Ep. 159 "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" by John Scalzi; "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" by Kirsten Miller

Transcript: JESSICA:   Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I'm the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.  Today's two reading recommendations are "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" by John Scalzi and "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" by Kirsten Miller.  First, we're going to hear from collection services librarian Lorraine, for a story of an unbelievable change in the night sky and humanity's reaction to it. Take it away, Lorraine.    LORRAINE:  "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" is a humorous science fiction novel by Hugo Award winner John Scalzi. This book is for people who are looking for a clever, witty story about people trying to deal with an impossible situation.  One evening, people look into the sky and see that the moon has grown significantly larger for no known reason. The moon rocks stored in space museums around the world have inexplicably turned into what appears to be cheese, or, as NASA prefers to call it, an "organic matrix."  This book follows the events of one complete lunar cycle and each day you experience this phenomenon through the eyes of people from all walks of life — astronauts, writers, cheese shop owners, Evangelical Christian pastors, tech billionaires, and an audience at the filming of a Saturday Night Live performance which goes off the rails.  The change in the moon seems amusing at first, but as time passes the extremely unstable nature of this "organic matrix" has apocalyptic consequences for the entire earth.  You may ask, "How can a book about the moon turning into cheese be funny?" The premise really shouldn't work, but it does through Scalzi's ability to balance satire with optimism.  I enjoyed reading this book and found myself feeling at times moved or hysterically laughing.     JESSICA:  Thanks, Lorraine! I love a story that can make you laugh, think, and question reality all at once.  Next, let's hear about small town upheaval over banned books, from Rebekah, library associate at the Camano Island Library. Over to you, Rebekah.    REBEKAH:  In the itty-bitty town of Troy, Georgia, local firebrand Lula Dean has organized a campaign to rid the library of any books that don't agree with her rigid traditional sensibilities. To further her mission, she has set up a free little library in her front yard featuring only books that she deems to be proper titles for a southern lady. One night, someone secretly switches out every single book in Lula's library with banned books but masks them in the dustcovers of Lula's originally selected titles.  As the townspeople unknowingly start taking banned, thought-provoking books from Lula's library, hearts, minds and lives are changed. What unfolds is one of the most delightful and funny brands of small-town mischief and mayhem that I have read in a long time. This book is a composite novel which means that each chapter is focused on a different character. But rest assured that all the chapters link flawlessly together to tell a powerful and fun story.   Another thing I appreciated about this book is that it manages to grapple with some serious and all too relevant topics in a way that isn't preachy and just feels like rollicking good fun. If you're moved by small town settings, character driven stories and laugh out loud moments, then put "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" by Kirsten Miller on your to-read list today!    JESSICA:  Thanks, Rebekah! That sounds like the perfect mix of heart, humor, and hot-button topics.  Our recommendations this week are: "When the Moon Hits Your Eye" by John Scalzi and "Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books" by Kirsten Miller.  Join us next time, when we'll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.    Until then, I'm Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.   Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz.   [END]