Techie Books and Movies by Keri Mills, Young Adult Librarian

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Judi

For those of you lucky enough to get a few days off from work or school, Spring Break is a great time to relax with a stack of books or have a movie marathon. Why not celebrate your inner nerd by focusing on techie books or movies?
There are many great techie books out there, but here are a few of my recent favorites:
“Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
It is the year 2044, and the world is a pretty bleak place. Like many others, Wade Watts prefers to spend the majority of his time in the virtual reality world of OASIS, rather than his poverty-stricken real world. For years, Wade and countless others have been searching OASIS for hidden clues that will lead to the billions of dollars amassed by the late OASIS creator, James Halliday. To find the clues, Wade has immersed himself in the life of Halliday, including his obsession with 80’s pop culture. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, suddenly the whole world is watching him, and Wade realizes that some will stop at nothing ,including murder, to be the first to find Halliday’s fortune. If you grew up in the 80’s, this book is particularly enjoyable, since it is filled with references to video games, movies, TV, and music from the 80’s.

“Robopocalypse” by Daniel Wilson
Set in the near-future, this chilling read recounts the history of a massive war between machines and humans. Dr. Wasserman has created an artificial intelligence named Archos who finds a way to kill off his creator and begin his plan to destroy humankind from the earth. Archos slowly takes control of machines all over the world, including toys, factory equipment, domestic service robots, cars, and military equipment. Few humans notice until it is too late. By then, Archos has launched a full-scale coordinated attack all over the world. Millions are killed instantly, and human annihilation seems likely. Be aware that reading this could lead to significant paranoia!

“Epic” by Conor Kostick
Welcome to a planet where violence has been banned and disputes are settled in the fantasy computing game, Epic. Status and wealth are also dependent upon winning in the gaming world. Things seem to be running along smoothly, until Erik’s dad is unfairly punished by the Central Allocations committee that rules the entire planet. Erik and his friends embark on a quest to bring an end to Epic, but must face dangers within Epic and in the real world. This book is great for middle school grades and older, so after you read it yourself, share it with your teens.

If you need a break from reading, check out some movies. Revisit one of these classic techie movies:

“Brazil”
In a future world, Sam Lowry, a bureaucrat, tries to correct an administrative error and inadvertently becomes entangled in a revolution.

“Blade Runner”
Deckard is a blade runner, a cop who tracks down replicants (human clones) and terminates them. He comes out of retirement to track down four replicants who have escaped from an off-world colony and returned to earth.

“Terminator”
A cyborg is sent from the future to find and kill Sarah Connor, whose son will grow up to lead humanity in a war against machines.

“2001: A Space Odyssey”
Humans find a mysterious artifact buried on the moon, and with the intelligent computer HAL 9000, set off on a quest to Jupiter to try to find the source of the artifact.

Or, try a newer techie movie like one of these:

“The Social Network”
This is the story of how Mark Zuckerberg, a Harvard student at the time, created Facebook and became the youngest billionaire in history.

“Star Trek” (2009)
Newly commissioned James T. Kirk and his crew of the USS Enterprise head to Vulcan when an emergency arises. Watch this before “Star Trek Into Darkness” comes out in theaters in May.

“The Prestige”
At the end of the nineteenth century in London, two famous rival magicians battle it out to be the greatest, which results in tragic consequences.

All of these techie books and movies can be found at Manhattan Public Library. Be sure to check out the techie books display in the young adult area for other great techie reads.

