Chapter Two Hundred Sixteen: Artemis

So I listened to Artemis, the newest novel by Andy Weir (author of The Martian), because The Martian was really excellent on audio, and I figured the same would be true of Artemis.  Guess what?  The same is true of Artemis!  I was hooked--it was the kind of story that made me not want to get out of my car because I wanted to keep listening.  (It's probably also fun as a read, but if you do audiobooks, definitely listen to Artemis, delightfully narrated by actress Rosario Dawson.)  While there are a couple of really weird moments, mostly this is a fun, fast-paced, smart, and entertaining caper story.  I really enjoyed that our main characters--who live in the first and only lunar city, Artemis--come from all over Earth, offering a surprisingly and pleasantly diverse cast.  The main character, Jazz, is highly intelligent and also has her share of human flaws, a combination not found often enough in books, I think.  If you enjoyed The Martian, check out Artemis.  (If you haven't read either, go read both!  No, the movie of The Martian doesn't count, though it is good.  And yes, I'm hoping for a movie of Artemis.)  If you're looking for a smart, irreverent adventure story, check out Artemis.  In sum, go check out Artemis.  It's really good!

Chapter Two Hundred Fifteen: The Library at the Edge of the World

The Library at the Edge of the World by Felicity Hayes-McCoy is a feel-good small-town story without being overly sweet or unrealistically and relentlessly upbeat. While I didn't find this novel to be earth-shattering, I did enjoy and care about its cast of characters, and I liked its Irish setting (its author is Irish).  Also, if you hadn't guessed, it's about a librarian!  Although she is a somewhat (very) begrudging librarian...  This book reminded me a bit of Louisiana Saves the Library, which I read back in April of 2016--apparently I'm pretty into reading books about librarians.  Who'd have guessed it?  However, you needn't be a library junkie to enjoy this novel--it actually reminds me a bit of A Man Called Ove, too, though it didn't make me cry like Ove did.  If you're wanting some contemporary realistic fiction, try The Library at the Edge of the World.