What's New

As you have probably no doubt guessed, dear reader, I have a huge fondness for poetry. Poetry allows us to say the things we normally find unsayable. And in doing so, we can better connect, not only to ourselves but to each other. So here are some of our latest poetry books to aid in your quest to say the unsayable.

36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem is the latest work by writer Nam Le. Le explores the diaspora as a result of the Vietnamese war, and the lasting effect on those that have been displaced from their homeland. Centering on the concept of identity, Le shows how detrimental it is to have your concept of self stripped away, and replaced with another’s idea of you. Le mocks the mask that is forced upon him, forcing the reader to contend with their own assumptions and prejudices. Le plays with form, taking the standard concepts and breaking them to create a new way of looking at language itself. Le’s work is an exploration of how one can reclaim an identity dismantled by colonialism.

Mirror Nation by Don Mee Choi, is another writer exploring diaspora, this time looking through the lens of the Gwangju uprising. Choi uses her father’s photographs and personal recollections to inform of a time that has been glossed over. Choi’s father, a photographer working with reporters during this time, saw the violence first hand and came close several times to experiencing it himself. Choi takes this knowledge and bridges it to the present in her own struggles to understand herself and the land her family had to leave. Dealing with her own sense of self, Choi investigates her past to ground herself in the present and reconnect with who she might have been.

With My Back to the World is another stellar work by Victoria Chang. Using the abstract paintings and writings of Agnes Martin, Chang delves into the matter of identity itself. Chang is trying to answer the question of who she is and what it means to be a woman while dealing with her own depression and the subsequent death of her father. Martin’s work allows Chang to delve deeper into her own mind and understand how art is a conduit to understanding ourselves. Chang’s poems seem to question what lies at the crossroads of being a woman and being Asian and how to honor both in a society that values neither.

Enjoy these new poetry books and discover much more at your local library.

Teens, poor me. I’m always a little late catching on to trends. For example, I started listening to One Direction two years ago (approximately thirteen years after it was cool and seven years after they broke up). I watched the “Twilight” movie for the first time last October (fifteen years after it was released). I’ve been known to say, “Mozart really knows what he’s doing” (a record-breaking two-hundred-thirty years behind the curve).

So recently, I discovered I really like K-pop. Maybe someone out there is like me and finds out about things twenty to two-hundred years after they start being cool. If you are in this category and have been living under a rock since before you were born, K-pop is Korean pop music. But back to the story…I “discovered” K-pop and immediately got hooked on the irresistible tunes, sensational dance moves, and joyful feeling I get when I listen to it.

Good news, teens: even though I’m late to the party, the party is still going on! Imagine my elation when I realized we have five K-pop inspired Young Adult (YA) fiction titles in our collection here at A.K. Smiley Public Library. Of course, I wasted no time scooping them up so I could tell you about them if you live, eat, breathe—and want to read—K-pop.

Author Jessica Jung not only wrote a book about K-pop, she’s actually a former K-pop star (Girls’ Generation circa 2007-2014). In other words, her credentials are unmatched. Do you want an insider’s look behind K-pop’s bubblegum veneer? So did I!

Teens, what a roller coaster ride Jung’s YA novel “Shine” will take you on. When 17-year-old Rachel Kim became a K-pop trainee with an elite Korean entertainment company at age 11, she had stars in her eyes. In the years since, she has competed, sweat, and sacrificed to be selected for the next big girl group. Her dreams are finally inches away when a few major obstacles (ahem, an irresistible crush, a shady competitor, a manipulative music label) threaten to undermine everything. “Shine” will definitely kick-ball-change you behind K-pop’s polished choreography and pitch-perfect voices, and reveal some disturbing truths about what it really takes to make it. If you get hooked, don’t miss its sequel, “Bright.”

Did you know K-pop idols are typically forbidden from having boyfriends and girlfriends? Boohoo if you have heart eyes for Jung Kook (K-pop band BTS heart-throb)…you will have to wait until he retires to make him yours! Axie Oh’s novel, “XOXO,” follows the story of classical cellist/high school junior Jenny Jooyoung Go, whose chance encounter with Jaewoo kicks off an accidental romance that spans continents as well as musical genres. Will these classical/K-pop virtuosos let their musical aspirations silence their hearts? This is a book that’s as delightful and funny as it is fun…read it and be charmed.

