ORANGEBURG LIBRARY BLOG

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