Paul
My Shelf
The mountain in the sea
by Ray Nayler
SCIENCE FICTION Nayler Ray
Science Fiction
"Following a mysterious murder on an island off the coast of Vietnam, a research team convenes to study an octopus community that seems to be developing its own language and culture. Humans, AIs, and animals are swept up in the machinations of governments and corporations in this near-future thriller about the nature of intelligence"--
Nope
by
DVD MOVIE SF/HORROR Nope
Two siblings who run a California horse ranch discover something wonderful and sinister in the skies above, and the owner of an adjacent theme park tries to profit from the mysterious, otherworldly phenomenon.

A very well crafted horror and science fiction film, filled with memorable characters, many unpredictable bone chilling and hilarious moments, and plenty of post viewing discussion fodder and pondering points. A Jordan Peele must see! -Paul
The book eaters
by Sunyi Dean
SCIENCE FICTION Dean Sunyi
Science Fiction, Fantasy
"Sunyi Dean's The Book Eaters is a contemporary fantasy debut. It's a story of motherhood, sacrifice, and hope; of queer identity and learning to accept who you are; of gilded lies and the danger of believing the narratives others create for you. Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book's content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries. Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon--like all other book eater women--is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairytales and cautionary stories. But real life doesn't always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger-not for books, but for human minds"--

Ultimately, this is a tale exploring the limits and burdens of motherly love, delving into the joy, sacrifice, and unspeakable horror that such can entail. Set in modern day England we learn about all the major characters through current events balanced with past moments that come closer to the same point in time as this decently paced story progresses. -Paul
The Kaiju Preservation Society
by John Scalzi
SCIENCE FICTION Scalzi John
Science Fiction
"The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy. When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble. It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society whose found their way to the alternate world. Others have, too. And their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die"--

Yet another engaging and fast paced Scalzi effort, filled with frequently snarky yet interesting and enjoyable characters, and, of course, a number of unusual and quite perilous situations that just get better and better. -Paul
Stolen skies
by Tim Powers
SCIENCE FICTION Powers, Tim
Science Fiction
"Sebastian Vickery has learned something about UFOs that he shouldn't have-and Naval Intelligence, desperate to silence him, orders his old partner, Agent Ingrid Castine, to trap him. But Castine risks career, liberty, and maybe even life to warn Vickery-and now they're both fugitives, on the run from both the U.S. government and agents of the Russian GRU Directorate, which has its own uses for the UFO intelligence. With the unlikely aid of a renegade Russian agent, a homeless Hispanic boy, and an eccentric old Flat-Earther, Vickery and Castine must find an ancient relic that spells banishment to the alien species, and then summon the things and use it against them-in a Samson-like confrontation that looks likely to kill them as well. Sweeping from the Giant Rock monolith in the Mojave Desert to a cultist temple in the Hollywood Hills, from a monstrous apparition in the Los Angeles River to a harrowing midnight visitation on a boat off Long Beach Harbor, Stolen Skies is an alien-encounter novel like no other"--

More non-stop insanity involving 2 of my favorite Tim Power's characters, Vickery and Castine, who once again find themselves having enough adventures and things happen to them in three days than most people would experience in three lifetimes. Can Los Angeles and its surroundings get any more weird or dangerous? -Paul
The employees : a workplace novel of the 22nd century
by Olga Ravn
FICTION Ravn Olga
Science Fiction
"Funny and doom-drenched, The Employees chronicles the fate of the Six-Thousand Ship. The human and humanoid crew members complain about their daily tasks in a series of staff reports and memos. When the ship takes on a number of strange objects from the planet New Discovery, the crew becomes strangely and deeply attached to them, even as tensions boil toward mutiny, especially among the humanoids. Olga Ravn's prose is chilling, crackling, exhilarating, and foreboding. The Employees probes into what makes us human, while delivering a hilariously stinging critique of life governed by the logic of productivity"--

