Thank you to everyone who has submitted reviews! Don't worry if you haven't gotten all of your reviews in. You have until Friday, August 3 to submit your review to be eligible for the drawing for the Kindle.
Joseph submitted these two:
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Cobweb by Neal Stephenson
“The point of view rotates among several characters, with the main two feeling very real and well-imagined, especially the underestimated sheriff's deputy. The story will give quite a "could this have happened" shiver to those who remember the run-up to the first Gulf War in 1990.”
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Son of Neptune by Richard Riordan
“Yes, it's aimed at young adults; but if you've been reading the Percy Jackson novels alongside your pre-teen, don't stop now. Percy's back, with the amnesia we expected after the previous novel, and manages to make me wish I worked for him with his tenacity and generosity.”
Kristen gave us three to read:
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Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
“This book contains one novella, "Ship Fever" and a collection of short stories. Ship Fever is set during the typhoid epidemic of 1847 where sick Irish immigrants escaping the potato famine are held at the quarantine 'hospital' at Grosse Isle, Canada. The rest of the stories, although somewhat disjointed, center on the world of science from the life of Carl Linnaeus, the genetics work of Mendel, to a woman struggling to educate herself as a naturalist in the Victorian period. The lexicon and love of science weaves through these beautifully told stories that are topped with a dash of the hardships and difficult realities of life.”
The Mill River Recluse by Darcie Chan
“Widow Mary McAllister has spent 60 years in seclusion watching the town of Mill River from her marble house on the hill. She is paralyzed by fear of the outside world but still wants to be connected by something more than mail and television. Unknown to the people of the village, Mary and her one friend, Father Michael O’Brien, work to fix the little wrongs of life in the village below. When you need to read something redemptive and a touch uplifting, read The Mill River Recluse. This is a book about how to turn terrible loss and fear into a beautiful life.” This title is not currently available in our library catalog.
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Hannah's Dream by Diane Hammond
“In a failing zoo, an aging elephant caretaker and a cast of quirky characters work to improve the life of Hannah, the zoo's only elephant. After 41 years of captivity, Hannah's life is no longer the happy existence hoped for by zoo founder Max L. Biedelman, who rescued Hannah as a baby elephant. Now, longtime keeper Samson Brown, his hopeful replacement Neva Wilson and a fascinating cast of children and adults must work together to secure a better future for Hannah.”
Two from Dorothy:
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The Night Circus by Erin Morganstern
"Not quite sci-fi and not the usual fantasy, this beautifully written first novel was built around the complexities of a magical challenge and the relationships between the people who inhabit the marvelous circus the challenge creates. The author, a painter, skillfully uses language so visual that the reader falls into the story – feeling the characters’ emotions and seeing clearly the strange and beautiful sights of a circus you’ll wish really existed."
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The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
“On one level, the book deals with a young woman’s attempt to understand the recent actions of her grandfather, who has just died on his way to meet her; on another level, it raises questions about the influences of memory, folklore, and mythology on people’s lives and about the effect of decades of civil wars on the cultural ethos of a nation. The characters are true-to-life, the plotting is excellent and thankfully the author doesn’t entirely answer all the questions –there are some tenuous loose ends, a few bits and pieces to fit in on our own terms, if we like.”
From Margaret:
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Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas by James Patterson
“The book keeps your interest. You learn about love and loss and the struggles of Nicholas life.”
From Isabella:
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Ferret Island by Richard W. Jennings
“This book was slow for the first half, after which it picked up considerably. I liked the elaborate use of language, it's references to deeper issues of life, reading about the behavior of ferrets, and detailed descriptions of everything encountered.”
Three more from Mathilda:
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Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade
“This sequel was very well done. For a book with a light, funny premise it was unclear if there would be adequate plot developments for a sequel, but the story kept me interested throughout. Alona and Will’s characters and relationship have deepened and developed over the course of the story and teenagers will respond to them. While some of the plot points seemed a bit predictable it was not boring or repetitive in any way. Readers who follow the series will be curious to see what happens to these characters next.”
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Bunheads by Sophie Flack
“This story allows readers to see what it is like to be a dancer in a ballet company. There are numerous rehearsals, fittings, physical therapy sessions, nutrition experts, etc. that are constantly ruling how the dancers should live. They are simply expected to give up any kind of outside life in order to succeed in this difficult field. Hannah is unusual in that she begins to think about life outside of the studio and is not sure she is up for the challenge of doing what it takes to get promoted. On the other hand, whenever she sees other girls get promoted over her she feels jealous and hurt. Is she meant to be a solo ballerina or merely a background dancer? Readers interested in dancing, the arts, or romance will enjoy this book wholeheartedly.”
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Ashes by Ilsa J. Bick
“This story is engaging and people who like survival and futuristic type stories will enjoy the action. The characters all have secrets that they are reluctant to share, despite their close relationships they eventually form. There are many unanswered questions by the end of the story and the ending itself may frustrate some readers who are looking for more of a resolution. Hopefully, some of these questions will be answered in the inevitable sequel.”
From Barbara:
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Silas Marner by George Eliot
“This is the story of a weaver who is betrayed by his most trusted friend, and withdraws from the world around him to become a recluse and a miser. When his beloved money is stolen, Silas Marner is in the depths of despair until a young orphaned child wanders into his home. He raises her as his own child, and she takes the place in his heart that money once occupied.”
Two from Kim:
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Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
“A progression of connected stories, from differing points in the human timeline, about power, greed and corporations. Not necessarily an easy, beachy summer read, but good and satisfying.”
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Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris
“This series has undergone a decline and this book, while not horrible, does not change this fact. A sad and unexciting facade.”
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