Dear readers, welcome back and thank you for letting me share with you the books that I have been enjoying. As usual, I delight in a diverse range of genres. This month’s reads come from the genres of non fiction, fantasy, and horror. I greatly enjoyed reading these titles and I hope one of these catches your eye!

FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven

A shout out to my fellow librarian, Aubrey, for recommending this title is in order. Thank you Aubrey! If you are looking for a book that stays with you long after the closing page, this one is it! It has been a week or so since I finished this book, but I still find myself thinking about it. Dear reader, this book is a work of fiction, but it could very easily be set in the real world present day. FantasticLand is a theme park in Florida built by an eccentric billionaire. What sets FantasticLand apart is that it is designed to be many mini theme parks in one. There are different sections of the park. All are designed to be their own unique world. There are places like The Pirate Cove, The Fairy Prairie, and so on. Everything is great until a super hurricane hits. In theory, the staff that stay behind to care for the park should be fine. There is enough food and water for everyone. Dear reader, if that were the case we would not have a story. What results is something that resembles a slasher movie as the young people trapped in the park turn on each other. Each faction fights for dominance as supplies dwindle. The sordid tale is told from the point of view of interviews with those who made it out alive. Only the survivors can tell the tale of what REALLY happened inside FantasticLand. What keeps me thinking about this book is that this is no ordinary slasher. It poses psychological questions about the effects of phone addiction on our young population. Yes, it is a fiction, but it makes one wonder.

Click HERE to request FantasticLand!

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With the leaves changing color and the recent end of Daylight Savings Time, it’s clear that fall is here. And with the changing seasons comes a gradual but noticeable shift in my mood. I feel a little more tired. A little more sun-deprived. And a little colder, of course!

Fortunately, this time of year is not all bad. With the help of music, it can provide a good chance for introspection and discoveries about ourselves. And if you want to go on that same journey, here’s some of my latest moody tunes that might help you too!

The Record by boygenius

Comprised of Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker, each powerhouse of an artist came together as boygenius to create this award-winning album. From the frantic guitar strumming of “$20” to the slow-building, almost poppy sound of the widely-praised “Not Strong Enough”, it never feels like any of the individual members of this supergroup try to overpower each other, opting instead for a cohesive effort. It’s no wonder they won three Grammies in 2024!

Cardinal by Pinegrove

Back when I lived in Milwaukee, I heard of this album thanks to 88Nine, the local radio station. Listening to this one makes me feel like I’m at a crossroads, thinking of all the things that could have been, what’s going on now, and what’s yet to happen. It’s very introspective, and what’s not more moody than some good self-reflection?

22, A Million by Bon Iver

From Eau Claire, Justin Vernon of Bon Iver reflects on how his relationship with the world has changed since he became popular. While I initially disliked this album thanks to the naming system used for the tracks, I came to really enjoy it once I got over myself and gave it a listen. Plus, it even made me read more about Justin Vernon and helped me see I misjudged him — he’s not pretentious, he’s just a Midwestern guy who likes making music and never expected to get so big. Beyond the naming scheme, there’s some cool techniques used in this album. For example, on the first track “22 Over Soon”, Vernon and his sound engineer recorded the track onto a cassette tape that had its tape pulled out, crumpled up, and written on with marker. The end result is a song filled with random dropouts and distortion that add a surprising element to the listening experience.

Repave by Volcano Choir (2013)

I’m cheating here because Volcano Choir is another project from Justin Vernon, but it’s just too good I can’t not include it! Plus, not everyone knows about the band so I still think it’s worth sharing. While their other album Unmap is equally good, Repave is my fave simply because it’s the first album I listened to by them. It found me at a tough time in my teenage years, and since then it’s floated back in and out of my life, much like the waves on the cover. When I sit down and listen to the album, my mind is brought to the beach and I can picture myself sitting in the sand, listening to the lake, and hearing the rush of the water. And, for just a little while, I feel completely at peace.

The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We by Mitski

I was originally going to pick Be the Cowboy, one of Mitski’s other albums, but my wife recommended choosing this album instead. And you know what? She was so right!

While the whole album itself is gorgeous, my favorite track is probably “My Love Mine All Mine”. In this song, we find Mitski asking the moon to take her love and shine it down on her loved one, even long after her passing.

Beautifully haunting and hypnotizing, with the power to choke you up, it’s no wonder TikTok latched onto this song and helped popularize it. The lyrics are also a very fall way of thinking when you have more time to sit inside, enjoy the slowing of events as we prepare for the impending winter, and think about all the great things that have happened and will continue to happen, regardless of who’s there.