The way this book is laid out is like a collection of puzzle pieces of various sizes and depths that gradually bring the bigger picture of the tale into focus. Overall though, the individual entries noting the individual employee responses and reactions are quite relatable to anyone who works for a living. -Paul
Courage is calling : fortune favors the brave
by Ryan Holiday
179.6 /Holiday
Classics, Self Help
"From Ryan Holiday, the New York Times bestselling author of Stillness Is the Key, The Obstacle Is the Way, and Ego Is the Enemy, comes the first book in a four-book series about Stoic virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. As Ryan Holiday wrote in his previous books, Stoicism is a philosophy for the people. Stoicism isn't fraught with complexities, contradictions, or circular arguments about the meaning of life. Rather, Stoicism offers practical, rich guidance about how to achieve imperturbability, strength, perspective, and goodness. At the heart of Stoicism are four simple virtues: courage, temperance, justice, and wisdom. The whole philosophy can be condensed into those four bullet points. Everything else, Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus, and countless other Stoics believed, flows from these virtues. In Courage Is Calling, Ryan Holiday breaks down the most foundational virtue of all -- courage. Through engaging stories about historic and contemporary leaders, including Winston Churchill, Barack Obama, and Eleanor Roosevelt, as well as some lesser known but equally as remarkable people, Holiday shows you how to practice courage in your daily life."

A very accessible and quick read that really covers the subject of courage from the Stoic viewpoint quite well. A good prescription to help navigate and conduct one's self in these more than "interesting times." -Paul
Twilight hauntings : Enchanter's Child Series
by Angie Sage
eBOOK
Kids
Alex has a set of Enchanted cards. When she flutters her fingers above them, something magical happens: the cards come alive and create moving pictures of what is now and what is yet to come. But Enchantment is illegal in the city of Luma, and those who practice it are imprisoned forever in the Vaults—dark dungeons deep below the city. When Alex is betrayed by her foster sister Zerra, she knows she is in great danger. With the help of her little foster brother, Louie, she makes a daring escape. But Alex discovers she is not safe outside Luma either. Here lurk deadly Hauntings that seek out those who practice magic: Enchanters and their children. The Hauntings take many forms and Alex is hunted by a giant bird of prey, the Hawke, a murderous Night Wraith called the Grey Walker, and the eerie Xin. But why do the Hauntings haunt Alex? Alex doesn’t believe she’s an Enchanter’s Child, but she has no idea who her parents are. Her precious Enchanted cards are her only clue to her true identity, and she becomes determined to find out who she is. And, while she is at it, to get rid of the deadly Twilight Hauntings forever.

A richly developed world packed with engaging detail and a multitude of well developed characters I can hardly wait until the next volume is published to see where the often unpredictable action leads. -Paul
To Night Owl from Dogfish
by Holly Goldberg Sloan
eBOOK
Kids
Unhappy about being sent to the same summer camp after their fathers start dating, Bett and Avery, eleven, eventually begin scheming to get the couple back together after a break-up. Told entirely through emails.

Rich with a wide cast of characters who populate the story as it progresses, with each getting enough individual development to spark even more interest, there are also plenty of ups and downs and twist and turns, some fairly predictable, some not at all, to engage the reader in following along with how these two grow as they share experiences while apart and together. -Paul
A ceiling made of eggshells
by Gail Carson Levine
eBOOK
Kids
From age seven, Loma relishes traveling with her beloved grandfather across fifteenth-century Spain, working to keep the Jews safe, but soon realizes she must also make sacrifices to help her people. Includes historical notes, recipe, glossary, and a link to a bibliography.

Loaded with all kinds of historical details this story provides a window into the Jewish experience leading up to the expulsion from their homes after 1000 years of faithful service to their beloved country. -Paul
Stepping stones
by Lucy Knisley
eBOOK
Kids
Jen did not want to leave the city. She did not want to move to a farm with her mom and her mom’s new boyfriend, Walter. She did not want to leave her friends and her dad. Most of all, Jen did not want to get new “sisters,” Andy and Reese. As if learning new chores on Peapod Farm wasn’t hard enough, having to deal with perfect-at-everything Andy might be the last straw for Jen. Besides cleaning the chicken coop, trying to keep up with the customers at the local farmers’ market, and missing her old life, Jen has to deal with her own insecurities about this new family . . . and where she fits in.

