Adult Summer Reading

During the penultimate week of Summer Reading, 16 readers read 63 books, which brings the total for the summer to 1042 books read by 155 readers.

Book Reviews for September 2: 

Dark Matter by Philip Kerr:  A well constructed historical fiction.

Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver:  A dramatic story of how a single thread weaves itself into the larger political, social world.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver:  The gap between our fast paced lives and nature is bridged by the descriptive rustic experiences of woods and farms.

Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova:  Readers with an interest in Art would findthis story interesting.  It was the painting of "Leda and the Swan" on the bookcover that first caught my attention.

Gifts by Ursula Le Guin:  A ligth read, but a strong issue to ponder.  Where does one draw  the line  between best for society or best for self?

The Telling by Beverly Lewis:  This book was awesome!  The last book in the series.  You wlil want to keep reading to find out of  Lettie finds her daughter that she gave away for adoption.  I recommend this book.  A very happy ending.  Beverly Lewis is an awesome author.

Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber:  Excellent story-well written.  I love the series.

Wicked by Gregory Maguire:  The book was vulgar and disturbing.  This is the first time I have ever thought a book was worse than its visual production (ie musical, movie, play.)

Free Fall by Fern Michaels:  Great book-great writer.  Love the story line.  Can't wait to read the series.

Hide and Seek by Fern Michaels:  Great series.  Read 3-will get all of them.

Never Look Back by Linda Lael Miller:  Great series.

One Last Look by Linda Lael MIller:  Lots of suspense.  Well written.  Reading the series.

Road Less Traveled-Discipline by M. Scott Peck:  Very interesting.

Road Less Traveled-Love by M. Scott Peck:  Very good.

Road Less Traveled-Religion and Grace by M. Scott Peck:  Not really very interesting.

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Dragon Haven By Hobb, Robin 2010-05 - Eos 9780061931413 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Returning to the world of the Tawny Man trilogy, the second volume in the acclaimed "New York Times"-bestselling fantasy writer's thrilling two-part tale of resurgent dragons in a world that needs--and fears--them. …More

A Hidden Affair By Jenoff, Pam 2010-07 - Atria Books 9781416590712 Check Our Catalog In the follow-up to her acclaimed debut "Almost Home," Jenoff presents a brave and relentless heroine who crosses the globe in a dangerous search for her long-lost love. …More

Star Wars: Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil: A Novel of the Old Republic By Karpyshyn, Drew 2010-09 - Lucas Books 9780345511577 Check Our Catalog …More

Deception By Kellerman, Jonathan 2010-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345505675 Check Our Catalog Soon after a woman implicates a trio of teachers from an exclusive school as the perpetrators of her abuse, she is found dead. Detective Milo Sturgis calls on Alex Delaware for help, and soon the two find themselves embarking on a dark and twisted investigation. …More

Dark Matter: The Private Life of Sir Isaac Newton: A Novel By Kerr, P. E. Author Kerr, Philip 2003-10 - Three Rivers Press (CA) 9781400049493 Check Our Catalog In 1696, Christopher Ellis, a young, hot-tempered gentleman, is sent to the Tower of London, but not as a prisoner. A sudden twist of fate has led him there to assist the renowned scientist Sir Isaac Newton, who as Warden of the Royal Mint has accepted an appointment to hunt down counterfeiters who threaten to topple the shaky, war-weakened economy. Armed with Newton's superior intellect and Ellis's skill with a sword, the new partners seem primed to solve the case. But when their investigation leads them to a mysterious coded message on a corpse hidden in the Lion Tower, they realize that something more sinister is afoot. In the heat of their pursuit, Newton and Ellis's suspicions become all too real as the body count rises and the duo uncovers a menacing far-reaching plot that might lead to the collapse of the government--and cost them their very lives. An extraordinary, suspense-filled, and richly satisfying tale, Dark Matter is an engrossing mystery infused with the volatile mix of politics, science, and religion that characterized life in seventeenth-century London. …More

The Lacuna By Kingsolver, Barbara 2009-11 - Harper 9780060852573 Check Our Catalog In her first novel in nine years, "New York Times"-bestselling author Kingsolver tells the story of Harrison William Shepherd, an unforgettable protagonist whose search for identity takes readers to the heart of the 20th century's most tumultuous events. …More

