Adult Summer Reading

We've finished the first week of reading in the Summer Reading Program.  47 readers read 113 books!

Book Reviews by participants:

Meg, by Steve Alten:  Fast read, not very thought provoking, very predictable, random at times, but pulls together as a nice, slightly sad, story.

Meg, by Steve Alten:  Fast moving but predictiable.

Personal Demon by Kelley Armstrong:  Having not read many paranormal fiction, I decided to broaden my horizons.  I am so very glad that I did.  This book is fabulous.  I am definitely going to read more of Kelley Armstrong's books.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen:  A classic romance.  An enjoyable read.  There's only one Mr. Darcy!

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson:  An entertaining and informative account of one man's experience walking part of the Appalachian Trail.

The Shakespeare Encyclopdia ed. by A. D. Cousins:  Much information about his work and life.

House, by Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti:  Excellent mind thriller, on the edge of your seat action.  Not your classic good vs. evil storyline.

Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen:  Keeping the moon was a little odd for me, the romance started at the very end.  I wish it would have said more about it, but it was still AMAZING!

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen:  This isn't the first Sarah Dessen book I've read, yet it is by far one of the best.  She is very creative and this is one of the best books, I think, I've ever read.

Damaged by Kia Dupree:  Book about abuse, prostitution, and success.

Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich:  Fun, easy read.  A bit vulgar.  I enjoyed the character  descriptions.

Pursuit of Honor by Vince Flynn:  Very good.

Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin:  Dull but well read.



 

Meg Primal Waters By Alten, Steve 2004-07 - Forge 9780765308900 Check Our Catalog An adventuresome middle-aged father of two gets more than he bargained for when he joins a new survival series that puts him face to face with the most dangerous creature ever to stalk the Earth. …More

Personal Demon By Armstrong, Kelley 2008-03 - Spectra Books 9780553806618 Check Our Catalog "New York Times" bestselling author Armstrong follows "No Humans Involved" with a sexy, action-packed Women of the Otherworld novel featuring a wickedly beautiful, supernaturally gifted heroine who may love danger a bit too much. …More

Pride and Prejudice By Jane Austen, Austen 2007-08 - Book Jungle 9781604240252 Check Our Catalog Pride and Prejudice, first published on 28 January 1813, is the most famous of Jane Austen's novels and one of the first romantic comedies in the history of the novel. Its opening line is one of the most famous in English literature-"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Its manuscript was first written between 1796 and 1797, initially called First Impressions, but was never published under that title. Following revisions, it was first published on 28 January 1813. Like both its predecessor, Sense and Sensibility, and Northanger Abbey, it was written in Steventon, Hampshire, where Austen lived in the rectory. …More

Silver Borne By Briggs, Patricia 2010-03 - Ace Books 9780441018192 Check Our Catalog In the new work in the #1 "New York Times"-bestselling urban fantasy series, shapeshifter Mercy Thompson attempts to return a powerful Fae book. But it seems the book contains secret knowledge--and the Fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. …More

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail By Bryson, Bill 1998-05 - Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group 9780767902519 Check Our Catalog A laugh-out-loud account of an outrageously rugged hike--by the beloved comic author of "Lost Continent" and "Notes from a Small Island". Published in the 75th anniversary year of the Appalachian Trail. Father's Day merchandising. …More

Read Better, Remember More: 20 Simple Steps to Becoming a Smart Reader By Chesla, Elizabeth L. 2000-01 - Learning Express (NY) 9781576853368 Check Our Catalog This new edition will help you pinpoint your reading strengths and weaknesses, gauge your improvement and read faster. …More

The Grail Murders: Being the Third Journal of Sir Roger Shallot Concerning Certain Wicked... By Clynes, Michael 1994-12 - O. Penzler Books 9781883402495 Check Our Catalog From the relatively safe perspective of old age, Sir Roger Shallot recounts with a true connoisseur's appreciation the corruption, deceit, and scandal of Tudor England. In 1522, the rogue Roger Shallot and his sober-sided master Benjamin Daunbey, nephew of Thomas Wolsey, are enjoying the fruits of their success in the service of the great cardinal, when they are sent for once again. Stafford, Duke of Buckingham, has been arrested for treason, and Benjamin and Roger are made to witness his bloody execution on Tower Hill. The true reason for Buckingham's demise soon becomes apparent: he was searching for two precious relics - the Grail, the cup Christ used at the Last Supper, and Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur. Benjamin and Shallot, accompanied by the leaders of Henry's dreaded secret service, are ordered to find these relics for the king. …More

