Month: February 2024

Cyberpunk

Dive into the electrifying world of cyberpunk, where neon-soaked cityscapes meet the gritty underbelly of the future. In this genre, technology reigns supreme, but so does corruption, as mega–corporations battle for control amidst a backdrop of societal decay. Follow protagonists navigating the maze of virtual reality, hacking into the very fabric of existence, while grappling with themes of identity, rebellion, and the human condition in a world where the line between man and machine blurs. Whether you’re a seasoned fan or a newcomer to the genre, cyberpunk offers a thrilling journey into a dystopian tomorrow that feels all too close to home.

Neuromancer by William Gibson

William Gibson’s groundbreaking novel “Neuromancer” transformed science fiction, igniting a revolution that shaped our understanding of technology and society. Winner of prestigious awards including the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards, it introduced the term “cyberpunk” and foresaw the emergence of virtual reality and the internet age. Gibson’s gritty yet visionary narrative continues to resonate, serving as a beacon for those navigating the complexities of our rapidly evolving world.

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Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by war, scarcity drives humanity to covet living creatures, resorting to realistic simulacra for those who can’t afford them, including lifelike humans. As Earth bans unauthorized androids, these artificial beings hide among humans, posing a threat that official bounty hunter Rick Deckard is tasked to eliminate. Deckard’s mission becomes perilous when the hunted androids resist capture, leading to a high-stakes battle for survival.

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Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

In a dystopian Los Angeles overrun by corporate franchises, Hiro delivers pizza while defending his territory with samurai swords from marauders. Immersed in the Metaverse, his legendary avatar navigates a virtual landscape, but his reality takes a dangerous turn when fellow hackers are incapacitated by a new drug, Snow Crash. Teaming up with fearless skateboard courier Y.T., Hiro delves into an investigation tracing back to ancient Sumerian origins, racing against a shadowy virtual adversary determined to conquer the world.

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Noor by Nnedi Okorafor

Dubbed AO for Artificial Organism, Anwuli Okwudili defies societal norms, embracing her augmented body despite its perceived abnormalities. After a fateful encounter at her local market, she finds herself on the run, teaming up with a Fulani herdsman named DNA for a high-stakes journey across the deserts of Northern Nigeria. As their escapades unfold in a world where everything is streamed and watched, the narrative explores themes of identity, destiny, and the unpredictable nature of the future.

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Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo

Set in a dystopian 2019, it tells the story of Shōtarō Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang whose childhood friend, Tetsuo Shima, acquires incredible telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident, eventually threatening an entire military complex amid chaos and rebellion in the sprawling futuristic metropolis of Neo-Tokyo.

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Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan

In the twenty-fifth century, humanity’s expansion across the galaxy is overseen by the U.N., with technological advancements allowing consciousness to be stored in cortical stacks, granting virtual immortality. Takeshi Kovacs, an ex-U.N. envoy, finds himself resurrected in a new body in Bay City, thrust into a treacherous conspiracy that challenges the norms of a society where life and identity are commodified. Set against the backdrop of a dystopian future, Kovacs navigates a world where existence is a commodity, confronting a sinister plot that transcends the boundaries of morality.

eAudiobook

Infomocracy by Malka Older

In a world dominated by Information, a search engine monopoly that ushered in global micro-democracy, the Heritage party has won two consecutive elections, while the upcoming Supermajority contest hangs in the balance. For Ken, aligned with the idealistic Policy1st party, the election presents an opportunity for advancement, while Domaine sees it as a battleground against the status quo. Mishima, an Information operative, navigates the complex political landscape, grappling with the challenge of maintaining stability amidst conflicting interests.

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The Wind-Up Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi

Anderson Lake, working undercover for AgriGen, scours Bangkok for extinct foodstuffs as the Calorie Man, while Emiko, the engineered Windup Girl, struggles for survival in a world where bio-engineered plagues and corporate greed reign supreme. As calories become currency and bio-terrorism fuels corporate profits, Bacigalupi’s acclaimed novel explores the chilling consequences of a post-human evolution, marking it as a standout in twenty-first-century science fiction.

