“When I first started reading this book, I thought no book had any right being this long, but slowly I started to get sucked in and found it to be a quick read despite it being over 500 pages. Ask any sci-fi nerd to name their top 10 sci-fi books and you’ll be hard pressed not to find A Fire Upon the Deep on their list.”
Thousands of years in the future, many races inhabit a universe where a mind's potential is determined by its location in space, from super-intelligent entities in the Transcend, to the limited minds of the Unthinking Depths, where only simple creatures and technology can function. As the races start to battle each other over the use of an ancient artifact, a a family of scientists flees the war. They are taken captive by the Tines, an alien race with a harsh medieval culture, and used as pawns in a ruthless power struggle. A rescue mission, not entirely composed of humans, must rescue the children of the family and a secret that may save the rest of interstellar civilization.
Relatively short and sweet, Hammajang Luck had my interest from the get-go. I adored the amount of tension and thrill—would Edie go along with Angel’s plan? Would Angel’s plan even work? Will the crew cooperate or tear each other down? It’s also a beautiful portrayal of queerness in a sci-fi society where body modification is the norm. I loved seeing how Hawaiian culture peeked through at every corner, from familial traditions to the use of pidgin.
Recommended by Amy
Recommended by Alicia
The Irresistible Urge to Fall for Your Enemy by Brigitte Knightley
Knightley makes the jump from fan fiction to traditional publishing with this fantastic debut! Osric is an assassin with a deadly condition who needs an experienced healer to research and treat his ailment. And unfortunately, the only organization that can do that refuses to work with the morally repugnant assassins. With a healthy bribe, Osric recruits the services of Aurienne, who is equal parts appalled with Osric’s line of work and fascinated by the opportunities his condition offers her in her own research. This slow-burn series starter is a lot of fun, equal parts funny and entertaining, set in a rich fantasy world.
Dragonfruit is a Pacific Island romantasy that has flavors of How to Train Your Dragon and Moana mixed together to create a fantasy story that stands on its own. This is the story of Hanalei, whose father stole an egg of a seadragon, or a “dragonfruit,” from their island’s princess, in order to save Hanalei’s life. She now lives in exile, watching seadragons from afar, until she gets forced into helping a ship crew attempt to steal dragonfruit to sell. Luckily, during a particularly bad excursion, she bumps into Samahtitamahenele, or Sam for short, the prince who is looking for dragonfruit to save his mother – the princess who once needed the egg for herself. They become companions, and the two venture out into the world helping each other – Sam to save his mother, and Hanalei to figure out how to go back home. The story takes from Hawaiian mythology and makes a great beach read, full of adventure, fantasy, and even a touch of romance. The audiobook is a great listen, too, if you prefer to hear stories!
Recommended by Camryn
Recommended by Beca
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness by Nagata Kabi
My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness is a manga I’ve seen around for a few years now, but only recently took a few hours out of my day to sit down and read – and I was surprised at how much emotion was packed into such a small amount of space. It’s an interesting glimpse into the world of how sexuality and adulthood affect one another, as well as the lengths someone will go to seek acceptance by those they deem ‘important’. Nagata is very frank with her experiences and the struggles she has gone through, so I will add that there are depictions of depression, self-harm, and anxiety (among other things) that may be distressing to some readers.
Problematic Summer Romance is a standalone but interconnected with Ali Hazelwood’s Not in Love. This book follows Maya Killgore, little sister of Not in Love’s main character, Eli Killgore, who is getting married in Italy. Maya is of course excited to be there with her brother and bride-to-be, but there’s one thing souring her experience: Conor Harkness, her brother’s best friend, who can’t admit his feelings towards her. I am a big Ali Hazelwood fan and am a big believer that every time she releases a book it’s better than the last one, and that is true with this one. Hazelwood creates characters with so much depth and always manages to pull every bit of information she gives us and tie it all together at the end. You will laugh out loud and cheer on Maya and Conor every bit of the way.
A 1920s historical fiction novel based on the remarkable life of Bessie “Queen Bess” Coleman, first African American and Native American woman to earn her pilot’s license, two years before Amelia Earhart. When no one in the U.S. would take Bessie on as a student, she learned French and traveled to Europe. Born to enslaved parents, we glimpse through her lens the Great Migration, Jim Crow, and great figures of Black history alongside aviation history. The book includes steamy love scenes but it’s always clear that Bessie’s first love will always be flying. The author is herself a Black woman airline captain whose describes flying in a way only a pilot can.
Little Bosses Everywhere: How a Pyramid Scheme Shaped America by Bridget Read
Journalist Bridget Read tells the gripping story of multilevel marketing. Winding from sunny post-war California, where a failed salesman started a vitamin business, through the suburbs of Michigan and North Carolina, where MLM bought its political protection, to the stadium-sized conventions where top sellers today preach to die-hard recruits. Despite overwhelming evidence that multilevel marketing causes most of its participants to lose their money, and that many MLM companies are pyramid schemes, the industry's dubious origins, inextricably tied to well-known ideological figures like Ronald Reagan, have escaped public scrutiny. Throughout, Read delves into the heartbreaking stories of those enmeshed in the majority-female industry. A wild trip down an endless rabbit hole of greed and exploitation, Little Bosses Everywhere exposes multilevel marketing as American capitalism's stealthiest PR campaign: a cunning right-wing political project that has shaped nearly everything about how we live.
