Adult Summer Reading Program 
Vallejo Reviews

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Title: The Virgin of Small Plains

Author: Nancy Pickard

Rating: Excellent

Review: This is a fast-paced gripping mystery that takes place in Small Plains, Kansas. Two generations of three families are intertwined throughout the story hiding the real reason for an unknown girl’s body that was found in a field during a snowstorm in 1987. She is buried in the town’s cemetery and becomes known as "The Virgin" who brings miracles to those who visit her gravesite. 17 years later in 2004 the case is reopened with curiosity of who the girl was and why she was murdered. The past surfaces back in this small town while others take the secret to their graves.

Name: Solange

Branch: JFK

Title: Dreamers of the Day

Author: Mary Doria Russell

Rating: Excellent

Review: The main character, Agnes receives an inheritance from several family members who were stricken by the Great Influenza during the early 20th century. With her inheritance, Agnes along with her dog, Rosie takes a trip to Egypt. At the time of her visit the Cairo Peace Conference is taking place, in which the remapping of the Middle East is being discussed. While there, Agnes mingles with several diplomatic icons, visits the Egyptian Museum, has coffee with a child-bride husband, rides a camel to the pyramids, travels to Palestine and Jerusalem, and falls in love with a mysterious traveler. This book is a fictional story, but it captivates an audience with its historical facts.

Name: Solange

Branch: JFK

Title: Dewey

Author: Vicki Myron

Rating: Excellent

Review: In the small town of Spencer, Iowa, the local library adopted a kitten that was left in their book drop one freezing night. This amazing cat was named Dewey Readmore Books (what a great name – especially for library book fans). Here is a wonderful story written by the library director, Vick Myron, about Dewey’s 19 years as a library mascot and goodwill ambassador. I enjoyed reading about Dewey’s adventures and all the amusing things he does at this library as he becomes first a local then worldwide celebrity. I’m sure you will be entertained reading about Dewey’s antics and charms.

Name: Monica

Branch: Springstowne

Title: angelica

Author: phillips,arthur

Rating: Excellent

Review: Well written and executed leaving one to draw one's own conclusions. Four individuals describe the situation from their individual perspectives. The first part is difficult emotionally because it describes a possible child molest. The mother was molested as a child. Then we have the father's interpretation, the mother's companion, a spiritualist and finally the adult child.

Phillips has also written "The Egyptologist" equally challenging and thought provoking.

Name: irma

Branch: JFK

Title: Unaccustomed Earth

Author: Jhumpa Lahiri

Rating: Good

Review: This book is divided into two parts. Part one is a compilation of five different short stories. The characters in each story are of a Bengali family that is academically driven and economically prosperous. The relationships between children and parents, husbands and wives along with traditions from India and America are examined throughout the stories. Part two is of three stories that are intertwined with each other involving two characters at different stages of their lives and their relationship to each other.

The book was an enjoyable, quick read. I think the author is a wonderful writer in the way she crafts her stories with the use of words and symbolisms. For future books, I hope the author will expand from her traditional type-cast of characters and take her characters in a new direction.

Title: Wickerby: an Urban Pastoral

Author: Charles Siebert

Rating: Excellent

Review: Both entertaining and humorous, there are also parts that cause one to put down the book and give the passage some thought. The writer leaves his noisy, rundown Brooklyn apt. for a cabin in the Canadian wilderness and returns to Brooklyn with a greater appreciation of city-nature.

Title: Hunger Games

Author: Suzanne Collins

Rating: Excellent

Review: I'm not quite finished with this book yet, but it is an amazing book and I can't put it down. Even though I'm not done with it, I wanted to get the word out about how great this book is. One warning, though. Don't start it unless you have a whole day to devote to because you will NOT want to stop reading.

Name: Andrea

Branch: Springstowne

Title: Through the fire

Author: Shawn Grady

Rating: Good

Review: Following the deaths of his father and grandfather, Aidan turned his back on God. Five years on Aidan is still angry and grieving. An emergency call that goes wrong and a string of fires set by a serial arsonist in his community push Adan to make a life-changing decision. Add in a budding romance with Julianne, a talented fire investigator working to solve the mystery of the fires and you have an appealing read for both men and woman.

Name: Juli

Branch: Springstowne