While we’re all sheltering at home, the library’s e-media offerings have gotten even better! One of the providers offering an extensive digital collection, brought to you by the library, is hoopla! This excellent digital streaming service brings you music, entire albums, e-books, e-audiobooks, and graphic novels with crisp images and colors that jump off the page, as well as movies and TV shows. OverDrive’s popular titles often have hold lists, but because there’s no wait time for items on hoopla, it’s a great place to get materials for the day or weekend. With 15 checkouts per month and a slew of free Bonus Borrows that don’t take away any credits, it’s easy to discover many gems on hoopla for your reading, listening, and viewing pleasure.
One author who often has a long hold list via OverDrive is Elizabeth Acevedo, but look no further, because both her books are on hoopla! In her first novel, The Poet X, Xiomara Batista pours her fears, frustrations, and hopes into her notebook with lyricism and strength. When she’s invited to join a slam poetry club, she must come to a decision, even if that means going against her family’s wishes.
Emoni Santiago is a teen mother who has focused all her time on her family and her schoolwork in With the Fire on High. Her relaxation comes from her work in her kitchen, preparing delicious and unique meals with flair. Even though she dreams of becoming a chef, she doesn’t think it’s an achievable dream until an opportunity presents itself.
If you love Rick Riordan, you’ll love his imprint. One of my favorite series is the Pandava Quartet by Roshani Chokshi. hoopla carries all three books of the series, and the third book just came out! In the first book, Aru Shah and the End of Time, you’ll follow 12-year old Aru Shah, who loves telling tall tales to her friends, stumbles onto a secret family history and has to defeat an ancient demon. With Hindu mythology interwoven, this will be a hit with those who love mythology. As a bonus, many of Rick Riordan’s books and graphic novels are also waiting for you to check them out!
Rin Chupeco is a wonderful author of both horror and fantasy. She has had two new books out in the past year, but one of her best series is the trilogy, The Bone Witch. The first installment introduces us to Tea, who can raise the dead…for a price. After bringing her brother back to life, she learns she’s a different type of witch, one with the gift of necromancy. After being thrown out of her community, she finds a new home and goal to become a witch that can utilize elemental magic. Dark forces are convening, and she must use her new talents to save those she loves and those that shun her.
If you like historical fiction with a twist, be sure to check out Justina Ireland’s first in a series, Dread Nation. Set during a reimagined Civil War, Jane is studying to be an Attendant, to be trained in weapons and etiquette to combat the dead that walks the battlefields, so that she will be able to protect wealthy white Southern women. When families start disappearing, she finds herself amid a conspiracy.
Are you in the mood for superheroes? If so, C.B. Lee’s Sidekick Squad’s series is here for you! The first, Not Your Sidekick, introduces readers to Jessica Tran. In a world filled with people with superpowers, she has none. She is excited to have found a paid internship that gets her near her crush, Abby, but unfortunately, it’s with the town’s supervillain. Start the series and jump into sinister plots and dangerous villains.
One of my favorite series is William Ritter’s Jackaby series. In the first novel, Jackaby, we meet Abigail, who has recently arrived in 1892 New England in search of employment. She meets R.F. Jackaby, an investigator with the talent to be able to see supernatural beings. With her knack for noticing the small details, she makes for the perfect assistant. They hit the ground running as they track a serial killer on the loose. If you like Sherlock Holmes-esque books with a ghostly twist, this series is for you!
Infinity Son is Adam Silvera’s new novel. Silvera is known for his very realistic fiction, and here he changes genres to bring readers an exciting fantasy. Set in a supernatural New York, Emil and Brighton are brothers who look up to a vigilante group who hunts down specters. This makes people with any powers fear for their life. After a protest, Emil realizes he has power and becomes a defender against the specters and feels he has to join the vigilante group.
Another long waitlist on Overdrive is for They Called Us Enemy by George Takei. Not only do you not have to wait to read it on hoopla, but it’s a Bonus Borrow, meaning it doesn’t take one of your monthly checkouts. This graphic novel is Takei’s childhood story when his entire family was forced into an American concentration camp as one of the 100,000 Japanese Americans sent to camps by the U.S. government during World War II.
Lastly, Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker is a graphic novel dealing with love, family, and witches. Nova Huang is a teen witch who works at her grandmothers’ bookstore and looks into supernatural incidents. When she comes across her childhood crush, Tam Lang, who also happens to be a homeless werewolf who is being chased by agents of darkness, she vows to help her friend. Love, magic, and family fill this charming graphic novel. You’ll be ready for a second installment the moment you finish!
