APL Reader's Corner
with Tessy
Welcome to APL Reader’s Corner! This month we are reading "Convenience Store Woman” by Sayaka Murata. Let us know what you think about the book in the comments!
APL Reader's Corner
with Tess & Elizabeth
Welcome to APL Reader’s Corner! This month we are reading "Into the Drowning Deep" by Mira Grant. Let us know what you think about the book in the comments!
Check it out instantly as a digital audiobook from hoopla digital here.
INTO THE DROWNING DEEP
New York Times bestselling author Mira Grant, author of the renowned Newsflesh series, returns with a novel that takes us to a new world of ancient mysteries and mythological dangers come to life. The ocean is home to many myths, But some are deadly...Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy. Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they're not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life's work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. But the secrets of the deep come with a price.
APL Reader's Corner
with Tessy & Nicole
Welcome to APL Reader's Corner! This month we are reading “Carnegie’s Maid” by Marie Benedict.
Let us know what you think about the book in the comments! Check it out instantly as an eBook from hoopla digital here.
APL Staff’s Favorite Reads of 2020
“Reading gives us some place to go when we have to stay where we are.”
While we spent more time at home than anywhere else in 2020, books were able to transport us to anywhere in the world (or beyond)! Some were educational. Some were for entertainment. Some were an escape – to a far away world, or a different world just around the corner; into the future or the past; the start of a grand adventure or embracing the mundane everyday – every book took us somewhere. As we start to reflect on the year that has come and gone, our staff share some of their favorite reads.
Elizabeth’s Pick: “Raybearer” by Jordan Ifueko
Let’s talk about magic. Picture the first book you remember that made you feel like you’d stepped into another world. The colors felt more vibrant, right? You could imagine the world’s history, picture the wide halls and secret places, wonder about the magic, cheer for the brave young teen who wanted nothing more than to protect their friends and help good triumph over evil.
That’s “Raybearer”, and I want this to become the next wildly popular fantasy series. Here’s a short, spoiler-free summary: Tarisai must compete to become one of Prince Dayo’s trusted, telepathically-bonded-for-life council. However, if she’s chosen, she’ll be magically compelled to kill the prince, her first true friend.
Not persuaded yet? Here's what waits for you in this book. Do you like kind and clever heroines who fight for justice despite being cursed? Here you go. How about a detailed fantasy world full of fairies, alagbato (djinn/genies), and magical powers? There’s a country in this book where children are born to walk through the land of the dead, and a country filled with shapeshifters. There’s a corrupt dark secret in the empire, a secret backstory for the heroine, and everything else you long for in a fantasy world. Plus: it's the first in a series, so if you like it, you have plenty to look forward to! It’s on Hoopla right now. Stop reading this review and go get it!
Erin’s Pick: “The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman
In a tranquil retirement village called Cooper’s Chase, four unexpected friends meet weekly to discuss unsolved crimes; together they call themselves The Thursday Murder Club. Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim and Ron might be pushing eighty but they still have a few tricks up their sleeves. When a local businessman is found dead, the Thursday Murder Club makes it their mission to solve the crime!
This book was an absolute delight! It was funny and smart with endearing and compelling characters, even the minor ones. The plot was twisting and turning and Osman writes with such a tenderness and affection for, not only elderly people, but humanity in general, you just come away feeling good inside. I really loved this one. Very excited for the next one to roll out. I'd love to retire to Cooper's Chase!
Megan’s Pick: “The Mother Code” by Carole Stivers
When a virus runs amok (sound familiar, anyone??), and threatens the whole of humanity, a group of scientists scramble to genetically engineer embryos who are immune to the disease. However, with the speed the virus is overtaking the world, there are serious concerns about anyone remaining alive to raise these children. Enter a new type of AI – the Mother Code – specifically created to evolve and adapt to the ever-changing needs of a human, from infancy to adulthood, while keeping the child safe throughout it’s life.
I love all science-fiction, but what I really find impactful is when an author creates a world that allows us to examine our current existence and norms, and nudge things down a path of future possibility in a realistic manner. The scenarios created are all logical steps forward, and the characters are regular humans; flawed, but trying their best to do what’s right for the future - no superheroes in this tale.
This narrative jumps between timelines, from the onset of the virus to the future, where the immune children are being raised by Robot Mothers. The transitions between past and present are smooth, and following the storyline between timelines is deeply satisfying - all of the hints and clues click together to form connections between past and present. Overall, Stivers presents us with a refreshingly hopeful outlook on humanity’s relationship with technology, and our future as a species. This is Carol Stivers’ second book, and I’m looking forward to her future stories.
