What to do when you've finished "The Empty Hearse"?

If, like me, you've been waiting for PBS to air the latest season of Sherlock, you'll probably understand the dread in anticipating the wait for series four. That's why we put together some reading and viewing suggestions to help keep you entertained (when you aren't rewatching the first three seasons).

Sherlock, a co-production with the BBC, takes the stories of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and reworks them for the modern world. Dr. Watson has a blog, and Sherlock (Benedict Cumberbatch) has amazing cheekbones. Each episode is more like a short film than a typical TV episode, which contributes to the years fans have had to wait for the second and third seasons.

We've tackled some of the many variations on Holmes's story on the blog before, and the field is likely to only become more crowded, now that much of Doyle's writing is in the public domain. If you're looking for a fun comparison, Elementary is another series that updates the mythology of Sherlock Holmes to the present day. Though in this version, Holmes lives in New York City, and Watson is played by Lucy Liu.

Reading suggestions for fans of Sherlock:

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
This moving story about a teen, Christopher, who employs the methods of Sherlock Holmes to investigate the vicious murder of his neighbor's dog. Christopher's autism makes it difficult for him to understand the people around him, but his focus leads him to uncover a dark secret in his own family.

The Devotion of Suspect X  by Keigo Higashino
This award-winning Japanese mystery tells an intricately plotted tale of cat and mouse. Ishigami, a solitary math teacher, helps his attractive neighbor cover up the murder of her abusive ex-husband. A crime complicated when Dr. Yukawa, Ishigami's successful rival, enters the investigation.

The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters
As the end of the world approaches in the form of an asteroid, Detective Hank Palace is focused on his first murder case. Offbeat and intricately plotted, readers will appreciate Palace's outsider perspective.

An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears
A darkly convoluted plot drives this character-driven mystery set in 17th century England. The conflicting perspectives, the complex politics, and the changing understanding of medicine adds to the tension.

Dubuque League of Women Voters Political Directory

The Dubuque League of Women Voters 2014 Political Directory includes the contact information for many city, county, state, and national elected officials, including:

• U.S. and Iowa Elected Officials
• Dubuque County Board of Supervisors
• Dubuque County Officials
• City of Dubuque Staff
• Dubuque Mayor and City Council
• Western Dubuque County Community Schools Board
• Dubuque Community Schools Board
• Political Parties
• Voter Registration
• Election Schedule for 2014
• And more!

DLWV 2014 Political Directory

See also Dubuque County Elected Officials 2014.

Staff Review: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie

Presented with an unexpected day off last week when the cold and a burst pipe closed the library on Tuesday, I did the only reasonable thing: read a great book.

Ancillary Justice is the first novel by prolific short story author, Ann Leckie. The wonder of this book is how Leckie created a story that was both familiar and unexpected. A character who is an AI, even an AI who is a ship, is a classic of the Science Fiction genre. What makes the story feel fresh is Leckie's attention to world building and characterization.

As a reader, I'm drawn to stories of grandly imagined, future civilizations grounded by the perspectives and experiences of a few characters, or space opera in the best sense of the term. Ancillary Justice is a perfect example of what I'm looking for when I want a space opera. Justice of Toren, a 2000 year-old war ship created by the Radch Imperium, makes for a compelling narrator: she is both an outsider and someone who knows the culture intimately.

The plot starts with Justice of Toren posing as a human named Breq as she nears the end of a decades long quest, and is unexpectedly confronted by someone she knew centuries ago. Through alternating chapters, you're introduced to the pieces of her past that have brought Justice of Toren to the frozen, backwater planet of Nilt. 

Ancillary Justice is a solid foundation for a proposed trilogy, and Leckie provides an intriguing introduction to a large and dangerous universe. From the complex internal politics of the Radch to the ominous threat of the alien Presger, I'm eager for the next book to come out. I've checked her website, and there's no date as yet, but that's what our Author Alerts feature is for.

If you're looking for something else to read in the mean time, I suggest checking out:

Ursula K. Le Guin's Hainish Cycle. Not a series proper, but a loosely connected collection of novels and short stories that give an anthropologist's eye view to the future. Start with The Left Hand of Darkness, which provides a similarly unique perspective on gender.

Iain M Banks's Culture series. With intricate plots and complex world building, it's easy for the reader to lose themselves in the Culture Universe. As an added appeal, some of the characters are vast AI intelligences (even starships).

~Sarah, Adult Services

January Magazines of the Month

Our January magazines of the month are Essence and Ebony. You can stop in to Carnegie-Stout and read the latest issues, or check out issues from past months to enjoy at home!

 

Essence magazine began publication in the 1970s, and is today owned by Time, Inc.  Essence is a fashion and lifestyle magazine for African-American women. The magazine organizes and sponsors the yearly Essence Festival in New Orleans every July, featuring a line-up of prominent African-American musicians and cultural figures. You can check out more about the magazine on their website: www.essence.com

 

John H. Johnson of Chicago, Illinois began publication of Ebony, which features coverage of African-American celebrities and politicians, in 1945. Mr. Johnson was also the founder of Jet (magazine of the month in January 2012) which has news features, along with features on celebrities and dating, diet, fashion, and other advice. You can read more about Jet and Ebony on their website: www.ebonyjet.com