2015 Statewide Talking Book Center
Adult Summer Learning Challenge
Explore and Soar:
Destination Outer Space at the Library
Space Travel and Exploration, Stars and
Planets, Mystery and Intrigue, Romance
and Destiny, Adventure, Memoirs and
History and New Worlds
Reading Guide
A statewide program for the Illinois State Library
Network of Talking Book and Braille Libraries
Serving the Print Impaired*
Space Travel and
Exploration
DB 60931
Long Time Coming: a Novel
by Sandra Brown
After seventeen years astronaut Law
Kincaid returns into Marnie Hibbs’s life.
Someone has been sending him letters
claiming he fathered a child. When Law
sees Marnie’s son, he assumes the boy is
his yet doesn’t remember Marnie. But
Marnie has other secrets. Descriptions of
sex and some strong language.
DB 66334
Von Braun: Dreamer of space, Engineer
of War
by Michael J. Neufeld
Smithsonian historian analyzes the life of
engineer Wernher von Braun (1912-1977)
who developed Nazi Germany’s V-2
rocket before he surrendered and was
sent to the United States in 1945.
Highlights von Braun’s management of
American missile and space programs
and posits that he was a genius at
organizational leadership.
DB 67390
Rocketeers: How a Visionary Band of
Business Leaders, Engineers, and Pilots
is Boldly Privatizing Space
by Michael Belfiore
Traces the development of commercial
space travel beginning with the tenmillion-dollar X Prize competition in 2004
for the first private U.S. rocket launch.
Details entrepreneurs’ efforts to develop
the necessary technology and business
plans to fly paying customers into space.
Some violence and some strong
language.
DB 67689
To the Limit: a Novel
by Pamela Britton
Aerospace engineer Kristen McKenna
returns to designing race cars after her
boss Mathew Knight purchases a
NASCAR team. Kristen hides her past
racing career while dealing with the allmale crew. Complications arise when
both Mathew and driver Todd Peters fall
in love with Kristen. Some descriptions of
sex.
DB 67949
Prepared for Rage: a Novel
by Dana Stabenow
Florida. Rookie astronaut Kenai Munro
prepares for the launch of a NASA space
shuttle that will carry a high-profile
Middle Eastern businessman. Captain AL
Schuyler of U.S. Coast Guard cutter
Munro must protect the mission from a
rogue Arab terrorist. Violence, strong
language, and some explicit descriptions
of sex.
DB 68235
Apollo Moon Missions: the Unsung
Heroes
by Billy Watkins
Interviews conducted between 1999 and
2005 with fourteen behind-the-scenes
contributors. Features the NASA
photography chief who instructed
astronauts on picture taking, the chief
technician for space-suit maintenance,
the wife of an Apollo 14 astronaut, and
the project director who developed a
lunar roving vehicle on a truncated
timeline.
DB 69525
Mission Control, This is Apollo: the
Story of the First Voyages to the Moon
by Andrew Chaikin
Chronicles the NASA response to
President John Kennedy’s challenge to
put a man on the moon, describing the
successes and failures of all seventeen
Apollo missions from 1967 through 1972.
Discusses the astronauts’ courage,
moonwalks, and reactions to space
travel. For grades 5-8.
DB 69775
Rocket Men: the Epic Story of the First
Men on the Moon
by Craig Nelson
Prizewinning author retraces America’s
race against the Soviet Union to be the
first to land on the moon. Chronicles
NASA’s 1969 Apollo 11 mission using
interviews and declassified documents.
Provides glimpses into the personal
family lives of astronauts Neil Armstrong,
Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and
Michael Collins.
DB 69862
The Day We Found the Universe
by Marcia Bartusiak
Science author chronicles the events
leading up to Edwin Hubble’s
observation of other galaxies beyond the
Milky Way and his subsequent paper
presented at the American Astronomical
Society’s meeting on January 1, 1925.
Discusses the work of noted scientists
such as Albert Einstein, James Lick,
James Keeler, and more.
DB 70113
The Airplane: How Ideas Gave Us Wings
by Jay Spenser
Former curator at the Smithsonian’s
National Air and Space Museum
chronicles the innovations that solved
technical challenges from aviation’s
conception to the development of the
Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Discusses
airplane construction: fuselage, wings,
controls, propulsion, and landing gear.
Portrays pioneers Sir George Cayley,
Otto Lilienthal, Hugo Junkers, and others.
DB 71911
Packing for Mars: the Curious Science of
Life in the Void
by Mary Roach
Popular-science writer explores the
human elements of space travel,
including having bowel movements in
zero gravity, coping with motion sickness
and sexual urges, maintaining personal
hygiene, and more. Bestseller.
DB 72354
The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic
Generation Discovered the Beauty and
Terror of Science
by Richard Holmes
History of the second scientific
revolution in Great Britain at the end of
the eighteenth century. Surveys
individuals whose discoveries and
inventions contributed to the movement,
including astronomer William Herschel
and his sister Caroline, chemist Humphry
Davy, and botanist Joseph Banks. Some
strong language. Nat’l Book Critics Circle
Prize.
DB 72718
Hull Zero Three
by Greg Bear
Jerked awake, naked, and cold from
Dreamtime--a deep hibernation state-the few amnesiac crew members
remaining on an interstellar colony ship
discover their vessel has gone astray.
They struggle to survive and to
determine the cause of their colonization
plan’s failure. Some violence and some
strong language.
DB 72852
Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the
Third Great Age of Discovery
by Stephen J. Pyne
Examines the Voyager space program’s
history, scientific impact, and legacy.
Compares the mission with earlier
terrestrial explorations and highlights
contrasts: its unmanned nature and the
lack of any native populations for it to
encounter. Reports on people’s reactions
to the discoveries the two probes made
while touring neighboring planets.
DB 73277
Chasing Icarus: the Seventeen Days in
1910 that Forever Changed American
Aviation
by Gavin Mortimer
Discusses three pivotal aviation events
that occurred in 1910: the failed attempt
to cross the Atlantic in the dirigible
America; the International Balloon Cup
Race in St. Louis, Missouri; and New
York’s international aircraft contest
above Belmont Park racetrack. Includes
noted aviators’ accounts and examines
public perception of aeronautics.
DB 73295
Private Life: a Novel
by Jane Smiley
Margaret Mayfield of Missouri marries
naval officer and astronomer Andrew
Early in 1905 and moves to a remote
island post near San Francisco with him.
Margaret befriends the locals while
Andrew becomes obsessed with his work.
But as World War II approaches, Andrew
descends into mental illness.
DB 73445
Jet Age: the Comet, the 707, and the
Race to Shrink the World
by Sam Howe Verhovek
History of the first generation of jet
airliners from the British de Havilland’s
Comet to the American Boeing 707 and
747. Examines the individuals who
spearheaded the development of aircraft
propelled by jet engines.
DB 74398
The Helios Conspiracy: a Novel
by Jim DeFelice
FBI agent Andy Fisher investigates the
death of his former lover, who was
developing a satellite that would convert
solar energy to electricity. Andy uncovers
a conspiracy and falls in love again, this
time with the creator of the satellite’s
rocket. Violence and strong language.
DB 75772
The Cassandra Project: a Novel
by Jack McDevitt
2019. When a reporter confronts Jerry
Culpepper with a tape indicating there
was a moon landing before Neil
Armstrong and Apollo XI, the NASA
public affairs director is caught by
surprise. As he researches the recording,
he uncovers a deep conspiracy at the
heart of NASA.
DB 77541
Pioneers in Astronomy and Space
Exploration
by Michael Anderson
Profiles the lives of thirty-seven pioneers
of astronomy and space exploration,
from the ancient Greek mathematician
and astronomer Eudoxus of Cnidus to
astronaut Sally Ride, the first American
woman in space. For grades 6-9 and
older readers.
DB 78525
Wheels Stop: the Tragedies and
Triumphs of the Space Shuttle Program,
1986-2011
by Rick Houston
Journalist focuses on the experiences of
the people working at NASA from the
aftermath of the 1986 Challenger shuttle
explosion to the July 2011 final shuttle
flight. Interviews flight controllers,
shuttle workers, and astronauts.
DB 78787
The Aviators: Eddie Rickenbacker,
Jimmy Doolittle, Charles Lindbergh, and
the Epic Age of Flight
by Winston Groom
Author profiles three celebrated aviation
pioneers and recounts their service
during World War II: World War I flying
ace Eddie Rickenbacker, Charles
Lindbergh, and Jimmy Doolittle--who in
1929 was the first to fly using
instruments only.
DB 78819
Fool’s War: a Novel
by Sarah Zettel
Captain Katmer Al Shei of the Pasadena
hires Evelyn Dobbs as the ship’s jester
for its newest mission. While traveling
through deep space, a previously
unknown intelligence threatens the
safety of the ship and crew. Unrated.
DB 79407
Birdmen: the Wright Brothers, Glenn
Curtiss, and the Battle to Control the
Skies
by Lawrence Goldstone
Profiles of early aviators, including "Cap’t
Tom" Baldwin, John Moisant, and Harriet
Quimby, and focusing on the Wright
brothers and their feud with Glenn
Curtiss. Discusses the development of
the aviation industry through legal fights,
patent filings and infringements, and air
shows.
Stars and Planets: the
Solar System Revealed
DB 66469
Lives of the Planets: a Natural History of
the Solar System
by Richard Corfield
A survey of the solar system from the
Sun to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt.
Chronicles the technological
developments, space missions, and
discoveries--particularly in the last half of
the twentieth century--that deepened
human understanding of each planet’s
unique surface chemistry, atmospheric
conditions, and 4.5-billion-year natural
history.