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Busted Synapses by Erica L. Satifka

The world of tomorrow holds wonders unlike anything humanity has ever seen! But only for those lucky few. Alicia, a runaway New Woman, comes to small-town Wheeling, West Virginia, and gets entangled with Jess and Dale, throwing their lives of pointless work and drug-fueled virtual reality into chaos. Meanwhile, truths are uncovered of the nation’s rewritten history–truths powerful corporations would rather leave hidden.

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Midnight, Water City by Chris McKinney

In the aftermath of a near-collision with an asteroid in 2142, renowned scientist Akira Kimura, once celebrated as a hero, reaches out to her former head of security for help as she fears for her safety. When Akira is found gruesomely murdered at her deep-sea home, the detective risks everything to unravel the mystery, delving into their shared past and confronting themes of research, class, and the dark side of progress in this gripping neo-noir thriller.

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Big Block of Cheese Day Books

An odd title for a booklist, I know. If you’re a West Wing fan or a history buff, you may be familiar with the big block of cheese Andrew Jackson aged for two years(!) in the entrance hall of the White House. He invited the public to come and eat it (it was gone within two hours), and his staff, while serving cheese, listened to the people’s concerns.

What does this have to do with books? Well, this librarian is a West Wing fan. In the show, they had Big Block of Cheese Day at the White House. The Chief of Staff sets aside time where his staff must meet with organizations who normally couldn’t get the attention of the White House. It is in this spirit that I offer you a list of non-fiction books that might not normally get your attention – books with unique topics. Enjoy your cheese….I mean books!

The Privatization of Everything: How the Plunder of Public Goods Transformed America and How We Can Fight Back by Donald Cohen & Allen Mikaelian

This book examines how the decades-long trend of privatizing public services in the U.S. does not serve the average citizen. The authors argue that when private interests take over, they strip public goods of their power to lift people up and instead create a tool for further inequality. Looking at a broad spectrum of issues, this book raises larger questions about who controls the public things we all rely on.

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The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together by Heather McGhee

In this political commentator’s debut book, she explores how self-destructive white supremacy is and its rising cost to all of us—including white people. Cohesively written, this book tracks the history of race relations in the U.S. from slavery to modern times, documenting when racism against Black Americans has diminished everyone’s quality of life. McGhee makes a convincing case that finding common ground with others and rejecting zero-sum structures can move us forward.

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Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez

You’ve probably heard of the gendered wage gap. But have you heard of a gendered gap in data? Accessible and well-researched, Perez examines how this gap in data (all kinds – from heart attack symptoms to public transit usage) disadvantages women at home, at work, in public spaces, the doctor’s office, and more. This material is handled with wit, calm authority, and looks towards solutions to this cacophony of problems.

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Tree Thieves: Crime and Survival in North America’s Woods by Lyndsie Bourgon

Let’s jump to the illegal timber market. Hey, I told you up top these books would have niche subjects. Bourgon traces three timber poaching cases, while she introduces us to all the players – poachers, law enforcement, logging communities, environmental activists, international timber cartels (you read that right), indigenous communities, and more! All of this is to demonstrate the morality of tree poaching isn’t black and white, and that we need to come together to prevent these ecosystems from dying.

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Extraterrestrial: The First Sign of Intelligent Life Beyond Earth by Avi Loeb

Space. The final frontier. This book, buy a top Harvard astronomer, tackles two issues. Firstly, he believes there is evidence for extraterrestrial life. Secondly, he’s not sure humans are ready to accept that fact. In this short and powerful book, he outlines the evidence for extraterrestrials and its implications for humanity. Will you check out this out-of-this-world book?

