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Bowls of Fun: Automatic Noodle and Kawaii Cafe Ramen

13 Aug

Automatic Noodle
by Annalee Newitz
Annalee Newitz’s latest novella, Automatic Noodle, is a clever cozy post-apocalytic tale of a group of robots who decide to open up a noodle shop. This a sweet found family story about robots who seek to find their own identity in a postwar California which has separated from the rest of the US and allowed robots limited freedom. Newitz’s creations are all unique; one is described as being octopus like while another appears human from her top half though she has no legs. It is interesting to see the robots explore their world from their programmed human pov and then gradually develop a uniquely robot perspective. Despite its short length it explores interesting concepts of identity and prejudice. With the rise of Ai, it was especially compelling to me, to explore at what point a human created machine might be thought of as a unique individual consciousness. If you enjoy Automatic Noodles, you might also enjoy checking out Newitz’s debut novel Autonomous, which looks at some similar issues with one of the main characters being an indentured robot.

Kawaii Cafe Ramen: Classic, Fun, and Delicious Ramen Meals to Make at Home
by Amy Kimoto-Kahn
After reading Automatic Noodles you will definitely be craving a big bowl of noodles, but if you want to try your hand at making your own rather than stopping by a Shaanxi style BiangBiang noodle shop like in Automatic Noodles or your favorite Pho or Ramen shop, then you will want to check out Amy Kimoto-Kahn’s Kawaii Cafe Ramen. This fun book includes instructions in how to make ramen noodles, a variety of soup bases including miso and tonkotsu as well as how to make a variety of toppings like tamagoyaki (Japanese style omlete), kakuni (braised pork belly), and my family’s favorite ajitsuke tamago (marinated half-cooked eggs). Then of course there are suggestions for complete composed dishes such as a Hawaiian inspired Kulua Pork and Cabbage Ramen, Furikake Salmon Ramen, and even a Good Morning Ramen perfect for breakfast. Rather than having photo illustration there are kawaii manga style drawings of the food some complete with cute smiley faces and adorable kittens wanting to sample the tasty creations. Kimoto-Kahn is a fourth-generation Japanese American who went to Japan to explore ramen in its birthplace as well as getting inspiration from the top Ramen places in her home state of California and old Japanese American cookbooks. My son especially is a huge Ramen fan so I look forward to trying some of these dishes with my family.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Marvelous Mysteries: The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses and A Most Puzzling Murder

11 Jun

The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses
by Malka Older
I’m a huge fan of Malka Older’s Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti novella series. Set in a post apocalyptic colony on Jupiter after Earth is no longer inhabitable the series is a cozy space opera mystery sapphic romance series which despite their short length still pose interesting ideas about love, the resilience of humanity, and the push pull between honoring the past and looking towards our future endeavors. Pleiti, a professor, and Mossa, a detective, in the two previous books had renewed their romantic relationship from back in their college days, but now in The Potency of Ungovernable Impulses, Mossa has been growing distant and seems uninterested in helping the sister of another of their old school friends who has been accused of plagiarism so Pleiti must solve the mystery on her own. But when the case turns out to have a more dangerous aspect than at first it seemed Pleiti wonders if she might be in over her head. Though part of me didn’t want to see Mossa and Pleiti’s romance in question, I think for the characters this felt like a realistic hurdle that they would need to face. I like how this novel shakes up both characters out of their comfort zones and allows them to grow individually.

A Most Puzzling Murder
Bianca Marais
The latest from Canadian author, Bianca Marais, is an intriguing novel which provides puzzles not only for its protagonist, but also for the readers to solve, which can reward them with a bonus scene (hints and even solutions are provided for those that need them). Destiny Whip, a reclusive former child prodigy, is intrigued when she gets a letter to interview for a position of the Scruffmore’s family historian which she never applied for. Set in a castle there are elements of the gothic as Destiny tries to stop the murder of one of the family and determine who the perpetrator might be. For those reading the audiobook, ebook or library version Marais provides printable versions of the puzzles for readers on her website. I had fun trying to solve the puzzles as well as reading this supernatural mystery novel that has plenty of juicy family drama. I liked how the chose your own aspect plays with the idea of some events being fated while others can take dramatically different turns depending on a small change. If like me, you enjoyed the “choose your own adventure books” as a tween, than you’ll find a lot of fun nostalgia in the participatory elements of reading this story.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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