Summer Reading Reviews 2023

We’re sharing some of your reviews of your Summer Reading 2023 books here–you may find ideas for your next read. Looking for more ideas? Take a look at reviews from 2022, too!

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Updated July 11, 2023
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3 days to live
Patterson, James
Paper Book
A collection of three gripping new stories from the world's bestselling thriller writer 3 Days to Live A CIA-agent bride is on her European honeymoon when she and her husband are poisoned - leaving her seventy-two hours to take revenge. Women and Children First ...

5 STARS

Kept me on edge of seat! Didn't realize 2 additional stories were included in that book. They weren't as exciting. My rating is for the title book.

61 hours
Child, Lee.
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * THE BLOCKBUSTER JACK REACHER SERIES THAT INSPIRED TWO MAJOR MOTION PICTURES AND THE STREAMING SERIES REACHER "Reacher gets better and better. . . . [This is the] craftiest and most highly evolved of Lee Child's electrifying Reacher books."...

3 STARS

Action, intrigue as only Lee Child can convey. Did not like ending. Too many unanswered questions.

-Anonymous

After I do : a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins.
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo "A seductive twist on the timeless tale of a couple trying to rediscover love in a marriage brought low by the challenges of domestic togetherness...touching, perceptive, and achingly...

4 STARS

All the light we cannot see
Doerr, Anthony
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE 2015 PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR FICTION A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose...

Anthony Doer's is a Pulitzer Prize winning story and it does not disappoint. All the Light We Cannot See is an wonderfully written, poignant, and powerful novel that deserves every bit of praise it has received. It explores themes of love, loss, sacrifice, and the power of hope. It is a timeless tale that will stay with you long after you turn the final page, and it is a must-read for anyone who appreciates masterful storytelling and richly drawn characters.

Anne of green gables
Montgomery, L. M.
Paper Book
Read the timeless classic about the beloved Anne Shirley, a red-haired orphan with a fiery spirit, before the new NETFLIX series premieres and don't miss the forward by Margaret Atwood, author of The Handmaid's Tale, celebrating the 100th anniversary of this children's favorite! ...

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.

Bad luck and trouble
Child, Lee
Paper Book
Featuring Jack Reacher, hero of the new blockbuster movie starring Tom Cruise. You do not mess with Jack Reacher. He is as close to untraceable as a person can get. A loner comfortable in his anonymity and solitude. So when a member of his old Army unit finds a way to...

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.

The bandit queens a novel
Shroff, Parini
Paper Book

3 STARS

The Bandit Queens by Parini Schroff centers around Geeta, an abandoned spouse who resides in a community where her neighbors all gossip that she secretly murdered her husband. Used to being shunned as a supposed "witch," she is surprised when female neighbors instead start asking for advice on how to... dispose of their spouses. This book is laden with social commentary, both on the Indian caste system and on how women navigate adult female friendships. A bit of an unbelievable plot, but FIERCE women characters that you will find yourself rallying behind as you read.

Lauren C.

Beyond that, the sea
Spence-Ash, Laura
Paper Book
"Spence-Ash has written the novel in eight points of view, but each character is utterly three-dimensional and distinct. This debut novel captivated me from start to finish." --Julia Quinn, author of the Bridgerton Series A sweeping, tenderhearted love story,...

5 STARS

It's London in 1940, WWII has begun and bombs are falling. Beatrix is eleven and her parents arrange to send her to live with a family in Boston- the Gregorys. Beatrix becomes part of the family, becomes a daughter they never had to the parents and a young sister to the two boys. Each August family goes to their own island in Maine and those memories stay with her when she returns to England when the war ends. It's a beautiful first novel that I couldn't put down and didn't want to end.

-Carol S.

______________________________

5 STARS

Absolutely loved this book. I read the online reviews in the summer reading group and decided to give this book a try. I'm so glad that I did. It's a wonderful story which spans the years from 1940-1977. Bea is an 11 year old girl whose family sends her to America to live with an American family to keep her safe from WWII. The connection that she makes after living with this family for years is lifelong. It's a great read and I couldn't put this one down.

Beyond the wand : the magic and mayhem of growing up a wizard
Felton, Tom
Paper Book
They called for a break, and Gambon magicked up a cigarette from out of his beard. He and I were often to be found outside the stage door, having 'a breath of fresh air', as we referred to it. There would be painters and plasterers and chippies and sparks, and among them all would be me and...

