Posted on April 27, 2020 at 10:56 AM by Maggie Witte
As we deal with the current COVID-19 crisis, we find ourselves turning to books for comfort and to keep our minds occupied. Several Kansas Talking Books staff want to share what they’re reading right now. If you’re wanting something to read, how about making one of these your next selection.
We'll get through this together. Happy reading!
--KTB Staff
Aaron
I am reading DB 97475 The mysterious affair at Olivetti: IBM, the CIA, and the Cold War conspiracy to shut down production of the world’s first desktop computer by Meryle Secrest. Real life accounts of Cold War espionage are way more fun than James Bond novels because history is often crazier than fiction. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about early computer engineering, too, so I’m excited to see where the two disciplines cross paths.
Amanda
I am currently re-reading DB 45148 The Moorchild by Eloise McGraw. I know it’s a juvenile fiction book, but it was one of my favorites as a kid, and sometimes the ones from out childhood can be the most comforting to read. The book is about a half-human, half-fae young girl who is trying to find out who she is and where her place is in one world or another. I think it is well-written and a good read for anyone who has ever felt like they are different or at odds with the world around them.
Michael
I’m in the middle of DB 46605 Welcome to the Monkey House by Kurt Vonnegut. I find myself easily distracted right now and short stories are easier for me to digest than a novel. These stories are weird, funny, and undeniably Vonnegut. This collection features one of my all time favorites, Harrison Bergeron, and a possible new favorite, Tom Edison’s Shaggy Dog.
Suzanne
The book I am currently reading is DB 38591 Voyager, Outlander series, book 3 by Diana Gabaldon. I really like the whole series thus far. The historic nature of the book, along with its variety of courageous characters, give the books an air of reality. The book is brisk and tells the story from several perspectives and some of the characters are two hundred years apart.
Dylan
I’m currently reading DB 43892 The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. It is a science fiction about humanity’s first contact with aliens in the near. The book is slow to get started but is fascinating the entire way through.
Maggie
After debating what I would read next, I decided on one of my favorites DB 52767 First Test, Protector of the Small series, book 1 by Tamora Pierce. This book series takes place in the magical world of Tortall and the surrounding countries. First Test is about Kel, a girl with no magical ability, who is the first girl to go for her knighthood in over a century. I’ve loved these books since first reading them and have read them once a year or every two years since. Kel is so strong and does what’s right regardless of what the consequences are to herself. It’s also comforting to visit old friends, which the characters in these books are.