@ Your Library
The weather has been delightful which is making me think about summer reading and whether to focus on quick light reads or one massive tome that I will spend the summer thinking about. I’ve done both and find summer works for either. So whether you are looking for a bunch of quick, light reads or something heavier that will make you think this summer the library has great choices.
New books are always an obvious choice, however finding the hot new title sitting on the shelf isn’t very likely. Here are several titles from previous years if you are looking for quick fast reads. Lilac girls by Martha Hall Kelly provides a riveting tale of World War II and some of the many unsung heroes. I Let you go by Clare Mackintosh is a psychological thriller about a hit and run case. First Comes love by Emily Giffin delves into the lives of two sisters and the recipe for true happiness. House of Secrets by Brad Meltzer is full of conspiracy theories and the relationship between fathers and daughters. Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley by Hannah Tinti is another tale of fathers and daughters. The Girls by Emma Cline is set in the counterculture of the 1960’s and our hunger for belonging and acceptance. Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout contains short stories about family. The Long Drop by Denise Mina is about a serial murderer in 1950’s Glasgow, Scotland. Not a Sound by Heather Gudenkauf is set at a cabin in Minnesota and features a deaf nurse who finds the body of a fellow nurse. The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick is a delightful tale of self-discovery and the past.
Heavier titles to ponder, discuss and maybe take action include Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders for a beautiful examination of death, life, grief and the powers of good and evil. American War by Omar El Akkad is a dystopian tale of the Second American Civil War. Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari is a brief history of tomorrow through the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century. It focuses on the fundamental questions of ‘where do we go from here?’ and ‘how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers?’
Richard Nixon by John Farrell is a gripping and unsparing portrayal of the only president to resign in disgrace. Between the World and Me or We were Eight Years in Power by Ta-Nehisi Coates explore what it means to be black in America today. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters is historical fiction set in Victorian Era Britain.
The Ministry of Utmost Happiness by Arundhati Roy transports readers across the Indian subcontinent as we dive deep into characters searching for safety, meaning and love. Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman breathes new life into long-ago myths from the days of deities, dwarves and giants. Reading makes life interesting, pick up a book today! Plan now to participate in summer reading!