Cat's Cradle

Veteran's Day in America is also Kurt Vonnegut's birthday, a dubious pairing if ever there was one for a writer who survived the fire bombing of Dresden during WWII and became vocally anti-war as a result. Year after year high school students are given gateway to Vonnegut through Slaughterhouse Five with the understanding that it is a great work of Literature, that it is often censored, and that it is a satirical anti-war book crucial to the Vietnam War protests. As with most required reading, students will rarely move beyond an author's so-called greatest work and never explore further.

But for me the ultimate Vonnegut book is Cat's Cradle, a satire of science, technology, religion, and the post-Sputnik Cold War era that is both more biting and funny than Slaughterhouse Five, and no less personal to Vonnegut.

Told in jabbing short chapters, the story is narrated by John (who calls himself Jonah) who is basically writing a memoir. It was originally supposed to be about what Americans were doing on the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, but as John follows the thread to Felix Hoenikker, a physicist who helped develop the atomic bomb, and his children, John/Jonah finds himself falling down a rabbit hole of connection that leads to the fictional island of San Lorenzo, modeled on Duvalier-era Haiti. In San Lorenzo John/Jonah finds himself and the Hoenikker kids in the company of the island's dictator "Papa" Monzano who is dying of cancer and is about to hand over the island to the Hoenikkers (who uncomfortable hand over the country to John/Jonah) before killing himself with a chard of ice-nine, a chemical created by the late Dr. Hoenikker that turns all water-based cells it comes into contact with into ice at room temperature.

Yeah, it's a convoluted plot, and that doesn't even cover the cult-like religion called Bokononism that brings about a mass suicide that nearly destroys the world. John/Jonah is more like his literary kin Ishmael who survives to tell us this tale.

As for the personal element, ice-nine does exist, it was co-created by Vonnegut's brother Bernard at the GE labs where Vonnegut was working in Public Relations at the time.  

The Death and Life of Zebulon Finch, Volume One by Daniel Kraus

Dearest Reader,

If you dare, join me in the tale of one Zebulon Finch.

Revel in the ribaldry as Finch leaves the cosseted nest and joins the nascent Black Hand gangsters in fin-de-siécle Chicago!

Wince in sympathy as a reanimated Finch endures indentured servitude in Dr. Whistler’s Pageant of Health and Gallery of Suffering!

Recoil in horror as Finch discovers the cadaverous truth behind Dr. Leather’s People Garden!

Earth + Space: Photographs from the Archives of NASA

In case you're feeling the need for a bit of the music from 2001: A Space Odyssey (I know I was, upon seeing this gorgeous book), here's a link to the opening, complete with a cosmic image (not from the book, alas): Also Sprach Zarathustra by Richard Strauss opening.

With a warmly written preface from Bill Nye (the Science Guy), this book is chock-full of photographs that will take your breath away. The photos are all from NASA (the National Aeronautics and Space Administration). They prove that the Universe is a dynamic, fantastic place, full of more galaxies than most people ever thought to imagine, and with more stars being born - or dying - at any given time than most people would think to count. And while we refer to the night sky as black or dark blue with white or yellow pinpoints of light, these photos make plain that the Universe is far more vast, active, and colorful than we give it credit for.



The text, written by Nirmala Nataraj, a science writer and photographer, explain what each photo depicts using clear, descriptive language that help to put the workings of the known Universe in context. The photos come from various telescopes and spacecraft over the years; some are produced using different wavelengths, allowing scientists (and now, lucky readers) to detect and observe cosmic activities that would otherwise be invisible using standard visible wavelengths of light.



More than a coffee-table book (although it's pretty awesome for that purpose), it's a must-see/must-read for anyone interested in space or science. And isn't that most of us?



A stellar, or should I say "out of this world"?, addition to anyone's library.

The Return of the Book Fair for Ballou High School Library!

HERE WE GO

It is time yet again to buy books for the library at Ballou Senior High School in Washington DC!

Every year, Guys Lit Wire lends its platform to host a book fair for Ballou. Working with librarian Melissa Jackson and her students, we build a wish list of titles they need and then ask the internet to buy a book (or 2) (or more) and send some joy their way. It's quick and it's easy and for book lovers in particular, it's a no-brainer.

We all know that books matter to kids, and we all know why buying books for teens who do not have wide access to them is a smart investment in our world's future. For Ballou, the school fund for book purchases is not large and as a Washington Post article showed earlier this year, the dollars for books in DC often go to wealthier neighborhoods. Also, when they get money schools like Ballou are often not able to purchase the sort of fun or seemingly frivolous titles that teens would really to read. That is where the Guys Lit Wire Book Fair for Ballou comes in. We buy the books the kids ask for, plain and simple.

So here's the deal:

This year we have moved the wish list from Powells Books to Amazon. I know that will be a bit painful for folks (really, I do), but there has been an issue with the availability of smaller press/diverse titles through Powells. On several occasions, books we wanted to include on the list were not on their shelves and could not be purchased. We've let it slide but combined with some concerns about unacceptable used copies showing up, this year we decided that going with Amazon was just the best thing to do. I hope you can understand.

