Blog

In celebration of our recent snowfall, I'd like to recommend the novel Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. Taking place on a small island off the coast of Washington state, the story follows the 1954 trial of Kabuo Miyamoto who stands accused of murdering well-known fisherman Carl Heine. In the years after World War II, pervasive racism permeates the Japanese American's trial from the witnesses to the jury members and the press. However, a local journalist drawn to the trial due to his romantic past with the defendant's wife, has uncovered knowledge that -- if he chooses to expose it -- will seal Kabuo's fate.

The author provides a strong sense of place for the backdrop for an immersive, emotional story centered around love, morals, and justice. This book is a great pick for readers who like historical fiction, especially the 1930's to 1950's era. 

This sci-fi comedy is the story of rock group, Decibel Jones and the Absolute Zeros, being chosen to represent Earth in a galactic talent competition. Contestants must perform original work. Jones and the Zeros feel tremendous pressure when they learn the home planet of the last place act will be destroyed.

Some online reviewers complained that the book was too wordy and unnecessarily long. It's true author Catherynne M. Valente frequently goes off on some tangents, but those diversions are filled with the puns and one-liners that kept me going back to hear them again. And others must agree, because Space Opera was a Hugo Award finalist.

Narrator Heath Miller has an appealing British accent. Space Opera (2018) clocks in at just under 10 hours. Listen to the audiobook on Hoopla today.

This book is a fun holiday read featuring twin sisters who have to swap places during the holidays. One sister runs a bakery in a small mountain town while the other sister lives in LA and has her own baking show. This book has romance and holiday cheer, which is perfect for the upcoming season!

The Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox is available as an ebook and eaudiobook on eMediaLibrary (Libby).

A well-written atmospheric thriller, Depraved by Harold Schechter (1994) is all true! You won't want to put it down. The story follows the hard-to-believe life of Herman Mudgett aka H. H. Holmes, a cold-blooded serial killer active at the end of the 19th century. A contemporary of Jack the Ripper, Mudgett seems to have been more prolific. He confessed to 27 murders. Others have placed the number over 200. The true number may never be known.

The investigation that finally tracked him down is as exciting as the best TV detective shows. It reminded me of Harker and Van Helsing chasing down the Count at the end of Dracula. And you might recognize H. H. Holmes as one of the men profiled by Erik Larson in The Devil in the White City.

Schlechter is also the author of Deviant and Fiend, two more true crime stories. I haven't read them yet but they're on my list.

I picked up this book after hearing all the kerfuffle about the new Netflix adaptation. Persuasion by Jane Austen is beautiful and I am so happy to have picked it up. This novel is more melancholy compared to Austen's other novels, but with the same thoughtfulness and relatability.

Anne Elliot is a 27-year-old who differs drastically from her father and sisters. They are superficial and egotistical while Anne is a thoughtful, caring, and quiet young woman. Years ago, Anne called off her engagement to Captain Wentworth, the love of her life, at the insistence of her family due to his lower social standing. Years later, Captain Wentworth returns and Anne deals with changed feelings and circumstances of the relationship.

Although the setting and time of this book are a lot different than today, the book is a great read. Jane Austen has created a classic that involves themes and situations relatable to today. A great read!

Available as an ebook and eaudiobook on eMediaLibrary (Libby).

Available in ebook and eaudiobook on eMediaLibrary (Libby). 

The possible evolution of the anatomical relationship between fish and mammals is examined in this 2008 bestseller, Your Inner Fish by Neil Shubin . I'm curious about evolution, so it's good the author mostly uses popular language even I can understand.

Dr. Neil Shubin starts by telling of the hardships of doing paleontology in the arctic. He found a fossil fish 387 million years old and hints this may be a piece of the missing link puzzle. Recently discovered animal footprints in Poland have been dated back 395 million years—but I wasn't interested in that part of his story anyway.

The winner for me was the part comparing fish anatomy to mammals. That was absolutely fascinating and worth the wait. I can recommend Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body to any layperson interested in evolution, paleontology, or genetics. The book inspired a PBS episode in 2014: watch it on Hoopla today.