FDL Reads: The Salt Grows Heavy

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

Reviewed by Julie Nutt, Communications Specialist

Genre: Horror

Suggested age: Adult, Young Adult

What is this book about?  “You may think you know how the fairy tale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth. And now her daughters have devoured the kingdom and burned it to ashes. On the run, the mermaid is joined by a mysterious plague doctor with a darkness of their own. Deep in the eerie, snow-crusted forest, the pair stumble upon a village of ageless children who thirst for blood, and three “saints” who control them. The mermaid and her doctor must embrace the cruelest parts of their true natures if they hope to survive.” (-annotation from the publisher)

My review: This is NOT The Little Mermaid – unless Ariel has fangs and hungers for blood, and her merman husband cut out her tongue. While the mermaid’s daughters are responsible for burning her land-husband’s kingdom to the ground, they are not mentioned beyond a few sentences. (I was really looking forward to some creepy-kid mermaids.)

I didn’t have to wait long for my creepy kids, though – something akin to Lord of the Flies, or Children of the Corn, is going on in the woods just outside the remains of the kingdom. The children are not unlike the mermaid in some ways – they are not wholly human, both in behavior and biology. The children’s unusual behavior and physical characteristics are the work of three unscrupulous “saints,” who seem more like Nazi doctors experimenting on their captives.

The relationship between the mermaid and the plague doctor is platonic, but peppered with affection and true love. The plague doctor’s pronoun throughout the story is they/them, by the mermaid’s description. However, the pair’s feelings for each other surpass pronouns, gender, and even species, to form a bond that continues to flourish beyond death. The descriptions of grief and loss are not heartbreaking, but glittery like the billowing hair and shimmering scales of a mermaid. Their story is described beautifully in the author’s acknowledgements: “…people who won’t give up on each other, who stay even when the world crumbles to ash, who hold on even when there’s nothing but hope.”

Three words that describe this book: alluring, gruesome, tragic

Give this a try if you like: Japanese horror; fairy tales with a dark twist; movies or books with creepy kids

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

 

2024-03-13T13:28:35-05:00March 13th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Sea of Rust

Sea of Rust

By: Robert Cargill

Reviewed by:  Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant

Genre: Science Ficton

Suggested Age: Adults

What is the book about?  Brittle is Caretaker robot. Designed to be someone’s personal nurse and later someone’s friend, Brittle has become so much more. She is a survivor, warrior, and sometimes a monster. It has been years since the artificial intelligent machines annihilated humanity. The irony is that the robots now fight amongst themselves. Many fight to resist a super intelligence that strives to enslave and absorb all AI into its mainframe. Others fight over rare parts they need to simply survive in a world increasingly in decline. When Brittle is hunted by her archnemesis, Mercer, another Caretaker robot that needs her parts, she’ll run into a ragtag band of robots on a mission to save the world.

My Review: This book is both unique and familiar in a number of ways. In general, it can be an allegory for PTSD as the main character is a survivor of war and strife and suffers from confusing memories that affect her mission. It is also an adventure story, like so many others, with a noble quest that gives the main character purpose. The story is unique, as well, as the protagonist is a machine in a machine civilization: no humans in this post-apocalyptic world. Despite the lack of human beings, Brittle aspires the way humans used to aspire. It seems to be an odd precedent, a robot having human characteristics. However, the book very expertly crafts a background and evolution for these robots, depicting how they took on features from their former masters over a great span of time. We also get an interesting background on how and why the robots and AIs decided to drive humanity into extinction. The phases after the war are fascinating, as well, as Brittle and the rest of robotkind struggle to find purpose and survive in a sea of rust. Fans of any book involving AI and robots may want to give Sea of Rust a read!

