Robert Neville is the last man on Earth after following a vampiric pandemic. He spends his time hunting vampires, providing for himself, fortifying his home and researching the plague. The story’s themes of loneliness, grief and existentialism climax in a twist ending that defines what it actually means to be a monster. Continue reading “Book Vs. Screen: I Am Legend”
Shelby Van Pelt belongs to the same writing tradition as our previous year’s One Read author, Daniel Mason, who wrote most of his books while working as a doctor and professor at Stanford University. Before publishing her first novel, Van Pelt spent years in an entirely different career, mostly as a financial consultant working on litigation cases. The book also makes me think of Richard Adams’ “Watership Down,” another work about a world seen through animal eyes, but which he said in an interview was mainly written to “entertain his daughters.”
It was an aquarium (or rather, a video of an octopus attempting a daring escape from one) that eventually pulled Van Pelt toward writing “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” her debut novel, which has also been turned into a movie (released on Netflix in 2026). Her story is one of the more unlikely publishing phenomena of the decade.
The novel centers on Tova Sullivan, a 70-year-old widow who takes a night job cleaning the Sowell Bay Aquarium on Puget Sound, partly to keep busy, but also partly to outrun a grief that has never fully resolved. Decades earlier, her teenage son Erik vanished without explanation, and Tova has spent the years since quietly waiting for an answer about his disappearance. Continue reading “Literary Links: Shelby Van Pelt’s “Remarkably Bright Creatures””
Posted on Thursday, August 6, 2026 by David Litherland
In recent times, the term “science fiction” has been nearly synonymous in popular culture with oppressive dystopias, apocalyptic end-times and struggles against technologically superior foes. From “The Hunger Games” and “1984” to “The Stand” and “The Last of Us,” our view of the future takes a turn for the grim when writers find the present wanting and imperfect.
Speculative fiction works as a mirror to our psyche: When things are looking up, there are often more optimistic views. When times are grim or uncertain, a certain pessimism works its way into our stories and media. Imagining a future means projecting out from the present, and when the present isn’t good (from the author’s point of view), well, the future can’t be much better.
However, to allow oneself to become embroiled in literary fatalism can have knock-on effects; we are what we read, after all. Even in times where things seem grim, and our stories follow suit, there are writers and books that refute, abjure, and offer alternatives to the downward spiral. Hope springs eternal, even in the face of nihilism. If you need a message that things won’t be so bad, an alternative worth working towards, or just the science fiction equivalent of a warm cup of cocoa to raise your spirits, try these books on for size, and imagine a better future for us all. Continue reading “Ad Astra: Optimistic Science Fiction”
Posted on Friday, July 31, 2026 by patron reviewer
Human to human connection is the thing I most value in books I read. And in the novel “Atmosphere,” while a one sentence description may focus primarily on the astronaut, space-travel, or shuttle-explosion elements of this story, this book is really about the power of making connections with other people. As we meet Joan around 1980, she is rather convinced that hers will be a solitary life. She is dissatisfied and underappreciated working as a college instructor. She has never had a real romantic relationship and even her connections to her family can be strained.
But, over the next couple hundred pages, we watch as she fills her life with strong relationships and by extension fills her life with a meaning she didn’t think was possible for her.
Three words that describe this book: Satisfying, Compelling, Emotional
You might want to pick this book up if: you’re seeking a “love conquers all” read.
-Xander
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.
Maybe you know a dino loving kid or maybe you were one. Maybe you never lost the Jurassic fever. I’m here to tell you that the adventure of digging up the ancient past, fantastic creatures, and distant worlds can be as exciting as it ever was.
Let’s start with “The Fossil Hunter,” by Shelley Emling, which recounts the life and discoveries of the young Mary Anning and the dawn of paleontology. In 1811 Mary Anning, at the age of 12, uncovered a skeleton of strange bones on England’s southern shores. The bones matched no known creatures and sparked a reckoning between science and religion throughout the Western world. Emling shares the Dickensonian tale of Anning’s start as an impoverished girl hunting trinkets (fossils) to sell to becoming the leading (if under-recognized) paleontologist of her time.
