Hilda C. Landers Library & Archives

After spending two decades in Europe, travel memoir humorist Bill Bryson returns home to New Hampshire and decides there is no better welcome back for him than a hike on the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail, a feat about which he knows nothing. This hilarious account, sprinkled with interesting history of the trail, is full of humorous anecdotes and challenges he faced during his hike. I highly recommend this book if you want a light, fun, and interesting read.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Jordan Gaines
Rating: Must Read

Marissa Parlock has won the monthly prize drawing for July.

Submit a review by August 15 to be eligible for the our next drawing. Don’t forget prizes are available for all participants who submitted reviews between June 1 and August 15.

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2. Submit three reviews and win a set of postcards.
3. Submit five reviews and win a poster from Unshelved.
4. Submit seven reviews and win a refrigerator magnet.
5. Submit 10 reviews and win a bag of library swag.
6. Monthly prize drawings.

Angela’s Ashe’s is one of the best memoirs I have ever read. Frank McCourt’s memoir is heartbreaking, heartwarming, and hilarious. The first of three memoirs, Angela’s Ashes relates McCourt’s youth and adolescence in Limerick and Brooklyn; McCourt grew up in a broken home with an alcoholic father and a proverbial wolf at the door; death, alcoholism, faith, and hunger are recurring themes in McCourt’s memoir. It is difficult to list all the memorable anecdotes contained in McCourt’s memoir a few that stand out are, the generosity of the Italian Grocer in Brooklyn and McCourt’s first Holy Communion, wherein God was regurgitated into his Grandmother’s garden. McCourt’s voice is fresh, conversational and engaging it was all but impossible to set Angela’s Ashes down.

Availability: SMCM Library
Review Submitted by: Kevin Oldfield
Rating: Must Read

Continuing in my recent obsession with reading plays, Rabbit Hole presents a heart-wrenching picture of moving on after the death of a child. This play drops you in the center of the action several months after the death of Becca and David’s 4 year old son. Though he gives very little stage direction, one of the most important notes Lindsay-Abaire makes is that actors must avoid sentimentality at all costs. While the play grapples with loss, anguish, and bereavement, it is not full of tears. Instead, Lindsay-Abaire gives you a real picture of the almost cruel way life must go on after the death of a child. As you can easily guess, while I think the work is amazing, it is not for the faint hearted. Lindsay-Abaire’s dialogue refuses to ever give the audience a complete picture of the characters emotions and leaves the audience with questions rather than resolution. It is the type of read that stays with you long after you finish the last scene and opens up a clear insight into life after loss. However, if you’re want to have a quick read that will leave you thinking, I highly recommend Rabbit Hole.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Lauren Grey
Rating: Highly Recommended

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading fantasy. It was great finale to the series! The character development in this last chapter of the Harry Potter series was wonderful.

Read Lauren Grey’s review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Lisa Williams
Rating: Highly Recommended

In this book, George Orwell made you step back and think about the nature of people and how easily they can be manipulated. It is a stimulating book, not one you would necessarily pick up for a trip to the beach for some light reading.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Lisa Williams
Rating: Recommended

I can often see the “twist” in a story long before it is revealed, but this one caught me sideways! Elderly writer taps a young woman to write her life’s story, but the older woman is known to make up “stories” as real life, and the young writer is interested in the project only if Ms. Winter promises to tell the “truth”. Described as a gothic novel, I was immediately pulled into this telling of a tale.

Highly recommend for a light yet thought provoking read.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Michelle Marble
Rating: Highly Recommended

The novel’s heroine is Lizzy Tucker a pastry chef who inherits her aunt’s family home in Salem, Massachusetts. She soon discovers her pastry skills may be more than just talent; she may have “special” gifts. The novel begins with Wulf, a dark character, trying to find seven deadly charms. These charms collectively unlock a dangerous secret stone. Diesel, Wulf’s cousin, is one of the good guys. His mission is to protect Lizzy and stop Wulf from securing the stone. Diesel tells Lizzy she is an  “unmentionable,” a person with special powers and that her power is the ability locate lost artifacts and charms. When Lizzy uncovers the gluttony charm and puts it on she discovers its power; she can’t stop eating and Diesel has to hide the charm.

There are other unique characters who help Lizzy and Diesel; a wannabe witch whose spells backfire, a one-eyed cat who has more than nine lives and Carl the monkey who likes to give people the finger when he’s angry. This novel is full of humor and light entertainment.

Availability: USMAI
Review Submitted by: Cheryl Colson
Rating: Recommended

Mort is a wonderful novella by Terry Pratchett that tells the tale of a boy who becomes Death’s apprentice. The book is set in Pratchett’s personal fictional setting Discworld, though no prior knowledge or reading is needed to enjoy this book. The humor is very sharp and dry, and the characters are wonderfully detailed. Pratchett’s interpretation of the Grim Reaper himself is probably the best part, offering a very unique spin on the centuries old icon.

Availability: USMAI
Submitted by: Kevin Koeser
Rating: Highly Recommended

The Monsters of Templeton is about a young woman [Willie], who had an unorthodox upbringing, and her journey to find herself. The book begins with Willie, an educated anthropologist, returning to her family home in Templeton. She’s distressed over an affair with her married mentor and the discovery that she is not the product of her mother’s 1970’s hippie lifestyle; her father actually lives in Templeton. As the story progresses the writer flips between Willie’s historical ancestors and her life in the present day. The book has photos of her ancestors, their diary’s and the family tree. As I read this book, I found myself caring less about Willie’s personal life and her struggle to find her own identity, and more interested in her colorful and somewhat neurotic ancestors.

Availability: SMCM
Review Submitted by: Cheryl Colson
Rating: Recommended