Early Book Review: The Astronomers' Library: The Books that Unlocked the Mysteries of the Universe by Karen Masters

The Astronomers' Library: The Books that Unlocked the Mysteries of the Universe by Karen Masters is currently scheduled for release on April 23 2024.

Humankind has looked to the heavens since the dawn of time, wondering what is out there, as well as how everything works and (originally) who was responsible for it. Every tribe, race and civilization has wondered about our place in the universe and what lies beyond and what lies within it, below our feet. Lately, attention has turned to the origins of the universe. From the turn of the millennium, knowledge and ideas were recorded, first on tablets or rock, then in the form of simple manuscripts, and eventually in a much more elaborate fashion as illustrative, engraving, and printing skills evolved. As far back as the tenth century, Persian scholars such as Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi was recording his findings, observations and speculations on the wider universe, in his Book of Fixed Stars. The focus turned to Europe in the Middle Ages, with Germany, Holland and England the centers of study and publication. Following the “Copernican Revolution”, observation and study underwent a radical change, paving the way for astronomers such as Kepler, Galilei and Newton to shed further light on the nature of the planets and stars of our known systems, and the ground beneath our feet. Each of those famous names contribute to the illustrated books that are featured within.

The Astronomers' Library is a well researched and documented book that explores some of the most important and influential astronomy books from the last 800 years. As someone that has always been fascinated with the subject, I found the combination of information about the history or the field and its texted enthralling. I thought the illustrations and photographs use enhance the understanding and keeps the reader fully engaged with the book while also encouraging further exploration of the featured texts and times.  I felt that I learned a great deal from this read, and am likely to revisit it because it was an enjoyable read while also being informative. I also appreciated the list of more modern texts recommended by the author at the end of the book.

Early Book Review: The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen

The Library: A Fragile History by Andrew Pettegree; Arthur der Weduwen is currently scheduled for release on November 7 2021. Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes, or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings—the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident. Historians Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen introduce readers to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world’s great collections, trace the rise and fall of literary tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanors committed in pursuit of rare manuscripts. In doing so, they reveal that while collections themselves are fragile, often falling into ruin within a few decades, the idea of the library has been remarkably resilient as each generation makes—and remakes—the institution anew.

The Library: A Fragile History is a well written and thoroughly researched book. It gives an overview of the history of libraries, highlighting some notable libraries and collectors along the way. I think the information is very well organized, and I appreciated the inclusion of some women that have had an impact, which is often left out or written about in a condescending way. I appreciate the amount of research and work that went into the book, and found the subject matter fascinating. However, I think those most interested would do better to tackle this book one section at a time rather than trying to read it straight through. The information is great, it is meticulously researched and cited, but the text reads a bot dry and dense. The passion the authors, and most readers that pick up this book, feel is not conveyed through the text making it a less engaging read. I am still very glad I read it and learned so much, and I think those interested in the title and subject matter will be as well. It is just a slightly more dense non fiction read than I normally enjoy. As one would hope, and expect, from a book about libraries the lists of citations and the bibliography was complete and though. This made me happier as a reader because I could further explore the sources used in researching this book. 

The Library: A Fragile History is a book that will appeal to anyone that has ever fallen in love with reading, books, libraries, or the trappings of any related topics. 

Early Book Review: Don't Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise

Don't Check Out This Book! by Kate Klise is a children's book currently scheduled for release on March 10 2020. Consider the facts: Appleton Elementary School has a new librarian named Rita B. Danjerous. (Say it fast.) Principal Noah Memree barely remembers hiring her. Ten-year-old Reid Durr is staying up way too late reading a book from Ms. Danjerous's controversial "green dot" collection. The new school board president has mandated a student dress code that includes white gloves and bow ties available only at her shop. Sound strange? Fret not. Appleton's fifth-grade sleuths are following the money, embracing the punny, and determined to the get to the funniest, most rotten core of their town's juiciest scandal. 

Don't Check Out This Book! is a read full of punny names, and a healthy dose of humor. I really enjoyed the letter based format, and think that it portrayed the personalities and intent of the characters very well. I liked how well the different tones and voices were done, even with variation in stationary and handwriting to make them each stand out. I like that while some of the personalities seem over the top, I have actually met people like most of these characters. The story seems simple, but covers a lot of ground. THere is the importance of following the rules, but knowing that there is a time to question them and follow your own heart and mind to do the right thing. There is supporting others in doing the right thing, the importance of the perfect book, and how some people crave power and prestige more than the good they could do with it. The balance of humor and important ideas is so well done that it does not feel like preachy or heavy handed, which can ruin a read for some readers (like myself). I hope just as many parents, educators, and school board members read this as children because there were moments that felt all to real. I really enjoyed the read and was reminded how much I have enjoyed Klise's work. 

Don't Check Out This Book! was a great story that I think kids and adults can enjoy on their own and to spark conversations. 

Book Review: Read and Gone (Haunted Library Mysteries) by Allison Brook

Read and Gone is the second book in the Haunted Library Mysteries series by Allison Brook. I do recommend reading the series in order, to get the backstory of the characters and set up, but I think newcomers could catch on fairly quickly.

A devoted dad is as precious as diamonds, but Carrie Singleton wouldn't know since her dad Jim's been on the lam most of her life. In an unusual family reunion, she finds Jim breaking into her cottage in the middle of the night. The fun really starts when he begs her to help him recover his half of a seven-million-dollar gem heist he pulled off with the local jeweler, Benton Parr. When she refuses, Jim takes off again. Carrie finds her father again behind bars for the recent murder of Benton Parr. Who made the connection? Unbeknownst to her, Carrie's boyfriend Dylan, an insurance investigator, has been searching for the gems. Determined to find the jewels herself, she starts examining every facet of Parr's life. She turns up a treasure trove of suspects, one of whom bashes her on the head as she's searching the victim's country cabin. Retreating to the quiet confines of the library where she works, Carrie watches as Smokey Joe, the resident cat, paws at a hole in the wall. Is he after the library's ghost Evelyn, or something shinier?

Read and Gone is a solid continuation to this series. I enjoyed that Carrie and the secondary characters continue to grow, and that I am still learning new things about them even though they feel like old friends. The addition of her father and the mystery and murder that follow in his wake was well done. I found the mystery to be multi layered and well handled, and even with the amount of suspects and twists I never felt like there was so much going on that I could not keep track of it all. I will admit that I had my suspicions about who might be involved in the big reveal, and I was mostly right. However, I really enjoyed the journey to get to those answers. While I enjoyed Jim, Carrie's dad, and his role in the action and felt that the emotional rollercoaster Carrie was dealing with were well written, I have to admit that I got frustrated with her on occasion. She seems a little quick to cut people out, and them gets upset when they take her at her word. However, as annoyed as I was I felt both sides were completely realistic and in character for them. It felt like giving advice to a friend who then ignores your coaching and does something completely different, normal but still bothersome. 

Read and Gone is an engaging read with plenty of twists and turns to keep mystery readers happy and enough character development and emotion to keep everyone turning those pages.