“Hamnet” is the fictionalized account of Shakespeare’s passionate relationship with his wife Agnes and an investigation of their grief over the loss of a son. The writing is simply gorgeous, and O’Farrell excels and creating intimate portraits and settings you can almost feel. An unforgettable interlude follows the path of a single plague-carrying flea from Alexandria to Stratford and shows the author’s incredible imagination and skill. An outstanding work of historical fiction.
Three words that describe this book: Lush, immersive, moving
You might want to pick this book up if: You love historical fiction, descriptive writing, and enjoy stories of noteworthy literary figures told through the eyes of “secondary” characters.
-Lauren
This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading 2021. We will continue to share these throughout the year.
I love talking books. There’s something so magical about sharing a great story with someone; the excitement is palpable. And, sadly, I can not read everything, so journeying through a beloved world with a fellow reader is an excellent way to experience a novel I may never get to dive into personally. Here’s some recommendations of chances to do just that with some authors we all love. Continue reading “Authors and the Books They Love”
“Handle With Care” is about a family with a daughter that has severe medical needs, yet is the highlight of their lives. Her mother decides to sue for wrongful birth in order to win needed funds for present and future medical bills. Her lawsuit slowly tears the family apart though, making her question her decision. I love this book for its ability to tug at my heart as well as make me look deeply at my own opinions.
Three words that describe this book: Sad, engaging, tough
You might want to pick this book up if: You have read any Jodi Picoult before or decide you want a really good read but aren’t afraid to cry at times.
-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.
I was one of the thousands who adopted a dog during the pandemic. Our new dog, Freya, is an intelligent, sweet and motivated young German Shepherd mix. We had a bit of a bumpy ride integrating her into the family back in March 2020, so I had already been working with a local trainer on obedience when I saw “The Art of Training Your Dog, How to Gently Teach Good Behavior Using an E-Collar” by the Monks of New Skete and Marc Goldberg in our new books collection and knew that I wanted to check it out. Continue reading “Pandemic Dogs”
“Royal Sisters” describes the relationship between Queen Elizabeth II and her sister, Princess Margaret. As a life long Anglophile, I found this book to be informative and entertaining. Much of the Queen’s early life was discussed, revealing how she evolved from minor royal to Her Majesty. Much had been written about her, so no real surprises. The fascinating aspect of this book was the life of Princess Margaret. She is a tragic figure, often misunderstood and exploited by the press. They shared a bond and history that only the two of them could understand. The peek into the palace was fascinating. I highly recommend this book.
Three words that describe this book: Touching, personal, and captivating
You might want to pick this book up if: You are an Anglophile or interested in British Royalty.
-Donna
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 fourth word I ever said was “book.” I would ask to look at a book for bedtime (and then sleep with that book) long before I could read the words. Books are comfort in times of stress, knowledge in times of uncertainty, adventure when travel isn’t possible, friends in loneliness, treasured decor throughout houses, conversation impetus between strangers and so, so much more. I love how a book feels in my hand, the smell of the pages, the possibilities within the words. I know many of you feel the same way. So today, National Book Lovers Day, join me in a celebration of books. Continue reading “National Book Lovers Day”
One of 
my Saturday night pastimes is spending a couple of hours watching true-crime programs. A favorite is “Forensic Files II, (my wife calls it “How I Tried to Get Away With Life Insurance Fraud But Failed”) and modeled after the original shows from the 1990s. True-crime podcasts are literally everywhere; pick your flavor of the day on Spotify: “Crime Junkie” on Monday, “Killer Queens” on Tuesday. Still, the preponderance of media related to true-crime comes in book form. Every year an extensive array of smart, culturally relevant books in this genre are released, including the stunning One Read selection this year, Casey Cep’s “Furious Hours: Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee.” Contemporary crime writing at its finest, “Furious Hours” weaves many themes together into a seamless whole: the racism tragically embedded in our criminal justice system, America’s bizarre life insurance industry, the psychology of a murderer, voodoo religion and the fascinating legacy of Harper Lee. Continue reading “One Read’s Furious Hours and the True Crime Renaissance”
Here is a new DVD list highlighting various titles recently added to the library’s collection.
“The Paper Tigers”
Website / Reviews
In this action-comedy, we’re introduced to three martial artists who were notorious in their teenage years as “The Three Tigers.” Fast forward 25 years, and each has grown into a washed-up middle-aged man seemingly one kick away from pulling a hamstring. But when their old master is murdered, the trio reunites, soon learning that avenging their sifu will require conquering old grudges if they are to honorably defend his legacy. Continue reading “New DVD List: Paper Tigers, Gangs of London & More”
In the book “Life’s Too Short,” we’re introduced to Vanessa and Adrian. Vanessa is a travel vlogger with an unorthodox and frustrating family. Adrian is a lawyer with a black and white life. Both have unhappy pasts and Vanessa’s future seems tragic. In her third book by Abby Jimenez readers once again truly get to know her characters through wonderful characterization and dialogue making it a delightful read for someone who loves character-driven romantic comedy. BUT … as a die-hard happily-ever-after romance reader, Jimenez’s books skirt the edges of Jodi Picoult-ish/Oprah book club-ish books (emotionally manipulative and often WAY too dramatic) by including some deeper emotions and conflicts than are often written into classic happily-ever-after romance novels. But they only skirt those edges and the characters are SO GOOD you have to read them, anyway! This one was almost as good as her first two books.
Three words that describe this book: Characters. Dialogue. Humor.
You might want to pick this book up if: You like romance novels and you like good dialogue and smart characters.
-Kristen
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.
For adults, the 2021 summer reading theme of Tails & Tales could hold many meanings. I’ve so far interpreted the theme through the lens of horror and those legends and myths from which our collective nightmares are made. My earlier post on folklore and horror focused on the “tales” portion of this summer’s theme. This time around, I’m bringing you the “tails,” the monsters that we fear when things go bump in the night, the sasquatch that lurks around your campground and the serpent that nips at your feet when you go for a summer swim. Maybe it’s just a snapping turtle or maybe it really is old Nessie? Whatever it is, those fears are very real, and they probably explain why tales of fantastic and frightening beasts will always be with us.
The following books explore this realm of myth, legend and cryptozoology. Continue reading “Horror-ific Monsters”
