Every Hero Has a Story g Progr am A dult Summer R ea din R ECOMMENDED R EA DS
mer reading 2015
Read!
wake county public libraries www.wakegov.com/libraries
n o i t c u d o r t n i Welcome to our annual booklet featuring great summer reads! The Summer Reading theme this year is “Every Hero Has a Story” and these books all feature strong, heroic main characters. From classics to modern novels, and from genres such as mysteries and fantasy to history and biographies, we read a wide variety, so you’re sure to find some books you’ll love among these librarian favorites!
Reading Tools and Services for Adults! Check out some great tools for finding books! We have a new Twitter feed of book suggestions, and more on our Reading page: www.wakegov.com/libraries/reading New & improved services for adults! Our librarians offer a variety of personalized services. Areas covered include downloading eBooks & eAudios; scheduling & selecting Book Club Kits; advice on cover letters, resumes & job searches; and custom book lists just for you! Check out these and more services in the months to come: www.wakegov.com/libraries/services/adults 1
Half a King by Joe Abercrombie
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ABERCROM
If you like Game of Thrones, try Joe Abercrombie! Prince Yarvi is the titular “half king” due to his deformed and crippled left arm, with which he can hold neither sword nor shield. That’s fine with Yarvi, as he never wanted to be a warrior, and is content to continue his studies. However, his plans change when his father, the king, is murdered by a rival king from across the sea. Yarvi must strike back against treacherous enemies, but some are seen while others are hidden. - Dan B. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror ADAMS Arthur Dent learns about the scope of the universe when the Earth is destroyed to make way for an interstellar highway. Arthur is rescued by his friend Ford Prefect, who it turns out is not an out of work actor, but rather a travel writer for the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. They have many a strange and hilarious adventure and Arthur finds that despite how far they travel, “people” are just as crazy as they were on Earth. - Tara B. Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Fiction ADICHIE
Ifemelu and Obinze face difficult choices and challenges in their native land. Ifemelu moves to the United States where she suffers defeats and triumphs and finds and loses relationships. She faces race issues that she never dreamed of. Obinze hopes to join his first love but 9/11 acts as a stumbling block. He moves to London but finds himself in a dangerous, undocumented life, and is deported. Ifemelu and Obinze reunite some years later, and face the toughest decisions of their lives. Americanah is a story of love, race and resilience. - Mary A. 2
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou
Biography B ANGELOU
Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is a memoir of the prejudice she faced growing up as a black girl in the South. Maya is able to achieve her ambitions by using the strength gained from her experiences. By sharing her experiences with the world, Maya shines a light on the injustices she faced growing up. The outcome is a wonderfully written story from the innocent perspective of a child. - Saundra C.
Beowulf
Nonfiction 829 BEO
Follow the great hero Beowulf who saves his people from the man-eating monster Grendel and the monster’s lake-dwelling mother, becomes king, rules the land wisely, and then, in a last tremendous battle, fights a fire-spewing dragon. Part legend, part history, this beautiful and commanding tale – a forerunner to J.R.R. Tolkien and the whole fantasy genre – gives us an understanding of the mindset and life of the North European ancients whose hardiness cannot be found amongst humans today. - Emil S. A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman
Fiction BACKMAN
Ove dislikes everything and everyone. No one does what they are supposed to, which he has done everyday of his life. Until the day he is fired. At that point, Ove wonders if there is anything left to live for. One day, a boisterous family moves in next door and his life changes. Slowly, the icy wall he has built around himself begins to thaw and he lets others in. And his life is never the same. A funny, emotional read that relays the impact one person can have on another. - Rita B.
