As the leaves are changing colour and the temperature drops, I am feeling more inclined to grab a cup of tea and curl up in a chair with a good book. I have been reading a variety lately, fiction and non-fiction. A couple of the library’s new books that I’ve dipped into are The Scorpion Rules by Erin Bow and Ink & Bone by Rachel Caine.
The Scorpion Rules is a dystopian tale, a world where peace is maintained by Artificial Intelligence. Every country or self-governing state must send a hostage to the AI, the ruler’s child or grandchild. Any time war is declared, the child forfeits his or her life. The story is about one of the ‘homes’ where these children are kept. The AI maintains world peace – but at what cost?
Ink & Bone is from the steam punk genre. In this version of the future, The Great Library at Alexandria controls all knowledge by governing its flow to the people. Original books are outlawed; only the Library is allowed to have them. Of course there is a thriving black market for illegal books, and Jess Brightwell’s family is in the middle of it. Jess gets the opportunity to train to work for the Library, his father setting him up to be a spy. He believes in the value of the Library but when faced with the reality of the Library believing that knowledge is more valuable than any human life, he has to make life-altering decisions.
There are lots more new books to choose from. Keep checking out the new Fiction and Non-Fiction shelves.