cec Yates -Taxi drivers, devout communists, often assist Miss Fisher in her investigations

What makes this show so wonderful is the fantastic cast, the interesting (and sometimes over-the-top) cases Phryne gets involved with, the chemistry between the characters and last, but not least, the clothing.  Phryne's wardrobe is an incredible collection of 20s and 30s fashion.  The costume designer for the show, Marion Boyce, deserves an Emmy (in my opinion) because every single thing Phryne wears is amazing.  Boyce did all the costumes, not just Phryne's, and though more understated, the other costumes are just as wonderful.  Dot, for instance, dresses very conservatively in tweeds and cardigans, offering a nice contrast to Phryne, who has no problem showing off a lot of skin.

To date there are 20 books and 34 episodes.  The episodes with the same name as one of the books will have the same plot, though there are usually deviations due to artistic license.  Do you need to read the books to enjoy the tv show?  Absolutely not! I binge-watched the entire first series before I read Cocaine Blues.  I don't often say this, but I like the show better than the books.  Maybe it is because I need the visual of Melbourne in the 1920s, or perhaps it is because I saw the show first.  I'm not sure, but I will say you should give the books and the show a chance.  Read then watch, watch then read, just read or just watch. The decision is up to you.

~Amy, Adult Services

Staff Review: Leviathan Wakes and The Expanse TV Series

Have you ever read a book and thought, "Hey, this might make a great TV show?" Sometimes you get what you ask for, and in my case that is The Expanse series of books by James S.A. Corey coming to a television near me.  I'd heard raves about the first book in the series, Leviathan Wakes and decided to give it a try.

In a nutshell, humans have colonized Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid belt and beyond.  The people born and raised on the outer planets refer to themselves as "belters". Those born and raised on Earth are called "Earthers".  There are a lot of politics at play, but the bottom line is that the belters aren't big fans of the Earthers and vice versa so of course there is a war brewing.  The majority of the story is told from two different viewpoints, in alternating chapters.

James Holden is an Earther and the executive officer of an ice mining ship that makes runs from the rings of Saturn to various mining stations on the belt. His ship happens upon the Scopuli, a derelict ship, and when he and a few other crew members mount a salvage/rescue mission, things go horribly wrong. It seems they have stumbled upon a secret that will get them killed.

Detective Joe Miller works for Star Helix Security on the Ceres station. He is tasked with looking for a missing girl named Julie Mao.  Her parents are important and it seems she had a bit of a rebellious streak while in college, joining a student activist group and refusing to come home.  Her last known address was on Ceres, and Miller traces her to a ship called the Scopuli.  Through a series of events, Miller and Holden end up working together to find Julie and discover what secret the Scopuli was holding.

Leviathan Wakes paints a fascinating picture of life on Earth and beyond.  Obviously it takes place in a distant future so even things on Earth are different.  For instance, Holden was born in a family co-op with five fathers and three mothers.  They all contributed to his DNA mix and somehow this arrangement gave them a huge tax break, allowing them to own 22 acres of decent farmland. Miller on the other hand was born on Ceres, having only been off-planet 4 times.  It becomes pretty obvious that Miller is being set-up as the fall guy for something.  He is depressed, his life is stagnant, and as a result he become obsessed with the Julie Mao case.  The two different points of view allow the story to move forward until the two main characters intersect.  I had a few moments of "wait, what is happening here?" but for the most part found that the world-building wasn't too complicated and the story progressed nicely.  To date there are four more books in The Expanse series: Caliban's War, Abaddon's Gate, Cibola Burn, and Nemesis Games. 

Enough about the book, lets get to the TV show.  Yes, The Expanse will be coming to the SyFy channel with a two part series premier on December 14 and 15.  I, for one, can't wait to see this huge space opera (for lack of a better description) come to life on the small screen.  I really enjoyed the Battlestar Galactica reboot and the recent SyFy shows Killjoys and Dark Matter.  I apparently enjoy TV shows that take place in space.  There is still time to read the book before the series begins, or if you don't want to read the book (it is only 582 pages, you can do it), wait until December and watch the story unfold in one hour increments.

