Libraries rock, and so do many of the books our Adult Summer Challenge participants have read so far! Check out these sample reviews:

Linda F. on The Last Painting of Sarah De Vos by Dominic Smith: Gripping story that takes us from NYC in the 1950s to Amsterdam in the 1600s to Australia in 2000. Lots of fascinating details about the techniques of painting, combined with history and insights into love (maternal, spousal, romantic).

Kameron K. on Daring Greatly by Brene Brown: Brene Brown does it again! In Daring Greatly, Brene Brown sheds light on how our culture of scarcity leads to internalizing shame. She reviews an “armory” of defense mechanisms, which we use to mitigate vulnerability but actually get in the way of connection. Poignant stories and anecdotes are woven throughout and her easy-to-read and accessible writing make this book a pleasure to read.

Bethany B. on Love Letters of Great Men: What a treat! I picked this up with great interest in having a glimpse into love of the past. For me, not every letter was so enthralling, but just the opportunity to experience these personal letters is incredible. Dating way back and sprinkled with some super-familiar names, as a love-letter writer myself, this is a truly special collection of history. Looking very forward to reading the women’s collection.

Kia R. on The Misadventures Of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae: Absolutely loved this book. I laughed, I cried, and being that I am myself an awkward black girl I felt every word she wrote on these pages.

Kelly B. on Calypso by David Sedaris: This newest collection of essays is perfect for fans of writing that is sincere, profane, and occasionally profound.

R. H. on The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson: As long as you can overlook and/or are not disturbed by (or perhaps prefer) profanity, this book–as well as the audiobook read by Roger Wayne–is a reasonably approachable way to consider how to let go of some issues that might be making it difficult to get through life and return your focus to where it would be better spent. I was impressed by his perspective given his relatively young age.

Wanda Q. on The Perfect Nanny by Leїla Slimani: They had everything, she had very little. They took advantage of her kindness. She slowly began to resent her life or lack of, to compare her meek presence to their thriving life. It slowly began to boil over and she sought revenge the only way she could….

Valerie S. on The Stars Are Fire by Anita Shreve: A true page-turner, highly recommended. Unless something comes along posthumously, this is Anita Shreve’s last novel (she died in March 2018). This one takes place in Maine just after WWII, focusing on a marriage between a war veteran and his younger bride. I don’t want to say more because part of the book’s appeal are the surprises and plot turns throughout. If you start it, you will hardly be able to take a pause until you finish it.

What have you read lately? For a chance to win fabulous prizes in the Adult Summer Challenge, create a free Beanstack account and log each book you finish between June 13 and August 15. If you’re posting your reading on social media, use the hashtag #atthepratt.