The Libraries are here to help with your summer reading goals! Between the leisure reading collection, borrowing requests from other libraries, and local community resources, we’re never low on books. Here are some favorites from a few members of the Libraries team, whether you’re searching for adventure, escape or whimsy. Happy reading!
The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina
by Zoraida Córdova
Magical Realism! Multi-Generational Storytelling! People literally turning into trees… I don’t know what else I can ask for in a summer read. This book is great for people who have had One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez on their list forever but just can’t get themselves to start it. This is such an accessible and enjoyable book!
–Caitlin Holton, Digital Initiatives Assistant
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries
by Heather Fawcett
This charming fantasy novel came highly recommended by Zoha, a graduate student at the Bartle Reader Services Desk. The protagonist, Emily Wilde, is an anti-social academic and renowned dryadologist conducting research on an isolated island in Arctic Norway, where she studies the Folk (both mythical and human). In the harshly beautiful, close-knit village of Ljosland, Emily aims to provide a thoroughly honest account of field notes for a comprehensive guidebook of faerie folk. However, her plans are disrupted when her academic rival, Wendell Bambleby, unexpectedly arrives.
The story that unfolds features enchanting world building, low-stakes conflict, light romance, and easy-to-love characters. If you enjoy a well-paced narrative with a blend of whimsy and unique characters, similar to Howl’s Moving Castle, mixed with the discovery of a hidden magical realm as found in the Spiderwick Chronicles, this book is right up your alley. This is the first book in a trilogy, with the final installment scheduled for release in January 2025.
–Samantha Lauth, Bartle Library Services Assistant Manager
The House in the Cerulean Sea
by TJ Klune
The book was recommended to me and I read it because the story sounded interesting and the author self-identifies as queer. I cannot stress enough how much I loved this story! It features a character that discovers the importance of found family and why differences are wonderful in a world where magical creatures exist. I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys supernatural stories with a side of fluffy, slow-burn, queer romance.
The House in the Cerulean Sea was intended to be a singular novel; however, TJ Klune felt compelled to write a continuation and the second book (Somewhere Beyond the Sea) is coming out in September 2024!
–Angela Taylor, Bibliographic Assistant and Coordinator of Streaming Media
Reincarnation Blues
by Michael Poore
Such an original story, beautifully written and thought-provoking.
–Mien Wong, Preservation Specialist
Trail of Lightning
by Rebecca Roanhorse
This is a quick read set in a world where indigenous tribes are a significant number of the survivors following an apocalyptic event that (a) flooded the world, (b) brought indigenous gods to this realm, and (c) revived indigenous monsters of legend. The story follows monster hunter Maggie Hoskie as she teams up with a medicine man to track down a dangerous new type of monster. A rather dark read (with the apocalypse and whatnot) that’s full of action and a tough as nails protagonist who has relatably poor social skills. If you like this book, check out Roanhorse’s Between Earth and Sky trilogy.
–Jillian Sandy, Instruction & Outreach Librarian