Staff Review: "The Wanderers" by Meg Howrey

The Wanderers by Meg Howrey was one of the books I most enjoyed reading in 2017, and like The Martian by Andy Weir, I think it's a book that will appeal to readers who ordinarily wouldn't pick up a book described as "science fiction." However, unlike the fast-paced survival story of The Martian, The Wanderers is a quieter, more character-driven book.

In the near future, the multinational company Prime Space (think SpaceX) is in the final stages of preparing a manned mission to Mars. They've selected a crew of potential astronauts who will undergo an incredibly realistic 17-month simulation called Eidolon. Eidolon will serve as a test of both the equipment and the humans involved. The three astronauts serve as our primary narrators, but chapters are also told from the perspectives of four other characters tied to the project.

Helen Kane is a well-respected and experienced American astronaut (I couldn't help but picture Iowa's own Peggy Whitson), and her adult daughter Mireille (a struggling actress) also narrates. Sergei Kuznetsov is a stoic cosmonaut whose ex-wife and teen sons recently moved to the United States, one of whom also narrates. Yoshihiro Tanaka is our third and youngest astronaut and his wife Madoka is the sixth narrator. The final narrator is a Prime Space employee involved in monitoring Eidolon.

Howrey's writing is poetic or dreamlike, and I greatly admire her ability to explore the internal workings of her characters' minds while creating a sense of tension. It's interesting to experience a significant scientific achievement from such an emotional and psychological perspective. There's a lot to chew on in this book, and I think it would make a great selection for a book club discussion.

~Sarah, Adult Services

Bingeworthy TV: The Good Place

When I saw the previews for The Good Place I figured it would last five or six episodes and then be cancelled. A show about people dying and then waking up in a utopia doesn't sound very exciting or funny.  But, I love Kristen Bell so I thought I would give it a chance.

Wow, this show is just a fantastic way to spend 30 minutes.  The cast is incredible, especially Kristen Bell as "Eleanor" and D'Arcy Carden as "Janet."

Eleanor Shellstrop wakes up in the The Good Place and is so confused.  She wasn't a good person, why is she in The Good Place? Michael, the architect of The Good Place (essentially an angel), has her confused with another Eleanor Shellstrop, one who should be in The Good Place.  He introduces her to Chidi, Tahani, and Jianyu, other recent additions. They all seem to have been wonderful people when alive, or were they?  Then there is Janet. Janet is basically the computer that runs The Good Place.  In The Good Place, everything is wonderful, you find your soulmate, you live in your dream house, everything is coming up sunshine, roses, and unicorns.

Except it isn't. The Good Place seems to be broken so Eleanor and crew try to figure out how to
fix the problem.  To that end, Eleanor decides that she has to learn to be a better person, with Chidi as her teacher.  The alternative to The Good Place is The Bad Place and nobody wants to end up there.  I'm so glad this show was picked up for a second season, because season two has been every bit as fantastic as season one. 

As a side note, one of the things that makes this show so amazing is that nobody can swear in The Good Place.  Eleanor, in particular, likes to swear and the words don't come out as she intends (e.g., mother forking shirt balls). It seems so effortless for Kristin Bell that I find myself wondering if the swearing system from The Good Place has seeped into her real life. 

~Amy, Adult Services

Lazy Day Reading

What do I do when it is really cold out and I have some free time? I hang out with my cat, Gizmo, and read cozy mysteries by the fire. Lately I’ve been on a library mystery kick and here are three that I’d recommend for some lazy day reading.  

Blue Ridge Library Mystery Series by Victoria Gilbert 

A Murder for the Books is the first book (and only book to date) in this series.  Librarian Amy Gilbert moves in with her aunt in a quiet, historic town in Virginia.  Amy left her previous job at an academic library under embarrassing circumstances and running a small town public library is new for her.  She uses her research skills and some logic to dig into the library archives to solve a murder.  

I enjoyed Gilbert’s writing.  The mystery was interesting and honestly I didn’t figure out who the villain was or the reason for the murder before the conclusion of the book.  Unlike the other two series, there isn’t a dog or cat involved with any of the characters.  Props to Victoria Gilbert for staying away from that cozy mystery trope. 

Lighthouse Library Series by Eva Gates

This series currently has three books -- start with By Book or by Crook.  Librarian Lucy Richardson works and lives in the Bodie Island Lighthouse Library with her roommate and library cat Charles.  After leaving her job at Harvard Library, she is thrilled to find a job in this small Outer Banks library.  Then a priceless first edition of a Jane Austen novel disappears and the chair of the library board is murdered. Lucy suddenly finds herself involved in a murder investigation.  

Of the three series, this one was probably my least favorite.  However, I love the idea of a library in a lighthouse. How amazing would it be to work and live there?  There is, of course, a bit of a love triangle and your typical cozy mystery quirky characters make appearances.  I thought the series had concluded after the third book; it looks like a fourth book will be published in June 2018. 

Library Lovers Mystery Series by Jenn McKinlay

This is the most robust series on the list.  There are eight books to date and the series starts with Books Can Be Deceiving.  Lindsay Norris is the new director of the Briar Creek Public Library and is enjoying working with her best friend Beth, the children’s librarian.  She faces a bit of an uphill battle with her library board and one particularly bitter employee.  Things get a little bit more exciting when Beth’s boyfriend, a famous author, is found murdered and Beth is the main suspect.  

This is my favorite series of the three.  The depiction of library life is pretty realistic and as a librarian I appreciate that.  Lindsay has a Crafternoon group that meets once a week at the library to talk about a book and work on a craft.  The group is made up of mostly women and they discuss pretty much everything including the book of the month.  McKinlay includes recipes at the end of her book along with discussion questions for the Crafternoon monthly book.  There are also instructions for some of the craft projects.  I highly recommend McKinlay’s other book series, The Cupcake Bakery mysteries, and the Hat Shop mysteries.  McKinlay’s writing is full of humor and likeable protagonists. 

Pick up one of these mysteries, get yourself a cat, and enjoy an afternoon of reading books about books.  

 

(cat not available for check-out)

~ Amy, Adult Services