Summer Isn’t Over Yet!

Fall and pumpkin spice is coming soon but we aren’t giving up on the lazy days of summer just yet!

So grab a glass of lemonade, turn on the fan, and enjoy the last long, hot days of summer with these books our staff recommends.

Heartstopper (Volumes 1, 2, 3, and 4!)
by Alice Oseman (YA GN Oseman)
If you are a fan of love, these are the books for you. An endearing coming of age and LGBTQ-positive book. (Volume 4 was my favorite!)
recommended by Beth N.

Sea of Tranquility
by Emily St. John Mandel (NEW SF Mandel)

It plays on the notion of time travel. The narrative weaves together through time from the 1800s to the future.
recommended by India F.

The Last Cuentista
by Donna Barba Higuera (JF Higue)
This year’s Newbery Medal winner delivers a unique juvenile science fiction story.  Humans need to abandon Earth, but making it to another inhabitable planet poses serious challenges.  This novel will be a quick and fun read for people who enjoyed A Wrinkle In Time.
recommended by Kyle M.

Lessons in Chemistry
by Bonnie Garmus (NEW F Garmus )
I loved the story of Elizabeth Zott, a single mother and aspiring scientist in the 60s who ends up hosting a widely popular TV cooking show. Watch how she rejects the norms for women during that time period and helps other women do the same. You’ll wish her story didn’t end.
recommended by Barbara G.

Last Night at the Telegraph Club
by Malinda Lo (YA F Lo)
A lovely coming-of-age story of Lily Hu, a Chinese American teenager living in Chinatown who is discovering her sexuality in 1950s San Francisco. Explores themes of sexuality, sexual orientation, racism, sexism, culture, immigration, and the Red Scare. You will root for her to have the courage to be her authentic self when there is so much pressure around her not to be.
recommended by Barbara G.

Will
by Will Smith (PEOPLE B Smith)
It’s his autobiography and is a good pleasant read of honesty and has great wit. He goes through his childhood, his career-high points, and not-so-good times as well. He also talks at length about being a husband and father, friend, movie star, producer, and his career in music. Anyone from Philadelphia and area will, I believe, appreciate it. I did.
recommended by Deb D.

The Guncle
by Steven Rowley (NEW F Rowley)
A famous TV actor who’s spent the last few years hiding out in Palm Springs has his life turned upside-down when he becomes caretaker of his niece and nephew for the summer. Riotously funny and heartwarming, I couldn’t put it down!
recommended by Lindsay C.

Thursday Murder Club
by Richard Osman (F Osman)
This mystery is set in a bucolic retirement community. When a local is found dead, the 4 extremely capable members of the club get together to solve their first murder. But it will not be their last.
recommended by Donna G.

Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
by Anderson Cooper and Katherine Howe (NEW PEOPLE B Cooper)
This historical book begins with the early years of Cornelius Vanderbilt, the founder of the Vanderbilt transportation dynasty and chronicles the rise and fall of this very famous family. Deeply insightful. Filled with scandal, excess, triumph, and loss.
recommended by Donna G.

Small Things
by Mel Tregonning (J GN Trego.M Smal)
No words, only illustrations. The story of a boy with his worries. Heartbreaking and overwhelming. Deals with anxiety, acceptance, vulnerability, and hope. It is both a hard read and an affirming one.
recommended by Beth N.

An Immense World
by Ed Yong (NEW SCIENCE 591.5 Yong)
A celebration and exploration of animal senses and how they (and we) live inside our own sensory bubbles. Dense, full of detail, and an absolutely fascinating read. You will see the world (and how other species see it) in new ways!
recommended by Beth N.