June is Audiobook Month: Romance

June is Audiobook Month! To celebrate, borrow a Romance audiobook from Carnegie-Stout Public Library's collection. Here are a few recent contemporary romances that you might enjoy:

Her Secret by Shelley Shepard Gray
Shelley Shepard Gray is known for her engaging Christian romance novels, which often feature Amish communities. Her Secret is the intriguing first book in her Amish of Hart County series. When Hannah is stalked by an aggressive man, her family leaves their Ohio community for a new home in Kentucky. Tavia Gilbert narrates the audiobook with distinctive character voices.


A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
Alyssa Cole writes intelligent, yet steamy romance novels. For contemporary romance, try her Reluctant Royals series, which starts with A Princess in Theory. When independent grad student Naledi gets an email claiming she’s the long lost fiancée of an African prince, she assumes it’s spam, but the truth is far more complicated. Narrator Karen Chilton captures the story’s emotions, though some readers were less impressed by her accents.

Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
Helen Hoang’s debut novel is a captivating contemporary romance that is far too steamy for a family road trip. Stella is intelligent and accomplished, but her autism has made personal relationships a challenge. Michael is creative and caring, but circumstances have driven him to earn money as an escort. Carly Robins’s expressive narration captures the emotional journey of these characters.

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber
Debbie Macomber is known for her heartwarming contemporary romances. Josie spends a summer working in a small Alaskan town and finds happiness and a relationship with a local swordsmith. Her career takes her back to the restaurants of Seattle, but her dream job may not be all she wished. Laurel Rankin and Luke Daniels share the narration for the audiobook.

June is Audiobook Month: Notable Fiction

June is Audiobook Month! To celebrate, borrow a Fiction audiobook from Carnegie-Stout Public Library's collection. Here are a few titles from notable and prize-winning authors that you might enjoy:

Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Nigerian writer Akwaeke Emezi is a 2018 National Book Foundation “5 Under 35” honoree. Their debut novel is a complex and character-driven story of a young woman struggling with multiple personality disorder. Emezi’s calm narration is a striking juxtaposition to the complex and disturbing story.



Florida by Lauren Groff
Lauren Groff’s haunting collection of short stories was a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction. Her stories are character-driven, and her rich descriptions of the natural world make the setting stand out. Groff narrates the audiobook herself, to mixed reviews as some listeners enjoyed her pacing and others found her slight lisp distracting.



Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires
Nafissa Thompson-Spires's debut novel is a complex and quirky collection of stories that explore the concept of black identity amid the complexities of contemporary life. Heads of the Colored People was awarded the 2019 PEN/Open Book Award. Audie award winning narrator Adenrele Ojo narrates the audiobook and her narration is well matched to the writing’s emotional tone.


Home by Toni Morrison
Toni Morrison’s writing is lyrical and character-driven. Her many honors include a Pulitzer Prize, an American Book Award, and a Nobel Prize in Literature. Her 2012 novel, Home, is the story of a Korean War veteran’s quest to save his younger sister. Toni Morrison narrates the audiobook herself with skill and emotion.

June is Audiobook Month: Mysteries

June is Audiobook Month! To celebrate, borrow a Mystery audiobook from Carnegie-Stout Public Library's collection. Here are a few titles of mystery and suspense that you might enjoy:

Last Breath by Karin Slaughter

Karin Slaughter is known for her fast-paced suspenseful mysteries and psychological thrillers. Try Last Breath, in which defense attorney Charlie Quinn’s newest client is a teen girl who reminds Charlie of her own difficult past. Narrator Kathleen Early maintains a quick pace while capturing the nuances of the characters.

Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon

Murder in G Major is the first book in Alexia Gordon’s cozy mystery series featuring Gethsemane Brown, a professional violinist turned music teacher and amateur sleuth. Gethsemane didn’t come to Ireland from America for her dream job, but the picturesque cliff-side cottage is a great perk – aside from the sarcastic ghost who needs her help! British narrator Jessica Carroll is particularly skilled with accent work.

The Other Woman by Sandie Jones

Sandie Jones’s debut novel was a selection for Reese Witherspoon’s book club. The Other Woman is a compelling work of psychological fiction about a young woman who meets the man of her dreams, and his nightmare of a mother. Narrator Clare Corbett’s voice work captures the characters’ personalities.

