by Andrzej Sapkowski

Geralt de Rivia is a witcher, a monster hunter who uses magic, alchemy, his sword, and his brain to deal with dangerous creatures. He works as a mercenary, and he has a quirky sense of right and wrong. He has no problem killing three guys who attack him in a bar, for example, but he won’t immediately try to kill every supernatural menace he encounters. In this world, humans are often more evil than monsters, so maybe the person who hired Geralt is the villain and the creature Geralt has been hired to kill isn’t.

The Last Wish is a series of connected short stories. Geralt is recovering from his wounds in a temple, and the stories are flashbacks or stories he shares with people there.

This isn’t traditional heroic fantasy. As I said before, Geralt has a strange code of ethics, and sometimes he is tricked by a bad person into doing the wrong thing. The setting is kind of dark and gritty. The old, magical world is dying, and the new world is dominated by humans. People come to the wilderness, start new towns, and drive the monsters away. There is no one big bad out to conquer or destroy the world. Instead, we have evil humans and monsters facing extinction and trying to fight back.

There are some sexual situations in the story (including some in the first two pages), but most of it is only alluded to.

This is part of a larger series, which includes the TV series The Hexer (forget about the movie), several novels, some graphic novels, and a video game called The Witcher. The stories were all originally written in Polish; most, but not all, of the stories have been translated into English.

You can read some of the book online at the publisher’s website.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Clayton	Paperbacks	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	In library
Concord	Science Fiction	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	In library
Danville	Paperbacks	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	Checked out, due 2/8/12
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	Science Fiction	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	Paperbacks	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	Paperbacks	S SAPKOWSKI, A.	Checked out, due 3/26/12

This list was last updated February 3, 2012 at 5:05 pm UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Matt Ruff

Jane Charlotte is arrested for murder, but when she tells the police that she is actually a member of a secret organization dedicated to fighting crime, they put her in the psychological ward. Jane claims to be part of a division nicknamed the Bad Monkeys, who are supposed to track down and kill really evil people who have managed to escape justice. Apparently, this secret organization has access to all kinds of nifty stuff, like the NC gun, which kills its victim through natural causes. If you believe Jane (and the police don’t), this secret group hides tiny security cameras in pictures of eyes on posters, dollar bills, etc., and their operatives communicate through the Daily Jumble (that puzzle in the newspaper where you have to unscramble words).

Bad Monkeys is the story Jane tells a psychologist who is trying to find out if she is crazy or just lying. It is part thriller, part science fiction, and part satire. You don’t know if Jane is crazy, if she’s telling the truth, or if she’s crazy and telling the truth until the very end.

If you want, you can read the first chapter online at the author’s website.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Diablo Valley College	Adult Basic Education	PS3568.U3615 B33 2008b	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Concord	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Danville	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
El Cerrito	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pinole	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pinole	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Pittsburg	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
San Ramon	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	.	FIC RUFF, M.	In library

This list was last updated February 6, 2012 at 5:04 am UTC.

by Ishmael Beah

Ishmael Beah grew up in Sierra Leone during its civil war. He and some of his friends have their own rap and dance group, and one day, they all go to another town to take part in a talent show. While they are out, their home town is attacked and destroyed. Ishmael is twelve years old at this point. He and his friends think about going back to find their families, but instead they end up on the run and try to make their way to some safe part of the country. Ishmael is eventually separated and forced to join the army. They brainwash him, give him drugs and an assault rifle, and let him and other children loose on the rebel army and anyone else in the way. Eventually he is released and take care of by UNICEF, but he has seen and done a lot of really bad stuff, and he doesn’t know how to be a normal person anymore. One volunteer finally reaches him through his love of rap music, and he finally begins to recover.

This book has a lot of violence, but it is more about the author’s recovery. It is also written to draw attention to the tragedy of child soldiers – Sierra Leone is not the only country where children have been used this way.