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The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror BAKER
The Empress of Mars is the name of a bar established on Mars after colonizing efforts are abandoned— along with the people hired to do the work of establishing the colony. Now Mary Griffith and her daughters run the Empress and help to keep the planet’s economy ticking. The plot is rather episodic, but the characters are fascinating and keep you reading and cheering for their efforts to overcome the evils they encounter. - Sue S. The Aviator’s Wife by Melanie Benjamin
Fiction BENJAMIN
While Charles Lindbergh was a hero to the masses, Anne Morrow Lindbergh was by his side, the quiet woman married to the public hero. But Anne was a remarkable woman on her own; breaking aeronautical records, navigating her husband’s flights, writing books and raising her family, she did it all. In this biographical novel we see how Anne develops from a shy college student to a hero among women. - Sandy A. The Wedding Gift by Marlen Suyapa Bodden
Fiction BODDEN
In 1852 Alabama, everything isn’t as black and white as it may seem. Plantation owner Cornelius Allen gives his daughter, Clarissa, a slave girl, Sarah (Clarissa’s half-sister), as a wedding gift. Clarissa is not the proper Southern belle she appears to be, but has ambitions of loving whom she chooses. Sarah acts as a docile house slave as she plots to escape. These women bring their secrets and desires to their new home, igniting an unfathomable tale. - Tess A.
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The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
Mystery BRADLEY
It’s 1950 England, and Flavia de Luce is a precocious eleven year old girl with a bent toward chemistry and botany. Her mother is dead, killed in a mountaineering accident when Flavia was just one year old. Buckshaw is the 200-year-old mansion in the countryside where she lives with her father and two sisters. When a dead body is discovered in their garden, Flavia uses her laboratory, her ancient botany books, and her trusty bicycle, Gladys, to heroically solve the puzzle. - Ashlyn B. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Fiction BROOKS
Australian Hanna Heath is an avid book conservator called to Bosnia in 1996 to prepare a recently found ancient Jewish text, a Haggadah, for presentation at the National Museum. As she finds materials in the book, like a butterfly’s wing and a drop of saltwater, she constructs stories around each clue. Brooks takes us to Venice during the Inquisition and 19th century Vienna among other places. Upon finishing this, I immediately started another of her novels of captivating, historical fiction. - Melissa K. Storm Front by Jim Butcher
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror BUTCHER
In a town full of otherworldly bad guys, Harry Dresden, wizard, has the only supernatural PI business advertised in the phone book. You’d think he’d have a booming business, but Harry is wondering how he’ll pay his rent when the police ask for his help with a double murder case involving black magic. Hoping for a big check, he ignores his smarter instincts and jumps right in…to trouble. This is the first in a series that gets better with every book. - Amy F. 5
I Wish I Had a Red Dress by Pearl Cleage
Fiction CLEAGE
Joyce Mitchell runs the “Sewing Circus”, a program dedicated to teaching young ladies life skills and providing them with a place to discuss various issues amongst their peers. Joyce is a selfless young widow and dedicates a lot of her time to helping others. Excitement is something Joyce has been lacking; she is finally ready to revive her social life and has dreams of owning a red dress, and that special someone or occasion to wear it for. - Carla P. Little Princes: One Man’s Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal by Conor Grennan Nonfiction 362.76 GRENN A three-month stint volunteering at a Nepalese orphanage turned 29-year-old Grennan into a reallife super hero to hundreds of “orphans” - who really were not orphans at all. Parents in rural Nepal, wanting to protect their kids from civil war paid traffickers to take their children to safety; in reality the children were abandoned to the rough streets of Kathmandu. Enjoy this memoir of Grennan’s transformative quest to reunite the children with their parents. - Heidi B. Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen
Fiction GRUEN
When Jacob Jankowski joins a traveling circus during the Depression, he falls for the glamorous equestrian star Marlena. Marlena’s possessive and cruel husband August is the manager of the circus. What follows is a dangerous love triangle with disastrous results. Jacob is assigned to train Rosie, an abused elephant. Elephants never forget, and Rosie has some secrets. Full of colorful characters, eccentric American history, and plot twists, this tale has more than one hero. - Lisa L. 6
Someone Knows My Name by Lawrence Hill
Fiction HILL
This informative and must-read novel inspired by slave narratives tells how heroine Aminata Diallo is kidnapped from West Africa as a child. She is sold into American slavery in South Carolina. Her incredible journey to fight against slavery during the Revolutionary War era captivates readers. The TV miniseries “The Book of Negroes” is based on this novel. - Judy A.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand Nonfiction 940.54 HILLE Louis Zamperini survived a plane crash, being lost at sea for 46 days, and two years of torture in a Japanese prison camp during World War II. His story is one of heroism, strength through adversity, and a true love of life. An important read to lift your faith in man and family. - Susan N. Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror JOHANSEN
Kelsea Raleigh Glynn awakes on her nineteenth birthday to be whisked away from her loving guardians by the Queen’s Guard. The possessor of the Tearling Sapphire, she is heir to the Tearling throne. The trick will be living to ascend it. First in a trilogy, the second book will be published this summer. A movie version is in development; Emma Watson is the rumored star. - Janet L.