This humorous and all too true graphic novel follows Jen (not Jennifer!) as she deals with her parents divorce and moving with her mom from the city to the country. To cope, Jen works on her cartoons, but eventually as all three get to know each other better and have a few adventures together, things mostly get better. -Paul
Tight
by Torrey Maldonado
eBOOK
Kids
After his quick-tempered father gets in a fight and is sent back to jail, sixth-grader Bryan, known for being quiet and thoughtful, snaps and follows new friend Mike into trouble.

Written in a voice true to the story’s setting and local culture, this engaging and multi-leveled tale captures quite well how difficult it can be to survive and more or less successfully navigate through life and stay true to yourself and those you respect most. I often found myself reflecting on my own not so dissimilar experiences as a sixth grader as I followed Bryan through his triumphs and travails. A very highly recommended read. -Paul
Nat enough : Nat Enough Series, Book 1
by Maria Scrivan
eBOOK
Kids
Natalie has never felt that she's enough -- athletic enough, stylish enough, or talented enough. And on the first day of middle school, Natalie discovers that things are worse than she thought -- now she's not even cool enough for her best friend, Lily! As Natalie tries to get her best friend back, she learns more about her true self and natural talents. If Natalie can focus on who she is rather than who she isn't, then she might realize she's more than enough, just the way she is.

The story of Natalie, as told in pictures, and how she navigates entering middle school along with a bunch of kids from other grade schools, the loss of her best friend (who’s turned into a really “mean girl”), the making of new, truly good friends, and finding out what she’s good at doing. Of course there’s a lot of anxiety, self doubt, and missteps along the way but Nat survives, spectacularly, in this sweet and humorous tale. -Paul
The screaming staircase
by Jonathan Stroud
eBOOK
Kids
Follows three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency as they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London.

I have become totally hooked on this series and very much recommend it for older tweens. I plan to continue enjoying my way through each volume even after the current quarantine/shut down is lifted! -Paul
From the desk of Zoe Washington
by Janae Marks
eBOOK
Kids
"Avid baker Zoe Washington receives a letter on her twelfth birthday from her biological father, who is in prison for a terrible crime"--

The author, Janae Marks, deftly weaves the all too common experiences of African-Americans with the U.S. justice system and its fallout into an engaging tale of a young girl on the cusp of adulthood, juggling several things at one time while balancing what she feels is the right thing to do and the fear of suffering the consequences, both if she does or does not follow through in her quest. -Paul
The inquisitor's tale, or, the three magical children and their holy dog
by Adam Gidwitz
eBOOK
Kids
"A peasant girl and her holy greyhound, an oblate on a mission from his monastery, and a young Jewish boy travel across medieval France to escape persecution and save holy texts from being burned"--

Recommended for upper elementary and above, for some content and word complexity. -Paul
The screaming staircase
by Jonathan Stroud
eBOOK
Kids
Follows three young operatives of a Psychic Detection Agency as they battle an epidemic of ghosts in London.

Recommended for tweens and older this is an action and adventure tale with humor and grisley demises sprinkled throughout. -Paul
The worst class trip ever
by Dave Barry
eBOOK
Kids
When the eighth grade civics class of Miami's Culver Middle School goes on a trip to Washington, D.C., Wyatt Palmer finds himself in deep trouble before the plane even lands because his best friend, Matt, has decided the men sitting behind them are terrorists and it is up to the boys to stop them.

A funny and quite well paced action and misadventure tale of a group of eight graders during a class trip to Washington DC. Centered on Wyatt Palmer and his various personal anxieties, the tale follows him, his nerd buddies, and assorted other classmates as they deal with teacher chaperones, a pair of menacing and creepy strangers they meet during their plane ride, and a series of mostly bad and ill-informed choices made not only by Wyatt but others as well. Make no mistake, things get quite dangerous and potentially quite fatal for several of the characters along the way. -Paul
The cool bean
by Jory John
eBOOK
Kids, Picture Books
Everyone knows the cool beans. They're sooooo cool. And then there's the uncool has-bean ... Always on the sidelines, one bean unsuccessfully tries everything he can to fit in with the crowd--until one day the cool beans show him how it's done.