There has been some controversy about this book. Some reporters say that Beah’s dates are wrong, that certain events probably didn’t happen, and that it is unlikely that any one person could have experienced everything that happens in this book. I don’t know the whole story, but you can read about all of this on Wikipedia. Even if this book isn’t the literal truth of what happened to Ishmael Beah, it’s still a moving description of the kinds of awful things that children face in many civil wars.

You can read some of it online at Google Books.

You can watch Ishmael Beah on the Daily Show.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the school library.

School	Location	Call Number	Status
Los Medanos College	Stacks	DT516.828.B43 A3 2007	AVAILABLE
Contra Costa College	Reserve	25.19	AVAILABLE
Contra Costa College	Reserve	25.19	AVAILABLE
Contra Costa College	Stacks	DT516.828.B43 A3 2007	AVAILABLE
Diablo Valley College	Adult Basic Education	DT516.828.B43 A3 2007	AVAILABLE

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Antioch	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	Checked out, due 1/9/08
Antioch	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Brentwood	Large Type	LT B BEAH, I.	In library
Brentwood	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Clayton	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Concord	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Concord	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Danville	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Danville	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
El Cerrito	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Lafayette	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	Checked out, due 2/25/12
Moraga	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Orinda	Large Type	LT B BEAH, I.	In library
Orinda	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Pinole	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Pinole	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Pittsburg	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Pittsburg	Large Type	LT B BEAH, I.	In library
Pleasant Hill	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Pleasant Hill	Young Adult	B BEAH, I.	In library
Richmond	Main Adult Books	B BEAH, I.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	West Side Adult Books	B BEAH, I.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Main Teens Book	B BEAH, I.	DUE 10-23-08
Richmond	Main Adult Books	B BEAH, I.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Bayview Adult Books	B BEAH, I.	CHECK SHELF
Richmond	Main Teens Book	B BEAH, I.	CHECK SHELF
San Ramon	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
San Ramon	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Walnut Creek Park Place	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library
Ygnacio Valley (Walnut Creek)	Biographies	B BEAH, I.	In library

This list was last updated February 2, 2012 at 10:53 am UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Takehiko Inoue

Miyamoto Musashi was one of the most famous swordsmen in Japan. Modern Japan’s idea of the model samurai is based on Musashi. He was a master swordsman who invented a new way of fighting. He was involved in many famous duels, although he did not want to fight. He was also an artist, philosopher, and writer (he wrote The Book of Five Rings).

Vagabond tells a story of Musashi’s life, starting from age 17. At that point in his life, his name was Takezo, not Musashi. The story starts just after the Battle of Sekigahara. Takezo and his friend Matahachi picked the wrong side in that battle and are left for dead, but they are rescued by a young woman and her mother. Soldiers from the winning side of the battle are on the lookout for survivors, so Takezo and Matahachi have to hide. During this time, Takezo discovers that he is pretty good at fighting (something he didn’t realize as he was getting beaten up in his first battle). He seems to think that hitting people in the head with his wooden sword is a good way to solve his problems.

Soon Takezo decides to return home, but Matahachi stays with the mother and daughter. Unfortunately, Takezo is still a wanted man, and the people from his village try to capture him. Eventually a wise old priest and Otsu, Matahachi’s fiancee, manage to lure hm out of hiding and convince him that killing people isn’t the best way to solve his problems. Takezo changes his name to Musashi and sets out to travel Japan and become the best swordsman he can be. He is still looking for fights, but now he wants to learn from them rather than to kill people.

Most of the rest of the series focuses on his quest, where he becomes not only a better swordsman, but a better person. However, several volumes of the series focus on Musashi’s arch-rival, Sasaki Kojiro, and we also see a lot of several other major characters.

Musashi gets into a lot of fights, and a lot of people get maimed or killed. Also, there is some nudity and sex.

How historically accurate is Vagabond? Well, it’s rather loosely based on the novel Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa. Musashi is partially based on history, partially basd on the many legends about Miyamoto Musashi and partially made up, so Vagabond is a manga based on a novel based on legends. Still, it”s a good story, and it’s got at least some real history in it.