DB 66861
Apollo’s Fire: a Day on Earth in Nature
and Imagination
by Michael Sims
Describes events in a distilled, ideal day
as the line of demarcation between
darkness and light creeps around the
globe. Sims draws on both natural and
cultural history to examine such topics as
dawn cloud shows, circadian rhythms,
high noon, changing shadows, and the
three kinds of twilight.
DB 67591
The Mysterious Universe: Supernovae,
Dark Energy, and Black Holes
by Ellen Jackson
Follows astronomer Alex Filippenko as
he studies galaxies, space’s brightest
objects (supernovae), its darkest (black
holes), and the dark energy that is
constantly causing the universe to
expand. Discusses observations he and
his team have made from Hawaii’s Keck
telescopes and California’s Lick
Observatory. For grades 5-8.
DB 67819
Mars Life: a Novel
by Ben Bova
Anthropologist Carter Carleton discovers
village remains on Mars--proof that
intelligent life once existed there. On
Earth the New Morality religious
movement campaigns to cut funding for
Mars exploration. Scientist Jamie
Waterman, who is Navajo, tries to save
the program while Carter uncovers the
vanished Martians’ fate. Some strong
language.
DB 67836
The Black Hole War: My Battle with
Stephen Hawking to Make the World
Safe for Quantum Mechanics
by Leonard Susskind
Examines both Stephen Hawking’s 1976
assertion that particles of matter falling
into a black hole are permanently lost to
the universe and the ensuing scientific
debates. Discusses attacks on Hawking’s
theory, beginning in 1983, by fellow
physicists Gerard ’t Hooft and author
Susskind---and Hawking’s 2004 reversal.
DB 68721
A Passion for Mars: Intrepid Explorers of
the Red Planet
by Andrew Chaikin
Science journalist and author of A Man
on the Moon (RC 39809) profiles
individuals--astronomer Carl Sagan,
rocket physicist Wernher von Braun, and
others--whose vision, passion, and
scientific achievements have brought a
deeper understanding of Mars.
Chronicles space programs and Martian
fascination since the mid-twentieth
century.
DB 68938
When Worlds Collide: a Novel
by Philip Wylie
Two planets, Bronson Alpha and Bronson
Beta, hurtle through space on a collision
course with Earth. Scientist Cole
Hendron secretly recruits fellow
scientists to construct a powerful, Noah’s
ark-inspired spacecraft to evacuate a
select few people before the inevitable
cosmic disaster. Includes sequel After
Worlds Collide.
DB 69024
Death From the Skies!: These Are the
Ways the World Will End
by Philip Plait
Astronomer assesses various threats to
life on Earth from aliens, asteroids, black
holes, gamma rays, supernovae, and
even the Sun. Discusses the science
behind each scenario, the probability of
fatality, and what actions, if any, could
prevent disaster. Asserts catastrophes
are inevitable but urges readers not to
fret.
DB 69230
The Empress of Mars: a Novel
by Kage Baker
Former British Arean Company (BAC)
employee Mary Griffith and others are
stranded after BAC’s Martian experiment
fails. Mary establishes a barter-and-trade
system at her new bar, the Empress of
Mars. But when BAC attempts to reclaim
colonist land, Mary and her patrons must
find ways to outwit the company.
DB 69634
You Are Here: a Portable History of the
Universe
by Christopher Potter
Exploration of the universe from 13.7
billion years ago and humankind’s place
in it. Discusses man’s perception deriving
from the material world and uses
measurements of familiar items to
demonstrate the vastness of the cosmos.
Acknowledges humanity’s fear of the
immense nothingness.
DB 69830
The Crowded Universe: the Search for
Living Planets
by Alan Boss
Renowned astronomer discusses the
space race to discover numerous planets
similar to Earth. Describes the assistance
of Europe’s Convection, Rotation, and
Planetary Transits telescope in 2006 and
NASA’s Kepler Mission telescope in 2009
in finding planets. Author implies that
people on Earth are not alone in the
universe.
DB 69831
The Pluto Files: the Rise and Fall of
America’s Favorite Planet
by Neil deGrasse Tyson
Astrophysicist and director of New York’s
Hayden Planetarium chronicles the role
of Pluto in American culture from Pluto’s
1930 discovery to its demotion to a
dwarf planet in 2006 by the International
Astronomical Union. Recounts the
opinions and letters received from
Plutophiles over Pluto’s reduced status.
DB 69862
The Day We Found the Universe
by Marcia Bartusiak
Science author chronicles the events
leading up to Edwin Hubble’s
observation of other galaxies beyond the
Milky Way and his subsequent paper
presented at the American Astronomical
Society’s meeting on January 1, 1925.
Discusses the work of noted scientists
such as Albert Einstein, James Lick,
James Keeler, and more.
DB 70472
The Quiet War: a Novel
by Paul McAuley
After Earth is damaged by climate
change and the Overturn, many refugees
escape to Mars and the moons of Jupiter
and Saturn. Greater Brazil’s powerful
families and green saints control most of
the remaining survivors and create
innovative warfare technology to
prepare Earth for war with the Outers.
DB 70736
Marsbound: a Novel
by Joe Haldeman
Eighteen-year-old Carmen Dula and her
family embark on a six-month journey to
Mars. After her initial hesitation to leave
Earth, Carmen finds normalcy living
underground on the red planet until an
accident leaves her with a warning
message from another life-form. Some
strong language.
DB 71084
The Girl Who Chased the Moon: a Novel
by Sarah Addison Allen
When orphaned teenager Emily arrives
at her grandfather’s house in magical
Mullaby, North Carolina, she hopes to
find comfort but instead learns many
townspeople hold a grudge against her
mother. An exception is Julia, who has
temporarily returned to Mullaby and has
her own problems. Some descriptions of
sex.
DB 71473
Galileo’s Dream: a Novel
by Kim Stanley Robinson
A mysterious stranger from Jupiter’s
moons travels back in time to visit
Galileo and suggest he create a telescope,
an intervention that will alter the course
of science and religion. As Galileo
continues his scientific work in the
Renaissance, he becomes a pawn in the
politics of the future.
DB 71474
From Eternity to Here: the Quest for the
Ultimate Theory of Time
by Sean Carroll
Theoretical physicist discusses the
nature and mysteries of time, the
universe, and physical reality. Explains
that time has a direction and the "arrow
of time" exists because the universe
evolves in a certain way. Speculates
about what happened before the Big
Bang and examines the continuing
increase of entropy.
DB 71518
Asteroids and Comets
by Don Nardo
Discusses the devastation caused by
asteroids, comets, and meteors that
have struck Earth in the past. Covers the
1908 Tunguska event, impact craters, the
birth of Earth’s moon, the extinction of
the dinosaurs, near-Earth objects, and
future threats from space. For grades 6-9.
DB 71738
Night of the Comanche Moon: a Novel
by T.T. Flynn
New Mexico Territory. Ann Carruthers
searches for her brother Geoffrey, who
has been captured and forced into
slavery by Don Alfredo. Ann finds Don
Alfredo just as Comanches attack his
hacienda. Her only hope for survival is to
pretend to be married to John Hardisty-Geoffrey’s fellow prisoner. Some
violence.
DB 72705
Neutrino
by Frank Close
Scholar explores the neutrino, a tiny,
difficult-to-detect particle emitted from
radioactive transitions and generated by
stars. Discusses the contributions John
Bahcall, Ray Davis, Bruno Pontecorvo,
and others made to scientific
understanding of this fundamental
building block of the universe.
DB 72875
Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the
Search for Other Earths
by Vicki Oransky Wittenstein
Profiles American astronomer Geoff
Marcy, who has helped discover at least
one hundred eighty planets in other
solar systems. Discusses his work
techniques; the equipment and
technology used, particularly Doppler
spectrometry; his milestone
achievements; and the future of
extrasolar exploration. For grades 5-8.
DB 73228
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It
Coming
by Mike Brown
Astronomer at the California Institute of
Technology recounts his 2005 discovery
of a tenth planet with an outdated
Schmidt Telescope--an event that
downgraded Pluto to a dwarf planet.
Describes an astronomer’s daily work
and reminisces about the birth and
growth of his daughter.
DB 73445
Jet Age: the Comet, the 707, and the
Race to Shrink the World
by Sam Howe Verhovek
History of the first generation of jet
airliners from the British de Havilland’s
Comet to the American Boeing 707 and
747. Examines the individuals who
spearheaded the development of aircraft
propelled by jet engines.
DB 74281
Martian Summer: Robot Arms, Cowboy
Spacemen, and My 90 Days with the
Phoenix Mars Mission
by Andrew Kessler
Author recounts spending the summer of
2008 in mission control of the Phoenix
Mars expedition with one hundred thirty
scientists and engineers. Describes the
team’s discovery of ice on Mars,
discusses the possibility of life on the
planet, and addresses conspiracy stories
about the mission’s findings.
DB 74916
Life on Mars: Poems
by Tracy K. Smith
Award-winning collection of poems
focusing on the universe at large and the
meaning of human existence within it. In
"Sci-Fi" Smith contemplates a "scrutable
and safe" future. In "The Speed of Belief"
she reflects on the life and death of her
father. Pulitzer Prize.
DB 75305
The Unincorporated Future
by Dani Kollin and Eytan Kollin
As the solar system civil war comes to a
head, both sides assess enormous losses
of life and resources. Sandra O’Toole,
president of the unincorporated rebels,
and her Outer Alliance vote on whether
the revolution is worth their risking
annihilation by Grand Admiral Trang.
Strong language and some violence.
DB 76600
The Movement of Stars: a Novel
by Amy Brill
Nantucket, 1845. Hannah Price studies
astronomy, searching for an unknown
comet so she can claim a prize from the
king of Denmark. She takes on a student-a dark-skinned shiphand from the
Azores named Isaac Martin--and their
relationship challenges and changes both
of them.
