La Crosse’s Comments (group member since Nov 08, 2017)

La Crosse’s comments from the La Crosse Public Library group.

We're back with more patron picks! Have you read something lately that you just couldn't put down? Tell us about it below!

Want to share your picks with others? Join us for B.Y.O.B. Bring Your Own Book (Club), our non-traditional spin on a book club. For more information, see: www.lacrosselibrary.org/book-clubs

Machines Like Me
Reviewed by Lee Hanson, Library Volunteer

We already know the robots are coming. Robotic arms at manufacturing plants. Robotic surgeons at hospitals. The Mars Rover is a robot on wheels. But this story is about the introduction of androids into society. Complicated problems ensue. I am thinking the author is ahead of the curve here and this will become his magnum opus. I also recommend Attonement. The book and movie both.

Kristine wrote: "Beautiful Little Fools, Jillian Cantor
The Christie Affair, Nina de Gramont
Her Hidden Genius, Marie Benedict

Loved all of these."

Thanks for sharing, Kristine! Excitingly, these are all available through our library system!

The Robot Novels: The Caves of Steel / The Naked Sun / The Robots of Dawn
This review is by Lee Hanson a Library Volunteer!


These are like Sherlock Holmes mystery’s except Watson would be a robot. The stories were published in 1958 and 1959 before the advent of computers and yet the author mentions tri-dimensional viewing, nose filters and playing chess in a room alone. Today’s equivalent would be virtual video conferencing, nasal pillows for clean oxygen and now you can play interactive games with multiple players anywhere in the world. I would say “very interesting Watson”.

We are back with patron picks-- Have you recently read something that you could not put down? Tell us about it below!

For the month of March we are reading The Thursday Murder Club! Join us at the Main Library on the first floor near the fireplace for our discussion. Register by calling 608-789-7145 or by emailing programteam@lacrosselibrary.org

This author has written 72 novels not counting his short story anthologies. This book won the Nebula award in science fiction. This is a story about moral turpitude. Which is exactly what happens to the narrator Kinnall Darival. Would you rather conduct your dealings in a sly, sneaky, secretive manner or an open, honest, sympathetic means. Only you can answer that question. I also recommend the short story :The Secret Sharer: (1993).

This book reminds me of the old television series : The Untouchables: based on the book by Elliot Ness. It’s all about mobsters, moonshine, mayhem and murder. Here is an excerpt I believe will capture your attention. “The elevator operators name was Ilario Nobile. Permanently gaunt and yellowed by hepatitis. But a magician with a gun. They said he could put a rifle shot through a fleas ass during a solar eclipse and could sign his name on a windowsill with a Thompson machine gun and not chip a pane of glass. Please drink your moonshine responsibly. I would also recommend “Mystic River” and “Shutter Island” both of which were made into movies.

I just loved the authors depiction of the harp barn. The musty smell of hay and sawdust. Mice scurrying about. The cat pouncing on the mice. Hens clucking, a pair of hoot owls high up in the rafters keeping a watchful eye on all the activity. The array of beautiful hardwood harps. Made from cherry, apple, walnut, zebra wood just to name a few. All the machines and tools needed to craft these finely tuned instruments. Wood lathe, scroll saw, jigsaw, routers, bandsaw just to name a few. The plastic bucket full of pretty pebbles picked from the crystal clear stream that Dan embeds in each harp as his trademark signature. The book makes me want to travel to Scotland to search for the harp barn because I believe it exists.
- Review by Lee Hanson

If you feel like exploring the galaxy you should hire Mr. Alan Dean Fosteras your guide. His descriptions of alien worlds, flora, fauna, predators with all the inherent dangers is a bit like coming to a locked gate with posted signs stating Do Not Trespass Beware of Aliens and deciding to climb the gate and enter anyway. You enter Mr. Fosters worlds at your own risks! Enjoy your adventure. - Review by Lee Hanson

Can you imagine going to bed at night and dreaming of a new life and waking up in the morning in a whole new life. Nora is trying to figure out how to live her life minus the mistakes and regrets. That is one course they do not teach in college. Maybe all any of us can hope for is illusion and luck. Too bad they do not have a recipe book for a perfect life.

Review by Lee A. Hanson

The Midnight Library

“Breakfast at Tiffany’s “ a novella plus 3 anecdotal short stories by Truman Capote reviewed by Lee Hanson.

