I thoroughly enjoyed “Sun & Ssukgat: The Korean Art of Self-Care, Wellness & Longevity.” This book was just what I was looking for… a book about Korean culture with enriching insight to the Korean approach to well-being.

I’ve enjoyed similar topics for other cultures (Japanese ikigai, Costa Rican pura vida, Swedish lagom, Danish hygge) and this lived up to my interest and expectations. I also found an interview with the author on YouTube and appreciated hearing a behind the scenes perspective, and thus, I’m enjoying the book all the more upon reflection…

Three words that describe this book: Enlightening, insightful, impactful

You might want to pick this book up if: you’re interested in Korean culture or wellness and self-care.

-Tonya

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year. 

“Embassytown” is a really magnificent science fiction book. It is essentially about language and how it shapes culture and understanding.

The book is set in the far future in Embassytown, a human colony on a far-away planet. This planet is home to aliens who use language itself in ways that are utterly foreign to humans, which leads to all manner of complications and, ultimately, a potentially world-destroying conflict. It is challenging to capture the magic of this book in a short review without selling it short — it simply must be read!

Three words that describe this book: Thought-provoking, captivating, surreal

You might want to pick this book up if: You want a wild sci-fi adventure, plus political thriller, that also deeply explores the concept of language and how it creates meaning.

-Adrienne

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year. 

The book “True Biz” is a fictional book about growing up Deaf from the perspective of Deaf children and teenagers. It explores Deaf history, disability rights activism, and the cochlear implant controversy with an engaging story line and lovable characters.

The book includes educational snippets, almost like school worksheets, corresponding with the lessons one of the teachers gives in the Deaf school that the book is focused on. If you’re hearing and uneducated on the topic, you can learn alongside the students with these snippets.

Three words that describe this book: Coming-of-age, stirring, educational

You might want to pick this book up if: You want a fun story about teenagers, or you’re curious about learning about Deaf experiences from a disability justice perspective.

-Sofia

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year. 

“Wonder Cat Kyuu-chan” is a four panel manga (reminiscent of daily comic strips, as opposed to a volume length story, although the strips do build on each other) about a young professional who adopts a cat. It is a middle grade to young adult manga, but which adult amongst us does not need a few quiet moments to look at cute cat comics?

Every few pages as the cat’s personality is shown to the human I would think, “this is the cutest thing I have ever read,” and then it would get significantly CUTER. Just a really pleasant slice of life manga to wind down with.

Three words that describe this book: Cozy, cute, funny

You might want to pick this book up if: You find ridiculous cuteness relaxing.

-Anonymous

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year. 

The book “A Captain’s Duty” is about the hijacking of the cargo ship Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates in 2009. Captain Phillips tells the story from his point of view, explaining how he handled the crisis and made tough decisions to protect his crew, even offering himself as a hostage to keep them safe. The book follows the intense five days he spent in a lifeboat with the pirates and how he survived.

I liked this book because of the action and the level of detail. It felt like I was right there in the middle of the situation. The way Captain Phillips described everything helped me understand what he was going through, both physically and mentally. I also liked the insights into how he thought as a leader, how he stayed calm, and how much he cared about his crew. It made the story feel real and inspiring.

Three words that describe this book: Intense, courageous, inspiring.

You might want to pick this book up if: You might pick up this book if you’re interested in true stories, survival under extreme pressure, or learning how real-life leadership works during a crisis. It’s a good read if you like action, suspense, and personal insight all in one.

-Robbie

This reader review was submitted as part of Adult Summer Reading. We will continue to share them throughout the year.