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

A dark look into the lifestyles of wealthy Manhattanites with summer homes on Fire Island. What I predicted was going to be a light beach read suddenly got heavy. The social commentary got me to pause both during and after I read it. Would be a conversation-starter, for sure, as a book club choice!

-Lauren L.

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

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.

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.

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.

3 STARS

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.

3 STARS

4 STARS

This book rotated through characters in and seeking relationships and was hard to put down. It left each chapter on a cliffhanger and had some surprise twists. It was not great writing but engrossing kind of like a soap opera.

-Caitlin R.

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.

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.

5 STARS

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.

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

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.

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.