Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir is the dark space fantasy I didn’t know I needed. In a galaxy with nine ancient houses with nine rulers and heirs adept in different forms of necromancy, the Emperor needs necromancers. Each necromancer has their swordsman, their loyal cavalier primary, except the ninth. Gideon, an orphan raised by…
Last week, I made a post about the literary career of Octavia E. Butler in celebration of her receiving the inaugural Infinity Award, which is meant to honor authors who have passed but whose legacies live on. To celebrate not just her career, but also her legacy, I wanted to put together a companion reading…
In May, Octavia E. Butler was awarded the inaugural Infinity Award, which aims to award writers who’ve passed but whose legacies continue to inspire. To celebrate her legacy, I wrote a small piece about her works in the library’s monthly newsletter about diversity of social and family situations, All Kinds of Lives. I have expanded…
July is known as Disability Pride Month! Disability Pride initially started as a day of celebration in 1990—the year that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law. That same year, Boston held the first Disability Pride Day. This month is meant to celebrate disabled persons embracing their disabilities as integral parts of…
All Kinds of Lives (June 2023) by Shilpa Jacobie and Max McConnell
Station Eleven NovelStation Eleven is a novel written and published by Emily St. John Mandel in 2014. It’s a story that takes place in the great lakes region before and after a fictional flu pandemic that has killed off most of the population. As a sub-plot the story follows a group of performers as they…
My colleague Chelsey recommended Andy Weir’s (then) new book about a year ago and I was intrigued and added it to my TBR list. But that’s a long list and I just recently got to reading it. I loved it! Project Hail Mary, like Weir’s huge hit The Martian, is about the human side of…
Leech is a gothic science fiction horror story that is about a young doctor from the Interprovincial Medical Institute that takes on a mysterious medical case at an isolated chateau after the baron’s former physician passes away suddenly. The young doctor will take on a challenging assignment at the baron’s chateau due to a mysterious…
It is award season! In celebration with the 95th Academy Awards ceremony tomorrow night, we have compiled a list of recommendations based on nominees. This discovery list includes at least one book recommendation for every film nominated in the Best Picture category. All Quiet on the Western Front If All Quiet on the Western Front…
February is Black History Month. The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum join in paying tribute to the generations of African Americans who struggled with adversity to achieve full citizenship in American society.…
All Kinds of Lives (December 2022) by Shilpa Jacobie and Max McConnell
The Star Wars franchise started in 1977 with the release of Episode IV: A New Hope. Since then there have eight additional movies, with more in the works. There are several excellent animated shows that follow the core films. These cartoons are a great way to introduce younger children to the Star Wars universe, and…
Ok, small confession: although I am a huge fan of all things Star Wars – books, movies, tv shows, comics etc etc etc – I don’t really like Jedi. Hold it! Before you throw rocks at me for this blasphemy, let me explain. Yes, people who can do double back-flips, batting away blaster bolts with…
Chris reviews “a tight sci-fi thriller that’s hard to put down.”
“Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch (Yannick Bisson), a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city’s most gruesome murders.” [Image & Text: Murdoch Mysteries Official Website] You may…
Since Willard Phule (multi-millonaire) is tricked into being commander of the worst soldiers in the Space Legion, he uses all his influence and money to “straighten” out his men. There is Becker his proper English butler who accompanies Phule and seems to tell the story. As “off the wall” as this story is, it is…
Although I thought that 578 pages of reading would be a bit much, I have to say that you can fly through this tale. Kivrin, a history student at Oxford in 2048, travels back in time to a 14th century English village. Due to a technical error, Kivrin is sent not to 1320 but to…
“Navigational grimspace ‘jumper’ Sirantha Jax forms an army to defend colonists stationed on the outskirts of space from a legion of flesh- eating aliens.” [Publisher’s Summary] This is the fourth book in the Sirantha Jax series. The books are best read in order. I thought I had learned something from reading the last three books…
The nominations for the Hugo Awards for best Science Fiction have been announced. The nominees for Best Novel include: The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon Brasyl by Ian McDonald Rollback by Robert J. Sawyer The Last Colony by John Scalzi Halting State by Charles Stross
Here’s the cool thing about Red Handed – besides the fact that it was really quite good – it’s a young adult novel that has an adult counterpart. But before I delve into that, a bit about Red Handed {via B&N.com}: “Phoenix Germaine has been trying to earn back her mother’s trust after going into…