Prodigal Summer By Kingsolver, Barbara 2000-11 - HarperCollins Publishers 9780060199654 Check Our Catalog In a beautiful hymn to wildness, Kingsolver celebrates the prodigal spirit of human nature and of nature itself. Over the course of one humid summer, as the urge to procreate takes over the countryside, the novel's characters find their connections to one another in the forested mountains of southern Appalachia. …More

The Swan Thieves By Kostova, Elizabeth 2010-01 - BBC Audiobooks America 9781607883326 Check Our Catalog Kostova's masterful new novel travels from American cities to the coast of Normandy, from the late 19th century to the late 20th, from young love to last love to create a story of obsession, history's losses, and the power of art to preserve human hope. …More

Gifts By Le Guin, Ursula K. 2004-09 - Harcourt Children's Books 9780152051235 Check Our Catalog A BookPage Notable Title A darkly compelling fantasy about a world in which each person has a magical, dangerous "gift." …More

The Telling By Lewis, Beverly 2010-04 - Thorndike Press 9781410422590 Check Our Catalog The anticipation of a homecoming, a chance to set things right... Yet will "the telling" cause further pain? Accompanied by her new English friend, Grace Byler has left Bird-in-Hand to search for her mother in Ohio. But what if Lettie refuses to be found? Meanwhile, Lettie continues her private quest to find the missing piece of her life, though she is increasingly torn between the family she left behind and yearning for her long-lost child. Will mother and daughter find the answers they seek? The Powerful Series Conclusion From New York Times Best-Selling Author Beverly Lewis "No one does Amish-based inspirationals better than Lewis." Booklist …More

The Perfect Christmas By Macomber, Debbie 2009-09 - Mira Books 9780778326823 Check Our Catalog Thirty-three-year-old Cassie wants a husband and kids, and she turns to SimonDodson, a professional matchmaker for help. Dodson assigns her three tasks tocomplete, and despite a number of comical mishaps, Cassie completes them all.Her Christmas match turns out to be a wonderful surprise. …More

Twenty Wishes By Macomber, Debbie 2008-05 - Mira Books 9780778325505 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Widow Anne Marie Roche owns a successful bookstore on Seattle's Blossom Street, but still feels empty. Anne Marie creates a list of 20 wishes, which leads her to volunteer at a school, where she meets eight-year-old Ellen. Soon, both learn that wishes can come true. …More

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West By Maguire, Gregory 1996-10 - HarperCollins Publishers 9780614207361 Check Our Catalog When Dorothy triumphed over the so-called Wicked Witch of the West in Frank Baum's tales, we heard only Dorothy's side of the story. The Wicked Witch we think we know is the predictable, green-faced villainess straight out of MGM's imagination. But there's more to the story than that. Where did the Wicked Witch come from? How exactly was she wicked? Why shouldn't she want her sister's charmed shoes? And, most important, what is the true nature of evil? Years before Dorothy and her dog crash-land, another little girl makes her presence known in Oz. This girl, Elphaba, is born with emerald green skin - no easy burden in a land as mean and poor as Oz, where superstition and magic are not strong enough to explain or to overcome the natural disasters of flood and famine. But Elphaba is smart, and by the time she enters the university in Shiz, she becomes a member of a charmed circle of Oz's most promising young citizens: her roommate Glinda, a dippy socialite with a knack for sorcery; Boq, the lovelorn Munchkin; Fiyero, a tribal prince from the primitive West of Oz; and Nessarose, Elphaba's beautiful, religiously witchy sister, who lacks nothing save two arms and the spirit of compassion. Elphaba's Oz is no utopia. The Wizard's secret police are everywhere. Animals - those creatures with voices, souls, and minds - are threatened with exile. Young Elphaba, green and wild and misunderstood, is determined to protect the Animals - even if it means combating the mysterious Wizard, even if it means risking her single chance at romance. Ever wiser in guilt and sorrow, she can find herself grateful when the world declares her a witch. And she can even make herself glad for that young girl fromKansas. …More

Free Fall By Michaels, Fern 2007-03 - Severn House Publishers 9780727864291 Check Our Catalog The bestselling Revenge of the Sisterhood series concludes as Yoko Akia seeksto punish the father who abandoned her mother into a life of degradation in atwisted prostitution ring. …More

Hide and Seek By Michaels, Fern 2008-01 - Wheeler Publishing 9781597226585 Check Our Catalog "New York Times" bestselling author Michaels has created some of her most unforgettable characters yet in the Sisterhood. Now the ladies of Pinewood are facing a challenge that will test their courage, loyalty, and their talents as never before. …More