For those of you who are interested in Japanese history and culture, Vagabond starts at the beginning of the Edo period. The man who won the Battle of Sekigahara, Tokugawa Ieyasu, soon controls all of Japan. Basically, just as Musashi finds out he’s a really awesome swordsman, over 150 years of war and rebellion end and peace breaks out. People like Musashi aren’t needed anymore, and because of his skills and his reputation, the government sees him as something of a treat.

At one point in the series, Musashi goes to the city of Edo, which doesn’t look that great and is built on a marsh. Edo is just being built, though. The new government, the Tokugawa Shogunate, needs a new capital, and Edo is on its way to becoming a major city. In 1868, Edo is renamed Tokyo.

Where to Find It

1. Read all the directions.
2. Click here to go to the Link+ search.
3. Pick the volume you want. The first volumes are near the bottom. The most recent volumes are near the top.
4. Click "Request this item."
5. Pick your local library. This will probably be "Contra Costa Public."
6. Give them your library card number and whatever else they need.
7. When the book comes in, your library will call you.

You might want to read the rules for borrowing books before you request anything.

If you want to check on the book or cancel your order, go here.
This list was last updated December 24, 2009.

by Scott Lynch

Locke Lamora is the best thief in the city of Camorr, a city that is kind of like a fantasy version of Venice. As a young child, his parents are killed in a plague. When the city guards come to round up survivors, Locke steals one off their purses. From there, he was sold to a man called the Thiefmaker, who trains orphans to be thieves. Locke’s work is just too much for the Thiefmaker to handle, but rather than kill Locke, the Thiefmaker sells him to a priest named Chains.

Rather than trying to turn Locke into a decent citizen, Chains teaches Locke to be an even better thief. Eventually, Chains assembles a team of outstanding pickpockets, burglars, and con artists. Locke and his friends Jean, Bug, Caldo, and Galdo, are masters of disguise and deception. They can convincingly impersonate nearly anyone, from a priest of the god of death to a nobleman.

Thieves in Camorr must follow a few simple rules set by Capa Barsavi, the crime boss of the city. Among other things, they must give him their allegiance, pay him a portion of their earnings, not draw too much attention (Locke is really bad at this part), and leave the nobility alone (Lock is really, really bad at this one). In return, the city guard pretty much leaves the thieves alone. This is called the Secret Peace,and it works pretty well for the nobility and the thieves, but not for anybody else.

Locke and his friends ignore the secret peace. After all, stealing from the nobility has three huge advantages over stealing from anyone else.

1. They’ve got the money.
2. They’d never expect it.
3. Many of them deserve it.

However, Locke and his pals aren’t the only people breaking the Secret Peace. Thieves are being murdered, but nobody has the faintest idea who is doing it. This throws the criminal underground into chaos just as Locke, Jean, Caldo, Galdo, and Bug are in the middle of the con of a lifetime.

The scams Locke and his friends use in this book are just amazing. They are works of art. This is like Ocean’s Eleven, except much more clever. However, the story is also a lot grittier and more violent. There’s a lot of swearing, and a fair amount of bloodshed. Locke isn’t much of a fighter, but Jean is a big guy who fights with a pair of axes, and he gets to use them on more than one occasion.

The setting for The Lies of Locke Lamora is really elaborate and creative. Scott Lynch has put a lot of detail into the city and the many different cultures of the world. This is a fantasy novel, and while there aren’t a lot of people who can cast spells, there are still plenty of fantastic elements. Another race of creatures ruled the world before recorded human history, and they left amazing artifacts behind. Much of the city is made out of a special material known as Elderglass, which is indestructible and glows just after the sun sets. The towers on the cover shown above are the five main Elderglass towers of Camorr, where the rich and powerful live. Of course, since nobody alive can really work with Elderglass, and since whatever ancient devices once moved people from one floor to another have long since broken down, the nobles of Camorr get around these giant towers in crude wooden elevators slapped onto the sides of the towers.

