The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells

The Impossible Lives of Greta Wells (2013) by Andrew Sean Greer was a lovely, quick read about how our choices can change us.

The Dark Tower series #1-3

The first three books of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series -- The Gunslinger [Revised ed. 2003 (orig 1982)], The Drawing of the Three [1987], and The Waste Lands [1991] together make quite an interesting start to the alternative universe fantasy series from the well-known horror author.

Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

Ready Player One (2011) by Ernest Cline is a fascinating commentary on humans and Western civilization and a brilliant, exciting love letter to geeks, video games, and pop culture.

Set only a few decades in the future (scary in itself), after civilization has mostly fallen apart and 'society' exists only in virtual spaces, the story kept me interested, engaged, and slightly tense the whole way through. Cline does an amazing job of creating interesting characters and putting them in situations that really keep you guessing.

I loved the idea of living 'in' a video game, and the virtual reality setting certainly gave Cline extensive leeway in what he could do in certain scenes, untethered as his world was from actual reality.

Though I'm sure most people who don't consider themselves geeks or nerds might initially dismiss this book as not for them, I would urge anybody to give it a shot -- it's that good. It does a great job of showing both the advantages and disadvantages of increasing reliance on continually improved technology, and while knowing all the pop- and geek-culture references probably brings more amusement and enjoyment to the reader, not knowing every one does not take away at all from the main themes of the story. In the end, the book is about what it means to be human, which applies to us all.

“Whenever I saw the sun, I reminded myself that I was looking at a star. One of over a hundred billion in our galaxy. A galaxy that was just one of billions of other galaxies in the observable universe. This helped me keep things in perspective.”

--- 

“Dilettantes,’ Art3mis said. ‘It’s their own fault for not knowing all the Schoolhouse Rock! lyrics by heart.” 

Keep reading! Beth

Page-to-Screen: TV edition!

I interrupt my (somewhat) regularly scheduled reviews to discuss a topic that has started to dominate the way I choose what books to read: adaptations of books into ongoing tv shows. Though adapting books into movies has been a long-standing practice in Hollywood, I think the runaway success of Game of Thrones and Orange is the New Black (and older shows such as True Blood and Sex and the City) have shown the advantages of spending much more time in these worlds and creating more opportunities for creative freedom while also being able to follow the original stories to a greater degree of detail.

Given my love of both reading and tv, I have seen a close intersection of my reading and viewing habits already, and there are many more upcoming shows based on books I am super excited about.

Currently on TV (and loving them all!):
Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin) – read all (main) books, before watching show
Sherlock (Arthur Conan Doyle) – read all (main) books, before watching show
Outlander (Diana Gabaldon) – have read books 1-5 so far, after watching season 1
The Magicians (Lev Grossman) – read all books, before watching show
Shannara Chronicles (Terry Brooks)– have not read any of the series, but really want to

In most of these cases (Game of Thrones, Outlander, Magicians), I had been intending to read each series for awhile, but the announcement of the shows was the push I needed to finally do so, and I'm very glad I did in each case. So I'm thinking that many of the following upcoming shows will also be a lot of what I read in the next year or so, and I'm excited to dive into it all!

Here are the upcoming shows based on books I'm most excited about:

Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency (Douglas Adams) BBCA – written by Max Landis (of American Ultra fame), this is a series by Douglas Adams that I hadn't even heard of before (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy certainly overshadows it), though hearing about it in relation to the show makes it seem to be entirely up my alley. Given that the premier is this week (Oct 22), I think I'll be watching first and reading after.

American Gods (Neil Gaiman) Starz - I finally read (and enjoyed) the book earlier this year, and have so far heard excellent things about the upcoming adaptation. It's highly appropriate that this is the book of Gaiman's adapted in the US, as the entire storyline takes place here (hence the title).

Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery) Netflix – Of course I loved the original show, so I'm cautiously excited about this new version. I'm not sure we necessarily need another adaptation of the fantastic book series, but I'm remaining open-minded.

Foundation (Isaac Asimov) HBO
AND
Red Mars (Kim Stanley Robinson) Spike TV – are both classic science fiction series, neither of which I have read, but both of which I would like to at some point. As I've only recently gotten into sci-fi books, I'm wondering if these might be better to watch first so I don't get too bogged down in the books.

Dark Tower series (Stephen King) – This is an unusual case in which a movie is planned for 2017 release (starring Idris Elba - how fantastic is that?!), which will be a sequel to the book series (unlike all the others on this list, which are adaptations of existing material), then a tv show will start in 2018 (also starring Elba) that will be a continuing sequel to the movie. I've only read the first book of the series so far, and I'm looking forward to reading the rest before the movie comes out next year.

Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket) Netflix – I've never read either the children's book series or seen the movie starring Jim Carrey, but I've heard wonderful things about this adaptation, so I'm looking forward to checking it out!

