Adult Summer Reading Raffle Book Reviews

Week 4

 

Lone Wolf by Jody Picoult.  5 Stars.  “Loved it.  Read it before or after The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein.  Full circle of life!!” – Cindy Raphael

The Hypnotist’s Love Story by Liane Moriarty.  5 Stars.  “Fabulous story line.  Plenty of sidelines.  Could put it down!  Highly recommend.” – Neysa Scala

 

Jack 1939 by Francine Mathews.  4 Stars.  “I love reading mysteries, thrillers, and historical fiction.  Jack 1939 fits all these categories, so this was a definite winner for me.  The book is well written, and the suspense builds with each chapter.  The interplay between FDR and the young Jack Kennedy is fascinating, and the detailing of the pre-war atmosphere in Paris and London is chilling.  I hope that this author will write other stories centering on WWII.” – John Buckley

 

Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman.  4 Stars.  “Though it takes about 100 pages to really get going, Potboiler is a really fine spoof of the typical spy novel.  Very clever indeed and it gets better and better as it goes along. (This misses a 5-star rating due to an utterly inconsistent ending).  Lotsa fun!” – Marty Cohen

Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.  5 Stars.  “Definitely the best book I’ve read by her.  An interesting read about a school shooting, it grabs your attention right away.  A twist in plot and mixed perceptions definitely held my attention.  I would highly recommend this book to anyone.” – Shannon Andrews

Adult Summer Reading Raffle Book Reviews 

Week 3

Ideal Man by Julie Garwood. “Cute book. It makes me want to be young again.” -- Ruth Schmidt

 Defending Jacob by William Landay. 4 stars. “WOW, could not put down!!! Will definitely recommend to friends!!! Can’t wait to read William Landay’s other two books!”—Kim Satin

 Sacre Bleu by Christopher Moore. 4 Stars. I thoroughly enjoyed Sacre Bleu. The Subtitle of this book is “A Comedy D’Art,” and this work certainly lives up to that description. The action takes place primarily in Paris during the 19th century and follows the rise of the Impressionist painters. This is essentially a work of fantasy, and the tale stretches back to 38,000 BC and forward to October 2012. I found the author’s writing style to be quite interesting and very witty. I think that a reader with a decent background in art history (which I sadly lack) would really derive the most satisfaction from this novel. Although the book is written from a comic perspective, I found the exploration of the relationship between artist and muse, really the heart of the story, to be compelling. All in all, I would say that this is a good, worthwhile read, especially during these hot summer days.” -- John Buckley

 Me the People by Kevin Bleyer. 5 Stars. “Wonderfully funny and at the same time very informative.” – Martin Cohen

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. 3 and a half stars. “This was the first book I read by Kinsella. I enjoyed it very much because it never got boring. I was able to relate to the protagonist too. It may have scared me out of becoming a lawyer though! It’s an easy read, light, and happy.” –Shannon Andrews

Potboiler by Jesse Kellerman. 4 stars. “Jesse Kellerman usually writes gory murder novels. This is really different. It’s a spoof on spy novels and modern adventure books and it’s truly touching. Some of it is laugh out loud. The hero is very real. Needing to know what happens to him kept me reading almost without stopping. I read it all in a day. Highly recommended. One of the characters, incidentally, is Jesus Maria de Lunchbox. What a great name!” –Judy Cohen

The Rope by Nevada Barr. 5 stars. “I have been a big fan of author Nevada Barr, especially of her Anna Pigeon series. The Rope is the 17th installment in this series and serves as a prequel. The story takes place in the Lake Powell area in Utah. It recounts Anna Pigeon’s first experience as a park ranger. At the very start of the tale, Anna has vanished, and her co-workers believe that she has simply quit. Anna, however, finds herself in quite a dangerous predicament and has to overcome huge obstacles to survive. This work is well-written, and the narrative is quite exciting. Fans of Anna Pigeon should be well pleased. Newcomers to the series should find their appetites whetted to explore the 16 stories which were previously published.” –John Buckley

Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker. 5 Stars. “LOVED! LOVED! LOVED! Very sweet coming of age novel with a major twist!! Could not put down, read it in a day!!!” – Kim Satin

Adult Summer Reading Raffle Book Reviews

Week 2
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer. 3 Stars – Leila Haavan

Brain Bugs by Dean Buonomano. 3 Stars. “Interesting stuff on aspects of the brain that we don’t usually hear about. Some new insights.” – Marty Cohen

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. 5 Stars! “The next in this marvelous Outlander series. We’re approaching the American Revolution and the history is right on. The characters are real and wonderful and the sex is terrific. I’ve already started the next book in this series and I hope they never end!” – Judy Cohen

Dead Last by James W. Hall. 4 Stars – N. Scala

Free Reference Series!

Orangeburg Library has free reference series to give away. If you are interested, please contact Cheryl or Libby.
Please click here for the complete list of series!

Adult Summer Reading Raffle Book Reviews

Week 1

Skinnydipping by Bethany Frankel.  Five stars.  Never expected to enjoy as much as I did – great plot.  Couldn’t put down. – N. Scala

The Expats by Chris Pavone.  Five stars.  Loved this book!!  Fast paced, couldn’t put it down!!! High recommend!! – Anonymous

Matched by Ally Condie.  For a young adult novel, I was surprised at how much I liked it.  Kept me interested, can’t wait to read the next one in the series. – Colleen Bonfiglio

The Art of HearingHeartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker.  Five stars. One of the best. – Thea Goldstein

The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon.  Five stars.  Fifth in a series of tremendously exciting historical fiction.  It’s serious, riotously funny, very sexy, and sublimely written.  The “heroine” is a time traveler from the 20^th century (do not be put off by this!) who goes to 18^th-century Scotland in the earlier books and is currently in pre-revolutionary North Carolina (see for yourself how she got there) with the love of her life and wonderfully-realized other characters.  Start with Outlander, the first of the series, and then thank me!  -- Judy Cohen

Birds of Prey

Monday, July 16 @ 7:00 PM
Would you like to see a golden eagle, a peregrine falcon or perhaps, a saw-whet owl? If so, join us to see and learn about these and other birds of prey. You’ll see six live raptors and spend a magical hour gaining a greater knowledge and appreciation of the raptors of the northeast. Sponsored by the S. Orangetown Libraries. Tickets will be available at your home library. For children entering K-6. Limited seating.