Summer Reading Reviews 2023Unpublished

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3 STARS

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

-Anonymous

4 STARS

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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

-Erika D.

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.

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

4 STARS

This was the sweetest middle grade book. I saw it in my children's school library and was interested in picking it up. This book is about a little girl and her mother who travel to a very small town to spend the summer with her grandparents because her grandpa is ill. I loved it and I'll be reading it to my kids soon!

-Anastasia S.

4 STARS

4 STARS

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.