Posts by Ryan Donovan

From the moment I met Daria Campbell, I knew that I had found a library patron whose love of reading comics matched my own. I caught up with Daria recently to ask her a few questions about how she utilizes graphic novels at the New York Public Library. I also asked her to share some of her comic recommendations with all of you. If you see Daria at Mid-Manhattan, be sure to ask her what she's reading 

Happy New Year! 2013 has officially ended. If one of your New Year's Resolutions was to join a book club, then we here at the New York Public Library have the perfect group for you. Join the Reader’s Den: the original NYPL online book discussion club. With a knowledgeable collective of book discussion leaders hailing from Chatham Square, Jefferson Market,

Late last year, I featured some of my favorite graphic novels aimed at children 12 and under from the New York Public Library's collection. The list proved so popular I even made a sequel. Many people have asked me for a list of updated titles, so I have featured five of my new favorite comic titles that were published this year. A few of these selections are even featured in the

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Author Hollis Seamon recently wrote an amazing young adult novel, Somebody Up There Hates You, featuring two teenagers living in hospice care while suffering from terminal cancer. Despite the grim subject matter, I can honestly say that this was one of the more heartful and thoughtful books I've read this year. Hollis was kind enough to answer a few questions about the 

Every so often, a new author comes along that demands a reader's attention. Corina Vacco, a first time novelist living in Berkeley, California, has accomplished such a feat. Inspired by real life events, she has set her debut novel in an extremely polluted western New York surbub. The story follows the lives of several teenagers over the course of their summer before high school. As the boys plot to sabotage and expose the chemical conglomerate responsible for their town's 

Jeff Stone is one busy guy. A Detroit native, he is an avid mountain biker and martial artist in addition to being an author of several children's books. I read his latest book last year, the first in a new series, and throughly enjoyed it. I had a few questions for Mr. Stone about most recent work, his diverse cast of characters, and 

Imagine a world gone mad, where everyone seems to be after you behind a backdrop of pointless, unending war. All you want to do is protect your newborn child from danger, but it looms whatever just beyond every path you take.

This is the story of Alana and Marko, a Romeo & Juliet inspired couple from the warring planets of Landfall and Wreath, respectively. Alana meets Marko while guarding him on the prison planet Cleave, one of the many suffering worlds that the war has been "outsourced" to. 

It’s hard to believe that 2012 is almost over. As we look forward to the new year, I am proud to present our upcoming Reader’s Den online book discussion titles for 2013. With an eclectic mix of book discussion leaders hailing from Jefferson Market, Columbus, Mulberry Street, Battery Park, 

Of all the books in last year's Children's Books: 100 Titles for Reading & Sharing, my favorite title turned out to be Anne Ursu's Breadcrumbs. Anne was nice enough to answer a few questions about the book and provide valuable insight on one of the most imaginative literary works published last year.

There were a lot of allusions to other fairy tales and fictional works, including

Due to the popularity of last month's post, here are six more recent works of comic titles for the young or maybe just the young at heart. The last three titles are also available as eBooks through Overdrive, which you can know check out directly through the library's Bibliocommons catalog interface. Click here to access specific intructions on how to download eBooks to 

Did you know that for the past few years there have been a great list of annual graphic novel selections for kids on the Children's Books: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list? I'm helping out on the committee this year, so I've been reading a bunch of comics aimed at younger readers. While not all of these titles will make our year end list, I thought I might share a few of my favorite books so 

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Over the weekend, I had my first experience visiting the Angelika Film Center to see Robbie Pickering's film Natural Selection. Pickering, a NYU film graduate, talked about his experiences with filming the movie in over just 18 days and directing a traditionally comedic actress (the film's dazzling lead, Rachel Harris) in a much more serious role.

The film 

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Since I would never make anyone coming into the library do something that I'm not willing to do myself, I had one of my fellow librarians interview me for our monthly anime patron feature. I'm also sad to report that this month's Anime Night is our last, mainly because FUNimation's Operation Anime service has decided to officially shut down. Something tells me that this is not the end, however, so look for more Anime/Manga offerings from the Mid-Manhattan Library sometime in 

When we last left off with our heroine Elena Gilbert (Nina Dobrev) in the first season of The Vampire Diaries, she was walking into her home after her nefarious vampire doppelgänger Katherine had just brutally stabbed Uncle John. Elena’s arrival probably saves John's life, as she narrowly avoids meeting Katherine for the first time.

The first episode 

We had 14 patrons at last night's anime screening of Kenichi, the Mightiest Disciple. There are many people who work at the Library who help contribute to our regular programs. One of them is Je-Andy, an audio-visual page who helps set up Anime Night every month at Mid-Manhattan Library. I sat down with Je-Andy and asked him some questions.

What is your name and your age?

My name is Je-Andy and I'm 21 years