FDL Reads: A Memory Called Empire
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
Reviewed By: Jeremy Zentner, Reference Assistant
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction
Suggested Age: Adults
What is This Book About? Mahit Dzmare is a new ambassador to the light of the universe. A massive urban planet that acts as capital for human civilization’s largest power, the Teixcalaanli Empire. Mahit represents a small republic, headquartered on Lsel Station, which is innovated in advanced technology, but small in numbers as their major space station only houses thirty-thousand citizens. The Teixcalaanli Empire is rife with military prowess and culture, but also plagued with political instability, riots, and terrorism. With military demagogues threatening to stage coups, the emperor is considering war with Lsel to focus the public’s attention and annex the mighty space station under Teixcalaanli rule. Mahit needs to figure out how her predecessor managed to hold off a Teixcalaanli invasion for decades prior. And how he died in the first place.
My Review: This was certainly an interesting space opera to read. With that said, it is also a very heavy read. It creates a culture as complex as Elf culture from Lord of the Rings and has a cloak and dagger plotline as seen in Dune and Dune Messiah. There are also some technological oddities that span the novel and offer great philosophical debate about the totality of civilization and technology. This book was extremely rich in detail and complex in the world building and culture building the author has invented. Based on some of the cultural nuances, I would imagine the author took a great deal of inspiration from Roman and Byzantine history (she is a historian of the Byzantium, after all.) With all that being said, the novel also has a thrilling twist that I did not see coming. If you enjoy richly-crafted space operas like Dune and Foundation, I would highly recommend this book.
Three Words that Describe this Book: sci-fi, space opera, political intrigue
Give This A Try if You Like… Dune, Dune Messiah, Foundation, Winter’s Orbit, The First Sister, The Collapsing Empire, The Lord of the Rings
Rating: 4/5
Holly Jolly Writing Contest Winners!
We’re excited to announce the winners for the Holly Jolly Writing Contest!
1st Place – The Silver Staff by Brandon Oliger
2nd Place – A Christmas Past by Judy Dahlman
3rd Places – Home for the Holidays by Megan McCoy
Congratulations to each of them, and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry! Follow the links below to read the winning stories. Our judges panel had a hard time selecting from the submissions we received, so keep writing and stay tuned for another writing contest this summer!
The Silver Staff by Brandon Oliger
FDL Reads: Our Woman in Moscow
Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams
Reviewed by: Dawn Dickey
Genre: Historical Fiction/Thriller
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about?: When Our Woman in Moscow opens in August 1952, Ruth Macallister is on a plane somewhere above Northern Europe, at the height of the Cold War, on her way to the Soviet Union to visit her twin sister Iris. Iris has been living in Moscow for a number of years with her children and husband – a former US government employee with communist leanings who fled to the Soviet Union with his family some years before. Although the twin sisters have not spoken or seen each other in twelve years, Iris has reached out to her twin sister with an urgent request to come as soon as possible to be with Iris as she delivers her fourth child. Because Iris’ previous deliveries have been quite difficult, Ruth feels compelled to obey the urgent summons. Little does Ruth know that she is about to enter a terrifying, life-threatening, cat-and-mouse situation.
My Review: With its Cold War spies and lies and subterfuge, this suspenseful tale might well have been taken from the pages of history. Author Beatriz Williams, whose work frequently appears on bestseller lists, quickly draws the reader in with this page-turning plot that smoothly transitions from the present day Cold War into the characters’ past. Williams deftly builds the characters’ back stories so the reader understands exactly what circumstances and character flaws have led these naïve, brave and sometimes hapless people into the dangerous situations they all face. I couldn’t wait to read what happened to these people and was only sorry when the book ended because I wanted the adventures to continue!
Three Words That Describe This Book: Suspenseful, Intriguing, Intense
Give This a Try if You Like… Spy thrillers such as The Courier (film), The Secrets We Kept by Laura Prescott, Transcription by Kate Atkinson, or Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (film)
Rating: 5/5
#FDL: New Historical Fiction for Black History Month
Discover your next favorite author with these buzzworthy new releases – the perfect historical fiction stories to get lost in during Black History Month!
