Summer Reading

Halfway through the summer, I realized I hadn't done a monthly reading recap since May. However, I hadn't actually read much, so I put the concept on hold for the summer, and decided to post a "Summer Reading" recap at the end of August. I read 20 books this summer, which seems like a low number since I usually read double digit books each month, but I did have a lot going on as I:

• trudged through Harry Potter (don't get me wrong - I love the books, but they take me FOREVER to read!)
• completed internship hours in the Children's Department
• started a new job
• finished my degree
• had two children and a husband needing attention

Anyway, I feel like I didn't read much, and I'm saving my Harry Potter recap for when I finish the series (nope, still not done!), so here are my favorite books from the summer.

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein. I was sucked in to this book from the beginning - books and riddles and codes and a super-cool library?! I’m in. It was a really good story, and I appreciate how it will get younger kids, especially those who aren’t readers and are more into games, into reading. There were book titles and references galore in this book, so it was fun to place those. It reminded me of Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman.

Mr. Lemoncello’s Library Olympics by Chris Grabenstein. I liked this second book a lot… maybe even more than the first? I felt like the puzzles and games were more involved, or perhaps just better written than the first book, because I felt very into the story. There was some suspense, and it will definitely engage middle grade readers.

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg. Read for “research” as I develop a LGBT collection for the YA section at work. Really loved this one - emotional and tangled. Rafe was openly gay in his hometown, and everyone was fine with it - but he still felt limited by the label. He transfers to a boarding school across the country and doesn't tell anyone he's gay. For the first time, Rafe feels like he's just himself, until he starts falling for his friend. 

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp. I feel like I’ve read a lot of school shooting books lately - is this a trend? This one was really amazing though. The bulk of the story (except for the epilogue) took place in about an hour, though it jumped between four different POVs. Very effective, very emotional.