What My Body Remembers by Agnete Friis

A standalone mystery from the Danish co-author of the Nina Borg series, What My Body Remembers is a complex, character-driven work of psychological fiction. Ella has suffered from panic attacks since the night her father murdered her mother, and now stands to lose custody of her son. Susan Boyce narrates the audiobook with distinct voices and care for Danish vocabulary.

Curiosity Thrilled the Cat by Sofie Kelly

This is the first book in Kelly’s engaging Magical Cats Mystery series about a small-town Minnesota librarian who adopts two cats with special powers. The audiobook is narrated by Cassandra Campbell who brings life to the likeable characters. This is an amusing series sure to appeal to fans of cozy mysteries.

A few books for National Astronaut Day

May 5th is National Astronaut Day, a celebration of the United States' achievements in space exploration. The date was selected in commemoration of Alan Shepard's successful spaceflight on Freedom 7 on May 7, 1961 which made him the first American in space.

As a librarian who loves reading about space explorations both real and imagined, I thought I'd share a few of my favorites here today. I hope you'll share some of your favorites in the comments as well!

Biography and Non-Fiction

Chasing Space: An Astronaut's Story of Grit, Grace, and Second Chances by Leland Melvin

A memoir by the former NASA astronaut and NFL wide receiver traces his personal journey from the gridiron to the stars, examining the intersecting roles of community, perseverance, and grace that create opportunities for success.

Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly with Margaret Lazarus Dean
The veteran of four space flights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both existential and banal.

Packing for Mars: the Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach
Space is a world devoid of the things we need to live and thrive: air, gravity, hot showers, fresh produce, privacy, beer. Space exploration is in some ways an exploration of what it means to be human. From the space shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA's new space capsule (cadaver filling in for astronaut), Roach takes us on a surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth.

Sally Ride: America's First Woman in Space by Lynn Sherr
This book is a biography of Sally Ride, America's first woman in space, with exclusive insights from her family and partner, and by the ABC reporter who covered NASA during its transformation from a test-pilot boys' club to a more inclusive elite. A member of the first astronaut class to include women, Ride broke through a quarter-century of white male fighter jocks when NASA chose her for the seventh shuttle mission, cracking the celestial ceiling and inspiring several generations of women.

Novels and Science Fiction

The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal

On a cold spring night in 1952, a huge meteorite fell to earth and obliterated much of the east coast of the United States, including Washington D.C. The ensuing climate cataclysm will soon render the earth inhospitable for humanity, as the last such meteorite did for the dinosaurs. This looming threat calls for a radically accelerated effort to colonize space, and requires a much larger share of humanity to take part in the process. Elma York's experience as a WASP pilot and mathematician earns her a place in the International Aerospace Coalition's attempts to put man on the moon, as a calculator. But with so many skilled and experienced women pilots and scientists involved with the program, it doesn't take long before Elma begins to wonder why they can't go into space, too. Elma's drive to become the first Lady Astronaut is so strong that even the most dearly held conventions of society may not stand a chance against her.

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey

In four years Prime Space will put the first humans on Mars. Helen Kane, Yoshi Tanaka, and Sergei Kuznetsov must prove they're the crew for the job by spending seventeen months in the most realistic simulation ever created. Retired from NASA, Helen had not trained for irrelevance. It is nobody's fault that the best of her exists in space, but her daughter can't help placing blame. The MarsNOW mission is Helen's last chance to return to the only place she's ever truly felt at home. For Yoshi, it's an opportunity to prove himself worthy of the wife he has loved absolutely, if not quite rightly. Sergei is willing to spend seventeen months in a tin can if it means travelling to Mars. He will at least be tested past the point of exhaustion, and this is the example he will set for his sons.

The Martian by Andy Weir

Mark Whitney was nearly killed by a dust storm on Mars and was abandoned by his crew who thought him dead. Now he's all alone with no way of letting Earth know he's alive, which doesn't matter because his supplies would run out before they'd get there. Either way, the environment or human error will likely kill him first. Not giving in, Mark works to survive, battling obstacle after obstacle, but will it be enough? 

Staff Review: The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

When Ann Leckie said that fans of her Imperial Radch series would like The Murderbot Diaries, I made a mental note. When the first novella in The Murderbot Diaries, All Systems Red, won the 2017 Nebula Award for Best Novella, the Locus Award for Best Novella in 2018, and the Best Novella Hugo Award in 2018, I realized I needed to read this Right Now. Luckily, Carnegie-Stout Public Library owns this series in both print and eBook form, so I was able to pick up All Systems Red from the comfort of my couch at 10:00 p.m.

