The Traitor Baru Cormorant is a debut fantasy novel written by Seth Dickinson. But don’t let the genre fool you, it is a very atypical or ‘hard’ kind of fantasy, perhaps best described as geopolitical fantasy. There is no magic, there is no obvious villain, and the primary character isn’t an orphaned farm boy or descendant from a long lost line of kings. Instead, the antagonist throughout the novel can best be described as colonialism, and the primary character is a female accountant.

The more concrete antagonist here is the empire known as the ‘Masquerade’, and rather than outright conquer and forcefully subdue nations, they prefer to rule through cultural and economic hegemony. Trade and currency make the target nation economically dependent, disease and plague often subdue the local population, and Masquerade schools educate the local youth and teach ‘proper values’. This is where the primary character, Baru, finds herself at the start of the novel. She goes to the Masquerade schools, passes their tests, and quickly attains the prestigious position of imperial accountant. However, as the name of the novel implies, Baru eventually turns traitor and leads a rebellion.

Character and plot driven with lots of intrigue and scheming (and an awesome battle scene towards the end), this book is perfect for fans of fantasy looking for something different and serious.

Find it in library catalog here!

Reviewed by Tyler

Colm Toibin’s novel, BROOKLYN takes place in the 1950’s and starts in Ireland and then moves to Brooklyn, NY. Ellis Lacey is a young Irish girl without a job and a future due to the economic recession that has gripped Ireland. With the help of the local priest, Ellis goes to America and gets a job in a Brooklyn department store. Although she is homesick, Ellis makes a life for herself in Brooklyn until she is called back to Ireland for a family matter.
This novel is so beautifully written and the characters are timeless. I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction and family themes.

Find it in the catalog!

Reviewed by Terri

On a serendipitous trip through the stacks, I came across the story of Barbie doll creator and Mattel founder, Ruth Matzo Handler.  Ruth was a child born to Jewish immigrants whose sheer will and determination rose her to the top of a man’s world at a time when a woman’s role was mainly homemaker and mother.   She was an innately talented businesswoman  who knew no boundaries. If something seemed impossible, she found a way to make it possible; adversity made her stronger. Barbie was her brainchild but, initially, it was a flop.  Barbie’s implications with negative body type in young women was not an issue in the 50’s, but an adult doll (with those breasts!) was not what mother’s wanted for their daughters.   Yet Ruth persevered because she had seen her own daughter play with paper dolls pretending to be an adult, so she knew there was a market, and history proves that she was right!

Ruth was not without flaws.  She had an ego and thought that rules did not apply to her and this is what makes her story so fascinating; her success and pride, failure and humiliation, all leading to her ultimate redemption. This is a great story about a remarkable woman.

Review by K. Chin

(Reviewed by Matt C.)

What makes someone a “genius”? What is it inside their head that’s so different from the average person, if anything?

The End of the Tour is a 2015 movie based on the acclaimed memoir Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself by David Lipsky. It follows Lipsky as he tags along for the end of author David Foster Wallace’s book tour and signing after for his recently published novel Infinite Jest. Time magazine cited Infinite Jest as one of the greatest 100 English language novels of the past century, and Wallace is widely known as one of the most influential and innovative authors of the last 20 years. In September of 2008, at age 46, Wallace committed suicide.

The movie is not really about that though. It presents the viewer with this information as more of a backdrop than a central element. Instead, this is a stunning portrait of two artists, an author and a journalist, both immensely talented and intelligent, having an extended conversation at turning points in their respective lives. I found the movie to be exhilarating from start to finish. It’s certainly an emotional roller coaster but one that I actually didn’t want to get off of. The acting of Jason Segal (as Wallace) and Jessie Eisenberg (Lipsky) is impeccable and for a movie based solely on the their interactions for five days, it’s their chemistry that holds the film together. It’s certainly not a “light” movie, but as cliche as it sounds, it’s the type of movie that can make you laugh, cry, wonder, and imagine.

Reading this novel is like being part of a waking dream. The world of The Night Circus is fantastically imagined, drawing you in to its spellbinding atmospheric tone with its very first sentence: “The circus arrives without warning.” Before the first chapter is concluded, you know you have entered the imagination of a mesmerizing storyteller. Erin Morgenstern weaves a tale with characters that draw you in; the circus becoming the most magically integral character in and of itself. This story could easily appeal to readers who are not drawn to works of magic, as it can be appreciated for its romantic and historic nature, among other things. And if you choose to listen to The Night Circus as an audiobook, your encounter will be that much more magical as you’ll have the pleasure to experience a narrative master. Jim Dale’s voice adds a depth of richness to the already seductive prose.

