Introducing Oak Park’s Best of 2021, a librarian-curated selection of titles, featuring some of the titles most requested and checked out by Oak Parkers! See some of our favorite TV shows, movies, and music on this page or browse more using the links below.
Adult fiction & nonfiction | Teen fiction | Kids & picture books | TV shows, movies & music
TV shows, movies & music
30 by Adele
Why you should try it: "It's Adele. There's no one like her."—Dontaná, Collection Management Librarian
Description: The first new music from Adele since the release of her third studio album 25 in November 2015. The album is produced with former collaborators Greg Kurstin, Max Martin and Shellback, and Tobias Jesso Jr., as well as new collaborators Inflo and Ludwig Goransson.
An Evening With Silk Sonic by Silk Sonic
Why you should try it: "A retro feel-good album that conjures scenes of chill late-night parties."—Dontaná, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Silk Sonic, a fidelity-obsessed act in which Bruno Mars and onetime tourmate Anderson .Paak recreate the rhythm and blues of the ’70s. (Pitchfork)
Hey What by Low
Why you should try it: "I'll never tire of carefully crafted guitar riffs and gorgeous two-part harmonies, but on this record, Alan Sparhawk pushes the pedals and tweaks the nobs more heavily to create noisescapes that envelop he and Mimi Parker's vocals with beautiful effect."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian
Description: This is Low's thirteenth full-length release in 27 years and their third with producer BJ Burton.
Lucy Worsley's Royal Myths & Secrets
Why you should try it: "I love every single one of Lucy Worsley's documentaries! She makes history come alive with costuming and great humor. She usually focuses on the United Kingdom, so seeing the breakdown of worldwide history and myths was a real treat."—Shelley, Children's Services Librarian
Description: Join Lucy Worsley on a journey across Europe to visit the incredible locations where royal history was made. From the Spanish Armada to the French Revolution, learn how royal history is a mixture of facts, exaggeration, manipulation, and mythology.
Mare of Easttown
Why you should try it: "Kate Winslet was phenomenal in this show! I was riveted every episode and completely surprised by the twists at the end."—Jenna, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Mare Sheehan is a small-town Pennsylvania detective who investigates a local murder as life crumbles around her. The seven-part limited series is an exploration into the dark side of a close community and an authentic examination of how family and past tragedies can define our present.
Pig
Why you should try it: "Nicolas Cage doesn't always succeed, but he can't be faulted for his willingness to pursue unique roles. In Pig, the depth he brings to his character is undeniable, and the film, like many things that seem simple on the surface, is actually a complex comment on what's valuable in life."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian
Description: A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregonian wilderness must return to his past in Portland in search of his beloved foraging pig after she is kidnapped.
Raya and the Last Dragon
Why you should try it: "I love Raya and her adventure so much! Such a fun and visually beautiful movie."—Jenna, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Long ago, in the fantasy world of Kumandra, humans and dragons lived together in harmony. But when sinister monsters known as the Druun threatened the land, the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. Now, 500 years later, those same monsters have returned and it's up to a lone warrior, Raya, to track down the last dragon in order to finally stop the Druun for good.
Smithsonian Anthology of Hip-Hip & Rap
Why you should try it: "This compilation isn't meant to be a greatest hits package—though there are hits galore—but rather a document of touchstones and creative revelations. Listening from start to finish is like witnessing the evolution of a musical language."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian
Description: The set includes 129 tracks on nine discs. It's a first-of-its-kind multimedia collection chronicling the growth of the music and culture from the parks of the Bronx to solidifying a reach that spans the globe.
To the Ends of the Earth
Why you should try it: "Best known for his eerie horror films (Cure, Pulse, Creepy), Kiyoshi Kurosawa's To The Ends of the Earth is, like his more recent works, a departure from that genre. However, for fans of those films, it retains signature elements of the filmmaker's style: gradual tension build, atmospheric ebb and flow, characters searching with uncertainty—the latter the centerpiece of this story of self-discovery."—Eric, Collection Management Librarian
Description: To the Ends of the Earth follows concerned citizens living at the frontiers of extreme oil and gas extraction, bearing witness to a global crossroads. They call for human ingenuity to rebuild society at the end of the fossil fuel era.
What We Do In the Shadows
Why you should try it: "This show just keeps getting better! Consistently hilarious and outrageous."—Kathy, Collection Management Librarian
Description: Four vampires have lived together for hundreds of years. After an unexpected visit from their dark lord and leader, they're reminded that they were initially tasked with completing domination of the New World upon their arrival in Staten Island; over a hundred years ago. But what exactly is the best way to go about achieving said domination?
