Category: Summer Challenge Reviews

Stellar Reads, Part 14: Even More Reviews from Adult Summer Challenge Participants

Posted on by Ashley Barnes

The summer is almost done! Here’s what participants in the Adult Summer Challenge have enjoyed reading this month.

Joy B. on In the Country We Love: My Family Divided by Diane Guerrero:

This book is for anyone who wants to understand the plight of an undocumented worker in America and how it can affect families and children. This book and Diane’s story took me on an emotional journey that is worth taking.

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Megan M. on Expecting Better by Emily Oster:

Interesting read with lots of useful information about the current research on pregnancy versus the “common sense” suggestions often given.

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Alex on Fear of Flying by Erica Jong:

This book is a feminist blowtorch. Writing in the 1970s, this author is so relevant on subjects like motherhood, female pleasure, the purpose of marriage, and self-satisfaction. A real tour de force that rings true in 2019.

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Heather T. on The Huntress by Kate Quinn:

As a longtime reader of historical fiction, this story brings to life women of war in a way that I have not yet seen. Although I have my favorite character, I am excited to read each player’s part in the story. I cannot use the word “heroine” to describe some of the characters as I feel it denotes something less than what they are…. The characters may be fictional;  however, Quinn’s approach keeps the storyline true to history and invigorates the reader to seek more information about those events. Awesome book.

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Scott D. on Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout:

This moving novel of short stories perfectly captures the emotions and interconnectedness of everyday life. Strout writes with beauty capturing the joys and sadnesses of the simple unremarkable moments that make up life. A wonderful book, where each story keeps you guessing at the connection to the other stories. A joy to read.

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Naomi H. on Total Jazz by Blutch:

Before reading this book I wouldn’t have thought a form of music could be portrayed through images and text. Intrigued? I hope so. This is an absorbing presentation of jazz musicians and its history.

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Laura S. on Unsheltered by Barbara Kingsolver:

An interesting story that tracks people living in the same house over 100 or so years. In Barbara Kingsolver style, great characters and story.

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Join the fun! 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 12 and August 14.

Stellar Reads, Part 13: More Reviews from Adult Summer Challenge Participants

Posted on by Ashley Barnes

Read anything great this summer? Our Adult Summer Challenge participants did!

Elizabeth S. on How To Let God Solve Your Problems by Charles F. Stanley:

Much like his popular TV show this book feels like a warm hug from a dear friend. Chock-full of homespun wisdom as well as key Bible verses, it packs an inspirational punch. Perfect for anyone going through a “storm.”

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Kate G. on Girls Burn Brighter by Shobha Rao:

Beautifully written. I’m very glad I found and read it.

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Naomi C. on The Family Next Door by Sally Hepworth:

Gosh, where to begin… this book intrigued me from the beginning! It’s all about the story of a close-knit neighborhood street with different families dealing with all sorts of complicated issues relating to their marriage, children and identities. Each chapter ended in a mini-cliffhanger and was told in a different character’s perspective. I couldn’t read it fast enough!

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George H. on Bright Dead Things by Ada Limón:

This book changed my perception of what poetry is capable of—I am transformed!

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Jessica R. on Tattoos on the Heart by Greg Boyle:

Amazing read and such inspiring stories. I saw Father Greg Boyle speak and the passion he carries is beyond amazing.

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Join the fun! 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 12 and August 14.

Stellar Reads, Part 12: What Adult Summer Challenge Participants are Reading

Posted on by Ashley Barnes

Here’s a look at what books our Adult Summer Challenge participants are enjoying. Make sure to add these titles to your summer reading list!

Valerie S. on ‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King:

While eagerly waiting for this fall’s It movie sequel, I’m getting my horror fix by reading some of Stephen King’s fiction. ‘Salem’s Lot (1975) probably launched our culture’s current fixation with vampire culture and the walking dead. The Pratt Library has a fabulous re-issued edition (2005) in hardback, with very satisfying new material such as spooky black-and-white photos, a “prequel” chapter taking place in 1850, text and dialogue that had been omitted from the 1975 edition, and more. Thrilling more than downright scary, ‘Salem’s Lot still has many page-turning moments. Even though most readers will know what happens, the deeply described action, settings, and character depictions add depth and surprises. King is a pretty darn good writer. He evokes 1970s small-town New England life perfectly, as only one with a love-hate relationship with it can do. P.S. for geeks: The apostrophe at the beginning of the title is correct, shortening Jerusalem.

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Rachael C. on Ready Player One by Ernest Cline:

To be an adult and get sucked into a book in that childhood way—it kept me up late reading! This is a fun book—clever, engaging, and a perfect bit of fun for a summer read.

