Alice Lindstedt is an amateur filmmaker who’s taking on a passion project about the village of Silvertjarn, a lost village where every single member mysteriously disappeared without a trace in the ’50s save for one woman who had been stoned in the town square. Alice’s grandmother had grown up in the village and told her stories of it growing up — this made Alice want to uncover the mystery. She rounds up a small crew with money from her Kickstarter backers and they drive out to scout out filming locations and get shots for the documentary trailer. Weird things immediately begin to happen and the group quickly realizes there may be a greater force at work in the village. The book bounces between present day and the 1950s, right before the disappearance took place with POVs from Alice in the present and Elsa, Alice’s great-grandmother, in the past. As Alice uncovers the secrets of Silvertjarn in the present day, Elsa explains how everything came to be in the past.

I loved the atmosphere of “The Lost Village” and it made me feel as if I was isolated from civilization with the rest of the characters — the village is creepy and unsettling to say the least. The twist at the end will have you at the edge of your seat. The climax was a little lackluster for me but it wasn’t enough for me to bump down a star in my four-star rating. It was still chilling and left me thinking about it for awhile afterward.

Three words that describe this book: Creepy, suspenseful, dark

You might want to pick this book up if: If you enjoy a good, atmospheric horror story with a dark subplot.

-Bailey

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

When I saw that Box Brown was releasing a book focused on Andy Kaufman, the character that absolutely baffled me when I watched “Saturday Night Live” with my parents growing up, I could not have been more excited. “Is This Guy For Real” did not disappoint. This biography of an avant-garde, easily unlikable, enigma of a performer pulls no punches. Brown doesn’t pretend his subject is perfect, but he also doesn’t let Kaufman fall into the easy label of “stupid weirdo” (I’m looking at you, “Man on the Moon” movie). This book presents Kaufman as what he was: a performer who would stop at nothing to grab the attention of his audience.

It was not lost on me that this novel allowed Brown to return to the world of wrestling in the early days, a venue he was already intimately familiar with from his previous biography on “Andre the Giant,” where the lines between persona and life blurred all too easily. I think it was this knowledge and awareness of kayfabe that allowed Brown to truly reach for the reality of Kaufman’s life rather than falling for the trappings of who he was on TV.

Three words that describe this book: Unique, Honest, Beautiful

You might want to pick this book up if: You’ve ever had questions about the strange man you saw on “SNL.”

-Vera

“Everything’s Still There” is a beautiful and brutal book that deals with all of the unique pressures that come with being a new mom in the modern era: social media “momfluencers,” mom-shaming, and the continued pressure to ignore post-partum depression. All of this is juxtaposed with insight from a flawed mother recounting raising her children 50 years ago. It also deals beautifully with friendship between women, and the lengths people will go to in order to deal with grief and pretend everything is okay. I found myself unable to put this one down, but sobbing through certain passages.

Three words that describe this book: Heart-breaking, startling, beautiful

You might want to pick this book up if: You like books that explore the dynamics of interpersonal relationships, particularly between women.

-Erin

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

When A. unexpectedly inherits a ton of money and Axton House, a mysterious mansion in Virginia, from a dead relative he’s never met, it quickly becomes apparent that the house comes with its share of secrets and supernatural occurrences. The house is definitely haunted, but that pales in comparison to the mystery surrounding the secret society that meets there every Winter Solstice. Through a series of clues left by the house’s former owner, A. and his friend Niamh need to uncover what the secret society is chasing. Though the atmosphere is that of a horror novel, the plot of the book is much more mystery-driven.

I read “The Supernatural Enhancements” because it was recommended by the Book Oracle, and it is one of the best book recommendations I have ever gotten. I loved the pace at which the mystery unfolded, which was steady without ever feeling slow. I stayed up well past my bedtime because I could not go to sleep without finishing it (which was always my favorite summer reading feeling as a kid).

Three words that describe this book: Atmospheric, Puzzling, Strange

You might want to pick this book up if: you are looking for something similar to “House of Leaves,” or you like solving puzzles.

-Anonymous

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

Earlier this year, I read Brendan Slocumb’s first novel, “The Violin Conspiracy,” and was blown away by its authenticity and power. Slocumb himself is a POC and classical musician, and the book was very much inspired by his own experiences and coming-of-age. He excels at writing about music in a way that makes it come alive even for the non-musical like me.

I eagerly awaited his recently released second book, “Symphony of Secrets.” It is similar in theme (exploring race and the classical music world) but seems less directly personal to Slocumb. I was still drawn in by the mystery, characters, and tension and would certainly recommend it. I’ll be excited to see where Slocumb’s talents take us next.

Three words that describe this book: Mystery, music, race

You might want to pick this book up if: You want something a bit different from your standard mystery/thriller that challenges and inspires but still entertains.

-Erin

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

The book “Home Fires,” the inspiration for the BBC television series of the same title, explores the activities of Britain’s National Federation of Women’s Institutes during World War II. It begins by touching on the founding and purpose of the Institutes before going on to describe how members worked with evacuees, grew and preserved incredible amounts of food, made and mended clothing, and took over jobs usually done by men. All while dealing with rationing, widespread lack of running water or electricity, and the wondering about or grieving the loved ones more directly involved in the war.

This nonfiction book combines facts and figures with notes from organization records and anecdotes from wartime members and their children. While quite organized, there were a few places that I felt like it rambled a bit or revisited topics that I thought had been covered already. Note that it’s not a short book; the audiobook is about 12 hours long, but overall I found it a fascinating look at a group of remarkable “normal” rural women. It certainly put my own efforts in some of these areas into perspective!

Three words that describe this book: historical, stories, WWII

You might want to pick this book up if: you’re interested in the domestic side of WWII.

-Anonymous

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

I am not a fan of the thriller/mystery genre, per se, but a fan of good writing, good characters, complex relationships and a good story line. Jane Harper does all of these good things in her Aaron Falk Series. All the stories are set in rural Australia and center on Federal Agent Falk.

When I read “The Dry,” I was captured by the landscape (dry), a compelling storyline, and a complex main character. It was quickly turned into a movie of the same name, which was a top-grossing film in Australia. The second book, “Force of Nature,” was set in an entirely different part of Australia, a thickly-forested mountainous area, which was as much an element of this story, as was the outback in the previous novel. The story was entirely different and yet hugely compelling. It is set to be released as a movie this fall.

I just finished the third (and supposedly last) novel in the series, “Exiles,” which is set in a rural area north of Melbourne. It is my favorite of all three novels. Again, the setting is hugely important to the feel and plot of the novel; Agent Falk is still complex, developing even more in this novel, and the plot is a thrilling build-up to several unexpected conclusions.

Three words that describe this book: compelling, beautifully-written, complexly-charactered.

You might want to pick this book up if: you want to go to a setting you’ve never experienced, learn about complex family and small-town relationships, feel carried away by a well-developed plot.

-Woody

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

The book “Nimona” is about a girl who wants to become the best villain sidekick ever. The reader quickly finds out there’s more to Nimona than meets the eye, as the character reveals her shapeshifting powers. The relationship between Nimona and the ‘villain’ Ballistar Blackheart is so charming as they warm up to each other. I enjoyed how their struggle against society was portrayed, despite how light that touch was. The setting was also delightful: a medieval futuristic mashup!

Three words that describe this book: Funny, Endearing, Exciting

You might want to pick this book up if: You enjoyed the Netflix animated movie, have fun with graphic novels/comics, like silly puns, love seeing LGBTQ+ representation.

-Anonymous

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

“The True Love Experiment” is the love story of the year! The main character Fizzy is an effervescent joy! Her unabashed truth-telling and lust-having makes her the juiciest lens with which to view falling in love. So often, I find the female leads to be so reserved and passive and that doesn’t inspire me the way fearless Fizzy does. The main male character Connor is an earnest, wonderful man that a I couldn’t help but also fall for through the eyes of Fizzy.

Author Christina Lauren is an absolute legend when is comes to dynamic connections and emotional expressions. I legitimately highlighted more of this book than I ever have any other book, simply because the prose was so beautiful. Even the spicy parts were gorgeously poetic!

Three words that describe this book: Romantic grumpy/sunshine comedy

You might want to pick this book up if: This book is SPICY and hilarious! Not recommended if you don’t enjoy shocking, crass humor. If you do, this will be an absolute delight!

-Anonymous

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