The Martian by Andy Weir

Reviewed by: Sylvia Shults, Circulation Assistant

Genre: Science Fiction

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: This book could easily be described as “Robinson Crusoe on Mars”, but it’s so much more than that. The hero, one of the astronauts on a six-person mission to Mars, gets left behind on the Red Planet during a ferocious dust storm. His crewmates, thinking Mark is dead, have no choice but to leave without him. When he wakes up, he finds himself a very, very, very long way from home. Luckily, the crew had left behind a survival module, and there is another module several hundred kilometers away — the landing base for the next Mars mission, due to arrive at the planet in four years. So if Mark can stay alive that long … he just might make it home.

My review:  I hugely enjoyed this book. The science was just complex enough to make me feel smart reading it, but not at all overwhelming. Mark is the perfect hero: he faces unimaginable odds, but he finds a way to survive, and he’s got a great sense of humor while doing it. I really recommend this to anyone, not just people who normally read science fiction.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

The Magicians Trilogy (The Magicians, The Magician King, and The Magician’s Land) by Lev Grossman

Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Assistant

Genre: Fantasy(ish)

Suggested Age: Definitely Adult

What is the book about?: It’s hard to talk about one of these books without talking about all of them. I will do my best to avoid spoilers. This trilogy is about Quentin Coldwater, a regular kid in Brooklyn who happens to also be a genius. His senior year of high school, he gets invited to test into Brakebills, a secret college that teaches magic. Real magic. Quentin is obsessed with the idea of a magical “other” land. He thinks he’s found it at Brakebills, until he actually does find the kingdom of Fillory (a stand-in for Narnia). The Magicians is largely Quentin’s journey. The Magician King focuses on Julia, Quentin’s high school friend who did not get into Brakebills and had to learn magic on the streets. The Magician’s Land goes where few fantasy series dare to tread: adulthood. It explores what life is like for the magical adventurer after the fun and games are over.

My review:  These books have been called “Harry Potter for adults,” but I think that does a disservice to both series. First, Harry Potter is already for adults. It’s for everyone! Second, the Magicians trilogy is so vastly different in so many ways. There’s a magical school, but it’s definitely not Hogwarts. Grossman breaks the fourth wall on a number of occasions with Harry Potter references. Where Harry is your typical Chosen One, Quentin is the anti-Chosen One. Quentin is a jerk. He whines. He drinks too much. He hides from danger. He cheats on his girlfriend. He gets everything he wants without much effort, and for a while, it doesn’t seem like he learns much of anything about life. A lot of readers really hate Quentin, and I don’t blame them. I kind of hate him, too, but this is one of those few stories where the narrative trumps the characters involved. I hate Quentin, but he’s real. If we weren’t him at that age, we knew someone like him. Quentin’s journey is only epic on the surface – it’s actually very insular. Yeah, this book is full of magic and swords and talking sloths and clockwork boats, but it’s about the journey into adulthood. And really, that journey is hard enough without also being asked to save the world.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

Annie Freeman’s Fabulous Traveling Funeral by Kris Radish

Reviewed by: Joan Herron, Reference Assistant

Genre: Fiction

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: After Annie’s death, her good friend Katherine receives a mysterious UPS package. The letter inside explains that Annie is sending her ashes packed in her favorite red tennis shoes, along with detailed instructions for what is to follow. As Annie’s son is quoted in her obituary: “Mom’s gone, but believe me, she is not done – not done at all.” Katherine and four other women are asked to embark on a “traveling funeral” of sorts, and along the way they learn much more about Annie, themselves, and each other.

My review:  Have you ever thought much about what you want your friends to remember about you, or learn in the process? While we tend to avoid any thoughts of our own demise, it is intriguing to experience this somewhat painlessly following Annie’s journey. Relationships are so important to all of us, and even when we lose someone close, there are lessons to be learned and a future to be experienced. Each chapter of the book is concentrates on a different friend’s story, and the reader feels like a part of the trip. Where would you fit in? How would you handle each situation? To complicate all the feelings evoked on the trip, Annie has included an audio tape to be played at each location. Imagine hearing your departed friend’s voice after the fact. The friends’ additions to “the funeral book” give us insight to the development of their own stories and their combined story. As Marie says, “these women are a jumble of fineness.”  Along the reading path, we all find books that never grow old and deserve to be revisited.  Annie Freeman is one such volume.  I dare you to join the traveling funeral!

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

Reviewed by: Amy Falasz-Peterson, Library Director

Genre: Memoir

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: Jim Gaffigan is a well-known “Hot Pockets” loving comedian. He also happens to be the father of five children.  This book is written as a love letter to his wife and details their adventures in parenting five small children. In a two bedroom walk up in New York.

My review: I personally find Jim Gaffigan to be rather entertaining.  He was on one of my favorite short lived TBS comedies, My Boys.  As the mother to only two young people, I enjoy reading about other people’s parenting experiences.  And, the funnier the better!  It’s a really quick read but rather uplifting!

Heads up: You will snort with laughter.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Reviewed by: Laura Warren, Reference Assistant

Genre: Science Fiction

Suggested Age: Adult

What is the book about?: Jonah has set out to write a book called The Day the World Ended, which chronicles the activities and thoughts of important Americans on the day the atomic bomb was dropped.  Jonah contacts the children of Dr. Felix Hoenikker, the father of the atomic bomb, and their story begins an unexpected journey full of both self-discovery, and humanity. Jonah is whisked away to a seeming Caribbean paradise in a plane full of bizarre characters. The island of San Lorenzo, its inhabitants, and those Jonah arrived with teach him about science, religion and truth. He also learns of Ice-9, Dr. Hoenikker’s final legacy, which could ultimately change the destiny of the planet Earth. Will this unlikely group learn from Bokonon, the mysterious, outlaw, religious leader of San Lorenzo, or will their folly change the fate of mankind?

My review: For such a small book, Kurt Vonnegut packs each page with an insightful, satiric punch. Though originally published in 1963 the social issues discussed throughout this novel are as relevant today as the first time Vonnegut put these ideas to paper. This novel frankly debates science, technology, truth, lies, and religion, in a way little fiction does. He is brutally irreverent, but shines a light on humanity, relationships, and the machine we all are a part of every day. He discusses religion with bravery as well as compassion. He encourages happiness as well as awareness, but with an ever present pessimism. This book is full of characters that are walking contradictions, just as we all ultimately are. The first time I read this book I was blown away by the discussion, insight, and dark comedy with which Vonnegut tackles very delicate issues that plague our minds daily. His insight and wit had me hooked in a way no other author hasduplicated. I return to this book often and come away with new thoughts and ideas each and every time. Kurt Vonnegut saw the atrocities human kind is capable of as a prisoner of war during the bombing of Dresden. Though this experience scarred him forever, he still roots for humanity, encourages us not to take ourselves too seriously, and above all asks us to be kind.

Rating: 5/5

Find it at the library!

About FDL Reads

Welcome to FDL Reads, weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.  Librarians (and possibly some other guest reviewers) review all types of books, from children’s picture books, young adult favorites, to the latest adult thriller, and share their thoughts each Tuesday at fondulaclibrary.org. If the book is owned by Fondulac District Library (or another local library), you’ll see a direct link to the catalog entry and whether or not it is available.  If it is checked out or at another local library, you will be able to place a hold as long as you have your library card and PIN numbers. As with any book review, these are our opinions…we disagree amongst ourselves about books frequently.  We all have different likes and dislikes, which is what makes the world an interesting place. Please enjoy, and keep on reading!