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Posts Tagged ‘gentle reads’

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A Librarian Reads Deadly

Monday, August 29th, 2011

Deadly by Julie Chibbaro

Prudence is a young girl growing up in early 1900’s New York. Although she attends a school that trains young women to be secretaries she yearns more from life then keeping books and fetching tea. She has always loved to read, especially about medicine. Her mother is a midwife and Prudence has helped her deliver many babies. Soon Mary is offered a job as the assistant to Dr. Soper, a scientist who investigates and determines the cause of epidemics.

Soon Prudence is caught up in the mystery of a typhoid outbreak. She and Dr. Soper believe that there is a person out there who has typhoid and is contagious, but may not act sick at all. It is a ground breaking new theory of the asymptomatic carrier. Soon they find the link that ties all the typhoid cases together: a cook, Mary Mallon, who changes families as soon people around her begin to get ill. But how do you explain to someone that she is producing invisible things called germs that are causing other people to be ill, but not herself?

Deadly is a great medical mystery that is puts you right in the middle of one of the most interesting medical cases ever. If you like historical fiction definitely give this book a try. Highly recommended and appropriate for all ages.

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A Librarian Reads Fuzzy Nation

Monday, June 27th, 2011

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Note: This is a reboot of H. Beam Piper’s Fuzzy Series, sort of in the same vein of how the Star Trek universe was rebooted in its latest movie.

Jack Holloway is one of many independent prospectors employed by a large corporation, ZaraCorp, to discover anything of value within the ground of Zara XXIII, a planet that whose mineral and oil rights belong to ZaraCorp. Holloway is a loner, a recluse, and most of all a jerk. On his latest expedition, Holloway discover a lucrative sunstone seam. However he had to blow up most of a cliff to get at it. His actions are against environmental regulations and promptly gets him fired, but when he explains to his boss about the sunstones he is rehired and given a bigger cut of the potential payout. Holloway is easily going to be set for life.

But a problem awaits for him back at his home. A small, fuzzy, native creature has somehow figured a way in the house and is causing all sorts of terror. Holloway and his dog corner the creature and soon he is luring the animal out with gifts of food. But something about the creature rubs Holloway wrong. The animal was smart, maybe even smarter than a dog. The next day the creature is back and has brought his family. Soon Holloway is considering the creatures may be sapient, which means the are intelligent and self-aware like humans. If the creatures are people so to speak, then Holloway can kiss his new sunstone seam goodbye. Colonial regulations call for ZaraCorp to stop exploiting all of the planets resources and leave in order for the resources to be used by the planets native sapient species. But Holloway isn’t quite willing to walk away from lots and lots of money. And Zaracorp would stoop as low as genocide to keep their profits.

Can a jerk be redeemed? Can Holloway discover a way to make money and protect his new fuzzy companions? Or will Holloway idly watch as genocide occurs because he is making tons of money?

Fuzzy Nation is an excellent fun, and humorous sci-fi romp. I highly recommend it for anyone who like classic sci-fi, or someone looking for an sleek adventure story with an environmental twist. Fuzzy Nation is appropriate for all ages, but can be found in adult sci-fi.

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Scat: A Review by Aimee

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Scat by Carl Hiaasen
4 Stars

Marta and Nick live in Florida and they go to middle school, and they are really good friends. And they have a really mean science teacher who is really strict and barely smiles,Mrs.Bunny Starch. Mrs.Starch to the kids decides the class is going to take a class trip to Black Vine Swamp. But when a student with asthma loses her inhaler Mrs.S goes back and looks for it then a forest fire starts and they have to go back without her. Later they send a search party for her but don’t find her. The next day they find a note that was unsigned, the message claimed that she wasn’t missing she was attending a family emergency. And the headmaster and the police believed it was true, and not a joke so that’s what there going along with it. But Marta and Nick don’t believe it at all they think something is up. And they think it is a serious problem. So they search around and find things they never expected. If you want to find out what happened to Mrs.Starch! You have to read this book. It involves nature, and mystery Carl Hiaasen is a wonderful author and he wrote another good book. That is why I gave him 4 out of 5 stars.

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Jake Drake Class Clown: A Review by Luis

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

Jake Drake Class Clown by Andrew Clements
5 Stars

Jake Drake has always been a good boy, but when he got Mrs. Bruce as a teacher his life was changed. It started at the class spelling bee. The rule was say-spell-say but the first person just spells the word which was mouse. She started to spell the word mouse but she only got to say the ‘m’ and the ‘o’ when the teacher stopped her and said she was out. Then it was Jake drake’s friends turn. But he was too scared to say anything so he was out too. Then it was Jake Drake’s turn and he said ‘’mouse m-i-c-k-y mouse’’ and then Mrs. Bruce told him to see her after school but in his mind he secretly said no. That was the first time he had ever made a joke or made the whole class laugh and he was not even trying so he wondered what would happen if he actually tried. So at dinner he asked his dad what hand he uses while eating ice-cream and his dad said he uses his right hand and then Jake Drake said that that was funny because! he always uses a spoon. Then the next day he burped a good long burp and them everyone started laughing and then Mrs. Bruce ran out crying. This book gets 5 stars because it’s a great story. The best part was when Mrs. Bruce ran out crying.

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A Librarian Reads the Warlock

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011

The Warlock by Michael Scott

This is the fifth and next to last book in the series so I won’t touch upon the plot so as not to give away spoilers. If you are reading this post you are probably fans of the The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel series. The Warlock continues the adventures of Sophie and Josh and makes up for the disappointment that was the previous book, The Necromancer.

The characters discover lots of secrets and there is plenty of plot twists. But what I enjoyed most is the fact that most of the characters, and especially Sophie and Josh, actually grow as people. In the last book the characters were static and moved around only to set up the next book in the series. So it is a happy surprise and this fifth book exceeds expectations. The Warlock also has made me excited for the conclusion in the Enchantress, out sometime next year.

The Warlock is recommended for fans of adventure and fantasy and appropriate for all ages.

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