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.

All about architecture and the super rich. The book is a bit long. If you’ve ever wondered about the super tall residential buildings on NYC’s skyline, this is your book! I enjoyed learning about this.

-Amy J.

Black candle women
Brown, Diane Marie
Paper Book
'[An] evocative and tender book . . . everyone who reads it will be enchanted like I was' ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ reader reviewA Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Seen on the Today Show and named a Best Book of the Month by: Shondaland, MS. Magazine, TODAY.com, Reader...

4 STARS

Carrie Soto is back a novel
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam" (Elle), from the author of Malibu Rising, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

4 STARS

Cassandra in reverse
Smale, Holly
Paper Book

4 STARS

This book got better the more you read. Funny with time travel and a main character and author with autism.

-Caitlin R.

____________

5 STARS

-Anonymous

The chemist : a novel
Meyer, Stephenie
Paper Book
In this gripping page-turner, an ex-agent on the run from her former employers must take one more case to clear her name and save her life. She used to work for the U.S. government, but very few people ever knew that. An expert in her field, she was one of the darkest...

4 STARS

-Stanley B.

The Chinese groove a novel
Ma, Kathryn
Paper Book

5 STARS

Cloud cuckoo land : a novel
Doerr, Anthony
Paper Book
On the New York Times bestseller list for over 20 weeks * A New York Times Notable Book * A National Book Award Finalist * Named a Best Book of the Year by Fresh Air, Time, Entertainment Weekly, Associated Press, and many more "If you're looking for...

4 STARS

Cloud Cuckoo Land is a time-sprawling journey that tells the story of one book's meaning across generations. The novel is set in various eras - from hundreds of years ago to decades into the future, you are transported into the lives of those closest to the titular novel.

While not the type of novel you pack with you on your way to the beach, it was a different story that felt fresh, and is a good complement to Doerr's All the Light We Cannot See. The way he weaves the narratives together reinforces his great writing, though the story itself lacks in the major twists and turns that I gravitate towards in fiction.

-Ian M.

The collected regrets of Clover
Brammer, Mikki
Paper Book
What's the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can't give yourself a beautiful life? From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying...

5 STARS

One of my favorite books of the summer. Starts off light enough that you can enjoy it as a beach read, but ends in such a wholesome and emotional way that I found myself crying on my sofa at the conclusion.

Clover, a woman who experienced more than her usual amount of loss and grieving in her formative years, lives an introverted lifestyle. Her work requires her to develop some deep relationships, which transform her life significantly. This is a coming-of-age novel in some ways, as well as a romance novel, and wraps up in an unexpected way that delighted me.

-Lauren L.

The Collector
Silva, Daniel
Paper Book
"A world-class practitioner of spy fiction."--Washington Post In this electrifying thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Daniel Silva, Gabriel Allon undertakes a search for a stolen Vermeer masterpiece and uncovers a conspiracy that could bring the world to the brink of...

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.

Count the ways : a novel
Maynard, Joyce
Paper Book
In her most ambitious novel to date, New York Times bestselling author Joyce Maynard returns to the themes that are the hallmarks of her most acclaimed work in a mesmerizing story of a family--from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood, divorce, and the costly...

5 STARS

The scope and drama of this novel literally takes your breath away. Its pages are filled with the lives of a family. Ordinary lives do not remain ordinary. Its chapters are short, bringing you to resolution quickly. Happiness, tragedy, and all that falls in between move the reader quickly to the unexpected. It questions how a loving parent can become hated, how a loving husband can become indifferent, it questions how a mother, the mainstay, can become rejected. It is a book not to be missed. The writing is exceptional.

-Edie S.

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5 STARS

Someone suggested this book at the June meeting of the BYOB group. Wonderful read about a woman - her youth, marriage, three kids, trouble with marriage etc. it all comes full circle. I couldn’t put it down.

-Carol S.

The cradle of ice
Rollins, James
Paper Book
The second book of four in the New York Times bestselling Moonfall series from thriller-master James Rollins, The Cradle of Ice is a page-turning tale of action, adventure, betrayal, ambition, and the struggle for survival in a harsh world that hangs by a thread. ...

5 STARS

Second in a trilogy, which I continue to enjoy, looking forward to the last installment. Love the different worlds he creates!

-Erika D.

Cross down
Patterson, James
Paper Book
With the country in chaos and corruption on all sides, there's only one person to turn to. When a series of military-style attacks erupt across the United States, Detective John Sampson is called in to investigate. The attacks are untraceable, with patterns too random to decipher...

5 STARS

Alex Cross is injured so his friend, John Sampson, takes over to find out why he and Alex were targets. He proceeds to uncover who is trying to take over the United States government and why. This is another thriller in the Alex Cross mysteries.

The Cuban heiress
Cleeton, Chanel
Paper Book
New York heiress Catherine Dohan seemingly has it all. There's only one problem. It's a lie. As soon as the Morro Castle leaves port, Catherine's past returns with a vengeance and threatens her life. Joining forces with a charismatic jewel thief, Catherine must discover who wants her dead...

4 STARS

Having seen the memorial to the Morro Castleon the Asbury Park Boardwalk, I was intrigued to learn there was a newly released book set on the ship. Great read, even if you don't have the context of the semi-local historical event. This book is heavy on both romance and revenge, and contains a fairly predictable plot "twist" that made me feel like the slyest reader ever when I predicted the ending mid-way through!

-Lauren L.

Cutting teeth
Baker, Chandler
Paper Book
'Sharp, original, wickedly astute' Ashley Audrain, Sunday Times bestselling author of The Push ISN'T PARENTHOOD ALL ABOUT SACRIFICE? Darby, Mary Beth, and Rhea are on personal quests to reclaim aspects of their identities subsumed by motherhood -...

4 STARS

This book was definitely different, strange and weird but it keep me reading. It was sometimes funny, dramatic and a murder mystery all in one.

Divine rivals
Ross, Rebecca
Paper Book
A LOVE STORY TO DEFY THE GODS The epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak from number one SUNDAY TIMES bestseller Rebecca Ross A LOVE THAT CONQUERS ALL Eighteen-year-old Iris dreams that one day her writing will make a...

5 STARS

This is a fantasy novel, about two rival journalists, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, who cross paths in more ways than one. It's a story about love, war, and hope. To say that I loved this book would be an understatement! I've thought about it every day since I finished it. I will warn- it's marketed as YA, but personally, I felt that it didn't read as such- besides the main characters being 18 and 19 years old. Highly recommend, to anyone in the need of a beautiful love story.

-Anastasia S.

Door-to-door bookstore, the
Henn, Carsten
Paper Book
The charming international bestseller about books and the power of reading.

3 STARS

-Anonymous

_________________

5 STARS

The Door to door bookstore is a heartwarming, easy-to-read tale of a bookstore employee and an unlikely new friend. For those who have read A Man Called Ove, imagine a quicker read, with a bit less beauty in the writing, but with a generally more upbeat feel.

I found this to be the type of light reading I needed for the summer, but for those who like a drama with higher stakes, this likely falls short. What the book sacrifices in character development it makes up for in succinctness.

-Ian M.

The dreamers : a novel
Walker, Karen Thompson
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE * An ordinary town is transformed by a mysterious illness that triggers perpetual sleep in this mesmerizing novel from the bestselling author of The Age of Miracles. "Stunning."--Emily St. John Mandel, author of...

2 STARS

Started off strong but I had to push myself to finish, and then wished I hadn’t. The ending was disappointing.

-Megan L.

Earth's the right place for love : a novel
Berg, Elizabeth
Paper Book
This beautiful novel by the beloved author of Open House and Talk Before Sleep tells the story of two young people growing up in Mason, Missouri, and how Arthur Moses, a shy young man, becomes the wise and compassionate person readers loved in The Story of Arthur Truluv....

5 STARS

Hearth warming & breaking story of a 16 year old boy's love story from first realization through adulthood & his tender interactions with family & friends. Could not put this book down.

Educated
Westover, Tara.
Paper Book
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY BESTSELLER A BETWEEN THE COVERS PICK Selected as a book of the year by AMAZON, THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, GUARDIAN, NEW YORK TIMES, ECONOMIST, NEW STATESMAN, VOGUE, IRISH TIMES,...

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.

Everything's fine a novel
Rabess, Cecilia
Paper Book

5 STARS

First, we make the beast beautiful : a new story about anxiety
Wilson, Sarah
Paper Book
"Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I've ever read" Mark Manson, bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ckSarah Wilson is a New York Times and Amazon #1 bestselling author, entrepreneur and philanthropist. She's the founder of IQuitSugar.com, whose 8-Week Program has...

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.

The five-star weekend
Hilderbrand, Elin
Paper Book

5 STARS

Another great summer read from Elin Hilderbrand. This book is hard to put down once you start reading it. Five Star Weekend is a story about Hollis Shaw, a woman who suffers a tragedy. She hears about a woman who brings together four friends from various times in her life for a fun filled five star weekend. Hollis decides to do the same thing with four of her friends and plans a wonderful weekend. Her weekend is filled with fun, delicious meals and unexpected experiences.

Girl in pieces
Glasgow, Kathleen
Paper Book
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A haunting, beautiful, and necessary book."--Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything Charlotte Davis is in pieces. At seventeen she's already lost more than most people...

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.

The guest a novel
Cline, Emma
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * A young woman pretends to be someone she isn't in this "spellbinding" (Vogue), "smoldering" (The Washington Post) novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls.   "Under Cline's command, every...

3 STARS

Hello stranger
Center, Katherine
Paper Book

3 STARS

Brain surgery leaves a portrait artist with a condition called "face blindness," which complicates both her professional and romantic lives. This is a Hallmark movie of a book-- light, enjoyable "chick lit."

-Lauren L.

The house in the pines
Reyes, Ana
Paper Book
Maya was a high school senior when her best friend, Aubrey, mysteriously dropped dead in front of the enigmatic man named Frank whom they'd been spending time with all summer.

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

The house of Lincoln a novel
Horan, Nancy
Paper Book
Nancy Horan, author of the million-copy New York Times bestseller Loving Frank, returns with The House of Lincoln, which tells the story of Abraham Lincoln's ascendance from rumpled lawyer to U.S. President to Great Emancipator and presents Lincoln's Midwestern home as a...

4 STARS

The housekeepers : a novel
Hay, Alex, (Writer)
Paper Book
The night of London's grandest ball, a bold group of women downstairs launch a daring revenge heist against Mayfair society in this dazzling historical novel about power, gender, and class Mrs. King is no ordinary housekeeper. Born into a world of con artists and...

4 STARS

The librarian of burned books : a novel
Labuskes, Brianna
Paper Book
For fans of The Rose Code and The Paris Library, The Librarian of Burned Books is a captivating WWII-era novel about the intertwined fates of three women who believe in the power of books to triumph over the very darkest moments of war.  Berlin...

5 STARS

This compelling WW2-era novel is about the lives of three women who come together in their fight against censorship in Nazi Germany and America. I loved learning about the American Services Editions and their inspiration to the soldiers on the front, a bit of history I never knew. Readers will identify with the complex and endearing characters who honor the guardians of books: librarians.

-Deb L.

4 STARS

I’m a sucker for any story about a lighthouse, and I enjoyed imagining the setting of this small island with a close knit set of families working the lighthouse. The characters felt thin to me and the mystery surrounding them was a bit overdone. Worth it for the lighthouse though. :)

-Amy J.

Long shadows
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
From the author of The 6:20 Man, "Memory Man" Amos Decker--an FBI consultant with perfect recall--delves into a bewildering double homicide in this thriller in David Baldacci's #1 New York Times bestselling series.   When...

5 STARS

Found it hard to put down this fast moving complicated murder mystery. Piece by piece the Memory Man & his new partner work their magic.

-Anonymous

Maame
George, Jessica
Paper Book
" Maame (ma-meh) has many meanings in Twi but in my case, it means woman. It's fair to say that Maddie's life in London is far from rewarding. With a mother who spends most of her time in Ghana (yet still somehow manages to be overbearing), Maddie...

3 STARS

Malibu rising
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Read with Jenna Book Club Pick as Featured on Today * From the author of Carrie Soto Is Back, Daisy Jones & The Six, and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo . . . "Irresistible . . . High drama at the beach,...

4 STARS

Never split the difference : negotiating as if your life depended on it
Voss, Christopher
Paper Book
This international bestseller, with more than 3 million copies sold, offers a field-tested approach to high-stakes negotiations--whether in the boardroom, in your community, or at home. Life is a series of negotiations, and negotiation is at the heart of collaboration--whether you are a...