His Dark Materials (Phillip Pullman) BBC – I absolutely loved this YA series, which I read years ago. It is smart, interesting, emotional, and witty, and I am thrilled that the adaptation is coming right from the BBC. I didn't mind the movie starring Nicole Kidman, though it of course came nowhere near the level of the book, so I think this might end up being a prime example of how a tv show (especially from the BBC) can be a better format for adapting a book, especially a book series, than a movie.

Cormoran Strike Detective Series (Robert Galbraith, aka J.K. Rowling) BBC – This is another upcoming BBC adaptation that I am extremely excited for! Rowling's adult mystery/thriller series is filled with interesting, well-rounded, understandably flawed characters, so for me the casting/acting will make or break the adaptation to tv. Unfortunately, the release dates of both this show and His Dark Materials is as yet unknown, so I'll have to wait to see how it turns out.

And this list doesn't even include the comic book-to-tv adaptations that are coming up (perhaps they warrant their own post). Lots here to keep me busy!

Keep reading (and watching)! Beth

Flight by Kazu Kibuishi (Ed)

Flight V. 1 (2004) edited by Kazu Kibuishi is a collection of 23 comics (and one very funny essay) by different artists with VERY different visual and storytelling styles, all with the general theme of flying.

This was a wonderful book that really showed the extent to which comic art can vary, from the detailed and ornate to simplistic and suggestive. Some of the individual stories really spoke to me, and I enjoyed those very much. But even for the ones I didn't like, I could appreciate the skill and talent that went in to developing the story and creating the multiple layers of art.

My favorite parts of this collection were:
"Maiden Voyage" by Kazu Kibuishi – an adorable story about failure and never giving up,
"Paper and String" by Jen Wang – about feeling like an outsider and finding something to inspire you,
"The Maiden and the River Spirit" by Derek Kirk Kim – a funny twist on a classic Aesop fable, and
"The Bowl" by Clio Chiang – which tells the story of a Native man who makes 3 wishes, and doesn't quite get what he expects.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone curious about comics / graphic novels but doesn't know where to start – this is a wonderful way to explore many different interpretations of the genre and decide what you like!

Keep reading! Beth

American Nerd by Benjamin Nugent

American Nerd (2008) by Benjamin Nugent is a quick nonfiction read about the world of 'nerds' (or at least the author’s very specific experiences with it). Comprised of both autobiography and information about different topics, the author mostly used stories from his own life to illustrate many of his points. Which I think was a very good thing – without those anecdotes, the book could have been dry, but as it was, it was a fun read about an interesting topic.

One thing I did find especially interesting was the way in which the author conflated the terms nerd, geek, dork, etc. I am always really fascinated in the ways different people use and think about those terms, and I’ve found that most people who consider themselves one or the other have strong feelings about what each term means (myself included). In Nugent’s case, however, I couldn’t tell that he did – he never really made a strong distinction. Maybe he just lumps them all together and uses nerd as a sort of umbrella term.

I really enjoyed the historical perspective about how not just the term 'nerd' evolved, but also the concept / idea of nerdiness itself evolved – Nugent gets into how nerds became a thing in the first place, which was really compelling. And I did appreciate the connection that people who are obsessed with sports are nerds in their own way; the only difference is the way this obsession is valued in our society. His points about how nerd culture fits in (and at times doesn't fit in) our larger American culture and society were, for me, the best parts of reading this book, and I would recommend it for anyone who considers themselves a geek / nerd – or loves someone who is.

Keep reading! Beth

Bats of the Republic by Zachary Thomas Dodson

Bats of the Republic: an Illuminated Novel (2015) by Zachary Thomas Dodson was a very interesting book. I loved the unusual format, with the story told in several formats from several points of view, and all the ephemera throughout (maps, drawings, notes, etc.). The nature drawings and observations of the wildlife in the frontier were especially great, and I really do like when the idea of a "book within a book" is used well.

The story built up quite quickly to a point where I really just had to know what was going to happen, especially with the famous letter that was the center of most of the main characters' stories, with the 'past' storyline about delivering the letter and the 'future' storyline about finding it. I also really liked the setting of both the parts of the book in the 'frontier' era of a slightly different past than in our own universe and the post-apocalyptic future, with Big Brother-like ruling class.

The build-up of the story was very tense and really made you feel the stress the characters were going through. Unfortunately the ending had very little pay-off for all this build up. It resolved almost no part of the story, and never actually clarified this mysterious letter that was such a big part of the story. I was glad to have read it, but the ending really disappointed me. However, if you're not a person who prefers (needs) a very concrete, conclusive ending to your stories, then I think this wouldn't be as big of a problem. Overall, I do think this is a book worth reading as the story and format are so unusual and interesting.