If you’re on a roll after these two, you may want to check out Kat Cho’s “Once Upon a K-Prom,” in which perpetual sidekick Elena Soo does NOT want to go to Prom. That is, until her childhood best-friend-turned-K-pop-sensation Robbie Choi, re-enters the scene. Or maybe try “Somewhere Only We Know” by Maureen Goo, where K-pop star Lucky pretends to be a regular girl-next-door after an existential crisis, only to find herself knee-deep in real feelings built on a pretend identity.

Okay, K-pop stans (a.k.a. enthusiastic fans), I hope this little list leads you to some satisfying K-pop reads. Remember, we have YA books for all kinds of musical (and literary) tastes, so come by and find something that’ll light you up like dy-na-na-na, na-na, na-na, dynamite (even if you’re two hundred years behind the trend).

Kristina Naftzger is a Youth Services Librarian at A.K. Smiley Public Library; her bias is Jung Kook, and she is currently making a finger heart at you.

While patrons roam the familiar shelves and hallways of Smiley Library, a hidden world of mysteries lies concealed beneath their feet. Locked away from public view, the basement of the Library harbors a trove of esoteric artifacts, each with a story waiting to be told. Normally a space seen only by Smiley staff and the tireless volunteers of the Friends of the Library, this article aims to pull back the curtain on this space and answer that burning question one can’t help but wonder: What’s in the basement? 

Our exploration begins with a miniature marvel – a dollhouse replica of the iconic Morey Mansion. The beautiful Victorian home, built in 1890, has been dubbed “America’s Favorite Victorian House” and has been featured in films and movies for decades. The dollhouse is one of several in a collection modeled after famous homes in Redlands. Delicately crafted and meticulously detailed, the dollhouse offers a tiny view into a bygone era. 

Elsewhere in the basement is a large metallic scale, manufactured by Toledo company. Its face lists “desirable weights” for men and women, exuding a vintage charm despite its somewhat dated health standards. The scale encapsulates the idea of “They don’t build ‘em like that anymore” as it stands as tall as a grown man and weighs about the same. This specific scale used to stand in front of Gair’s, a local Redlands menswear store, until it was donated and became part of the Library’s historical collection. 

Our next item comes from a group of books going back over a century on a variety of topics ranging from local to international. One such book, selected at random, is the Reports of the Secretary of War, 1881-1885. Ancient volumes like this, while not the most riveting read, provide a crucial window into American history for historians and scholars. During this period the United States Army would have been involved in expanding into the Pacific with the establishment of naval bases on Hawaii and Guam. The decade also saw wars with Native American tribes, which would ultimately culminate in the Battle of Wounded Knee in 1890. 

Another book in the basement is called Current Literature from 1911 to 1912. This title provides a fascinating glimpse into what people were reading over a century ago, and is reminiscent of our own “What’s New” articles today!  Some noteworthy titles from that year included “Ethan Frome,” by Edith Wharton, “The Secret Garden,” by Frances Hodgson Burnett, “The Lost World” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and “Tarzan of the Apes” by Edgar Rice Burroughs. 

Although the secrets of the Smiley basement may remain hidden from view, they serve as a reminder of the rich tapestry of history we curate at the Library. As you explore the stacks above, we invite you to ponder the mysteries that lie beneath your feet, and perhaps you too will find yourself asking, “What’s in the basement?” 

One of the most commonly asked questions I get working at A.K. Smiley Public Library is “what’s the last good book you have read?” Most of the time I get nervous and can’t remember; well luckily for you, my dear reader, I can recommend two good books to you.

I know it is only April, but my favorite book that I have read so far this year, is Murder Road by Simone St. James. Newlyweds April and Eddie are on their way to their honeymoon when they come across a young woman on the side of the road who looks like she is in need of help. They pick up the despondent woman and take her to the hospital where she is later pronounced dead. The cops immediately suspect them as the murderers. Trying to prove themselves innocent, April and Eddie uncover a sinister secret where more than one hitchhiker has been murdered on this murderous road. Check out this title to see what or who has been murdering innocent hitchhikers.

Another novel that I really enjoyed reading is The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo. If you are familiar with the mythology of the fox in Asian cultures, then I highly recommend this book. The Fox Wife takes place in 1908 in Manchuria where a ‘woman’ named Snow is seeking revenge and a detective named Bao is investigating a mysterious death of a young woman. Check out this novel to find out how Snow’s and Bao’s fates are intertwined.

Make your way down to A.K. Smiley Public Library and check out these two titles today!