Adult Summer Reading 2023 Book ReviewsLike this list

100 items

• Remarkably Bright Creatures

  Van Pelt, Shelby,

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  Beautiful story about a lonely elderly woman who seeks answers about the passing of her son years ago. She is able to find closure through her connection to an aging octopus at the aquarium where she works. There is so much depth in this story and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

  a Novel

  Zevin, Gabrielle,

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  Did you grew up on video games and love the world of gaming? Obsessed with SIMs and MMORPG? Me neither. However, I could not stop reading this engrossing and well-written novel. The story tells the tale of childhood friends Sadie and Sam, from their…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lone Women

  a Novel

  LaValle, Victor, 1972-

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  For anyone who has never read a Victor LaValle book, you're in for a treat. LaValle is an exceptional storyteller, feeding the reader lines that feel like strings of delicious candy that just keep you going from page to page. His characters are…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Escaping Dreamland

  Lovett, Charlie, 1962-

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  Charlie Lovett's novel takes place in New York City and two time periods, approximately 1886-1945 and 2008-2010. To understand the later years, he goes back to the early years. Books are the theme and the mystery behind what can happen to shape the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• One More Time

  a Memoir

  Burnett, Carol, 1933-

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  I am already a fan of Carol Burnett but, reading this book you get great insight of what her younger years were like. It was a childhood of great disappointment, trauma, neglect and she deeply loved those closest to her that had let her down time…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Transitional

  in One Way or Another, We All Transition

  Bergdorf, Munroe,

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  Reading Munroe Bergdorf’s journey of being a UK trans activist is at times heartbreaking, always candid, and ends determined and hopeful to find her own peace after a lifetime of chaos. Her writing is accessible, sometimes funny, and moves easily…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• 28 Summers

  Hilderbrand, Elin,

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  Elin is my favorite author. With that said, this is my favorite book of hers thus far. 28 Summers pulls at your heart strings. It's a long book that you almost rush to read yet don't want it to end. It's based on Nantucket (as all of her books are)…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Sister

  Lupton, Rosamund

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  After her sister goes missing, Bea returns to London to help find her. When she turns up dead, Bea insists that she was murdered and was incapable of committing suicide. Si she correct? Or is she suffering from her own delusions? An intriguing…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Worthy Opponents

  Steel, Danielle,

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  True to the Danielle Steel form, this book is hard to put down. Just when you thought you would read to then end of the chapter, she surprises you to the point that you need to read on. It's her typical way of writing, girl (or boy) grows up,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Serving Victoria

  Life in the Royal Household

  Hubbard, Kate

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  Hubbard brings lovers of Queen Victoria and her court face to face with the unglamorous challenges of life as one of her select ladies in waiting at Kensington, Balmoral, Osborne, and Buckingham Palace. Her cavalcade of favorite male movers and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Last Thing He Told Me

  Dave, Laura,

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  When her husband walks out the door for work in the morning, little did Hannah know it would be the last time she saw him. The only thing she hears from him is a note delivered via a 12-year-old child who rings her doorbell. Not only did he leave…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Postnatal Depletion Cure

  a Complete Guide to Rebuilding Your Health and Reclaiming Your Energy for Mothers of Newborns, Toddlers, and Young Children

  Serrallach, Oscar,

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  As a mother of two children — a vivacious toddler and a cuddly newborn — I am always interested to learn more about the science behind prenatal and postnatal health. My personal rule when reading this material is “take what serves and leave the…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Reason I Jump

  the Inner Voice of a Thirteen-year-old Boy With Autism

  Higashida, Naoki, 1992-

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  This is translated from Japanese and was written when the author was an adolescent so provides an interesting first hand perspective on this young man's experience with autism. Its a very easy read broken into a Q&A style that makes it very easy to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hang the Moon

  a Novel

  Walls, Jeannette,

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  An entertaining coming of age story that takes place during the Prohibition era. Sally Kincaid, the daughter of a local town boss, is sent away to live with a poor aunt when she unwittingly risks her younger step brother's life. When his wife dies…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Wishing Game

  a Novel

  Shaffer, Meg,

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  The Wishing Game is a very enjoyable novel. Yes there are similarities to Willy Wonka (it’s the hook to get one to read this novel) but does have the spoiled brats. Jack Masterson sincerely cares about his young readers and doesn’t forget about them…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Lament for Julia

  and Other Stories

  Taubes, Susan,

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  Lament for Julia and Taubes’ short stories are dark fairytales, anchored in women who are always victimized by men, who strive to reclaim themselves. All of the women you meet her are betrayed, used, abused, and misunderstood by men in some way.…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Broken Road

  Evans, Richard Paul,

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  The first book a new trilogy by the author. Story of a young poor and abused boy who ends up making his own career path to independence and wealth through hard work and a charisma. This comes at a price that he soon realizes may not have been worth…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• All the Sinners Bleed

  Cosby, S. A.,

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  This book was recommended to me and it is NOT a book that I would typically pick up, let alone read. I don't enjoy thrillers and violent books. But, I started to read this and I was hooked right away because I wanted to find out where the twists…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Secrets We Kept

  Prescott, Lara,

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  This historical fiction was a nice surprise. I learned something about the famous novel Doctor Zhivago and how it finally got published. Set during the 1950’s, at the beginning of the Cold War, this novel tells the story from both the East with Olga…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Marriage Portrait

  O'Farrell, Maggie, 1972-

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  Do you love palace intrigue and a hearty historical fiction novel? The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell is for you. This engrossing novel is about a young woman who is married off at 15 amid the intriguing and complex world of 16th-century…Read moreRead more of this annotation