Summer Reading Programs in the library world are like Christmas for normal people. The excitement of all the planning, making the theme your library’s own, ordering the prizes, prepping the weekly trivia questions–fun, all fun. Running it is also a blast for us at the desk; summer is here and people have time to come to the library because they want to and not just because they have to print something out last minute, they playfully spar about who will answer the question correctly first at the desk quiz and spend some good time deciding what kind of chocolate will be their weekly reward.
But best of all we get to spend more time with our patrons chatting about what they’re reading and what they think we should be reading. An option in our SRP was for readers to write a mini-review to be posted in the library. We have found that people like to know what the librarian recommends they read, but they really like to know what their neighbors have been reading and recommending.
Below is just a sampling of some of the reviews our talented readers wrote. We asked the reviews to be anonymous, so thank you to our unnamed commentators!
The Girls She Left Behind by Sarah Graves
An engaging and readable story centering on finding a missing girl–and unraveling all of the family drama that is her unknown baggage. The protagonist is Lizzie Snow, an ex-Boston homicide detective who has baggage of her own. As a Maine sheriff’s deputy, she is drawn into a complex situation compounded by unknown relationships among the less-than-forthright characters.
Most Wanted by Lisa Scottoline
An engaging book with an impr
obable story line. The plot is based on a woman who believes her artificial insemination donor is a serial killer. In the beginning it is hard not to empathize with her. Even when the plot starts degenerating into implausibility, there is a need to complete the book to discover the resolution. I’d rate the book 5 stars for readability and 3 stars for plot.
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
Ms. Kondo shares her philosophy on how to de-clutter and tidy your house once and for all. She has a big ego and claims her method never fails. She has some good suggestions, but some of her ideas seem a little crazy. Overall, she has inspired me to take control and make changes that I hope will last.
To place any of the books reviewed on hold, simply click on the title.
-Sarah
e saddened to hear yesterday of Gabriel García Márquez’s death. Perhaps best known for writing the nobel prize-winning “
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