I am apparently always a year behind on reading author Jennifer Weiner’s annual beach reads. Last summer, I read her “Big Summer” (published in 2020) and now I’ve read her “That Summer” (published in 2021). This year’s release is “The Summer Place.” Keeping all of those “summer” titles straight in one’s head is a task in itself! I am patiently waiting on the library’s holds list for the newest book, so hopefully, I will manage to get to it soon and get caught up with the masses.
Judging from its cover, “That Summer” is a light, fluffy beach read. However, having read several of Weiner’s books previously, I knew to expect some depth, particularly in regard to exploration of female relationships and body image issues. However, this one is perhaps darker than her others (and certainly darker than the cover would suggest), with a lot of references to the #MeToo movement. Rape is depicted and its lifelong effects on the victim and others involved is explored. So yeah, not exactly a light and fluffy read!
I enjoyed the alternating perspectives and the mystery that pulls you in as you unravel the connections among the characters. The characters themselves are enjoyable and relatable, and I especially enjoyed the mother/daughter relationship that was explored. The settings were evocative, especially Cape Cod. The conclusion left me wanting more, but then, Weiner was dealing with enormously difficult and emotional issues without clear-cut, easy solutions in real life or in fiction, so I don’t fault her too much for that.
Three words that describe this book: #MeToo, evocative, summer
You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy chick lit — or if you’ve never tried it before and wonder what you might be missing out on. I feel that books about the female experience are important for those of us who relate to them directly but wouldn’t it be nice if those on the “outside” would also read them occasionally and have a better understanding of what it’s like to live in our shoes?
-Erin
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.
Ahoy, mateys! Arrr ye ready for a voyage through history? Inspired by this year’s Summer Reading Challenge, I read “Pirate Women: The Princesses, Prostitutes, and Privateers Who Ruled the Seven Seas.” Tis always been a pirate’s life for me, but I never before heard tales of ladies taking to the high seas. Thanks be to author Laura Sook Duncombe, for catchin’ me up on the stories of the many women who sailed beneath the jolly roger.
Spannin’ from the bronze age through the 21st century, Duncombe takes us on a voyage through the lives of dozens of women pirates. She also explores the cultural biases held by the landlubbers who recorded the stories of these pirate ladies. Like a well-honed cutlass, Duncombe cuts through the fog of historical revisionism and legend with a perfect mix of information sharin’ and storytelling.
I did find me self wondering about Duncombe’s definition of piracy. Her answer stirred something deep within the depths of me soul: “The heart of piracy is freedom.” Tis this sentiment that drove all the featured lassies as they sailed under a black flag, pillaging across the seven seas. Avast me, hearties! Pick up “Pirate Women” and set sail for the shores of knowledge. Tis time I shoved off. Fare thee well, mateys!
Three words that describe this book: Informative & entertaining
You might want to pick this book up if: You like reading the untold stories of women from history. Especially if those women happen to be pirates.
-Joe
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.
Set in England in the late 19th Century, “A Curious Beginning” follows the unexpected journey of lepidopterist, independent woman and budding lady detective, Veronica Speedwell. While this is the first adventure on which we join her, she has traveled the world in search of butterflies and experienced what the world has to offer in ways uncommon for a woman of her time.
This book is a light, fun, spunky page-turner that chronicles her unlikely alliance with Stoker, a grumbly fellow natural historian who begrudgingly joins forces first as a “protector” and then as a partner. They run from police and other opponents with mysterious and dark intentions, ultimately uncovering the truth about Veronica’s identity as well as solving a murder mystery. This book was a delight to read and perfect for a summer reader looking to balance a smart, feminist story, with a light and lively tone!
Three words that describe this book: Light, spunky, smart
You might want to pick this book up if: You’re looking for a smart, fun, page-turning summer read!
-Sara
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.
One of the best things to happen to storytelling through sequential art is the advent of the graphic memoir. From celebrities to travelogues to regular folks’ personal journeys, graphic memoirs allow readers to experience an illustrated slice of someone else’s life. I stumbled upon “Parenthesis” by Élodie Durand while perusing Hoopla’s Bonus Borrows for May. Translated from the French by Edward Gauvin, this graphic memoir follows the years Durand spent living with epilepsy. Durand’s art style is simple, leaning toward the abstract. Yet, it powerfully conveys both the story of her life and the emotions she felt while that story unfolded.
