I’ve always been a reader but, as time goes on, I find that my eyes are perpetually larger than my literary stomach, resulting in piles of books all over the house and a Goodreads “to read” shelf that requires constant pruning. Between teleworking and homeschooling there isn’t nearly much time to read as I had hoped, but I’m doing my best to check a few key items off my list during the quarantine:
I was beyond ecstatic to get my hands on an advance reader copy of Network Effect, Martha Wells’ latest addition to the Murderbot Diaries. It was so fantastic I’m rereading the entire series (and supporting my local indie bookstores along the way) in anticipation of giving it a second look. SecUnit has become one of my favorite characters as of late, both for the soul searching and the sardonic humor.
N.K. Jemisin is a librarian favorite at SPL and her latest novel, The City We Became, has been in high demand. This new series is a contemporary fantasy about the six souls that make up New York City.
I’ve just started The Resisters, a speculative fiction title set 35 years in a future America where the Netted still have jobs and live on land while the Surplus are relegated to swampland or houseboats on the ever rising tide-lines. A Surplus girl with a golden arm makes clear the division between the “have” and “have nots” in what is shaping up to be a biting commentary on racism and social justice.
I have one more essay to finish in Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self Delusion, and I’ve been very impressed with Tolentino’s ability to distill many of the complex issues facing women and people of color in the United States today. She’s incredibly insightful and economical with her language, so I’ve found myself rereading many sections more than once to unpack everything she has to say.
I’ve loved everything Ruta Sepetys has written, and her latest novel, The Fountain of Silence, looks to be a winner as well. Set in 1957 Madrid, it follows the intersecting lives of several young people struggling under Franco’s rule.
Every year I look forward to the Alex Awards, a list of 10 titles published for adults that have special crossover appeal to teenage readers. Do You Dream of Terra-Two was one of this year’s winners and follows five young astronauts as they prepare to board a spaceship that will seed a new colony on Terra-Two. The journey will last 20 years.
Both the cover and the premise of Barn 8 made me laugh, so I made sure to grab this one before the quarantine hit: “Two auditors for the U.S. egg industry go rogue and conceive a plot to steal a million chickens in the middle of the night – an entire egg farm’s worth of animals. Janey and Cleveland – a spirited former runaway and the officious head of audit – assemble a precarious, quarrelsome team and descend on the farm on a dark spring evening. A series of catastrophes ensues.”
My knowledge of this country’s Indigenous peoples and their history is nowhere near as good as it should be. I’m hoping to remedy that with An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States, in which Dunbar-Ortiz breaks down many of the myths and misinformation surrounding the genocide, displacement, and oppression of our First Peoples.
If I Go Missing is a new graphic novel based on a letter written to the Winnipeg Chief of Police by Brianna Jonnie, an Ojibwe teen, that went viral after it was published online. In this powerful story, Jonnie challenges the police and government to “do better” when it comes to finding missing Indigenous women and solving their murders.
Finally, FLOUR WATER SALT YEAST by Portland baker Ken Forkish. Like many, I’ve been doing far more baking that usual during the quarantine. I wouldn’t say I’ve mastered sourdough, but my skills have definitely bumped up a few levels thanks to Forkish’s detailed recipes and techniques!
What’s on your bookshelf?
And to find out what your librarians are reading from their bookshelves check out our booklist.
For more ideas for books to meet your Summer Book Bingo challenge, follow our Shelf Talk #BookBingoNW2020 series or check the hashtag #BookBingoNW2020 on social media. Book bingo is presented in partnership with Seattle Arts & Lectures.
~Posted by Summer H.
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