In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas
– Canada, Civil War, Underground Railroad
In the 1800s in Dunmore, a Canadian town settled by people fleeing enslavement in the American south, young Lensinda Martin works for a crusading Black journalist. One night, a neighboring farmer summons Lensinda after a slave hunter is shot dead on his land by an old woman who recently arrived via the Underground Railroad. When the old woman refuses to flee before the authorities arrive, the farmer urges Lensinda to gather testimony from her before she can be condemned for the crime. But the old woman doesn’t want to confess. Instead she proposes a barter: a story for a story. And so begins an extraordinary exchange of tales that reveal an interwoven history of Black and Indigenous peoples in a wide swath of what is called North America.
– Good Morning America Book Club pick, Caribbean plantations, 1830s
Wade in the Water by Nyani Nkrumah
– Mississippi, 1960s to 1980s alternating narrative
Eleven-year-old Ella lives in the racially divided town of Ricksville, Mississippi, not far from where the Freedom Summer Murders occurred. Too smart for her own good, she loves God, Mr. Macabe, and Nate, the tough owner of the local diner. To her perpetually irritated Ma, and Leroy, her mother’s lover, Ella is an unwanted nuisance. But Ella pays them no mind. She has a precious secret, and she isn’t telling. One day, a sharply dressed, well-to-do white woman appears on Ella’s street, looking for the girl. Like Ella, Ms. St. James has secrets–knowledge she keeps in a black notebook filled with scribbled pages. Secrets that will ultimately come out with devastating consequences.
#FDL is a weekly update on all things Fondulac District Library and books.
FDL Reads: Goblin Market
Goblin Market by Diane Zahler
Reviewed by: Chelsea Bunton, Youth Services Assistant
Genre: Fantasy
Suggested Age: Middle School (5th-8th)
What is this book about? Lizzie and Minka are two sisters who are incredibly different from each other. While Minka is beautiful, social, and outgoing – Lizzie is quiet and introverted. Because of their differences, duties assigned to them at home vary: Lizzie helps in the garden and fields with her father, while Minka goes to the town market every Friday to sell their stock of vegetables and bread. It is on one of these trips to town that Minka meets a very interesting boy who she becomes quickly enamored with. But her sister Lizzie is very suspicious of this new acquaintance and his wonderous fruits- especially when Minka suddenly falls ill and begins to lose her hair after eating some. Lizzie is determined to discover the truth of this boy and just why her sister has become so sickly, yet still devoted to the creepy and questionable “Emil.”
My review: This book was a fun, spooky read. The setting and tone of the story is what really drew me in. I love the feel of a fairy tale, and the setting of this book in a historical Slavic era helped solidify that sense of a Grimm-like myth. The characters were round and realistic, and I was supportive of their mission as Lizzie tried so desperately to overcome her introverted tendencies for the good of her sister. Though the tone is slightly dark, the content of this story doesn’t go too far for children – it is an appropriate introduction to dark fantasy for middle grade readers who aren’t ready for something too scary. It also serves as a good reminder to be wary of strangers, no matter how alluring they may seem or how delicious their fruit!
Three words that describe this book: Creepy, Mysterious, Fantastical
Give this a try if you like… Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani, Baba Yaga’s Assistant by Marika McCoola, The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi & Holly Black
Rating (out of 5): 3/5
Early Literacy – Never Too Early!
Reading to your children as early as possible is so very important to their future development! Reading to an infant may seem silly sometimes – of course they don’t understand everything that is going on – but the benefits can be long-standing. Studies show that reading to babies helps stimulate growth in communication, basic concepts, and listening skills. It’s never too early to start your child on their reading pathway! Here are some suggestions to get started:
Baby’s Black & White Books: Outdoors by Grace Habib
High-contrast pictures are great for babies’ developing eyes! They are easier for them to focus on and help their retinal growth. This book has various high-contrast images as well as some peek-a-boo spots for baby to have fun with!
Moo, Baa, La La La! by Sandra Boynton
Funny rhymes are super helpful for babies developing speech sounds and patterns. Repetitive and expected sounds help create neural pathways toward more sophisticated speech. And animal sounds are always fun!
Eyes, Nose, Fingers, and Toes by Judy Hindley
This book will help baby start associating words with their own body. This can be their first self-connection to text, which will help them better develop understanding of literature as well as make positive associations with books.
Mouse Paint by Ellen Stoll Walsh
Colors are sometimes the first basics babies learn about the world. Mouse Paint uses high-contrast images and simple text to explore the world of art and color in the world.
– Chelsea, Youth Services Assistant