Another in the series of picture books that includes The Good Egg and The Bad Seed. Looking at what it means to be cool from very superficial aspects to truly meaningful ones. Well told with a very good message. -Paul
The secret garden
by Frances Hodgson Burnett
eAUDIO
The magical friendship between a young girl, her lonely, bed-ridden cousin and a country boy who can talk to the birds is played out with all the freshness and warmth of the original novel in this full-cast dramatization starring Beryl Reid, Robin Bailey and Harriet Walter.

A classic tale that relates the experiences of a very spoiled and selfish young girl, Mary Lennox, who is sent to the Yorkshire country estate of an Uncle after her parents die of a cholera epidemic in India. After a bit of culture shock and getting used to her new home she learns of an abandoned garden on the estate that has been locked since her Uncle’s wife died 10 years earlier. After finding a key she is able to finally enter the garden which is dormant and choked with weeds. Mary starts to tend the garden and undergoes a bit of a transformation into a better person. Soon she meets a local boy, Dickon, who has a way with animals, and he helps her with the garden. Eventually she meets her cousin, Colin, who’s kept isolated in a room inside the manor and is presumed to have a spinal deformation that keeps him under constant care. As the three become thick as thieves and the garden blooms, several things change among the individual characters and their relationships. -Paul
The magic of Christmas
by Celtic Woman
COMPACT DISC CR Celtic Magic M78
As with their previous Christmas CD releases, this 14th album by Celtic Woman once again offers up an enjoyable collection of their "best of" traditional songs of the season.

Celtic Woman once again provide a very enjoyable listening experience with their special treatment of traditional songs of the season. Just a heads up, this group will be appearing at the Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center on the UNI campus on December 22nd. -Paul
A legendary Christmas
by John Legend
COMPACT DISC CR Legend Legendary C92
Grammy-winning superstar John Legend releases his first ever holiday album. There are both classic songs and new tracks, including Bring me love.

You knew it was only a matter of time before John Legend would release a Holiday album and here it is. Featuring both classic songs and new, original tracks guest artist include Stevie Wonder and Esperanza Spalding (one of my favorite bassists of all time!) -Paul
Christmas : a season of love
by Idina Menze
COMPACT DISC CR Menzel Christmas D59
This is the second Christmas album from Menzel, again featuring a strong selection of duets with a featured guest vocalists covering a number of traditonal seasonal songs.

Menzel's amazing voice is once again worth the price of admission, as with her previous Christmas release she teams up for a number of duets with an A-list of currently popular vocalists. Very centered on recognizable favorites this release does include one not so traditional Hanukkah song, Ocho Kandelikas, which is sung in Ladino. -Paul
Christmas is here!
by Pentatonix
COMPACT DISC CR Pentatonix Christmas R43
Three-time Grammy Award winners Pentatonix release their fourth holiday album, which features brand new arrangements of modern and classical seasonal favorites. The first song featured is their cover of Making Christmas from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Pentatonix have once again released an enjoyable a capella collection of Christmas music, featuring brand new arrangements of familiar favorites. I'm always amazed at what this group comes up with. -Paul
Sugar & booze
by Ana Gasteyer
COMPACT DISC CR Gasteyer Sugar H02
"The new album from the former “Saturday Night Live” cast member features a modern take on the swing and jazz sounds of the '50s and '60s. Gasteyer's performance is a pleasurable treat as she smoothly navigates a delightful assortment of original tracks with a number of holiday classics sprinkled in for good measure."--Herald-Standard.

Features catchy rhythms evocative of the jazz and pop music of the 50's and early 60's with clever and often humorous lyrics that do push some boundaries, being just naughty enough to add spice to seasonal cocktail listening cocktail mix with out being too strong. -Paul
Christmas in the city
by Lea Michele
COMPACT DISC CR Michele Christmas M42
The "city" in this case is of course New York City, the setting of ever so many holiday song snapshots. Lea Michele of Glee fame, through familiar mid-20th century holiday song traditions, attempts to capture some of that spirit on her first Christmas album, delivering each song and their arrangement with sincere gusto --Based on article from allmusic.com.