Nicole’s Pick: “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens
This book was one of my favorite reads of 2020. I had heard so much hype about this book for the last couple years that when my book club suggested we read it, I was looking forward to it yet skeptical at the same time. This book has long wait lists at the library, has been given multiple awards and has even managed to stay on the New York Time’s Bestseller list for 32 non-consecutive weeks! However, I must say this book was totally worth the hype!
The story follows the journey of Kya Clark, also known as the Marsh Girl around town, and her experiences of growing up alone, love and loss, and finding herself along the marshes of Barkley Cove where she is the lone suspect of a murder case. The story takes us back and forth between the present day in 1969 where the murder takes place and 17 years before that where we see Kya grow up from a small awkward girl into a beautiful wild woman. There are twists and turns you don’t see coming, and a sweet budding romance that is perfect for a coming of age story. I couldn’t put this book down, it kept my attention until the very end!
Those who enjoy romance, suspense and a strong female lead will definitely enjoy this book.
Sara’s Pick: “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins
One of my favorite reads from 2020 was “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes”, Suzanne Collins’ prequel to “The Hunger Games”, following the life of Coriolanus Snow. It has been a long while since I had visited Panem, and I was honestly skeptical when I heard this prequel was being released. I loved “The Hunger Games” trilogy with our heroine Katniss so much – would I really care about Snow as a young adult? Yes. Very much, yes.
"The Ballad of Snakes and Songbirds" was just as enthralling as the original trilogy; I could not put it down. I've read many books before the Hunger Games and after, but there is something about this series that makes it hard to not consume all in one sitting. From a dystopian future to a unique cast of characters, from the (sometimes terrifying) biological inventions that come from the Capitol and the underlying commentary of human nature – it all make this series so good! Collins did an astounding job expanding on the world of Panem and setting the scene for what would become the world we know in the trilogy. Knowing how corrupt Snow becomes, it was interesting to read his backstory and get a glimpse of how a young Coryo, our protagonist in this novel, becomes the villain President Snow.
Overall, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” is an engaging read and a truly great addition to “The Hunger Games” series. From beginning to end, there were twists and surprises that kept me guessing and immersed in the world of Panem as Snow worked his way through challenges to discover his ultimate fate and future.
Stacy’s Pick: “The Bear” by Andrew Krivak
This book was by far my favorite read of 2020! This novel follows the story of a young girl and her father as she grows up in an almost-apocalyptic maybe-not-so-distant future. It focuses mainly on how she learns the stories of her passed mother, learns what civilization used to be like, and how to live, adapt, and survive alone in the mountains.
One of the biggest reasons I loved this book - as someone who has gone through the loss of a parent, I resonated strongly with the main protagonist as she overcomes losing hers. The feelings and thought processes the girl goes through as she learns to accept her loss felt very reminiscent to how I felt. Although the situations were very different, the feelings are universal after a close loss such as that. While it was a difficult situation to digest, I love books that make me feel raw emotions.
On a lighter note, this book very much reminded me of an adult version of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Books. In a very simplified plot, this is a story of a child who grows up in the wilderness with two parental humanoid/animal figures. One of my favorite books/Disney movies since I was child, I was very very excited to be able to pick out hidden references and allusions (which may or may not have been intentional).
As hard as I try, I can’t seem to put a finger on what genre this novel is. I would say it’s something between a dystopian novel, a coming of age story, and a survival tale. Though limiting this novel to just one of these three genres feels like an injustice as they all impact one another.
Tessy’s Pick: “Wild Seed” by Octavia E. Butler
“Wild Seed” was almost the first book of the year for me, and it was the second time I read this particular book. I love reading Butler’s science fiction works, and “Wild Seed” and the first novel in her “Xenogenesis” series, “Dawn”, always stand out for me.
“Wild Seed” is the earliest book in her “Patternist” series, and the book I recommend readers start with (even though it’s the fourth book in the chronology). The “Patternist” series is a secret history that starts in Ancient Egypt, and through biological engineering, a group of telepaths emerge and gain dominance in society. “Wild Seed” is the beginning of this story, with two African immortals vying for power as they live through the centuries. Their choices are the incipience of the timeline.
“Wild Seed” in particular is extremely interesting as you watch the power struggle between the two immortals, along with the gender dynamics and taking into consideration the powers that make them immortal. Doro is a spirit that can take over other people’s bodies, and in the process killing them. Anyanwu has complete control over her body, she can heal herself and change it into anything living. Eugenics and biological engineering come into play as well. However, the reason I love this book (and Butler’s other works) is for the Afrocentrism and Anyanwu as a strong black female protagonist, which can be hard to find in science fiction even now.
