I fell for Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy when I was a kid and still consider it to be one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. It features the adventures of a hapless galactic traveler named Arthur Dent after he’s saved from the Earth’s demolition (to make way for a galactic freeway). For Towel Day all you have to do is carry your towel and DON’T PANIC.  As the Hitchhiker’s Guide notes, “any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the Galaxy, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through and still knows where his towel is, is clearly a man to be reckoned with.”

If you’re new to Adams check out The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. The audiobooks and radio plays are equally fabulous. There’s a cult classic 1980s BBC television series. Plus there’s a fun and strange Hollywood take with a cast including the likes of Mos Def, Zooey Deschanel, Martin Freeman, Bill Nighy, Alan Rickman, Helen Mirren and Stephen Fry.

And if you’ve already been moved by the writing of the man who gave us “the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything”—that’s 42—or if you’re just interested in great titles that include science fiction, fantasy, wit, inventiveness, and adventure, here are a few of my favorites to pass on to Hitchhiker’s fans:

The Gates by John Connolly is a little scary, hilarious and  fabulous. It’s the a story about a quirky 11-year-old boy who is the only one who knows his neighbors have opened a gap exposing the gates of Hell.

I absolutely love The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde introducing literary detective, Thursday Next. She’s on the hunt for a criminal mastermind out to kidnap characters from great works, including Jane Eyre.

And I found Charles Yu’s How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe funny, poignant, and strange. It’s a story of time machine repair, time loops and the relationships between fathers and sons.

- Jessica T., Public Services Head at CADL

If you find yourself wanting more, take a look at some of the source material. Series 1 was inspired by A Study in Scarlet, The Valley of Fear, and ”The Adventure of the Dancing Men” and other stories from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Series 2 hews closer to the books, the three episodes having been inspired by “A Scandal in Bohemia” (From The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes), The Hound of the Baskervilles, and “The Final Problem” (from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes). If someone could convince Benedict Cumberbatch to narrate an audiobook of the stories, I’d never again be seen without headphones.

The show departs wildly from the original material, however, and if what you’re really looking for is more of Sherlock‘s signature wit and style, you’d be well advised to pick up Mark Gatiss’s Edwardian mystery novel The Vesuvius Club. Gatiss is a producer, writer and actor on Sherlock: he takes sole writing credit for my favorite episode to date, “The Great Game” and plays Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft Holmes. Now get reading! The game is afoot!

- Sara D., Public Services Librarian at CADL

• China Miéville appears repeatedly in the staff picks, but Sara D. recently suggested his award-winning novel Perdido Street Station. She notes that Mieville “has filled his fantastical city of New Crobuzon with incredible, almost impossible detail… Once the city pulls you in, you won’t be able to stop reading.” Check out staff write-ups on his current Nebula & Hugo nominee, Embassytown, and 2010’s Kraken.
• Joe M. suggests The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson (the bestseller finishing The Wheel of Time Series for Robert Jordan) a novel set in the far future after the Mistborn trilogy. He calls it “a rollicking fantasy western pseudo-Victorian amalgam with shootouts, magical duels, trusty sidekicks, train robberies, fancy dress balls and dynamite.”
• Jessica M. suggests Hugo nominee, Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey (a pseudonym of Fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck). She calls it “a fabulous series starter [that] offers a detailed Space Opera with well-developed characters, interplanetary politics, and enough hard SF and SF Noir to keep a reader on the edge of their seat.”
• Among Others by Jo Walton is a genre-bending nominee for both the Nebula and Hugo for Best Novel which Jessica M. describes as a story of “coming of age with fairies, enchantment, and the best of speculative fiction.”

The 30 titles on this year’s list are a diverse bunch; they range from non-fiction to science fiction, and from popular teen titles to modern literary classics. CADL staff have already reviewed many of the books; take a look at what we have to say about them:

Just Kids by Patti Smith, “A memoir of the love and friendship between two matched souls that made a commitment to art and to each other.” – Melissa C.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold “Although this story is full of sadness, grief, and tragedy, hope and the resilience of the human spirit are displayed by both Suzie and her loved ones.” - Lynn H.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, “Part readable medical history, part family history, part detective story.” – Jessica T.

