Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Reviewed by: Jessica Reeves, Reference Specialist

Genre: Fantasy

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is the book about?: This is the third book in Sanderson’s Stormlight Archive series. In each book, Sanderson focuses on one character’s past through flashbacks while also furthering the plot in the present. This book focuses on Dalinar Kholin’s past, one of the current political leaders. Throughout the first two books we see Dalinar as a man of honor who follows The Codes set forth in the titular book The Way of Kings (also the name of the first book in this series). Throughout this book’s flashbacks, we see a very different man: harsh, rash, unconcerned with decorum and the lives of others. We see his absolute lowest points and the devastating catalyst for the change into the better man he strives to be in the present.

As far as the current plot (without giving spoilers for the first two books), it focuses on the ongoing war between the Alethi, the human inhabitants of Roshar, and the Parshendi, humanoid inhabitants of Roshar with marbled skin and thick shell growing out of their bodies. There’s a bit of everything in this book: murder mystery, politics, love triangles, battling inner demons, and the multiple layers of war.

My Review: I read almost exclusively through audiobooks these days. As soon as I finished it, I wanted to start over and listen again. At 55 hours long, however, I decided to maybe give myself a breather. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading are amazing narrators, and the few inconsistent pronunciations/accents from the first couple of books were corrected in this book. I’m sure it’s hard to keep it all straight between two narrators in an epic level fantasy series dealing with made up cultures and names. The pacing in this book was good, though I did find myself drifting in a few places waiting for people to make decisions. After the epic climax of the last book, we needed some down time to recuperate before the next epic climax of this book, and it did not disappoint.

I will say I was disappointed by some reactions from characters that I felt were, well, out of character and unrealistic. I can’t really go into that without spoilers, but it involved the fact that Sanderson changed the ending of the second book post-production, and that was not updated in the audio version. Even with the change, though, I felt certain reactions were still unrealistic on some characters’ parts. You’ll have to tell me if you agree or not!

Three Words That Describe This Book: Epic, Exhilarating, Fantastical

Give This a Try if You Like… Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series, Skyrim, Lord of the Rings.

Rating: 4/5

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 week 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!

David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell

Reviewed by: Carey Gibbons, Reference Specialist

Genre: Non-fiction, Social Science

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is the book about?: Malcolm Gladwell has written a lot of social science oriented books that take human behavior and attempt to look at them from different angles. He does the same in David and Goliath, and specifically looks at situations where an individual appears to have a clear disadvantage when facing adversity and ends up triumphing despite, or perhaps because of, their supposed disadvantage. Gladwell looks at multiple cases, from mega-rich entrepreneurs who grew up with dyslexia to the phenomenon of super successful and powerful adults who suffered the hardship of losing one or both parents. Gladwell also looks at how too much of a good thing can become detrimental.

My Review: A patron once asked me for this book and referred to it as a “thinking book.” I really like that description. This is a book that isn’t a very long or difficult read, but will make you rethink the way you perceive certain aspects of life. I very much enjoyed reading about the people in this book as individuals. But I think that Gladwell misses the mark in lumping them all together in a single book claiming that disadvantages can be beneficial. It’s true that they can – in some circumstances. But I didn’t feel that there was enough of a holistic approach to telling the stories of the people in this book. Gladwell only looked at their disadvantages. It’s not necessarily correct to say that x leads directly to y without examining all of the letters before and after. So, while this is an interesting and perhaps inspiring book, it’s important to read it with a grain of salt.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Thoughtful, Inspiring, Emotional

Give This a Try if You Like… Freakonomics, Penn and Teller: Bullsh*t!, underdog sports movies

Rating: 3.5/5

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 week 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!

Artemis by Andy Weir

Reviewed by: Jonathan Richardson, Reference Assistant

Genre: Science Fiction

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is the book about?: In the near-future, humans have colonized the moon and turned the city of Artemis into a booming tourist attraction.  Jasmine “Jazz” Bashara is one of the city’s permanent residents, scraping by after a few poor life choices.  Jazz works as a courier, making deliveries throughout the city, not all of them exactly “legal.”  Her reputation as the best smuggler on the moon leads to her being approached by a wealthy businessman with a fiendish plan, and the promise of a huge payout that would mean the end of her troubles.  Of course, things never work out as planned…

My Review: Andy Weir’s first novel, The Martian, was a huge success, so there was a lot of excitement for Artemis long before it was released.  The two books are similar: both books incorporate large amounts of scientific facts and current technologies to create a realistic and believable sci-fi story, both books focus mainly on a single, relatable character and their point-of-view, and both books throw a never-ending series of seemingly over-the-top complications in the protagonist’s path.  However, I don’t think this book lived up to the hype surrounding it.  There are a few instances where the plot is a tad generic (even if it *is* on the moon) or that you wish the characters were maybe a bit more complex.  That said, it is still a good read.  Weir does a great job of presenting how a lunar base would be designed, how its systems would function, and how its inhabitants would live.  There are also plenty of moments where Jazz channels her inner MacGyver to get out of a sticky situation.

Three Words That Describe This Book: Nerdy, Fan-Fiction, Heist

Give This a Try if You Like… The Expanse (SyFy Television Series), Moon (2009 Movie), Michael Crichton novels, 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke

Rating: 3.5/5

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 week 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!

Sailing Alone Around the Room by Billy Collins

Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey, Library Volunteer

Genre: Poetry

Suggested Age: Adults, Teens

What is the book about?: You might know former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins from his creation of Poetry 180, a project Collins started to make poetry more accessible and acquaint high school students with the finest poets of our times. In Sailing Alone Around the Room, Collins’s poems touch on all aspects of life.  His poignant “In Memoriam” dedication of the book to his late mother and father sets the tone for the volume, as the poems examine everyday life in quiet or unexpected moments, grief and joy.

My Review: We all have things we enjoy doing. I enjoy reading, although I’ve never considered myself a poetry person. But I love the poems in this collection!  Filled with humor, irony, and imagery, the poems in Sailing Alone Around the Room are short – many just one page – but exquisitely crafted and emotionally engaging. Witness, for example, the sentiment in the poem “Another Reason Why I Don’t Keep a Gun in the House,” which begins:  “The neighbors’ dog will not stop barking.”  And perhaps during a wakeful night you, like me, can identify with the feelings in the poem “Insomnia”:  “someone inside me will not / get off his tricycle, / will not stop tracing the same tight circle / on the same green threadbare carpet.”

Although sometimes people can find reading poetry to be difficult, Collins excels at describing thoughts and feelings that we all have in common. Don’t be afraid to check out this book and read a poem or three or the whole book! You’ll enjoy it!

Three Words That Describe This Book: emotion, humor, thoughtful

Give This a Try if You Like… Gabbie Hanna or Tracy K. Smith (current U.S. poet laureate)

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 week 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!