The Android's Dream

The Android's Dream by John Scalzi

Due to the strangest international (interplanetary?) incident you've ever read, the earth is now on the hook to find a sheep. Not just any sheep, but one with electric blue wool. The alien race of the Nidu require this specific sheep for their coronation ceremony, which has to take place at an exact time in two weeks, or their entire government falls to pieces. The problem is that all the "Android's Dream" sheep have started dying, and they're not sure where to find another one. When they do, it's nothing like what they expect. 

Harry Creek, whose day job is to deliver bad news, is hired to find the sheep and gets hurled into all the underhanded, action-packed, confusing madness while trying to protect an innocent woman. Throw in an entire cast of zany characters, from a surprisingly sophisticated artificial intelligence to an alien on a religious quest, and you have yourself a very unexpected and entertaining science fiction.

This book was very well thought out, and very well executed. I can honestly say I never saw what was coming next, and every little twist and turn was smart and unpredictably enjoyable. There are moments that warrant an audible "what?!" while reading. The characters were developed nicely, even though many of them were unlikable. The writing was clever and witty and left me thoroughly entertained.

But much like Harry Creek, I do have some bad news to deliver. Firstly, there was a lot of foul language, definitely too much for me to be okay with. I don't think that much swearing is really necessary to get a point across. You're angry, we get it. Secondly, there were a great deal of spelling and grammar errors in the book that should have been caught by an editor. It's obvious that these were probably just typos, but really somebody should have noticed that before it went to print. Hopefully in later editions these errors have been corrected. 

Overall this was an enjoyable read that catches you off guard and keeps you guessing about what might happen. I give it 3.5 stars. 

Find it at the library in the Adult Fiction section.

Spring Puppet Shows This Week!!

Wednesday @   9:30, 10:30, 11:30 and 4:30

Thursday @  9:30, 10:30 and 11:30

 

Black Site

Black Site by Dalton Fury

Kolt Raynor had been involved in a Delta Force mission while on active duty and had been responsible for the loss of many lives because of his tendency to ignore direct orders when they didn't suit his plan. Three years have passed since that incident which resulted in his court martial from the service and it seems that his only friend during that time has been the name of the maker of the bottle of booze he's working on at the time. Now he is being offered a chance to go back into the field and perform a job that might partially make up for his previous mistake. The problem is, he is in such degraded physical condition and there is such a short time to get him up to speed. Even the good guys don't think his rehabilitation is worthwhile or possible. Is this a one way mission?

Raynor has no buddies left in the military, but that doesn't matter because this operation will be carried out without officially being sanctioned by the government. In the novel this character was given a lot of hurdles to jump over. He had to go cold turkey off the booze and manage to survive the training in which people were trying to take every advantage to show him just how out of shape and vulnerable he was. I liked that the author built this character back up into a trained fighter, but always with that possibility of him making another mistake to compromise the entire operation. A lot of the first parts of the book were spent on Raynor's reentry into the world of the elite commando so it took some time for him to be in the field of exercise.

Amazon Review

Nightmares!

Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Charlie Laird can't sleep. Not because he's not tired, but because he's avoiding the worst nightmares he's ever had. His dad marries Charlotte, who he is sure is actually a witch. And after moving into the scary purple mansion at the end of the street, every time he closes his eyes he is attacked by creatures he'd rather never meet. Through these awful dreams, Charlie learns that nightmares might not be as imaginary as they seem. and he soon delves into a new world to save his family and his life.

Nightmares! is a delightful book that teaches readers about friendship, family, and facing our fears. Jason Segel (The Muppets, How I Met Your Mother) brings a lot of humor into this fantastical tale. The "dream realm" is very creative, and as they travel through it, you meet a lot of characters that kids will appreciate and have fun reading about, from Medusa's apathetic son to bunnies with a bad bite. It's uplifting to see all the characters face their fears and fight back against a cruel bully.

A great technique of the book was the use of nightmares to help the kids through their realities, and realize what was really wrong that they needed to deal with. Charlie learns a lot of lessons about being afraid and about accepting his life through the dreams that he meets and the help of his friends. I think a lot of kids could relate to Charlie and the problems that he faces. We all get scared at times, or assume the worst about things that really end up not being that bad. This is the first book in a series, and reading it made me excited to see what adventures they would go on next!

Find Nightmares! in the Intermediate Section.

Join Us For Our Adult Coloring Night!

Teen Scene at the library!

A Long Way Home

A Long Way Home

This is an incredible story about a five year old boy from a small village in India, who got separated from his brother at a train station, boarded a train and traveled over a thousand miles and ended up in Calcutta. As an uneducated and illiterate little boy, he survived the dangerous streets of this busy over-populated city for over a month before he ended up in an orphanage. With their limited resources and the little boys inability to communicate very well, the orphanage could not locate his hometown and so fter being in the orphanage for a few months, he was adopted by a couple from Australia where he grew up in Hobart,Tasmania.

As an adult, he still dreamed about the family he had lost and wanted to find his mother, brothers and little sister. Based on the memories of his five year old self, he started on a quest that would last years, but would ultimately lead him back to India and his hometown.

This was an inspiring story of a young boy who has been able to overcome amazing odds to survive, the kindness and dedication of those who work to help those who cannot help themselves and the many people who adopt, bring into their homes and love kids who have been abandoned.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

A coming-of-age story like you've never read before, The Ocean at the End of the Lane starts with a man sitting by a pond looking back at his childhood. The more he remembers, the more unexpected, magical, and terrifying the book becomes. When the man (who is unnamed throughout the novel) was seven, he met a unique and remarkable girl who showed him a world he never thought possible. They spend hours at her house and by her "ocean" (the pond in the backyard.) While the boys eyes are opened to this strange world to which his new friend Lettie belongs, he also becomes the target of an attack. He soon realizes that there is a darkness unleashed on his life and it is out to destroy him.