DB 78917
Black Moon: a Novel
by Kenneth Calhoun
Biggs is one of the few people left in the
world who has not succumbed to the
insomnia epidemic. His ability to sleep
and dream threatens his existence. As he
searches for a cure for his wife Carolyn,
he runs into others who can still close
their eyes. Violence.
DB 79805
Five Billion Years of Solitude: the Search
for Life Among the Stars
by Lee Billings
Journalist examines the growth of
discoveries of exoplanets--planets that
orbit stars other than the Sun--in the late
twentieth and early twenty-first
centuries and what it means for the
identification of extraterrestrial life.
Profiles astronomers and planetary
scientists responsible for this batch of
identified planets.
DB 81122
Moon Called: a Novel
by Patricia Briggs
Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift
shapes to a coyote thanks to her Native
American heritage, but she is
outmatched when she gets tangled in
the business of the local werewolf pack.
Alpha Adam Hauptman’s daughter is
kidnapped, and Mercy agrees to help get
her back. Unrated.
Mystery and Intrigue
DB 52114
Fall of a Cosmonaut: a Mystery
by Stuart M. Kaminsky
Russian Inspector Porfiry Rostnikov of
the Moscow police and his colleagues
handle three cases--a Mir cosmonaut
lands and disappears; a director’s epic
film about Tolstoy is stolen and held for
ransom; and a research parapsychologist
is murdered.
DB 63539
The Rock From Mars : a Detective Story
on Two Planets
by Kathy Sawyer
Journalist recounts the 1984 Antarctic
discovery of a Martian meteorite and its
delayed identification at NASA’s Houston
space center in 1993, when scientists
also found possible evidence of fossilized
organisms. Examines the ensuing
scientific debate and its impact on the
space program and efforts to understand
life on Earth.
DB 67175
The Third Lynx: a Novel
by Timothy Zahn
Aboard the Quadrail interstellar train,
Frank Compton meets Mr. Smith, who
needs help negotiating the purchase of
alien relics. When Smith is murdered,
Frank tries to acquire the artifacts before
the parasitic Modhri collective can use
them as weapons.
DB 67761
Harbingers: A Mystery
by F. Paul Wilson
Paranormal fix-it guy Repairman Jack
looks for a friend’s missing niece. When
a mysterious group rescues her first, Jack
discovers that the kidnapping was part of
the eternal war between two vast cosmic
forces. Jack is now designated the Heir,
but at a terrible price. Violence and
strong language.
DB 69173
China Lake: an Evan Delaney Novel
by Meg Gardiner
With her navy-pilot brother Brian on tour,
author Evan Delaney is keeping Brian’s
young son Luke. But now Brian’s
estranged ex-wife Tabitha has joined a
hate-spewing religious group called the
Remnant and she wants Luke back.
Violence, strong language, and some
explicit descriptions of sex. Edgar Award.
DB 70590
East of Desolation
by Jack Higgins
A pilot’s widow charters Joe Martin to fly
her and insurance company
representatives to Cape Desolation,
Greenland, where her husband’s small
plane crashed. But the body they find is
not the husband’s--and a cache of
emeralds may be behind everything.
Some violence and some strong
language.
DB 71001
Powersat
by Ben Bova
Businessman Dan Randolph’s dreams are
shattered when his only experimental
spaceplane disintegrates during a test
flight, leaving his company, Astro
Manufacturing Corporation, in tatters.
Randolph must stop the Nine, the
enigmatic group who sabotaged his
spaceplane, before they gain control of
his remaining asset, a power satellite.
Gleason wreak havoc. Violence, strong
language, and some descriptions of sex.
Bestseller.
DB 71131
Breakpoint: a High Risk Novel
by JoAnn Ross
Ex-Air Force combat controller Dallas
O’Halloran is dismayed to learn that his
new agency job partner is former JAG
officer--and former adversary--Julianne
Decatur. As Dallas and Julianne
investigate the alleged suicide of a Navy
flyer, they uncover political conspiracies.
Strong language, some violence, and
some explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 73916
The Devil’s Star
by Jo Nesbø
Reeling from his breakup, drinking
heavily, and planning to leave the force,
Harry Hole refuses to work a murder
case with crooked Tom Waaler. But
when subsequent murders suggest a
serial killer’s involvement, Hole feels
compelled to expose the pattern.
Violence and strong language.
DB 72197
The Shanghai Moon
by S.J. Rozan
During the Holocaust Rosalie Gilder fled
Austria for Shanghai and vanished from
official records. Her jewelry briefly
resurfaces decades later--only to be
stolen. PI Lydia Chin accepts a job
tracking it down, then turns to estranged
partner Bill Smith for help investigating
when her contact is killed.
DB 73623
Hollywood Moon: a Novel
by Joseph Wambaugh
Surfers "Flotsam" and "Jetsam" and bit
actor "Hollywood" Nate Weiss, members
of the police corps at the prestigious
Hollywood station, search for a
psychopathic rapist. Meanwhile, a ring of
identity thieves run by Dewey and Eunice
DB 73939
Zero Day
by Mark Russinovich
After an airplane’s computer fails in midflight, a cascade of catastrophic events
occur around the world. Former
government analyst Jeff Aiken fears
these cyberterrorism attacks are just the
beginning. Some strong language and
some explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 74013
Moon over Soho
by Ben Aaronovitch
London constable and sorcerer’s
apprentice Peter Grant hears a song
drifting from the corpse of a murdered
jazz player. As the investigation
progresses, Peter begins to suspect that
his dad, a famous trumpet player, may
be connected to the case. Violence and
strong language.
DB 74083
Leviathan Wakes: Book One of the
Expanse
by James S.A. Corey
When Jim Holden and the crew of his ice
miner stumble upon the derelict ship
Scopuli, they uncover a dangerous secret.
Meanwhile, Detective Miller’s search for
a missing girl leads him to the same ship
and interplanetary civil war threatens.
Violence and some strong language.
DB 74466
Force of Nature
by C.J. Box
John Nemecek, the former Special Forces
mentor of falconer Nate Romanowski,
now has reason to want Nate dead. Nate
is skilled at living off the grid but knows
Nemecek will target his friends, including
Wyoming game warden Joe Pickett and
his family. Violence and strong language.
DB 74887
2312
by Kim Stanley Robinson
Mercury, 2312. After Swan Er Hong’s
beloved grandmother Alex dies, Swan
wants time to grieve. Instead, she is
thrust into an interplanetary
investigation about what Alex’s research
of Earth may have uncovered--and if her
death was really of natural causes. Some
strong language and some explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 75295
Dark of the Moon
by P.J. Parrish
1983. In rural Mississippi to care for his
dying mother, twenty-four-year-old
biracial cop Louis Kincaid accepts a job
with the sheriff’s department. When a
skeleton is discovered in the woods--the
victim of a long-ago lynching--his
colleagues don’t want to investigate, but
Kincaid persists. Strong language and
some violence.
DB 75996
Great North Road
by Peter F. Hamilton
England, 2143. Detective Sidney Hurst
investigates the murder of a clone from
the world’s most powerful family.
Meanwhile, Angela Tramelo,
incarcerated twenty years for a similar
crime she claims she did not commit, is
released and plans vengeance. Strong
language, some violence, and some
explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 76320
Flying Too High: a Phryne Fisher
Mystery
by Kerry Greenwood
Australia, 1928. PI Phryne Fisher juggles
two unrelated cases involving kidnapping
and murder. In one, Phryne searches for
a lottery winner’s missing daughter. In
the other, Phryne sets out to exonerate a
pilot charged with killing his brutish
father. Some explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 76391
Night Moves
by Randy Wayne White
Marine biologist Doc Ford agrees to help
pilot Dan Futch search the Everglades for
the five Navy torpedo bombers whose
1945 disappearance gave birth to the
Bermuda Triangle legend. But as Futch’s
sabotaged plane plummets to the
ground, Ford begins to regret his
decision. Strong language and some
violence.
DB 76935
Blood on the Moon: a Novel
by James Ellroy
Detective Sergeant Lloyd Hopkins sees a
connection in a twenty-year-long series
of increasingly gruesome murders of
women. He risks his career to make the
final link and get the killer. Violence,
strong language, and some explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 77631
Blood Moon
by Garry Disher
Australia. As Inspector Hal Challis and
Sergeant Ellen Destry explore their new
romantic relationship, their team deals
with two puzzling crimes: an unlikeable
private-school chaplain is brutally
assaulted and a planning official is killed
while visiting a site. Strong language,
some violence, and some explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 78378
Annihilation
by Jeff VanderMeer
After eleven previous expeditions fail,
the Southern Reach sends a team of four
women--a biologist, a psychologist, an
anthropologist, and a surveyor--to
investigate the mysterious Area X. But
the women soon succumb to the
otherworldly influence that threatens
their lives. Some violence.
DB 78716
Under a Silent Moon: a Novel
by Elizabeth Haynes
Inspector Louisa "Lou" Smith investigates
the brutal murder of Polly Leuchars,
whose body was found in her cottage on
Hermitage Farm, where Polly worked
handling horses. That same night Polly’s
neighbor, Barbara Fletcher-Norman,
drove her car off a cliff. Violence, strong
language, and explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 79772
Tomorrow and Tomorrow: a Novel
by Thomas Sweterlitsch
Pittsburgh. Ten years after an
apocalyptic attack, Dominic Braxton
investigates insurance claims using the
Archive--a virtual reality replica of the
city--and reliving his time with his wife,
who died in the attack. However, he
uncovers an apparent murder, which
leads back to the creators of the Archive.
