Summer Reading Reviews 2023Unpublished

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2 STARS

Summer travel took me to Prince Edward Island, a destination known for one claim to fame: Anne of Green Gables. I never read the book as a child so I bought a copy to read on the way. The book is half made up of lush descriptions of the island's countryside and farmland found (and the descriptions truly do justice to the gorgeous scenery), and half made up of monologues of young Anne's musings. Much to my dismay, I did not find myself enjoying Anne as a character. She's long-winded and overdramatic, childlike traits that I guess make her appeal to many other readers. In my case, I was happy to have read it to recognize the landmarks on my trip, but I would never recommend it to someone generally.

-Lauren L.

5 STARS

Reacher uses his brains & brawn along with some of his former elite team to thwart a terrorist plot. Hard to believe how he overcomes near impossible odds.

4 STARS

Bruni, an acclaimed New York Times journalist writes his non fiction account of losing considerable vision in his right eye, with the threat his left eye might also one day be affected.. The optical nerve damage he sustains during a rare stroke, severely impacts his personal and professional life. Typing, observing, and being able to report accurately leave him devastatingly at a loss. He writes with honesty about his medical care, some of his physicians leave a lot to be desired, but others are compassionate and able to guide him accurately. In his personal journey to accepting a life changing condition, he recounts the stories of others who have faced even more threatening conditions. He learns what makes life bearable , for life cannot always be controlled and bend to our will. This is honest writing, assuring the reader that while all problems cannot be solved, Bruni takes comfort in the paths and opportunities that can be accessed to allow him to live a wonderful life. He gives us lessons in what is important for fulfillment. His family and many friends are his support system, and he writes with great affection for them, including a heartwarming segment about his dog, who is indeed an inspiration. Bruni's story is optimism combined with a dose of realism, worthy of reading.

-Edie S.

5 STARS

The author, Christian Cooper, is the “Central Park Birder” who had an encounter with an ”entitled” White woman, who falsely accused him of harassing her, after he asked her to leash her dog in an area of the Park where this is mandatory. This well-written and interesting book goes way beyond this episode and is the memoir of a Black, gay kid who was essentially saved thanks to his hobby of watching birds. This hobby validated his existence and gave him an outlet from the otherwise secret life he had to lead to conceal his sexuality from his friends and family.

Beyond his passion for birds, Cooper talks of his travels, his activism for Black and LGBTQ rights and his family life. He describes his difficult relationship with his volatile father, and then their shared interests for Black activism and nature.

He was the first in his family, not only to go to college, but to Harvard. He then worked as a creator at Marvel Comics, where he introduced the first openly female lesbian character, Victoria Montes. He also introduced the first openly gay male character (Yoshi Mishima) in Star Trek, the Starfleet Academy series.

Interestingly enough, his encounter in Central Park occurred the same day that George Floyd was murdered by the Minneapolis Police (May 25, 2020). His experience in the Park actually provided a platform for his birding experience to be recognized, and he now hosts a show on National Geographic about birding.

-Vivian H.

4 STARS

Interesting quick read for fans of the Harry Potter movies. He explains what it was like to be part of some of the biggest movies of all time, but also the difficulties of life after playing Draco Malfoy.

4 STARS

3 STARS

I have always been a Daniel Silva groupie, devouring his novels and becoming enmeshed in his characters' lives.: Gabriel Allon, Eli Lavon, Mikhail Abramov, and the entire crew of the renowned Israeli intelligence office. Not to mention America's CIA and foreign diplomats. In addition, his personal story of his wife Chiara and twins Irene and Rafael become your family as well. I am devastated to say this novel falls short of what I have come to expect. I, who read his first 19 novels non stop (binge reading), found this latest story more like reading a newspaper than a page turning novel. It is the Russian-Ukraine crisis that fills the pages, and an in depth scrutiny of Vladimir Putin. Granted there is some intrigue with a beautiful thief, there is the ongoing restoration of paintings by Allon, the search for a stolen Vermeer, worth 250 million dollars, actually based on fact, but something was missing for me, this time. There were snatches of excitement, but not enough for me to give this a rave review. Sorry Mr. Silva, but I admit I will wait for your next book, which will come out next July, and hope the fire has not been doused. Someone of your stature certainly deserves another chance, from the likes of me.

-Edie S.

5 STARS

Tara Westover writes a memoir about her life as part of an ultra conservative family. Her parents do not trust the government. Their children are born at home and do not have a birth certificate. The parents do not believe in sending their children to school but have them work in the family’s junkyard instead. Tara wants to be educated and is admitted to BYU without a high school diploma. Her education then takes her Cambridge. This memoir shows how a person can persevere and achieve their dreams against all odds.