Gaiman is a master of the creepy, and succeeds just as well with it in this book as he has in others. It catches the reader off guard because it starts off so innocently, leading you to believe it's a nostalgic middle-aged man remembering his childhood. All of a sudden, you get a glimpse of the supernatural, and the rest of the story is a wild ride from start to finish.

The friendship between the two children is quirky and unpredictable, and the antagonist can really get under your skin.  This is an edge-of-your-seat kind of read that is not easily set down. But it also tells a beautiful story of a boy growing up. Lettie teaches the boy many lessons on life and the people around him, "Nobody looks like what they really are on the inside. You don’t. I don’t. People are much more complicated than that. It’s true of everybody."You get a wonderful juxtaposition between the friendship of these two children, and the terror that is the antagonist threatening the boy and his family. The novel is so well written that I was constantly surprised at what was happening, and still like to think about what might have happened next. 

Find The Ocean at the End of the Lane in out Adult Fiction section!

April Book Club - Tomorrow Night

Come join us for our April Book Club!

There will be an activity and discussion on "Light Between Oceans".

Everyone is welcome...whether you have read the book or not.

 

 

Mark of the Thief

Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

 

As a slave in the mines of Rome, Nic is just trying to survive while protecting his younger sister. When a cavern is discovered that is thought to be that of Julius Caesar, Nic is forced to enter the accursed cavern full of treasure, but told to only retrieve an ancient bulla, in so doing, his life is irrevocably changed.

 

Unbeknownst to Nic, the bulla holds the power of the gods and now that power is coming alive in him and there are many Romans that will do anything to take those powers away from him and use them to overthrow Emperor. Nic's greatest desire is to find his sister, escape Rome and build a better life as a free man with his sister and yet he finds himself thrown into the role of trying to save Rome from those who are bent on destroying the great city.

 

I did enjoy reading this book even though the story could have used a little more "world building" and more description of life in ancient Rome.

 

Vixen

Vixen by Jillian Larkin

Vixen tells the stories of three girls in the 1920s. The chapters rotate between Clara, Lorraine, and Gloria, who are each trying to figure out their lives in Chicago. Gloria comes from a family of socialites, and is engaged to the most eligible bachelor in town, but her heart is somewhere else. Lorraine strives to be the most sought after flapper at the local speakeasy, and causes a lot of trouble getting there. Clara is running from a dark past and living like a good-two-shoes with her cousin Gloria's family.

While the twenties may seem like an exciting time to be alive, this book didn't do it justice. It didn't really transport you back in time like you might want it. The novel certainly had a lot going on, with each girl's own plot and well thought out side stories, but the characters left much to be desired. They weren't very likable, and they weren't very dynamic. It wasn't hard to guess what might happen to them or what decisions they might make. The only story I had much interest in was Clara's, and I still felt myself fighting to get to the end. 

While some twenties slang might be fun, this book was absolutely drenched in it, as if the author didn't want you to forget for a second what time period it was set in. But it detracted more from the story than added to it. Most of the writing was well thought out and technically good, it just wasn't all there on an emotional level. All in all, the book just didn't grab me like I hoped it would.

Amazing Veggies!! Thursday, April 7th

Altered

 

Altered by Jennifer Rush

Four boys have been biologically altered to create the "perfect" soldier, and they live in Anna's basement. For the last five years, Anna has been sneaking down into the basement to visit the boys that her dad, a scientist who works for the "Branch", has been studying. Curiously, once her dad finds out she knows about the boys, she is allowed to help him with this secretive experiment by drawing blood and running tests on them.

Anna has always been homeschooled and her whole life revolves around the boys,  Nick, Cas, Trev and Sam have become her only friends. When the Branch decides it is time to take them, Sam stages an escape and kills the agents who have been sent to bring them in and injures her father. Now Anna must decide if she is going to go on the run with them or stay behind with her dad.

I would give this book an average rating. I didn't feel like the characters really came alive. Anna was in love with Sam, but I'm not sure why because there was not very little interaction between them. And we didn't see too much of the other three boys and their personalities. The storyline started out fairly interesting, but there were too many inconsistencies. This is a series, and I will probably read the second one, just to see if it improves at all.

Betsy-Tacy series

Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace

A series from my mother's childhood, Maud Hart Lovelace tells the story of two best friends, and their lives growing up in Minnesota in the early 1900s. Elizabeth "Betsy" Ray and Anastacia "Tacy" Kelly meet when they are five years old and immediately become great friends. There are ten books in the series and they follow Betsy from childhood all the way to her wedding day, meeting many interesting characters and having lots of adventures on the way. They follow her love of writing and her dream of one day being a famous author. Throughout it all, Tacy remains her most loyal friend and helps her be true to who she is.

I love this series because I love reading about the time in which they lived. Lovelace took inspiration from her own childhood, and it's fascinating to me to learn how people used to fill their time. From the excitement over a brand new automobile (that drove "swiftly" at twenty miles per hour) to friends gathering around the piano to sing all the most popular songs, it certainly was a simpler time. I enjoyed reading about the fashions they would wear, and going to dances where the boys would ask girls to dance by filling out their name on a program. 

In the later books, Betsy has opportunities to travel, and the excitement she has and the way she describes it all is thrilling to read. You feel as if you are riding along in the ship with her, enjoying all the same sights and sounds.

Betsy-Tacy is a great read for young girls with wonderful imaginations who might enjoy learning about how girls from another time lived. Find them in the intermediate section!