2024 Summer Staff Picks

Check out what we've been reading/watching and loving! We think you'll enjoy these titles, too.

Updated July 6, 2024
L
LINCC (Libraries in Clackamas County)Gladstone & Oak Lodge Public Libraries
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Challenger : a true story of heroism and disaster on the edge of space
Higginbotham, Adam
Paper Book
Winner of the 2024 Kirkus Nonfiction Prize * Shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "Stunning...A heart-pounding thriller...Challenger is a remarkable book." --The Atlantic * "Devastating...A...

Kerrie says: A fast-paced history of the space shuttle program and the astronauts, focusing on the Challenger disaster showing how corporate selfishness, government deadlines, miscommunication and unwillingness to share information made the shuttle program a disaster waiting to happen.

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Divine rivals : a novel
Ross, Rebecca
Paper Book
When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family...

Maria says: One of my favorites this year!

Also available as:

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Dogland : passion, glory, and lots of slobber at the Westminster Dog Show
Tomlinson, Tommy
Paper Book
"Delightful." --Town & Country * "Extraordinary...Tomlinson's book is a gem." --Star Tribune (Minneapolis) * "Moving...Really broke me." --The Washington Post * "This book wants to lick your face. Let it." --Kirkus...

Kerrie says: If you like dogs, dog shows, or the movie Best in Show, then this book about the relationships between dogs and their humans is for you!

The frozen river : a novel
Lawhon, Ariel
Paper Book
NATIONAL BESTSELLER * GMA BOOK CLUB PICK * AN NPR BOOK OF THE YEAR * From the New York Times bestselling author of I Was Anastasia and Code Name Hélène comes a gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a...

Bonnie says: I've always enjoyed a good historical novel! It starts with a body found in the river which makes the reader interested in who did it. Martha Ballard is a midwife from the 18th century who delivered hundreds of kids and kept diaries. It was interesting to see how her life was tied to the mystery of the body found.

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The hunter
French, Tana
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller * A New York Times Best Thriller of the Year (So Far) * An NPR Favorite Fiction Read of 2024 * A Parade Best Book of 2024 So Far * A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year (So Far) * Named a Best Beach Read of 2024 by...

Walt says: The author's best book yet!

Also available as:

EAudiobook

EBook

The island of missing trees
Shafak, Elif
Paper Book
A REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK Winner of the 2022 BookTube Silver Medal in Fiction * Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction "A wise novel of love and grief, roots and branches, displacement and home, faith and belief. Balm for our bruised times." -David...

Jill says: This book is incredible and my favorite of the year so far. To pique your interest, half of it is narrated by a fig tree!

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EBook

The Kamogawa food detectives
Kashiwai, Hisashi
Paper Book
The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series, for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold. What's the one dish you'd do anything to taste just one more time? Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto...

Jessica says: I devoured this first book in a new fun foodie mystery series! Pun intended. :)

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Large Print

Silver in the wood
Tesh, Emily
Paper Book
Winner of the 2020 World Fantasy Award! From Astounding Award winner and Crawford Award finalist Emily Tesh An ALA RUSA Reading List Selection "A true story of the woods, of the fae, and of the heart. Deep and green and wonderful."--New York...

Brian says: A charming novella! The setting reminded me of folktales I read as a child, but with more complex characters and relationships. A quick and satisfying read.

Also available as:

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EBook

So sad today : personal essays
Broder, Melissa
Paper Book
From acclaimed poet and creator of the popular twitter account @SoSadToday comes the darkly funny and brutally honest collection of essays that Roxane Gay called "sad and uncomfortable and their own kind of gorgeous." Melissa Broder always struggled with anxiety. In the fall...

Emma says: This essay collection is a classic 'sad girl summer' read. I found Broder's writing about mental health, feminism, and relationships to be funny and relatable.

Also available as:

EBook

Theremin an electronic odyssey
Martin, Steven M.
DVD
Tells the amazing story of the man who invented the first electrical instrument and then mysteriously disappeared for 53 years!
Christine says: WOW! I had no idea. What an interesting story!
What moves the dead
Kingfisher, T.
Paper Book
An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller A Barnes & Noble Book of the Year Finalist A Goodreads Best Horror Choice Award Nominee A gripping and atmospheric reimagining of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher" from Hugo, Locus, &...

Heather says: This was an interesting retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's short story The Fall of the House of Usher which added more depth to the characters and explanation for the occurrences in the story. A quick read if you are in the mood for something creepy!

Also available as:

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EBook

What the river knows : a novel
Iban?ez, Isabel, (Novelist)
Paper Book
The Mummy meets Death on the Nile in What the River Knows, Isabel Ibañez's lush, immersive historical fantasy set in Egypt and filled with adventure, a rivals-to-lovers romance, and a dangerous race. Bolivian-Argentinian Inez Olivera...

Emma says: I really enjoyed this YA adventure that spans from South America to Egypt! It's full of side quests, light magic, and a cute romance.

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EBook

Who ate the first oyster? : the extraordinary people behind the greatest firsts in history
Cassidy, Cody
Paper Book
Who wore the first pants? Who painted the first masterpiece? Who first rode the horse? Who invented soap? This madcap adventure across ancient history uses everything from modern genetics to archaeology to uncover the geniuses behind these and other world-changing innovations. ...
Stephanie says: I love history and the author has selected a list of facinating 'firsts of' and using archeology and experts in various fields works out how we came to have the first wheel, or beer, or the first clothes. The writer has a delightfully funny writing style and the information is intriguing.
The women
Hannah, Kristin
Paper Book
A #1 bestseller on The New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times! From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women--at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a...

Bonnie says: Hard to read at times and I even put it down occasionally, but so worth finishing!

Also available as:

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EBook

Large Print

Woven in moonlight
Ibañez, Isabel (Novelist)
Paper Book
Ximena is the decoy Condesa, a stand-in for the last remaining Illustrian royal. Her people lost everything when the usurper, Atoc, used an ancient relic to summon ghosts and drive the Illustrians from La Ciudad. Now Ximena's motivated by her insatiable thirst for revenge, and her rare ability to...

Maria says: I loved this young adult fantasy. Another one of my favorites this year!

Also available as:

EBook


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