Closter Public Library discussion

Welcome to the Closter Public Library 2020 Adult Summer Reading!
This year there will be no prizes, only enjoying reading while connecting with each other.Share your books, comments, and reviews with on this page with others, and participate in our summer-long events- from July 1 to Sept. 1
Library at Home Book Club- digital book club
BYOB Literary Lunch- casual chat about books and reading biweekly
Short Story Club- Discuss a thought-provoking short story biweekly
All events take place on Zoom. Contact Library for links.

currently reading The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. Enjoying it....stay safe everyone.

I’m reading Verity by Colleen Hoover. An easy read and a real page turner. Almost halfway through. Hope everyone enjoys their 4th of July weekend!!

Shelley wrote: "currently reading The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. Enjoying it....stay safe everyone."

Just finished Saint X by Alexis Shaikin: Wrapped around a mystery about the death of a teenager at a (fictional) Carribean island (Saint X) in the 90's is an often engrossing book about grief mixed with racism, classism and white privilege. Told mostly in the voice of Claire, younger sister of Allison who was found dead on their family's vacation at a resort in Saint X, it also spotlights many other voices including suspects in her death, and others who were at the resort at the time. The book is often a page turner, though there are some turgid and pretty unbelievable moments (I know grief can cause all sorts of problems, but Claire's actions as a young adult are pretty hard to believe), on the whole a very quick and absorbing read.

Shelley wrote: "currently reading The Ice Cream Queen of Orchard Street. Enjoying it....stay safe everyone."

Sounds good Shelley, I have added it to my list, let us know if it stays good to the end.

Starting "The End of October", yes a book about a plague!

Finished "Just Mercy": This is a wow book filled with amazing if awful stories. It alternates chapters about Stevenson's work as he finishes law school and begins a practice defending mostly death row prisoners. It is eye opening and horrifying, the racism, lies, and disregard from so many people (usually white men) in authority makes much of it hard to believe, but it is thoroughly documented. One case in particular is highlighted, that of Walter McMillan, an obviously innocent black man who was sentenced to death row in Alabama. Not only is the book absorbing and gripping, but it is also very well written. A must read. And now I want to see the movie, anyone seen it?
(Still working on The End of October: also very good)

Finished The End Of October: As many have said this is an almost unbelievably prescient book about a pandemic. This one is much more virulent than (currently) Corona19, but there are so many similarities to our current situation that are very chilling. That said it is more than a bit wordy; too much extraneous info about viruses, vaccines, biological warfare, US Russian relations and submarines. I suppose some people may like all the research that obviously went into the book, but my attention certainly wandered at a bit too much detail. This mostly follows an epidemiologist as he tries to find a cure to the virus that started in Indonesia and spread to the rest of the world. Some details are so spot on (the critical shortage of protective gear, the US government's lack of response causing states to fend for themselves, and political infighting along with scary Russian interference) that it is amazing to think this was written before the pandemic. If you don't mind skimming some of the above mentioned details (which I did) on the whole an engrossing read.
Just starting Redhead at the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler, one of my favorite authors.

I just finished City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert. I loved her portrayal of NYC in the 40s and 50s, the theater, the characters and the changes brought by the war.

I just finished listening to Redhead on the Side of the Road by Anne Tyler, the first book I’ve read by her. I enjoyed the story and characters but it ended so abruptly I wondered if there was something wrong with Hoopla! It was very disappointing; it should have been a short story.