Albany Public Library discussion
2024 Summer Reading Challenge
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Week 1 - Summer Reading Challenge begins and What are Library workers reading?
Mod
I can't wait to see what people have to say about their summer reads. I am off the rest of this week but excited to see what others are up to.
Hi - I'm Susan, and I am excited for another year of summer reading. (And also, I see that Troy Public Library is giving out a cool drinking class for their adult summer reading this year, so maybe something to think about for 2025. . . )Right now I am reading An American Summer, "a richly textured, heartrending portrait of love and death in Chicago's most turbulent neighborhoods." It is engaging, but I can only take it in small bursts, especially since I have two kids going to school in Chicago right now.
I am also reading In This House of Brede, which is a welcome relief after reading about a Chicago summer. I read a lot of books by Rumer Godden when I was a kid, but this is my first adult title by her. I am only a couple of chapters in, but am already finding it lovely and different than expected. I didn't anticipate so much humor in a book about cloistered nuns.
Finally, I am reading Ghost Town Living: Mining for Purpose and Chasing Dreams at the Edge of Death Valley. Someone recommended it to me because I was looking for books set in more unknown places after reading my umpteenth book set in NYC. I am still trying to figure out what possessed the author to buy an abandoned mining town in the dessert. He is a little bit infuriating.
Hi my name is Sandy! I tend to alternate between mysteries and light-hearted reads.I am currently reading Emily Henry's Book Lovers and listening to The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware (while I walk the dog).
I'm a working mom of 2 kids, a cat, a dog, and a husband. I should get a TON of reading done this summer as I travel between softball games and baseball games!
Yay, summer reading! I am currently listening to
Salvation of a Saint
, a mystery by Keigo Higashino.
Hi, I am Paul and I have two parrot companions - Hannibal and Casey (both are rescues and came knowing their names). My favorite author is Kris Pearson (who writes mysteries under Kristie Klewes). I am most of my way though J.D. Robb's series, because I limit myself. I also enjoy SciFi.
Reading in one form or another: Star Carrier book eight by Ian Douglas, Just One Look by Roselind James, and The Suite Life by Melanie Summers.
Hello everyone, I am Cinzia. I hope to complete the challenge this summer. I favor non-fiction, especially with science connection, but enjoy also lighter reading in the summer. Right now I am listening to "The Sentence" by Louise Erdrich, and reading "Dark Tides" by Philippa Gregory.
Enjoy these beautiful days!
Hi, my name is Kathryn and I’m so excited about the new shirt design! I’m currently reading Yellowface and it’s quite the scandal!
Hi I’m Karina! I love reading many genres but mostly romance and contemporary fiction. I am currently reading The Guncle by Steven Rowley and just started Call Me by Your Name by Andre Aciman. I have a bookstagram where I share fun bookish things and reviews Instagram.com/kooksbooknook
Hi all! I’m Courtney and I’m excited to join the summer reading! I love reading all genres so it’s hard to pick! but I’d say fantasy (magical realism), and mystery/ thrillers are my go-to’s
I just finished two books that I loved!!
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
And
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Tonight I just started the memoir Freckled by TW Neal.
Hl
Happy reading!!
Hi! I'm Jess and I like to read a lot of different kinds of books but my favorites are romance and fantasy. I recently read some Abby Jimenez books and they were really good! I've also read the Solo Leveling manhwas that Hannah mentioned and they are amazing! even if you don't typically read those kind of books..if you like fantasy/action/adventure, you'll probably like Solo Leveling
Hi everyone... I'm looking forward to eight weeks of reading. I tend to mostly read working class and historical fiction and memoir. I most recently finished James by Percival Everett and loved it. Might have some or his other books on my summer list now!
Patrick wrote: "Hi everyone... I'm looking forward to eight weeks of reading. I tend to mostly read working class and historical fiction and memoir. I most recently finished James by Percival Everett and loved it...." Oooh, I am almost afraid to read James because I have heard it receive so many accolades that I am afraid I will be disappointed.
For me, 10 books in 8 weeks will be a challenging challenge.I'm starting with Miranda July's latest - All Fours.