Murderbot is the creation of author Martha Wells, and Wells has created a character and world that resonates with who I am as a reader in 2018 in ways I never could've expected. It's always a magical experience when you meet the right book at the right time. If you too feel like life is a little too dark, your emotions are sometimes too overwhelming, and you enjoy a good old fashioned adventure in space (with just a hint of lone cowboy hero), maybe you'll love this series as much as I have.

Murderbot is the hero of this series, not that Murderbot has any interest in being a hero. All Murderbot wants is a bit of peace and quiet to enjoy its favorite shows (it is partial to soap operas). Unfortunately, Murderbot is an artificial construct combining robotics, energy weapons, and cloned human parts (including a human brain) known as a SecUnit. Muderbot is the property of a company that rents out SecUnits and other security devices to groups engaged in dangerous tasks like exploring new planets. Luckily, Murderbot had the skills to hack its governor module (the bit of software that makes it do what humans tell it to do), which means that it can enjoy its shows during the many, long boring stretches when no one needs it to provide security.

The series starts with Murderbot doing as little as possible while on loan to a group of scientists exploring a potential colony planet. Until things go wrong and Muderbot realizes that something or someone is out to kill its humans. Something that Murderbot is not prepared to have happen ever again (before Murderbot hacked its governor module it experienced some things that have left it traumatized).

I don't know if Wells plans to continue this series in the future, but I sincerely hope so. In the meantime, I'll just need to enjoy rereading the stories that are available.

-Sarah, adult services

Bingeworthy TV: Star Trek Discovery

This might date me, but I grew up watching Star Trek: The Next Generation with my family, and this was the series that was my gateway to all things science fiction. As a result, the larger Star Trek universe will always have a special magic for me.

This is why, when a local theater offered the chance to watch the live-stream of the first episode of Star Trek Discovery on the big screen, I was there. Because Star Trek is so much a part of my general knowledge, it's hard for me to judge how good of an entry point this series might be for a viewer brand new to the universe. I think you'll be okay if you know a few basic facts:

• Humanity has joined with other alien planets to form the United Federation of Planets
• Star Fleet is the Federation's science and exploration based space navy
• Vulcans are alien members of the Federation who dislike emotions
• Klingons are aliens who feel threatened by the Federation's growth

Discovery takes place within the original universe established by the 1960s TV series*, but is set before the events of that series. It's not quite a spoiler to say that the Federation is on the brink of war with the Klingons as that war kicks off in the first episode and remains a focus of the first season.

This series is a bit darker than you might expect for Star Trek. It's fairly violent and main characters don't escape the consequences of that trauma. I'm used to a sense of optimistic adventure in my Trek, so this bleaker tone was not an easy adjustment. Things felt a bit uneven as the series tried to find a balance between the serious and the lighthearted. Parents should also be aware that characters use real four-letter English swear words on occasion.

Discovery follows Michael Burnham, an exceptionally intelligent and driven human who was raised by Vulcans after her family was killed. Michael's choices in the early days of the war with the Klingons have disastrous consequences for her career and her self-esteem. Spoilers: she goes to future space jail, until she's sprung by the eccentric captain of the spaceship Discovery and given a second chance to help the Federation.

There are several interesting characters in Discovery, but I don't recommend that you get too attached to anyone as several don't survive the first season. This didn't stop me from enjoying the character of Cadet Sylvia Tully. She added that sense of fun that I enjoy so much in Star Trek to a series that was often far darker and more serious.

The first season is packed with twists and turns and I'm curious to see what the creators have planned for their second season.

~Sarah, adult services


*As opposed to the recent reboot series of films starring Chris Pine and Zoe Saldana, which is an alternate reality.

Bingeworthy TV: Kim's Convenience

When I find something that makes me smile, I just want to share it with everyone. This means that I've told pretty much every friend and family member I have about how great Kim's Convenience is.

Kim's Convenience is a Canadian comedy series focused on the Kim family and the convenience store that they own and live above. And yes, it is based on a real Toronto convenience store that you can visit in real life (a possible road trip I have really considered).

Mr. and Mrs. Kim immigrated to Canada from South Korea and are often referred to by the Korean terms Appa (dad) and Umma/Eomma (mom). Janet, their youngest child, lives at home while attending art school and working part-time in the store. Jung, their oldest, left home as a teenager after clashing with his parents and the law. He's since turned his life around and works at a local car rental, but is still estranged from his father.