Ysabel

Posted on November 27, 2012 by Janet

by Guy Gavriel Kay

Ysabel is a mixing of two worlds, the now of Ned Marriner and the forever of Ysabel, Phelan, and Cadell. Ned is spending time in Provence, France with his father, who is a well known photographer on assignment. When Ned senses the powers of a mysterious being, he is entranced with becoming involved. That desire brings about fights with wolves, dogs, and druids which leads to the disappearance of Melanie, one of his father’s assistants, who is eventually taken over by Ysabel. Ned must win the hunt to find Ysabel before Phelan or Cadell, so that they can get Melanie back. The existence of these beings is disturbing to Ned, his father, and those working with them. Never knowing what they will do, or to what extent they will go to win the race to be the first to find Ysabel. Ned experiences severe nausia at one point in the journey, later finding out that the place was the site of a bloody sacrifice over 2,000 years ago. Those findings do not bring any comfort to the group, nor do the strange powers that Ned seems to have acquired. It’s a mixed-up time for Ned’s family and friends, but it also brings healing to otherwise broken relationships.

Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Judi

In the town of Wall, there is a stone wall with a gap that leads to a meadow where the Faerie Realm begins. Every 9 years, there is a fair in the meadow where once Dunstan Thorn fell in love with a beautiful woman from the other side of the wall. 9 months later, a baby, Tristan Thorn, is left at the wall. Dunstan raises the boy and Tristan falls in love with Victoria Foster. As they walk hand in hand , they spot a falling star and Victoria agrees to marry Tristan if he brings her the star. Tristan crosses through the wall and his adventures begin. He encounters deadly trees, a unicorn, talking animals, faerie sprites and he finds the fallen star, who turns out to be the daughter of the moon, Yvaine. As they make their way back to Wall, they are pursued by the Lords of Stormhelm, who want a jewel that Yvaine is carrying, and by an evil witch who wants Yvain’s heart to find eternal youth. When they reach Wall, Tristan realizes that what he thought he wanted isn’t what his heart wants, and that he is not who he always thought he was.

Stardust is a charming story, filled with wonderful images, good and evil characters and a very likeable main character who learns about life and himself on his quest for love–a terrific fairy tale for adults!!!

The Fairy Godmother by Mercedes Lackey

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Rhonna

Elena is finally free of her mean stepmother and stepsisters, but isn’t sure what to do without any family or position to go to. Fortunately her fairy godmother swoops in to clarify the situation. Apparently, Elena was supposed to be a “Cinderella”, but the kingdom’s prince was only a child, so she has been reassigned as a fairy godmother. Elena takes quickly to the role, only regretting the loneliness of the position, when she encounters the rudest man she ever met and punishes him by turning him into a donkey. As he learns humility, she ponders whether she has the strength to question tradition. The Fairy Godmother is a delightfully funny tale filled with magic, adventure, and romance.

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde

Posted on October 16, 2012 by Susan

I picked up The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde because I’ve read and liked the Thursday Next series and because the book got some great reviews. If you like Jasper Fforde’s oddball humor in his other books (or if you like Terry Pratchett), you’ll want to pick up The Last Dragonslayer.

Jennifer Strange is a foundling. She was abandoned on the steps of the convent of the Blessed Ladies of the Lobster as a baby and raised there. At 12, she was placed with Kazam Mystical Arts Management and is currently running the agency after the disappearance of its founder in a magic trick gone wrong.

Kazam is an employment agency for magicians that has fallen on hard times. Magic has been fading from the world and the magicians have grown less powerful as ambient magic has fallen. When magic starts to see a surge, strange events start to happen. The magicians with precognitive abilities all have a premonition that the last dragon will be slain in the next week. Jennifer sets off to find the Last Dragonslayer to see what she can do to prevent this from happening.

Every Day by David Levithan

Posted on October 10, 2012 by Susan

Every morning, A wakes up in a different body. Some days A is a girl, some days a boy, sometimes white, sometimes Asian, some days fat and some days thin (although always the same age as A, which at this point is 16). A has gotten used to these changes because it’s all A has ever known. A tries not to interfere in the lives of the bodies s/he inhabits, just drifting in and out and trying to leave things the way they were and not cause damage or have the person act too far out of character.

