“The Devil and the Dark Water” is a thoroughly satisfying mystery. Lots of moving parts but most of them come together in an exciting way by the conclusion. (There were, definitely, a few things that remained feeling unsettled or unresolved, but I can forgive that in a story this complex.) I also was often left confused by the characters/names or their roles on a ship. That many of these ended up meeting dark fates did eventually make it easier to track.
Regardless, there is wit and cunning aplenty here. As the tension mounts and our heroes seem to be facing almost insurmountable peril, I was left unable to conceive of a compelling way for the events to conclude. Fortunately, Turton is cleverer than I!
Three words that describe this book: Twisty, Intense, Mysterious
You might want to pick this book up if: you appreciate Sherlock-style crimes and deductive solutions.
-Xander
This reader review was previously submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Boy sees girl. Boy likes girl. Boy stalks girl and conveniently works his way to being her ideal mate. A few snags/red flags show, and their relationship becomes toxic and fatal. I saw the Netflix series before reading the book it was based on, “You” by Caroline Kepnes, and kept saying to myself as I was reading, ‘Oh, the book’s version of this is better!’ As it should be.
Three words that describe this book: Bone-chilling. Sexy. Addicting.
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoyed the show on Netflix.
-Emily
This reader review was previously submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
“This Is Your Mind on Plants” tells the story of psychoactive drugs derived from plants through two approaches: research-based journalism/history and experiential memoir. It focuses on three chemicals (opium, caffeine and mescaline) and the plants that make them as a way of exploring the larger history and meaning of our use of plants medicinally, spiritually and recreationally.
I enjoyed author Michael Pollan’s sense of humor and ability to make complex ideas approachable. I also appreciated that he maintained a healthy skepticism towards all views of consciousness-changing drugs, suspicious of both those who exploit them and those who seek to totally prohibit their use.
The discussion of caffeine was particularly interesting because so few people conceptualize it as a psychoactive, habit-forming drug now, but it was incredibly controversial whenever it was introduced to a part of the world where it had not been known before. Pollan tied the specific history of coffee to wider subjects such as colonialism and industrialization, making compelling arguments that they were inextricably tied together.
The author narrates the audiobook version and does an excellent job of it, taking a straightforward, conversational tone that underscores the social and emotional realities present in the historical and scientific data.
Three words that describe this book: informative, thought-provoking, surprising
You might want to pick this book up if: you are interested in social history from the 1700s to the present day and the ways in which views of drugs have changed over time.
-Eric
This reader review was previously submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
“The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz” is about a woman prisoner in an Auschwitz concentration camp who is brave and smart in the face of absolute terror. She manages to fall in love with another prisoner while in the camp, and together they make a plan for escape. The book describes true events within the camp and the characters are based on real people. It portrays the cruelty the prisoners were subjected to in great detail and shows how people had to rely on each other to make things happen. The build-up to their escape, the days of freedom, and their ultimate capture were all very well portrayed and the emotion of the story was very strong. I love the book; it was well written and the historical accuracies made it even more interesting.
Three words that describe this book: Heartbreaking, Intense, Historical
You might want to pick this book up if: I recommend everyone pick up this book.
-AshLee
This reader review was previously submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
“The Bomber Mafia” is a brief history of the American bomber squad during World War II. The author describes the changing techniques of aerial bombing from the early part of WWII to the very end of the war. This book was actually written to be an audiobook, so that is how I “read” it. The narrator is the author himself, and he used recorded interviews, music, and sound effects to help tell the story. It is an engaging audiobook, much more than any other audiobook I’ve listened to.
Three words that describe this book: History, aerial bombing, Japan.
You might want to pick this book up if: If you like to read about the Pacific theater in World War II, then this is the book for you.
-Elaine
This reader review was previously submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Set during Ernest Hemingway’s time residing in Key West, “Hemingway’s Girl” cleverly weaves together historical nonfiction with a fiction tale. The main character, Mariella, is a strong, young female whose life is turned upside down when her father suddenly passes. She has a dream of a life spent as a charter boat captain but circumstances take her into Ernest Hemingway’s home as his housekeeper. You’ll be captivated by her story, her relationship with Hemingway and the choices she makes along the way. I would highly recommend this book!
Three words that describe this book: Historical, dramatic, captivating
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in learning about Hemingway’s life while he lived in Key West. You love Key West and the idea of tropical living. You like reading about main characters who are strong-willed females, willing to take risks in life to go for what they want.
-Amanda
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Wow! This is a book that I picked up and absolutely could not put down! Knowing that “Uprising” was a book about the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire, I initially had the preconceived notion that the text would be quite predictable. Instead, it was a whirlwind of unpredictability as it followed the lives of three very well-developed characters of the time period — with twists all the way to the very end! Unlike other books that have tackled this subject, this author delves deeply into the circumstances leading up to the fire, drawing a very clear line between the previous labor strikes and the tragedy of this event. I also appreciated the author’s note at the end, where she points out the changes that came from this event as well as ways to further research injustices still happening today. By doing so, Haddix brings this text full circle — sharing the history of the event and the relevancy to the work that still needs to be done today!
Three words that describe this book: Tragic, inspiring, relevant
You might want to pick this book up if: You like historical fiction and books written for the perspective of different characters.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Dare I call “A Wizard of Earthsea” the original young adult fantasy book? Like many other classics from decades ago, there are story elements that may strike the reader as simplistic or cliched when viewed through the lens of decades of literary progress. However, a careful review will reveal that the elements only appear that way because those decades of progress were built on the foundation of this story; is the origin of a cliché also cliché? A true coming-of-age tale, balanced by an imaginative world and dark enemy, with a surprisingly introspective moral, this is a must-read for any fans of the fantasy genre, no matter the age.
Three words that describe this book: Introspective, Inspiring, Archetypical
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re interested in seeing the basis of so many fantasy tropes that we take for granted.
-Joshua
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
“The Sweeney Sisters” is the story of three sisters navigating the loss of their father, who was a famous author. After his passing, they discover a fourth sister born out of an affair and have to come to terms with how this blemishes their father’s legacy and form a relationship with their new sister. It was a very light-hearted take on a heavy topic. The relationship between the sisters is funny, sweet and complicated, much like real life. It was a quick fun read.
Three words that describe this book: Family, Funny, Sweet
You might want to pick this book up if: Want an entertaining quick read.
-Anonymous
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
Written during the COVID-19 pandemic, Natasha Bowman’s “The Power of One” provides insights and strategies to work toward and/or lead changing unjust systems found in our workplaces, communities and governments through regular, everyday actions no matter what status/job title we have. Using the timely events of the year 2020, this book provides information and motivation, as well as worksheets after each chapter to help guide the reader in this work. I really liked how accessible the information was and how Bowman combined real and sobering facts with encouragement, enthusiasm and compassion.
Three words that describe this book: Leadership, changing, communities
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re looking for motivation to make changes at work, home, your neighborhood, and beyond that bring more humanity, empathy and justice.
-Debbie
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2022. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
