What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

What You Are Looking For Is in the Library

by Michiko Aoyama

Hanover Square, 2023. 304 pages. Realistic Fiction

What are you looking for?

This is the famous question routinely asked by Tokyo’s most enigmatic librarian, Sayuri Komachi. Like most librarians, Komachi has read every book lining her shelves—but she also has the unique ability to read the souls of her library guests. For anyone who walks through her door, Komachi can sense exactly what they’re looking for in life and provide just the book recommendation they never knew they needed to help them find it. Each visitor comes to her library from a different juncture in their careers and dreams, from the restless sales attendant who feels stuck at her job to the struggling working mother who longs to be a magazine editor. The conversation that they have with Sayuri Komachi—and the surprise book she lends each of them—will have life-altering consequences.

I may have a personal connection to this story in particular, since I am a librarian by profession. This brief book was lovely to read, with five separate yet interconnected stories who find inspiration and clarity in the library. I love when we see glimpses of the author's culture shine through the translation, as they did in this work. I do wish Aoyama had introduced us to Komachi and let us get to know her in a way beyond just her physical appearance. With its simple, digestible writing style, this made for a heartwarming and uplifting read that underscore the importance of libraries and literature.

Too Big for a Single Mind

Too Big for a Single Mind: How the Greatest Generation of Physicists Uncovered the Quantum World

by Tobias Hürter
Klett-Cotta, 2021. 398 pages. Nonfiction

There may never be another era of science like the first half of the twentieth century, when many of the most important physicists ever to live—Marie Curie, Max Planck, Wolfgang Pauli, Niels Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, Ernst Schrödinger, Albert Einstein, and others—came together to uncover the quantum world: a concept so outrageous and shocking, so contrary to traditional physics, that its own founders rebelled against it until the equations held up and fundamentally changed our understanding of reality.
In cinematic, page-turning chapters, Hürter takes us back to this uniquely momentous and harrowing time, when war and revolution upended the lives of renegade scientists. Hürter reveals these brilliant thinkers anew, as friends and enemies, lovers and loners, and indeed, men and women just like us. Hürter compellingly casts quantum mechanics as a concept Too Big for a Single Mind—and its birth as a testament to the boundless potential of genius in collaboration.

Having a background in science, I had heard of all of these scientists and their discoveries. However, my formal education focused more on the interactions between the ideas, whereas Hürter here portrays them as real people, showing how their complex individual and professional lives interacted (and sometimes clashed). The writing is exquisite and flawless, which isn't always the case for work on scientific topics -- or for any narrative nonfiction, for that matter. If you're looking for a deep dive into the science, you might want to look elsewhere. On the other hand, you don't need any sort of prior knowledge to fully appreciate this work, making it quite accessible to the average reader. I'd recommend this to any nonfiction reader interested in science or history.

The Last One

The Last One

by Will Dean
Atria, 2023. 448 pages. Thriller

When Caz steps onboard the exclusive cruise liner RMS Atlantica, it’s the start of a vacation of a lifetime with her new love, Pete. On their first night they explore the ship, eat, dance, make friends. But when Caz wakes the next morning, Pete is missing. And when she walks out into the corridor, all the cabin doors are open. To her horror, she soon realizes that the ship is completely empty. No passengers, no crew, nobody but her. The Atlantica is steaming into the mid-Atlantic and Caz is the only person on board. But that’s just the beginning of the terrifying journey she finds herself trapped on in this white-knuckled mystery.

I loved the premise of this book. As an avid cruiser, I found myself drawn in and invested in this setting, even though there wasn't much reason to connect to the characters. None of them seemed to experience much character development or growth -- with perhaps the exception of some minor characters (but it turns out, they were plants all along, so that doesn't really count.) There was a sharp change in tone around the 35% mark: this book went from a thriller to a survival story bordering on horror, and that was unexpected to say the least. I also wish the pace were a bit quicker: for a thriller, there is an awful lot of reflecting and remembering that didn't seem to influence the plot at all. I was also a bit mystified by the ending: the way I understood it, she is set up again to be a contestant on another Dark Web broadcast show, but this time it's on a plane? It seems a bit too far-fetched for my taste. All thing considered, it gave me a lot to think about.