Alchemy, a fantasy version of science (plus a little magic) is also an important part of the world. Alchemists make poisons and potions, but they also make lights, cooking stones that heat up when you pour water on them, and many more nifty things. Alchemists also help develop new kinds of plants – alchemically enhanced fruit and wine are popular treats among the extremely wealthy.

I haven’t really mentioned the characters yet, but they are really well done. Pretty much everybody is interesting and has a twist and a surprise or two hiding inside. Locke, of course, always has a trick up his sleeve. Jean is a big, chunky, axe-wielding accountant with a soft spot for romance novels. Capa Barsavi was a famous scholar before he took control of Camorr’s underworld. There are too many twists and surprises for me to spoil, but I’ll leave the rest for you.

Where to Find It

You can get it from the public library.

Library	Location	Call Number	Status
Antioch	.	FIC LYNCH, S.	In library
Danville	.	FIC LYNCH, S.	In library
Dougherty Station (San Ramon)	.	FIC LYNCH, S.	In library
Hercules	.	FIC LYNCH, S.	Checked out, due 2/9/12
Lafayette	.	FIC LYNCH, S.	Checked out, due 3/17/12

This list was last updated February 5, 2012 at 11:30 am UTC. Click here to see newer information.

by Naomi Novik

Did you enjoy the movie Master and Commander? This book is a lot like that, but with dragons.

His Majesty’s Dragon is set in the early part of the 19th century, during the Napoleonic Wars.^* Will Laurence is a captain in the British Royal Navy who captures a dragon’s egg from a French ship. When the egg hatched, the baby dragon attached itself to Laurence. He names the dragon Temeraire, after the famous ship. As far as Laurence is concerned, Temeraire has just ruined his life.

Why? Wouldn’t it be awesome to have your own dragon? Well, not exactly. The dragon becomes property of the British Empire, and since it seems to really like Laurence, he is forced to give up command of his ship and serve in the Aerial Corps. That means living out in the middle of nowhere, where the dragons have the space they need and won’t cause trouble. That probably means never getting married, since the Aerial Corps is no place for a gentleman. As far as Laurence’s wealthy family and friends are concerned, commanding a ship is fine. Commanding a dragon is so undignified.

Temeraire, as it turns out, is an unusual dragon. He isn’t one of the kinds of dragons you find in Europe. Instead, he seems to be some special breed from China. He is smarter than many other dragons – he enjoys being read to, and he questions the way dragons are treated in the military.

Laurence stands out just like Temeraire does in the Aerial Corps. As a former Royal Navy captain, he is very fond of rules and regulations and politeness. Nobody else in the Corps really cares about that stuff. They are misfits, isolated from regular society. Of course, one of the most shocking things Laurence finds is that the Corps allows women to be soldiers.

Laurence also stands out because, despite his obsession with making lower-ranking soldiers salute and call him “sir,” he takes way better care of his dragon than anyone else. Most people in the Corps like their dragons, but they treat them more like pets and horses than people. Laurence is very different – he treats Temeraire like a person, and he thinks all dragons should be treated that way.

A lot of the story is about Laurence loosening up, learning to fit in as much as honor will allow, and dealing with his family, who are not happy about his new position. We also get to see a lot about the daily life of dragons, and we get to watch Temeraire grow up. As you might guess from a book about dragons in the military, there is also some good dragon-to-dragon and dragon-to-ship combat.

If you like Master and Commander and you also enjoy fantasy, this should be the perfect book for you. Unlike Master and Commander, there aren’t many nautical terms in the book, so you don’t need to worry about what a bosun’s chair is or anything like that.

If you want to read the first chapter or so online, it’s on the author’s official website.

* This is also when the Master and Commander series takes place. It’s also when the Horatio Hornblower and the Bolitho series take place. Why? Because Will Laurence and Jack Aubrey and Horatio Hornblower and Richard Bolitho and probably a dozen more fictional captains are all based on the same person, Thomas Cochrane. If you enjoy these kinds of books, you should really read about Cochrane.