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The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Care and How to Fix It by Marty Makary, MD

You’re probably aware our medical system has problems. Well, Makary can tell you about those problems in depth. This surgeon and professor demonstrates, using accessible language, why health care has become a bubble. He draws from on-the-ground stories, research, and his own experiences to expose the price-gouging, middlemen, and elusive money games that need serious repair. Not only does he show you where the money goes, he talks about ways you can do something about it!

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Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps that Explain Everything About the World by Tim Marshall

In order to understand world events, you often think about people, ideas, and movements. Marshall argues that if you don’t think about geography, you’ll never understand the full picture. Covering the world throughout ten chapters, this well-traveled author explains the world (past, present, and future) through maps, essays, and a little bit of personal experience.

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Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism by Amanda Montell

Etymology is the study of the origins of words and their, often evolving, meanings. Looking at cults through this lens, Montell argues in this engaging book that “language is the key means by which all degrees of cult-like influence occur.” With this thesis she deep dives into the indoctrination techniques of cults like Heaven’s Gate and the Peoples Temple, and other cult like groups like fitness influencers.

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Horror Classics Reimagined

Did you love Netflix’s The Fall of the House of Usher and want to find more reimagined classic horror and suspense stories? Well move over Mike Flanagan– here’s a list of ten novels that put a new spin on classic tales that will be sure to give you a new perspective on old favorites.

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

Patricia Highsmith’s 1950 novel Strangers on a Train, adapted for film by Alfred Hitchcock, is reimagined for modern times. If you are a fan of Gone Girl and Girl on a Train, you’ll enjoy this twisty story of what happens when two seemingly strangers meet and devise a plan to murder.

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What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher

Award winning author Kingfisher offers a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s short story “The Fall of House of Usher” in this 2022 novel. Unlike Netflix’s adaptation, What Moves the Dead offers a dark look at Madeline and Roderick Usher as they are consumed by the nature surrounding their estate in the countryside of Ruritania.

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Horseman: A Tale of Sleepy Hollow by Christina Henry

Set 20 years after Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” short story, Henry’s protagonists are 14-year-old boys questioning if the stories they heard about Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman are town myths or reality. This read is for you if you have ever wondered what happened to Sleepy Hollow after Ichabod Crane disappears.

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The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Kiersten White

The Frankenstein family adopts Elizabeth to be a companion for their explosive son, Victor. If you have ever wanted more from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein universe or questioned the origin story of the man who would go on to make the Creature, look no further than this gripping story from the perspective of a young girl trying to survive.

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The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Calling H.G. Well fans! Here’s a fresh modern take on the 1896 The Island of Doctor Moreau that explores colonialism, feminism, and patriarchal themes as Carlota, Dr. Moreau’s daughter, is used in experimentations. Her courtship and engagement to Montgomery leads to a series of events that reveal dark secrets and deadly consequences.

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Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

For fans of Shirley Jackson’s The Haunting of Hill House or The Amityville Horror universe, this novel follows Maggie, the daughter of a popular haunted house memoirist, as she navigates her perils and ghosts in the same house of her childhood. Her disbelief regarding past events starts to get challenged by supernatural encounters.

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TEN by Gretchen McNeil

If you don’t mind dipping a toe in YA, TEN gives you a modern, fresh look at Agatha Christie’s classic And Then There Were None. Ten teenagers expect an enjoyable weekend on an island but are terrified as each one begins to die one by one. If you love a proper suspense whodunit, you’ll enjoy this call back to one of Christie’s most beloved tales.

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Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

Blurring the lines between classic and classic reimagined, this powerhouse Stephen King book from 1975 is often noted to be heavily influenced by Dracula. One of King’s earlier works and often considered one of his best, you can see how he adapted early vampire stories into this modern classic about a writer returning to his small town and finding danger along the way.

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Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

This novella by Valente follows Sophia’s seemingly idyllic life and marriage. Based on the French gothic folktale “Bluebeard” about a husband with a secret, locked room and what lies on the other side, Comfort Me with Apples is a fun, short horror reimagining.