DB 79359
Your Fathers, Where Are They? And the
Prophets, Do They Live Forever?: a
Novel
by Dave Eggers
Kev, an astronaut, wakes up in an
abandoned military barracks. He does
not recognize the man holding him, but
Thomas--his captor--knows Kev. Thomas
feels pushed past the point of no return
and will do anything to gain the
attention of his government.
DB 80283
Sun Storm ; The Blood Spilt ; The Black
Path
by Åsa Larsson
First three titles, written between 2003
and 2008, of the series featuring Swedish
attorney Rebecka Martinsson and police
inspector Anna-Maria Mella. In Sun
Storm, Rebecka must return to Kiruna
and face her past when her friend’s
brother is murdered at his revivalist
church. Violence and strong language.
DB 79694
Year Zero: a Novel
by Rob Reid
Lawyer Nick Carter is shocked when he is
approached by aliens Carly and
Frampton. Earth has bankrupted the
universe due to massive copyright
infringements committed by the
extraterrestrials since 1977. It is up to
Nick and his copyright law skills to save
the universe.
DB 80493
Moon Spinners: a Seaside Knitters
Mystery
by Sally Goldenbaum
The Seaside Knitters--wearing their finest
knitting creations--are attending a
special yacht-club dinner held to honor
Gracie’s aunt. Under the full moon, a
local scuba-dive club witnesses a bloodred Ferrari flying off a cliff. Gracie’s aunt
was behind the wheel, and it was murder.
Unrated.
DB 80228
Influx
by Daniel Suarez
When physicist Jon Grady creates a
gravity mirror, he receives a visit from
the Bureau of Technology Control. He
resists their offer to further develop his
discovery in secret and is thrown into a
high-tech prison, where he joins a
rebellion against them. Strong language
and some violence.
Romance and Destiny
DB 67030
TailSpin
by Catherine Coulter
Rachael awakens just as she is thrown
off a pier and left for dead. Fleeing to her
Kentucky hometown, she witnesses the
crash landing of a small plane. She helps
the pilot but must hide her identity when
she learns he is FBI agent Jack Crowne.
Some violence and some strong
language. Bestseller.
DB 68699
My Man, Michael
by Lori Foster
Extreme fighter Michael mangles a leg in
a car accident before the championship
title bout. Kayli Raine appears and offers
Michael a chance to heal--but he must
travel to the twenty-third century, where
Kayli’s people need help to survive.
Strong language, explicit descriptions of
sex, and some violence.
DB 70032
The Moon Looked Down
by Dorothy Garlock
Illinois, 1942. Sophie Heller and her
immigrant family are the targets of
vicious anti-German attacks. Newly
returned Cole Ambrose, whose physical
disability kept him from enlisting, helps
Sophie combat vandals. In return, Sophie
gives Cole hope for love. Some violence,
some strong language, and some explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 70366
Diamond Star
by Catherine Asaro
Del, Ruby prince of an interstellar
dynasty, prefers the singing life of a rock
star to ruling an empire. After Del travels
to Earth to perform, his success attracts
the unwanted attention of dangerous
factions and Prime-Nova music producer
Ricki Varento. Some strong language and
some descriptions of sex.
DB 70873
Lake Magic
by Kimberly Fisk
Jenny, still mourning the death of her
fiancé Steven, discovers that their
seaplane charter business is half-owned
by Steven’s friend, ex-navy pilot Jared
Worth. Jared wants his investment
money back but doesn’t count on the
charms of a small-town girl. Some strong
language and some explicit descriptions
of sex.
DB 71384
The Husband Habit
by Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez
Albuquerque chef Vanessa Duran keeps
falling for men who turn out to be
married. While visiting her parents,
Vanessa meets their next-door neighbor
Paul, a pilot who just returned from Iraq.
Is Paul different from her usual type or
will he also break her heart? Some
descriptions of sex.
DB 72366
Losing the Moon
by Patti Callahan Henry
Georgia. When Amy Reynolds’s collegeage son introduces her to his girlfriend
and her family, Amy discovers that the
girl’s father is Nick Lowry--Amy’s first
love. Nick and Amy begin spending time
together and become obsessed with
what-might-have-beens. Some strong
language and some explicit descriptions
of sex.
DB 72595
Mercury in Retrograde: a Novel
by Paula Froelich
Three down-on-their-luck women--a
reporter who just quit her job in a huff, a
recently divorced attorney, and a
socialite cut off financially by her
parents--end up in the same Soho
apartment building trying to reinvent
their lives. Strong language and some
descriptions of sex.
DB 72834
Harvest Moon
by Robyn Carr
Burned-out San Francisco sous-chef Kelly
Matlock joins her sister Jillian, a gardener,
in Virgin River to recuperate. There Kelly
meets screenwriter Lief Holbrook and his
unruly stepdaughter Courtney. Kelly and
Lief fall in love while Courtney finds
trouble. Some strong language and some
explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
DB 73677
Only Mine
by Susan Mallery
Psychologist Dakota Hendrix works for
her hometown of Fool’s Gold, California,
coordinating a reality-TV show that pairs
single women with out-of-town guys.
Alaskan bush pilot Finn Andersson
arrives to retrieve his twin brothers, who
quit their last semester of college to
compete. Explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 73889
Wish You Were Here
by Christie Ridgway
Zoe and her sister Lyssa, a leukemia
survivor, have run an inn on Abrigo
Island ever since a bus crash killed their
parents. Then Yeager, a temporarily
blinded astronaut, and his friend Deke
arrive and shake up the sisters’ world.
Explicit descriptions of sex and some
strong language.
DB 74400
Born to Darkness
by Suzanne Brockmann
Disgraced Navy SEAL Shane Laughlin
finds work at a secret facility that trains
the Greater-Thans--humans with
extraordinary abilities. He teams with
Michelle Mackenzie to find the source of
a highly addictive drug that gives normal
people Greater-Than powers--but with
terrible side effects. Violence, strong
language, and explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 74512
Touched by an Alien
by Gini Koch
Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty"
Katt is leaving jury duty when a man
transforms into something monstrous in
front of her. She kills it--and is quickly
recruited by a secret organization. While
learning to fight aliens, she becomes
attracted to another agent. Violence,
strong language, and explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 75160
The Lieutenant
by Kate Grenville
Australia, 1780s. Lieutenant Daniel
Rooke, a gifted but socially awkward
mathematician, has been sent to the
colony of New South Wales to track a
comet on behalf of the Royal
Observatory. Once he arrives he
befriends a young aboriginal girl--and
soon must choose between their
cultures. Some violence.
DB 75483
For Darkness Shows the Stars
by Diana Peterfreund
A botched genetic experiment creates
two classes--the poorer PostReductionists and the noble Luddites.
Elliot North covertly tries to provide for
the Posts on her family estate and falls
for Kai, a forbidden boy. But her father
stands in her way. For senior high and
older readers.
DB 75526
Blue Skies
by Robyn Carr
Pilot Nikki Burgess, a single mom, moves
to Las Vegas to work for a start-up airline.
Joining her are her friends Dixie and
Carlisle, both former flight attendants.
The three create new lives while dealing
with the tumultuous airline industry.
Some descriptions of sex.
DB 75867
Shatter Me
by Tahereh Mafi
Incarcerated seventeen-year-old Juliette
is freed on the condition that she use her
horrific abilities to support the
Reestablishment, a postapocalyptic
dictatorship. But Adam shows her a
better future. Some violence, some
strong language, and some descriptions
of sex. For senior high and older readers.
DB 75978
Against the Sun
by Kat Martin
Businesswoman Sage Dumont is
annoyed that her grandfather has
arranged for Jake Cantrell to guard her
during negotiations to buy an oil-drilling
platform from a sheik. But odd
happenings surrounding the deal and her
growing attraction to Jake make Sage
reconsider. Strong language and explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 76219
Her Sky Cowboy: the Glorious Victorious
Darcys
by Beth Ciotta
Alternate Victorian era. Instead of
succumbing to her mother’s
matchmaking, Miss Amelia Darcy is
determined to recover the family’s lost
fortune by discovering a missing
Leonardo da Vinci invention. Traveling
on her kitecycle, Amelia makes the
acquaintance of infamous airship captain
Tucker Gentry. Some violence and some
strong language.
DB 76634
The Wanderer
by Robyn Carr
Hank Cooper leaves Virgin River for
Thunder Point, Oregon, when his army
buddy Ben Bailey dies under mysterious
circumstances. Hank inherits Ben’s
decrepit bar and acres of oceanfront
property and meets the locals--including
Coast Guard pilot Sarah Dupre. Some
explicit descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
DB 77085
Ghost Moon: Bone Island Trilogy
by Heather Graham
Kelsey Donovan returns to Key West to
settle her grandfather’s estate. When a
body is found on the property, detective
Liam Beckett, Kelsey’s childhood crush,
investigates--and suspects a haunting.
Sequel to Ghost Night (DB 71581). Some
violence, some strong language, and
some descriptions of sex.
DB 77196
The Humans: a Novel
by Matt Haig
An alien visitor takes the form of
professor Andrew Martin to study
humans--and to derail a discovery that
the real Martin has made. He bonds with
Martin’s wife and son, leaving him with a
difficult decision when his mission
demands closure. Strong language and
some descriptions of sex.
DB 77425
Transcendental
by James Gunn
Riley joins a group of pilgrims traveling
to the outer edges of space seeking
transcendence. His secret assignment is
to uncover the identity of the prophet
leading the group, but as he learns his
fellow passengers’ stories--and develops
a relationship with mysterious Asha--his
mission grows more complicated. Some
violence.
DB 77426
Solstice
by P.J. Hoover
The global heating crisis is destroying
Piper’s world, and her overprotective
mother is stifling her. But everything
changes on her eighteenth birthday,
when Piper learns her destiny is
intertwined with the myths of the
Underworld. Some violence and some
descriptions of sex. For senior high and
older readers.