Never Look Back By Miller, Linda Lael 2004-12 - Thorndike Press 9780786269389 Check Our Catalog < b>A New York Times Bestselling Author< /b>< P>< P>A multi-million-dollar inheritance has allowed devoted defense lawyer Clare Westbrook to start her own law firm. But just as she opens her storefront practice in a tough Phoenix neighborhood, shots take out her windows - and nearly take her life. Clare doesn't know who did it or why, but she knows she must surrender to sexy homicide detective Tony Sonterra's protection if she wants to survive. …More

One Last Look By Miller, Linda Lael 2006-01 - Pocket Books 9780743470506 Check Our Catalog Attorney Clare Westbrook and Homicide Detective Tony Sonterra leave the battle-scarred streets of Phoenix and head for the hills. They soon find themselves drawn into a mystery that has the body count rising in the conclusion to this romantic suspense trilogy. …More

Still Midnight By Mina, Denise 2010-03 - Reagan Arthur Books 9780316015639 Check Our Catalog Alex Morrow is not new to the police force, but there is nothing familiar about the call she has just received. In Glasgow, Scotland, three armed men break into a home and demand an impossible ransom. Is this an amateur crime gone horribly wrong, or something much more unexpected? …More

Tempt Me with Kisses By Moore, Margaret 2002-04 - Avon Books 9780380820528 Check Our Catalog When flame-haired Fiona MacDougal announces she's willing to be his bride, the Caradoc of Wales knows to be wary of the Scottish lass. He desires no wife--but her kisses are tempting. The thought of marriage sends shivers down Fiona's spire. She wants to tell him the entire truth--that in his embrace she would be safe from the hated blackguard who would marry her for his own selfish gain. …More

Heart of a Lion By Morris, Gilbert 2002-10 - Bethany House Publishers 9780764226816 Check Our Catalog In his newest series, master storyteller Gilbert Morris turns his imagination to the Jewish ancestry of Jesus. Noah struggles to resist the siren call of the world's pleasures, while straining to hear the still, small voice of his father's God. Readers are in for a roller-coaster ride of surprises as humanity's common ancestor fights the spiritual battle of the ages. …More

The Boys from Santa Cruz: A Thriller By Nasaw, Jonathan 2010-02 - Atria Books 9781416591788 Check Our Catalog The fifth nail-biting thriller from Nasaw, author of "The Girls He Adored" and, most recently, "Twenty-Seven Bones." …More

Noelle By Palmer, Diana 2009-11 - Harlequin Books 9780373774104 Check Our Catalog Like most of the young ladies in Fort Worth, Noelle Brown was smitten by handsome, charming Andrew Paige. But when she challenged the steely-eyed gaze of his stepbrother Jared, something inside her felt a little wild, a little thrilled...a little afraid. He was a big-city lawyer with a killer's stance -- a desperado turned lawman, disillusioned with life and haunted by a past he couldn't escape. But this tender, green girl, with her flashfire temper and her unconventional ways, tempted and tormented him with a sweet, maddening passion. Rivalry would pit brother against brother and scandal would rock their lives. And Noelle would have to convince a man unwilling to believe in love that only he could still the anguish in her heart -- and fulfill the promise of their destiny together.... …More

The Road Less Traveled: Discipline By Peck, M. Scott Read by Peck, M. Scott 1986-05 - Simon & Schuster Audio 9780671621377 Check Our Catalog Peck's insight will help even more travelers find their way as they learn to delay gratification, accept responsibility, embrace reality and maintain flexibility. …More

The Road Less Traveled: A New Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth By Peck, M. Scott 1985-01 - Walker & Company 9780802724984 Check Our Catalog Confronting and solving problems is a painful process, which most of us attempt to avoid. Drawing heavily upon his own professional experience, Dr. M. Scott Peck, a practicing psychiatrist, suggests ways in which confronting and resolving our problems can enable us to reach a higher level of self-understanding. …More

The Road Less Travelled: Religion & Grace By Peck, M. Scott 1987-03 - Simon & Schuster Audio 9780671634681 Check Our Catalog Peck argues that everyone has a religion--a set of beliefs that defines an understanding of life--and the cultivation of one's own religion is the achieving of spiritual and psychological growth. …More