by Cherise T.
Opinions on the best summer reading selections abound. Some readers look forward to extended spans of time to sink into those longer books. Anticipating many hours reading epic novels or multi-volumed biographies, they embrace the joy of following multiple characters or complex historical chronologies uninterrupted. On the opposite side of the spectrum are readers who want their vacation books to be as light as warm-weather clothing or as intoxicating as a margarita. Nothing too serious, please; they want stress-free romance, memoir, and mystery.
The HCLS year-round Adult Reading Challenge journal speaks to everyone. Any time of year, every genre, you can pick a challenge category to enjoy. There are book recommendations, but selections from your “to-be-read” pile are perfect too. All genres are welcome, creating the ideal opportunity to try something new, be it poetry, self-help, science fiction, fantasy, graphic novel, or thriller, to names a few.
This summer, explore the new 2024-2025 challenges and journal prompts. For example, if Read a Book Set in a Library appeals, check out the historical fiction of The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis (which I reviewed). Parallel stories unspool of a New York public librarian in 1993 and her grandmother, the wife of the NYPL superintendent, in 1913, as both women aspire to grow professionally and personally. As a delightful added twist, the 1913 family lives in the library.
If magical fiction sounds just right, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig imagines a library where every book offers the protagonist a different life. Would she have been more fulfilled as a sports star, a musician, or a parent? For a nonfiction page-turner, pick up Susan Orlean’s The Library Book about the devastating 1986 Los Angeles Central Library fire. The arson investigation reads like a good mystery, and librarian interviews delve into the current role of libraries in society.
To participate in the Adult Summer Reading Adventure, complete any three of the challenges or read three books by August 31, 2024. Topics include Explore the American West; Visit a Galaxy Far, Far Away; Get Lost in a Translation; and Reimagined Reading. Finishers receive a completion prize and entry into grand prize drawings.
World Adventures Summer Book Discussions: Spirit Run by Noé Álvarez
Adults. Register.
This summer, read and discuss books that celebrate journeys of discovery around the world. In June, we discuss Spirit Run: A 6000-Mile Marathon Through North America’s Stolen Land by Noé Álvarez.
Mon, Jun 17; 7 – 8 pm | Elkridge Branch
CHAPTER CHATS 