DB 77686
Sun God Seeks...Surrogate?
by Mimi Jean Pamfiloff
For thousands of years, sun god Kinich-Nick to his friends--didn’t believe in
fraternizing with humans. But after a
sizzling encounter with beautiful
waitress Penelope, Nick begins to think
he was wrong--especially since letting
her go means turning her over to his
enemies. Unrated.
DB 77773
Across a Star-swept Sea
by Diana Peterfreund
Sixteen-year-old Persis Blake struggles to
balance her reputation as a socialite with
her secret work as a notorious spy in a
future where Regs--or regular people-have power over another group, the
Reduced. But romance threatens her
double life. Some violence. For senior
high and older readers.
DB 77913
Not Quite Enough
by Catherine Bybee
Trauma nurse Monica Mann volunteers
with Borderless Nurses after an
earthquake and tsunami strike Jamaica.
She meets helicopter pilot Trent Fairchild,
who flies Monica around to assist
victims--but then they get caught in an
aftershock that threatens their lives.
Some strong language and some explicit
descriptions of sex.
DB 78031
These Broken Stars
by Amie Kaufman
Eighteen-year-old war hero Tarver
Merendsen attends an upper-class
function aboard the spaceship Icarus and
falls for the unobtainable heiress Lilac
LaRoux. When the Icarus fails and
crashes into a nearby planet, Tarver and
Lilac must work together. Some violence
and some strong language. For senior
high and older readers.
DB 78338
Blue Moon Bay: a Novel
by Lisa Wingate
Seattle architect Heather Hampton
returns to her father’s hometown of
Moses Lake, Texas, to convince her
family to sell the family farm to an
agricultural conglomerate--but she runs
into local opposition. Heather also
reconnects with former classmate Blaine
Underhill and learns the truth about her
father’s early death.
DB 78374
Alienated
by Melissa Landers
Ambitious Cara Sweeney is startled to
earn a scholarship from the L’eihr
Exchange Ambassador Program, a
student exchange with aliens. As part of
the program, attractive Aelyx stays with
the Sweeneys, but the alien visitor has
an ulterior motive. Some strong
language. For senior high and older
readers.
DB 78431
City of Jasmine
by Deanna Raybourn
1920. While attempting to fly across the
seven seas of antiquity, aviatrix
Evangeline Starke receives a recent
photo of her husband Gabriel, who was
thought to have died when the Lusitania
sank. Gabriel has been playing a
dangerous game of deception and his
machinations now threaten their lives.
DB 78439
The Last Man on Earth
by Tracy Anne Warren
Manhattan. Madelyn Grayson, a
principled advertising executive, finds
herself in a battle for accounts and a
promotion with her self-made, ruthless
coworker Zack Douglas. But their mutual
sexual attraction leads to a secret love
affair--and complications. Explicit
descriptions of sex and some strong
language.
DB 78682
Evening Stars: a Blackberry Island Novel
by Susan Mallery
Blackberry Island, Washington. Nina, a
nurse, plays the role of the responsible
family member for her mother and sister
Averil. But now two men from her past
are interested in Nina. Then Averil leaves
her husband and returns to the island.
Some explicit descriptions of sex.
DB 79279
White Heat
by Jill Shalvis
Army brat, bush pilot Lyndie Anderson is
hired to drop off hotshot firefighter
Griffin Moore to battle a blaze
threatening a rural Mexican town.
Although scarred by survivor’s guilt,
Griffin can’t resist the sparks of their
attraction while they work together and
yearns for more.
DB 79282
Superb and Sexy
by Jill Shalvis
Brody, the brooding, bad-boy pilot of Sky
High Air, may have met his match with
Maddie, Sky High’s wisecracking,
gorgeous concierge. When he discovers
that she and her twin sister Leena have
gotten themselves into some big-time
trouble, he jumps at the chance to help.
Unrated.
DB 79403
Grail of the Summer Stars
by Freda Warrington
Art gallery manager Stevie Silverwood
receives a haunting painting. Wanting to
know more, she discovers her exboyfriend painted it, but he is missing.
Her quest to find him uncovers Mist, an
aetherial. They must find out the source
of their connection. Some descriptions of
sex.
DB 80572
This Shattered World: a Starbound
Novel
by Amie Kaufman
Flynn, leader of the rebellion on Avon,
captures Jubilee "Lee" Chase, captain of
the forces sent to crush the terraformed
planet’s rebellious colonists. But later
events cause Flynn to save Lee, and the
two flee together. Some violence and
some strong language. Commercial
audiobook. For senior high and older
readers.
Adventure
DB 30952
Day of the Cheetah: a Novel
by Dale Brown
In 1996, two experimental planes,
"Dreamstar" and "Cheetah," have been
developed by the U.S. "Dreamstar" can
be flown by the pilot’s thoughtwaves.
Captain Ken James, a.k.a. Andrei
Maraklov, a KGB mole, has been ordered
to steal the plane. "Cheetah," an older
and less intelligent plane, is flown by Lt.
Col. Patrick McLanahan. To him falls the
task of recovering or destroying
"Dreamstar." Strong language and
descriptions of sex. Bestseller.
DB 67050
Fireships
by David Drake
Intergalactic trader Sarah "Sal" Blythe
narrowly escapes an attack on her vessel
by Earth’s North American Federation.
Determined to retaliate, Sal allies with
warrior Stephen Gregg, commander Piet
Ricimer, and Venusian rebels in a raid
against the federation.
DB 67347
Rolling Thunder
by John Varley
Lieutenant Patricia Kelly Elizabeth
Strickland--otherwise known as
Podkayne--is a third-generation Martian.
Her grandfather, Manny, was one of the
first men to set foot on Mars. So Poddy
has some planet-sized shoes to fill. That's
why she's joined the Music, Arts, and
Drama Division of the Martian Navy.
Though some may say her voice is a
weapon in itself, Poddy passed the
audition. And now she's going to Europa,
one of Jupiter's many moons, to be an
entertainer. But she's about to learn that
there's plenty of danger to go around in
the Martian Navy, even if you've just
signed on to sing.
DB 67949
Prepared for Rage
by Dana Stabenow
Florida. Rookie astronaut Kenai Munro
prepares for the launch of a NASA space
shuttle that will carry a high-profile
Middle Eastern businessman. Captain Cal
Schuyler of U.S. Coast Guard cutter
Munro must protect the mission from a
rogue Arab terrorist. Violence, strong
language, and some explicit descriptions
of sex.
DB 68938
When Worlds Collide
by Philip Wylie
Two planets, Bronson Alpha and Bronson
Beta, hurtle through space on a collision
course with Earth. Scientist Cole
Hendron secretly recruits fellow
scientists to construct a powerful, Noah’s
ark-inspired spacecraft to evacuate a
select few people before the inevitable
cosmic disaster. Includes sequel After
Worlds Collide.
DB 70274
Impact
by Douglas Preston
Seemingly random circumstances--two
women searching for a crashed meteor
off the coast of Maine, a young California
scientist secretly continuing his
murdered mentor’s research, and a
former CIA agent tracing the origins of
radioactive gems--lead to a startling
discovery near Mars. Violence and strong
language. Bestseller.
DB 70289
Chronic City: a Novel
by Jonathan Lethem
Future Manhattan. Former child actor
Chase finds himself back in the limelight
when his fiancée, an astronaut, is
trapped in orbit. Chase befriends
wayward culture critic Perkus Tooth and
ghostwriter Oona Laszlo as an escaped
tiger and a simulated parallel universe
terrorize the city. Strong language.
DB 70294
The Four Corners of the Sky
by Michael Malone
Navy pilot Annie Goode receives an
urgent message from her father Jack, a
wanted con man. He claims he’s dying
and needs Annie to fly his old plane on
one last escapade. Annie hopes the
adventure will reveal the truth about her
mother--but it discloses much more.
Strong language.
DB 70320
Against a Dark Background
by Iain M. Banks
Lady Sharrow goes on the run from the
Huhsz, an intergalactic religious cult
plotting her assassination. Sharrow’s
only hope for survival rests on locating
the legendary weapon known as the Lazy
Gun before the Huhsz finds her. Some
violence, some strong language, and
some descriptions of sex.
DB 70566
Diving into the Wreck
by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
When a lone space pilot nicknamed Boss
picks up a faint energy signature, she
finds a derelict five-thousand-year-old
Dignity Vessel from Earth. Returning to
Longbow Station, Boss keeps the
amazing--but impossible--discovery
secret from everyone including the five
expert divers she hires to explore the
perilous wreck. Some strong language.
DB 70635
Live Free or Die
by John Ringo
When the first aliens, the Glatun, arrived
they traded peacefully with Earth. Then
the Horvath followed, wreaking death,
destruction, and slavery. Tyler Vernon
leads the resistance against them, but
his plans are threatened by an
intergalactic war. Some strong language.
DB 70833
Earth Abides
by George R. Stewart
A plague sweeps the globe, wiping out
most of the human race. California
intellectual loner Isherwood, who has
immunity to the disease, and Em, a
woman, survive. But can their
descendants restore modern civilization?
Some violence.
DB 70903
The Silent Sea: a Novel of the Oregon
Files
by Clive Cussler
Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon
search a militia-controlled Argentine
jungle for a downed NASA satellite
carrying plutonium. What they uncover
leads them first to Antarctica and then to
a forgotten discovery on an island off the
coast of Washington state. Violence.
Bestseller.
DB 71001
Powersat
by Ben Bova
Businessman Dan Randolph’s dreams are
shattered when his only experimental
spaceplane disintegrates during a test
flight, leaving his company, Astro
Manufacturing Corporation, in tatters.
