2024 Adult Summer Reading Community Book ReviewsLike this list

67 items

• Shooting Midnight Cowboy

  Art, Sex, Loneliness, Liberation, and the Making of a Dark Classic

  Frankel, Glenn,

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  Frankel delves deeply into the background of this cinematic masterpiece, introducing the reader to all the major players: James Leo Herlihy who wrote the novel, John Schlesinger the director, the rising stars Voight and Hoffman, the musicians behind…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Making a Scene

  Wu, Constance, 1982-

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  Wu writes with accountability and gratitude, but without censorship or cowardice towards her actions. Her tone was a lot more uncouth than I expected from Wu, having seen her interviews. I wish she were cast in more roles that allowed her to express…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Bits and Pieces

  My Mother, My Brother, and Me

  Goldberg, Whoopi, 1955-

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  It was a wonderful experience to have Whoopi Goldberg read her book to me. The book lives up to is name since It really is bits and pieces shared from her life. She especially focuses on retelling moments shared with her mother and brother, both of…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Stockwell Letters

  a Novel

  Friedland, Jacqueline,

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  Historical fiction is not normally my thing but this book was chosen for my book club and I'm so glad I read it. Jacqueline Friedland transports the reader back to a time where slavery existed in our country. The story is told from the perspective…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Cloud Cuckoo Land

  Doerr, Anthony, 1973-

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  This book was recommended to me with the warning that you will be confused the first 200 pages, but you will care about the characters and then it will all start to come together! It was not a light beach read, but it was sweet and thought provoking…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Shards

  Ellis, Bret Easton,

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  This was such a fun and suspenseful read - downright scary at times. Because the author uses their real name and blends the idea of fiction and reality throughout, including real places and people he knew, it's hard to know if you're dealing with a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• James

  a Novel

  Everett, Percival,

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  #1 Fantastic retelling of Huck Finn from Jim's perspective. He has a surprising narrative and his story is very moving. The story moves quickly and if its been a while since you've read Huck Finn you'll have a fun time remembering the brilliant…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Good Material

  a Novel

  Alderton, Dolly,

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  This was a great, fast moving book! As a fan of comedy this book is an interesting take on what "coming up" in the business is like from the male perspective (also interesting that this was written by a female author). Also a refreshing take on what…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Hard Girls

  Lennon, J. Robert, 1970-

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  Lila and Jane, fraternal twins, have unwittingly inherited many characteristics from their undercover CIA agent parents. The convoluted plot twists and jumps belie a relatively simple story that could be interpreted as an allegory for much family…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Berry Pickers

  a Novel

  Peters, Amanda,

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  A 4-year-old Native American girl is stolen from her family by a grief stricken woman who wants a child. Her new family raises her with the anxious fear that she will be taken from them, while her birth family grieves her loss for a lifetime. Strong…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Paradise Problem

  Lauren, Christina,

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  I think this book is great for those who are stuck in a reading rut. It doesn’t do anything quite unique but it is entertaining and would make for a great spicy beach read! I found the spicier scenes to be pretty uninteresting though. This book…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• You Like It Darker

  Stories

  King, Stephen, 1947-

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  You Like It Darker doesn’t disappoint. For me King’s short stories are his best work and my favorite. Amazingly this collection has some of his shortest stories one is only ten pages long! His imagination is something else. This collection has a…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Jaws

  Benchley, Peter,

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  This was such a fun book to start the summer with. I felt like the pace moved quickly enough to keep me interested throughout and the story was so fun. I listened to the audiobook and really enjoyed it that way. I would recommend this version. The…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Just for the Summer

  Jimenez, Abby,

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  Fun summer read with clever banter between the two main characters. The author gets you hooked on the story within the first few pages and continues the excitement through the entire book. There are a lot of take-a-ways about loving yourself and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Gray After Dark

  Ihli, Noelle W.,

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  After completing this book, I read the majority in one sitting, I found out that some of the elements in the story were based on an incident that occurred in Montana in 1984. While I enjoyed the story, I did find myself quickly reading through some…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Paris Novel

  Reichl, Ruth,

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  The Paris Novel is a fun read. Don’t read it on an empty stomach, though! One can easily smell and taste all the delicacies that main character Stella is eating throughout this book. Amazing Stella can eat all these wonderful meals and still fit…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Women

  Hannah, Kristin,

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  I really like Kristin Hannah's books - this one about Vietnam taught me a lot about women veterans! I thought she did a beautiful job explaining PTSD and how it affects veterans. I did think that some parts were underdeveloped (like certain…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The One-in-a-million Boy

  Wood, Monica,

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  I listened to this on audio and it was very powerful. The narrator has a fantastic voice and soft music plays throughout the story. Though there were tears at the end, it was worth reading and I sure miss these characters. I would recommend this to…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Frozen River

  a Novel

  Lawhon, Ariel,

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  As a Nurse Midwife, I thoroughly enjoyed Ariel Lawhon’s fictional account of the life of a real midwife who lives in eighteenth century Maine. At times, I was taken out of the novel by how modern the perspective of the character appeared, however,…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Housemaid

  McFadden, Freida,

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  This is a twisted thriller that will give you whiplash! The main character Millie has a secret which prevents her from getting a job with any kind of a background check. We know Millie went to prison but the crime remains undisclosed. She is hired…Read moreRead more of this annotation