Reading Recs

Okay, so, a miniseries whose premise is "Superman is dying" doesn't sound particularly "feel good." However! This comic is a celebration of an earlier period in superhero history, an optimistic era where a superhero was defined not merely by powers or a cape but the amount of good they did. So, Superman approaches his final days by performing the greatest feats of heroics of his career, while also engaging in every act of care and kindness he can. Bright, fantastical, and positive in the face of everything, All-Star Superman is the most idealistic take on the most idealistic superhero. – Carl H.

This book follows a professional football player through his career. It goes into how his faith help him through the rough times. – Joe

I highly recommend watching Bob’s Burgers if you have never seen it. If you have seen it you would know that they make different burgers of the day. Well this book is a recipe book for those burgers. I would not recommend making all of the burgers, but it is fun to see what got created for them. Be adventurous and try some of these different burgers! – Cole

Friends With Boys is an adorable coming of age story about a girl who has been homeschooled by her mother up until her mother recently passed away. Now it is her first day of high school. Public high school. Not only does she have her three older brothers and their wildly different personalities to deal with, she also has to learn how to interact with her peers as an awkward teen. Oh, and there is a super melancholy ghost following her around. This is a wonderfully illustrated graphic novel with a fun and touching story. – Brittany

Sometimes "feel good" is about triumphing over the odds. Hidden Figures is the story of three NASA employees in the lead up to the first manned American spaceflight to orbit the Earth. However, our three NASA employees are all black women, so they have to face both racism and sexism constantly. Mathematician Katherine Goble (Taraji P. Henderson) is not taken seriously by any of the white men who make up the Space Task Group when she is assigned there. Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) has no room for promotion in the racially and gender segregated structure of NASA. Aspiring engineer Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) needs to be able to attend a segregated, all-white school in order to get the qualifications she needs. All three will succeed in the end, but it is how they succeed that makes this such as positive film. – Carl H.

Stranded in a desert, a pilot meets a little prince, on his way to return to his planet and the rose he loves. Step into a world guided by a little prince, laugh at how little grown-ups understand, learn about friendship from a fox, and discover that “It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” – Stephanie