5 STARS

Katie Couric recommended this book in her daily newsletter as a must read. It deals with anxiety and its manifestations in an increasingly large segment of the world. The author is a victim of anxiety and traces its sources and the many methods used to alleviate the symptoms. It is well researched and gives several examples of ways to cope, all of them seemingly doable. She also uses real life examples of celebrities and people of note, including Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey, It is easy to read, much like a self help magazine article. You can skim or read straight through. Meditation, yoga, exercise, cognitive therapy techniques and giving up sugar are some of the tried and true solutions to anxiety. The author is a well known magazine editor, Cosmopolitan, and her life story, while fraught, offers hope to those who also suffer. And according to her statistics, one out of every seven people have anxiety issues. The scope of this condition is a symptom of the preponderance of mental health issues that plague so much of the population. But the book offers hope, easy to do exercises, and will be interesting to read for the Self-Help book "junkies!"

-Edie S.

5 STARS

GIRL IN PIECES is an aptly named novel. It is the SHATTERING story of a teen aged girl, one of many who cuts herself to relieve her inner turmoil. This novel is classified as a Young Adult read, however, it is an easy crossover for any adult. While the subject matter is depressing, the author carries you along on a ride that is eye opening. The characters are seedy, unlikeable, until you see the reasons for their dependence on drugs. Everyone has secrets, as do all humans. The secrets in this novel are deep, hurtful, and monstrous. This novel takes you to places you don't want to know, but you learn that not everyone leads a perfect life. It is compelling and difficult to stop reading. Its message reveals the underbelly of society and how many cope. They are deserving of understanding and compassion. A good and important read.

-Edie S.

3 STARS

Somewhat interesting plot but was fairly easy to guess what was going to happen. A lot of the story lines seem left open.

-Anonymous

4 STARS

3 STARS

Very slow start but did pick up towards the middle of the book. Nina, a young woman with an affluent family, faces challenges as she tries to figure out who she is. The ending was kind of predictable. I'd say it was an ok read.

5 STARS

Touching history of his parents' hard work through the Great Depression & Army Corps of Engineering building great dams in the Midwest & how it affected his career development & hope for our country.

4 STARS

I saw that this YA graphic novel was becoming a show on Netflix and wanted to read it to see if it was appropriate for my kids to watch. I ended up loving it! It was about a young girl who can shapeshift who becomes the sidekick of the kingdoms villain and the trouble that ensues. No one is as they seem in this one! It's always a bit more complicated than expected. I'm excited to see the show with my kids soon!

-Anastasia S.

4 STARS

A refreshing creative novel.

5 STARS

4 STARS

Kept me guessing right until the end. Great twists & turns. Characters are so human & believable...good, bad & ugly!

5 STARS

Wow! This book had me hooked right from the beginning & only got better right up to the end. It tells the hard luck stories of 2 very different women & how their meeting under extremely antagonist circumstances enriches their lives & those around them.

4 STARS

Flannery's memoir chronicles the exploitation of young women employed by clothing store American Apparel in the 2010s. American Apparel lured in young women with an ethical company vision, a trendy start-up culture, and free clothing. Yet, a sexual predator headed the organization, preying on women in entry-level positions with promises of upward career trajectories. Flannery writes about her own experiences, as well as the guilt she feels for having recruited others to positions within the company.

-Lauren L.

2 STARS

I traded books while on vacation, swapping the book I read during my departure flight for something new to read on the way home. I wound up with a Colleen Hoover book and figured, after a year of seeing her name spread like wildfire, that I was well overdue to give her books a try.

Verity is suspenseful, but all the build-up doesn't lead to as significant a plot twist as I anticipated. I felt the plot sort of just fizzled out. While there is some resolution, one big question is left open-ended, which may be great for book club conversations, but left me a bit disappointed. I don't think I get what all the hype is about.

-Lauren L.

I love this book as well as all in the series. This is my 3rd time reading it. This book tells the story of an unlikely romance and their trials and tribulations. Great book. She's a really good romance author who can connect with diverse audiences.

-Anonymous

5 STARS

Another great read from Mary Higgins Clark. If you enjoyed Where Are The Children, you will enjoy this book. It picks up where the first book ended and now the children are adults and another child is missing.

-Helen S.

5 STARS

Once I started reading this book, I could hardly put it down. This is a story about the lives of four families and their secrets. I would highly recommend reading The Whispers.

Helen S.

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5 STARS

Another reader reviewed this book earlier in the summer, and their review intrigued me. Count this as another five-star review for The Whispers! The character development is on point. You'll be shocked by characters' actions, yet never find them to be out-of-character or unbelievable. The strong character development, coupled with some well-timed plot twists, function in tandem to create such a riveting story.

-Lauren L.

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4 STARS

-Abbie P.

3 STARS

I don't think I've ever read satire for my own enjoyment before. I've read works of satire, but it was because they were on high school's or college's required reading lists. I checked out Yellowface by R. F. Kuang because I saw it garnering positive reviews on bestseller lists, not because I knew the premise. I was shocked when I realized by the third chapter that the story was satirical.

A criticism of the publishing industry, Yellowface features a narrator whose internal dialogue and decision-making will make you cringe from start to finish. Seemingly every sentence from the narrator's perspective induces secondhand embarrassment. As someone who works in the field of online content development, though, many of the plot points felt uncomfortably reflective of my own workplace encounters. I highly recommend this for anyone working in HR, media, or content/curriculum development.