Summer Reading Reviews Part 2

Updated August 29, 2023
Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium Scotch Plains Public Library
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Bad luck and trouble : a Jack Reacher novel
Child, Lee.
Paper Book
** REACHER SEASON 2- BAD LUCK AND TROUBLE coming soon to Prime video ** \"The invincible Reacher is as irresistible as ever.\" (Sunday Telegraph) You do not mess with Jack Reacher. He is as close to untraceable...

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.

Chain of gold
Clare, Cassandra
Paper Book

I've been reading all of the Shadowhunter series books by Cassandra Clare along with my oldest daughter, since she was in 8th grade. This does not disappoint. While fantasy, these books allowed us to have discussions about many social issues that exist in the real world at an awkward age for her. It allowed us to discuss 'characters' not people and share our thoughts and feelings about social issues in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

-Erika D.

Chain of iron
Clare, Cassandra
Paper Book
Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. Shés engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and Jamess charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved...

I've been reading all of the Shadowhunter series books by Cassandra Clare along with my oldest daughter, since she was in 8th grade. This does not disappoint. While fantasy, these books allowed us to have discussions about many social issues that exist in the real world at an awkward age for her. It allowed us to discuss 'characters' not people and share our thoughts and feelings about social issues in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

-Erika D.

Chain of thorns
Clare, Cassandra
Paper Book

I've been reading all of the Shadowhunter series books by Cassandra Clare along with my oldest daughter, since she was in 8th grade. This does not disappoint. While fantasy, these books allowed us to have discussions about many social issues that exist in the real world at an awkward age for her. It allowed us to discuss 'characters' not people and share our thoughts and feelings about social issues in a safe, non-judgemental environment.

-Erika D.

Drowning : the rescue of Flight 1421 : a novel
Newman, T. J.
Paper Book
Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman - whose first book Falling was an instant international bestseller and the biggest thriller debut of 2021 - returns for her second book, an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into...

5 STARS

-Abby P.

Killers of the Flower Moon : the Osage murders and the birth of the FBI
Grann, David
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST FACT CRIME SHORTLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NON-FICTION SHORTLISTED FOR THE CWA ALCS GOLD DAGGER FOR NON-FICTION **NOW A MAJOR MOTION PICTURE DIRECTED BY MARTIN SCORSESE STARRING LEONARDO DICAPRIO AND ROBERT DE...

5 STARS

This book absolutely gripped me from beginning to end. Family mystery woven into a deeper and more complex historical phenomenon that most Americans were not taught about in school. The narrative is written in a manner that tells a story while providing historical context on the Osage murders and FBI's development. This story is so important and I am interested to see the movie version coming out this fall.

Sandra C.

The love hypothesis
Hazelwood, Ali
Paper Book
With an exclusive new bonus chapter... from Adam's POV Based on the available information and the data hitherto collected, my hypothesis is that the further I stay away from love, the better off I will be. 'Contemporary romance's unicorn: the elusive...

4.5 STARS

4.5! This book started a bit silly, unrealistic and slower for me but by the end I couldn’t put it down and loved it. It hit on a lot of important and serious themes while still being a funny love story set in academia. I’m glad I read it and will likely read more of the author’s work.

-Sandra C.

Loyalty
Scottoline, Lisa
Audiobook

5 STARS

Fascinating fictional read on what could have been the possible birth of the mafia in Sicily. The characters are totally believable & portrayed in such a way that I cared for even the most villainous because I could feel their emotions & sense of loyalty to their cause. I found myself rooting for the good guys & wishing they could amicably settle disagreements.

Mad honey : a novel
Picoult, Jodi
Paper Book

I really enjoyed this book. Loved how it surrounded the death of a young girl but educated the reader on LGBTQ, specifically trans life. The struggles, the history, the details. This was a well written book.

The maid : a novel
Prose, Nita
Paper Book
*Molly the maid returns in THE MAID'S SECRET - available to pre-order now* _________________________________________________________________ Get swept away by the million-copy bestseller ... *THE NO.1 NEW YORK TIMES & SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLER

3 STARS

I had heard that this was the "top mystery book" of last year according to Goodreads, but it fell a bit flat for me. The mystery itself wasn't very entertaining for me since you aren't given enough info to figure anything out on your own, and I couldn't get behind a lot of the dialogue. Felt fairly generic even though the main character had a pretty unique perspective. This one just didn't quite hit the mark for me, but was still a pretty good read.

