Looking for you next great read? See what the Newfields librarians are reading and loving this month…
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Spooktober is upon us and that means all of the fun and spooky autumn activities! Whenever this time of year arrives, I always love to get bundled up in my comfiest clothes, get a hot beverage, find a cozy corner, and read a classic gothic horror novel. For this season, I decided to break away from my usual vampire fare and instead focus on something that paved the way for so many media adaptions (my favorite is Young Frakenstein) and also set the groundwork for Science Fiction to become a massive genre: Frankenstein.
Taking place in the 18th century, we learn about the story of Victor Frankenstein who is an aspiring, and incredibly vain, scientist who creates life and then becomes horrified by what he has made. While Frankenstein is a “monster” story, it really delves into the ideas of the dangers of technology and the importance of having strong connections with the people close to you, and finally how dangerous ambition can be. For Victor, watching him yearn to achieve power as a creator and then seeing him fail in being responsible for his creation is an incredibly interesting dynamic to read. This is a much different story than the plot points pop culture continously uses!
Frankenstein is one of those stories that draws some sort of strong opinion on it; which is great. Arguably all novels that have strong themes like this are made to be discussed or thought over, hopefully while enjoying the crisp autumn air and the bountiful harvest of summer past.
This book is available in our collection and via ebook and audiobook on Libby and hoopla apps. There is also a young readers adaption of it in our youth section.
-Lauren B.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
An exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope, tracing a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus. -Goodreads
I really enjoyed this book. You have to let go of what you know and allow yourself to believe in the magic of Marcellus’s and Tova’s relationship.
Having previously read Sy Montgomery’s wonderful book The Soul of an Octopus, I have an understanding of how smart and “sneaky” octopuses can be.
This book is written with great sensitivity to Marcellus’s predicament of being held prisoner for life in a public aquarium and Tova’s unfailing courage to remain independent in spite of her aging body. As Tova continues to talk to the Octopus while cleaning the aquarium windows and floors, she eventually learns his name and his story from the one aquarium scientist. Tova tells Marcellus the story of her missing son, and Marcellus realizes that he had encountered her son long ago.
The author guides the reader gently through their lives and adds elements of interest and tension at just the right moments to keep one turning the page to see what happens next—or in my case, since I listened to it (wonderful narration)—pushing the play button every chance I got. I believe most people will really enjoy this book.
This book is available to check in our collection and on the Libby and hoopla apps as an ebook or audiobook.
+ Check out the discussion with Shelby Van Pelt in our Virtual Author Talks collection here:
-Cori C.
A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher
A dark retelling of the Brothers Grimm’s Goose Girl, rife with secrets, murder, and forbidden magic. -Goodreads
This is my first book by T. Kingfisher and it did not disappoint. I loved this book. I’m not very familiar with the original Grimm fairy tale (The Goose Girl) and didn’t realize going into it that this was a retelling, but I can definitely see the dark and macabre influence the Grimm brothers are known for.
The story actually reminded me of a dark Ella Enchanted (one of my childhood favorites). And, ironically, The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale was another childhood favorite (but I clearly am due for a re-read as I have clearly forgotten most of the plot!).
A Sorceress Comes to Call has all the trappings of a great classic fairy tale telling…an evil sorceress mother, a young daughter caught under her mother’s control longing to be free, magic, romance, and some unlikely heroes/heroines.
I won’t go into a summary of the plot but here’s some main takeaways for me:
What I Liked:
I don’t always like dual POV but after a few chapters I ended up loving the choice to bounce between Cordelia and Hester’s perspectives. It made the plot richer and more dynamic.
The tone of the book was handled so well. It had the feel of a classic dark fairy tale but with some delightful comedic relief and lightness sprinkled throughout that struck the perfect balance.
The cast of characters were well drawn and even minor characters felt real adding great texture to the story.
What I Didn’t Like:
Not much in this case but I would have liked to learn more about Evangeline’s backstory and how her magic worked.
This is the perfect moody fall read to curl up with under a blanket. I will definitely be checking out more of T. Kingfisher’s work!
I listened to an advanced listening copy (ALC) from @Libro.fm and loved the audio narration.
This book is currently on order for our collection and also available via ebook and audiobook on the Libby app.
-Brittney T.