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Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr
Fiction KERR
Bernie Gunther is a cynical ex-Berlin detective who somehow finds himself serving in the SS Security forces during WWII. After witnessing many atrocities, Gunther is ordered to report to the notorious Reinhard Heydrich. He is told to investigate the murder of a young adjutant during a meeting with some of the most heinous officials of the Third Reich. This is a thrilling plot with spies, terrorists, and traitors, but the real tale is Gunther’s struggle to hold on to his morals and humanity. - Edward W. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Fiction LEE
Jean Louise, nicknamed Scout, recalls her youth as the daughter of a widowed lawyer, Atticus Finch, in the small town of Maycomb, Alabama, in the 1930s. She and her older brother happily occupy themselves with childhood concerns until their father’s courageous defense of an African American man falsely accused of rape introduces them to the problems of racial prejudice and adult injustice—prejudice and injustice that they learn they and their father must stand against. - Gordon J. The Dog Who Could Fly by Damien Lewis
Nonfiction 940.544 LEWIS
WWII airman Robert Bozdech is shot down behind Nazi lines. Taking shelter in an abandoned farmhouse, he discovers a puppy inside. So begins this tale of two comrades, Robert and the German Shepherd he names Antis. Antis becomes a trusted and loyal partner, saving Robert’s life on more than one occasion and is awarded the Dickin Medal for “outstanding courage, devotion to duty, and life saving actions while serving with the Royal Air Force.” - Cathy P. 8
Wicked: the Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire
Fiction MAGUIRE
Did you ever wonder how Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, became “Wicked”? Set in an alternative view of Oz seen through the eyes of Elphaba, readers get an intriguing glimpse of her struggles as an animal rights activist, and combating prejudice as she explores “the true nature of evil”. After reading this book you will never think of the land of Oz in the same way again! - Janet M.
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Fiction MARTEL
Young Pi Patel’s transcendent journey is quite unbelievable. While traveling from India to Canada, his ship sinks and he is the lone human survivor. Pi spends 227 days adrift at sea with a Bengal tiger. His upbringing as a zookeeper’s son and his strong faith in various world religions make him uniquely prepared for this trying ordeal. Pi encounters much suffering, but overcomes many obstacles and leaves you feeling inspired. - Emma M. Far Far Away by Tom McNeal
Young Adult Fiction MCNEAL
Jeremy Johnson Johnson would face trouble in life anyway due to his strange name, but on top of that, he hears voices. Well, one voice, really - that of Jacob Grimm (half of the Brothers Grimm), who died in 1863. Acting as his protector and mentor, Jacob hopes to keep Jeremy safe from the Finder of Occasions, an evil unknown fated to harm Jacob’s young charge. Using the Grimm Brothers’ original tales throughout the story, author McNeal weaves together a modern-day fairytale, but not all fairytales have a happy ending… - Katrina V. 9
The Rook by Daniel O’Malley
Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror OMALLEY
Myfanwy Thomas wakes up in the rain holding a suitcase and surrounded by bodies. To make a dire situation worse, Myfanwy has no recollection who she is. She does have a letter from her former self instructing her of her next move. Myfanwy is part of the Chequey (think underground supernatural MI-5) defending the world from evil forces. If you enjoy this book, check out the sequel, Stiletto, out this summer. - Amy W. House Rules by Jodi Picoult
Fiction PICOULT
When your son can’t look you in the eye... does that mean he’s guilty? Jacob Hunt is a teen with Asperger’s syndrome. He’s hopeless at reading social cues or expressing himself to others and has a grim fascination with crime scenes. When his tutor is murdered, his mother Emma must ask herself if Jacob is capable of murder. The Hunt family is shattered and no one knows if Jacob is the villain or the hero. - Marsha B. Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Inspirational RIVERS
She is born out of wedlock. Her father does not want her, and her mother dies when she is 8. She is sold to a brothel, and grows up knowing a life of beating, violence, murder, cheating, stealing, and betrayal. She runs away, but in the 1850 California Gold Rush, a pretty girl like her finds no escape. With tremendous effort, she overcomes her past and even reaches out to help other women like her. - Celia G.
