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Starting at a young age, Jack Acheson observes first-hand the development of Kings County, a fictionalized Johnson County, KS. Jack’s father, Alton Acheson, capitalized on the plans to build I-35 by buying property along the future highway, mostly through manipulation and by unscrupulous means. His father’s involvement with the principle players in Kansas City’s history positions Jack firmly in a circle of friends with influential parents.
So I just got my new issue of Game Informer and in celebration of their 200th issue they have named the top 200 games of all time! They took into account quality, cultural relevance and industry impact and here are just some of the surprising things I have noticed from their list.
Despite a million dollar football contract, his engagement to his high school sweetheart, and the opposition of his family, after 9/11 Pat Tillman felt it necessary to put his life on hold and join the fight against al-Qaeda. When asked how he would deal with the media when his Army enlistment became public knowledge, he answered, “I’m not going to.” And he never did. Despite the best efforts of politicians and the media, Tillman and his brother Kevin, who joined at the same time, never granted an interview or explained themselves to anyone but their closest friends and relatives.
Tricks
By Ellen HopkinsTricks by Ellen Hopkins is a novel told in verse follows 5 teens. Each one is trying to find love and each one ends up selling their body by the end of the book. Eden's father is an evangelical minister who cares deeply about setting a good example for his flock. So when Eden falls for Andrew, a non-believer, she knows she must keep it a secret or face her parents wrath. Seth lives with his father working on the family farm in rural Indiana.
Farm City: the Education of an Urban Farmer
By Novella CarpenterWhen Novella Carpenter and boyfriend Bill move from Seattle to Oakland, they choose their apartment for its cast of eccentric neighbors and the empty lot behind the building. In short order, Novella has taken over the lot, not only with a garden of heirloom vegetables, but chickens, bees, and even pigs. Because she is essentially squatting on another’s property, she is very generous about allowing strangers to partake of the fruits of her labor, while waiting for bulldozers to clear her space for condominiums.
One of my all-time favorite comics is Grant Morrison's run on the weird superhero comic Doom Patrol (which has been collected in a series of graphic novels, but they are unfortunately not in the Library's collection). Morrison really played up the weirdness, throwing in all kinds of surreal and absurd characters and situations, while always keeping the emotions real and centered.
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
By Jamie FordAlong with the long-forgotten contents of the basement of the Panama Hotel, Henry Lee’s memories of 1940’s Seattle are unearthed. When new hotel owners start to renovate the boarded up, old Japanese-designed building they discover the personal belongings of numerous Japanese families who were interned during WWII. As a resident of Seattle’s Chinatown, just the other side of the Panama Hotel from Japantown, Henry witnessed first-hand the removal of the Japanese.
Whip It!
By Ellen PageIf you know me you know that I am eternally the fan of the girl power book/movie. Being a tomboy growing up I am always a fan of girls who unabashedly kick butt. I had some pretty high hopes for Whip It! and I was so excited to see one of my favorite sports being featured in a movie with an all star cast! I excitedly went out and read the book Derby Girl by Shauna Cross (recently retitled Whip It, the inspiration for the movie) .