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

To Shape a Dragon's Breath

by Moniquill Blackgoose
Del Rey, 2023. 511 pages. Fantasy

Book #1 in the "Nampeshiweisit" series

The remote island of Masquapaug has not seen a dragon in many generations—until fifteen-year-old Anequs finds a dragon’s egg and bonds with its hatchling. To her people, Anequs is revered as Nampeshiweisit—a person in a unique relationship with a dragon. Unfortunately for Anequs, the Anglish conquerors of her land have different opinions. Only with great reluctance do they allow Anequs to enroll in a proper Anglish dragon school on the mainland. Anequs and her dragon may be coming of age, but they’re also coming to power, and that brings an important realization: the world needs changing—and they might just be the ones to do it.

I'm always a fan of a protagonist that goes to lengths to disrupt the social hierarchy, especially one that is racist and sexist. While it has roots in reality, the world that Blackgoose has created is complex and rich in its history and scope. I particularly enjoyed learning  the details about their fantasy version of chemistry, which others in the genre gloss over or ignore altogether. However, I see how this could be a bit laborious and cumbersome to those with a different academic background. Also, dragons are always fun, but I feel they could have been developed a little further as characters. And the romance was a very slow burn: IIRC first kiss somewhere around 70%. This one definitely needs a sequel.

The Daughters of Izdihar

The Daughters of Izdihar

by Hadeer Elsbai
Harper Voyager, 2023. 384 pages. Fantasy

As a waterweaver, Nehal can move any water to her will, and she desires nothing more than to attend the Weaving Academy, take control of her powers, and pursue a future with the first all-female military regiment. But her family cannot afford to let her go, and Nehal is forcibly married into a wealthy merchant family. Her new spouse is indifferent and in love with another woman, a bookseller named Giorgina. Giorgina has her own secret, however: she is an earthweaver with dangerously uncontrollable powers. Her only solace comes from the Daughters of Izdihar, a radical women's rights group with a simple goal: to attain recognition for women to have a say in their own lives. Tensions are rising with a neighboring nation that desires an end to weaving. As Nehal and Giorgina fight for their rights, the threat of war looms in the background, and the two women find themselves struggling to earn--and keep--a lasting freedom.

I absolutely loved the magic system: elemental magics are my jam! It was also lovely to have the cultural influences of Egypt and Western Asia reflected in this work. I'm usually not a fan of multiple POVs, but Elsbai made the work flow effectively and smoothly between the two tightly intertwined storylines. There were times when the gentle pacing seemed to drag, and the allusions to (and outright portrayal of) civil rights seemed a bit heavy-handed. I wish we had seen more of the protagonist's relationship with Malak, the leader of the Daughters of Izdihar. I also was disappointed that this book was quite long, and yet the ending was extremely unsatisfying. I understand that it's part of a duology, but it felt like the plot was arbitrarily interrupted by the end of the book.

The Shamshine Blind

The Shamshine Blind

by Paz Pardo
Atria, 2023. 320 pages. Sci-Fi

In an alternate 2009, the United States has been a second-rate power for a quarter of a century, ever since Argentina’s victory in the Falkland’s War thanks to their development of “psychopigments.” Created as weapons, these colorful chemicals can produce almost any human emotion upon contact, and they have been embraced in the US as both pharmaceutical cure-alls and popular recreational drugs. Black market traders illegally sell everything from Blackberry Purple (which causes terror) to Sunshine Yellow (which delivers happiness). Psychopigment Enforcement Agent Kay Curtida works a beat in Daly City, just outside the ruins of San Francisco, chasing down smalltime crooks. But when an old friend shows up with a tantalizing lead on a career-making case, Curtida’s humdrum existence suddenly gets a boost. Little does she know that this case will send her down a tangled path of conspiracy and lead to an overdue reckoning with her family and with the truth of her own emotions.

