Staff Recommendations
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Flash fiction international : very short stories from around the world
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionNovember 9, 2015
Call Number: SS
The short story is different from a novel in length and in plot content. Flash fiction is a variation with very, very, very short stories. They are popular throughout the world and offer writers a creative chance to experiment, to compress and still express some type of story which can leave a reader room for speculation and even some puzzle solving. As with regular short stories, because they are short, these works can be read quickly, however they often require more than one repeat reading, and will elicit questions, speculation and probably more rereading. This... Read Full Review
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Free spirit : a climber's life
by Messner, Reinhold, 1944-
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionNovember 1, 2015
Call Number: 796.012 M585-4 2014
Reinhold Messner is the king of the world's mountains. Now half-retired to his Sigmundskron Castle near Bolzano in the South Tyrol, he is most famous for having made the first successful summit of Mount Everest, minus additional oxygen supply. He is the author of numerous books about mountain climbing, biographies about other famous mountaineers, and a book about his quest for the yeti or abominable snowman. Messner has been a businessman, an elected MEP (Member of the European Parliament) for the Italian Green Party, and established the Messner Mountain Museum. He is irascible... Read Full Review
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Welcome to Night Vale
by Fink, Joseph
Reviewed by: Andrea Borchert, Librarian, Koreatown Media LabOctober 26, 2015
How can I explain the wonder and terror that is Welcome to Night Vale? Welcome to Night Vale started as a podcast. In the podcast Cecil Palmer, the host of a local radio show, reports the news of his small, desert town. Community events like PTA meetings are covered, colorful local characters like Old Woman Josie or John Peters, the farmer, call in and share their colorful, local perspectives on everything from street cleaning to local elections. It’s a little like Prairie Home Companion’s News from Lake Wobegon. Mostly, sort of . . .
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The Goblin emperor
by Addison, Katherine.
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryOctober 19, 2015
The concept of nice guys finishing last is seen as weakness, perhaps indicating that someone does not have the drive to succeed, and only the ruthless and conniving can win. In novels, it is rare to find a character with noble intentions, and not have them overcome gallant feats, because there is no entertainment value in simply watching someone live their daily life and do what is right. In real life there are small challenges, with accordingly small victories or setbacks. Most entertainment, whether in film, television or books, emphasizes that this is not exciting. Sarah Monette’s... Read Full Review
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Futuristic violence and fancy suits
by Wong, David, 1975 January 10-
Reviewed by: Andrea Borchert, Librarian, Koreatown Media LabOctober 13, 2015
Futuristic violence and fancy suits is a fast-paced action adventure story set in a future boomtown, which is a place with few laws and even less taste. A poor barista named Zoey Ashe has unexpectedly inherited a fortune from a father she never knew. Rather than turning her into Cinderella at the ball, this inheritance puts her smack dab in the path of the dangerous people who killed her father. They are after something mysterious and won’t stop until they find it. In fact, they’ve already put a price on Zoey’s head. Now millions of people are watching online as various bounty... Read Full Review
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The end of all things
by Scalzi, John, 1969-
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryOctober 5, 2015
Call Number: SF
At the end of The Last Colony and Zoe’s Tale, the third and fourth books respectively, of John Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” series, the Colonial Union (CU), the human political/military force that had been farming the Earth for more... Read Full Review
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Shakespeare saved my life : ten years in solitary with the Bard
by Bates, Laura.
Reviewed by: Andrea Borchert, Librarian, Koreatown Media LabSeptember 28, 2015
Call Number: 822.331 B329
BID #5161545
Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard is a book that warms my cold librarian’s heart. Laura Bates is an English Professor who volunteers to teach English to prisoners in maximum security, and in solitary confinement. She teaches them Shakespeare. After all, she’s already teaching her college freshmen Shakespeare. Of course, college freshmen are allowed to use pencils, so there are some differences between the two groups of students.
What is amazing about Dr. Bates’ book is how the students from Wabash... Read Full Review
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Our souls at night
by Haruf, Kent.
Reviewed by: Sheryn Morris, Librarian, Literature & FictionSeptember 21, 2015
Addie Moore and Louis Waters are senior citizens, and neighbors on adjacent streets in the small town of Holt, Colorado, set against the flat and fruitful farm plains of central Colorado. Both have lost their spouses, and one evening Addie visits Louis to ask an unexpected question, "I wonder if you would consider coming to my house sometimes to sleep with me. ... And talk." Louis is surprised more than shocked, but Addie is very clear, "I am talking about getting through the night." As she talks and explains, Louis worries about what people will say, but Addie has thought... Read Full Review
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The scribe : a novel
by Guinn, Matthew.
Reviewed by: Robert Anderson, Librarian, Literature & Fiction DepartmentSeptember 14, 2015
Call Number: M
Matthew Guinn received an Edgar Award nomination for Best First Novel for The Resurrectionist( 2013). His second novel is a dark story of murder and race relations with black magic overtones, set in Atlanta in 1881.The central character, Thomas Canby, is a former member of the Atlanta police force, now living in bitter exile as sheriff of a tiny town in the hills of northern Georgia after being unjustly accused of taking a bribe four years... Read Full Review
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Robert Moses : the master builder of New York City
by Christin, Pierre.
Reviewed by: Vi Thục Hà, Senior Librarian, International Languages DepartmentSeptember 9, 2015
Call Number: 92 M9116Ch
As a public librarian, and as with my brethren who are in other types of public service, there is a balance we navigate between envisioning and understanding the big picture: the real reason for our work, and the actual effect it has upon the public. Sometimes, our work succeeds and invigorates us beyond our wildest dreams (such as when I teach a teen how to create a spreadsheet). Other times we question the often mundane task at hand (as when I analyze circulation statistics of our well-loved library materials).
In the graphic biography, Robert... Read Full Review
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Six of Crows
by Bardugo, Leigh
Reviewed by: Daryl M., Librarian, West Valley Regional Branch LibraryAugust 31, 2015
Call Number: YA
The heist--an attempt to acquire something incredibly important or valuable from somewhere equally, incredibly impenetrable. The catch is to survive the heist and reap the benefits of the nefarious and illegal act. This type of action requires a team of people with specific skills and knowledge to provide a way to penetrate a strong defense system. And each of these people has their own motivations for taking on the challenge. Heist stories can be compelling and fascinating as the reader learns what the plan is and how each character will contribute to its undertaking. These stories can be... Read Full Review
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Spare parts : four Mexican American teenagers, one ugly robot, and the battle for the American dream
by Davis, Joshua, 1974-
Reviewed by: Andrea Borchert, Librarian, Koreatown Media LabAugust 25, 2015
Call Number: 621.80973 D262
Who builds robots? Hypothetically, anyone with drive and talent could pick up a robot building book from the library (see books listed below), borrow a soldering iron from a friend, and use spare parts to put together something that could fight any of the robots on that television show BattleBots, or compete with robots in the robot building competitions taking place throughout the country. But when four economically disadvantaged Mexican American high school students entered the... Read Full Review