That all changes when A wakes up in the body of a slacker named Justin. Justin has a girlfriend, Rhiannon, and A falls in love with her at first sight. Suddenly A is breaking the rules and trying to see Rhiannon even after switching bodies. Rhiannon is the first person A confides in about the way A lives. It’s the first time A has really wanted to be with the same person every day. Rhiannon and A must navigate the complexities of what A’s condition means in having a relationship. They must decide what things can be sacrificed and what things cannot.

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Susan

Today is Maggie’s first day of school. Ever. For the first 14 years of her life, Maggie’s mom homeschooled her. Her only friends were her three older brothers who are there at high school to watch out for her, but it definitely isn’t the same. Lucy and her older brother, Alistair, are the only ones who have shown an interest in trying to get to know shy, quiet Maggie. They eat with her at lunch, go with her to see Alien at Halloween, and take her with them to the local Maritime Museum. That’s where Maggie finds out the back story of the ghost that has been stalking her since she was a little girl.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Posted on September 28, 2012 by Susan

Ravka is a place of hardship for most. It is ravaged by wars with hostile neighbors and has been split in half by the Shadow Fold for the past few hundred years. The Fold is a dead, dark place filled with volcra, creatures that fly out of the darkness and snatch and eat the men trying to reach the ports of Ravka on the other side of the Fold. Some in Ravka, known as the Grisha, have special powers ranging from the ability to heal wounds to the ability to summon fire. The Shadow Fold itself is the result of a Grisha known as the Black Heretic’s greed and lust for power.

Alina and Mal are soldiers in the First Army who grew up together on a noble estate after being orphaned in the Border Wars and have been best friends since their shared childhood. They must cross the Fold, or Unsea, on ships made to cross the dead sand and dust. Ships powered by Grisha who can summon the wind. When their ship is beset by volcra and Alina and Mal are moments from death, Alina’s desperation makes her use a dormant power, one the people of Ravka have been waiting for since the Fold first appeared.

Alina is swept away to the palace by the Darkling, head of the Grisha, to train and learn to use her new found power. Without Mal she feels more out of place than ever, and the palace is filled with intrigue and people with hidden motivations. Who can Alina trust in this strange new world?

Libriomancer by Jim C. Hines

Posted on September 16, 2012 by Susan

Have you ever wished you could reach into a book and pull out one of the objects described? How about Harry Potter’s Invisibility Cloak? Excalibur? The Hope Diamond? The possibilities are nigh endless. Isaac Vainio is a libriomancer, basically a wizard who can reach into books and create the objects found within. He is also a member of Die Zwelf Portenaere (the Porters), a group who keep magic in check and train people with magical abilities. After an incident where Isaac’s magic got dangerously out of control, Isaac is now a cataloger working at a small library in Michigan and not allowed to use his magic, except in order to defend himself.

When three Sanguinarius Meyerii (Twilight-style vampires) show up at his library and try to kill him, Isaac is drawn back into the world of magic and a conflict between the Porters and the vampires.

The creator of libriomancy, Gutenberg, is missing. And the vampires believe he is behind the attacks that have been perpetrated against their kind. If Gutenberg isn’t found and the attacks stopped, it means all-out war between the vampires and the Porters and the possibility that the mundane world will find out about magic. The Porters are doing their best to contain the conflict with the vampires, but they don’t have anyone left to send after Gutenberg. Isaac, his fire spider, and a dryad named Lena Greenwood are the only ones left who can find Gutenberg and prevent a war.

This is a great book for any bibliophile, particularly ones who enjoy science fiction and fantasy.

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Susan

Celaena Sardothien was betrayed by someone close to her, and as the best assassin in Adarlan, she was sentenced to hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier, as good as a death sentence, after being caught. When the crown prince offers her a way out of the salt mines in exchange for being his candidate for champion to the king, she has no choice but to accept or remain in the mines to die. The only possible outcomes: win or return to the mines. The crown prince, Dorian, and his captain of the guards and best friend, Chaol, get to know Celaena. She is a complicated young woman as a very talented assassin, someone who loves beautiful things, an avid reader, and a young person who still sees the world with optimism rather than being jaded by her deadly profession. Throne of Glass is more than just a love story, this complex novel is filled with intrigue, complicated characters, and a bit of magic.