Isabel is the usual Type A personality, the person who is constantly performing a cost-benefit analysis on all of her actions to figure out if the energy she will use up would be worth the pain that it would likely bring later, a trait that’s helpful when you live with a chronic illness. While trying to be as normal as she can, Isabel knows one thing... that dating is off the table. That is, until she meets Sasha, another kid who just gets it, who goes out of his way to be patient and help her, who is thoughtful and keeps her limitations in mind. Maybe it’s because he has a chronic illness too, or maybe it’s just because he’s Sasha. One thing is for sure, navigating life is always easier with someone by your side. This is a great read for Disability Pride Month! The best part is, it’s not a tearjerker, so you won’t need that box of tissues.
Part coming-of-age novel, part historical fiction, part mystery, this book examines friendship, resistance, and sacrifice, across three timelines that converge to solve the mystery of two young women’s disappearance during World War II. From the Bridegroom’s Tree in Kleinwald Germany throughout World War II, to East and West Berlin in the 1980s, to New York City during the 2020 lockdown, the sense of place is vibrant and sensory, and the characters come to life. I also love how characters cope with LGBTQIA+, diverse ethnicities, and disabilities with real-life matter-of-factness. This is an all-around satisfying read.
The debut novel of Iranian-American poet Kaveh Akbar, Martyr! follows the late 20-something Cyrus Shams as we witness his lifetime of various personal struggles, among which includes: the difficulty of coming out as gay in a conservative household; losing his parents at a young age; and attempting to recover from alcoholism. Through these trials and tribulations, Cyrus becomes obsessed with the idea of martyrdom–specifically the hope that his own death will have meaning. This goal leads him to cross paths with the Orkideh, a terminally-ill Marina Abramovic-esque performance artist as she performs one final show. At times, heartwarming and tear-jerking; other times, irreverent and hilarious, Martyr! is a very impressive debut. Recommended to fans of Percival Everett (James, Erasure) and Haruki Murakami (Kafka on the Shore, Colorless Tsukuru).
When was the last time you watched Jaws? Summertime is a great time to revisit this highly entertaining classic. With stellar performances by Richard Dreyfuss, Roy Scheider, and Robert Shaw, this masterpiece is sure to leave you just a bit afraid to go into the water!
LISTEN
Recommended by Andy
Recommended by Cathy
Wild Honey/Sunshine Tomorrow (1967)by The Beach Boys
The Beach Boys have always been my summer go-to's since I can remember. This is an expanded release of their overlooked, but expansive 1967 album Wild Honey and other musical treats to commemorate the passing of Brian Wilson, who alongside his brothers and bandmates, had a major hand in creating this album—and the official start of summer. This pop and R&B mixed album combine the rock-and-roll spirit of their early cars-and-surfboard hits and the depth and complexity—lyrically and musically—of Pet Sounds with earworms like “Darlin’” and soulful jams like in the title song “Wild Honey” or “Aren’t You Glad” all in a 24-minute blast. For those who are Beach Boys superfans, you are in for a real treat with the bits of sessions for songs strewn throughout this collection, as well. Start summer off right with this gem of an album, and other later releases by the band while you’re at it!
Brittany Spears’ megahit album of the 2000, Oops!.... I Did It Again was reissued this year. In addition to all the hits, there are additional tracks and remixes. Three versions of the title song. Bouncy pop, R&B, record breaking, all from 16-year-old Brittany. Relive the times, the culture and the fun with free access to Freegal, the library’s streaming music service. Use your library card for 24/7 access. You can even download five tracks a week and make your own mixed “tape”.
A great choice for board game nights, New York Slice is a 30 minute game that plays 2-6 players, ages 10 and up. Choose slices of pizza to compete for “today’s specials” and build the
best combination. Some toppings give you points, some will give you negative points, others have special powers!
A fun, excellent introduction to deck building and resource management that only takes about 30 minutes. Plays 2-4 players, ages 10+ (BGG community recommends 8+)
After the tremendous success of their second Co-Op only title, It Takes Two, Hazelight Studios has stuck Co-Op gold again with Split Fiction. You and a partner play as authors that get sucked into each other’s stories through a Maxtrix-esque virtual reality generator. As you switch back and forth between Mio’s Sci-Fi dystopia and Zoe’s Fantasy wonderlands, you are constantly introduced to new and interesting game mechanics which seldom overstay their welcome before moving on to the next. While not as whimsical as its predecessor, Split Fiction still scratches that Couch Co-Op itch that is largely missing from the mainstream gaming scene.
I’ve been enthralled with this game and its sequel for the past couple of weeks now and, in all honesty, do not know how I did not play it sooner. This is both because of its historically accurate setting of medieval Bohemia (modern-day Czech Republic) in 1403 and its accuracy, but also its characters, like the player, a young blacksmith named Henry whose life is turned upside down in a matter of minutes, or Hans Capon, at first an adversary who turns into a close ally, along with all the strangers, be it peasant or noble, you can meet along the way, all having the same depth and care put into them. However, it's not only the characters which will have you wanting to do quests for everyone you meet, but its storytelling—filled with both heavy, emotionally charged plots and moments of humor—and gameplay which will immerse anyone for hours on end.
This month’s cover of Readers’ Digest captures the essence of July. I couldn’t pass up showcasing Readers’ Digest with the red, white and blue images and a chocolate ice cream cone. It screams Happy 4th. RD describes itself as a trusted friend in a complicated world. A digest of tips, and stories covering health, personal finance, family, work and national concerns. Historically it has been popular with the older set but it is working on attracting a younger audience. Use the Libby app on your mobile device or on your computer browser with libbyapp.com.
Join our virtual film discussion. Watch the movie beforehand on Kanopy or Hoopla and then join us on Zoom to talk about it. If you need help using Zoom, see our guide here