Keep reading! Beth

Roundtable Review: The Circle by Dave Eggers

In which several members of our staff who have all read the same book offer their differing thoughts and opinions. Today: a technological thriller and commentary on modern society by Dave Eggers, called The Circle (2013). Please note, there WILL be spoilers as we discuss all aspects of this book, including the ending!

For my original review of both this book and The Martian, check out this post of the blog.

CAROL J.: Creepy, authentic look at how capitalistic, technologically-driven corporations envision and expect the world to be. But can complete allegiance to one company, 24-7, and total worldwide data transparency be good for humanity?

ROSE: For me, The Circle by Dave Eggers follows in the footsteps of other dystopian novels like Huxley’s Brave New World, where different aspects of the present-day society are exaggerated and expanded into something disquieting. Mae Holland, a sweet young woman, is hired by a revered mega-Internet company, The Circle (which has some resemblances to Google, Facebook and Apple). Mae’s employers introduce her to the high expectations of The Circle: the 24/7 social interaction whirl of the employees, and the competitive video-game aspects of the work itself, which involves responding to customer emails rapidly and skillfully for hours, in order to amass a high rating.

The Circle is not great literature. The writing is on the level of a summer beach read: characters are not deep, and the story’s ending is rushed. But I would recommend it, since it held my interest, and the story moves along steadily. I cared about the main character, and was interested in her evolution. A number of the concepts (companies where employees can live 24/7, a constant barrage of social media, use of computers to measure work output) already exist at today’s corporations. We’re all aware of camera surveillance and drones; it’s a small step to imagining their presence everywhere.

But what I liked best about the story – and what stays with me – is the depiction of the relentless, privacy-smashing communal life that has an incredibly seductive pull: being part of the approving crowd, being watched over, protected and secure. I think The Circle would make a fine book for discussion, with concepts everyone in the 21st century can relate to.

ELLEN: In the spirit of 1984, The Jungle, and the latest craze for dystopian future novels, Dave Eggers has written a book that challenges the orthodoxy of increased public exposure of our personal lives on the Internet through gadgets and constant postings on bulletin boards and news feeds.

As a novel I found it a bit heavy-handed and I didn't find the central character, Mae Holland, all that believable, but I laughed mightily at the obvious representations of Facebook, Instagram, personal blogs, and YouTube. Companies like Google, whose products mesh so seamlessly into a web of interdependency, started out to claim the simplistic mantra, "Don't be evil" (their page outlining their philosophy).

At the same time, the digital storage of the world's data – including all literature, demographic information, and government documents – begs the question, "who controls the databank, who gets ready access, who controls speed of downloads, who holds the keys?" Something that starts out as a way for everyone to hold the power inevitably can morph into a power grab. Recent revelations on working conditions at Amazon, controversial as the sourcing is, raises the relevant question, "Can you succeed at a corporation and ever be offline and not at work?"

As the Young Adult Librarian, I love asking my teen group about privacy and the Internet. They have grown up with a digital presence in their lives. What is compelling is how much they find freedom and solace in what they see as the anonymity of creating an online identity. They find community and validation from others here and learn to create a voice in a group of fellow gamers, fan fiction writers, artists, and bloggers. They seem well aware of the pitfalls and know the safety issues but don't let that stop them from exploring and posting fearlessly.

On a tangential note, David and I have talked about the need for a variety of digital curation web services similar to Maria Popova's Brain Pickings, and that libraries should consider this kind of extremely intense compilation work around issues and topics one of the new tasks for libraries to tackle. It will be the key, from my perspective, to maintaining a variety of hosts and voices.

Privacy is really a very modern value. In ancient times people lived in shoulder-to-shoulder contact with others for safety’s sake. How we balance our desire to live private lives against our natural compulsion for convenience and safety is a fascinating tension that Eggers' book broaches in an entertaining and ominous way.

JESS: When I read the synopsis of this book I thought to myself, "I'm never going to finish this. It doesn't sound suspenseful at all." The book is like a slow burn, it does take time to build but by then end I couldn't believe a book about a social media company had me on the edge of my seat.

This book made me feel uncomfortable and reflective, much like the scenes in Fahrenheit 451 when the main character's wife dives deeper and deeper into her hologram TV. It is a book that has stayed with me long after I finished. I didn't like the main character Mae and that's the whole point. There are two particular scenes that stand out in my head. One is a customer service job interaction between Mae and a businessman where the number of emails she gets asking her to rate his company and recommend his daughter for a job was excruciating painful. I was visibly stressed listening to this. Why does she put up with this? She has the power to make or break his business with a few sentences.

Another harrowing scene is when she is scolded by human resources for not "posting" about going kayaking – her one soulful, peaceful interaction with nature, ‘How could she not think to invite others who like to kayak?’ Even going so far as berating her for selfishly not videoing it for people who cannot kayak due to their own health issues. This company becomes more like a cult throughout the book but just when the reader starts to question it, something positive about the resource sharing happens, and it makes you rethink your feelings about the company.