There's plenty of inter-generational and intercultural conflict and confusion to explore, and the series does so with care and humor. The series also allows its characters to grow and change from episode to episode, which gives an overall lighthearted show depth.

~Sarah, adult services

Bingeworthy TV: Great British Baking Show

I'm not going to pretend I have any talent for baking, but I do enjoy it when I somehow manage to follow a recipe and turn out something edible. I like eating good food; I'm just not invested in learning how to create it for myself.

But somehow, in watching the determined, talented bakers of The Great British Baking Show, I've found myself thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I could make that..." Despite not always quite understanding what they are talking about.

With the judges and bakers throwing around words like "choux," "lamination," and "baps," it can be hard to tell where the technical cooking terms end and the quirks of British English begin. More ambitious viewers can seek out cookbooks and how-to videos from the judges, the rest of us can just enjoy the atmosphere.

The humor is sometimes a bit adult, but I think it's probably still a good choice for families to view together as the show's overall warmth and good spirit override the occasional innuendo. It's so very heartwarming to watch the bakers try their absolute hardest to achieve seemingly impossible tasks, while still taking the time to cheer on and assist their competitors.

I highly recommend The Great British Baking Show to anyone looking for a sweet escape from the hassles of real life that won't add inches to your waistline.

~Sarah, adult services

Staff Review: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

When a book I've read becomes a movie or a TV series, there's one important question I ask myself: will they do the story justice or will everything be changed and ruined? I'm here today to (hopefully) help you answer that question for one book turned movie.

If you read an enjoyed Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan, should you go see the movie? Yes.

If you've seen and loved the movie, should you check out the book? Maybe.

I had Kevin Kwan's Crazy Rich Asians on my To Read list since I first saw the (original) glittery cover five years ago. I finally found the time to read it this summer because a) I've reached peak wedding season in my social group and b) I really, really wanted to finish before seeing the movie. It can be frustrating to watch a movie and have events or characters you loved in the book removed or changed, but I find that if I watch a movie first, I'm less likely to read the book since I more or less already know what's going to happen.

Crazy Rich Asians combines rom-com and soap opera plots with descriptions of extreme luxury, and just a touch of modern fairy tale fantasy. As a reader, the numerous mentions of luxury brand names could be a little bit exhausting, and this is one area where the movie surpasses the book. It's much easier and less distracting to show a character wearing a gorgeous, expensive outfit (or car or house) than it is to read several sentences describing that outfit.

As a reader, it helped that one of the main characters, Rachel Chu, was equally out of place in this world, and that several of the characters more intensely invested in over-the-top consumerism were used as comic relief. Not that Kwan was arguing that wealth = bad, more of conspicuous wealth = bad manners.

Some of the other changes between page and screen were more significant, but I felt like they made sense for the story and characters. I don't want to spoil anyone, so I'll try to be general. The book explores the ways that extreme wealth and unequal power balances can harm relationships by comparing several different characters' experiences, while the movie narrows its focus primarily to Rachel (our average woman) and Nick (our dashing prince).

Born in China, but raised in America by her single mother, Rachel has created a comfortable life for herself in New York City as an Economics professor. When her handsome, fellow-academic boyfriend, Nick Young, invites her to spend their summer break visiting his friends and family in Singapore, she's happy to join him on an adventure. Nick, however, did not tell Rachel that his family and friends are the elite of Singapore, nor did he warn his family about their relationship, leaving his mother to assume that Rachel is a gold-digging embarrassment.

I enjoyed Kwan's descriptions of his native Singapore, the foods, places, peoples, and hints of its history and culture. I'm also a sucker for a good love story, and I feel like Rachel and Nick earn their happy ending, but that Kwan left enough potential for drama to justify the two sequels. In fact, it's fairly likely that I'll be picking up China Rich Girlfriend (book two) to read next summer.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Lost Girl

If you've read much ancient folklore, you might remember what a succubus is and why Lost Girl is not a show you'd want to watch with children. For those who are less familiar, a succubus is a feminine creature that gains power through absorbing sexual energy (the masculine equivalent is an incubus). While Lost Girl does include frank discussions of sex and sexuality, the actual sex scenes are fairly PG-13. This Canadian series aired on SyFy in the U.S., not HBO or Cinemax, so if you're comfortable with Outlander or Game of Thrones, you should be safe with Lost Girl.

