Book Review: The Unreal and the Real

Can a perfect society exist without some terrible cost? What happens when an obnoxious tourist drives to a remote area to investigate rumors of something strange? What if anthropologists could study the inhabitants of different planets - what sorts of societies would they find? Award-winning author Ursula K. LeGuin takes on these questions in The Unreal and the Real, a collection of short fiction. The stories in this two-volume set cover thirty-eight years of LeGuin's notable career, and the second volume, Outer Space, Inner Lands, focuses on her science fiction and fantasy. Having begun writing during the 1960s and 70s, when science fiction writers challenged social conventions head-on, LeGuin tackles issues such as what happens when a society emerges from slavery in "Betrayals." "The Matter of Seggri" investigates whether societies run by women are better, or whether they develop their own sorts of oppression. "Solitude" is a heartbreaking take on the difficulty of mother-daughter relationships, where an anthropologist takes her young daughter to live in a community with a radically different social structure, and the daughter grows up a part of the new community, a stranger to her mother. Like the best science fiction, Outer Space, Inner Lands will inspire you to think about the way things could be, and force you to question your own assumptions about the way things are. - Michelle (Sunset)

Closed January 21 - Get tax info

All four Chandler Public Libraries will be closed on Monday, January 21 for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. While the library's closed, get information you need for tax season.

For federal tax forms:

• Visit www.irs.gov
• Come to the Downtown Chandler Library during regular hours to pick up select federal forms in paper.

For state tax forms:

• Visit www.azdor.gov
• Arizona Department of Revenue does not produce bulk forms for pickup, but you can come to the Downtown Chandler Library during regular hours and make photocopies (20 cents per page).

AARP will be offering tax help at the Downtown Library starting January 31. Times are Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 9:30am to 1:00pm and Wednesdays from 4:30 to 9:00pm.

For more tax information, including IRS phone numbers and links to tax forms from other states, visit the library's Taxes Online Research page.

The Big Read - More reading ideas

Last week's blog post announced The Big Read - a program for readers across Arizona to join in reading and discussing Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath. But there are more opportunities to read about the Great Depression and Dust Bowl eras, for kids and adults alike!

Blue Willow tells the story of Janey, the young daughter of an itinerant worker, who no longer has a home she can call her own as she and her family follow the crops from farm to farm. Blue Willow was written in 1940, just a few years after the Dust Bowl, and won recognition as a Newbery Honor book.

Survival in the Storm is part of the Dear America series of young adult novels written in the style of diaries. Twelve-year-old Grace tells about life in her Texas town as they try to survive, from the dying cattle who could barely survive on the dirt-choked crops, to the roofs that collapsed under the buildup of dust, to the school lunch program instituted to help starving children. Author Katelan Janke wrote Survival in the Storm when she was fifteen, wanting to tell the story of her hometown's history.

For younger readers, the popular American Girl series features Kit, a girl whose father's business is shut down by the Great Depression. A film adaptation of Kit's story is also available.

And for adults who might have dim memories of reading The Grapes of Wrath in school but want a fresh look at the novel, try reading the chapters out of order. Steinbeck wrote the odd-numbered chapters as historical background and the even-numbered chapters as the plot of his story. Try reading the shorter, odd-numbered chapters first, then follow the unbroken flow of the story by reading the even-numbered chapters.

Thanks to Jo at Basha for the reading suggestions.

The Big Read

Join readers across Arizona for The Big Read - an event to encourage reading among adults and youth. This year's selection is The Grapes of Wrath, and Chandler Public Library is offering several opportunities to discuss the book, its film adaptations, and the culture of the times.

Search the library catalog to find a copy of the book to read (also available in audio and ebook formats). Check our calendar of events to attend an upcoming book and/or film discussion. For more information, see the Big Read AZ website.