February 25-28, 2020: Random Round-Up

Last year I raved about Justina Ireland’s teen horror novel Dread Nation, a historical zombie thriller that takes place in a post-Civil War U.S. that’s teeming with the undead. Ireland’s sequel, was released earlier this month and is a very worthy follow up to the original. Deathless Divide picks up right where Dread Nation leaves off and comes out swinging. The reader is plunged right into the action, complete with surprise zombie attack within the first few chapters. It continues as our main characters strive further west to find sanctuary and peace amid the terror of everyday life. As in the first book, Ireland tackles heavy issues of race and conflict, sexuality, and sexism. It’s full of nuanced characters and vivid world-building. Even if you don’t usually like zombie stuff -- and I don’t -- I still suggest giving this duology a try.

Note: Deathless Divide is currently on-order for the Valley Libraries. Check back for it soon!

I sped through Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson in less than two days, and then I spammed my reader friends about it and shouted about it on Instagram. Nothing to See Here follows a few weeks in the life of Lillian, a 28-year old woman in TN whose life is pretty much at a stand still. Lillian showed promise in high school, and she and Madison became roommates and best friends in a fancy private high school until a scandal separated them. Now, Madison has called Lillian to help with her stepchildren - ten year old twins who literally catch on fire when agitated. Lillian sees fellow lost souls in the kids, and somehow becomes exactly what they need. Lillian’s relationships with the kids, Madison, her own mom, and the world is so relatable and sympathetic without being pitiable. This book is hilarious, touching, and bizarre in all the best ways.

I’m a word nerd, so I’ve been waiting for Gretchen McCulloch’s Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of Language, and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. McCulloch treats internet slang like something fascinating and fun, rather than something alarming, and her enthusiasm for quirky spelling, acronyms and emojis is contagious. She takes us back to the early days of the internet, when only the really dedicated nerds were using it, and gives a quick history of how it spread to the masses, how the different generations adapted to it, and how casual written communication changed as it went along. She also gives a pretty comprehensive overview of generational differences in texting and social media -- so if you’ve ever felt like you just don’t understand your kid’s texts, or your mom’s Facebook posts, this might just help. Because Internet is fun, breezy, and remarkably informative, and it has emojis in the text, it’s pretty much perfect.