Randolph must stop the Nine, the
enigmatic group who sabotaged his
spaceplane, before they gain control of
his remaining asset, a power satellite.
DB 71714
Executive Intent
by Dale Brown
U.S. president Joseph Gardner uses
Thor’s Hammer--a new untested missilelaunching satellite--to attack terrorists in
Pakistan after they bomb India. But
Thor’s Hammer malfunctions and kills
thousands of Pakistani civilians, causing
countries to align against one another.
Some violence and some strong
language.
DB 72022
The Sheriff of Yrnameer
by Michael Rubens
Fleeing a tentacled creditor who wants
to lay eggs in his brain, hapless
interstellar smuggler Cole boards a
spaceship transporting freeze-dried
orphans to unsponsored planet
Yrnameer, the last of the Your Name
Heres. As the community’s sheriff, Cole
battles bandits bent on destroying the
utopian world. Some strong language.
DB 72304
Bitter Angels
by C. L. Anderson
Terese Drajeske is summoned out of
retirement and back into the fold of the
Guardians--a special forces group for the
United World Government of Earth--to
investigate the death of her mentor
Bianca and prevent a war. Strong
language and some violence. Philip K.
Dick Award.
DB 72662
Black Hole Sun
by David Macinnis Gill
On the planet Mars, sixteen-year-old
Durango and his crew of mercenaries are
hired by the settlers of a mining
community to protect the outpost’s
most valuable resource from a feral band
of marauders. Some violence and some
strong language. For senior high and
older readers.
DB 73323
Halo Cryptum: the Forerunner Saga
by Greg Bear
Bornstellar is destined to be a great
Builder like his father--but he has other
plans. His obsession with lost artifacts
earns him exile among the Miners,
forever changing the course of his life.
Some violence.
DB 73830
Darkness Under the Sun
by Dean Koontz
When Howie Dugley climbs to the roof of
Boswell’s Emporium to watch the people
in the town below, he runs into what he
thinks is a monster. But hobo Alton
Turner Blackwood is something much
worse than that. Some violence and
some strong language.
DB 73995
I Am Number Four: the Lorien Legacies
by Pittacus Lore
Nine Lorien children were sent to Earth
after their planet was attacked. Charmed
for protection, the powerful children
scatter until they are strong enough to
fight as one--but the Mogadorians are
hunting them. Violence and some strong
language. For senior high and older
readers.
DB 74557
The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier:
Dreadnaught
by Jack Campbell
The Alliance orders Admiral Black Jack
Geary to investigate the alien race on the
far side of the Syndicate Worlds’ space
and determine if it is a threat. But Geary
is weary of politically motivated missions
and worried about his fleet. Some strong
language.
DB 74738
The House on the Borderland
by William Hope Hodgson
Ireland. Two gentleman on a fishing trip
discover a mysterious diary. It
documents an elderly man’s exploration
of the cave beneath his home, which
brought him through time and space to
find a simulacrum of his house
elsewhere.
DB 75493
The Dog Stars
by Peter Heller
Hig survived the global pandemic that
decimated the world nine years ago.
Now, he has only his plane, his dog, and
one neighbor. When Hig overhears a
radio signal, he goes in search of the
source. Violence, strong language, and
some explicit descriptions of sex.
Bestseller.
DB 76726
River of Stars
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Fifteen-year-old Ren Daiyan is recruited
to protect an imperial magistrate who
needs to travel for official business. En
route, Ren kills seven outlaws and goes
into hiding. Years later, he emerges and
develops a relationship with Lin Shan, a
poetess for the Emperor’s court. Strong
language and some violence.
DB 77149
Dauntless
by Jack Campbell
Captain "Black Jack" Geary awakens from
a hundred-year hibernation to find he is
worshipped as a hero by the Alliance. It
is still at war with the Syndics--the
enemy Jack fought when he first went to
sleep. Jack is now the Alliance’s only
hope. Some violence.
DB 78253
Red Rising
by Pierce Brown
Sixteen-year-old Darrow works in a
mining colony on Mars. He thinks he is
improving the planet for future
generations, but his wife Eo believes
they are slaves. When Eo is condemned
to death, Darrow infiltrates the
governing caste to foment rebellion.
Violence, strong language, and some
descriptions of sex.
DB 78389
The Martian: a Novel
by Andy Weir
Six days after becoming the first man to
walk on Mars, astronaut Mark Watney is
caught in a windstorm. Though his
support crew thinks he died, Mark
survived and now faces abandonment,
failed machinery, and a hostile
environment. Strong language. Bestseller.
DB 78819
Fool’s War
by Sarah Zettel
Captain Katmer Al Shei of the Pasadena
hires Evelyn Dobbs as the ship’s jester
for its newest mission. While traveling
through deep space, a previously
unknown intelligence threatens the
safety of the ship and crew. Unrated.
DB 79059
House of the Rising Sun
by Kristen Painter
New Orleans, 2068. Fae Augustine
discovers his adoptive mother, movie
star Olivia Goodwin, murdered by
vampires. He is assigned as Guardian to
New Orleans and must hunt down
Olivia’s killers. When Olivia’s estranged
husband and daughter show, tensions
rise. Unrated.
DB 79300
The Kraken Project
by Douglas Preston
NASA is designing an exploratory probe
to be dropped into the Titan methane
sea, Kraken Mare. But during testing an
explosion kills seven scientists and the
probe’s AI program flees into the
Internet. Ex-CIA agent Wyman Ford must
track down the rogue software. Some
violence and some strong language.
Memoirs and History
DB 68310
Chuck Yeager and the Bell X-1: Breaking
the Sound Barrier
by Dominick A. Pisano
Explains the complex technological
challenges encountered in building the
aircraft that broke the sound barrier in
1947. Also describes the fame that
enveloped its pilot, Chuck Yeager. Places
the achievement in the context of the
Cold War and highlights the teamwork
that went into the enterprise.
DB 68921
Women Astronomers: Reaching for the
Stars
by Mabel Armstrong
Profiles twenty-one female scientists
highlighting their education, the
obstacles they overcame, and their
contributions to astronomy. Ranges from
early astronomers in Babylonia and
Egypt to twentieth-century Europeans
and Americans. Discusses technological
developments, the process of breaking
the gender barrier, and gaining an
understanding of the universe. For
grades 5-8.
DB 69111
The Universe in a Mirror: the Saga of
the Hubble Telescope and the
Visionaries Who Built It
by Robert Zimmerman
Science writer and historian discusses
the sacrifices and hardships experienced
by the Hubble Space Telescope creators
and the tenacious spirit they needed to
get the telescope launched. Includes
insight of Lyman Spitzer, C. Robert "Bob"
O’Dell, Jim Westphal, Sean O’Keefe, and
many others.
DB 69713
Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who
Dared to Dream
by Tanya Lee Stone
Discusses the thirteen American women
who passed the stringent physical and
mental exams required to become
astronauts in the 1960s but were
disqualified on the basis of gender.
Covers the role these female pilots
played as pioneers for admittance to the
NASA program. For grades 6-9.
DB 69775
Rocket Men: the Epic Story of the First
Men on the Moon
by Craig Nelson
Prizewinning author retraces America’s
race against the Soviet Union to be the
first to land on the moon. Chronicles
NASA’s 1969 Apollo 11 mission using
interviews and declassified documents.
Provides glimpses into the personal
family lives of astronauts Neil Armstrong,
Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin Jr., and
Michael Collins.
DB 69784
Magnificent Desolation: the Long
Journey Home from the Moon
by Buzz Aldrin
Astronaut reflects on his notoriety after
the 1969 Apollo 11 moon landing: his
alcoholism, clinical depression, and two
failed marriages. Discusses his recovery
from addiction, eventual acceptance of
his celebrity status, and his loving and
lasting marriage to Lois Driggs Cannon.
DB 71474
From Eternity to Here: the Quest for the
Ultimate Theory of Time
by Sean Carroll
Theoretical physicist discusses the
nature and mysteries of time, the
universe, and physical reality. Explains
that time has a direction and the "arrow
of time" exists because the universe
evolves in a certain way. Speculates
about what happened before the Big
Bang and examines the continuing
increase of entropy.
DB 75236
Soundings: the Story of the Remarkable
Woman who Mapped the Ocean Floor
by Hali Felt
Biography of oceanic cartographer Marie
Tharp (1920-2006), whose work with
Bruce Heezen proved the existence of
the Mid-Oceanic Ridges. Explores the
intricacies of being a woman in a maledominated field, her professional and
personal relationships with Heezen, and
the impact of her work on the field of
geology.
DB 75475
Before Galileo: the Birth of Modern
Science in Medieval Europe
by John Freely
Physicist and historian chronicles the
development of science in Europe prior
to the Scientific Revolution by thinkers
Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton. Details
the passing of knowledge from one
individual to another and the influence
of the Greeks and Arabs. Discusses the
revival of the study of astronomy.
DB 75598
A Professor, a President, and a Meteor:
the Birth of American Science
by Cathryn J. Prince
Chronicles the December 14, 1807,
landing of a celestial fireball on a farm in
Weston, Connecticut, and the event’s
effects on American science. Recounts
professor Benjamin Silliman’s study of
the meteor and President Thomas
Jefferson’s influence on the post-colonial
scientific community.
DB 77110
The Astronaut Wives Club: a True Story
by Lily Koppel
Discusses the role of the military wives
whose husbands were chosen for the
Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions
during the late fifties through the early
seventies. Focuses on Louise Shepard,
Betty Grissom, and Annie Glenn.
Bestseller.
