Recommended Reading!
June 19, 2017
It is almost the official start of summer which means a bit more free time for reading! If sitting by the pool or lounging on your porch with a book sounds like something you might like, here are a few summer book recommendations for you! We also have a slew of summer programs happening so make sure to stop in and see what’s going on.
Young Adult
The Shadow Hero by Gene Luen Yang and Sonny Liew
An engrossing graphic novel which sets up the background for the Green Turtle, the first Asian-American superhero. It is fierce and fun and will leave you wanting more. Yang provides a great storyline and even better characters.
-Recommended for: readers who like superhero stories but are bored with Batman and Harley Quinn.
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse
A closer look at daily life in Amsterdam, 1943. A young woman holds an illegal job to keep her family afloat, but finds she is entangled in something much bigger than she anticipated. Hesse weaves together an atmospheric story set against the backdrop of Nazi cruelty.
-Recommended for: readers looking for a strong female protagonist and a meaty plot.
Adult
The Idiot of Elif Batuman
Embarrassing and excruciating, this book is like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself as an 18 year old again, on your own for the first time and stumbling to find your way. The Idiot is an exploration of first love and settling into the person you are to become. Batuman’s writing is exquisite!
-Recommended for: readers who loved Jonathan Frazen’s Purity.
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
A deeply affecting look at love, marriage, and grief. Didion recounts the devastating year after her husband’s sudden death while providing quick highlights of their earlier lives. Her writing is stark and thoughtful.
-Recommended for: readers who aren’t afraid to cry.