For those who don’t often read comics, this graphic memoir could be considered an intermediate level read. The text and dialogue are easy to follow, but much of it is written in a cursive font that isn’t the easiest to actually read. Fortunately, the artwork meshes perfectly with the text. This aids the conveyance of Durand’s personal and emotional experiences as she learned to live with epilepsy.
Of note, this book counts toward Task #23 (read a book by a disabled author) of this year’s Read Harder Challenge. It could also be used for Task #24 (pick a challenge from any of the previous years’ challenges to repeat), as read a graphic memoir was one of the tasks in recent years. This is the perfect book for anyone who wants to step out of their comfort zone and read something new and unique. “Parenthesis” offers readers a glimpse into life in another country while taking them through Durand’s moving journey from illness to recovery.
Three words that describe this book: Hopeful, Inspiring, Informative
You might want to pick this book up if: You like graphic novels, memoirs, or translated works.
-Joe
Summertime is camping time, for those that like that sort of thing. My idea of “roughing it” is staying in a hotel that doesn’t have a heated pool. Well, just because you sleep in the wild, doesn’t mean you have to eat like an animal. I’ve made a list of titles on the subject. Continue reading “Read the Recipe! Camping”
“The Salt Path” is a memoir about a homeless couple who walk the South West Coast Path in England. The author tells and describes the journey so that it is easily imagined and felt. It has so many layers to it — sadness, happiness, life, death — all in the theme of taking a walk. There was no way I was able to figure out how it might end which made me keep reading it to find out. The whole metaphor of being “salted” was interesting as it developed throughout the book. The book had its gut-wrenching moments with the couple and the author did a great job of giving history about the places they were seeing along with some environmental issues that were happening at that time. I think at its baseline it’s about humanity and how we treat one another in our own family as well as each other globally, especially those who are less fortunate or who are perceived as such. I would read this book again and again.
Three words that describe this book: Magical, Mythical, Heartbreaking
You might want to pick this book up if: It was an award winner and I tend to pick up books if the cover catches my eye which this one did.
-Cindy
Join us online to discuss “Why Fish Don’t Exist” by Lulu Miller, an NPR science reporter on July 7 from noon to 1 p.m. Miller relates the life of influential taxonomist David Starr Jordan to struggles in her own life. Part biography, part memoir and part scientific adventure, this work of nonfiction is a wondrous fable about how to persevere in a world where chaos will always prevail. For similar books, try this list.
This discussion is geared toward adults. Please register for a Zoom link.
In the years since I first recommended Emily St. John Mandel’s work, her novel “Station Eleven” became the 2015 One Read for Daniel Boone Regional Library and later an acclaimed limited series on HBOMax. Was my recommendation the catalyst for these successes? I’m told the answer is no. Even if this library’s blog posts aren’t influencing television productions, perhaps an HBO executive would still like to arrange for some sort of gift basket to be sent our way. It would be a nice thing to do. In return, I offer a recommendation for adaptation into a future acclaimed limited series: “Sea of Tranquility” by Emily St. John Mandel. Continue reading “The Gentleman Recommends: Emily St. John Mandel (again)”
“The Empress of Salt and Fortune” is a novella that focuses on a team collecting information about the former empress who is now deceased. Through a collection of artifacts, the subtle plotting of the northern princess is revealed as to how she was able to send communications, raise an army, establish an heir and take over the kingdom. What I liked about this story was how cleverly the characters were portrayed and how subtle the evidence was of what the princess was doing. Side characters, small details, and the artifact lists are really important in this when usually you expect them to be such throwaway accents; here it is central to the plot.
Three words that describe this book: Short, clever, sneaky
You might want to pick this book up if: If you like fantasy books, you’d enjoy this plotting to take over a kingdom; if you enjoy shorter books, this doesn’t take long to read but still has many rich details and a full story inside; if you like figuring out puzzles and noticing small details and not having everything spelled out for you, you’d like this novella.
-Melissa
Gladys Swan is a Columbia, MO author whose latest book is “Ceremony of Innocence.” The fictional book follows an American woman named Florrie as she faces many tribulations while living abroad in Copenhagen, Venice and Prague during the late 1980s. Swan is both a writer and a visual artist who has a background teaching literature and creative writing at many colleges, including Mizzou. She has published several novels and short story collections over the years including the Carnival Quintet series and a New Mexico trilogy. She currently has an art exhibit up at the Missouri River Regional Library until June 30, 2022. Gladys was kind enough to take the time to be interviewed via email. Continue reading “Q&A With Gladys Swan, Author of “Ceremony of Innocence””