Summary from Amazon.com:

A fierce competition is underway: a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will.

Reviewed by Bernadette Foley

I have an hour long commute so I listen to a lot  of books!  I borrow some of the library’s books on CD or Playaways or I download an audio book to my iPhone through Overdrive, and play it via bluetooth in the car.  It all works.

Good Girl has been compared to Gone Girl and I have to agree that there are many elements that are similar.  The suspense, uncertainty, complicated and flawed characters are all here but in listening to this book, I really enjoyed the narration ; a full cast made it richer and more entertaining.

A  young woman of a prominent, wealthy family is kidnapped while waiting for her on-again, off-again boyfriend in a local bar.  Seems predictable but enter a conflicted kidnapper, strained family relations, and an unforeseen twist at the end, makes this book anything but predictable!

Reviewed by Kris C.

(Reviewed by Matt C.)

If you’re looking for likable characters that you can relate to, this is definitely not the movie for you. Every major character and most of the non-major characters are unlikable at best, and downright creepy and evil at worst. That being said, The Gift is a movie that excels at creating a web of tension and suspense between its cast of flawed characters. Although predictable in parts, this movie kept me guessing right up until the end. There’s no sudden twists or surprises here, instead The Gift opts for a more unnerving approach. The viewer is allowed to slowly put together the pieces of the puzzle, seeing the picture more and more clearly as each additional piece is added.

It’s not a perfect film by far, but definitely one that deserves a bit more recognition than it has received. If you’re a fan of genuinely creepy psychological suspense, this is a hidden gem you won’t want to miss.

Amazing! Extraordinary book hangover! What else can you say when a book just leaves you completely exhausted at the end? Paper Valentine hit all the high points of a good ghost story, a heartbreaking relationship novel, and the edge of your seat excitement of City Confidential. I was impressed, awed, and overcome with the raw emotion of this story. There is more than one way to be haunted, as Hannah finds out. One is to live with the ghost of your dead best friend, another is to blame yourself for everything that happened to her and you since her death, and then there are vengeful ghosts who need your help catching their killer. Unfortunately Hannah is haunted by all three and its driving her crazy.

The thematic content of this book is DEEP. I meant really heavy stuff: bulimia, depression, murder, relationships, fitting in and forgiveness. If someone had told me before I picked this up, I would have said there was no way an author could do justice to all those themes in one book. Boy was I wrong. This story is a raw emotional rollercoaster of teenage life and I was completely hooked. Of course nothings perfect, there were a couple things that I think Brenna Yovanoff added because they added a sense of creepiness and unease but not any actual plot, like the plague of dead birds scattering the streets. The pace is also really slow at first. Imagine watching City Confidential and waiting through all the back story to finally find out who did it, why and see the pictures, that’s what this book is like. Slow isn’t bad because it makes you curious, makes you go back and pick the book up because you aren’t anywhere close to done with it. When “BAM” all of a sudden you are in the thick of the action and its a heartstopping race to the finish.

Though the content deals with a serial killer, the murders are more disturbing than they are gruesome. If you’re squeamish about blood its not a gory book, but blood is used as an effect, to get a reaction, but Yovanoff only uses it when necessary. Mainly you’re like a passenger inside Hannah’s brain and dealing with the soul sucking uncertainty of how life should continue after losing her best friend, Lillian, and blaming herself a little bit for Lillian’s death. Its amazing how Lillian becomes a character herself, because it helps you work through the stages of grief: Why did she do it, Didn’t she understand it was selfish, How could she do this to me? Only Lillian has those answers and she slowly comes to terms with them herself as the book goes on

I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone, but would be cautious with younger teens due to the nature of the murders and supernatural happenings. I think this book should be an essential read for any teenager struggling with fitting in, depression, or loss simply because of the emotional mess Hannah starts out as and her strength in starting to find her own place in the world. On a completely random side note, Fat Chance by Leslea Newman is another amazingly raw book that deals with eating disorders and the fallout from making a choice like that. Also an excellent and mandatory read for teens.

I have no idea why it has taken me as long as it has to even pick up a copy of Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. I’ve seen copies in every booksale I’ve ever gone to and know the name as one of the most recommended romance novels. And therein probably lies the problem. I’ve always thought of Outlander as a fluffy romance novel that wasn’t worth my time or dollars. Am I a book snob? Hell yea! However, in this case I am a wrong-headed and narrow-minded book snob. Outlander is so much more than just a romance. It is an exquisitely detailed historical novel with a rich setting and strong characters.

