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Do you really want to know how long you'll live? In our world, that is a purely hypothetical question, and yet, Erlick created a world where it is not. This universe, which resembles our own, has one key difference: Adults over the age of 21 can learn how long they live, if they dare to open the box. Would you open the box? Personally, I do not know if I would, but books that ask about issues like this one are the very novels that make me love science fiction. Do We Want to Turn the Page? The Blurb: Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice. It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live. From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise? As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge? The Measure charts the dawn of this new world through an unforgettable cast of characters whose decisions and fates interweave with one another: best friends whose dreams are forever entwined, pen pals finding refuge in the unknown, a couple who thought they didn’t have to rush, a doctor who cannot save himself, and a politician whose box becomes the powder keg that ultimately changes everything. Enchanting and deeply uplifting, The Measure is a sweeping, ambitious, uplifting story about family, love, hope, and destiny that encourages us to live life to the fullest. The Author: Nikki Erlick Nikki Erlick is a writer and editor whose work has appeared online with New York Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Indagare Travel, The Huffington Post, and Vox. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Harvard University and a master’s degree from Columbia University. The Measure is her debut novel. (From the short bio in Erlick's book)

Last week, I was lucky enough to be able to visit and stay in both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. After being surrounded by the incredible landscapes and having read the all of the guides we had, I still wanted to learn more about the national parks. I chose Yellowstone DNA: A Tale of Wolves, Wildlife, and Humans by Scott Huber from a local bookstore in Jackson, Wyoming, thinking that it would be a great way to learn more about Yellowstone, the most iconic of the 63 national parks. As indicated by the latter part of its title, Yellowstone DNA: A Tale of Wolves, Wildlife, and Humans by Scott Huber explores the relationships found in the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Every chapter has a different perspective, from the Shoshoni (also spelled Shoshone) Sheepeaters to wolves, park rangers, and trappers. The characters, some who truly existed and others sprouting from Huber's imagination, all play a different and important role in the delicate environment, so when some of its elements disappear, we are taken on a journey through the ages, following the same characters and their descendants interact with Yellowstone as it takes a turn for the worst. Do We Want to Turn the Page? The Blurb: Wolves created Yellowstone. From a time beyond memory, their role as keystone predators shaped North America's greatest biological treasure. Known as The American Serengeti, it was truly pristine, the largest intact ecosystem in the western hemisphere. Wolves were the thread that held Yellowstone's tapestry together. Enter man. The Mountain Shoshoni revered wolves. Ranchers and hunters reviled them. Park rangers were ordered to shoot them. By 1926 wolves had been systematically eradicated from the park. For the next seventy years wolves were absent from the ecosystem. Yellowstone's tapestry unraveled. Despite years of bitter fighting, wolves were restored to their rightful place in 1995. Their return to Yellowstone prompted an amazing transformation, as the park and its wildlife blossomed anew. And yet, the battle over reintroduction continues today and beyond. Each stakeholder in the conflict, human and animal, has a story to tell in this "true history told by fictional characters." The Author: Scott Huber Scott Huber has worked as a park ranger, an outdoor educator, and a wildlife tour guide in Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. In addition to being an avid birder, he is a lifelong hiker, fisherman and hunter. Scott was first enchanted by the beautiful songs of gray wolves near Wyoming's Sunlight Basin. In Yellowstone's Lamar Valley. Scott was privileged to experience close encounters with wolves and their pups. The author and his wife have a cabin located between the Absaroka Mountains and the Wind River Range in northwestern Wyoming. They winter in biodiverse Portal, Arizona. (From the short bio in Huber's book)