Or, Where Librarians and Computer Geeks Overlap

Instructions: after a work scheduling error, too much heat, a multiple encounters with bad drivers, you should come home, fix an iced coffee* with a spoonful of brown sugar, and plop down on the couch to finish Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother.

It’s the best thing I’ve read in a while, and already on my list of favorite YA novels of the year.  First off, it has a great sense of pace and compelling characters – you’re not going to get anywhere without that.  Second, add in some real drama and plot.  Third, relate that plot to a) current events and politics, in a gripping way and b) issues dear to the hearts of librarians and computer geeks (and some of the rest of you, too) the world over – privacy, censorship and free speech.**  Oh, and don’t forget a healthy dose of humor, a touch of romance, and explanations of technology actually make sense to little ol’ me.  Throw in a few afterwards and an author’s note containing real, practical, optimistic information and plenty of advice for further reading.

You end up with something awesome.  And a much improved mood.

*I blame the book for a lot of my recent coffee cravings.

**I took a class this spring where we discussed a lot of these things – ethics, privacy, free speech, censorship, etc. – basically this book covered all the same information, but with plot.  And no homework.