The Amazon wish list can be found here. If you would like to embed a link in a post or tweet (and PLEASE DO!!), use this one: http://tinyurl.com/BookFairforBallou. (And yes, I know that sometimes when you search for the list by name on Amazon, it doesn't show up. I have no idea why, so spare yourself the frustration and use the link!)

The mailing address is already set-up for checkout and there are nearly 400 books to choose from with a price range that starts under $5. We do hope you will find a book that you want to send to Ballou and help us fill their shelves with the titles these kids want so very much to read.

The Book Fair for Ballou High School Library will stay open for 2 weeks and we will keep you posted on how things go. Leave us a comment when you buy a book and watch the Ballou twitter feed for shout outs from Melissa (@BallouLibrary) as books show up.

THANK YOU!

 [Post pics of author MK Asante and students in the Ballou Library during an author visit last month.]

SOPHOMORES AND OTHER OXYMORONS by David Lubar

Knowing how popular David Lubar's SLEEPING FRESHMEN NEVER LIE has been with my students, I didn't hesitate to pick up a copy of SOPHOMORES AND OTHER OXYMORONS as soon as it hit the bookstore.  In my opinion, the continuing high school adventures of Scott Hudson did not disappoint.

Things have definitely changed since the arrival of Scott's baby brother Sean.  Other than the fact that the little guy is usually loud, moist, and smelly, he is kind of cute.  Scott's father is still hoping to open his own garage, his older brother's band is enjoying some success, and it looks like Scott may soon have a sister-in-law.

With high hopes for sophomore year, Scott is determined to advance his friend relationship with Lee to a romantic level.  He is looking forward to contributing some high quality writing to the school paper.  He also has every intention of keeping his grades up and his prospects for a great future open.

Day one of sophomore year begins on the bus with an annoying freshman in need of Scott's advice and protection.  This is followed by a disgusting encounter with a partially dissected cat resulting in an embarrassing bout of public vomiting.  Worst of all, in English, the class that should be the highlight of his day, Scott discovers that the teacher most definitely doesn't appreciate his wit and wisdom.  It's beginning to look like sophomore year might not be all Scott dreamed it would be.

David Lubar packs in plenty of humor and tons of word play for readers as they navigate sophomore year with Scott and friends.  Quirky characters, non-stop action, and witty vocabulary will have readers laughing all the way through this hilarious page-turner.  Will Scott return for junior year in the near future?  We can only hope.


Previously posted at readingjunky.blogspot.com

Railhead by Philip Reeve

Zen Starling is a small time thief and a railhead. He snags valuables from shops in distant towns and cities where no one knows his face. To get around, he rides the rails which take him from planet to planet across the galaxy.

In Zen’s universe, humanity has dispersed throughout the galaxy, but it hasn’t done so by space travel. Instead, trains link planets together. On each planet the trains travel as normal trains do, on tracks over ground, but when they pass through K-Gates they carry their freight and passengers to different worlds.

After riding the rails, Zen returns to his backwater home planet of Cleave, where he fences his ill-gotten goods to Uncle Bugs, a local junk shop proprietor who happens to be a swarm of intelligent insects within a vaguely humanoid frame. He uses the money he gets to help his sister Myka support their mother who, debilitated by extreme paranoia, can do nothing for herself. It’s not a happy existence and Zen uses the trains as much for mental escape as to get around.

After one simple heist, just some jewelry, Zen is pursued by a destructive drone and an odd-looking girl. But it turns out they don’t want to arrest him or exact revenge. They work for a shadowy figure called Raven who travels the galaxy on a half-insane train over long-abandoned rail lines. Raven wants to hire him to steal something, a piece of art, from the most powerful family in the galaxy.

Amity by Micol Ostow

Looking for a book to give you goosebumps this Halloween? Check out Amity by Micol Ostow. Inspired by the house on 112 Ocean Avenue - the Amityville Horror - this work of fiction follows two teenaged protagonists who moved in the same house ten years apart. Gwen and Connor narrate alternating sections in first person, making readers privy to their innermost thoughts as they begin to see and hear things which are out of the ordinary: faces in mirrors, dirt and blood on their own hands and faces, whispers in the night. Objects appear and disappear from different rooms in the house; the air thickens and chills. Yet no one else seems to see and hear these things. No one, except...

Each protagonist has a sibling that is (or was) close to them: Connor has a twin sister, while Gwen has a brother who is barely a year older, a brother who has become more distant and hostile since they moved into the house. Meanwhile, ten years earlier, Connor had a similar temperament, giving into dark thoughts and violent urges, seeming to feed on the evil energy of the house while simultaneously it fed on him.

The parallels between the two stories grow more evident as the story continues, and then things begin to line up, overlap, and explode.

