Robert B. on Circe by Madeline Miller: …Circe is an incredibly fascinating journey through Greek epic and mythology but from a feminist perspective. You’ll meet familiar faces like Prometheus, Hermes, Odysseus, Penelope, and Telemachus but Miller succeeds in recasting her characters in more human form and we vividly see their strengths and weaknesses. This novel is a real page-turner and you won’t regret picking it up.

Jaime W. on Midnight Bayou by Nora Roberts: Five stars — this book had romance and ghosts and was captivating as it flipped between 1899 and 2002. A great read set in a gorgeous city, taking place in a lovely mansion on the bayou.

Melina T. on Theft by Finding by David Sedaris: If you like David Sedaris, you’ll love his diaries — it’s not an internal dialogue but rather wry observations about the world. It’s funny, sad, sometimes upsetting, but just so David Sedaris. I really liked it!

Lakeisha H. on The Warmest December by Bernice L. McFadden: The pain you get is sometimes the pain you give. The cycle of alcoholism and abuse rages through three generations. In The Warmest December pain becomes ever present as breathing. Understanding and forgiveness in unlikely circumstances are needed for change even if it comes down the road of endless tears, blood and bottles.

Laura M. on Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann: Real-life murder mystery, and sad example of greed and subjugation of the first peoples.

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 17 and August 12.

Valerie S. on Redhead by the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler: Another delicious helping of contemporary life in Baltimore — just before coronavirus — that ended too quickly and left me wanting more. Tyler’s main characters are usually funny and fallible. This novel is no exception. A perfect summer read.

Michael M. on Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo: Evaristo opened my eyes with this gorgeous semi-prose book. Identity can be an obstacle, but it can also be a fountain of joy when fully realized. Many characters fall into unhealthy relationships with an imbalance of power. Past trauma, mistreatment, or marginalization leads the characters to trust and rely on people who ultimately take advantage of them. It’s a compelling and crucial read with as broad a range of emotions as possible.

Ashley S. on The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary: This is a must-read for every parent who is interested in helping their children blossom and grow.

Rachel P. on A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr: A book about friends whose ideals about love and marriage are tested and true friendships and true love are shown to hold up when communication and trust are a part of the recipe. A fun read!

Stephanie H. on My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite: A fast-paced and immersive read. Fun use of language and first-person narrative.

Yana C. on White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo: …Truly required reading for every white person in America. She does a great job of clearly explaining concepts like prejudice, discrimination, racism, white privilege, white supremacy, and of course, white fragility. Straightforward yet will really challenge your views and get you out of your comfort zones, both for those who do not understand their role in the system but also for those white progressives who feel “woke.:”

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 17 and August 12.