C-SPL Reader of the Month: Bill Carroll

Adult Services Manager Bill Carroll has been selected as C-SPL Reader of the Month for June. Here he's shared what kind of books offer him the best kind of escapism and shows what has most influenced who he is today.

Q. Can you tell us about your reading interests in general?

A. In general, I enjoy reading books to escape. I enjoy graphic novels and sci-fi and fantasy. On the other hand, you’ll also find me reading current non-fiction science books, particularly in geology or biology. I think reading is important to escape life for a little while, and for me, it is a different form of entertainment outside of sitting in front of a TV. Interestingly, I’m a sucker for books about maps too. I’m not talking travel books per se, just books about how to create, read, interpret, enjoy, or use maps.

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year?

A. The best book I have read over the last year is Zucked: Waking up to the Facebook Catastrophe by Roger McNamee. I think this is an eye-opening look at tech giants and how they collect and store user information. All of us that are connected frequently agree to user terms and agreements without really examining what we are agreeing to. McNamee gives an insider look into the realities of our online lives.

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. My ideal reading condition is quietly in bed after a long day. If the book is a real page turner, I can be comfy just about anywhere!

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?

The next book I am most excited to read is New York Times best seller The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells. This is exciting because the author pairs reputable scientific data with real world possibilities and outcomes that impact human beings across the planet. I anticipate this will be a grim read regarding climatological disasters yet unseen to us. At the same time, I am hopeful this book will be able to provide some level of hope to all that read it that these potential disasters might yet be averted.

Q. What book do you think more people should read and why do you think they should read it?

A. I think more people should read, and then re-read as an adult, 1984 by George Orwell. This classic resonates for me today even more than it did when I first read it back in high school. This literary masterpiece is a reminder of who our society was, is, and potentially, where it may go in the future.

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? (In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?)

A. This can be different for each and every book! Generally, I’ll stop reading a book after trying to get through the first quarter of the book and it has not engaged me (yes, I actually count the total pages and divide by four). The great thing about the library is if I am not enjoying the book I checked out, there are always thousands more to choose from that will likely better hold my interest.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. My love for reading began in high school. The first book that got me addicted was Terry Brooks’ The Sword of Shannara. The book is a fantasy book similar in style and story to JRR Tolkien. I’ve been a reader ever since.

Check out more of Bill's Favorite Books!

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See the past C-SPL Reader of the Month blog posts here.

Want to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month? Apply here.

Staff Review: All My Colors by David Quantick

All My Colors by David Quantick is the story of Todd Milstead. Described as an egotistical a-hole— he’s a wannabe writer who talks a great deal more about writing and writers, than actually doing the work. His eidetic memory makes him able to quote books at length—a trick he uses at parties, mostly to the amusement of himself. When he finds himself quoting whole sections of a classic book nobody has heard of, All My Colors, he goes into a mania trying to track it down. When he fails to find any evidence of the book's existence, and he can’t get the story out of his head, a supernatural force seems to force him through the process of pounding it out on his typewriter in a few days—the physical toll of which is described in humorous, graphic detail. After a publisher picks up the story, and it becomes a bestseller during his book tour, the otherworldly madness begins.

I enjoyed All My Colors. It kept me turning the pages and had dark humor throughout. It very much had the feel of a classic horror story à la Twilight Zone, Tales From the Crypt, etc. where the person gets their comeuppance and through the horror or shock there’s a moral to be had. This made it familiar and fun, while fortunately original enough to be unpredictable. It also reminded me of some Chuck Palahniuk books—with a self-absorbed male slacker anti-hero (likable enough however), the delight the author takes of running the protagonist through the rungs, and the sarcasm. This is a light horror story, in that although there’s moments of gruesome detail, it’s infrequent and counterpointed with comedy. The supernatural suspense is key in keeping the story moving.

Although Milstead is described as a jerk, Quantick makes him likable. That’s partly because of his one-liners and partly because, although he behaves badly and makes some poor decisions, he’s grappling at being a better person—just like most of us. One complaint some may have is that the supporting characters, for the most part, are not so memorable, apart from perhaps a Middle-earth obsessed bookstore owner. They are all supporting characters to Todd, which I guess is sort of the point, but with uninspired female characters, any message about the effects of toxic masculinity come off as a little less than sincere.

Fortunately, I didn’t approach this book expecting any deep revelations. I expected a fun supernatural romp and a little escapism, both of which I received. Although there might not be anything transformative about the story, it provides a bit of ghoulish fun and excitement, and not a few laughs. If you’re looking for a horror story that doesn't take itself too seriously, All My Colors should fit the bill!

 ~ Ben, Adult Services

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?