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick, “The twists and turns of the story lead to an unexpected and satisfying ending…a good read for fans of gothic thrillers.” – Joe M.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers, “Perhaps you think the worst of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina was the flooding or the looting…you can’t even imagine Camp Greyhound.” – DiAnne W.

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz, “A miraculous and expansive immigrant story about a Dominican-American “ghetto-nerd” trying to find love and happiness in New Jersey.” – Sara D.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave, “When she fled her village after witnessing a massacre, the 14-year-old Nigerian girl chose the name Little Bee.” – Sarah Redman

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson, “Lea exists as a wintergirl, belonging to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead. Instead, her eating disorder consumes her life.” – Liz V.

• Sewing Green: 25 projects made with repurposed & organic materials by Betz White – 646.4 White 
• Trash-to-Treasure Papermaking by Arnold E. Grummer – 676.22 Grummer
• Re-bound : creating handmade books from recycled and repurposed materials by Jeannine Stein – 686.3 Stein
• Eco Books: inventive projects from the recycling bin by Terry Taylor – 686.3 Taylor
• Re-Creative: 50 projects for turning found items into contemporary design by Steve Dodds – 745.5 Dodds
• The Salvage Sisters’ Guide to Finding Style in the Street and Inspiration in the Attic by Kathleen Hackett & Mary Ann Young – 745.5 Hackett
• The Repurposed Library: 33 craft projects that give old books new life by Lisa Occhipinti – 745.5 Occhipinti
• Playing with Books: the art of upcycling, deconstructing, and reimagining the book by Jason Thompson – 745.54 Thompson
• Upcycled Accessories: 25 projects using repurposed plastic by Tracie Lampe – 745.57 Lampe
• Restore, Recycle, Repurpose: create a beautiful home by Randy Florke – 747 Florke

If you want to take your creative energy out into the community, visit CADL’s Downtown Lansing branch on Saturday, April 14th from 1:00-5:00 to take part in local artist Jane Reiter’s interactive recycled sculpture: rethink*rewind*restart

The Toughest Indian in the World by Sherman Alexie (Face)
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (The Tent)
Invisible by Paul Auster (Collected Poems)
I Sailed with Magellan by Stuart Dybek (Streets in their Own Ink)
American Gods by Neil Gaiman (Instructions)
The Great Leader by Jim Harrison (Songs of Unreason)
The Raising by Laura Kasischke (Space, In Chains)
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (Collected Poems)

Adult Fiction

Too Far by Mike Lupica
Blind Your Ponies by Stanley Gordon West
The Necessary Hunger by Nina Revoyr
Play Dead by Harlan Coben
MVP by James Boice

Teen Fiction

The Moves Make the Man by Bruce Brooks
Last Shot: a Final Four Mystery by John Feinstein
Travel Team by Mike Lupica
The Dairy Queen by Catherine Murdock
Hoops by Walter Dean Myers

Fiction

The Gilly Salt Sisters by Tiffany Baker
A Partial History of Lost Causes by Jennifer DuBois
The Good Father by Noah Hawley
Gods without Men by Hari Kunzru
Sacre Bleu by Chris Moore
Girl Reading by Katie Ward

Historical Fiction

The Unruly Passions of Eugenie R. by Carole DeSanti
The Gods of Gotham by Lynsday Faye
The Queen and the Courtesan by Freda Lightfoot
The Detour by Andromedea Romano-Lax
Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli

Science Fiction and Horror

Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed
Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear
The Troupe by Robert Jackson Bennett
Hide Me Among the Graves by Tim Powers

Mystery and Suspense

Arctic Rising by Tobias S. Buckell
The Man Who Killed by Fraser Nixon