#NetGalley Audio Book Review: The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass

This is a charming middle grade fantasy, light mystery.

The Lost Library
By Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass
Narrators: Christopher Gebauer, Jennifer Blom, and Rob Dircks

Length: 4hr 15min
Pub Date: 29 Aug 2023
NetGalley Archive Date: 05 Sep 2023.
Release date: 08-29-23
Publisher: Macmillan Young Listeners
Genre: Books, Cat, Magical Fantasy, Middle Grade, Mystery
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.25; Narration 4.5.

When a mysterious little free library (guarded by a large orange cat) appears overnight in the small town of Martinville, eleven-year-old Evan plucks two weathered books from its shelves, never suspecting that his life is about to change.
Evan and his best friend Rafe quickly discover a link between one of the old books and a long-ago event that none of the grown-ups want to talk about. The two boys start asking questions whose answers will transform not only their own futures, but the town itself.
Told in turn by a ghost librarian named Al, an aging (but beautiful) cat named Mortimer, and Evan himself, The Lost Library is a timeless story from award-winning authors Rebecca Stead and Wendy Mass. It’s about owning your truth, choosing the life you want, and the power of a good book (and, of course, the librarian who gave it to you).

Review:
The public library burned down years ago in the small town of Martinville. It surprises everyone when a mysterious little free library appears one morning. The small unit is apparently guarded by a large orange cat who watches all the goings on. Eleven-year-old Evan is quick to choose to books from the library and these trigger a mystery. The last check out of the books appears to be by a man who became a famous author but the date is important. The date is the day the library burned, an event that no one talks about.

Evan and his best friend, Rafe, start asking question as Evan is determined to solve the mystery of the fire. He isn’t happy about the facts that he uncovers and is insistent on pushing for answers.

The story is charmingly told by Mortimer, the cat, a ghostly librarian named AI, and Evan. It shares the importance of books and libraries, as well as the importance of being open minded to investigate and not jump to conclusions.

I totally enjoyed this quick, sweet story and would love to share it with my grandchildren. It has a good message and sweet characters. I recommend this to anyone who loves books and libraries.

Audio Notes: The three narrators, Christopher Gebauer, Jennifer Blom, and Rob Dircks, do a lovely job delivering the story with clarity and empathy. I am pleased I had the chance to listen to this through NetGalley.

Source: 6/29/2023 NetGalley. This qualifies for 2023NetGalley and 2023Audiobook goal.

Audible Book Review: You're Going to Mars by Rob Dircks

This was a fun story, a mix of Willy Wonka, Survivor and America Ninja Warrior competition to get to Mars.

You're Going to Mars!
By: Rob Dircks
Narrated by: Khristine Hvam

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
Release date: 11-13-18
Publisher: Audible Originals
Genre: Adventure, Humor, Sci Fi, Space Opera
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0 Overall; Story 4.5; Narration 4.5.

Publisher's Summary
Living and slaving in Fill City One, you get used to the smell. We call it the Everpresent Stink. But every once inI a while, on a spring day with a breeze, it clears away enough to remind us that there is something more out there. Most Fillers' wildest dreams would be just to get past the walls and live in the mainland. But my dream? It’s a little bigger.
I’m going to Mars.
Well, I’m only going to Mars if I can find a winning Red Scarab to get on Zach Larson’s crazy reality show. And then I’ll have to figure out how to escape this hellhole. And then compete on live television for three months. And somehow win a spot on the crew of the very first manned mission to Mars. Oh, and one more slight obstacle? There might be a reason that by 2085 a human still hasn’t set foot on the Red Planet. A dangerous reason. A reason worth killing for.
In You’re Going to Mars! Rob Dircks, Audible best-selling author of Where the Hell Is Tesla?, creates a near-future filled with family (the good kind and the insufferable kind), pop divas, mobsters, and the world’s first trillionaire - and sends them all on a science fiction odyssey/comedy/love story/adventure that will change their world forever.
©2018 Rob Dircks (P)2018 Audible Originals, LLC.

Review:
Paper (yes, that’s her name with triplet sisters, Rock and Scissors – there’s a story there of course), likes to play at making rockets and has a dream to go to Mars. This is most unlikely as she is a filler in a family stuck for generations in the Everpresent Stink, formerly known as Staten Island, one of the walled-in landfills operated by a private waste management company run by a mob family, the Gitanos.