I'm a big fan of works that blur the lines between genres, and Pardo manages to do that beautifully here. This work is a combination of the gritty noir and hardboiled detective stories from the early 20th century on one hand, and the post-apocalyptic alternate history science fiction on the other. The idea of weaponizing human emotion is fascinating and refreshing, though I wish there had been more of a good twist at the end. And as an Argentine American myself, I secretly relished in this world where Argentina was a superpower, conquering both the Falkland Islands and Great Britain (even though Argentina is made out to be the bad guys; haters gonna hate).

Body Neutral

Body Neutral: A Revolutionary Guide to Overcoming Body Image Issues

by Jessi Kneeland
Penguin Life, 2023. 432 pages. Non-fiction

Have you ever thought that if only you could change the way you looked, your life would be better? We all know that our problems wouldn’t actually be solved. That’s because body image issues are never just about the they’re always about something deeper inside. As a personal trainer and coach, Jessi Kneeland set out on a quest to discover what it truly takes to help people understand, process, and heal their body image issues for good. They share their discoveries in Body Neutral and will help you discover what that reason is and how to defuse its power, freeing you to enjoy a life of true confidence, security, and satisfaction.

I've had body image issues for at least a decade and a half now, and this may sound naïve, but I had never really considered what might be the underlying reason(s) for them. Kneeland presents four "avatars" that describe common profiles of people who struggle with body image. This book will make you work, and it has a lot to unpack, including specific actions to take on a personal level. I liked this book enough to purchase myself a copy after reading (which is not something I do very often, as a public librarian). I'll for sure revisit this book as I continue to work on seeing my body through a neutral, impartial, unbiased lens. (I also especially appreciated that Kneeland wrote to a diverse audience in this work: body image issues are not women-exclusive, thank you very much.)

How to Be Remy Cameron

How to Be Remy Cameron

by Julian Winters
Duet, 2019. 340 pages. Young Adult

Everyone on campus knows Remy Cameron. He's the out-and-gay, super-likable guy that people admire for his confidence. The only person who may not know Remy that well is Remy himself. So when he is assigned to write an essay describing himself, he goes on a journey to reconcile the labels that people have attached to him, and get to know the real Remy Cameron. 

I enjoyed how this book presented true-to-life depictions of queer adolescence (which, if you're a regular of this blog, you know that YA sometimes misses the mark for me in that regard). I also love how Remy refuses to let either his race or his sexuality be his sole defining characteristic, and Winters grapples with this important issue head on. This book is beautifully written, and there are passages and lines that really captivated me. This work is not so plot-driven and focuses more on introspection while maintaining a lighthearted and positive tone.

Man Enough

Man Enough: Undefining My Masculinity

by Justin Baldoni
HarperOne, 2021. 368 pages. Nonfiction

The effects of traditionally defined masculinity have become one of the most prevalent social issues of our time. Actor, director, and social activist Baldoni reflects on his own struggles with masculinity. With insight and honesty, he explores a range of difficult, sometimes uncomfortable topics including strength and vulnerability, relationships and marriage, body image, sex and sexuality, racial justice, gender equality, and fatherhood. He challenges men to be brave enough to be vulnerable, to be strong enough to be sensitive, to be confident enough to listen. 

Every so often, I come across a book that changes my life. This is one of them. Baldoni speaks from his experiences and his heart in a raw and honest way as he discusses the challenges he has faced throughout his life when it comes to the expectations society places on us as men. Not everything in this book was perfectly relatable to me (such as the portions about his relationships with his wife and children), but most of the work rang true to what I have experienced. It was also lovely to hear him narrate the audiobook version of his work. I'm inspired to continue my work to embrace all the aspects of myself, including the masculine and the feminine.