Hollus, an alien that resembles a spider appears at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto in search of a paleontologist. She meets Tom Jericho and they compare notes to determine that both of their planets have experienced five mass extinction events at the same time along with one other alien civilization that Hollus has already met. They work together to try to figure out if these events say something about the existance of god. Sawyer's aliens are very interesting and this is a very good example of well done character-driven science fiction.
Book Lovers
Calculating God
May 22, 2011
Kristy
A Prayer for the Dying
Jacob Hansen is undertaker, constable, and deacon for the small town of Friendship, Wisconsin. When a deadly disease strikes the town at the same time a major fire is threatening to destroy everything in its path, Jacob has to be all three of his occupations at once. The most compelling is how Jacob not only deals with his convictions but how he needs to hold onto his own sanity as those he loves are threatened by these dual tragedies. A short but powerful read.
May 9, 2011
Susan
The Sleeper Awakes
Graham falls into a sleeplike trance in the 1890s and awakens some 200 years later to find himself Master of the Earth. As Master, he needs to find out who is behind him and those people who are willing to betray him. An interesting look at a future world where some things have not changed at all: power and greed. Some of the most appealing aspects of the book are Wells' descriptions of future technologies, especially the dogfight between aeroplanes (the book was written before the Wright Brothers' flight.)
May 3, 2011
Susan
A Visit From the Goon Squad
Check out this year's winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction! Instead of following a group of characters from points A to B-Egan's novel investigates a web of stories and relationships, giving the reader a variety of lenses through which to understand the main characters: Sasha and Benny. Egan uses a variety of styles to create her many characters-making this at times seem more like a collection of short stories with many characters in common than an entire novel, but it is pulled together neatly as characters learn and grow toward the end. A great read for people who enjoyed Jonathan Franzen's Freedom.
May 1, 2011
Anonymous
Big Girl Small
Judy Lohden is a teenage girl of small stature and great talent living in Ann Arbor, MI. While Judy’s height is a fact of life, what makes her life different from others is her incredible talent. In addition to being a great writer, she is also a wonderful singer and a star pupil at a performing arts high school. Always independent and witty, Judy’s confidence is shaken to the core when both falls in love for the first time and becomes the target of a cruel prank. Written in the smart, funny and sometimes melodramatic voice of its subject, Big Girl Small is a great read for anyone who has ever felt a little bit different.
May 1, 2011
Anonymous
Hold Tight
After their son's best friend kills himself, Mike and Tia Baye are concerned about his increasing withdrawal and struggle to determine theiris really a problem or if it is normal teenage angst. Meanwhile a series of seemingly unrelated murders have been happening in the area. Coben artfully details several seemingly different story lines at the same time and finds a smooth way to combine them at the end. although you know who the murderer is for most of the book, Coben keeps the suspense coming.
Apr 30, 2011
Kristy
Anansi Boys
"Fat Charlie" Nancy's estranged father has just died. Mr. Nancy loved pulling pranks, and he utterly humiliated Fat Charlie as a child, but Mr. Nancy enjoyed tricking everybody, which makes sense considering he was Anansi, the trickster god, in human form. While back home for the funeral, Fat Charlie learns he has a brother, Spider, who was sent away as a boy. By accidentally summoning Spider, Fat Charlie unleashes a considerable amount of trouble into his life and must find someway to reclaim what's his. This is a must-read for those who enjoy myth and folktales set in the modern day.
Apr 22, 2011
Anonymous
Eventide
This is group of stories within a story is an extension of Haruf’s earlier “novel”, Plainsong, a finalist for the National Book Award. At the center of stories is a rancher named Raymond McPheron and his brother, Harold, and the quiet life they live raising cattle on the High Plains outside of Holt, Colorado, and the young woman with child they took in 3 years before who sets off to college with her child and leaves the two brothers feeling lonelier than ever. Also involved in these stories is; a young mother whose husband isn’t returning and the quiet, efficient neighbor boy who lives with his grandpa; a couple on food stamps and their children; and the social worker that is trying to help the couple. These stories are all about small-town life and small-town connections, which can be created in the blink of an eye- and last a lifetime. Full of decent people dealing with hard situations the best they can (and a few bad people making their lives difficult), this book is well worth a read or a listen (we have both).
Mar 30, 2011
Anonymous
Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature Deficit Disorder
Kids all over America are suffering from what Richard Louv calls "Nature Deficit Disorder", an issue which is causing an ever-deepening disconnection between kids and nature and which will have repercussions for this and future generations interactions with the natural world. The root causes for this are many, according to Louv, including: living in a liability-happy world (i.e., no more kid-made treehouses); an increase in homework; parental overscheduling of kids' time with afterschool activities; the attention-sucking abilities of TV and video games; urban sprawl (reducing areas kids are able to play in nature); and more. Louv suggests helping your child find a self-directed space in nature where they can be curious and creative, whether be in your own yard, a park, or some open space in the neighborhood. Kids who have this have been shown to be more relaxed and creative (helping greatly with ADHD and autism). A fascinating read for parents, teachers, and administrators alike.
Mar 26, 2011
Anonymous
Blackout
In this Nebula Award-winning novel, Connie Willis mixes historical fiction and science fiction in Blackout, a tale of time travel to Blitz-era Britain. In Oxford in 2060, historians have the ability to perform first hand research by traveling to historical periods of interest and interact directly with the period’s contemporaries (or "contemps"). A handful of young researchers head back to various parts of the Second World War only to find that their portals back to the present are no longer functioning-that they are trapped in the London Blitz with no idea how they will get back to the 21st century. The conclusion of this tale, All Clear, is also available.
Mar 24, 2011
Anonymous