The world’s richest man, Zach Larsen, is running a “Wonka chocolate" like contest so a limited number of people who secure a winning red scarab get the chance to travel on Zach’s funded Mars mission. Paper obtains a winning scarab with the help of her loving family. Next, with help from her downtrodden friends she escapes the Island. Then with the aid of an unexpected source and an alias name, Robin, she makes her way to the contest site with minutes to spare. The very last contestant to arrive is a singing diva, Aurora, who doesn’t like coming in second place.

The contestants are put through a “boot-camp” training reminiscent of a televised survivor version of Ninja Warrior. Some contestants voluntarily leave and others are eliminated from show to show. Robin/Paper isn’t expected to be a top contender, but she finds creative ways to stay in the contest and win the favor of the viewers. Several of the contestants have the ability to pull “MacGyver” fixes to solve problems. Events are moving along when suddenly there is sabotage. The remaining contestants, including Paper, manage to survive but now it is clear that someone is hiding something important and wants to stop the mission to Mars.

When Paper’s real name and background are exposed, she is forced to leave with the Gitano ‘enforcer’. Once again events take a reversal, and she ends up back in the team as the mission rushes forward. But the obstacles aren’t over as even the government steps in to try to stop the mission. Can Zach, Paper and her fellow contestants get to Mars and if they do will they be able to return without being blown out of space?

This is the second book I have read by Rob Dircks (The Wrong Unit) and my assessment: what fun! The characters are warm and likable, and it is easy to cheer on Paper, her family, and her friends, old and new. The characters have different levels of snark, sass and bravery. The nods to known books, tv shows and movies (include Wall-E and The Martian too) adds interest. Yes, there are cheesy moments but that too adds to the fun entertainment. I recommend this to sci fi fans who are looking for a humor break.

Audio Notes: Khristine Hvam does a wonderful narration on this story. She fully portrays the personality of Paper and provides appropriate voices for the other characters. And she does a fair job on the singing snippets too! I totally enjoyed the listening experience.

Source: 7/21/2019 Audible Daily Deal $3.95. This qualifies for 2021TBR, 2021Audiobook and 2021Alphabet goals.

Book Review: The Wrong Unit by Rob Dircks

This is a delightful sci fi dystopia – unique in my reading world!
The Wrong Unit: A Novel
by Rob Dircks

File Size: 726 KB
Print Length: 284 pages
Publisher: Goldfinch Publishing; 1 edition (July 2, 2016)
ASIN: B01HWQ1ONG
Genre: Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic
My Rating: 5.0 of 5.0

I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE HUMANS ARE SO CRANKY ABOUT. Their enclosures are large, they ingest over a thousand calories per day, and they’re allowed to mate. Plus, they have me.
An Autonomous Servile Unit, housed in a mobile/bipedal chassis. I do my job well: keep the humans healthy and happy.
“Hey you.”
Heyoo. That’s my name, I suppose. It’s easier for the humans to remember than 413s98-itr8. I guess I’ve gotten used to it.

Review:
Heyoo is the name of a standard robotic farmer helper unit in 'the sanctuary'. The humans often tease him and he got his name because they always call him “Hey You”. He is in for repair of a circular difficulty when a rebellion takes place. It is hard for the computers to understand why humans would want to rebel against The CORE – after all the computer system provides housing, food, work and control all aspects of the human lives so that they can always be happy.

The humans placed something in Heyoo's chest and sent him away in a transporter that he didn’t previously know existed. Before they launch him out he sees the human look at him and say "he's the Wrong Unit!" Heyoo soon discovers that the package he is carrying is a human infant that he quickly names “Wah”! He also has half of a map. Heyoo has no idea how to take care of a messy, hungry infant. But Heyoo has determination to prove he can do the job! He spends the next thirteen years journeying with the map and helping Wah grow as the sole free human in the world. Eventually they uncover other hidden humans and gather a team to advance the release of the humans from 'the sanctuary'.

This dystopian story is truly delightful! It is told in first person by Heyoo. It charmingly moves with his changes as a farmer, a wanderer and even a pirate unit. Over the years of their journey Heyoo discovers the joys of human freedom and the inexpressible enthusiasm of a growing child exploring the wide world with his “Dad” as his best – well only for a long time – friend. Their interaction is adorable and evokes all sorts of human emotions: fear, joy, pain, sorrow, and love. And of course, the story reveals the irony of a perfect utopia world that removes the freedom of choice from the humans. The ending brought tears to my eyes! This is fun and definitely worth reading. I want to read more by Mr. Dircks.

I received this from the publisher through NetGalley. It qualifies for my NetGalley Challenge and was a selection for November Sci Fi – even though I didn’t get it posted then.