DB 77724
Falling Upwards: How We Took to the
Air
by Richard Holmes
Author examines ballooning in the late
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Profiles early pioneers in the field,
including Tiberius Cavallo, Jacques
Alexandre Charles, and the Montgolfier
brothers. Discusses female aeronauts,
scientific advancements, and arctic
expeditions.
DB 77759
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth:
What Going to Space Taught Me About
Ingenuity, Determination and Being
Prepared for Anything
by Chris Hadfield
Former commander of the International
Space Station discusses the ways his
training and experiences in engineering,
astronautics, and space exploration
prepared him to deal with worst-case
scenarios. Provides details about day-today life in space, the physical effects on
the body, and the return to Earth.
DB 78982
The Science of Shakespeare: a New Look
at the Playwright’s Universe
by Dan Falk
Journalist profiles Renaissance
astronomers and cosmologists and
discusses the influence of their
discoveries and speculations on the work
of William Shakespeare (1564?-1616).
Links Shakespeare with Galileo,
Copernicus, Giordano Bruno, and other
thinkers.
DB 79670
Sally Ride: America’s First Woman in
Space
by Lynn Sherr
Journalist examines the life of Sally Ride
(1951-2012), the first American woman
astronaut to go to space. Details Ride’s
childhood and early life in California, her
selection as an astronaut, and postmission endeavors to encourage girls’
interest in science fields. Discusses Ride’s
private life and relationships.
New Worlds: to Infinity
and Beyond, What the
Future Could Hold
DB 63024
The City and the Stars; and, The Sands
of Mars
by Arthur C. Clarke
Two works by Hugo and Nebula Awardwinning British author. In The City and
the Stars a young man undertakes a
quest after learning he is unique among
immortals. In The Sands of Mars, Clarke’s
first full-length novel, writer Martin
Gibson visits a Red Planet research
colony.
DB 67257
The Dreaming Void: a Novel
by Peter F. Hamilton
The Void, an impenetrable
microuniverse that is steadily expanding,
threatens to consume the entire galaxy.
Telepath Inigo’s revelatory dreams of
humans living in worlds within the Void
spark a mass pilgrimage that some
believe could trigger the apocalypse.
Strong language, some descriptions of
sex, and some violence.
DB 67285
The Silver Ship and the Sea: a Novel
by Brenda Cooper
Twelve years ago on the colony planet
Fremont, a war raged between
bioengineered and nonmodified humans.
Chelo, her brother Joseph, and four
other genetically altered orphans must
learn to use their unique abilities to live
in harmony among the pure humans--or
escape aboard their ancestors’
abandoned spaceship.
DB 67287
The Motion Paradox: the 2,500-YearOld Puzzle Behind all the Mysteries of
Time and Space
by Joseph Mazur
Mathematics professor ponders Greek
philosopher Zeno’s four paradoxes,
which raise fundamental questions
about the mechanisms of the universe
and which conclude that motion is an
illusion. Examines scientific advances-such as calculus, relativity, and quantum
mechanics--that have increased
understanding of material reality but
have not necessarily solved Zeno’s
conundrum.
DB 67866
Mind Changer: a Sector General Novel
by James White
O’Mara, chief psychologist of a
multienvironment, interspecies space
hospital, is temporarily promoted to
administrator for as long as it takes him
to find and train a permanent
replacement. O’Mara’s early career in
deep-space medicine--during which he
underwent mental imprinting--unfolds
throughout the selection and interview
process.
and Zak, members of Aloof, begin to
discover their place in the universe.
DB 68933
Necropath: a Bengal Station Novel
by Eric Brown
Telepath Jeff Vaughan monitors
incoming vessels for contraband at
Bengal Station, a spaceport high above
South Asia. Jeff discovers a bizarre
shipment--a mysterious shielded
container and a young girl--smuggled
from the space colony Verkerk’s World.
Jeff soon unravels an interstellar plot
involving a sinister, drug-fueled cult.
Some violence.
DB 69345
Confessions of an Alien Hunter: a
Scientist’s Search for Extraterrestrial
Intelligence
by Seth Shostak
Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence
(SETI) astronomer reflects on the history
of humankind’s search for life on other
planets and moons and discusses the
probability of discovering alien life via
radio signals. Explains SETI’s origins,
mission, and work performing technical
consultations for Hollywood.
DB 69130
Spider Star: a Novel
by Mike Brotherton
Commander Rusk leads his crew on a
training mission to Charybdis, an inner
moon of planet Argo. After Rusk
discovers an ancient alien military base,
he unwittingly initiates a neutrino pulse,
activating a doomsday weapon. Rusk and
his team must prevent the human
colony’s imminent annihilation. Some
strong language.
DB 69773
Lear’s Daughters: a Novel
by Marjorie B. Kellogg
2073. As Earth’s ecosystems fail, humans
explore other planets for resources
needed to survive. On planet Fiix, they
run into violent storms that hinder a
mining expedition. But the local Sawls
insist the weather and impending danger
are from the gods. Some strong language
and some descriptions of sex.
DB 69233
Incandescence: a Novel
by Greg Egan
After meeting a traveler who has bits of
information from an uncataloged DNA
world, discontented Amalgam explorer
Rakesh journeys to the galactic core in
search of the Aloof race. Meanwhile Roi
DB 69860
13 Things That Don’t Make Sense: the
Most Baffling Scientific Mysteries of Our
Time
by Michael Brooks
Author examines anomalies that science
has failed to adequately explain or
dismiss. Discusses contradictory
evidence on topics such as cold fusion,
dark matter and the expansion of the
universe, the possibility of
extraterrestrials, the placebo effect, the
existence of free will, and the mystery of
life itself.
DB 70044
The Third Claw of God: an Andrea Cort
Novel
by Adam-Troy Castro
Prosecutor-at-large Andrea Cort barely
survives an attack by Bocaian assassins
at a Xana spaceport. But after boarding
Bettelhine Corporation’s luxurious
elevator car, Andrea learns that
someone else was the target. Andrea
questions her summons from Hans
Bettelhine--an infamous worldannihilating arms dealer. Some strong
language and some descriptions of sex.
DB 70289
Chronic City: a Novel
by Jonathan Lethem
Future Manhattan. Former child actor
Chase finds himself back in the limelight
when his fiancée, an astronaut, is
trapped in orbit. Chase befriends
wayward culture critic Perkus Tooth and
ghostwriter Oona Laszlo as an escaped
tiger and a simulated parallel universe
terrorize the city. Strong language.
DB 70315
House of Suns
by Alastair Reynolds
Every two hundred thousand years, the
shatterlings--one thousand male and
female clones of Abigail Gentian-congregate to share the news from
space. But at this reunion, shatterlings
Campion and Purslane discover that
someone is massacring their siblings and
they must track down the killers before
the Gentian line disappears.
DB 72264
The Eerie Silence: Renewing Our Search
for Alien Intelligence
by Paul Davies
Physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist,
and chair of the SETI Post-Detection
Taskgroup analyzes techniques used to
search for alien life, such as radio waves.
Suggests expanding our focus to include
less anthropocentric communication
methods on the grounds that
extraterrestrials may be using more
advanced technology.
DB 72591
The Sirius Mystery: New Scientific
Evidence of Alien Contact 5,000 Years
Ago
by Robert Temple
The author presents his theory, first
published in 1976, that Earth’s ancient
civilizations were formed by aliens from
the Sirius star system. In this updated
edition Temple documents apparent
attempts of American intelligence
agencies to thwart the release of his
hypothesis.
DB 72630
The Hidden Reality: Parallel Universes
and the Deep Laws of the Cosmos
by Brian Greene
Bestselling author of The Elegant
Universe (DB 48203) and The Fabric of
the Cosmos (DB 57798) explains the
principles of quantum mechanics,
cosmology, and string theory that
propose the existence of multiple
universes. Uses analogies and metaphors
to illustrate research that supports
several different models of parallel
universes. Bestseller.
DB 72683
The Edge of Physics: a Journey to Earth’s
Extremes to Unlock the Secrets of the
Universe
by Anil Ananthaswamy
Science writer travels to the Chilean
Andes, the Himalayas, and other
locations in a quest to understand our
universe. Wonders why the universe is
expanding at an ever-faster rate, what
dark matter is, and whether there are
more universes.
DB 72729
Halo. The Fall of Reach
by Eric Nylund
Twenty-sixth century. Dr. Catherine
Halsey begins a secret mission to recruit
unique children for specialized training
and physical augmentation. Years later
the superhuman trainees, now known as
Spartans, are called to defend the
fortress-planet Reach against a
seemingly unstoppable alien alliance
known as the Covenant. Violence.
DB 72852
Voyager: Seeking Newer Worlds in the
Third Great Age of Discovery
by Stephen J. Pyne
Examines the Voyager space program’s
history, scientific impact, and legacy.
Compares the mission with earlier
terrestrial explorations and highlights
contrasts: its unmanned nature and the
lack of any native populations for it to
encounter. Reports on people’s reactions
to the discoveries the two probes made
while touring neighboring planets.
DB 73056
Physics of the Future: How Science Will
Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily
Lives by the Year 2100
by Michio Kaku
Physicist discusses research by more
than three hundred scientists that is
leading to breakthroughs in artificial
intelligence, computers, nanotechnology,
space travel, medicine, energy, and more.
Predicts the impact these advances will
have on day-to-day life during the
twenty-first century. Bestseller.
DB 74215
First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs
in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth
by Marc Kaufman
Science writer discusses the young field
of astrobiology, which seeks to identify
life throughout the universe. Relates the
significance of discoveries about
organisms that can thrive in extreme
conditions. Emphasizes research on
planets orbiting other suns and evidence
of past life on Mars.
the suspicions of the USS Merrimack
crew members. Then they discover
colonized planets that somehow have
escaped the reach of the deadly alien
Hive. Some violence and some strong
language.