-Sean K.

P.S. I still love you
Han, Jenny.
Paper Book
  Lara Jean and her love letters are back in this utterly irresistible sequel to NETFLIX feature film To All The Boys I've Loved Before. Lara Jean didn't expect to really fall for Peter. But suddenly they are together for real - and it's far more complicated than when...

4 STARS

-Abby P.

The recovery agent
Evanovich, Janet
Paper Book
Number One New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich returns with the launch of a blockbuster new series that blends wild adventure, hugely appealing characters, and pitch-perfect humour, proving once again why she's 'the most popular mystery writer alive' (New York...

5 STARS

Gabriela Rose is a recovery agent who finds lost treasures for people and companies. A family legend sends her to Peru to look for a lost treasure. It is very valuable and could help her home town rebuild. He ex-husband, Rafer insists on going with Gabriela. This book is full of mystery and fun.

Remarkably bright creatures : a novel
Van Pelt, Shelby
Paper Book
**THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** OVER 1.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE BBC RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB PICK OVER 60,000 5 STAR REVIEWS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING BEST BOOKS OF 2022 GLAMOUR BEST BOOKS OF 2022 'Remarkably Bright...

5 STARS

What a perfectly wonderful way to end the summer! I wish I could give this novel ten stars, not just five. It is the beautiful and uplifting story of a widow who cleans an aquarium at night, her friends, the owner of a local grocery story, her son who dies a tragic death at 18, and an octopus in the aquarium's tank. The octopus changes her life, as she changes his. Do not think this is the plot of an upcoming Disney film. Instead it the basis for lives, all lives, human and otherwise. The characters are people you know, including yourself. While life can throw you some bad punches, the spirit that lies within us often makes room for second chances. Kindness can indeed make a difference. This book is for the young and those growing older Be prepared for a wonderful read, an ending that you won't expect that will leave you smiling, with perhaps a tear escaping from a corner of your eye.

-Edie S.

Shelter : a Mickey Bolitar novel
Coben, Harlan
Paper Book
Mickey Bolitar's year can't get much worse. After witnessing his father's death and sending his mom to rehab, he's forced to live with his estranged uncle Myron and switch high schools. A new school comes with new friends and new enemies, and lucky for Mickey, it also comes with a great...

5 STARS

Kept me rapt by slowly inserting an occasional clue to the solving of the mystery. Great mixture of action, danger & humor. Wanted to read before watching on Netflix to see how closely it follows the book.

The silent patient
Michaelides, Alex
Paper Book
- THE RECORD-BREAKING, MULTIMILLION COPY GLOBAL BESTSELLER AND TIKTOK SENSATION - Discover the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling thriller with a jaw-dropping twist that everyone is talking about - as seen on TikTok. Soon to be a major film.

5 STARS

Wow!!! Truly kept me on my toes from beginning to end. Reminded me of Behind Her Eyes with all the twists and turns. The author masterfully develops several characters who could be suspect throughout the book and switches perspectives to keep us guessing who is truly good or bad. Any book that does this well and actually surprises us in the end is great in my book.

-Sandra C.

The summer I turned pretty
Han, Jenny
Paper Book
Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this. To now. Every year Isabel spends a perfect summer at her favourite place in the world - the Fisher family's beach house. It has everything a girl could want- a swimming pool, a...

4 STARS

-Abby P.

To all the boys I've loved before
Han, Jenny.
Paper Book
  The book that started it all! All three books in the To All The Boys I've Loved Beforeseries have been made into feature length films for NETFLIX. A Times Best YA Book of All Time(2021) Lara Jean keeps her love letters in a hatbox her mother gave her. One for...

4 STARS

-Abby P.

Tom Lake : a novel
Patchett, Ann
Paper Book
The breathtaking new novel from Ann Patchett - a Sunday Times and No. 1 New York Times bestseller 'Filled with the moments I live for in a story' BONNIE GARMUS, author of Lessons in Chemistry '[Tom Lake<...

4 STARS


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