“Why Dinosaurs Matter, ” by paleontologist Dr. Kenneth Lacovara is a small, charming book chocked full of wit, facts and humor. Nestled within its pleasing facade are insightful observations and reflections on what dinosaurs have to teach us. Continue reading “Dinos Are For Adults, Too”
“Cold Storage” – Website / Reviews
When a mutating fungus escapes a sealed facility, two employees and a bioterror operative must survive the wildest night shift ever to save humanity from extinction in this horror/comedy film.
“Fantasy Life” – Website / Reviews
In this comedic drama, an anxious law school dropout stumbles into a job babysitting his psychiatrist’s three granddaughters and falls for the girls’ mother, an actress in a rocky marriage.
“Scrambled” – Website / Reviews
A perpetual bridesmaid with her biological clock ticking decides to freeze her eggs and embark on an empowering journey of self-discovery in this comedic drama.
This past weekend I enjoyed a solo al fresco breakfast in downtown Columbia, and as I sipped my coffee I realized I wanted to be doing anything but scrolling on my phone. I needed to spend some time with myself, not enthralled with whatever might show up on my social media. After telling my insulin pump to give me a bolus for my bagel and iced oat milk latte, I put my phone away and settled into the moment. I heard gossip and watched people go to and fro while petting the occasional puppy as they passed by. I can’t believe I didn’t bring a book, is what I kept telling myself. I had just started “Cats Cradle” by Kurt Vonnegut and it was ripe for reading on this sunny summer afternoon. If only I would’ve brought an analog bag to cure my idleness.
This Reader’s Digest article discusses the cure for doomscrolling and how to make an analog bag. Here at the library we have several items that could be fabulous additions to your analog bag including Fiber Art Kits. You could “Learn to Crochet” or even “Learn to Loom Weave.” You can put a Fiber Arts Kit on hold through the catalog or ask about them at the reference desk.
Analog Scrolling
Recently, in a similar vein to the analog bag, I’ve been enjoying the screen-free activity of analog scrolling. To begin analog scrolling all you need to do is find a large non-fiction book with plenty of pictures and get to flipping those pages. It’s basically Pinterest but without the ads and AI photos in between the art and outfit inspo you’ve been trying to enjoy. No need to read every word or look at every picture, just flip the pages and let yourself relax. Check out these scroll-worthy books that are available in the adult non-fiction section on the second floor at the Columbia Public Library: Continue reading “Analog Summer”
Last year, Daniel Boone Regional Library hosted 1,788 programs, drawing a total attendance of more than 39,000. That number included people of all ages and backgrounds, some who visited library programs every week and many who came for only one event. Whether you are at one of our locations for a children’s story time, a craft program, “Silent Book Club,” plant swap, a “Memory Café” serving those with dementia, or anything else, we strive to be welcoming to all.
While those of us who plan and host events might be familiar faces to library users, many more staff members work in the background to make our events successful. Read on for a peek behind the curtain to see what goes into the creation of a DBRL program. Continue reading “Library Programming, a Peek Behind the Curtain”
We try to bury our fears, but time and again, they resurface and suffocate us in a claustrophobic wave of heavy earth, rock and soil. What’s that mineral taste in your mouth? Is it fear? What’s that smell? Is it … death? No, it’s just another fresh heap of horror films, unearthed for your viewing pleasure.
This time, I dug deep and found subterranean horror on our streaming service, Kanopy. If you don’t know what Kanopy is by now: it’s the free streaming service that you, lucky library cardholder, have access to through your very own Daniel Boone Regional Library. Here’s the dirt …
Underground bunkers are supposed to be safe, but what if you woke up in one and were told that the world had come to an apocalyptic end while you slept? And the creepy guy who says he saved your life seems a little, uh, creepy? Continue reading “Subterranean Horror!”
It’s Summer Reading time! This year we are delving deep in an attempt to uncover the unknown. In the spirit of this, why not take a look at some of these graphic novel hidden gems? This list features comics that either relate to the theme of exploring the unseen or might showcase works that are more directly related to archeology-adjacent topics. With all of that in mind, let’s dig in! Continue reading “Quintessential Comics: Unearth a Story!”
It was an aquarium (or rather, a video of an octopus attempting a daring escape from one) that eventually pulled Van Pelt toward writing “
Human to human connection is the thing I most value in books I read. And in the novel “
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