Hi, Elizabeth here. Looking forward to making a dent in the book pile, just finished “Sandwich” by Catherine Newman and “All Quiet on the Western Front” before that so I kind of range all over. Currently reading “Outlaw Cook” by John Thorne and “Love Like That” by Emma Duffy-Comparone.
Hi! Also a Hannah, recently-minted Library Assistant at Pine Hills, and also a cat-mom (my guy's name is Dusty). I'm mostly into graphic novels, but I also admit I'm kinda just coming back into reading for fun after a 5-year stint working in the audiobook industry. I'd say my most recent recommended read is the rather timely Banned Book Club, but I also want to give some Pride Month shout-outs to Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up with Me and the ALA's 3-years-running Most Challenged Book Gender Queer.
Hi I’m Lese! I love historical fiction and recently have started reading more thrillers/mystery & romance. My last read was “The Thing About Home.” Currently reading “When No one is Watching” by Alyssa Cole and recently requested “Coleman Hill” by Kim Coleman.Two of my top 2 books are “Paper Names” & “House of Eve” :)
Hi I’m Anessa! I’m obsessed with horror (books only, ik it’s weird 😂), mystery/thrillers and the occasional romcom but dark is my steez! My current book is The Violence 🔪 by Delilah Dawson - a violent (duh 🙄) take on COVID basically!
Hello! I am excited to try to do this summer challenge! I completed it 2 summers ago, but my reading has slowed down recently. I am getting married in September, just purchased my first home, and have a very busy summer planned, but am trying to save time for some reading!
I like psychological thrillers and horror stories most, but looking forward to seeing your recommendations!
Hello! Just finished Julia Alvarez book The Cemetery of Untold Stories. Am trying to get into the next book for the. North Albany Book Group, but admit that I am struggling — it is “Heirs of the Founders" by H. W. Brands
Hi! I'm Jess. A couple of my favorites are Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I'm currently reading Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple. I'm also a pretty big Christina Lauren fan - I always plan to read their books when they're released!
Hi there! I am Jen! Favorite book of all time is a tie for two: Watership Down, and Roscoe (William Kennedy, because it’s the law!). My favorite book of 2023 was Chain Gang All-Stars and my favorite book of 2024 (so far) is Tom Lake.Looking forward to participating! I just started Good Material yesterday.
Hello! Is there anything better than a summer reading book challenge especially put on by the lovelies at APL??? I'm Alicia and my current listen is the very popular Hannah book The Women and my current print book read is The Deep Dark. Like Karina above, I have a bookstagram if anyone wants to give a follow @readersbeadvised and I love cemetery walking so if anyone has an awesome old cemetery they think I should visit, please share.
Hey! Excited to join for the first time :) My name is Siai-Anne (pronounced like Cheyenne), and I’m a busy mom to two kids (6 months and 3 years) with an even busier career at times. I’m currently finishing up “Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates as an audiobook and physically reading the Britney Spears memoir. Hopefully I can make it through the challenge!
Hey everyone! I’m Heather and I’m excited about this challenge. One of my favorite books is The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green and I’m currently reading The Book of Love by Kelly Link. I tend to be drawn to psychology and self help type books but have been really enjoying a break to explore fantasy again. If anyone has any magical realism book favorites to recommend, please send them my way!
Hello I'm Noreen and the first book I have just finished reading for this challenge is _The Hearts Invisible Furies_ by John Boyne
Does a book that I finished yesterday (6/27) "count" for this challenge, or does it have to be today (6/28) forward?
I'm on a forever reading challenge ;) but Summer Challenges always make me nostalgic for the days we could win pizza coupons for hitting targets. One summer I read 300 books (this was in the days of devouring Nancy Drew books) and I'm still chasing that joy (sans pizza, womp womp).Just finished Ghosts of Honolulu which was heavy & insightful in topic but fell short in delivery (Mark Harmon's narration was surprisingly flat). Finished A Grave Robbery by Deanna Raybourn before that, and I'm looking for something equally fun and flippant in my next read.
Hello ! I’m Ashley . This is my first summer reading challenge and I just finished rock paper scissors by Alice feeney
@Simi - Ooh, pizza coupons!! We MIGHT be getting Stewart's coupons. I don't know if that is just for kids, or adults too. Have you read The Bandit Queens? It is supposed to be funny, but it involves killing husbands, so I am not sure if that is truly funny. I am trying to figure out if it would be a good summer read or not.
