May LibraryReads Announced

The May list of the 10 titles that librarians around the country think are going to be popular came out April 10th. There were only two on there that I did not have on my list. One of those I immediately changed my mind about because it sounds.....well fascinating and the other - I really didn't change my mind but it is in the catalog.

We lead off with the biggest vote getter and it is the one that changed my mind and made me want to read it. Uprooted by Naomi Novik is described as a Grim fairy tale for adults. I haven't read fantasy in a long time but the reviews I have read about this book, made me put my name on the holds list for it. There is a bloodthirsty wicked sentient forest; a wizard and a magic wielding heroine. Sounds like a fantasy, right? It has been strongly recommended by a fantasy author I do still read, Robin Hobbs. In addition, some of the reviews have said "one of the few books this year that has managed to captivate me"; "awesome"; "will become a classic". How could you not want to read it?

Now, in no particular order are the reminding nine.

A God In Ruins by Kate Atkinson. If you read Atkinson's Life After Life and loved it, then you must get your hands on this one. This one focuses on Teddy Todd, the little brother of Ursula. It skips back and forth in time as we look at things through Tedd's eyes.

The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi. Hmmm. Dystopian fiction fans, add this book to your hold list. Here there is a very current day issue, scarcity of water. A few people have it in abundance but most have barely enough to live. The struggle of the haves and the have nots.

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. This is the other unexpected entry for me. It is a romantic fantasy. A semi-literate 19 year old huntress is pulled into another world and falls in love with the faerie king. The beginning of a series. Seems to be very popular with a newly defined reading population, the 'new adult'. They generally range from early 20's to early 30's.

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson. If I am going to read Science Fiction, I will probably be reading Neal Stephenson. I really like his work. This one is defined as 'hard' science fiction which means to me, I glaze over those parts quickly because I don't have a lot of interest in the technicalities of how things work. People are aware that the earth is going to end. They develop plans - some going one way, some another, with supplies for a few thousand years. They plan to come back when Earth is habitable again. Reviewers are comparing it to the recently very popular 'The Martian'.

The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths. This is the 7th in Griffiths' Ruth Galloway series - a British forensic anthropologist. Ruth is called in to investigate when a downed World War II plane is excavated with pilot - but discovers the pilot isn't who he was suppose to be. Cold case investigation with familiar characters.

Early Warning by Jane Smiley This is the second book in the Langdon trilogy which follows the Iowa farm family introduced in Some Luck. This title covers the period of time from 1953 until the early 1980's. Smiley, a Pulitzer Prize winning author is from the Midwest and is a great supporter of the family farm. This trilogy is in many ways, in honor of that tradition.

Little Black Lies by Sharon Bolton. Bolton's newest takes place in a small community on the Falkland Islands. A child goes missing - and then another - and then a third. It is hard for the little community to admit that there is a murderer in their midst. Reviewers had said; "brilliant"; "Bolton's best book yet"; and " a real page turner". Sounds like a good one.

The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza. This title takes on the battle of a 40 year old cancer survivor coming back to work at a high fashion mag to find her tech savvy assistant had replaced many staff and was running things the 'new' way. Said to be funny and uplifting.

Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf. This is Haruf's last book. He died in Nov of 2014. His titles are always looks at small town life. This is no different. This title is the story of two elderly residents of Haruf's small town Holt, CO. They turn to each other to combat the loneliness. This causes reactions from town residents and family members. Life is still life in a small town and no one depicted it better than Haruf.