DB 74241
Imperial Earth: a Novel
by Arthur C. Clarke
2276. Decades ago, Malcolm Makenzie
founded a colony on Titan, Saturn’s
largest moon. But radiation from years
of space travel damaged his genes, and
his family cannot reproduce through
natural means. His grandson Duncan
Makenzie travels to Earth for the
American Quincentennial--and to clone
the next heir.
DB 74557
The Lost Fleet: Beyond the Frontier:
Dreadnaught
by Jack Campbell
The Alliance orders Admiral Black Jack
Geary to investigate the alien race on the
far side of the Syndicate Worlds’ space
and determine if it is a threat. But Geary
is weary of politically motivated missions
and worried about his fleet. Some strong
language.
DB 74417
Hellhole: a Novel
by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson
When General Tiber Adolphus fails to
liberate the corrupt Constellation
government run by Diadem Michella
Duchenet, he is exiled to Hallholme. Also
called Hellhole, the planet is a dumping
zone for undesirables. Adolphus
rehabilitates the outcasts and plans a
new rebellion. Violence and some strong
language.
DB 74507
The Myriad: Tour of the Merrimack
by R.M. Meluch
A deadly incident involving a mine and a
Marine Swift craft in remote space raises
DB 76834
Farside: a Novel
by Ben Bova
People from the lunar nation of Selene
set out to build an observatory on the far
side of the moon to capture images of a
recently discovered planet dubbed "New
Earth." But politics and murder may
derail the project. Some violence.
DB 76862
Mission to Mars: My Vision for Space
Exploration
by Buzz Aldrin
Former astronaut explains his ideas for
the future of exploring space and,
specifically, the planet Mars. Theorizes
humans can inhabit Mars by 2035,
discusses the value of that
accomplishment, and details the policies
and technology necessary.
DB 78751
The Burning Dark
by Adam Christopher
After sustaining an injury in an alien
attack, Captain Abraham Cleveland is
relegated to a near-isolated space
station. As he deals with a hostile crew
and an absent commander, he tunes in
to a space radio signal that may be
warning of danger. Violence and strong
language.
DB 79181
Dark Eden
by Chris Beckett
On a distant planet called Eden, settlers
called the Family gather to hear the tales
of how they came to be there.
Determined to learn the truth, John
Redlantern leaves the compound and
unravels everything they thought they
knew. Some violence, some strong
language, and some descriptions of sex.
DB 79805
Five Billion Years of Solitude: the Search
for Life Among the stars
by Lee Billings
Journalist examines the growth of
discoveries of exoplanets--planets that
orbit stars other than the Sun--in the late
twentieth and early twenty-first
centuries and what it means for the
identification of extraterrestrial life.
Profiles astronomers and planetary
scientists responsible for this batch of
identified planets.
Braille
BR 5506
Distant Encounters: the Exploration of
Jupiter and Saturn
by Mark Washburn
A space enthusiast describes the Voyager
spacecraft missions to Jupiter and Saturn,
chronicles and analyzes the new data
received from the giant planets and their
moons, and provides an account of the
scientists and journalists sharing in the
exhilarating adventure of unexpected
discoveries.
BR 6765
Mars: Our Future on the Red Planet
by Robert M. Powers
An established space writer studies the
possibilities of human settlement on
Mars. Beginning with an initial voyage
and exploration, Powers takes the story
through the first colony, the building of
cities, and the creation of an Earthlike
ecology, complete with a breathable
atmosphere.
BR 11825
1001 Things Everyone Should Know
About the Universe
by William A. Gutsch, Jr
Facts and comments about the solar
system, including chapters on the sun,
the moon, stars, black holes, and the
search for extraterrestrial life. For senior
high and older readers.
BR 12060
Stairways to the Stars: Skywatching in
Three Great Ancient Cultures
by Anthony Aveni
The author offers an interdisciplinary
study of astronomy as practiced by
preliterate people at Stonehenge, by the
more sophisticated Mayans, and by the
highly organized Incans. A concluding
chapter highlights the turning points in
the development of contemporary
astronomy.
BR 13156
The Race: the Uncensored Story of How
America Beat Russia to the Moon
by James Schefter
Longtime space reporter recounts the
cold war race to the moon, providing
behind-the-scenes details about NASA.
Chronicles the successes and failures of
both the Russians and the Americans.
Explains how U.S. scientists finally won
the competition by placing a man on the
lunar surface in 1969. Some strong
language.
BR 13520
Johannes Kepler and the New
Astronomy
by James R. Voelkel
A biography of the German astronomer
whose discoveries include three of the
laws that govern the movement of
planets. Kepler (1571-1630) was born on
the threshold of the scientific revolution
in Europe, lived through CatholicProtestant conflicts, and died before his
work was fully appreciated. For grades 69 and older readers.
BR 14438
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams
When Earth is demolished to make room
for a galactic freeway, sole survivor
Arthur Dent is forced to take up a life of
hitchhiking around the cosmos with the
aid of his alien friend, Ford Prefect, and a
book called the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the
Galaxy.
BR 14799
Our Universe: the Thrill of Extragalactic
Exploration as Told by Leading Experts
edited by S. Alan Stern
Nine essays by leading astronomers and
cosmologists concerning space
exploration beyond the Milky Way.
Topics include the search for massive
black holes, the Big Bang, dark matter,
and gamma-ray bursts. Profiles of
contributing authors provide insight into
their personal experiences in the space
science field.
BR 16322
Empire of the Stars: Obsession,
Friendship, and Betrayal in the Quest
for Black Holes
by Arthur I. Miller
Examines the history of astrophysics in
the early twentieth century when the
concept of black holes was hotly debated
by a young graduate student from India
and a leading British scientist. Discusses
their professional rivalry and its
repercussions on their personal lives and
the scientific community.
the NASA program, from training
experiences to four different space
shuttle missions. Provides first-person
accounts of stepping through the ship’s
airlock into the vastness of space,
working with Russian cosmonauts, and
sharing the camaraderie of his fellow
astronauts.
BR 16411
Rocket Boys: a Memoir
by Homer H. Hickam, Jr.
Retired NASA engineer reminisces about
boyhood in West Virginia during the
Sputnik era, when his first rocket launch
burned down his mother’s garden fence.
He and his friends improved their models,
ultimately winning the 1960 National
Science Fair.
BR 17198
Too Far From Home: a Story of Life and
Death in Space
by Chris Jones
Describes the experiences of Americans
Don Pettit and Ken Bowersox and
Russian Nikolai Budarin, astronauts who
became stranded on the International
Space Station after the space shuttle
Columbia exploded in 2003. Recounts
the efforts of mission control in Houston
and Moscow to rescue them using an old
Soyuz rocket.
BR 16517
Miss Leavitt’s Stars: the Untold Story of
the Woman Who Discovered How to
Measure the Universe
by George Johnson
Profiles Henrietta Swan Leavitt (18681921), who worked at the Harvard
College Observatory in the maledominated field of astronomy. Explains
her meticulous recording of "variables"-stars that wax and wane--and her
contributions to the theory of an
expanding universe.
BR 16597
Sky Walking: an Astronaut’s Memoir
by Thomas D. Jones
Astronaut describes his eleven years in
BR 17275
Moon Pies and Movie Stars
by Amy Wallen
When spunky, small-town Texas widow
Ruby Kincaid spies her wayward
daughter, Violet, in a television
commercial, she packs up the
Winnebago and heads for Hollywood to
bring her home. Along for the ride are
Ruby’s game-show-loving sister Loralva,
Violet’s mother-in-law Imogene, Violet’s
unruly children, and plenty of MoonPies.
BR 18081
Chasing Hubble’s Shadows: the Search
for Galaxies at the Edge of Time
by Jeff Kanipe
Science journalist discusses astronomers’
efforts to probe the outermost limits of
the observable universe, particularly
areas called "shadows"--distant, wispy
galaxies formed at the beginning of time-that were found through the Hubble
Space Telescope. Features firsthand
accounts of astronomers’ and
astrophysicists’ work and describes their
understanding of the cosmos.
BR 18713
Impact: a Novel
by Douglas Preston
Seemingly random circumstances--two
women searching for a crashed meteor
off the coast of Maine, a young California
scientist secretly continuing his
murdered mentor’s research, and a
former CIA agent tracing the origins of
radioactive gems--lead to a startling
discovery near Mars. Violence and strong
language. Bestseller.
BR 18882
The Georgian Star: How William and
Caroline Herschel Revolutionized Our
Understanding of the Cosmos
by Michael D. Lemonick
Portrays William Herschel (1738-1822)
and his sister Caroline (1750-1848),
professional musicians who became
influential astronomers. Explains that
although William is best known for
discovering the planet Uranus, he and
Caroline systematically mapped the night
sky. Discusses their pioneering scientific
techniques and theories and
construction of a forty-foot-tall
telescope.
BR 19524
First Contact: Scientific Breakthroughs
in the Hunt for Life Beyond Earth
by Marc Kaufman
Science writer discusses the young field
of astrobiology, which seeks to identify
life throughout the universe. Relates the
significance of discoveries about
organisms that can thrive in extreme
conditions. Emphasizes research on
planets orbiting other suns and evidence
of past life on Mars.
BR 20331
Transcendental: a Novel
by James Gunn
Riley joins a group of pilgrims traveling
to the outer edges of space seeking
transcendence. His secret assignment is
to uncover the identity of the prophet
leading the group, but as he learns his
fellow passengers’ stories--and develops
a relationship with the mysterious Asha-his mission grows more complicated.
* Funding for this grant was awarded by
the Illinois State Library, a Department of
the Office of Secretary of State, using
funds provided by the U.S. Institute of
Museum and Library Services, under the
provisions of the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA)