Sample Saturday is when I wade through the eleventy billion samples I have downloaded on my Kindle. I’m slowly chipping away and deciding whether it’s buy or bye. This week, all three are newish releases that have caught my eye.

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

Summary: Bob Comet is a retired librarian passing his solitary days surrounded by books and small comforts. One morning, he encounters a confused elderly woman lost in a market and returns her to the senior center that is her home. Hoping to fill the void he’s known since retiring, he begins volunteering at the center. Here, the events of his life and the details of his character are revealed.

I’m thinking: Yes.

Awe by Dacher Keltner

Summary: How do we begin to quantify the amazement when we watch a child walk for the first time or put into words the collective effervescence of standing in a crowd and singing in unison? Awe is the feeling we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that transcend our understanding of the world. Until recently, there was no science of awe. Keltner presents new understanding based on evolutionary science and our capacities to cooperate, form communities, and create culture that strengthens our sense of shared identity.

I’m thinking: Yes.

The Girls of Summer by Katie Bishop

Summary: Rachel has been in love with Alistair for fifteen years. Even though she’s now married to someone else. Even though she was a teenager when they met. Even though he is twenty years older than her.

I’m thinking: No.