New This Week!
January 17, 2022
There’s some interesting nonfiction flying beneath the radar in this week’s new releases, as well as a middle grade fantasy that’s earning some starred reviews from critics! Learn more about why humans count (we promise it’s more interesting than you think), look into a shocking true crime case, or explore a fantasy starring a girl with the ability to unlock anything.
The Art of More by Michael Brooks
In The Art of More we learn that counting is not a skill humans are born with. In fact, without education few people would be able to count past three! But Michael Brooks show us that if we had never taught ourselves to use numbers, we wouldn’t have maps, music, architecture, trade, navigation, or art. He wants to take the fear out of numbers and replace it with awe. This history of counting and numbers is a strong start toward rehabilitating our relationship with math.
The Doomsday Mother by John Glatt
Investigative journalist John Glatt explores the seemingly sophisticated couple of Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell, residents of the upscale Kauai Beach Resort. Chad and Lori seemed to fit right in, so neighbors were shocked when police came calling, exposing the couple’s history of religious fanaticism, doomsday prepping, and murder.
The Lock-Eater by Zack Loran Clark
School Library Journal is raving about this new middle-grade fantasy, giving it a starred review and saying it’s the kind of book that only comes around every so often. The story revolves around Melanie Gate, a young woman who can open any lock with the touch of a finger, and the mysterious automaton named Traveler who takes her on as an apprentice. Comparisons to children’s classics like Howl’s Moving Castle are being made, and the book makes a tip of the hat to The Wizard of Oz.