4 STARS

Nimona
Stevenson, Noelle
Paper Book
Now a Netflix animated film! Nimona is the New York Times bestselling graphic novel sensation from ND Stevenson, based on his beloved and critically acclaimed web comic. Kirkus says, "If you're going to read one graphic novel this year, make it this one." ...

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.

Nothing to see here
Wilson, Kevin
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller  *  A Read with Jenna Today Show Book Club Pick! Named a Best Book of the Year by The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, People, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, TIME, The A.V. Club, Buzzfeed, and PopSugar ...

4 STARS

A refreshing creative novel.

Obsessed
Patterson, James
CD

4 STARS

I find the Michael Bennett mysteries very entertaining, fast moving & heart warming with aspects of his family life with wife, 10 children & priest grandfather. I marvel how he can manage his sharp detective skills while being a great family man.

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4 STARS

-Abby P.

One false move
Coben, Harlan
Paper Book
She's smart, beautiful, and she doesn't need a man to look after her. But sports agent Myron Bolitar has come into her life--big time.  Now Myron's next move may be his last-- Brenda Slaughter is no damsel in distress. Myron Bolitar is no bodyguard.  But Myron has agreed to protect the bright,...

5 STARS

Sports agent Myron Bolitar is hired to protect Brenda Slaughter, a WNBA basketball player. Although Myron is a sports agent, he is drawn to Brenda and decides to protect her. Brenda is beautiful and kind but has a tragic past. Myron will help Brenda find the answers to the questions she has about her family.

Oranges are not the only fruit
Winterson, Jeanette
Paper Book
Winner of the Whitbread Prize for best first fiction, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a coming-out novel from Winterson, the acclaimed author of The Passion and Sexing the Cherry. The narrator, Jeanette, cuts her teeth on the knowledge that she is one of God's elect, but...

The prose in this book is laced with so much humor, though the topic is pretty heavy. I picked it up because I wanted to read something in honor of Pride Month and I had read reviews that Winterson perfectly marries comedy and tragedy and I would say that is accurate! I do think the book should come with a trigger warning for anyone who identifies as queer and has had negative experiences with evangelical religious traditions. That said, Winterson tells a lovely coming of age story that really asks the reader to parse out how our environment shapes our identity and how our identity can cause friction in our environment.

-Amy J.

Our wives under the sea
Armfield, Julia
Paper Book
Miri thinks she has got her wife back, when Leah finally returns after a deep sea mission that ended in catastrophe. It soon becomes clear, though, that Leah may have come back wrong. Whatever happened in that vessel, whatever it was they were supposed to be studying before they were stranded on the...

2 STARS

This book was recommended by so many horror fans! Perhaps my expectations were too high based on that, but I found this book incredibly slow and boring. I listened to the audiobook rather than reading the physical copy in hopes I'd be more engaged. Our Wives Under the Sea is about a woman who welcomes home her wife who had been lost for months at the bottom of the ocean. But something is off with her wife. The chapters go from one woman's POV to the other but I still feel like nothing happened. Not recommended!

-Anastasia S.

The postcard
Berest, Anne
Paper Book
A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR TIME Magazine・NPR・Library Journal・The Globe and Mail・Lilith・Forward Magazine・Toronto Star・The New Yorker Winner of the Choix Goncourt Prize, Anne Berest...

1 STAR

This novel has been touted as a prizewinner, international best seller, and powerful. I have to disagree with all the wonderful press it received. It is the story of Nazism in France and the Resistance during WWII. I am accustomed to Holocaust literature written by the likes of Anthony Doerr and All the Light We Cannot See. I am accustomed to Speilberg's Schindler's List. So the premise of this book was intriguing. A postcard with four names written on it is sent to the home of concentration camp survivors many years after the war. It is not signed. Who sent it, why those names? The plot is so disjointed, I could never keep track of which character is speaking, the drama and suspense, usually prevalent in a war story was completely missing. I cannot help but wonder how this novel became a best seller. It is labelled as autobiographical fiction. The author's name is used for one of the characters. I was never able to tell when the author was speaking through her character. The characters were not interesting and poorly developed. The ending did not satisfy the quest of learning who sent the postcard. I forced myself to finish the book only to see who sent that card. Another disappointment. The climax was uneventful. Why did The Postcard receive such acclaim?

-Edie S.

