#ComicsWednesday: Food Wars! by Yuto Tsukuda & Shun Saeki

Food Wars! shokugeki no soma is written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki. Professional chef Yuki Morisaki serves as a culinary adviser for the series. I highly recommend this manga to foodies, but parents should be aware that this series may be inappropriate for children and younger teens, despite its high school setting.

If you've ever lost an afternoon, an evening, or an entire weekend to a marathon of Chopped, Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, or any of the other dozens of cooking competition shows, this is the manga for you. Main character Soma Yukihira has already found his passion at the age of 15: cooking with his dad in their family restaurant. His father, however, has his own plans, and enrolls Soma in the incredibly competitive Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.

This series is known both for the delicious food and for its over-the-top fan service (translation: sexy images where very little is left to the imagination), where characters' enjoyment of particularly delicious food is shown as an orgasmic experience. It's a choice that I found personally off-putting at first, but gradually it became a part of the series's quirky charm.

There is a two-series anime adaptation that is currently only available with subtitles through a streaming service (no DVDs), and fans of the anime should definitely check out the manga. The manga not only expands on the story, but includes actual recipes for several of the dishes!

~Sarah, Adult Services

Spring weather brings spring puns! #librariesofinstagram #libraryhumor #dubuque

via IFTTT

#ComicsWednesday: PREZ Volume 1: Corndog-In-Chief by Mark Russell, Ben Caldwell, & Mark Morales

I don't really read a lot of DC comics. I'm more of a Marvel or BOOM! girl, myself, but sometimes a comic just calls to me. PREZ: Corndog-In-Chief was one such comic. The USA's first teenage president, elected by twitter vote in an effort from hacker group Anonymous to overthrow the status quo?

COUNT ME IN.

Beth Ross, a.k.a. the star of viral internet video Corndog Girl, is elected as the next President of the United States in 2036. This United States is a not-so-distant dystopian future, full of automated sentry drones, a wealth gap larger than any before, and an epidemic of the deadly cat flu. Corporations call the shots, and congress is full of mega-rich idiots. Poor citizens will literally shoot themselves in the leg on national television for the chance to win some money. Enter: Corndog Girl. Beth navigates the intense job of being the leader of a country everyone hates, and trying to make right the wrongs that have plagued the nation. Beth is smart and she surrounds herself with smart people, and also a sentient killer robot named Tina.

There is so much going on in this comic, that I can't even begin to describe it all. Writer Mark Russell is a newer voice in comics, and he hit this one out of the park. Ben Caldwell (Justice League Beyond) and Mark Morales (X-Force, Secret Invasion) have a unique and interesting style, perfect for the tone of the comic. PREZ: Corndog-In-Chief is a reboot of 1973 comic PREZ. 

 If you liked the dystopian aspect of The Hunger Games, but wanted a little more humor, this is for you. If you like the idea of a teenager being POTUS, this is for you. If you're sick of the news and want to laugh about politics for a change, this is for you. Basically, just read it. I promise you won't regret it.

-Libby, Youth Services

New item Tuesday

Something new is sprouting up! Stop by the Reference Desk to see the new Carnegie Sprout Seed Lending Library & don't miss the Seed Swap from 4-5:30 p.m. on Wednesday! #TuesdayNewDay #librariesofinstagram #dubuque #seedstarting #gardening

A post shared by Carnegie-Stout Public Library (@carnegiestout) on Feb 28, 2017 at 10:33am PST

#ComicsWednesday: Lucky Penny by Ananth Hirsh & Yuko Ota

Penny Brighton has made some poor choices in her life (see tattoo of a snake on her neck); add in a string of terrible luck (fired on the same day her roommate moves out and Penny can't afford the rent on her own). Lucky Penny, written by Ananth Hirsh and illustrated by Yuko Ota, has a blend of optimism and dark humor that will appeal to anyone familiar with the struggle that is your twenties. I'm especially fond of Ota's art, which has an appealing balance of realistic detail and cartoony movement. It works especially well in the sections illustrating Penny's active imagination. The team behind this graphic novel scores bonus points for respecting the romance novel genre, even as they poke gentle fun (see alternate cover design below).

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan

Historical romance novels are my go-to escape reading. Whenever I'm stressed or burned out, they give me the pick-up I need. The reassurance that this story at least will end with Happily Ever After makes them a safe refuge in a world of books and TV shows that seem to relish killing off our favorite characters.

That said, the promise of a happy ending doesn't stop romance authors like Courtney Milan from exploring some of the darker parts of the human experience or confronting some of today's challenging issues through the lens of the past. While some of the romance I read is all fluff and happiness, the Brothers Sinister series by Courtney Milan has a depth I really appreciate.

The series consists of 4 novels and 3 novellas, and while most of the stories stand well on their own, they do share characters and will be more rewarding if read in order. The series is set in the Victorian era, with the exception of the first novella, which is set 30 years earlier (a few years before Queen Victoria took the throne). That first novella, The Governess Affair, was one of only two books that I gave a 5-star rating to in 2014. I wish I'd realized then that it was the start of a larger series.

One warning: historical purists will find themselves annoyed by some of the author's choices, but Milan is very up front in her decisions to veer from historical fact. I don't want to spoil things too much here, but if you want to know which book to read for frank discussions of reproductive and sexual health, which books feature incredibly intelligent women who meet men who appreciate them for their intellectual accomplishments, or which book has the virgin hero, just ask in the comments!

The Governess Affair (novella)
The Duchess War
A Kiss for Midwinter (novella)
The Heiress Effect
The Countess Conspiracy
The Suffragette Scandal
Talk Sweetly to Me (novella)

~Sarah, Adult Services