Greenwood Public Library Blogs

Review: A Spark of Light

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A Spark of Light
by Jodi Picoult
4 stars

You can always count on Jodi Picoult to take on a contentious issue in her novels. This go around the topic is abortion. Her story opens with a gunman holding several patients and staff hostage at a women’s clinic in Mississippi. The hostages are of a variety of ages and reasons for why they’re in the clinic which allows Picoult to explore ranging viewpoints on abortion. Outside the clinic is Hugh McElroy, the hostage negotiator and the father of one of the hostages. A parallel story to the hostage situation is 17-year-old Beth who’s been arrested for ending her pregnancy illegally. Beth is in jail, distraught and treated horribly by the justice system.

The story then unfolds in reverse chronological order which was disconcerting at first, but I came to appreciate Picoult’s approach in the end. She leaves a little surprise at the conclusion as well has a heartfelt letter to readers.

 

Read-alikes:

Keeper by Greg Rucka

A Maiden’s Grave by Jeffery Deaver

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

 

Review: What Do They Do with All That Poo?

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What Do They Do with All That Poo?
by Jane Kurtz
5 stars

Have you ever wondered what happens with all the animal poo at zoos? I have to admit, I took it for granted. Kurtz takes you through what various animal poos look like, from shape to consistency. It’s more than you may want to know, but for kids who are obsessed with all things gross this is a perfect book.

 

Read-alikes

Worms for Breakfast: How to Feed a Zoo! by Helaine Becker

Flies Eat Poop! By Miriam Coleman

Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field by Ginger Wadsworth

Review: All Your Perfects

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All Your Perfects
by Colleen Hoover
5 stars

Colleen Hoover is one of my absolute favorite authors. I know I will drop whatever I’m doing and finish her newest release in a day or two. They are so hard to put down! The best thing about Hoover’s books is that all of them are so different. It’s best to go into each one blindly and enjoy the ride. All Your Perfects is about a troubled marriage. Graham and Quinn have been married for seven years and are deeply in love but mistakes, memories, and secrets have built up over the years and are now tearing them apart. The chapters alternate between the past and present, showing how they met and how they got to this point. I loved the chapters taking place in the past. They met in a very unconventional way and it really sets the tone for the present-day chapters. Hoover always manages to make me emotional in every book. I highly recommend this book as well as her others!

Read-alikes

Can’t Stop Believing by Jodi Thomas

Sharp Edges by Jayne Ann Krentz

Review: My Plain Jane

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My Plain Jane
by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows
3 stars

It felt like I waited FOR-EV-ER for My Plain Jane by the writing crew known as “The Lady Janies” to hit the shelves.  Their first book, My Lady Jane, is one of my all-time favorite reads so to say I was super eager to get my hands on their latest story would be an understatement.
My Plain Jane is Jane Eyre meets Ghostbusters .  Yes, you read that correctly.  The story begins in a terrible, horrible, no good very bad school where orphaned Jane Eyre befriends the budding novelist Charlotte Bronte.  Charlotte likes the quirky Jane, but things get a little crazy when she discovers that her new friend has the ability to communicate with ghosts.  The story unfolds much like the classic tale except for the introduction of a dashing supernatural investigator and an epic ghost hunt, which, you have to admit, sort of fits.  Jane finds herself working  as a governess at the home of Mr. Rochester when things start to get a little creepy.  And there unfolds a dastardly plot years in the planning.
While some of the charm and humor that I loved so much in My Lady Jane was missing, the interludes from the narrators still tickled my funny bone.  The introduction of Charlotte Bronte into the story as a main character was also genius and a fun explanation for how she came up with her much beloved tale.  You should definitely do yourself a favor and check out The Lady Janies and their strong, fierce female characters – especially if you’re in the mood for a laugh.

 

Read-alikes

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Review: How to Code a Sandcastle

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How to Code a Sandcastle
by Josh Funk
5 stars

We’re living in the age of STEM education, with a conscious effort to encourage scientific skills in young minds. At the library, this means weekly Full Steam Ahead programs for our school-age kids. And for publishing, this means more engaging nonfiction books, and a growing variety of STEM-themed picture books.

How to Code a Sandcastle is a fun, simple introduction to the ideas and principles behind coding. It focuses on Pearl and her robot, Pascal, who are enjoying a day at the beach. Pearl wants to make a sandcastle. She decides to get help from Pascal, but discovers that the directions she gives must be precise. Pascal gets into all sorts of trouble with her faulty code – at one point continuously piling up sand because Pearl did not know to close the loop. For kids who want to learn more about coding, this is a fun introduction to basic tools like if/then and loops.

 

Read-alikes

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty

Charlotte the Scientist is Squished by Camille Andros

Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming