Adult Summer Reading Reviews from our weekly prize entry forms

Some of our patrons loved the books....

5 Love Languages
By Gary Chapman
Reviewed by Melissa S.
"Great book for couples and even singles! It really gives you a good perspective on how you love and expect them to love you back."

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones

By Ann Walker
Reviewed by Jessica M.
"The book was wonderful for a step-by-step guide to making professional quality icecream, even for a first-timer."




Gone Girl
By Gillian Flynn
Reviewed by Leona C.
"This was a rough start for me I did not get sucked in until about 1/2 way! That being said the plot twist, and story line ended up being amazing! I was so glad I stuck it out and finished it."

...while some did not!

The Sixth Man
By David Baldacci
Reviewed by Kathy S.
"Dreadful. Dreck. Darn sorry I wasted my time reading this book."


The Reckoning
By Jeff Long
Reviewed by Jenni V.
"It says it's a thriller yet I kept waiting till the end for it to get thrilling. Was ok, but I wouldn't recommend it".

H is for Hawk
By Helen MacDonald
Reviewed by Ben F.
"Too much repetition."

The Martian

By Andy Weir

Astronaut Mark Watney is assisting his team during a violent sandstorm on Mars when he is speared by an antennae, thrown and buried in the dust. His life signs show that he has died. The rest of the team is ordered to abort the mission and leave without recovering Watney’s body because their ship is about to tip due to the ferocious velocity of the wind. Later, the plot thickens when NASA discovers that Watney is alive via satellite photos of the Mars landing site. He has been abandoned on Mars….and this all happens in the first few pages! With Watney’s limited food supply and damaged equipment, the NASA team needs to devise a plan to rescue their lost astronaut while the entire world is watching.

This sci-fi thriller is well-suited to geeks (scientists, geologists, mathematicians, chemists) as well as those who enjoy a story about the unstoppable tenacity of the human spirit.

Watney is clever in a MacGyver sort of way (duct tape!) while maintaining his hilarious and irreverent wit at all times.

This book is being made into a movie starring Matt Damon as Mark Watney.

Couldn’t put it down!

~ Paula

Friends Forever

By Danielle Steel

Told through multiple people, it’s the story of five people, who have been best friends since kindergarten, and their families. It tells of everyone’s trials and triumphs, happiness and grief from the very first day of kindergarten to after college graduation.

Once started, it is very hard to put this book down.

~ Crystal

Nobody’s Cuter Than You

A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship
By Melanie Shankle

This is a book about friendships. Not the electronic kind of friendships. The real flesh and blood, right next to you, no typing required friends. (No offense to social media users-I am one too).

I could relate to her stories even though I am far from a child of the 80’s. With wit and humor Melanie introduces you to her friends from early childhood to crazy teen years, college days and into married life. The book made me think of my friends and reminded me to continue to invest time in them.

I read this on my Kindle but would really like to have this book in my home library so I could re-read and highlight her many words of wisdom such as: “friendships are fragile and we need to handle them with respect and reverence”.

I highly recommend this book.

~ Dixie

The Rope: Anna Pigeon Series

By Nevada Barr

This book is a little more intense then my usual choices but I liked it just the same.

Anna Pigeon is a ranger with the National Park Service. Fresh off the bus from New York City, Anna takes an unglamorous job with the Glen Canyon National Park. One day she heads out for a hike alone and doesn’t return. Because she is so guarded about her life, and all her belongings are gone from her cabin, her co-workers assume she has moved on.

Anna wakes up trapped in a dry well, naked and with no memory how she got there. As her memory slowly returns, she realizes that this was no accident – she is a prisoner in a dire situation with little hope that anyone is looking for her. She will need all her courage, strength and intelligence to survive this situation.

~ Dixie

Joy of Zentangle

Drawing Your Way to Increased Creativity, Focus, and Well-Being

By Marie Browning, Suzanne McNeill, Sandy Bartholomew

There have been oodles of books written about Zentangle, the meditative not-quite-doodling technique catching the attention of artists and newcomers alike. Having never tried it myself, I decided to give this new book a shot. The authors did an excellent job keeping the instructions simple, and most of the book is filled with step-by-step examples of patterns to draw, as well as some more elaborate pieces for inspiration. As the authors say, there is no right or wrong, no required outcome, and anyone can try this fun method of drawing. Whether you want to create a masterpiece, take some time for relaxation, or just doodle for a bit, this book is a great place to start.

~Kaleena

Rock Art!

Painting and Crafting with the Humble Pebble

By Denise Scicluna

This book is jam-packed with full-color photos of everything you need to know to create amazing rock art for your home or garden. The adventure begins with the hunt for the perfect rock, smooth is good, but look for fun shapes, rocks that stand up, dark or light color, etc. Next, look at your rock for inspiration - does it suggest an object? Or, you can make "rocks" out of clay. Now, for the fun part: painting! There are dozens of ideas in this book based upon different themes. 

My favorite part of this book is the "Using Your Rock Art" section where the author/artist shows us practical and whimsical applications for your rock art. Cactus, anyone?

This book rocks! (Please pardon the pun.)

~ Paula

The Rosie Project

By Graeme Simsion

As sometimes happens, I listened to and blogged The Rosie Effect (the sequel to this book) a little more than a month ago. I knew that I would like this book because I enjoyed The Rosie Effect a great deal. Knowing how the book would end did not diminish my enjoyment of The Rosie Project. 

Don Tillman is extremely intelligent but he is also a bit over the top, a bit autistic (maybe) and a bit overwhelmed by the challenges in his life, especially in his search for a wife. He has a hard time fitting in socially and is looking for a wife via a survey he has devised. He is looking for the perfect woman but finds Rosie, who according to his survey is far from the perfect woman. 

This comedy had me laughing repeatedly. I recommend that you listen to The Rosie Project then The Rosie Effect, but in whatever order, they are both lots of fun. (Dan O’Grady’s Australian accent makes the entire experience even better.)

~ Beckie H.