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Philip J. on Tunnel People by Teun Voeten: Twenty-three years old but still relevant. Could easily be any metropolis in America today.

Nadine G. on Born a Crime by Trevor Noah:

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Just loved the book and how his life unwrapped before me. I laughed more than I cried but just loved it.

Amanda J. on Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly:

Good story about two strong female characters that takes place around WWI. One of the characters is based on an actual person. I enjoyed a glimpse into this era.

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Lauren R. on Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger:

This urban fantasy spells fun. The setting, character range, and genre bending are refreshing. The storytelling is exciting and modern. And even the format is unique, with pages of the Devil’s Water Dictionary punctuating the chapters, and acknowledgements that vie for a comedy award. I think it’s become clear that Quirk Books is a good publisher for me.

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Join the fun! 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 12 and August 14.

Stellar Reads, Part 11: More Reviews from Adult Summer Challenge Participants

Posted on by Ashley Barnes

Adult Summer Challenge participants gave these titles a thumbs-up. How many of them have you read?

Hemp H. on Some Love, Some Pain, Sometime by J. California Cooper:

A collection of short stories that range from the 1940s to 1980s tells the tales of how people can get lost in themselves, others, and longing. You will be sure to see some of your own mistakes looking back at you as you read this book that is as familiar as sun-sweetened lemonade on a summer’s day.

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Laura M. on Shadow Of Night by Deborah Harkness:

This book isn’t your typical vampire witch love story. There’s a healthy dose of Elizabethan-England history with a mix of science. Diana is a very strong female lead, a college historian with interest in Alchemy and learning to practice her magical talents. Fun read!

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Eliza C. on The Reckoning by John Grisham:

This book was a surprise. If you like history, then you will enjoy the lessons. They are multiple. Some involve living in the south, being a POW, being a survivor, and how the unknown over time can impact your life and the decisions you make because of it.

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Kayla D. on The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller:

An extremely well-written retelling of the story of Achilles and Patroclus. Miller’s poetic writing style transports readers into a completely different world and inspires readers with her heartbreaking retelling of the Greek myth.

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Nancy G. on Mindful of Race by Ruth King:

The kind of guidance we need to really have a discussion about race, regardless of one’s roots.

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Join the fun! 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 12 and August 14.

Stellar Reads, Part 10: Adult Summer Challenge Participants on Favorite Young Adult Books

Posted on by Ashley Barnes

You don’t have to be a teen or tween to read YA! Here are some warm reviews of YA reads from Adult Summer Challenge participants:

Marc C. on Science: A Discovery in Comics by Margreet de Heer:

If you are already familiar with the history of science this is a delightful review. If you are new to the topic, this is a wonderful, easy-to-digest introduction to what science is and the interaction between our world history and its growth and maturation over the centuries. Recommended for anyone, but probably a 6th-grade reading level.

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Lisa F. on Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling:

The mystery of who opened the chamber and how the characters in peril would be saved was renewed as this was my second time through this series. I love how detailed she writes and how the mind fills in the visual. Such imagery and creativity. The magic makes it fantasy and fun. What if there are wizards among us?

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Tieya P. on Bingo Love by Tee Franklin:

This graphic novel’s illustration was awesome. Also I enjoyed how the story flowed and how the character described her love story with her best friend after so many years.

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Kelsey H. on Boxers by Gene Luen Yang:

This graphic novel gives emotional reality to a period of Chinese history that I knew very little about! I can’t wait to read the companion novel, which tells the story of the same conflict, but from the opposite side.

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Lauren S. on We Set the Dark on Fire by Tehlor Kay Mejia:

It is not often that a book pulls me into its universe as deeply as this did. The world created is realistic with enough elements of fiction to grab the attention. I’d recommend this to any young reader that wants adventure and a queer romance along with political espionage.

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Kevin C. on American Street by Ibi Zoboi:

This is an amazing work of fiction about a teenager who is an American citizen by birth, but spent her whole life in Haiti. She is brought to the USA by her mother, the trip paid for by her aunt, in order to live with her aunt and three cousins in Detroit. Her mom is detained at the immigration center, but Fabiola is allowed through and then spends the next few months in total culture shock over the food, the mannerisms, the ways of life, the school, the girls, the boys, and everything in between. This book is considered YA fiction, but it is very enjoyable for adults dealing with issues such as urban decline, inner city life, immigration, love, and family. I highly recommend this book, and I especially recommend it for anyone who wants to read with their teenage son or daughter.

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Join the fun! 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 12 and August 14.