Tom Sherbourne and his wife Isabel live on Janus Rock, an island situated at the southwest corner of Australia. Tom keeps the lighthouse there protecting the sailors who navigate the treacherous waters between oceans—the warm, calm Indian Ocean and the cold, stormy Great Southern Ocean at the bottom of the world. Tom has survived childhood [...]
Opening in Kenya in 1926 and moving from pre-World War I England to 1999 New York and back again, The Ashford Affair chronicles the life of popular debutante Lady Beatrice (Bea) Gillecote, her cousin, Addie, their loves and their offspring. Bea becomes her six-year-old cousin’s protector and champion when Addie is sent to live with [...]
Caution: if you are like me and like to read while you are eating this may not be the book for you. Mary Roach obviously likes science. In her previous books she explores space travel (Packing for Mars), sex and reproduction (Bonk), and death (Stiff). In this latest book, Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal [...]
Whew! After a week of dystopia it is time for the Dangerous Library Book Pushers to feature some (possibly) lighter reading fare. In fact, these suggestions are so light you won’t even have to pick them up! What I have in mind are e-audiobooks. What could be better for long car trips to vacation destinations [...]
The Dog Stars by Peter Heller Unlike the rest of this week’s posts today’s book, The Dog Stars, has a grown-up appeal; it features an adult male protagonist. Plus, unlike the books previously presented this week there is no oppressive government presence. In fact there is no government at all, no societal divisions, no lurking [...]
Escape from Furnace by Alexander Gordon Smith One of the first rules about book talking is: Do not try to booktalk a book you haven’t read! And here I go violating that very rule. But in my defense one of the reasons I haven’t read Escape From Furnace is from the time the library received [...]
Delirium by Lauren Oliver As in yesterday’s book, Matched, the government has determined that love is something to be avoided. In fact, this dystopia considers love a disease—a delirium. Accordingly, when you reach a certain age you must have The Procedure which will make you immune to love. Lena is looking forward to having The [...]
Matched by Ally Condie In the Society all your life choices are made for you: what job you do, the place you live, what belongings you may have and who you marry. If the authorities can control these aspects of your life then the rest of the country can be controlled as well. The story [...]
Divergent by Veronica Roth Here’s the setting: Chicago sometime in the future. As in The Hunger Games, society has evolved into a new arrangement of the population. At 16 years old you choose the faction of society you feel best suits your character—the brave, the peaceful, the honest, etc. Each part has a different role [...]
With finals starting this week you may feel like you are living in your own personal dystopia. Keeping that in mind, this week and throughout exam week I will be posting a book blurb on some of the dystopian fiction owned by the John Tyler libraries. I like the definition the Purdue English department gives [...]