Edgar Allan Poe: The Fall of the House of Usher and Other Tales of Terror By Corben, Richard Author Margopoulos, Richard 2005-07 - Del Rey Books 9780345483133 Check Our Catalog "The Fall of the House of Usher" and Other Tales of Terror He is the grandmaster stylist of macabre storytelling; the dean of American literary terror. Edgar Allan Poe's tales of brooding fear, haunting mystery, and horrifying madness are flawless gems of dark imagination. And in the rich, raw, unchained nightmare renderings of renowned painter and graphic artist Richard Corben, Poe's timeless works find their most gloriously chilling visual counterpart. Now, after more than a decade's absence, the landmark collaboration of these kindred souls in the great ghoulish tradition is resurrected. Edgar Allan Poe: "The Fall of the House of Usher" and Other Tales of Terror, faithfully adapted and fully illustrated in bewitching color and devilish detail, is vintage Poe and classic Corben for devotees of consummate dread. For mature readers. …More

Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft By Corben, Richard Illustrator Corben, Richard 2008-11 - Marvel Comics 9780785132875 Check Our Catalog Horror comics legend Richard Corben (Haunt of Horror: Edgar Allan Poe) brings you a new series of eerie new spins on the poems and short stories of H.P. Lovecraft. Each adaptation is beautifully rendered in black and white with gray tones as only Corben can do it - along with a printing of the original source text by H.P. Lovecraft. Collects Haunt of Horror: Lovecraft #1-3. …More

The Shakespeare Encyclopedia: The Complete Guide to the Man and His Works By Cousins, A. D. 2009-09 - Firefly Books 9781554074792 Check Our Catalog Written by an international team of historians and Shakespeare experts, this sumptuously illustrated history of the Bard and the political and social landscape of Renaissance England show how Shakespeare's works influenced, and were in turn influenced by, the world around him. …More

House By Dekker, Ted Author Peretti, Frank 2008-10 - Thomas Nelson Publishers 9781595547255 Check Our Catalog A mind-bending supernatural thriller from the creators of "This Present Darkness" and "Sinner." Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti-two of the most acclaimed writers of supernatural thrillers-have joined forces for the first time with this non-stop thrill ride. Enter "House"-where you'll find yourself thrown into a killer's deadly game in which the only way to win is to lose . . . and the only way out is in. "One game. Seven players. Three rules. Game ends at dawn." …More

Just Listen By Dessen, Sarah 2008-02 - Puffin Books 9780142410974 Check Our Catalog This multilayered tale tells the story of a year in the life of a family coming to terms with the imperfections beneath its perfect facade. Includes a teaser chapter of Dessen's new hardcover, "Lock and Key." …More

Keeping the Moon By Dessen, Sarah 2004-05 - Speak 9780142401767 Check Our Catalog Fifteen-year-old Colie is spending the summer with her eccentric Aunt Mira while her mother travels. Formerly chubby and still insecure, Colie has built a shell around herself. But her summer with her aunt, her aunt's tenant Norman, and her friends at the Last Chance Diner&150teaches her some important lessons about friendship and learning to love yourself. …More

Lock and Key By Dessen, Sarah 2009-05 - Speak 9780142414729 Check Our Catalog The "New York Times"-bestselling author of "Just Listen" explores the heart of a gutsy, complex girl dealing with unforeseen circumstances and learning to trust again. …More

Danger in a Red Dress By Dodd, Christina 2009-03 - Signet Book 9780451226266 Check Our Catalog From the author of "Thigh High" comes a new contemporary romance--a riveting family drama filled with secrets, lies, and passion unfolding in Maine and Texas. Original. …More

Thigh High By Dodd, Christina 2008-03 - Signet Book 9780451223371 Check Our Catalog The "New York Times" bestselling author of "Tongue in Chic" takes her fans to New Orleans, where two unlikely lovers clash, thanks to a pair of eccentric great-aunts, a series of zany robberies, and the madness of Mardi Gras. Original. …More

Tongue in Chic By Dodd, Christina 2007-05 - Thorndike Press 9780786293957 Check Our Catalog Devlin Fitzwilliam catches Meadow Szarvas breaking into his mansion to steal a painting. In desperation, she feigns amnesia as her excuse. Devlin then pulls a fast one, claiming she is his wife in this new novel of romantic suspense by the "New York Times" bestselling author of "Trouble in High Heels." Original. …More

Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals By Dunaway, David King Author Beer, Molly 2010-04 - Oxford University Press, USA 9780195378344 Check Our Catalog …More

Damaged By Dupree, Kia 2010-01 - Grand Central Publishing 9780446547758 Check Our Catalog Camille Logan feels trapped. Abused by her foster parents and left grieving after the death of her boyfriend, she finds herself living as a prostitute. Fed up with her life, Camille is forced to right her wrongs, and slowly learns that her past does not necessarily determine her future. …More

