My LINKcat AccountThe Summer Reading Program started on May 20th which means it has been up and running for 4 weeks on Saturday, June 17th. Already it looks like this will be a Summer Reading Program will surpass last year’s rather impressive numbers. As of the writing of this piece, 556 people have registered for the program; last year the entire program had 809 register. Of those who registered, so far, 345 have logged books compared to the 655 readers last year. 5,146 books have been read compared with the 31,444 total last year. 661 activities have been completed compared to 4,642 logged for the entire summer last year. 2,350 badges have been earned so far when last year 10,709 badges were earned. 71 events have been logged compared to the 357 last year. Already 66 reviews have been written compared to the 149 reviews last year. All in all, I would have to say we are off to a stunning start. There are 50 days left until the end of the Summer Reading Program which means there’s still plenty of time for you to contribute to surpassing last year’s rather impressive numbers. Consider checking out some of the books listed below. Read them. Log them. Pump up our numbers! And, enjoy!
New Non-Fiction
“Defiant Dreams: The Journey of an Afghan Girl Who Risked Everything for Education” by Sola Mahfouz. The memoir of a tenacious Afghan girl who secretly educated herself behind closed doors during Taliban rule and escaped to the United States to pursue a career in quantum computing.
“The Last Ride of the Pony Express: My 2,000 Mile Horseback Journey into the Old West” by Will Grant. Inspired by the likes of Mark Twain, Sir Richard Burton and Horace Greeley, a cowboy and journalist takes us an epic and authentic horseback journey across the American West as he rides the Pony Express trail from one end to the other,
“My Friends Anne Frank: The Inspiring and Heartbreaking True Story of Best Friends Torn Apart and Reunited Against All Odds” by Hannah Pick-Goslar. In a long‑awaited memoir, a Holocaust survivor shares an intimate look into her life and friendship with Anne Frank.
“Dogs Demystified: An A-Z Guide to All Things Canine” by Marc Bekoff. Forward by Jane Goodall. The expert is an expert at turning cutting-edge science into practical, reader-friendly information. The encyclopedic entries in this book cover everything related to dog care, dog-human relationships, and dog behavior, cognition, and emotions, making this the accessible book that every dog lover should have.
“The Summer of 1876: Outlaws, Lawmen, and Legends in the Season That Defined the American West” by Chris Wimmer. From the creator of the "Legends of the Old West" podcast, this book explores the overlapping narratives of the biggest legends in frontier mythology and examines summer of 1876 as a key time period in the development of the mythology of the Old West.
“Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World” by Theresa MacPhail. This important and deeply researched exploration of allergies, from their first medical description in 1819 to the cutting-edge science that is illuminating the changes in our environment and lifestyles that are making so many of us sick.
New Fiction
“Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 (A Novel)” by T.J. Newman. Flight attendant turned New York Times bestselling author T. J. Newman returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a commercial jetliner that crashes into the ocean and sinks to the bottom with passengers trapped inside—and the extraordinary rescue operation to save them.
“Body in the Web: A Faith Fairchild Mystery (Book 26)” by Katherine Hall Page. In the 26th book in the award-winning Faith Fairchild Mysteries series, the beloved amateur detective is hunkered down with her family during the pandemic when a Zoom-bombing scandal sends the community into a tailspin and a dead body is discovered.
“The Wishing Game” by Meg Shatter. Years ago, a reclusive mega-bestselling children’s author quit writing under mysterious circumstances. Suddenly he resurfaces with a brand-new book and a one-of-a-kind competition, offering a prize that will change the winner’s life in this absorbing and whimsical novel.
“Beware the Woman” by Megan Abbott. Newly married and with a baby on the way, Jacy and her new husband Jed embark on their first road trip together to visit his father, Doctor Ash, in Michigan’s far-flung Upper Peninsula. After a health scare Jacy begins to feel trapped in the cottage, watched, and more and more afraid.
“Clive Cussler Fire Strike (Oregon Files, No. 17)” by Mike Maden. Juan Cabrillo and the crew of the Oregon must battle an army of genetically engineered mercenaries to stop a hypersonic missile attack in this explosive new adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.
“The Wind Knows My Name” by Isabel Allende and Frances Riddle This Book intertwines past and present and tells the tale of two unforgettable characters, both in search of family and home. It is a testament to the sacrifices that parents make and a love letter to the children who survive the most unfathomable dangers—and never stop dreaming.
“The Survivor (Eve Duncan, No.1)” by Iris Johansen. This captivating and thrilling novel that blends history, archaeology, and mystery into an exciting adventure when Eve Duncan and Riley Smith must solve their most exciting puzzle since “A Face to Die For “when asked to uncover the mysterious secret hidden on a remote island.