BOOK REVIEW: ‘Remarkably Bright Creatures’ by Shelby Van Pelt
This debut novel is somewhat whimsical and totally delightful. Set in fictional Sowell Bay near Seattle, it is a story of love, grief, the fear of aging and friendship. And yet, it is still amusing.
Part of the novel is told by Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus who is somewhat sarcastic...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘The First Lie Wins’ by Ashley Elston
“The First Lie Wins” is a thrilling mystery. Evie Porter seems to be a typical Southern woman living the dream in Louisiana. She and her boyfriend, Ryan, have an idyllic home with a white picket fence, friends and money. Except, Evie does not exist. She is...
She Reads: fall reading recommendations
After quite an eventful summer season, we transition into fall with a cloudy sky freckled by falling leaves, or rainy weekends that blur into weeks. As most of you probably do, I too have my traditions as the days grow shorter and the evenings...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Lincoln Highway’ by Amor Towles
“The Lincoln Highway” is Amor Towles’ third novel. His previous books are “The Rules of Civility” and “A Gentleman in Moscow.” All three are bestsellers. Set in 1954, “The Lincoln Highway” is considered by many to be his best.
The book’s style is to have each chapter told by different characters....
She Reads: 2022 Recommended Reading List
CULLMAN, Ala. - Well, here we are, we have made it to the conclusion of 2021 and as we’re introduced to 2022, we might as well crack open a new book or two. I know somebody’s New Year’s resolution had to be to read...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘First Frost’ by Craig Johnson
“First Frost” is the 20th novel in Craig Johnson’s “Longmire” series.
The novel is written with a dual timeline. One is during the present day, with Walt Longmire (the fictional sheriff of Absaroka County in Wyoming), being questioned by a judge about a murder that took place...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Love & Saffron’ by Kim Fay
“Love & Saffron” was written by Kim Fay, who is from Washington state. Her previous books are “Communion: A Culinary Journey through Viet Nam,” which was a Gourmand World Cookbook Award winner and “The Map of Lost Memories,” an Edgar Award finalist for Best First Novel. “Love...
Books reviews from CCPLS readers
Readers who frequent the Cullman County Public Library System share reviews of some of their recently read books.
Submission date: July 11, 2023
Reviewer: Heather Allen
Title: “Devolution”
Author: Max Brooks
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts about the book: I can read this book again and again! There...
She Reads: ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes
There are some novels that we return to after a while; books that resume their places in our hearts as we turn their pages once more. Some stories gain new meaning with a reread, and I believe that to be exactly the type of...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Small Mercies’ by Dennis Lahane
Dennis Lahane’s latest book “Small Mercies” is set in Boston in 1974, just weeks away from court-ordered school desegregation. The novel is set in a time of anger, hatred and bigotry, and the language reflects that. I will not be quoting any passages. The story is gripping, but brace...
BOOK REVIEW ‘Blessing of the Lost Girls’ by J. A. Jance
“Blessing of the Lost Girls” is J. A. (Judith Ann) Jance’s latest book. As the title indicates, this novel is about missing and murdered Native American women. Few people realize the problem of these missing and murdered women. While a work of fiction, the...
She Reads: ‘The Maidens’ by Alex Michaelides
“Edward Fosca was a murderer. This was a fact. This wasn’t something Mariana knew just on an intellectual level, as an idea. Her body knew it. She felt it in her bones, along her blood, and deep within every cell. Edward Fosca was guilty....
She Reads: ‘Then She Was Gone’ by Lisa Jewell
Though I cannot speak much to what exactly I was expecting from “Then She Was Gone,” author Lisa Jewell’s name has come up several times amongst discussions with literary colleagues, and I was hopeful in finally including one of her works in my now...
She Reads: The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
“When you read this book, you will make many assumptions.You will assume you are reading about a jealous ex-wife.You will assume she is obsessed with her replacement – a beautiful, younger woman who is about to marry the man they both love.You will assume...
She Reads: ‘A Simple Favor’ by Darcey Bell
Long time, no see, readers. We are picking after She Reads’ small hiatus and hitting the ground running with this week’s story, ‘A Simple Favor’ by Darcey Bell. This mystery story is told from the three varying perspectives of the main characters Stephanie, her...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘The Lost Summers of Newport’ by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
The summer mansions of Newport, Rhode Island, are the setting for this book, which is about three women in three different eras written by three different authors. Money, old and new, and secrets held in the boathouse dominate the story.
The first storyline is set in...
Books reviews from CCPLS readers
Readers who frequent the Cullman County Public Library System share reviews of some of their recently read books.
Submission date: June 22, 2023
Reviewer: Paulette Gentry
Title: “A Corner of the Universe”
Author: Ann M. Martin
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts about the book: This book caused me...
3 books to add to your summer reading list
Here are three books to consider adding to your summer reading list, reviewed by Cullman County Public Library Director Sharon Townson.
"Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In the 70s Daisy Jones is a well-known party girl on the Sunset Strip club scene. She...
She Reads: ‘The Sound of Glass’ by Karen White
I’ve mentioned in other reviews how I am not a fan of love stories, but this week, I found Karen White’s "The Sound of Glass" and it might have converted me. Though this book is very much a love story, it isn’t necessarily a...
She Reads: Calling Me Home by Julie Kibler
This is a story that deserves to be spoken about with respect. Author Julie Kibler transports you back and forth through time as you hear stories exchanged between the two main characters, Isabelle McAllister and Dorrie Curtis. Isabelle is an elderly white woman in...
She Reads: Into A Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware
“I am running. I am running through moonlit woods, with branches ripping at my clothes and my feet catching in the snow-bowed bracken.” With this line, “Into A Dark, Dark Wood” by Ruth Ware grabs readers’ attention immediately and refuses to let go until...
She Reads: ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’ by Ruth Ware
Last week, I wrote about how I had greatly enjoyed Ruth Ware’s work on, “Into A Dark, Dark Wood” and this week, I have decided to bring you another story of hers called, “The Woman in Cabin 10.” I have said it before and...
She Reads: ‘Of Women and Salt’ by Gabriela Garcia
“Of Women and Salt” by Gabriela Garcia, follows Jeanette, a young woman who is battling addiction and in search of the deeply hidden truths about her family's history. Her desperate quest for answers takes her from Florida to Cuba, Cuba to Mexico, and even...
She Reads: ‘Zoe Rosenthal is Not Lawful Good’ by Nancy Werlin
This week in She Reads, we have an incredibly surprising work, “Zoe Rosenthal is Not Lawful Good” by Nancy Werlin. In this novel, we meet Zoe Rosenthal a straight-A, ambitious straightlaced student who is laser-focused on her goals.
Zoe has a step-by-step layout for her...
BOOK REVIEW: ‘Here One Moment’ by Liane Moriarty
“Here One Moment” opens on a flight from the Tasmanian capital of Hobart to Sydney. It would have been a short trip, except there is a two-hour delay for departure. The passengers are getting restless and anxious. Everyone is frazzled about being late, or missing an important...
Chinese (Simplified)
English
German
Japanese
Spanish