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The Man He Never Was by James L. Rubart

A new take on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Man He Never Was follows Torren Daniels as he reunites with his wife and kids after eight months. His personality is completely altered. He’s no longer filled with rage and eradicate behavior, but no one can explain the radical change. Torren begins remembering details and questions if he can truly escape all the different aspects of his psyche.

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The Love of Friendship

The month of February celebrates more than Valentines Day, which traditionally focuses on the love between romantic partners. In fact, February 15th is Singles Appreciation Day, a day to celebrate love in all forms, such as the love between friends, family, and self. Coincidentally, February 11th is Make a Friend Day. This reading list combines the celebration of these two lesser-known days, offering up books that celebrate friendship and/or singledom and the appreciation and love of self (no matter one’s relationship status).

Circe by Madeline Miller

Hailed by The New York Times as a “bold and subversive retelling of the goddess’s story,” Miller’s Circe is the story of a daughter who does not seem to equal the power and strength of her father, the god Helios, nor her mother’s beauty and allure. An outsider among her own, she finds companionship in the world of mortals. She also discovers she does indeed possess power – the power of witchcraft. When she is banished by Zeus to a deserted island, Circe must make her own way. In doing so, she finds empowerment and encounters many mythic figures, including Odysseus. Circe is the tale of a strong, independent woman who forges her own path, and Miller infuses the narrative with Circe’s emotional and moral complexity. A classic tale told through a feminist lens, Circe is a book that celebrates a woman’s strength, determination, and agency.

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Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams

Dark and humorous, Carty-Williams’ titular character is a 25-year-old Jamaican British woman living in London. Frustrated by racial politics at the newspaper where she works and nursing the wound of a messy breakup, Queenie runs through a string of bad-for-her men and worse decisions – all of which cause her to question her actions, choices, and her own identity. Queenie explores what it means to be a woman who is true to herself in a world that thinks it knows best what women should be.

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A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara

Described by NPR as “[a stunning] portrait of the enduring grace of friendship,” A Little Life follows the lives of four male university graduates who move from New England to New York City to establish their professional lives. Though the novel follows the lives of all four men across several decades, it is the life of Jude, abandoned in infancy and raised by abusive monks, that permeates all 700 pages of Yanagihara’s much praised book. A warning: this is not an easy read because the reader is immersed in Jude’s trauma and the abuse, self-harm, and suicidal tendencies that are associated with it. The novel is dark and bleak. And yet…there are many beautiful moments of light which shine through that darkness, and those illuminating sources originate from the bonds of friendship, love, and brotherhood the four men share.

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Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Honeyman’s witty and weird protagonist and narrator, Eleanor Oliphant, is a socially awkward and isolated young finance clerk living in Glasgow, Scotland. Eleanor keeps to a precise and altogether depressing schedule of work, crossword puzzles, solo vodka drinking, and dutiful weekend calls to “Mummy.” Despite all signs pointing otherwise, Eleanor thinks she is completely fine and focuses not on herself but on a local musician whom she believes she is destined to be with despite having never actually met him. She avoids almost everyone else around her until the day she and a new colleague named Raymond witness an elderly man collapse in the street. When Raymond and Eleanor take action to save the man’s life, it sparks the genesis of something Eleanor has been living without – friendship. Her bond with Raymond and the elderly man (Sammy) has unexpected and healing consequences for Eleanor, who suffered a trauma she has long suppressed. The relationships she forms open Eleanor’s life to the joy of friendship, kindness, and love. Honeyman’s novel is a moving, often funny story of one young woman’s journey out of loneliness and into a more fully lived and abundant life.