Virginia’s Pick: “Frontier Follies” by Ree Drummond
Having lived in Oklahoma for over a decade – I can relate to Ree’s stories of living out on a ranch and the liveliness that comes with it. O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A, where the wind comes blowing down the plains! 😊
In this relatable, charming book, Ree unveils real goings-on in the Drummond house and around the ranch. In stories brimming with the lively wit and humor found in her cookbooks and her bestselling love story, The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, Ree pulls back the curtain and shares her experiences with childbirth, wildlife, isolation, teenagers, in-laws, and a twenty-five-year marriage to a cowboy/rancher.
A celebration of family life, love, and (mostly) laughter, “Frontier Follies” is a keepsake to curl up with, have a good laugh, and remember all that’s wonderful (and funny) about family.
APL Reader's Corner
with Julie & Elizabeth
Welcome to APL Reader's Corner! This month we are reading "We Met in December" by Rosie Curtis. Let us know what you think about the book in the comments! Check it out instantly as an eBook from hoopla digital.
Looking for some festive romance reads and movies? Check out Holiday Romance and December Movies of the Month on hoopla - free with your library card!
Read It! "Where the Crawdads Sing" by Delia Owens
Review by Nicole
Hello there! If you have read my posts before you will know that I am a Wisconsin native who moved here to lovely Colorado just at the start of the year. To keep in touch with some dear friends we started a book club that I get to virtually attend about once a month and we discuss a book one of our groupmates recommended. I just virtually met up with my WI book club this past weekend and it had felt like forever since we had our last book discussion. Our discussion for this month was “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
This was a book I was really looking forward to both reading and discussing. Like all widely talked about books, I was interested to view for myself what the hype was for this book. Since it has been published in 2018, it was a New York Times Bestseller for 32 non-consecutive weeks, sold more than 7 million copies worldwide, was A Reese Witherspoon x Hello Sunshine Book Club Pick and A Business Insider Defining Book of the Decade. That’s a lot of hype! The premise of having a coming of age story mixed with a possible murder was of great intrigue as well.
Kya Clark, also known as the “Marsh Girl” around her quiet town of Barkley Cove on the North Carolina coast, has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. In 1969, when the beloved and handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, everyone immediately suspects Kya. But she is not what they say. Sensitive, and somewhat reserved Kya is yearning to be loved and when she is highly sought after by two young men in town, Kya slowly starts to open herself to a new life, and then the unthinkable happens.
This book was not only a great book to read but also gave us a great discussion. We divulge into Kya’s character and personality from the time she was a little girl to a young woman. She has had many hardships in her life but Delia Owens created a strong, and resilient character in Kya. The narrative jumps back and forth between present day in 1969 and less than a decade before that in 1952 as we learn about Kya’s home life and her fascination with the gulls and the marsh. This brought on some great conversation about Kya, the people in her home town, and the symbolism of the marsh and its variant wildlife.
If you are looking for a book that has love loss, and bit of mystery, this is the book for you!
If you are looking for books similar to “Where the Crawdads Sing”, check out “Beasts of Extraordinary Circumstance” by Ruth Emmie Lang, “Magic Hour” by Kristin Hannah, and “The Wildlands” by Abby Geni.
Check back for my next review for the book, “Marriage Vacation” by Pauline Brooks.
Read It! "The Little Shop of Found Things" by Paula Brackston
by Nicole
Hello there! Like I said before, I am giving my reviews on the books that have been chosen to read in my virtual Wisconsin book club group! Once a month, we all get together on videochat and discuss the book we picked for that month. It’s been great to catch up with them since we moved out here, and even better being able to discuss books! Our next book we picked to read was “The Little Shop of Found Things” by Paula Brackston.
This was actually the book I recommended to the group because I had read other novels by Paula Brackston such as “The Witch’s Daughter” and “The Winter Witch”. She mostly writes historical fantasy novels which is why I was excited to read another book by her. “The LIttle Shop of Found Things” was published in 2018 and categorized as a historical fiction, romance and fantasy novel. All good genres rolled into one! This book is about a young woman named Xanthe (pronounced Z-an-thee) and her mother Flora who move from London to a tiny town named Marlborough for a fresh start. Xanthe has a unique gift, when she touches an antique they “sing” to her. Meaning she senses the stories they hold and where they might have come from. Xanthe and her mother open up an antiques shop, with the hopes of Xanthe’s gift will help them flourish. As they are preparing to open the shop, Xanthe finds an intense connection to a silver chatelaine. As she tries to examine it more, Xanthe is transported back to the chatelaine’s origins, the 17th Century. An unkown spirit also appears seeking Xanthe’s help by saving her daughter, who was wrongly accused. As Xanthe tries to save this girl in 1605, she also meets an architect named Samuel Appleby. Can he help her succeed in her quest or will he become the reason she can’t bear to leave?