Lost Girl falls squarely in the realm of Urban Fantasy where each week (or over the course of the season) our main characters face off against supernatural or paranormal dangers and mysteries. Think Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Supernatural. This show is a great mix of adventure, romance, and humor that keeps even high stakes stories from losing the fun.

Bo is our main character. She was raised by adoptive human parents and raised to believe she too is a regular human being until she discovers accidentally that she has the ability to kill through kissing or other sexual behavior by draining her partner of their vital energy. She spends years on the run, until she saves a young woman from a serial rapist and the local police (who also happen to belong to the local Light Fae Court) find her.

Bo decides to stop running and learn more about who she is and where she comes from. She takes up work as a private investigator of sorts. The young (human) woman she saved, Kenzi, has a troubled past of her own, but decides that she's going to stick with Bo. The friendship between Kenzi and Bo is probably my favorite part of the entire show. The inevitable love triangles that develop around a succubus are also entertaining, but nothing beats a best friend.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend

When I was small I loved watching musicals on the old movie channel on TV, but I never became a Musical Theater Fan. You don't need to be a capital-F Fan to enjoy Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, but you do need to be someone who isn't going to roll their eyes every time the cast breaks into a big musical number.

Because as delightful and human as the characters are, as wacky and insightful as the humor can be, you're going to be annoyed by the one or more choreographed songs in each episode. If, on the other hand, you check out this show because you love the idea of a musical sitcom, I hope that you'll enjoy the thoughtful and relevant soap opera-esque plot as much as I do.

This show looks like a goofy bit of fluff, and I'll admit it, the title alone put me off for months. However, the cast and writers manage to tackle some serious concepts and issues, including topics that are generally considered taboo, in ways that are nuanced and smart, while still genuinely entertaining. From sexuality and relationships to mental and reproductive health, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend covers a lot of ground.

Plus, the music's pretty darn good (and guaranteed to get stuck in your head).



~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: "Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me" by Lorina Mapa

I recently lost several family members in a car accident so the first few pages of Lorina Mapa's graphic memoir were emotionally intense for me. Most of her memoir, Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, and Me, is about her experience growing up in the Philippines, but she frames her story with the death and funeral of her father who also died in a car accident.

I didn't know very much about the Philippines before I checked this book out, and so I appreciated Mapa's exploration of culture, religion, food, and history. The section on the peaceful downfall of the Marcos regime was particularly interesting, especially if all that you can remember is that Imelda Marcos owned a very large collection of shoes.

Mapa came from a family of wealth and privilege, so it may not be surprising how many cultural touchstones she shares with Americans who were teens in the 1980s, from music to movies. I appreciated the way she incorporated one of her favorite structural elements from one of her favorite novels, and readers are likely to enjoy her discography at the end.

I enjoyed Mapa's art, which is minimal, often featuring simple backgrounds. She includes enough detail to give a sense of place and time, and her people are very distinctive and convey emotion well. The book does tend to be a little text heavy, but it makes sense for a nonfiction work. Overall this is a fascinating glimpse into another culture and time from a deeply personal perspective likely to appeal to readers who might not normally read comics.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: Jessica Jones

There are a lot of television shows based on comic books these days, and it often feels overwhelming to try to keep up with them all (even before you consider the movies and comics...). I'm happy to say that you can watch and enjoy Jessica Jones without watching any other Netflix or Marvel TV series. You certainly shouldn't feel any pressure to read Brian Michael Bendis's comics that introduced the character, as the entire story has been altered, updated, and, in my opinion, improved.

This is not a series for young viewers. Bendis's original comic was part of an effort to break out of the restrictions imposed by the Comics Code Authority, and the TV series includes sex, violence, sexual violence, drug use, swearing, and alcohol abuse. When I read the comics, they often felt sexist and dated in a way that left me uncomfortable. In comparison, the TV series is an exploration of abuse, recovery, and revenge that feels very real.

Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter as the title character. Jessica gained superpowers in a tragic childhood accident, and as a young adult she was inspired to use those powers to help others. Unfortunately, this brought her to the attention of a manipulative, superpowered villain who abused and broke her.

Jessica copes with her trauma in unhealthy ways, primarily by drinking too much and isolating herself. Instead of a flashy career as a superhero, she uses her skills as a Private Eye, though she can't resist helping those in need. When a case suddenly provides a clue that might allow her to bring down the villain who hurt her, Jessica suddenly has a new and dangerous focus.

~Sarah, Adult Services