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A Singular Woman: the Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother by Janny Scott
Biography DUNHAM
Mothers are often unsung heroes. Responsible not only for their children’s food, clothing, shelter, and education, mothers also constantly convey values and attitudes, sometimes alone. Ann Dunham was the single, working mother of two multiracial children. This book, written by a New York Times reporter, explains how Ann educated her son Barry to become President Barack Obama. - Kathe R. My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor
Biography B SOTOMAYO
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor gives a candid account of her life and pursuit of law. Early life brings challenges of poverty, loss of a parent, and a diabetes diagnosis. In adulthood, Sotomayor struggles with the relentless obstacle of being a female minority in a very male dominated field. We all know success eventually comes, but finding out how she gets there along the way is inspiring. - P.J. G. Maus: A Survivor’s Tale by Art Spiegelman
Graphic Novel 940.53 SPIEG
This powerful graphic novel is the first of two books recounting the Holocaust experiences of the author’s parents, who both survived concentration camps. Also portrayed are Spiegelman’s interviews with his father on the subject—he struggles with the pressure to do justice to his father’s remembrances, while navigating the difficulties posed by their strained relationship. Both father and son have a compelling story to tell. (See also Maus II: A Survivor’s Tale: And Here My Troubles Began.) - Carrie L.
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The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Fiction STEINBECK
Everyman Tom Joad and his family attempt to make an epic journey from their Oklahoma home, stricken by the poverty and ecological devastation of the Dust Bowl, to the pastures of plenty they expect to find in the paradise of California. John Steinbeck’s modern classic about common people’s attempts to survive in extraordinary times stands as a singular examination of the American dream and the nature of the American character. - Rob C.
The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again by J.R.R. Tolkien Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror TOLKIEN Bilbo Baggins is a hobbit who enjoys a comfortable life not far from home. When dwarves and a wizard named Gandalf arrive at his door, Bilbo is whisked away on an adventure. Along the way he will encounter spiders, wolves, elves, and a dragon named Smaug who has claimed the dwarf fortune. Bilbo’s world changes when he meets a mysterious creature named Gollum who has a magic ring that will set forth events outlined in The Lord of the Rings. - Thad M. Lost in Shangri-la: a True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff Nonfiction 940.54 ZUCKO A sightseeing flight carrying American military personnel crashes into an isolated jungle valley on the South Pacific island of New Guinea during World War II. Injured and caught between Japanese troops on one side and cannibalistic natives on the other, the survivors are trapped in the valley. An army of heroes attempt to rescue them in this true story that is in turn sobering, humorous, amazing and inspiring. - Lisa W. 12
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y Re ading!
ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM JUNE 1 - JULY 31, 2015 Participate two ways and enter to win great prizes all summer long!
• Each time you check out three or more books, speak with a staff member and we’ll sign you up!
• Attend any of our many programs for adults this summer and we’ll sign you up!
Prizes include theater and museum tickets, restaurant, salon, and many other gift certificates, gift baskets, and free books!
Enrich your world: e r o l p x E , n r a e L , d a Re rams each raries offer 16 prog Lib ic bl Pu y nt ou each of Wake C ok discussions, at bo l ra ve se us pl thly crafts, month for adults, live music to mon om Fr s. rie ra lib our six regional visits – we have pertise to author ex s es sin bu l al and from sm your interests! programs to suit ore about ebsite to learn m w r ou sit vi or ff Please ask our sta braries/events .wakegov.com/li w w w ts: en ev r ou