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The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award, Walker’s epistolary novel about two sisters, Celie and Nettie, is ultimately a story about the bonds between women. When the sisters’ abusive stepfather marries young Celie to a man called Mister, the union leads to Nettie and Celie’s separation. As time goes on and Celie does not hear from Nettie, she believes her to be dead. Mister and his children misuse and scorn Celie, and her life is filled with hard work, pain, and loneliness until Mister’s longtime mistress Shug Avery comes to town. Shug brings joy, love, and hope into Celie’s life and discovers years’ worth of letters from Nettie that Mister hid from Celie. Emboldened by the realization that her sister is alive and by Shug’s support and encouragement, Celie forges a path the leads to her personal freedom. A Color Purple is a PBS Great American Read Top 100 selection and has recently been adapted into a musical film (released in December 2023) starring Fantasia Barrino (Celie) and Halle Bailey (Nettie).

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Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Though this book is young adult historical fiction, readers of all ages will enjoy Wein’s tale of espionage, war, survival, and the power of friendship. When a British spy plane carrying two women, a pilot (Maddie) and a spy (“Verity”), crashes in Nazi-occupied France, one is lost to the wreckage, and the other is captured by the enemy. Forced to divulge her secrets or die, Verity chooses to tell her story, and it is one of courage, friendship, and dedication to the people and ideals which matter most. Set during World War II, Code Name Verity is a page-turning thriller that offers strong, capable female protagonists and a surprising and moving plot.

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No One Tells You This: A Memoir by Glynnis MacNicol

Lauded by New York Magazine as “a rare and necessary perspective on the profound exhilaration of the untethered female life,” MacNicol’s memoir chronicles the journey of self-discovery she embarked on during her 40th year. Leading up to that birthday, MacNicol found that – despite being a successful writer and living a fulfilling New York City life – she had not accomplished what the world expected of her. She was not a wife or mother. Because there “was not a good blueprint for how to be a woman alone in the world,” MacNicol decided to create one of her own. No One Tells You This tracks her adventures, mishaps, and revelations in doing so. “A fearless reckoning with modern womanhood,” MacNicol’s memoir “is an exhilarating adventure that will resonate with anyone determined to live by their own rules.”

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The Lonely Hunter: How Our Search for Love is Broken by Aimée Lutkin

Part memoir, part reportage, The Lonely Hunter explores the reasons why society refuses to accept that an increasing number of people (single-person households have more than tripled since 1940) choose to remain single. Through a year of intense research, a whole lot of dating, Netflix binging, and rumination, Lutkin chronicles her experience of being alone. Along the way, she exposes the biases against and misconceptions about the uncoupled. Described as “blazingly smart, insightful, and full of heart,” The Lonely Hunter is a book for anyone who values and celebrates walking their own path.

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Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Reese Witherspoon declared Doyle’s memoir to be “packed with incredible insight about what it means to be a woman today.” Doyle spent years denying her own discontent until a moment of love at first sight changed everything. While speaking at a conference in 2016, Doyle looked out into the room, saw a woman, and said “There she is.” In that moment of clarity, Doyle realized that she’d been suppressing her own authentic voice to be who others expected her to be. Untamed tells the story of Doyle reclaiming her own identity, navigating divorce, a new marriage, a blended family, and using her authentic voice to call herself and others to action. “She quit being good so she could be free. She quit pleasing and started living.” In telling her own story, Doyle guides readers on a journey of their own self-discovery so that “each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honor our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts, so that we can become women who can finally look at ourselves and say ‘There she is.’”

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Single on Purpose: Redefine Everything / Find Yourself First by John Kim

“The Angry Therapist” (John Kim) shares the story of his painful divorce and realization that – until that divorce – he’d never been on his own. Single on Purpose asks the question: “Why does being alone = being lonely?” and details the journey Kim embarked upon to discover the answer and to rebuild his relationship with himself. With his signature “no BS” tone and an honest depiction of his struggles and discoveries in singlehood, Kim shows readers how it’s possible to be alone and fulfilled and to have a more authentic relationship with oneself no matter one’s relationship status.

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