If you enjoyed the intricate plotting, action, and strong female characters of Graceling or The Hunger Games, you’ll enjoy this book.

Game of Thrones

Posted on August 17, 2012 by Judi

Based on the first book–Game of Thrones– in George R.R. Martin’s fantasy saga A Song of Fire and Ice, the award-winning HBO series Game of Thrones is an epic story of violence, war, family, treachery and murder. Filled with scheming families, mysterious lands and intrigue at court in the mythical land of Westeros, HBO has created a sweeping fantasy series. The plot is intricate but the DVD set is accompanied by extras that include descriptions of family relationships, the Seven Kingdoms, maps and other information to assist viewers who have not read the book series. Visually stunning and filled with atmosphere, the film sets are detailed and costumes are lavish, with actors that bring the huge cast of characters vividly to life. The series has won many awards, including Golden Globe and Emmy Awards for Best Television series. Watch the series then read the books while you wait for the DVD set of Season 2 to be released. * Explicit sex and violence make this a series for mature audiences.*

Some Humor for the End of Summer

Posted on August 14, 2012 by Rhonna

It is the quietest time of year in Manhattan. Most of the summer activities have come to an end and we still have some time before the energy of returning students and school starting up. The recent heat has caused us all to be a bit wilted. A good laugh can help you through the end-of-summer doldrums so you can be cheerful when all our new residents come pouring in.

You might have heard of Lisa Scottoline’s suspense novels. What is less well known is that she partners with her daughter to write nonfiction that will crack you up. Her latest, Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: the Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughte r talks about the close and challenging relationships in families, while making sure to see the humor in life. Another nonfiction favorite is Bill Bryson, known best for his travel memoirs. Whether he’s on a trip across the pond in Notes from a Small Island or traveling back in time with The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid Bryson’s work is known for causing annoyance to those near readers because of the constant chuckling and the repeated phrase “You’ve got to hear this.”

Romance is a genre ripe with scenarios of people making idiots of themselves for our reading enjoyment. In Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D’Alessandro, Jamie Newman escapes New York for the beach in an attempt to regroup after a failed relationship, only to face a run-down shack, an ever-present family, and a difficult (but of course attractive) neighbor/landlord. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig takes us back to the French Revolution with the story of Amy Balcourt. Amy heads out to France with hopes to become a spy with the league of the Purple Gentian. Secrets, misunderstandings, and clumsy spying attempts don’t bode well for her career, but the Purple Gentian finds that he wants her close by anyway.

If you like your romance heavy on the humor but light on spice, you might like these Christian authors. A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist tells the story of Washington settler Joe Denton who needs a wife to keep his land and Ana Ivey who unknowingly signs off as a bride when she just hopes to escape to the west to find a job cooking. Full of witty dialogue and likeable characters, Gist’s books are a treat. In Fancy Pants by Cathy Marie Hake, Lady Syndey Hathwell escapes to her long lost uncle’s ranch disguised as a man. Ranch manager Tim Creighton is disgusted by his new ranch hand’s hardworking but inept and weak attempts to live up to his expectations.

For humor with a more mysterious turn, you might try The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde. Thursday Next, renowned Special Operative in literary detection, takes up the case when characters suddenly begin to disappear from great works of literature. A mix of fantasy and mystery is delightfully witty. Alan Bradley takes you into the world of the engaging Flavia de Luce, eleven year old chemist in The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. When she discovers a dying man in the garden, she revels in the joy of investigation.

Some of us like our humor to be a little otherworldly. In A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore, neurotic hypochondriac and recent widower, Charlie Asher, is faced with the challenges of a new baby and a new and unwanted job as a merchant of death. Scott Rockwell has adapted Terry Pratchett’s Discworld into Graphic Novel format, maintaining the bizarrely humorous feel from the original novels about a parallel world that rests on the backs of four elephants balanced on a giant turtle hurtling through space.