Also, in case anyone is wondering, "James S.A. Corey"is a pen name used by the two writers that collaborate on this series, Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck.

~Amy, Adult Services

Reading Suggestions for the Characters of "How to Get Away with Murder"

How to Get Away with Murder is hands down my favorite show on television right now. If you enjoy a twisted, character-driven mystery that plays with non-linear storytelling (flashbacks into the future), you should go watch the first season right now because I wouldn't want to spoil a minute. If you're up to date on the first episode of the second season, you're safe to read on with no spoilers.

When it comes to reading suggestions for the characters of HtGAwM, almost every character could benefit from browsing the books shelved under 646.77 (aka Dating & Relationships).

Professor Annalise Keating: I wouldn't dare to give Professor Keating any sort of advice on anything ever.

Wes: Cinnamon Roll Murder by Joanne Fluke. Enough said.

Rebecca: Stiff: the curious lives of human cadavers by Mary Roach. Too soon?

Nate: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale. The story of the Victorian detective who inspired Arthur Conan Doyle to write Sherlock Holmes, and the case that destroyed his career.

Laurel: The Secret History by Donna Tartt. Someone needs to read this book. Seriously guys, murder is never a good extra-curricular.

Connor: Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan. Connor deserves the escape of an upbeat, whimsical love story.

Asher: The Trophy Kids Grow Up by Ronald Alsop. Honestly? I picked this for the title. I don't think Asher is likely to read anything.

Michaela: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella. An upbeat, romantic tale about a lost wedding ring and an engagement to the wrong man that has absolutely no murders and a happy ending? Just what Michaela needs.

Bonnie: Confessions of a Sociopath by M.E. Thomas. An exploration of the traits used to identify psychopaths, including a helpful checklist.

Frank: The Psychopath Test by Jon Ronson. In fact, maybe Frank and Bonnie should just start a book club. Seriously, those two scare me.

If you enjoyed reading this, you should check out Aisha's reading suggestions for the characters of Scandal.

~Sarah, Adult Services

What Should the Characters of "Scandal" Be Reading?

Season five of Scandal starts tonight!

Sure, it can be a completely unbelievable show at times and I'm usually saying, "That did not just happen!" when I watch it.

But, come on, it's also the most awesome completely unbelievable show and it's filled with epic monologues, forbidden love, and pretty people. Feel free to have a dance party!

To celebrate the return of its awesomeness and the awesomeness of books, here are some book recommendations to help Olivia, Mellie, and Fitz deal with what happened in season 4.

Season 4 spoilers ahead!

Olivia
At the end of season 4, Fitz kicked Mellie out of the White House so he could be with Olivia. Fitz and Mellie have two children. Given the way Olivia decorates her apartment and dresses, it seems like she doesn't spend any time with children at all. Learning how to get stains out of a mostly white wardrobe might be a good skill to pick up.

  

Green-up Your Cleanup by Jill Potvin Schoff

And she also might want to drink a little less.

Rewire: Change Your Brain to Break Bad Habits, Overcome Addictions, Conquer Self-Destructive Behavior by Richard O'Conner

Mellie
Mellie is not the type of woman to give up. I doubt she'll roll over and quietly take Fitz's banishment, but she's been through some hard times before.

Just in case she needs a reminder...

You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

I'm not really worried about Mellie. She's tough and knows how to deal with disappointment.

Rising Strong by Brene Brown

Fitz

Oh, Fitz. I don't envy his position. (Not the Presidency. Being President of the United States seems far easier than his Olivia-Mellie predicament.)

Yep. Nothing but trouble ahead for the President. Figuring out why he's repeatedly in a bad place might be a good idea, yes?

Blunder: Why Smart People Make Bad Decisions by Zachary Shore

While Fitz does many things that are annoying, kicking Mellie out of the White House for doing something very similar to something he did (killing lots of people mostly by accident) was extremely aggravating. He may want to remember that a person who lives in a glass house should not throw stones.

Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature by John Bartlett and Geoffrey O'Brien

Yeah, you do, Fitz. Repeatedly.

The gladiators are back and I couldn't be happier.