Hello! I’m Theresa and I have loved reading about all of your cats (and books). I have two kids and often dream about the day I’ll be ready to add being a cat mom back into my life. Some of my favorite books recently have been Pachinko by Min Jin Lee and The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I love the author Donna Tartt.
I am a teacher, so now that it’s summer I’m so excited to have time to read! I am currently reading book two of the Slow Horses spy books. I think they’re great. I don’t really have a favorite genre. I love memoir. I love fiction. I love non-fiction. I guess I care less about plot; the writing has to grab me.
Happy summer to everyone!
Hello, all! My name is Elise, and I have two chaos shibes (Ochaco and Tama) who take up a lot of my would-be reading time. 😂❤️ I run a full-time Etsy shop, where I sell handmade stickers.😊My favorite genre is fantasy and I especially enjoy YA, which I find is home to more diverse authors and stories than "adult" novels. I also love manga!
I'm currently listening to "Legendborn," by Tracy Deonn, and recently got my hands on an arc of "Somewhere Beyond The Sea," by TJ Klune (thrilled to return to Marsyas Island and my lovelies!!!)
Looking forward to this year's Summer Reading Challenge and delving into some of the books Hannah, Grace, and Emily worked hard to put together for us! 😊
Hi, Paul again. I have finished three books this week. The Suite Life by Melanie Summers. Bright Light by Ian Douglas. Last night before I fell asleep I finished Just One Look by Rosaline James. Now things will slow a bit as I pick up some more titles.
Mod
I'm starting with Miranda July's latest - All Fours."
We believe in you, Spencer!
Mod
Counted!
Mod
Hi there, I’m Brianna. I’m much better at buying books than I am reading them! The summer reading challenge is always a welcome motivator to get me turning pages. I have five cat kids who keep me quite busy - Bear, Phoebe, Fisher, Oryx, and Aston.
Hi all! So excited to do the summer reading challenge again this year. I'm really looking forward to seeing what everyone else in the group is reading. I am getting into The Wheel of Time series this year - just finished the first book yesterday. I have always been a big reader, buyer of books, and library supporter. I try to bring my kids to the library at least once a week. I am also very grateful for APL's monthly Silent Book Club.
Hello Hannah. Hope posting in right place lol. I finished two books yesterday. 1. The Weekend Retreat by Tara Laskowski
2. Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Both great books. Before Your Memeoy Fades is part of a series of books. I am definitely interested in reading more of this series.
The Weekend Retread is a hard to put down book. The whole book is suspenseful and the major twist at the end you won’t see coming.
Hello,I’m happy to be participating in the challenge again this summer. My name is Jennifer and I am married with a teenage son and dog.
I am in a couple of book clubs and just finished Sense and Sensibility last night for one of them. I’m reading Candy House for another. Both have been a struggle to get through.
I enjoy mysteries, contemporary and historical fiction, and memoirs, but will also read fantasy, romance, and YA on occasion. I love collecting book recommendations and learning about newly released books.
For the week, I finished two issues of Something is Killing the Children (#36 and #37) via Hoopla, finished listening to Hannah's The Women on Libby, read the letters of Ursula Nordstrom in Dear Genius, and a verse novel by Jamie Sumner (highly recommend) called Deep Water.
@Susan ooh! adding that to my (neverending) TBRI'll take Stewart's coupons... does being a kid at heart count?
I'm a library worker and I started out my summer reading with one of my favorite authors: Riley Sager. His new book is Middle of the Night. I enjoyed it, but I wish he would go full on horror with a ghost story. This one sort of went between the two. I am trying to find a good horror/ghost/haunted house book to read. I was on a thriller kick for a while and I'm itching to read more. That was probably brought on when I read King's new one, You Like it Darker. Because yes, I do.
Um… Susan, WHY are you looking at Troy’s Summer Reading Program goods? Where is your loyalty??!!!! I take personal offense… as someone who no longer has anything to do with APL’s program, hahaha.I finished Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books… perfect for a book club read and apropos for our times without being depressing. Enjoyable, interesting characters existing within a small, southern town.
Anne C wrote: "Um… Susan, WHY are you looking at Troy’s Summer Reading Program goods? Where is your loyalty??!!!! I take personal offense… as someone who no longer has anything to do with APL’s program, hahaha...."