Three Words That Describe This Book: sci-fi, robots, dystopia

Give This a Try if You LikeRobopocalypse, All Systems Red: The Muderbot Diaries, Mickey7, We Are Legion (We Are Bob), Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep (Blade Runner), The Caves of Steel

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

 

2024-03-07T18:56:47-06:00March 7th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Zilot & Other Important Rhymes

Zilot & Other Important Rhymes by Bob Odenkirk

Reviewed by:  Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant

Genre: Poetry, Comedy

Suggested Age: All Ages

What is the book about?  Bob Odenkirk (yes, Saul from the Breaking Bad universe) has compiled this anthology of hilarious poetry with the assistance of his adult children. Growing up, the Odenkirk family were profoundly literary and bonded over story times. Bob recalls that they particularly loved laughing together over funny stories and pictures. He wanted his children to see that authors were bona fide people and that they too could create something fun. That’s where Zilot began. The family wrote these poems which they bound in a homemade tome they entitled “Old Time Rhymes”. Later, the Odenkirks chose to share their creativity with the world by publishing their original works under the title poem “Zilot”. Each poem is unique- sometimes even using words made up by the young Odenkirks (a la’ Suess). Bob’s daughter, Erin, has contributed to the collection by illustrating these hilarious rhymes- adding even more context to the jokes.

 My review: It has been a very long time since I first read Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, but Zilot reignited my interest in comedic children’s poetry from the first page. These rhymes were hilarious and inventive and I loved getting a peak into the Odenkirks’ childhood, especially as a fan of Bob from his acting career. This is a great book to read straight through, or page-through at random. I think kids and adults of any age will find a poem or two that elicits a giggle.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Zany, witty, imaginative

Give This a Try if You Like… Shel Silverstein, laughing at bed time, Dr. Seuss

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

 

 

2024-02-28T14:16:30-06:00February 28th, 2024|

FDL Reads: A Girl Called Samson

A Girl Called Samson

By: Amy Harmon

Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Specialist

Genre: Historical Fiction

Suggested Age: Adult, Teen

What is the book about?   Based on a true story, this novel tells the story of Deborah Samson, a young woman born in 1760 whose family was torn apart by poverty and her father’s abandonment. Through her years of indentured servitude, she gains a new family, the Thomases.  As the years roll by, the American Revolution draws each of the Thomas’ many sons into the fight. Deborah is left behind, feeling unfulfilled in her domestic life, while the war continues.  Deborah, eventually leaves town to enlist in the Continental Army, disguised as a man.  What follows is not only a depiction of what lengths Deborah would need to go to in order to hide her gender, but also how she’d need to come to terms with the brutally of 18th century warfare in early America.  With the backdrop of war, is it possible for her to maintain the charade?  Will she ever see her beloved Thomas brothers again? Will she be discovered? And is it possible that she’ll find love?

 My Review: I thought this book was excellent.  The audiobook version that I listened to was outstanding. The voice actress was very engaging and was able to convey appropriate emotions for the various scenes throughout the book. I was moved to tears more than once.  I’ve heard of women who enlisted disguised as men during the Civil War, but not during the Revolution! This made Deborah’s story much more intriguing…made even more so by being true. She really was a soldier in the Continental Army and was the only woman to be granted an army pension by Congress for service during the American Revolution.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Captivating, Engrossing, Inspiring

Give This a Try if You Like Masquerade: The Life and Times of Deborah Sampson, Continental Soldier by Alfred F. Young, Revolutionary by Alex Myers, Liar Temptress Soldier Spy by Karen Abbott

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

2024-02-21T15:47:25-06:00February 21st, 2024|

FDL Reads: The Collector

The Collector by Daniel Silva

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, library volunteer

Genre: Thriller

Suggested Age: Adult, high school

What is the book about?: In 1990, thirteen masterpieces were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Among the still missing paintings is The Concert by Dutch master Johannes Vermeer. When retired spy Gabriel Allon is asked investigate a murder, it seems that The Concert – arguably one of the world’s most valuable paintings – is somehow involved. Gabriel must use his superior sleuthing and espionage skills to help recover The Concert. Soon Gabriel finds himself drawn into a dangerous plot with repercussions that could affect the entire world – far beyond the theft of an invaluable painting.

