Tuesday, October 11, 2022

Two books with birds on the cover

Knight Owl ~ by Christopher Denise, 2022, children's picture book, 48 pages

A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero:  wits, humor, and heart.  Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight.  He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing.  While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial — a frightening intruder.  It’s a daunting duel by any measure.  But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas.  Full of wordplay and optimism, this surprising display of bravery proves that cleverness (and friendship) can rule over brawn.

That description is from Amazon.  It's the wordplay part that grabbed me, starting with "knight owl."  I smiled because I tell people I'm a night owl.

48 States ~ by Evette Davis, 2022, dystopian thriller, 259 pages, 9/10

Book bans, federal curfews, and digital identity chips — what a terrifying near future!  A cautionary tale set in 2042 when the United States is recovering from a series of terrorist attacks that upended the government, rewrote our civil liberties, and erased two states from the map.  River, a widow who is a single mother and a veteran of the Caliphate Wars, works as a waste hauling trucker in Energy Territory No. 1, formerly known as North Dakota.  Living in a dingy motel room with nothing but her books and a semi-automatic pistol for company, she is weeks away from the end of her contract and returning to her young daughter.

Finn Cunningham, a hydrologist with the United States Geology Survey (USGS) in Montana, is suspicious of environmental changes he’s seeing in nearby western waterways and decides to investigate.  His decision sets him on a collision course with River, sending them both on the run.  One is a fugitive and the other is a reluctant participant, as they share stories of their lives.  This one-of-a-kind book points out the real dangers of extremism.

Someone commented on Amazon:  "I’m not normally a fan of dystopian tales, since our own country appears to be rapidly devolving into one recently, but this one is both believable and well-written."

Word of the Day

dys·to·pi·an / adjective = relating to or denoting an imagined state or society where there is great suffering or injustice.  Example:  "The dystopian future in this book sounds terrible."

dys·to·pi·an / noun = a person who imagines or foresees a state or society where there is great suffering or injustice.  Example:  "A lot of things those dystopians feared did not come true."

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