If you're participating in the Adult Summer Reading Bingo Challenge, you might be wondering what to read! Our staff are here to tell you what they've been enjoying so far on their own journey to Summer Reading Greatness!
These titles may be available in other formats or languages. Check our catalog for availability.
Happy Reading!
Title/Author: Symphony for the City of the Dead by M.T. Anderson
Reviewer: Laura B., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Award Winner, New England Author & Read More Bingo - Book About Social Justice
Genre: Teen Nonfiction
Format: Print
Length: 456 pages
Personal Thoughts: As someone who is very interested in both Slavic history and music history, I really enjoyed this book! It looks at the life of Dmitri Shostakovich, the Siege of Leningrad, and Shostakovich's Leningrad symphony. One thing I enjoy about quality teen nonfiction like this book is that it is well researched without being as dense or overwhelming as adult nonfiction can be. As someone who doesn't read a ton of nonfiction outside of biographies and memoirs, YA nonfiction is definitely less intimidating! Despite being 456 pages, this was a quick read because of how it was written. I also think Anderson does a particularly good job here of providing the necessary background information about what was going on in Russia and the world at this time. Because he has a good sense of what information people might need for context, I think this would be accessible even to readers who don't have a lot of knowledge about Russian history or WWII.
Title/Author: Quill Me Now by Jordan Castillo Price
Reviewer: Jordan D., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Less than 200 Pages, First in a Series
Genre: Fantasy/Romance
Format: eBook
Length: 73 pages
Personal Thoughts: This was a super fast read. Jordan Castillo Price never lets me down, and this is a series I'm excited to dive into and almost wish I'd read sooner. A young man struggles with his lack of quilling magic in a family who was hoping he would take over the shop. Then he almost gets a job at a greeting card company, but something doesn't seem right. It doesn't hurt that the buff tattooed Russian head of security is extremely good looking... It's a very light, but fun romance with some humor and high stakes. And I like the direction of righting magical wrongs the two men are planning to take in future installments! Definitely looking forward to reading the next book!
Title/Author: I Shouldn't Be Telling You This by Chelsea Devantez
Reviewer: Laura B., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Disabled or Neurodivergent Author & Read More Challenge - Memoir
Genre: Memoir
Format: Print
Length: 277 pages
Personal Thoughts: Devantez is a comedian and television writer (best known for writing for Jon Stewart). She also hosts a podcast that covers female celebrity memoirs, which is how I discovered her - but I don't think you need to be familiar with her to enjoy this book! Devantez opens up about her deepest traumas and biggest successes in this memoir, and does a fantastic job of being both serious and funny as appropriate. The book is organized into chapters about some of the most important women at different stages of her life, which was a creative format and tied in really well with her personal brand. This book will make you laugh and cry, and you'll come out of it feeling like you know Devantez.
Title/Author: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King
Reviewer: Jane S., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): First in a Series
Genre: Mystery
Format: eAudiobook
Length: 384 pages/13.5 hours
Personal Thoughts: Imagine being a whip-smart gal in early 20th century Britain and having the semi-retired Sherlock Holmes as your beekeeping neighbor! This is the story of how an orphan becomes his protégée and they begin to solve cases together as partners.
Title/Author: Shame Is an Ocean I Swim Across by Mary Lambert
Reviewer: Laura B., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Book with a Purple Cover, Disabled or Neurodivergent Author, LGBTQ+ Author, Under 200 Pages, Read More Challenge - Poetry Collection, & Read More Challenge - Genre You Don't Often Read
Genre: Poetry
Format: eBook
Length: 176 pages
Personal Thoughts: I rarely read poetry, and even more love a poetry book that I read - but I loved this one. Lambert, who is best known for her music, is a beautiful writer who is able to really effectively make the reader feel things through her words. Her poems are emotional and powerful, and really allow you to get to know her. Lambert deals with a lot of difficult topics, including sexual assault, mental health struggles, and body image issues, so definitely proceed with caution if you think it might be triggering. But despite the heavy topics, I do recommend this if you're looking for a poetry book to fill your bingo slot. Beyond what a good writer Lambert is, I think the biographical nature of these poems made this collection feel like it had a consistent narrative, which made it easier to process as someone who isn't used to reading poetry and often find my mind wandering when reading a poem.
Title/Author: Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy
Reviewer: Julie R., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Book with a Purple Cover, Main Character Over 60, & Read More Challenge - Book with a One Word Title
Genre: Fiction
Format: Print
Length: 223 pages
Personal Thoughts: This little book could tick a number of tricky summer reading boxes. Magical and remarkably pacy, the plight of a lonely woman in transition and the wayward mouse inhabiting her home grabbed my heart and gave it a good shake. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Title/Author: Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Reviewer: Laura B., Central Library
Bingo Square(s): Author of Color, Read More Challenge - Book with a One Word Title & Read More Challenge - Unreliable Narrator
Genre: Fiction
Format: Print
Length: 336 pages
Personal Thoughts: I feel like I'm the last person I know to read this book, and everyone who told me I would love it was correct! It's a twisted story and doesn't have any characters for you to root for, which I don't always love but it really worked here. Reading this book as someone who works with books and is familiar with a lot of current publishing scandals made it extra interesting, because I could pinpoint a lot of the real life situations that influenced things in the book.
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