“Into the Planet” is a memoir about the dangerous field of cave diving and is written by a woman — often the only woman on her expeditions. The book discusses the beauty and danger in diving deep into caves, along with the challenges of sexism and maintaining healthy relationships while pursuing your dreams. There’s also a theme of the importance of learning about the environment we live in and our impact on it, particularly related to our drinking water, but also the myriad ways our actions impact others personally, professionally, and in ways we cannot imagine, such as the way the cave divers influence space exploration. I read the audiobook, which was narrated by the author, and I often found myself holding my breath while listening to her brushes with the limits of what the human body can endure. My favorite part was when Heinerth traveled to Antarctica to dive into a iceberg(!), although the book was interesting throughout as she conveyed the language and science of cave diving in a way someone with no real prior knowledge of the subject could understand and enjoy.

Three words that describe this book: Breathtaking, Claustrophobic, Educational

You might want to pick this book up if: You would never actually don a wet-suit, but want a firsthand telling of diving deep into the planet.

-Anonymous

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

“In America I live in New York, or dip into Chicago or San Francisco. But New York is no more America than Paris is France or London is England. Thus I discovered that I did not know my own country.”
~John Steinbeck

“Travels with Charley: In Search of America” was published in 1962, coincidentally the same year that John Steinbeck earned a Nobel Peace Prize, and rightfully so. Steinbeck travels America in a truck with a camper and his grey Standard Poodle named Charley. This well known writer expresses his travels in a satiric, witty and down right blunt way.

He encounters people of all walks of life and details their uniqueness. Whether it be camping with a farmer on his property in New Hampshire and discussing politics while sharing a few drinks, stopping by a dairy in Massachusetts to buy milk and discovering the dairyman has a Ph.D in mathematics but just loves his job as a dairyman, or a stay in Maine where his lodging is accompanied by a grey cat named George who Steinbeck hilariously describes as disgruntled: “I am told that when guests sleep in the house, George goes into the pine woods and watches from afar, grumbling his dissatisfaction and pouring out his dislike.” Continue reading “Reader Review: Travels With Charley”

“The (Almost) Zero Waste Guide” is about making small, easy steps to use less waste in daily living. I liked the author’s introduction to become more zero waste. As a parent of a toddler and a baby, going zero waste is nearly impossible at this stage in my life, but this book encouraged me to take little steps to leave a smaller footprint on earth.

Three words that describe this book: Zero-waste, sustainability, frugality

You might want to pick this book up if: You might like this book if you are interested in becoming more zero-wasted oriented in your life.

-Elaine

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

Beastars introduces readers to Cherryton Academy, where herbivores and carnivores live and study together in peace … mostly. Out of nowhere, Tem (an alpaca) is murdered and a rift forms between the already tenuous relationship between students (hunters vs. prey). Immediately, the suspicious turn to Legoshi, a large gray wolf, who is awkward at best and terrifying at worst. The graphic novel moves between perspectives of members of the award-winning drama club; focusing on their sympathies for their friend their suspicions of the culprit.

Well drawn and written, the book is easy to follow (albeit it read from the back to front and right to left). Finished on a cliffhanger and will definitely have me grabbing the next books in the series to find out what happened to poor, innocent Tem!

Three words that describe this book: Suspicions, School, Animals

You might want to pick this book up if: You’re into graphic novels focused on anthropomorphized characters that have deeper, more meaningful backgrounds, thoughts, and feelings.

-Anonymous

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

“The Vanishing Point” is the story of two couples and how their lives have been permanently altered by a secret that comes to light toward the beginning of the book. Two young men, both photography students in a prestigious program, fall in love with the same woman, Magda. One of these men, Julian, marries Magda but she never stops loving Rye. Rye marries as well, but is never quite present with his wife, Simone, a theme that is explored throughout the book. (Similarly, Julian is neglectful of and abusive toward his wife and son.) Julian and Rye both go on to live as successful photographers, but although they were roommates in college, their relationship is severed until about 20 years after they graduate, when Magda contacts Rye out of the blue. The renewed connection sparks reflections on the past as well as a mystery that the characters work to solve. Throughout the book, the characters confront the secrets of their pasts, their own troubled relationships, and, for some of the characters, personal demons. It is a compelling novel that not only explores a mystery, but also deals with trauma and addiction. It is a page-turner.

Three words that describe this book: compelling, character-driven, family conflict

You might want to pick this book up if: You like Elizabeth Brundage’s other works, enjoy stories centered on women, enjoy stories about family conflict

-Sarah

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

In “That Sounds Like Fun,” Annie Downs turns her podcast into a book. It’s about why it is important to be an amateur and find a hobby to bring more fun into your life. She talks about ways to find fun in the everyday and to savor the moments you’ve created. The book is a bit of a remembrance of simpler times in her life, but also shows readers/listeners how to craft a life of adventures, big and small.

Three words that describe this book: Uplifting, encouraging, hopeful

You might want to pick this book up if: You feel like there’s not any excitement or adventure in your life and you’re looking for a change.

-Laura

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

Although “Bitter Greens” is a historical fiction novel with a fairy tale added in the mix, the author artfully weaves the plot so that the magical story line fits right in with actual events. Intriguing to the end, I found myself thinking about the characters several days after finishing the book. A great summer read!

Three words that describe this book: Magical; Heart-breaking; Hopeful

You might want to pick this book up if: you read or watched “Rapunzel” and have an interest in French/Italian history.

-Anonymous

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

In “I Am the Night Sky & Other Reflections by Muslim American Youth” 10 teens draw on their experience as Muslims living in the U.S. to create a powerful collection of poetry, artwork, mini-memoir and short fiction. A combined effort of the Next Wave Muslim Initiative in Washington, DC and Shout Mouse Press, this book was selected by Missouri Librarians as part of the new Dogwood Readers Award for Nonfiction titles for grades 9-12 and is a must read for any teen or adult seeking an understanding of and empathy toward Muslim American youth.

Three words that describe this book: moving, enlightening, uplifting

You might want to pick this book up if: You want an own-voices look into the experiences of Muslim American youth

-Katie

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. Submit your own book review here for a chance to have it featured on the Adults Blog. 

Last year, Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge asked participants to read a graphic memoir. I happen to love comic books and graphic novels but have never been a fan of non-fiction or biography. As a result, I was really dreading this particular task. I ended up enjoying the graphic memoir I chose so much, that by the end of last year, I would end up reading a dozen more. This book was on my list of graphic memoirs I wanted to read, but I chose to focus on lesser-known titles. By the time I had crossed those other titles off my list, I realized I was burned out on graphic memoirs.

Over a year after I read my first graphic memoir, I decided to sit down and finally read “They Called Us Enemy.” Since May was Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and June is Pride Month, it felt like the perfect time to cross this book off my list. Co-written by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, “They Called Us Enemy” chronicles Takei’s experiences growing up in a Japanese internment camp. The book also highlights Takei’s efforts to fight intolerance and to stand up for equity, equality, and justice. Takei and his co-writers also sprinkle bits of history into the narrative of Takei’s life, adding context to the emotional events playing out on the page. Continue reading “Reader Review: They Called Us Enemy”