Holly Golightlys trials and tribulations seem to stem in part from her claim to be naive and gullible. Who amongst us has not fallen prey to a seemingly trustworthy person. Holly is free-spirited ,frivolous and fearless. I hope you decide to meet her.

This is a tough book to read, yet I plan to buy a copy for my granddaughter, who wants to be a scientist.

The first few chapters express the joy of science shining through the author as a 10 year old visionary. As her education progresses in Physics and Astrophysics and Astronomy, from BA to Masters to PhD, she encounters academic discrimination, sexism, white male dominance, rape, abuse and evidence of theft of scientific results occurring throughout the history of the profession. This could be validating for some readers or change their worldview.

The author is a Black American and feels her background led her to different responsibilities, such as supporting her fellow Black or Hispanic students and co-workers, and practices, such as joining the Native Hawaiian protest against building a telescope on sacred land, unlike her white counterparts in academia. Be selfish to succeed is some of the advice she receives. Chanda chooses otherwise.

Interesting historical anecdotes, family stories, movie and musical references throughout the book lend relief from strident, justifiable anger. Chanda is currently a professor of physics and astronomy at the University of New Hampshire.

“I work daily to understand myself as a quark assembly of supernova remnants on a journey to know and honor all our galactic relations.” (Page 233)

Aliens are a draw to many science fiction readers. Creative descriptions about alien appearance and function foster a whole appreciation of certain authors over others. Becky Chambers enters a new range with her description of the early childhoods, reproductive, gender and sexual behavior, and family and social structure of aliens and space communities. For example the Aeluons have feathers and color patches to indicate emotion, and raise their young communally and live in flocks. The attachments humans have to their children are therefore difficult for them to understand. They also periodically moult-beware humans!

The author enriches her space environment with descriptions of leisure activities like a pseudo roller coaster space ship ride, and teen rebellion aboard a spaceship. How does that work out?

What kind of crime occurs in space and why? A young, inexperienced, off-world human comes to the space community seeking adventure and endangers himself and others by opening the door to a sealed room. How are the people responsible caught and punished?

What is the economic basis for a space community where food and homes are provided? What is the common coin? How do other cultures fit in to this system?

The personal and social detail creates a unique, fully-formed world for readers to imagine and enjoy.

Pavlina Tcherneva's small volume is an excellent, concise summary of the revolutionary potential of a federal jobs guarantee. She shows how the policy would boost GDP and productivity, stabilize our economy, and alleviate the destructive effects of unemployment. She also dispels common misconceptions and counterarguments, such as the policy leading to runaway inflation or putting private institutions out of business. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in progressive economics. - Peter

5 out of 5 Stars

Neuromancer is considered a classic. The novel is a staple of the cyberpunk genre, bringing forward new ideas about cyberspace and technology years before the internet was being created in government DARPA offices. Revisiting the book in 2020, I have to say that it doesn't really hold up under the scrutiny of a contemporary lens. Gibon's ideas and worldbuilding are top notch, but in the 35 years since he wrote the novel these ideas have been explored better by artists and writers inspired by classic works like Neuromancer. Gibson's development of characters leaves something wanting as well. Several characters stand out as fun bit players, but the main cast is uninspiring and mostly cliche. Gibson's sexualization of almost every female character in the book is cringe inducing as well, another unfortunate staple of the sci-fi genre that still persists in some works today. Squinting hard to imagine reading the book through an early 80s perspective does merit some appreciation for Gibson's inventive new ideas. However, unless you really want to dive into the history of cyberpunk and sci-fi as a genre, I would give this one a pass. -Peter

3 out of 5

The Red Locked Room, by Tetsuya Ayukawa, is a collection of 7 short mysteries that are well worth a read. Ayukawa is a lauded mystery author from Japan, who wrote from the late 50s through his death in 2002. The stories are fun, short, and generally easy to follow. I found that the age of the stories and cultural differences made it hard to parse what was happening at a few parts, but aside from that these mysteries won't disappoint. -Peter

5 out of 5

Hi there! Iris is considered a minor goddess, so there are few books devoted solely to her, but we do have a book in our system titled, "She's All That!: A Look-It-Up Guide to the Goddesses of Mythology by Megan E. Bryant that contains a chapter on Iris. There are also articles on Iris in BadgerLink and other research databases on our website: https://www.lacrosselibrary.org/datab.... Feel free to reach out to our Reference Desk if you have more questions! Email: refdesk@lacrosselibrary.org or call: 608-789-7122.

