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Devolution

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Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks
Format: Book, eBook, Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults

If you’ve read World War Z, you know Max Brooks is the master of writing imagined violent disasters as if they were non-fiction, and his latest book Devolution continues the tradition.

The novel is presented as the diary entries of Kate Holland, resident of Greenloop, a secluded environmentally-conscious neighborhood of telecommuting professionals in the vast forested area of Washington state, interspersed with interviews of other individuals impacted by mysterious events that occurred there in the wake of a volcanic eruption at Mount Rainier.

Kate’s diary begins when she arrives in Greenloop, and the first few entries consist of descriptions of her quirky new neighbors, complaints about her husband Dan, and observations about the elegant “smart” homes. She goes for invigorating nature walks, attends a cathartic meditation class, pretty standard stuff. But after Rainier erupts, and Greenloop is completely cut off from civilization, it becomes apparent that a group of enormous bipedal primates are living in the woods surrounding her community. Sasquatches are real. And they are hungry.

If you like fast-paced adventure, survival stories, or have always been fascinated by the legend of Bigfoot, you should definitely make this your next read.

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The Project

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The Project by Courtney Summers
Format: Book, eBook
Who it’s for: Teens, Adults

Years ago, Lo’s sister Bea joined “The Unity Project.” The Project, as it’s casually known, is NOT A CULT according to its charismatic leader, Lev Warren, and his followers. They are a service organization, with centers for enrichment dotting the American north east. Warren gives a public sermon once a year, and has been known to predict world events, leading the faithful to believe the access to a higher power he claims to have is real. But Lo isn’t buying it.

When an opportunity arises for her to investigate The Project, she’s determined to unmask Warren as the charlatan she’s sure he is, and free her sister from his manipulations. But when she’s embraced by him and his movement, her doubt falters, and her defenses begin to crack. Does Warren actually perform miracles? Does The Project truly offer redemption? Or is it all just a dangerous façade?

The story is told through chapters alternating between the sisters, which can be jarring at first, but pays off, as it sets up a suspenseful and satisfying narrative journey, with twists and turns you won’t expect. The book features scenes of abuse, which may be troubling to some. Courtney Summers also wrote the Edgar and Audie award winning 2018 novel Sadie. Both books are at times unpleasant, but totally worthwhile explorations of family, truth, and identity.

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Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

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Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds
Format: Book, eBook, Digital Audiobook
Who it’s for: Kids

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds tells the story of ten different middle school students walking home from school and their adventures on ten different blocks. Each kid is dealing with their own struggles and are caught up in their own lives. So much so that no one sees the school bus falling from the sky. This  poignant story demonstrates how everyone is following their own path, home from school and in life.

I love Jason Reynolds, and I love this book. From a girl who just wants to skateboard but who is confronted by bullies, to a young boy hustling pennies so he can buy ice cream for his mom, this book includes small, slice-of-life tales from a variety of different point-of-views. It really demonstrates that everyone is going through something. Even the toughest boy in school has problems he is struggling with at home. Even the funniest girl in class is using humor to comfort herself and her family. Everyone in the story is connected. It was fun to hear about the same small moments told from different perspectives and hear small comments about characters from previous chapters.

I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook of this title. It has a full cast, and it really makes the story come alive and captures your attention.

Because the most important question still remains: did anyone see that school bus fall from the sky?

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Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan

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Glitter and Glue by Kelly Corrigan
Format: Book
Who It’s For: Adults

After graduating from college and working for a year, Kelly Corrigan and a good friend decided to set out on the adventure of a lifetime.  Everything was great until they began to run out of money in Australia.  Instead of asking their parents to wire them money, Kelly and her friend decided to get jobs.

Kelly took a job as a live-in nanny for the Tanner family.  The mother of the family had just passed away after battling cancer.  Kelly was responsible for taking the children to school, doing their laundry, cooking their meals, taking care of them when they returned home, cleaning up after them, and getting them ready for bed.

Glitter and Glue is a memoir in which Kelly examines her relationship with her mother while being the substitute mother for the Tanner children.  The book is heartwarming.  Kelly has a style of writing that will leave you laughing and sometimes crying.  It will leave you thinking of your relationship with your own mother and reflecting on what it means for one parent to be the “glitter” and one parent to be the “glue”.  This is a book that you won’t be able to put down.

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The Song of Achilles

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The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Format: eBook, Book, Audiobook
Who it’s for: Adults, Teens

The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the story of Achilles from the point of view of Patroclus, his best friend and eventual lover. Miller takes the stories we know from The Iliad and fills in the blanks, starting with Achilles’ childhood and the beginnings of his relationship with Patroclus. Achilles is a complicated figure. More than the arrogant, brash man who fought in the Trojan War, he is depicted as often unsure of himself, kind, and capable of love. 

We follow Achilles and Patroclus from childhood to their adolescence, during which they travel to train under the centaur, Chiron, to young adulthood. Through it all, Achilles’ mother, Thetis, appears often to express her displeasure with her son’s relationship with Patroclus. We see Achilles and Patrolcus grow closer over the years, ultimately falling in love before the story turns to the more familiar Trojan War years. Although you may know what happens next, Miller’s writing makes the entire series of events gut-wrenching.

The Song of Achilles is for anyone with even a passing interest in Greek mythology, or anyone who likes a well-written romance with a dash of war and vengeful gods. Also recommended is Miller’s second novel, Circe, a retelling of the life of Circe, a daughter of Helios.

Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World

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Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World by Matt Parker
Format: Book, eBook
Who it’s for: Adults

What do you get when you cross a stand-up comedian with a math enthusiast? You get Matt Parker, and his chuckle-inducing book Humble Pi. Math typically works quietly behind the scenes of life, ensuring that your internet works, your train runs smoothly on its tracks, and the calendar marches steadily onward…until, suddenly, it doesn’t.

Parker reveals the math mistakes behind some of the world’s most spectacular failures, from a bridge collapse to a stock market meltdown to an election debacle. For an entertaining tour through humanity’s mathematical stumbling blocks, find it in the catalog.