The first of the month = First Finds! Here is the latest installment of new and interesting books from the collection.
Blood Brothers: the fatal friendship between Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X by Randy Roberts and Johnny SmithGenre: Collective Biographies
"Draws on previously untapped sources to illuminate the secret friendship and disastrous estrangement between Cassius Clay and Malcolm X, sharing insights into Malcolm's alleged role in shaping Clay's double life as a patriotic athlete and Islamic reformer." Library Journal's starred-review proclaims Blood Brothers provides "significant contribution to serious studies of Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and the Nation of Islam." - NoveList
The Soul of an Octopus: a surprising exploration into the wonder of consciousness by Sy MontgomeryGenre: Nature Writing
Nominated for a National Book Award, The Soul of an Octopus explores the intelligence of octopuses. "Octopuses have varied personalities and intelligence they show in myriad ways: endless trickery to escape enclosures and get food; jetting water playfully to bounce objects like balls; and evading caretakers by using a scoop net as a trampoline and running around the floor on eight arms. But with a beak like a parrot, venom like a snake, and a tongue covered with teeth, how can such a being know anything? And what sort of thoughts could it think? The intelligence of dogs, birds, and chimpanzees was only recently accepted by scientists, who now are establishing the intelligence of the octopus, watching them solve problems and deciphering the meaning of their color-changing camouflage techniques." - NoveList
A Doubter's Almanac by Ethan CaninGenre: Literary Fiction
Starred reviews keep coming for this tear-jerker of a novel by best-selling author Canin. "Milo Andret, the genius who solved the Malosz Conjecture and won the Fields Medal for mathematics, had an unusual, even eerie mind from birth, but not until he moves to Berkeley in the 1970s to pursue a Ph.D. does he realize the extent of his singular talents. From the drug-soaked enclaves of beatnik California to the verdant lawns of Princeton University, from turbo-charged Wall Street to the quiet woods of Michigan, his reputation as one of the century's most brilliant thinkers forms the backbone of a sweeping, epic story about family, love, passion, and Milo's fraught relationship with his son. "-- Provided by publisher.
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson
Genre: Mainstream Fiction
"After a childhood on the road, and being placed in foster care when her mother went to prison, Paula Vauss grew up to become a tough divorce attorney. Her life is thrown into chaos by an astonishing revelation and a cryptic message from the mother she has not seen in years. With the discovery that she has a sister, Paula has to figure out how to put her family back together."
Are you curious about the difference between Literary Fiction and Mainstream (General) Fiction? This article tries to clear it up.
Click on the "First Finds" label below to see more recommended books.