When the hot, slow days start to get you down, just remember the words of MarkTwain, “Against the assault of laughter nothing can stand.”

Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb

Posted on July 26, 2012 by Keri

If you’re looking for a new fantasy series, check out Dragon Keeper by prolific fantasy fiction writer Robin Hobb. It is the first book in her latest series, the Rain Wilds Chronicles and gets a starred review from BookList. There is great excitement surrounding the hatching of the new dragons from their cocoons. However, all does not turn out smoothly. The dragons are weak and deformed and unable to take care of themselves. The nearby inhabitants do their best to care for the dragons, but after years of providing food for the dragons, the task is burdensome and many fear the dragons could turn on them. Eventually, an agreement is made with the dragons to provide keepers to accompany them as they seek out their ancient home of Kelsingra. There’s only one problem, nobody, including the dragons, knows exactly where Kelsingra is or if it still exists. Dragon keepers are recruited from among those that society would like to forget existed. This volatile group of mostly teenagers and the dragons are accompanied by Captain Leftrin (who is hiding some secrets) on board his liveship and dragon expert Alise, a wealthy trader’s wife who is extremely unhappy in her marriage. Although there are quite a few characters to keep track of, the main characters are complex and realistic, and the fantasy world Hobb creates is richly detailed. Beware, though, there is not much of a resolution at the end of the book, so you will want to keep reading the rest of the series once you get started!

Alif the Unseen by G. Willow Wilson

Posted on July 3, 2012 by Susan

Alif, a 23-year old hacktivist in the Middle East, protects anyone who asks (and pays him) from the State’s online security. He’s very good at what he does, and has clients ranging from revolutionaries to Islamists. Being critical of the government can get a person disappeared in the State, so Alif provides protection and allows dissent to exist and be accessible to his fellow citizens.

Intisar is Alif’s lover, and when she leaves him for an arranged marriage to a prince, Alif does what any talented computer geek would do (okay, probably not true). He writes a program to identify Intisar from wherever she accesses the internet and then hides himself from her online. The Hand, head of State online security, breaches Alif’s security and steals this program.

It turns out Intisar’s fiance is the Hand, and he now knows about their relationship. Alif is forced to go on the run, along with his childhood friend, Dina. They also have in their possession the only known copy of the Thousand and One Days. A book of the jinn that the Hand desperately wants. The jinn’s metaphorical way of thinking has profound implications for information technology, and the Hand wants to harness this new method for his own ends. Alif must seek aid from beings he didn’t believe existed, namely the jinn as they exist in the Qur’an, in order to save himself and his friends.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Susan

For the past 5000 years, one million souls have inhabited Range, reincarnated in a new body each time they die. Ana is the first newsoul in all that time, and her existence raises questions others don’t want to think about. Her own mother calls her a nosoul and removed her from civilization to raise her in the woods away from people. After years of abuse from a woman who denies her ability to experience emotions, she sets off for the city to search for answers.

Ana is not necessarily welcome in the capital, Heart, either. Her curiosity and impulsive nature don’t endear her to the many people who have lived thousands of years and are unsettled by the change she represents.

One man who finds her fascinating and welcomes change is Sam, the most well-known musician on Range. Her own love of music draws the two of them together, and she enlists him in her mission to find out why she suddenly appeared and what happened to the soul her’s replaced. Others are not as pleased about her rejoining civilization and her search for answers. When she was out of sight, those who were disturbed by her existence could forget about her.

In a hard world filled with dragons, sylph, trolls, centaurs and other dangerous creatures, Ana must also worry about humans who see her as a threat to be eliminated.

Incarnate is Jodi Meadows’ debut novel and the first book in a planned trilogy.

Little Apple Bookworm

Category Archives: fantasy