I loved this concept of having a gift like that where you can touch objects and learn their past and stories, and some be able to visit the time of their origins. Xanthe is an admirable and loveable character who wants to help her mom succeed with their antique shop, while also wanting to help pure strangers such as the spirit and her daughter. Not only is there time-travel but also a budding romance. Xanthe finds herself desperately attempting to fit into the seventeeth century but also keeping to her true personality in the presence of Samuel. While we did enjoy the story, there were times we did feel that is a slower developing story than most. It takes some time for us to learn the chatelaine’s importance and why it’s so imperative that the spirit’s daughter must be saved. However if you enjoy a slower paced storytelling with a hint of romance, you will enjoy this book. And bonus: it’s part of a series! The sequel, “Secrets of the Chocolate House”, was published in 2019. And expected sometime this year will be the third installment of the series, “The Garden of Promises and Lies”.
For books similar to the "Little Shop of Found Things", check out “The Book Charmer” (Dove Pond, #1) by Karen Hawkins, “Midnight at the Blackbird Café” by Heather Webber and “The Witch's Kind” by Louisa Morgan.
Check back for my review of our next book club pick - “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens.
APL Reader's Corner
with Tessy & Elizabeth
Welcome to Reader's Corner! This month we're exploring fantasy/science fiction with the book "Gideon the Ninth" by Tamsyn Muir.Available with your library card from our OverDrive & Hoopla collections here.
GIDEON THE NINTH: The Emperor needs necromancers. The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman. Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines and no more time for undead nonsense.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won't set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon's sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.
Discussion Questions
- What did you love about this book?
- Who is your favorite minor character?
- Which of Gideon the Ninth's nine houses would you be assigned to?
Read It! Review of "The Kitchen House" by Kathleen Grissom
by Nicole
Hello! Thanks to my awesome friends in Wisconsin I have been reading more and more books this year and books I normally wouldn’t read outside my scope of fantasy, and suspenseful thriller. This is why I love book clubs, I get to experience other genres outside my comfort zones, and get to know my friends more by the books they choose and through our discussions of what they enjoyed and didn’t. Our next book club pick was “The Kitchen House” by Kathleen Grissom.
“The Kitchen House” by Kathleen Grissom is not only a New York Times Bestseller, but it has also been deemed a “Book Club Favorite”, and was nominated as both the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Historical Fiction and Goodreads Choice Awards Best Debut Goodreads Author. This book was first published in 2010 and is categorized as a Historical Fiction novel.
The story starts with Lavinia, a young white girl orphaned during her passage from Ireland, who finds herself as an indentured servant on a thriving plantation in Virginia. She is cared for by Belle, the master’s illegitimate slave daughter, where Lavinia learns to cook, clean and serve food in the kitchen house. Growing up, Lavinia sees Belle and the rest of her family as her one true family where she belongs. But as she starts to get accepted into the big house with the master’s opium addicted wife and their dangerous yet protective son, she begins to learn that because of her skin color she is not like Belle and the other slaves. The narrative follows both Lavinia and Belle as we see the differences that unfold in class, race and family secrets.
This book was highly regarded among the group in our discussion. In similar fashion to the book “The Help”, we saw how differently people viewed color and status in the eyes of both Lavinia and Belle. Lavinia grew up thinking she was just like any of the other slaves, but because of her white skin she was given advantages as she grew up. Belle, on the other hand, was forced to keep the dark secret of her true identity and thus was treated just as unfair as the other slaves by the master’s family. There were some characters that treated the slaves like people, and then there were other’s whose hatred blinded their actions and made it sometimes hard to keep reading. We all agreed that it was eye-opening and an incredibly powerful story. We also noticed how different characters influenced others which affected them later in life when it came to how they treated slaves.
If you read this book and enjoyed it so much, Kathleen Grissom wrote a sequel to this story called “Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House” in 2016.
Other books to read if you enjoyed “The Kitchen House” would be “The Healing” by Jonathan Odell, “The House Girl” by Tara Conklin and “The Invention of Wings” by Sue Monk Kidd.
Check back for my book review of our next book club pick which was “The Little Shop of Found Things” by Paula Brackston.
|