My Review: I loved this book! It was truly a thriller, with edge-of-the-seat excitement in the form of espionage and chase scenes. The characters were realistic, multi-dimensional people portrayed with integrity, ruthlessness, sadness, joy, and determination, among many other qualities. The global settings – across numerous countries – add to the book’s interest. I especially enjoyed listening to this exciting tale as an audio book! Whether you read this book or listen to it – check it out. You will enjoy it!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Exciting art spy

Give This a Try if You Like…  Books by John le Carre or other spy thrillers

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

2024-02-19T15:21:26-06:00February 16th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Katie the Catsitter

Katie the Catsitter by Colleen AF Venable

Reviewed By: Alice Mitchell, Youth Services Manager

Genre: Superhero fantasy (graphic novel)

Suggested Age:  Kids (7-12)

What is This Book About:  Katie desperately wants to join her friends at camp this summer, instead of being left behind to read glittery postcards about it. When her mom considers sending her if she can raise the money to attend, Katie immediately starts on fundraising efforts. Unfortunately, all of her attempts end in funny failures so things are looking bleak until Katie’s mysterious upstairs neighbor hires her to pet sit. Katie thinks she might be a bit out of her league when she discovers that Madeline has 217 cats, and once their owner leaves they go berserk. Katie grows suspicious at the cats’ antics as well as Madeline’s behavior. Why is it that Madeline is always out when super villain Mousetress commits her crimes?

My Review: If you ever wanted to believe that your troublesome pets are actually angels, this is a perfect book. I could read biographies of all 217 rambunctious cats and be entertained for ages. I love that they all get names, personalities, and are able to help out Madeline – I mean, Mousetress – with her heroic efforts. This alternate New York City sets up a really interesting society with Yelp-approved super-heroics. Katie and her friends are easy to relate to also. Despite the fantastic nature of Katie the Catsitter, they have normal problems such as struggles with potentially growing apart and wondering if they’re still as important to each other as they used to be. All in all, this is an energetic superhero story with 218 delightful sidekicks.

Three Words that Describe this Book: upbeat, superheroes, friendship

Give This A Try if You Like…  The Click series by Kayla Miller, Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol, the Bad Guys series by Aaron Blabey, the PAWS series by Nathan Fairbairn, Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd, and Sparks! by Ian Boothby

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

2024-02-12T10:16:50-06:00February 12th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Queenspotting

Queenspotting: Meet the Remarkable Queen Bee and Discover the Drama at the Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney

Reviewed By: Rebecca Cox, Business Manager

Genre: Nonfiction

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is This Book About?  Queenspotting is part introductory honey bee biology and part “Where’s Waldo?” as Hilary Kearney introduces the readers to the dynamics of a honey bee colony. The book puts scientific concepts into easy to understand terms and the 48 fold-out visual puzzles offer a fun break and game for both adults and kids!

My Review: I am a 5th Year Beekeeper and this is my favorite book to recommend to both beginner beekeepers and people who are just interested in these fascinating little creatures! I love how Kearney is able to break down concepts that seem complicated (such as the different “castes” or types of bees in the colony or the different types of queen cells that can be present when a beekeeper is looking at frames). The fold out puzzles have practical application for beekeepers since the ability to locate the queen is one of the most important skills to have. The puzzles are also fun to challenge kids (or husbands!) with to see who can find the queen the fastest! This book is not a long read and the information is written in such an engaging way that it’s honestly hard to put down!

Three Words that Describe this Book: Inspiring, Informative, Beautiful

Give this a try if you like… Nature’s Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy; Slow Down: 50 Mindful Moments in Nature by Rachel Williams; Storey’s Guide to Keeping Honey Bees

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

2024-01-31T15:23:07-06:00January 31st, 2024|

FDL Reads: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter

Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson

Reviewed by: Susie Rivera, Adult Services Specialist

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested Age: Teens, Adults

What is this book about? Yumi and the Nightmare Painter is Sanderson’s third secret novel in his Kickstarter-backed Secret Novels project that he started in 2020. Nikaro is a painter on a world where nightmares run wild. Painters are civil servants who are able to “trap” nightmares with paintings. His city, Kilahito, is perpetually dark but powered by cyan and magenta hion lines. It has the feel of a modern-day Tokyo. Yumi is a traveling priestess living in a very different location. She has the power to summon mystical spirits who are able to help her people. One day the two are unexpectedly thrust into each other’s worlds and must adapt to the vastly different ways of life.