Hot Stuff: Disco and the Remaking of American Culture By Echols, Alice 2010-03 - W. W. Norton & Company 9780393066753 Check Our Catalog "Echols's love of music, her acumen about popular culture, and her gifts as a leading cultural historian come together in this remarkable book. The book is fascinating, carried along by prose that is as sleek and slinky as its subject."-Christine Stansell, author of American Moderns "Hot Stuff describes the book as well as its subject: a thoughtful and sophisticated treatment of a significant but much-maligned music."-Tim Taylor, professor, Departments of Ethnomusicology and Musicology, UCLA "Echols aims for-and thoroughly achieves-a range of higher cultural insights. . . . Using encyclopedic knowledge of the eras' biggest stars, she shows how all sorts of musical disco styles played a 'central role' in broadening the contours of 'blackness, femininity, and male homosexuality' in America. . . . Revelatory."-Publishers Weekly "Without question, Alice Echols is one of America's best cultural critics working the beat between popular and academic cultures. With characteristic stylistic verve and scholarly acumen, Echols trolls the edges of our culture's underbelly to discern its central place in politics and economics. In Hot Stuff, she finds disco to be crucial for understanding what happened in 1970s America. Thus invariably, Echols provides a surprising take on familiar scenes by pointing out potholes and pitfalls of late twentieth-century American culture, exploring regions of experience previously overlooked or discounted. Her deep immersion in the subjects of her research, thorough oral histories, and extensive archival investigation flesh out her absolutely original critical insights."-Paula Rabinowitz, author of Black & White & Noir …More

Plum Lovin' By Evanovich, Janet 2008-01 - St. Martin's Press 9780312985363 Check Our Catalog "From #1 blockbuster bestselling author Janet Evanovich comes a Stephanie Plum novel that takes adventure, action, suspense (and maybe even true love?) to new heights."WATCH YOUR BACK . . . Mysterious men have a way of showing up in Stephanie Plum's apartment. When the shadowy Diesel appears, he has a task for Stephanie--and he's not taking no for an answer. LOOK BOTH WAYS . . . Annie Hart is a "relationship expert" who is wanted for armed robbery and assault with a deadly weapon. Stephanie needs to find her, fast. Diesel knows where she is. So they make a deal: He'll help her get Annie if Stephanie plays matchmaker to several of Annie's most difficult clients. BECAUSE LOVE IS IN THE AIR . . . But someone wants to find Annie even more than Diesel and Stephanie. Someone with a nasty temper. And someone with "unmentionable" skills. AND THAT MEANS BIG TROUBLE!Does Diesel know more than he's saying about Annie Hart? Does Diesel have secrets he's keeping from Stephanie and the two men in her life--Ranger and Morelli? With Stephanie Plum in over her head, things are sure to get a little dicey and a little explosive, Jersey style! "Tart and hilarious...will leave fans hungry for the next juicy Plum-a-thon."--"Publishers Weekly" Visit: www.evanovich.com …More

Pursuit of Honor By Flynn, Vince 2009-10 - Atria Books 9781416595168 Check Our Catalog Deadly and charismatic hero Rapp wages a war against a new enemy, in this devastatingly intense thriller by "New York Times"-bestselling author Flynn. …More

The Diary of a Young Girl By Frank, Anne Editor Frank, Otto H. Editor Pressler, Mirjam 1996-02 - Anchor Books 9780385480338 Check Our Catalog More than fifty years after its first publication, Doubleday's definitive edition of Anne Frank's famous diary generated an extraordinary amount of excitement when it was published in early 1995. Enthusiastically received by critics and readers alike, it reigned for nine weeks on "The New York Times bestseller list and will remain for all time the version that millions of readers will cherish.In a handsome package with flaps, rough front, and printed endpapers, this Anchor trade paperback will be the perfect gift for anyone who seeks insight into the indestructible nature of the human spirit. …More

Grave Goods By Franklin, Ariana 2009-03 - Putnam Adult 9780399155444 Check Our Catalog Set in 1176, Franklin's excellent third Mistress of the Art of Death novel finds Adelia Aguilar, a qualified doctor from the School of Medicine in Salerno, in the holy town of Glastonbury, where Henry II has sent her to inspect two sets of bones rumored to be those of Arthur and Guinevere. …More

Coraline By Gaiman, Neil Illustrator McKean, Dave 2003-08 - Thorndike Press 9780786255429 Check Our Catalog Illustrated by David McKean A New York Times Bestseller A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2002 A School Library Journal Best Book of 2002 In Coraline's family's new flat is a door which opens only to a brick wall. But one day, the door opens on a passage to another flat just like her own. At first, things seem marvelous there. The food is better. The toys are magical. But there's also another mother and father, and they want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and never let her go. 740L An Accelerated Reader(R) title for ages 9-12 …More