Friday, July 26, 2019

Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan


Title: Summer Hours
Author: Amy Mason Doan
Genre: Fiction

Summer Hours by Amy Mason Doan is an excellent summer read. It's set against the backdrop of Southern California/Pacific Coast and skips between the 1990s and 2008. The story revolves around main character Becc as she comes of age in college, the aftermath of her decisions during that time, and how they play out in the 2008 time period. Becc's two storylines contain the same characters, so it's really interesting to see how they all grow. 
What really hooked me in to this story was the setting. It has several settings which draw you into the warmth of the west coast, keeping things varied with sailing to Catalina Island,  the cool of dark movie theaters, and to the world of early internet reporting offices. I'd recommend this read for anyone looking for a read with not only a great setting, but romance, friendship, and forgiveness.

- Jamie

Check out Summer Hours @ the library.

Friday, July 19, 2019

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang


Title: The Bride Test
Author: Helen Hoang
Genre: Romance, Contemporary

Khai Diep is on the autistic spectrum: he avoids touch, he likes an organized life, and he believes that he cannot feel things the way others do because something about him is broken. Khai's mom believes nothing of the sort so she is on a mission to bring him home a suitable wife on her next trip back from Vietnam.

Esme Tran is a second generation single mother cleaning bathrooms in Ho Chi Minh City when she's interviewed by Khai's mom in the lounge of her assigned restroom. She is shown the picture of a handsome young man and told that if she can woo him before the end of summer, she can earn herself a better life in the U.S. 

As Esme disrupts Khai's carefully orchestrated life, will he embrace the chaos and open his heart? Will Esme find the father that returned to America not knowing Esme was conceived? Take The Bride Test to find out.

- Sarah R.

Check out The Bride Test @ the library.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield


Title: Once Upon a River
Author: Diane Setterfield
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Thriller

Once Upon a River is set on the Thames back when the river was a primary means of travel and inns along its banks were the center of their communities.

The Swan was known for its storytelling and one dark night a tale landed right on their doorstep. The mystery begins with a wounded man carrying a drowned girl.  It continues when the man passes out, the girl miraculously awakes, and all who meet her are ready to claim her as their own. 

A feat of good storytelling in itself, this book offers an extensive group of townspeople who are introduced and interconnected skillfully, flowing together like the river that runs through it. 

Juliet Stevenson does a fantastic job voicing the audio book version for those of you who'd like to hear the telling of a story within a story. 

- Sarah R.

Check out Once Upon a River @ the library.

Friday, July 5, 2019

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston


Title: Red, White, and Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Romance, Contemporary

If you're looking for a sweet love story with a political twist, this is the perfect book for you. When the son of the first female U.S. president, Alex, realizes he's falling for with the young Prince of England, Henry, they begin their relationship in secret. They send emails and texts and struggle to find time to be together without the world finding out. But as all good stories go, this doesn't last for long and they begin to deal with the personal and political problems of being young world leaders in different countries falling in love. In the acknowledgements, McQuiston writes, "What I hoped to do, and what I hope I have done with this book by the time you've finished it, my dear reader, is to be a spark of joy and the hope you needed." This book did exactly that.

- Megan

Check out Red, White, and Royal Blue @ the library.