It’s book award season and that means you can pick out a whole host of interesting books to read by review award long lists, short lists and finally the winners after all the debating, reading and pondering are completed.

This month we are exploring two recent long and short listed books that will have you reading till the stars come out thanks to their inventiveness and narrative storytelling.

After reading through the many prize winners I’ve realized that there are brilliant books that don’t follow a narrative format. They instead drift along with experimental writing that takes extra brain power to process and figure out what is going on. The best of the award books are those that combine the two — layers of knowledge and meaning married with a strong narrative drive.

“Bewilderment” by Richard Powers

Although many of you may be like me, only familiar with Richard Powers because of his amazing and award winning book, The Overstory, Powers has a long history of publishing explorative fiction that focuses on the natural magic that surrounds us. The Overstory’s tale of humanity attempting to save trees is a read not to be passed up even if you usually don’t read large books.

Powers’ newest novel, Bewilderment, turns it’s view upwards to the sky and focuses on the magic of nature, the destruction of that nature, the power of memory, emotions and how death radiates throughout an ecosystem of loved ones.

Significantly shorter than The Overstory at only 278 pages, Bewilderment quickly pulls the reader into a rich world full of nature, planets, love and grief. Set in the somewhat distant future, Astrobiologist Theo Byrne creates planets that could hold possibilities of life. Theo is building a taxonomy and signature bank of imaginary planets. In his computer he builds, logs and then catalogs the unique radio signatures a planet that could support life would give off. As the ability to scan the sky with radio telescopes grows his plan is to compare those signatures with his catalog of signatures in an attempt to pinpoint where life is in the universe. It must be out there right? Why hasn’t life contacted us or responded back to our pleas if the universe is infinite?

Yet Theo’s life is firmly rooted in the day-to-day despite his astrological aspirations. The recent death of his wife Alyssa and the constant emotional and physical attention needed by his nine-year-old son keep Theo rooted in the here and now.

Robbin or Robbie is the true star of this novel. Diagnosed with a long list of possible developmental issues, Robbie feels more, loves more, cares more about natural details, and is bewildered by the human race and the illogical and self-destructive moves we make. A boy who sees the world in details that most of us cannot, Robbie does not fit in at school and has several violent fits when other kids tease or mock him.

Threated by his school with intervention if Robbie isn’t placed into some form of therapy or on a drug plan, Theo enrolls Robbie in an experimental therapy that involve mimicking emotional patterns on a computer to better learn empathy and explore human emotions. When Robbie is given his dead mother emotions from a previous recording Robbie’s world changes forever.

This very human storyline moves the novel along at a rapid clip but the incredible details of nature, plants, birds, stars and stories of other worlds are what really that keeps this novel going. As the details of the amazing universe and world we live in unfold for Robbie they unfold for the reader.

Pick-up Bewilderment today and learn something new about the world all around us, and possibly yourself.

“Great Circle” by Maggie Shipstead

Great Circle is another book that has found itself at the top of a variety of awards lists. Like many novels, Great Circle keeps our attention by alternating between two interconnected storylines set in different times and places. Unlike other novels, both of the storylines are captivating! While I often find myself skim reading through one characters perspective and story in lesser books, I never felt that way while reading Great Circle — I was always eager to find out what happens next in the two-plus storylines.

In 1914 Marian and Jamie Graves grow up with their painter Uncle who leaves them to run wild in the west. Focused on painting and drinking their Uncle gives them freedom in exchange for a lack of parental love and guidance. One day, while Marian and Jamie are exploring the hills a traveling stunt plane passes so close overhead that Marian can feel the wind from the wings. From that day on, Marian is focused on learning to fly.

However, when a local moonshine mob boss takes a fancy to Marian she starts a deal she may come to regret — free flying lessons and a plane in exchange for dates with the boss. Of course nothing is free and while Marian learns to fly she finds herself entrapped in an abusive relationship. How will she escape and fly around the world like she dreams to do?

In the present day, movie star Hadley Baxter is fired from her Twilight-like movie series for sleeping with the wrong person and gaining the scorn of loyal twitter followers and the screenwriters.

Baxter finds herself cast as Marian in a new feature film. Baxter, rebellious, strong and adrift in the world of Hollywood is captivated by Marians story. As a child she found Marian’s story in the library after her parents died in a plane crash. Baxter remembers the story as a comfort and guidance and is keen to do it justice and win an Oscar.

As the two stories circle each other we are left to wonder if either character can find love, fulfilment or peace. Author Shipstead slowly brings the circles of these two stories closer and closer together until they are interlinked.

Narrator Cassandra Campbell does an amazing job reading the audiobook version of Great Circle. Her ability to change her voice to reflect the different characters and time periods makes the audiobook as intriguing as the book!

Get either of these books by placing a hold with the Deschutes Public Library at www.deschuteslibrary.org or visit your local bookstore.