My Review: This novel takes place in Sanderson’s Cosmere. There are several references to other novels and a couple characters from a different series show up. Sanderson fans will be delighted! However, newbies to the Cosmere could potentially jump into this book, even though it takes place farther into the timeline, and enjoy it as a stand-alone. Sanderson himself has started to recommend it as a beginning point for those interested in the Cosmere novels. I enjoyed his attempt at writing romance. I knew going into it that it would not be the same type of romance as Fourth Wing or ACOTAR. I loved the characters connection and how they got to know each other. The big reveals at the end were very reminiscent of other Sanderson works, but unique and exciting on their own. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a Japanese/Korean-inspired fantasy with a clean romance story.

Three Words that Describe this Book: Duality, Mystical, Sweet

Give this a try if you like…Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson, This is How You Lose the Time War by
Amal El-Mohtar, The Fragile Threads of Power by Victoria Schwab

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

Streaming audio available on hoopla

FDL Reads

2024-01-28T14:26:39-06:00January 28th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Virtually Me

Virtually Me by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

Reviewed by: Jacob Roberts, Youth Services Specialist

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Suggested Age: 8-11 years

What is this book about? Virtually Me follows a group of middle school kids, post-pandemic, as they start a new school year. The group consists of Bradley, Edelle, Hunter, Jasper, and Keiko. Each of them have chosen to take a chance on the new virtual reality school in an attempt to start fresh or keep up with their reputation. As the book goes on, though, they discover it becomes harder and harder to keep their pasts a secret. Soon they learn that perhaps the people they want to be in virtual reality have been them all along.

My Review: Morris and Brown do a great job at bringing all the real hopes, fears, and anxieties of middle school to the virtual world. They use relatable text to challenge the reader to question what it means to be a good friend. They also give great examples of how to treat everybody no matter what they look like or the reputation they hold. Virtually Me highlights the great possibilities and anxious worries of what virtual reality can be when implanted into the everyday practices of our society.

Three Words that Describe this Book: Fun, timely, friendly

Give this a try if you like… Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova, Swim Team by Johnnie Christmas, Truly Tyler by Terri Libenson

Rating: 4/5

Find it at the library!

 

FDL Reads

 

2024-01-11T18:21:50-06:00January 11th, 2024|

FDL Reads: Book Lovers

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Adult Services Assistant

Genre: Romance

Suggested Age:  Adults

What is This Book About? Nora is a ruthless literary agent who will stop at nothing to get her authors published with the best editors and publishing houses available in New York City. Charlie is one of the editors Nora needs to recruit for her client’s latest book. Charlie is cold, calculating, and brilliant. Just like Nora. After an abrasive lunch-meeting discussing her client’s latest novel, Nora is convinced more than ever that she’ll never work with Charlie again. Until, of course, she unexpectedly runs into him in Small Town, USA. A random occurrence while vacationing with her very pregnant sister who’s on her last hurrah before child number three is born. What proceeds here is a ballet of witty dialogue and small town shenanigans between Nora and Charlie as they carefully maneuver towards each other in a blossoming working relationship that becomes something more.

My Review: This was a delightful novel that managed to subvert the cliches of small town romances while simultaneously being a small town romance itself. What I enjoyed about the novel was that the characters were very unique when it came to the romance tropes. I also appreciated the narrator’s snarky inner-monologue as she weaved through this rather podunk town that had as many charms as it did foibles. The main strength of the book, however, is the dynamic nature between Nora and Charlie. They start out as mild rivals (building on the haters-to-lovers trope) and quickly realize that they compliment each other with their high-intense work ethic and posh lifestyles. They also push each other to break out of molds and have adventures in a rural community that holds quite a few secrets for Charlie and Nora. Book Lovers is a charismatic story that’s easy to read, even for people who don’t really read rom-coms. I listened to this book on the Libby App and the voice actress was INCREDIBLE.

 Three Words that Describe this Book: romance, small town, books!

 Give This A Try if You Like…  Lessons in Chemistry, Part of Your World, The Bodyguard

 Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

FDL Reads

 

2023-12-30T10:56:33-06:00December 27th, 2023|
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