Here's two recommendations shared by Lindy:

Learning from the Germans: Race and the Memory of Evil by Susan Nieman (nonfiction 2019)
Life Upon These Shores: Looking at African American History, 1513-2008 by Henry Louis Gates (nonfiction 2011)

In her chilling opening Nieman states "the Nazi’s looked at US racial policies (in the 1930’s) to help develop their own.” 'The US had the best racist legislation." Racism pervades our country.This book tells where to go from here to HEAL from reliable sources: the German people who suffered the after effects of their parents’ involvement in the Holocaust and other WWII atrocities.
First step: awareness and acknowledgement. For Germany: Yes, the holocaust happened here. Even if I did not personally cause the death of someone I live here. I benefit from living here. I hold myself responsible for what happens when I am here. For America: Yes, this country did have slavery, yes, this country did commit genocide on First Nation tribes across the country.
Second step: remove symbols of the crimes:In Germany the swastikas and statues to Nazi leaders have been removed. Stepping Stones have been placed throughout Berlin and other German towns. Each stone represents a person who was deported to a concentration camp. For the United States: change Redskins to Reds, Topple Confederate statues, Do not allow Confederate flags to fly. Stepping Stones? Can you imagine banners across the country stating which tribe used to live in which state and no longer exists? Trees where black people were lynched with memorial apologies?
Step three: future generations must be educated in the mistakes of the past or they will be repeated.German citizens demanded their children be taught about Nazi history and domination and where it led. American education should include slavery and genocide, Jim Crow laws, and systemic financial oppression as integral parts of American history, in age appropriate levels from elementary school onward if we do not want this to happen again.
Step Four: Words are more powerful when set to music. Create a new National Anthem, one that stands for us all and our current and future values.
Step Five: Restitution, Reparation, Compensation. The government paid victims of the Holocaust in Germany. What can be done for the generations of descendants of slavery and genocide. Nothing can equal what was taken. What can we give to admit, acknowledge and move forward together?
I found this book well-researched, powerful, and thought provoking.
At the same time I was fortunate to have Life On These Shores by Henry Louis Gates. This is a history of Black Americans. A primer, if you will, on the treatment of Black Americans by the US government and her citizens since slavery began and their amazing resilience. Courageous people are featured along with historical events, various laws and people that worked against black people consistently, holding them down personally, economically, intellectually, abusing, and killing them. Sounds a lot like Nazi Germany’s treatment of Jewish and other non-Aryan people doesn’t it? I attended high school in the civil rights era and considered myself pro-integration, yet there were many things I learned in reading this book regarding financial limitations, voting privileges, employment discrepancies, disproportionate arrest and imprisonment that were new and appalling to me. I needed the foundational information in this book to help me truly understand Nieman’s resolution and understanding. Together these books are a challenge to a peaceful future.

Here's a new patron pick from Lindy:

Driving the Deep by Suzanne Palmer (2020)

Fergus Ferguson (no his mother did not have a sense of humor, he reports) a “true born” ginger finds his friends missing from their workshop on Pluto and the remains of bodies nearby. He follows a trail of other lost scientists and researchers to a closed community 20 kilometres under the ice on the moon of Enceladus. He takes a job as a supply hauler driving a huge water ship from one outpost to another to gain access to the secrets of this area and seek clues that his friends are still alive.

The environment is dark and stressful, thus the high turnover in drivers who feel “the vague sense of oppression and danger (which) seemed to seep through the walls.” Fergus suffers tremors and panic attacks when he is driving the hauler and trying not to think about the pressure and atmosphere “like the ocean was full of ghosts of the restless dead.” There is time pressure as well as a geothermic event is beginning to cause quaking in the surface below the water. Are his friends alive? Will he find them in time?

The second Finder book is more complex, detailed, and evocative. The reader is constantly aware of the ever present weight of the water overhead and the complete darkness when the lights dim and threaten to go out down there. I found the genuine and rare realism unique and absorbing, pulling the reader into the story. This is one of the few books to mention going to the bathroom including instructions for anatomical adjustments in the facilities in the off-world spaceship, “classic” and “penis” among the choices. Another authentic detail is when Fergus is in a fight and when he is captured and tortured he has specific injuries that continue to bother him and hamper his mobility as the mystery unfolds. He also suffers emotional anguish at the death of a man he inadvertently causes.