Residing very comfortably in the tried and true traditional seasonal "tropesphere", this release certainly adds well to the Christmas music canon populated by crooners of the 50's and 60's. What sets it apart is Lea Michelle's way of infusing each song with an inner wonder and infectious, sincere joyousness. -Paul
Celestial
by Rob Halford
COMPACT DISC CR Halford Celestial L52
"Forty-some years into his life as a verified metal god, it probably seemed like as good a time as any for Rob Halford to make a Christmas album... There's an hefty dose of self-awareness and irony in Celestial, a collection of metalized Christmas carols and traditional holiday tunes, and a few Halford originals in the holiday vein."--allmusic.com.

Features some pretty interesting metal interpretations of classic Christmas songs and, as one one expect, certainly with some ear catching guitar hooks and power chords. Sure to make the tinsel on your tannenbaum gleam a little brighter and louder. -Paul
Moonlight, mistletoe & you
by Keb' Mo'
COMPACT DISC CR Keb' Moonlight C77
"The inherent friendliness of Moonlight, Mistletoe and You buoys the first holiday album from veteran blues singer Keb' Mo' through its periodic shifts in tone and style. Keb' Mo' has long been known for dabbling in a variety of different American roots music, so the intermingling of blues, jazz, and Tin Pan Alley pop comes as no surprise."--allmusic.com.

Keb' Mo's distinctive voice really shines through with a proper amount of Christmas warmth and cheer on an album filled with very smooth, but not horribly over-produced, tracks while staying true to the various musical genre types he explores. -Paul
Loner
by Caroline Rose
COMPACT DISC PO Rose Loner

Amazingly fresh and engaging sound with picture painting lyrics, suitable for listening while sipping vodka martinis. -Paul
My Lists

About Me
Cataloger, Bookmobilier, Children's Librarian
What do you like to read? I tend to favor a very eclectic mix of Science fiction, Classics (Roman, Greek, etc.), DIY home project and repair manuals, Gardening, and the occasional random title that catches my eye. Although I typically prefer printed material to read I do indulge in a bit of online reading especially for short stories or classic/older works that haunt Project Gutenberg.
What memory do you have of your hometown or school library? I lived in so many different places growing up that all the different libraries I went to are kind of a blur, some where school libraries, some public and some on military bases, the last type were not usually all that kid oriented. However, I was lucky enough to go to two elementary schools that got visited regularly by bookmobiles. One was richly appointed with dark wood shelves, and a hunter green exterior accented with the same dark wood trim, and the other was silvery and shaped like a rocket ship with wheels!
Do you have pets? Currently we have a double-rescue American-English Coonhound (85 lbs. of solid muscle!). He can be very playful and cute with some of his antics, is quite fast, strong and agile, and can leap pretty high, but also sheds a lot of small hairs that end up everywhere. He also has the ability to talk/growl like a Wookie, which is quite entertaining.
What was the first book that was your very own? That would be Anatole over Paris, by Eve Titus, which I still have in all it's worn out, crayon scribbled in, and torn page glory!
Surprising fact: I was born with a club foot and was very lucky to be an early Ponseti Method child. The braces I had to wear (metal and leather, and rather heavy) never really slowed me down, however, as I figured out ways to wiggle out of my crib and hop to where I wanted to go, including outside. The treatment was effective enough that when I was older I was able to run track in high school, doing quite well in the 120 and 440 hurdles, high jump, and making varsity my freshman year.
An engaging, well crafted tale set in a future where the geopolitical landscape is completely different in wholly unexpected ways, AI driven machines are ubiquitous and sometimes beautifully crafted and at others coldly indifferent, human life is cheap and expendable when no longer useful, and talented hackers are in high demand for very specific clandestine activities. Throw into this mix an unusual set of conditions and circumstances on a protected chain of islands off the Vietnamese coast, and the nature of perception, observation, intelligence and communication and you get a book I personally found hard to put down. -Paul