## Overall topic/title:Scientific Explorations in Fiction and Nonfiction***### NonfictionAnthony S. Fauci is, arguably, the world's most admired and famous doctor. His role during the COVID-19 pandemic earned him and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) the trust of millions during one of the most terrifying periods in modern, American history. Fauci's decades-long research into HIV/AIDS brought the disease into public view, which helped the path towards treatment and a cure. Fauci's role in navigating the path for SARS, West Nile, Ebola, and anthrax crises makes him a true American hero. Katherine Rundell's urgent and inspiring essays in "Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures" is a clarion call for a new perspective. This book insists that we look at the world and its creatures with new eyes, to understand their unknown histories and capabilities, and above all to marvel at our extreme luck to share the Earth with such magnificent and vanishing treasures.In the dazzling interplanetary tour that is "The Secret Life of The Universe," astrobiologist Nathalie A. Cabrol takes us to the frontier of the search for life. This incredible exploration illuminates the likeliest places for life in our neighborhood. While Mars, Europa, and other icy moons within our Solar System are now among the top candidates, recent missions have pushed the boundaries of habitability to include unexpected worlds, too. Cabrol also leads us on a whirlwind trip around the Solar System and describes how life could have evolved on various planets, moons and asteroids within the Milky Way. It almost has the feel of a mystery with the culprit being the hydrocarbons in the subsurface ocean on Titan!"What I Ate in One Year (and Related Thoughts)" by Stanley Tucci is a culinary journey. This book records twelve months of eating in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself. In "The Cleopatras: The Forgotten Queens of Egypt," Lloyd Llewellyn-Jones, decodes the myth of the most notorious women of the ancient world. Each Cleopatra wielded absolute power, easily overshadowing their husbands or sons and all proved to be shrewd and capable leaders. Styling themselves as goddess-queens, the Cleopatras ruled through the canny deployment of arcane rituals, opulent spectacles, and unparalleled wealth.Hanif Abdurraqib s lyrical, historical, and emotionally rich exploration in "There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension" investigates what it means to make it, who we think deserves success, the tension between excellence and expectation, and the very notion of role models all woven together with intimate, personal storytelling. Tessa Venell takes us on a journey in "A Small Miracle" in which she herself recovers from a traumatic brain injury after returning to college, and the time immediately following her graduation from Brandeis University. She reveals the unexpected intersections of the medical profession and the patient's environment, and shows how these intersections provided key support to her ability to recover. Ferris Jabr's acclaimed new book, "Becoming Earth: How Our Planet Came to Life" reveals a radical new vision of Earth, where lush forests spew water, pollen, and bacteria to summon rain; giant animals engineer the very landscapes they roam; microbes chew rock to shape continents; and microscopic plankton, some as glittering as carved jewels, remake the air and sea. Jabr takes us on a journey through the ages, from the origins of life billions of years ago to the complex, interconnected world we know today.In "Third Millennium Thinking: Creating Sense in a World of Nonsense," a physicist, a psychologist, and a philosopher introduce readers to the tools and frameworks that scientists have developed to keep from fooling themselves, to understand the world, and to make decisions. We can all borrow these trust-building techniques to tackle problems both big and small. Amidst the suffering, political machinations, military stratagems, and the siege of Leningrad, the employees at the Plant Institute were left with a terrible choice in Simon Parkin's "The Forbidden Garden." At the center of this besieged city stood a converted palace that housed the world's largest collection of seeds, a critical collection that needed to be preserved, no matter the cost."Native Nations: A Millennium in North America" is a sweeping and often surprising history that explores the vibrant and often overlooked narrative of the Indigenous peoples of North America. The book challenges the idea that European colonization brought civilization to the Americas and reveals instead the sophisticated and diverse civilizations that existed long before, and thrived amidst, European encroachment. Climate scientist and chair of the Global Carbon Project Rob Jackson explains that we need to redefine our climate goals in "Into the Clear Blue Sky." He argues that we shouldn't only be trying to stabilize the Earth's temperature at some arbitrary value; restoring the atmosphere means reducing the amount of greenhouse gases in the air to pre-industrial levels—starting with super-potent methane—to heal the harm we have done."The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World," is a book about ecology and economics that offers a beautiful vision of what our world can be if we have the courage to put aside constant self-interest and a scarcity mindset. It will inspire you to reach out to a neighbor, share what you have and glory in the joys that don’t come with price tags.***### FictionWhen the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River, as told in "James: A Novel" by Percival Everett. Bryce Quinlan never expected to see a world other than Midgard, but now that she has, all she wants is to get back. Everything she loves is in Midgard: her family, her friends, her mate. Stranded in a strange new world, she's going to need all her wits about her to get home again… In this sexy, breathtaking sequel..., Sarah J. Maas's Crescent City series reaches new heights as Bryce and Hunt's world is brought to the brink of collapse."Moonbound" by Robin Sloan is a wild and wonderful journey through a far-future society full of wizards, talking animals, award-winning bogs, ancient buried spaceships and dragons on the moon. It’s a mash-up of concepts and the narrative dips into each of them just long enough to get a taste of something alien but not long enough that the most bizarre ideas overstay their welcome. "Intermezzo: A Novel" by Sally Rooney brings to life complicated relationships with great precision and sensitivity. Touching upon grief, love, family bonds, societal pressures, Intermezzo is just so well done. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you finish it. A gifted young knight named Collum arrives at Camelot to compete for a place at the Round Table, only to find that he's too late. King Arthur died two weeks ago at the Battle of Camlann, and only a handful of the knights of the Round Table are left.... They must reclaim Excalibur and make this ruined world whole again—but first they'll have to solve the mystery of why the lonely, brilliant King Arthur fell in Lev Grossman's "The Bright Sword: A Novel of King Arthur.""Plastic: A Novel" by Scott Guild is a rollicking good time with a surprisingly deep message about families, the future, our environmental impact and where we stand in the middle of it.Misha knows that chasing success in Hollywood can be hell. But finally, after years of trying to make it, his big moment is here: an Oscar nomination. And the executives at the studio for his long-running streaming series know just the thing to kick his career to the next level: kill off the gay characters, "for the algorithm," in the upcoming season finale... Misha refuses, but he soon realizes that he's just put a target on his back. And what's worse, monsters from his horror movie days are stalking him and his friends through the hills above Los Angeles, in Chuck Tingle's "Bury Your Gays."Annis, sold south by the white enslaver who fathered her, is the reader's guide in "Let Us Descend: A Novel" by Jesmyn Ward. As she struggles through the miles-long march, Annis turns inward, seeking comfort from memories of her mother and stories of her African warrior grandmother.... While Annis leads readers through the descent, hers is ultimately a story of rebirth and reclamation.