The book “So Many Stars” is a fantastic look at older genderqueer BIPOC adults through their own words. The subjects of this book have gone through a lot of rough times (isolation, persecution, the AIDS crisis, DADT in the military, etc.) but they have also found and created communities, found families, resilience, resistance and mutual aid through changing times.

I think one of the things that really stuck out to me was the number of people interviewed who said something to the effect of, “I have always just wanted to be me.” No matter your race, sexual orientation, or gender identity, I think this is something almost everyone can relate to, although personal choices and circumstances, cultural and societal expectations, and systemic inequalities may make those paths vastly different.

Three words that describe this book: deep, heartfelt, important

You might want to pick this book up if: you want to know more about the life journeys of older genderqueer adults

-Rose

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

The book “Maiden Voyages” explores the history of the golden age of American and European ocean travel through the lens of women that worked and sailed on the great ocean liners. It is an excellently researched tale that relates the stories of women that earned their living by working at sea, which includes immigrants and refugees, as well as the rich and famous.

I enjoyed learning about the history of the great ships of the 20th century and especially about their requisition in the war efforts and transformation back to leisure boats between and after the World Wars. With this I also enjoyed leaning about how women gained more rights and responsibilities at sea through time.

Three words that describe this book: Adventure, Leisure, Empowerment

You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy learning about women’s history.

-Claire

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

In the book “It Shined,” the founder of The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, Michael “Supe” Granda, details his life through the lens of the band. He shares everything from his upbringing in St. Louis, to his move to Springfield, and his travels around the globe.

Supe is a conversational writer with a great sense of humor. It’s a long book that could have been edited down a bit, but you’ll finish knowing everything there is to know about this amazing Missouri band.

Three words that describe this book: Funny, comprehensive, conversation starter

You might want to pick this book up if: you love music, want to relive the 60s and the 70s, or enjoy the name dropping of famous musicians.

-Sara

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

I love it when a plan comes together. I equally love it when a plan goes off the rails and characters must somehow rebuild it on the fly. “The Lies of Locke Lamora” somehow enables the reader to have both of these outcomes.

The story could be summed up as a heist gone wrong. Or, a found family of thieves in a gritty underworld within a fantastically realized city. Or, a story about a brotherly bond. Or a story about the dangers of playing games on those that appear to have power and those that actually do. Or a story about the luckiest man alive. However you decide to summarize the story or the setting or the characters, it can’t be done without paying compliment to author Scott Lynch’s excellent writing that drives the story forward at such a pace that “one more chapter” easily becomes 100 more pages.

I loved the details of the city. I loved how the fantasy elements were so smoothly blended in that you could pass this book to a non-fantasy reader and they’d enjoy it just as much. I love the pacing and the action — the planning and the people pulling off the plans.

It’s an easy 5 out of 5 for me.

Three words that describe this book: Heists. Schemes. Stubbornness.

You might want to pick this book up if: Your favorite part of “The Mistborn Saga” was the planning to take down the Lord Ruler parts.

-Blake

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

“The Hive” introduces readers to the Fehler sisters, who are known as the “bug girls” because their family owns a pest control business in rural Missouri. After their father dies they have to join together to lead their family and the business into the future.

Because the author is from Missouri, she provides many easter eggs for fellow Missourians through the settings, places visited and scenery. It’s a powerful portrayal of a family and their bonds.

Three words that describe this book: Addicting, thoughtful, insightful

You might want to pick this book up if: you love family dramas or if you love Missouri.

-Sara

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

“The Grapes of Wrath” is about a family who attempts to escape the Dust Bowl and the Great Depression by migrating from Oklahoma to California. This book is a classic, but it is a classic for a reason. The themes are many of the same ones that dominate cultural and political discussion today: poverty, homelessness, climate change, migration, worker rights and unions, just to name a few. Steinbeck’s writing is beautiful and evocative while remaining down-to-earth and easy to understand.

I felt like I personally gained more insight from this book because my grandmother’s family went on a similar journey from Southern Missouri to Oklahoma to California and back in the 1920s and 1930s. I imagine that they would have experienced many of the same things as the Joad family on their travels.

Three words that describe this book: timeless, genuine, hopeful

You might want to pick this book up if: you are interested in American history and politics over time.

-Rose

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

I absolutely devoured “The Trees” and still wanted more. I think fans of Jordan Peele’s “Us” will love this exploration of race and reparations by Percival Everett.

I loved how he wrote each character, flipping race stereotypes on their head and being unrelenting in his writing of unlikable characters. The chapters were short and fast, making it so easy to fly through. The story was spooky and mysterious, originally taking over a small town before the whole country became involved. With incredible writing, deeply addicting plot, and a stellar, expansive cast of characters, this book has made me a life long fan of Everett’s.

Three words that describe this book: Haunting, vengeful, addictive.

You might want to pick this book up if: you had just finished visiting your racist family.

-Jordan

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

The book “The Once and Future Witches” takes place during the 19th century women’s suffrage movement but adds a fantasy element of witchcraft. The world building and character development were great! I enjoyed the overall story and inclusive characters.

I think there are story elements that could trigger strong emotional reactions (i.e., violence, abuse, suggested sexual violence). I think these components fit into the overall narrative of the oppressive environment for women, but it could be hard for some people to read.

Three words that describe this book: Witches, suffragettes, community

You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoy alternative histories with fantasy twists or books with inclusive characters.

-Anonymous

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

Author Haruki Murakami’s latest novel, “The City and Its Uncertain Walls,” calls back to his much earlier work “Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World,” presenting an alternate version of the magical “Town” that much of that novel centers on. The fractured narrative juxtaposes the seemingly ordinary life of a middle-aged man who suddenly decides to become a librarian with two tales of his past: one, the mournful story of his first love at 17; the other, a story about an alternate version of himself who becomes trapped in a strange, sometimes frightening reality outside of our own. Not every question the story presents is answered, but the pieces all come together in an emotionally satisfying way.

Three words that describe this book: Mysterious, longing, experimental

You might want to pick this book up if: You like Murakami’s other works (especially “Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World”) or the puzzle-box narratives of television shows like “Severance” or “Dark.”

-Eric

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

The book “Piranesi” is a mix of the genres of realistic fantasy and dark academia. A man lives (or is trapped) within a house with oceans in the cellars and clouds in the upper floors. Has the house affected his mind?

This is one of those books that starts out slow and opaque and becomes clearer and more complex as you progress through the novel. I love the character of Piranesi and it is a delight to spend time with him, a beloved child of the house.

Three words that describe this book: alternate worlds, mystery, dark academia

You might want to pick this book up if: You like realistic fiction such as the “Ten Thousand Doors of January” by Alix Harrow or “Ninth House” by Leigh Bardugo.

-Aimee

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