The puzzle master a novel
Trussoni, Danielle
Paper Book
Reality and the supernatural collide when an expert puzzle maker is thrust into an ancient mystery-one with explosive consequences for the fate of humanity-in this suspenseful thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Angelology "This novel has it...

4 STARS

If you like puzzles this book is for you. This mystery revolves around a writer of puzzles who is trying to save a woman in prison who is accused of a murder.

The school for good mothers
Chan, Jessamine
Paper Book
THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER AN OBAMA'S 2022 SUMMER READING PICK 'A taut and propulsive take on the cult of motherhood and the notion of what makes a good mother. Destined to be feminist classic - it kept me up at night' PANDORA SYKES...

4 STARS

The searcher
French, Tana
Paper Book
Best Book of 2020 New York Times |NPR | New York Post "This hushed suspense tale about thwarted dreams of escape may be her best one yet . . . Its own kind of masterpiece." --Maureen Corrigan, The Washington Post "A new Tana French is always cause...

5 STARS

Tana French, a respected award winning mystery writer, tells of a retired Chicago police officer who moves to a small beautiful village in Ireland. Her characters are warm and likeable, from the pub drinkers with their pints to the tea drinkers with their mugs. The dialogue (in Irish dialect) is warm, humorous, and easy to understand. This reader would move to that village immediately. But slowly, without fanfare, the climate changes. A young man goes missing, his younger sibling enlists the aid of Cal, the retired policeman. The movement in the search is without crisis, there are no dramatic moments. The plot is all about finding the older brother. With a steady pace, the close community slowly reveals an unexpected underside. The ending is startling, a surprise of major proportions. The seeming humanity of the villagers belies the truth. Tana French is a master of leading the reader down paths one never expects.

Edie S.

The seven husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Reid, Taylor Jenkins
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "If you're looking for a book to take on holiday this summer, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo has got all the glitz and glamour to make it a perfect beach read." --Bustle From the New York...

5 STARS

The seven year slip
Poston, Ashley
Paper Book
"A gorgeous love story from one of the finest romance writers out there." --Carley Fortune, New York Times bestselling author of Every Summer After A New York Public Library Best Book of 2023 A Most Anticipated Book by Entertainment Weekly ∙ Harper's Bazaar &...

5 STARS

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston was so much fun to read! It's a story about a woman who inherits a magical apartment, that time travels seven years in the past... but only when it wants to! This was such a wonderful, funny, and sweet book. I highly recommend it. Don't forget the tissues!

-Anastasia S.

Simply lies
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The 6:20 Man comes a twisting psychological thriller in which two women--one a former detective, the other a dangerous con artist--go head-to-head in an electrifying game of cat and mouse. ...

4 STARS

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

Someone else's shoes
Moyes, Jojo
Paper Book
A story of mix-ups, mess-ups and making the most of second chances, this is the new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jojo Moyes, author of Me Before You and The Giver of Stars Who are you when you are forced to walk in someone else's shoes?

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.

Unnatural history
Kellerman, Jonathan
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The most enduring detectives in American crime fiction are back in this electrifying thriller of art and brutality from the #1 New York Times bestselling master of suspense. Los Angeles is a city of stark contrast, the palaces of the...

2 STARS

I was disappointed in this book. I had to force myself to finish it. I did not feel empathy for the characters who were murdered or the detective & psychologist who pursued the killer because something was lacking in the way they were portrayed.

Verity
Hoover, Colleen
Paper Book
Whose truth is the lie? Stay up all night reading the sensational psychological thriller that has readers obsessed, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Too Late and It Ends With Us. #1 New York Times<...

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.

Waiting for Tom Hanks
Winfrey, Kerry
Paper Book
Romantic-comedy-obsessed Annie Cassidy spends her days writing internet content, rewatching Sleepless in Seattle, and waiting for her movie-perfect meet cute. If she could just find her own Tom Hanks, her problems would disappear and her life would be perfect. But Tom Hanks is nowhere in sight. When...

Cute and quirky story about a young woman who is obsessed with rom-com movies and wants her life to be one.

Enter a handsome hulky movie who she encounters and the book takes off from there. Filled with other kooky characters makes the book funny and a quick read.

The wedding planner
Steel, Danielle
Paper Book

4 STARS

Does not disappoint. Fascinating tale of the heart warming encounters of this gifted wedding planner.

