Huntington Public Library Adult Reading Challenge

  Alone With You in the Ether is a beautifully written book that touched me on many different levels. While it says "love story" on the cover, this is a very nontraditional love story between two neurodivergent people living very different lives in Chicago. Blake's writing style is poetic at times, and the details she accentuates in each scene bring the setting to life. The book weaves mental health struggles and traumatic experiences into the story seamlessly, adding another layer of depth into an already multi-dimensional story. Anyone that is looking for a love story that doesn't follow the status quo will devour this book up, just as I did.

  A short book, about a summer vacation on Cape Cod with adult family. There are revelations about life, and secrets are exposed. It was a very good beach read!

  When very pregnant main character Jenny's fiance walks out on her , she finds herself on her own by giving birth that night. Turns out, being on your own is something that you are more capable of than you thought, as Jenny gets into a groove with her newborn. She learns who her friends are and finds that sometimes you come out better in the long run and disaster isn't as bad as it seemed. If you are looking for a good/easy summer read, pick up anything Katherine Center. You won't be disappointed.

  Wonderful + magical book! Reader will enjoy the characters as well as root for them in their struggles + quests. One also learns a lot about some of those pioneering women mentioned in story. Can’t wait to read another book by this author.

 This book was a fun and quick read blending murder mystery, comedy, and a little romance. The story follows Meddy and her relationship with her meddlesome aunts, providing plenty of laughs. However, the plot felt a little far-fetched at time. Overall, it's a decent read, but might not be everyone's cup of tea.

  I loved this book…there are problems, nasty people and everyone of the characters discovers truths about themselves.

 Thought this would be a good read when I saw accolades by one of my favorite authors, Richard Russo, on the cover. Protagonist is a 50 something-year-old divorcee who returns to Maine to bury her estranged mother. She relives the past, both through memories and interactions with old acquaintances. A lot goes on. A really good read.

 Major Ernest Pettigrew, retired, is 68 and still grieving the loss of this wife 6 years earlier when his younger brother dies of a sudden heart attack. Overwhelmed and at a loss, the local shopkeeper Jasmina Ali, also a recent widow, comes to his aid. Soon the two discover that they have many things in common including a love of books, literature, and tradition. But can their relationship survive the whispers and judgments of family, friends, and fellow villagers? Complicating matters even more is the inheritance and rightful ownership of a pair of antique shotguns, an American millionaire with plans to renovate the village, and the major's own son who is having woman trouble, business trouble, and real estate trouble not necessarily in that order. With wit, humor, and understanding Simonson weaves all of these threads into a cohesive story about love and the choices we make. Highly recommended.

  When a girl who lives books, reading books, and working with books is let go from her librarian job, she takes the leap into a new and unheard of career path in a new town where she knows no one. Love. Humor. Books. Adventures. Starting over. Great read!

 Read this book in 2 days!! Couldn't put it down! The protagonist is very young, graduating college in the Great Recession of 2010. Set in Cork City, Ireland, she experiences extremally predictable growing up gaffes. But I dont want to be  spoiler. Have to read it for yourself. If!!  I cried in the end ...

 Danielle Steel doesn't disappoint!! This is all about a 'handbag' company, love, family, unfortunate tragedies, and how they can be overcome. Lots of interesting facts about manufacturing, selling, and life lessons!! Love of family.

 Very interesting on how to run a winery! All the different ways that go into a bottle of wine. With a family that is supportive as long as the rules were followed. Also to follow your dreams and how women are strong and can follow their dreams against the odds!

  Caroline Shelby returns to Oysterville, WA after her career as a fashion designer ends in catastrophe. There she reunites with family and friends to put the pieces of her life back together. This story is a wonderful tale of redemption and the strength you can find from the people in you life. A beautiful story.

  This book brings modern feminism to the middle of the twentieth century. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist, a mom, and a role model. Zott is someone who is faced with challenges at every corner, but meets them head-on with class and confidence. This was a great book to read as a woman, and a must-read for men who think they’ve got women figured out.

  I'd never read Hildebrand before, and this was truly the perfect beach read - easy and fun! I was impressed by Hildebrand's attention to detail from specific brands she mentions in relation to each character to details about the various settings. I found myself sympathizing with several of the characters and reflecting on the concept of a "5 star weekend" - who are the people that have shaped my life? In what ways have we maintained or lost touch?

  I really wanted to love this book, and I really tried to. I just found the main character so pathetic and I got so mad about it. I do give the author a lot of credit for that though, making me irrationally mad definitely requires some great writing. This book is raw and depressing and I can see how people like it but it just wasn't the book for me. The main character is constantly in toxic relationships and overall just has a really unhealthy relationship with men and I felt for her, I really did. Mainly though I just wanted her to get a therapist.

  My required Elin Hilderbrand beach read for this year. Ms. Hilderbrand writes fun stories with setting on Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard. Light and entertaining

  I enjoyed this story and even had some laugh out loud moments. There was a lot of deep issues addressed and it made me think. It was light, yet real and current. I do recommend this book.

This book takes place in India, and involves the terrible treatment of women regarding work, old beliefs, torture and even murder. It is very disturbing think that anywhere in the world women are dealing with this abuse every day. Fortunately, the author also has a strong belief that things in the next generation will improve. The character development was so good, they became your friend, or enemy in the book. I "enjoyed" reading this- except for the sadness and torture. I do understand the reasons for the gruesome scenes. Well written.

At thirty-six , Hope McKenna-Smith is no stranger to bad news. She lost her mother to cancer, her husband left her, and her bank account is nearly depleted. Her own dreams of becoming a lawyer long gone, she’s running a failing family bakery on Cape Cod and raising a troubled preteen. Now, Hope’s beloved French-born grandmother Mamie is drifting away in a haze of Alzheimer’s. But in a rare moment of clarity, Mamie realizes that unless she tells Hope about the past, the secrets she has held on to for so many years will soon be lost forever. Tantalizingly, she reveals mysterious snippets of a tragic history in WWII Paris. Armed with a scrawled list of names, Hope heads to France to uncover a seventy-year-old mystery. Hope pieces together her grandmother’s past bit by bit. Uncovering horrific tales of the Holocaust. And to reunite two lovers torn apart by terror, all she’ll need is a dash of courage, and the belief that God exists everywhere, even in cake.