Adult Summer Reading

 

During week 8 42 readers read 143 books, and five new people joined the program.  For the summer so far, 155 readers have read 979 books!

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Book reviews from participants Aug 31: 

Last Full Measure by Jeff Shaara:  The book is a historical novel detailing the Civil War from the aftermath of Gettysburg to the surrendor at Appomatix.  Seen through the eyes of Robert E. Lee and Ulyssess S. Grant, the narrative makes compelling reading.

Ladies of Garrison Gardens by Louise Shaffer:  When Laurel McGready unexpectedly inherits a large fortune and estate she also inherits mysteries, including how her benefactor acquired her money and how an old suitcase from Vaudeville days figures in.  Very readable.

War Boys by M. A. Schaffner:  Fairly interesting novel of American teenagers growing up in the Philippines while their familes are stationed at the military bases there.  Takes place during the Vietnam War (1968).  Excessive use of foul language, I thought.

Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows:  A thoroughly interesting story of the German occupation of the British island of Guernsey, during WWII.  It's told through the exchange of letters from various fictional characters.  Authors do a good job of bringing the characters to life.

Top Secret Restaurant Recipes by Todd Wilbur:  If you know you like a certain recipe from a certain restaurant try it.

The Last Full Measure By Shaara, Jeff 1998-05 - Ballantine Books 9780345404916 Check Our Catalog As The Last Full Measure opens, Gettysburg is past and the war advances to its third brutal year. On the Union side, the gulf between the politicians in Washington and the generals in the field yawns ever wider. Never has the cumbersome Union Army so desperately needed a decisive, hard-nosed leader. It is at this critical moment that Lincoln places Ulysses S. Grant in command - and turns the tide of the war. For Robert E. Lee, Gettysburg was an unspeakable disaster - compounded by the shattering loss of the fiery Stonewall Jackson two months before. Lee knows better than anyone that the South cannot survive a war of attrition. But with the total devotion of his generals - Longstreet, Hill, Stuart - and his unswerving faith in God, Lee is determined to fight to the bitter end. Battle by staggering battle, Shaara dramatizes the escalating confrontation between Lee and Grant - complicated, heroic, deeply troubled men. …More

The Ladies of Garrison Gardens By Shaffer, Louise 2005-09 - Thorndike Press 9780786277926 Check Our Catalog Small-town secrets, star-crossed lovers, and the power of the past to determine the future come together to prove that behind every great fortune there is a great crime. …More

War Boys By Schaffner, M. A. 2002-09 - Welcome Rain Publishers 9781566492447 Check Our Catalog Reminiscent of "Lord of the Flies" in its depiction of the brutal playing field of adolescent competition, Schaffner's accomplished first novel tells a unique story of America's overseas empire at its apogee and of the coming of age of a group of boys as well as of their entire nation. …More

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society By Shaffer, Mary Ann Author Barrows, Annie 2008-09 - Center Point Large Print 9781602852693 Check Our Catalog It's January, 1946, and London is emerging from the shadow of World War II. Author Juliet Ashton is having a terrible time finding inspiration for her next book when she gets a letter from Dawsey Adams from Guernsey, a British island that had been occupied by the Nazis. He finds her address in a used Charles Lamb volume and wonders if she might be able to help him learn more about the author. As Juliet and Dawsey exchange letters, she learns about the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, a unique book club formed on the spur-of-the-moment, as an alibi to protect its members from arrest by the Germans. Captivated, Juliet sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds there will change her life forever. …More

Boys Without Names By Sheth, Kashmira 2010-01 - Balzer & Bray/Harperteen 9780061857607 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Sheth pens a compelling novel about a boy in contemporary India who is kidnapped and forced to work in a sweatshop. …More

The Pleasure Slave By Showalter, Gena 2005-02 - Harlequin Books 9780373770328 Check Our Catalog Antiques dealer Julia Anderson gets more than she bargains for when she acquires her own love slave in the form of sinfully handsome Tristan. Revealing his true heart will break the centuries-old spell, but Tristan will risk eternity to stay with Julia. Original. …More

Ancestor By Sigler, Scott 2010-06 - Crown Publishing Group (NY) 9780307406330 Check Our Catalog New from the bestselling author of "Contagious": a heart-pounding ride that's part Frankenstein-style cautionary tale, part monster movie, and part medical thriller, as science accidentally unleashes a fearsome ancient predator on the modern world. …More

That Camden Summer By Spencer, LaVyrle 1996-01 - Putnam Publishing Group 9780399141201 Check Our Catalog In the summer of 1916, Roberta and her three daughters arrived in Camden, Maine. As Roberta tries to rebuild both her life and a ramshackle house overlooking the harbor, she endures violence, betrayal, and pain. But she also finds love, friendship and acceptance from the most unlikely source. …More

The Brothers Story By Sturtevant, Katherine 2009-11 - Farrar Straus Giroux 9780374309923 Check Our Catalog A fascinating portrait of a young person struggling to balance family and freedom, "The Brothers Story" is also a frank depiction of Restoration London in its bawdy, raucous glory. …More

A Duty to the Dead By Todd, Charles 2010-09 - Harper Paperbacks 9780061791772 Check Our Catalog "A Duty to the Dead," the first book of an exciting new series, is set in England during World War I, and features a spectacular female protagonist. …More

A False Mirror By Todd, Charles 2007-01 - William Morrow & Company 9780060786731 Check Our Catalog A love triangle turned deadly sends Scotland Yard Inspector Ian Rutledge to Hampton Regis, a small harbor town that simmers with secrets. Accused of beating the husband of a woman who jilted him, Rutledge's former trenchmate takes her hostage to escape arrest, and he demands Rutledge prove his innocence. …More

Canaan's Gate By Wall, Kathryn R. 2010-04 - Minotaur Books 9780312601843 Check Our Catalog Bay Tanner's agency is hired to investigate a bank employee's suspicions that a coworker is running a scam on the elderly and wealthy Castlemain family. Twenty-four hours later, Mrs. Castlemain dies of an apparent heart attack, and Bay discovers that divided loyalties can be painful--and sometimes fatal. …More

Top Secret Recipes: Creating Kitchen Clones of America's Favorite Brand-Name Foods By Wilbur, Todd 1993-06 - Plume Books 9780452269958 Check Our Catalog Thanks to years of Wilbur's painstaking research, now you can enjoy the guilty pleasures of all your favorite junk foods--from Big Macs to KFC Original Recipe Chicken to Reeses Peanut Butter Cups--assembled in the privacy of your very own kitchen. Line drawings. …More

The Great Fables Crossover By Willingham, Bill Author Sturges, Matthew Illustrator Buckingham, Mark 2010-02 - Vertigo 9781401225728 Check Our Catalog All nine issues of the long-awaited crossover between two popular series--Fables and Jack of Fables--are collected in one volume. …More