When no one is watching : a thriller
Cole, Alyssa
Paper Book
An instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLER! "I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn't let go until the final page. This is a terrific read." - Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author *A Marie Claire Book...

5 STARS

Where are the children now?
Clark, Mary Higgins
Paper Book
Continuing the legacy of #1 New York Times bestselling author and "Queen of Suspense" Mary Higgins Clark, Alafair Burke revisits Mary's iconic first novel, Where Are The Children?, featuring the children of Nancy Harmon, all grown up and again in peril. When we last saw...

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.

The Whispers
Audrain, Ashley
Paper Book
A propulsive page-turner about four suburban families whose lives are changed when the unthinkable happens--and what is lost when good people make unconscionable choices With The Push, Ashley Audrain gave us a transgressive, bestselling novel about motherhood. Now she...

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.

I will find you
Coben, Harlan
Paper Book
The new Harlan Coben blockbuster has arrived. From the # 1 author and creator of the hit Netflix drama Stay Close, a page-turning thriller that will keep you guessing until the very last page. 'This thriller is one of his best yet' Sunday Express ...

5 STARS

David Burroughs is in prison for the horrific murder of his three year old son, Matthew. After being incarcerated, for five years, David’s former sister-in-law, Rachel, visits him with a photo. In the background of the photo Rachel believes believes she sees Matthew. This is an exciting book that you will thoroughly enjoy.

Wish you well
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
Following a family tragedy, siblings Lou and Oz must leave New York and adjust to life in the Virginia mountains--but just as the farm begins to feel like home, they'll have to defend it from a dark threat in this New York Times bestselling coming-of-age story. <...

5 STARS

Not your usual Baldacci novel, primarily known as suspense and legal thrillers. This novel could not be further from those. It is a story that actually draws from Baldacci's ancestors' past in the coal mining mountains of Virginia. It is reminiscent of To Kill A Mockingbird, particularly the nail biting trial at the end. Cotton Longfellow, an attorney, is the counterpart of Atticus Finch. A heartwarming drama filled with the struggles of a poor family, corruption, and the injustice that large corporations can inflict on rural America. A great summer read, whose characters are sympathetic, evil, and all that falls in between.

-Edie S.

Wishing game, the
Shaffer, Meg
Paper Book
One of the Washington Post's top ten feel-good novels of the year: a perfect gift for book lovers everywhere!During a childhood marked by neglect and loneliness, Lucy Hart found solace in books, especially Jack Masterson's Clock Island series. Now a twenty-six-year-old teacher's aide,...

1 STAR

Ugh, this book falls so short. It's trying to be sort of like The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune, but it doesn't come anywhere close! I worked as a middle school English teacher for a long time and when I first started this book, I thought to myself, "This seems like it's more of a young adult book than an adult novel." By the middle of the book, I thought to myself, "This book is written more poorly than my students' writing pieces..." The character development and pacing of the plot are both quite weak. Even worse, the crux of the story involves the main character competing in a contest to solve highly complex riddles. Yet, the author used some of the most common riddles that we've all likely heard time and time again in classrooms, from elder relatives, etc. It's laughable; I have no idea how this got published, LOL. Just go read the House in the Cerulean Sea instead.

-Lauren L.

Yellowface
Kuang, R. F.
Paper Book
The Number One Global Sensation *Foyle's Fiction Book of the Year* *Amazon Book of the Year* *Shortlisted for Waterstones Book of the Year* *Fiction Book of the Year 2024 - British Book Awards...

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.

The younger wife
Hepworth, Sally
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Good Sister and The Mother-in-Law with new novel Darling Girls out soon. The moment she laid eyes on Heather Wisher, Tully knew this woman was going to destroy their lives.Tully and Rachel are murderous when they discover their father has a new...

5 STARS

A great read about the Aston family. Stephen Aston is a renowned, 60 year old heart surgeon who is getting married to a much younger woman while his wife is still alive and suffering from dementia. This book has many twists and turns as two sisters react to their father’s impending marriage.

Zero day
Baldacci, David
Paper Book
Combat veteran and U. S. Army investigator John Puller is on the hunt for justice with the help of a homicide detective--but as they face deceptions and dead ends, a powerful force threatens to stop them forever in this #1 New York Times bestselling thriller. John...

3 STARS

Interesting & fast moving Who Done It. Had too many details of computer & security hacking which I skimmed over & I guessed the culprit too early on.


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