What We’re Reading: Moonglow by Michael Chabon

Title: Moonglow
Author: Michael Chabon
Genre: biography, fiction (both, believe it or not!)
Read Great Things 2020 Categories: book with a one-word title, bildungsroman (maybe)

Why did you choose to read this book?

I have read four of Chabon’s other novels; I liked three of those very much and hated the other one (Gentlemen of the Road). I think The Yiddish Policemen’s Union is my favorite of his novels.

My sister-in-law gave me her copy of Moonglow last year, so I read it.

What did you like about it?

I like Michael Chabon’s enormous vocabulary and he chooses his words carefully. Even though I regularly consult a dictionary while reading his books, I find him to be an engaging storyteller; also, I learn a lot of new words!

Moonglow: A Novel by Michael Chabon

Chabon set out both to write a novel and tell the story of his grandfather’s life in Moonglow. He is deliberately ambiguous about what is fact and what is fiction in the book. Periodic footnotes lend a feeling of historical accuracy, while vivid details of his (unnamed) grandfather’s life make it clear that this is a work of fiction.
The premise is that Chabon’s reserved, quiet grandfather opened up to Chabon on his deathbed, tongue loosened by the drug Dilaudid, which he took to ease his pain. The grandfather told stories of his life as a boy in a working-class Philadelphia neighborhood; espionage work during World War II; meeting his wife, a war refugee from France, in Baltimore; his arrest and time in prison; and his life-long obsession with space travel.

Chabon interweaves these stories with his mother’s recollections, his memories of his grandparents, and his own research. He creates a gripping story of his father’s difficult, tragic life and the beauty and love that nonetheless go along with the travails.

Does this book remind you of another book?

A man researching his family’s past echoes The Nix, which was the best novel I read last year. The requirement of a dictionary at hand reminds me of reading Dear Committee Members by Julie Schumacher. Chabon’s storytelling reminds me of Jonathan Franzen’s novels.

Is there anything noteworthy about the book?

Moonglow was a finalist for the 2016 National Book Critics Circle Awards.

With what feeling did the book leave you?

I was satisfied when I finished the book. It is kind of a long book and I laughed out loud multiple times; I may have cried once or twice as well. The graphic depictions of life in Germany toward the end of World War II were heart-wrenching. I am heartened to read about people who have overcome much greater tragedy and suffering than I have these days.

Who else might like this book?

I think this book would appeal to a range of readers: people interested in memoir, biography, literature, or the history of space travel; fans of Michael Chabon; engineers or future engineers; and people in the military would benefit from reading this book.
By the way, I have left out a lot of major details about this book.

With what would you pair this book?

Model rockets, like the ones I built, painted, and launched with my father!


Want to review something you’ve read or watched for the library blog? Let us know by filling out the Durham Tech Book or Media Review form

New books on screen this spring

Books on Screen
Image from UNC Charlotte Library 

There are several movies and TV shows coming out this spring based on books.  Several book adaptations have been released as TV series or films earlier this year as well. 

It can be really enjoyable to read the book and watch the show or movie.  So far, I’ve watched The Plot Against America, Killing Eve, and Normal People. I’m currently reading Just Mercy and then plan to watch the film. Little Fires Everywhere is in my book stack to read, and I want to watch the show as well.   

What We’re Reading: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

Almost Everything: Notes on Hope by Anne Lamott

From the author who taught us that writing and life was best accomplished “bird by bird”, or one slow mindful step at a time, comes her message of finding hope in the midst of chaos. Published in 2018, readers today in pandemic spring will recognize themselves in the first sentence: “I am stockpiling antibiotics for the apocalypse, even as I await the blossoming of paperwhites on the windowsill in the kitchen.”


Title: Almost Everything: Notes on Hope

Author: Anne Lamott

Genre:  Self-help book, Memoir, Essays

Read Great Things 2020 Categories: A book of short stories or essays; A book suggested by a Durham Tech Librarian

This book was read by Susan Baker, Reference Librarian. 

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What We’re Reading: Record of a Spaceborn Few

Title: Record of a Spaceborn Few

Author: Becky Chambers

Genre: Science Fiction

Read Great Things Challenge 2020 Categories: A book that is part of a series, a book suggested by a Durham Tech librarian.

Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers

Description: Hundreds of years ago, the last humans on Earth boarded the Exodus Fleet in search of a new home among the stars. After centuries spent wandering empty space, their descendants were eventually accepted by the well-established species that govern the Milky Way.