The dual narrative definitely works in this scenario, with Gwen's fear that she is going crazy (again) contrasting effectively with Connor's unapologetic enjoyment as he embraces his darkness. Gwen thinks she's pathetic, but readers will find her sympathetic; Connor is twisted, and he likes it that way. It is interesting to note that both characters are trying to be happy in their own ways and both are pretending to be something they're not.

With short, unnumbered chapters - sometimes no longer than three-quarters of a page - the action moves quickly, and the format and plotting of the story should attract and intrigue horror fans, even those with shorter attention spans.

Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Margo Lanagan and Deborah Biancotti

All Scam wanted was a ride home from a night out.
Scam, Crash, Flicker, and Anonymous are led by their "Glorious Leader" Bellwether and call themselves Zeroes, not heroes. They all have powers, they just aren't quite "super." Maybe the phrase "in training" could be applied to the Zeroes. It's not like they don't have good intentions most of the tiome when they try to use their powers, but control seems to be an issue. When Mob enters the group, the problems and the possibilities seem to grow. The group needs to pull it together becasue the mission has gone from theoretical to the real deal. Lives stand in the balance and the Zeroes must own their powers in order to get the job done.
Westerfeld, Lanangan and Biancotti pull together a fantastic cast of characters trying to find their way in the world. Please, somebody tell me that this will develop into a series! Whew, I looked - it's planned as a trilogy. I highly recommend this book. A really fun read that moves along, quickly drawing the reader into the wolrd of the Zeroes.

Some 2016 titles to get on your radar

Here are a few titles, with their brief catalog copy descriptions, that I think you should keep an eye out for next year:

Charlotte, Branwell, Emily, and Anne. The Brontë siblings find escape from their constrained lives via their rich imaginations. The glittering world of Verdopolis and the romantic and melancholy world of Gondal literally come to life under their pens, offering the sort of romance and intrigue missing from their isolated parsonage home. But at what price? As Branwell begins to slip into madness and the sisters feel their real lives slipping away, they must weigh the cost of their powerful imaginations, even as the characters they have created—the brooding Rogue and dashing Duke of Zamorna—refuse to let them go. 

There is a legend that a Great Spotted Whale lives in the ocean; local fishermen still talk of it, although the first sighting fifty years ago was never corroborated. Now, two young whale watchers each set out to find the whale, one armed with sound recording equipment, the other a camera. Mid-ocean their boats collide, so they pool their resources and set off together to capture incontrovertible proof that the mythical Great Spotted Whale exists. The eventual sighting is a magical moment: the whale is truly phenomenal, and swimming along beside her is a small whale calf. The children return to shore, solid proof in hand. As an added twist to the story, they discover that it was their own grandparents who first sighted the Great Spotted Whale fifty years ago. The Murrow’s epic, wordless adventure is brought to life with Ethan’s stunning graphite drawings, which convey the drama and haunting beauty of the ocean, and capture the majesty of this awe-inspiring creature.

This is a wordless picture book that appears absolutely stunning. Artistic teens are going to love it - as well anyone who appreciates truly great art.

In 1934, Irène Curie, working with her husband and fellow scientist, Frederic Joliot, made a discovery that would change the world: artificial radioactivity. This breakthrough allowed scientists to modify elements and create new ones by altering the structure of atoms. Curie shared a Nobel Prize with her husband for their work. But when she was nominated to the French Academy of Sciences, the academy denied her admission and voted to disqualify all women from membership. Four years later, Curie’s breakthrough led physicist Lise Meitner to a brilliant leap of understanding that unlocked the secret of nuclear fission. Meitner’s unique insight was critical to the revolution in science that led to nuclear energy and the race to build the atom bomb, yet her achievement was left unrecognized by the Nobel committee in favor of that of her male colleague.

Radioactive! presents the story of two women breaking ground in a male-dominated field, scientists still largely unknown despite their crucial contributions to cutting-edge research, in a nonfiction narrative that reads with the suspense of a thriller. Photographs and sidebars illuminate and clarify the science in the book.

Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods by Hal Johnson; illustrated by Tom Mead

Sure, you've heard of Bigfoot and chupacabras, but what about snoligosters, wapaloosim, and leprocauns (not leprechauns)? The ghoulishly fun Fearsome Creatures of the Lumberwoods introduces readers to twenty legendary and fantastical creatures, including the latter three.

Our guide to the "wild and untamed" lumberwoods of North America is a cryptozoologist, one who is, "if I do say so myself, at or near the forefront of my field. So many colleagues have been eaten by chimeras, incinerated by salamanders, or pecked to death by barnacle geese; there is not necessarily much competition left."

Each short chapter is devoted to a single creature, accompanied by an illustration (some of which glow in the dark!), and explains why it is so hard to find, as well as what it does to the unfortunate people who, purposefully or accidentally, run into one. Fortunately for us, our cryptozoologist narrator has encountered many of them firsthand, like the toteroad shagamaw in Maine or the whintosser in California, and survived to share his wisdom.

I'd like to say that the stories in this collection are deliciously gory, except some of them involve rather unfortunate meals. Then again, considering the Acropelter entry in particular, this is probably a fitting description.