A hazard of the job. But I do admit that I like their prizes. Maybe I will register with them next year, ha, ha.
Happy Summer fellow readers!I like to read everything, but read more fiction than nonfiction.
Week 1, I finished His & Hers by Alice Feeney and Final Cut by Marjorie Mc Cown.
Week 2 I finished We Sold Our Souls by Grady Hendrix and Wakenhyrst by Michelle Paver. Paver's Chronicles of Ancient Darkness (a children's series) is one of my favorite series. Wakenhyrst was a well written story, but I did not love any of the characters the way I did Wolf Brother.
I am currently still making my way through The 100 Years' War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi and The Kind Worth Saving by Peter Swanson.
Hi Summer readers, I've been reading, but didn't join you at the start of summer. Mostly I've been listening to books while driving or watering in the garden.
So far, I've finished -
-The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store (started this one in winter) - by James McBride -- I liked it, but felt like only one of the three main characters' stories was resolved in the ending.
-Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. It was gripping, but dystopian novels are a bit dark for me in the summer and as the world seems to be dark enough.
-The Music of Bees - by Eileen Garvin - this was a bit of a palate cleanser after Prophet Song. It was light and uplifting, but felt like watching a Hallmark movie.
-Clark and Division - Naomi Hirahara - Mystery-ish/historical fiction combo, set in Chicago in the 1940s. The book discusses Japanese internees who left Manzanar for the city and their struggles. Not predictable, which I appreciated, but sometimes a bit slow. I'll read your list for recommendations of things to read!
For my third book in the summer reading program I read The #1 Lawyer by James Patterson. His books are always a quick and easy read. They are hard to put down all. The chapters are only a few pages long each.
For my fourth book, I also finished Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner.
I'm Elizabeth! I'm a little late to the party, but am excited for some of the upcoming themes.I recently read Nathan Hill's Wellness and I absolutely can't stop thinking about it. Of the staff picks, I've read three:
Anxious People - I laughed and cried! I thought this one was just such a charmer.
Never Let Me Go - This one was haunting, and I keep meaning to watch the movie. I recently read Klara & the Sun which is also good, though I prefer Never Let Me Go.
My Year of Rest and Relaxation - classic girlrot, love this book. I've read a few of Moshfegh's other books and really adore her work.
Currently reading:
All Fours by Miranda July (almost done, it's a delight!)
Infinite Jest by DFW (#infinitesummer)
Blackouts by Justin Torres (lovely)
Albany Public Library
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Murder Your Employer (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Leigh Bardugo (other topics)C.M. Waggoner (other topics)
Emily St. John Mandel (other topics)
Welcome and thank you for joining us for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge!
If you would like to register, or still haven’t registered, please email us at: albanyreads@albanypubliclibrary.org
We need the following information:
- First and Last Name (So we can match names to prizes.)
- Your preferred library branch for pick up (We also haven’t mastered quantum teleportation yet)
- Your preferred contact info by email and/or phone (we will contact you when shirts are ready for pickup!)
Please introduce yourselves in the comments! Mention your favorite book so far or something cool about yourselves! We will introduce ourselves to you as well.
- Hannah, the North Albany’s Branch Manager. I am an avid manga/manhwa reader. I’m obsessing over this series called Solo Leveling. I am a cat lady in progress! I have two boys (who are cats): Major Cuteness and Smokey the Bandit.
- I’m Grace, I work at the Delaware Branch. Two of my favorite books are Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir and The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten. My cat's name is Toast, and her brother is called Beans. (I shouldn’t have skipped breakfast when I named my cats.)
- Emily, I work at the Howe branch. I like horror and fantasy novels, but I’ll branch out into other genres if someone recommends something great! One book that I have been really enjoying recently is Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. And, I have a fluffy white cat named Elroy.
Our starting theme this week is Staff Picks. Here are some of the books that library workers are and have been reading to give you a little inspiration for your summer reading. And yes, the many forms that books come in all count; physical books, audiobooks, and e-books! Libby and Hoopla are great sources for electronic access!
Now for some title recommendations:
Tell us about what books you are currently reading! I, Grace, a library worker, have read none of these but at the time of writing this my current read is Pockets by Hannah Carson.