Claire Randalls, former army nurse, and her husband are vacationing in Scotland after 8 years apart because of WWII. During a morning excursion Claire finds herself mysteriously whisked back in time for 1743 in the middle of a cattle raid. Claire needs to learn who to trust in this new world, and learn fast. Her husband’s 6 times great grandfather is convinced she is a spy and she’s suddenly faced with many decisions, including should she marry the gorgeous hulk of a man whose life she’s saved?

Diana Gabaldon has used her history background to recreate a realistic scene of life in the Scottish highlands in the 16th century. While some I know have said that the book is just too long, I believe that Gabaldon writes exactly enough for an avid fan of history. That said, if you aren’t looking for the description of the heather on the hill or the deep, still pool then this book might seem too daunting. While Claire is out of place and out of time, Gabaldon is careful to not let too much of the future slip into the past. Claire does use her knowledge of the future to help a few people she meets, but the burden of knowledge is a heavy one and Gabaldon doesn’t use Claire’s character as witch figure, instead tries to have her learning to fit in as much as possible.

Did I mention the sex? There are a lot of steamy sex scenes and romantic assignations seeded throughout this book. Some readers might think the sex is too graphic, but personally I never felt uncomfortable reading her descriptions of intimacy. Compared toFifty Shades of Grey and Bared to You, I felt the relationship between Claire and Jamie was more genuine and led to a sort of expectation of their relationship to become more serious and descriptive. Regardless, it is very steamy and if you prefer stories where it all stays in the bedroom this might not be the perfect choice for you.

I used to look down on romances and I don’t really know why. I discovered that I really enjoyed romance when set in a fantasy world. My favorite series, Kushiel’s Legacy by Jacqueline Carey, is almost exactly the same length and steaminess as Outlander just set in a completely made up world. For both authors I appreciated the dedication to creating a lush setting and believable characters, and to be honest, I enjoyed the sex scenes.

I would recommend this series for getaway reading. I think its great for vacations or beach reading (I bought the whole series in paperback to take to the beach with me this summer!!), however this book does require dedication. At 850 pages its not a quick to finish, but the story itself reads quickly.

It is an amazing thing when an author can create a world so vibrant and real within the first few pages of a novel. What Laini Taylor has created in Daughter of Smoke and Bone, the first of this series, is a reflection of the real world superimposed with a glistening magical element on top. It helps that the story opens in Prague, which is kind of a magical city to begin with, but Taylor’s writing style infuses a patina of joy, romance, and tragedy into the setting. It is extremely atmospheric, even in the made up areas of Brimstone’s shop and the fortress of Loramendi. I loved this series so much that I gave up on my library copy half way through in order to go out and purchase this book and the next in the series.

At its heart this story is a retelling of Romeo and Juliet. Karou, an unusual human with a mysterious past who consorts with monstrous looking creatures, and Akiva, a beautiful seraphim at war with the monsters, fall in love against all the rules of the war between their “families”. Yet, death cannot end this romantic epic in a world where souls can be reborn in new bodies. The war is not over, can Karou and Akiva imagine a new world without war or will the death and destruction destroy this fragile relationship?

I read for world building and character, although I can forgive authors for their world if the characters are compelling enough. Taylor hits both the world and the characters perfectly. Of course everyone in this story is either “out of this world beautiful” or more than the average pretty, which is my only rankle with the story. Its easier to want beautiful people to be together, I guess, ugliness is reserved for those of questionable morals or marginality. However, Taylor does get the message in that beauty doesn’t always equal good and that external beauty can mask despicable evil.

I have to go back to the language in this story. It is luscious and rich while being quirky, honest, and human. I found myself thinking about Karou’s metaphor regarding cats. Don’t be the cat that winds around its human’s legs saying “pet me, pet me, love me, love me,” be the cat on the shelf who needs nothing and no one, calmly surveying the world. This is just so powerful because its so accurate. My cats are the attention grabbing ones, but I’ve had cats that just like to watch the world around them. Taylor’s relating the clingy cats to clingy girlfriends, but its so close a match I was amazed it had never occurred to me that way. This needs to get turned into the next summer blockbuster movie ASAP because the language is so vivid reading it is almost like watching a movie unfold in your mind. I would definitely suggest this to any one looking for a good book. The romance isn’t overwhelming and much more intellectual than physical that readers who shy away from sickly sweet love stories would probably enjoy this.
Go to your library and pick it up! Pick it up today!