Out of Time

Out of Time by David Klass is an environmental thriller.

Green Man is a terrorist who is committing acts in the name of waking people up to climate change and the fact that soon it will be too late to make the changes that may keep the Earth inhabitable. 

Each target is a threat to the environment. Once the attack happens a letter is sent to the media explaining why that industry must change. 

Tom Smith is a young FBI agent who finds patterns. He is assigned to the task force searching for Green Man. 

This is a great thriller. Klass has written a fast-paced ride. 

Klass, David. (2020). Out of Time. New York: Dutton.

Binti: The Complete Trilogy

Binti: The Complete Trilogy by Nnedi Okorafor is a great science fiction series. To read the books individually, they are: 1. Binti; 2. Home; 3. The Night Masquerade. 

Binti is the first of the Himba people to be accepted to the Oomza Univeristy - the most diverse university of the universe. Very few humans from anywhere have been accepted. 

In Binti's family and culture people do not leave. But she wants so badly to go that she sneaks out and gets on the spaceship. 

When the spaceship is attacked by aliens, Binti is the only survivor. When she realizes she can communicate with the aliens and that they are taking the ship to the University to attack an old enemy. 

Okorafor is a wonderful storyteller. Binti is a great character who is navigating a whole new universe with aplomb. 

Okorakor, Nnedi. (2019). Binti: The Complete Trilogy. New York: Daw.

The Lola Quartet

The Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel follows journalist Gavin Sasaki as he heads from New York City to his hometown of Sebastian, Florida for a story.

While in town on a story of how the wilds of Florida are both getting closer to people's homes as development expands and is getting more dangerous as exotic pets are released when their humans cannot handle them anymore, Gavin has dinner with his sister Elio. Elio is a real estate agent who deals with foreclosures. 

While in a house, Elio saw a young girl who looked exactly like her. When she asked the girl's name, be suspected that the little girl was Gavin's with his high school girlfriend. Elio took a photo of the girl.

The photo has two different effects. Gavin begins a search for his ex-girlfriend - who never told him that she was pregnant. And the woman with whom the girl was staying thinks she has been found by a man that has been hunting for her most of her life. 

Mandel has written a tense, twisty novel that follows Gavin's search for his high school girlfriend. Told in flashbacks as he interviews the people he grew up with, a story unfolds of both circumstance and choices. Mandel is a masterful storyteller.

Mandel, Emily St. John. (2012). The Lola Quartet. New York: Unbridled Books.

The Singer's Gun

The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel is a story of life choices.

Anton Walker was raised by the owners of an antiques salvage shop in New York City. In this case, salvage mostly means stolen. His dream as a kid was to work in an office, but out of high school he and his cousin Aria started a forgery business - helping immigrants work quasi-legally.

Anton was originally saving money for college, but at some point, decided to skip the classes and make himself a diploma. Now he works in an office in Manhattan. He is engaged to a cellist, has a rescued cat, and is kinda happy.

When his honeymoon location is convenient to a job Aria is working, she offers to pay him a lot of money to receive and envelope and pass it on to someone. Then he will be clear of the business and she will forgive him for leaving it in the first place. 

Mandel is an amazing writer - both they type whose words make you stop and reread a beautiful sentence, and the type whose twists and turns make for a mesmerizing ride.

Mandel, Emily St. John. (2010). The Singer's Gun. New York: Unbridled Books.