But that was long ago. Today, the Exodus Fleet is a living relic, the birthplace of many, yet a place few outsiders have ever visited. While the Exodans take great pride in their original community and traditions, their culture has been influenced by others beyond their bulkheads. As many Exodans leave for alien cities or terrestrial colonies, those who remain are left to ponder their own lives and futures: What is the purpose of a ship that has reached its destination? Why remain in space when there are habitable worlds available to live? What is the price of sustaining their carefully balanced way of life—and is it worth saving at all?

A young apprentice, a lifelong spacer with young children, a planet-raised traveler, an alien academic, a caretaker for the dead, and an Archivist whose mission is to ensure no one’s story is forgotten, wrestle with these profound universal questions. The answers may seem small on the galactic scale, but to these individuals, it could mean everything.–HarperCollins blurb

Read Courtney’s thoughts

What We’re Reading: Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

This week we’ll be showcasing some book reviews! Want to review something you’ve read or watched for the library blog? Let us know by filling out the Durham Tech Book or Media Review form


Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Being in your late 20s and not knowing what you want to do is hard, so of course when your friend from your brief foray into boarding school asks you to come take care of her step-children who catch fire when upset or scared, you say yes. Right? Sure. You weren’t doing anything anyway. 


Title: Nothing to See Here

Author: Kevin Wilson

Genre: Realistic fantasy/magical realism, early adulting, contemporary literary fiction

#ReadGreatThings2020 Category: A book recommended by a celebrity book club (#ReadWithJenna)

This book was read by Meredith Lewis, the [mostly] Orange County Campus Librarian.

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What We’re Reading: Cool Beans

This week’s What We’re Reading post is a little different because this book is a cookbook! I’ve included a couple of pictures of the food I’ve made. My amateur food photography skills are on full display.

Title: Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes

Author: Joe Yonan

Description: Joe Yonan, food editor of the Washington Post,provides a master base recipe for cooking any sort of bean in any sort of appliance—Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop—as well as creative recipes for using beans in daily life, from Harissa-Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip to Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas to Smoky Black Bean and Plantain Chili. Drawing on the culinary traditions of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Africa, South America, Asia, and the American South, and with beautiful photography throughout, this book has recipes for everyone. With fresh flavors, vibrant spices, and clever techniques, Yonan shows how beans can make for thrilling dinners, lunches, breakfasts—and even desserts!–Penguin Random House 

See the tasty food i made

What We’re Reading: Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna

Two Girls Down by Louisa Luna
Available at the Orange County Campus Library
(PS 3612 .U53 T96 2019)

Emotionally intuitive PIs help an overworked small town investigate the sudden disappearance of two young girls from a parking lot. Fast-paced plot with unexpected twists and turns. 


This book was read by Meredith Lewis, the [mostly] Orange County Campus Librarian.

Title: Two Girls Down

Author: Louisa Luna

Genre: Mystery, Thriller, PI Crime Novel

#ReadGreatThings2020 Category: A book that is part of a series [The Janes— the second book in the Alex Vega series–is also available at the Orange County Campus]; A book suggested by a Durham Tech librarian

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What We’re Reading: The City We Became

This audiobook was listened to by Courtney Bippley, a Reference Librarian at the Main Campus Library (currently working from home). It was received for free from through the Libro.fm ALC program.

The City We Became: A Novel by N. K. Jemisin

Title: The City We Became: A Novel

Author: N.K. Jemisin

Narrator: Robin Miles

Genre: Fantasy

Summary: Three-time Hugo Award-winning and New York Times bestselling author N.K. Jemisin crafts her most incredible novel yet, a story of culture, identity, magic, and myths in contemporary New York City.
In Manhattan, a young grad student gets off the train and realizes he doesn’t remember who he is, where he’s from, or even his own name. But he can sense the beating heart of the city, see its history, and feel its power.
In the Bronx, a Lenape gallery director discovers strange graffiti scattered throughout the city, so beautiful and powerful it’s as if the paint is literally calling to her.
In Brooklyn, a politician and mother finds she can hear the songs of her city, pulsing to the beat of her Louboutin heels.
And they’re not the only ones.
Every great city has a soul. Some are ancient as myths, and others are as new and destructive as children. New York? She’s got six. –Hachette Book Group

Read Great Things 2020 Challenge Category: Recommended by a Durham Tech Librarian, A book that is part of a series (Great Cities #1)

Read courtney’s thoughts on this book