The book's final climax ended abruptly but I think that's the point of the whole book. The loss of privacy in our era has left us highly informed but at what cost? How has it changed us as people? Are we stretched so thin that our human interactions are left on the surface? Food for thought the next time you think about posting on Facebook.

BETH:  This book was great, but very disturbing. It almost felt like a prequel to any science fiction story – how we allow a slow spreading of technology into our lives until it eventually takes over completely. The scariest thing is that our present-day society, with everyone so deeply tied into and dependent on their phones, tablets, and computers is really not very far at all from the society in this book.

Though, as others have mentioned, the main character Mae was not entirely likeable, still you could see how she ended up getting in as deep as she did. Each step she took – every time she said yes to her supervisor’s requests – was understandable as an isolated incident. But for the reader, the book becomes more and more tense as you wonder where Mae's line will be; when she'll realize that broadcasting her entire life, with the only break being a minute of muted silence when she uses the restroom, is crazy.

When she persists even when she has to meet her best friend in the bathroom to have any semblance of private conversation, I was flabbergasted. When she literally drives someone to suicide and her parents underground and STILL continues to drink The Circle's Kool-Aid about wanting to be seen and known by everyone, and everyone having a right to see and know you, I was angry and frankly pretty sad. And when the book ended without any reasonable resolution, I really saw this as the beginning of the end of civilization in that society. And then I went outside.

Emma Watson and Tom Hanks are starring in the film adaptation of The Circle, which is currently set to come out sometime in 2016. It will be very interesting to see how they adapt the book to a movie, especially the later half of the story, which is told almost exclusively from a first-person perspective of Mae's camera.

Overall, I think all of us really enjoyed this book, though the feelings it elicited while reading were absolutely not always pleasant. It really made us all think and talk about the story and how it applies to our own lives, which after all is just about the best a book can do.

Keep reading! Beth

Star Wars!

Suzanne, Michael, and I are back in a new episode of the Diffle Presents podcast, this time all about Star Wars! In anticipation of Episode VII: The Force Awakens coming out December 18, we chat all about our experiences with Star Wars growing up, and what we think about the new movie coming out on December 18. Listen to the episode on the Diffle Presents website here.

If you too are excited about the new movie coming out, be sure to join us for the original trilogy marathon event we're holding at Duxbury Free Library on Friday, December 11. Come watch all Episodes IV-VI on our big projection screen, bring your own snacks, and enjoy the movies with other Star Wars fans - the way they were meant to be enjoyed! The marathon will run from 3:00-9:00 pm in the Merry Room. No registration required; come anytime.

And while you're waiting for the new movie to come out, check out all the DVDs and books we have in every department at Duxbury Free Library, including books in our Adult Fiction collection set in the Star Wars universe:

Lords of the Sith by Paul Kemp
Fate of the Jedi: Ascension by Christie Golden
Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
Scoundrels by Timothy Zahn

And the trilogy by Timothy Zahn (which is on NPR's list of 100 best SF/Fantasy books)
1. Heir to the Empire
2. Dark Force Rising
3. The Last Command

Keep reading, and May the Force be with you! Beth

Summer Reading Highlights, Part 1: Science in Fiction - The Martian and The Circle

The Martian by Andy Weir

I’m going to start with the best book I read this summer. There’s been some growing buzz surrounding this book due in large part to the upcoming movie starring Matt Damon. Having heard few specific details about this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. And boy were those low expectations exceeded!

The science part of the book was a bit heavier than I anticipated, and I’ll admit there were some parts that were a little too detailed and heavy for my tastes, but they were wonderfully balanced by the humor. Who knew a book about a guy getting stranded alone on Mars for years would be so funny?! The tense nature of the storyline (how would he survive? would he get rescued?) kept me engaged throughout the book, and the humor was definitely what kept me highly entertained.

I also loved that reading this fictional book made me think a lot more about all the current talk of sending real manned missions to Mars, and how feasible that would be. It also had an interesting perspective on how valuable one life can and should be. Lots to think about! Well worth reading.  

The Circle by Dave Eggers

This was the other book I read this summer that really made me think – this time in perhaps a less positive way. The story delves into how dependent on technology we can (or maybe have) become, and the subtle way it creeps deeper and deeper into our lives. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this whole (tense!) book, anxious to find out what the main character would do next and how far she would go.

I really took this story as a caution to be more mindful of how much I rely on technology personally, and definitely vowed to do more reading without the distractions of phones, computers, TVs, and tablets anywhere nearby!  I certainly appreciate a book that makes me want to read more.

What did you think of these two books? Or are you now inspired to give either of them a try?

Keep reading! Beth