What I’m reading:
In Praise of Slowness : How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed / Carl Honore
Challenging modern society’s culture of speed and efficiency, identifying the benefits of a slower-paced lifestyle and its effect on dining habits, urban living, mental and physical health, and relationships, Carl Honore asks “Is it possible, or even desirable, to slow down?”
Up Next:
New Slow City : Living Simply in the World’s Fastest City / William Powers ; cover and interior illustrations by Kyle Pierce
In his award-winning memoir, Twelve by Twelve, William Powers spent a season in a 12-foot-by-12-foot cabin off the grid in North Carolina. In this follow-up he answers the question “Could he live a similarly minimalist life in the heart of New York City?” Downshifting to a two-day workweek, Powers explores the viability of Slow Food and Slow Money, technology fasts and urban sanctuaries in one of the world’s busiest cities.
What I’m watching:
In addition to copious amounts of college football to be enjoyed right now, I recently began watching the first 3 seasons of “The Man in the High Castle” on Amazon Prime. An alternative history set in post-WWII America, it depicts a world in which the Japanese Empire and Nazi Germany won the war and split the United States between them. Part post-apocalyptic fiction, part-science fiction, this series is based on the 1962 novel of the same name by Philip K. Dick, whose works have been adapted into such films as Blade Runner, Total Recall, Minority Report, and A Scanner Darkly – DVDs all available at Lititz Public Library.
Other alternate history novels available at your local library:
The Best Alternate History Stories of the 20th Century / edited by Harry Turtledove with Martin H. Greenberg
These alternate history tales leave readers wondering about the endless possibilities that exist in the universe we inhabit, challenging the boundaries of past, present, and future.
Gettysburg : An Alternate History / Peter G. Tsouras
Relying on what was genuinely possible with regards to tactics and actions, Tsouras considers how minor mistakes could have changed the course of the battle, speculating on Stuart’s late arrival, Lee’s decision-making, and the management of Pickett’s Charge.
The Secret Daughter of the Tsar / Jennifer Laam
A compelling alternate history of the Romanov family in which a secret fifth daughter–smuggled out of Russia before the revolution–continues the royal lineage to dramatic consequences. Intertwining the lives of three women across time and place, Laam creates compelling intrigue and suspense in her debut novel.
The Berlin Project : A Novel / Gregory Benford
Combining fascinating science with intimate and true accounts of several members of The Manhattan Project, The Berlin Project is an astounding novel that reimagines history and what could have happened if the atom bomb was ready in time to stop Hitler from killing millions of people.
Bombs Away : The Hot War / Harry Turtledove
Harry Turtledove’s alternative history novels have probed the questions surrounding the origins of World War I and the rise of fascism in the decades that followed. In this alternate account of the Korean War he asks: In an era of nuclear posturing, what if the Cold War had suddenly turned hot? What if General MacArthur’s decision to drop nuclear bombs on Manchurian cities had been carried out?
Ryan McCrory
November 20, 2019