Read Beyond the Beaten Path: Summer Reading for Adults 2022

 

Read, Learn, and Connect with WPL

Sign up for this summer's adult reading challenge from June 4 - August 13 at mywpl.beanstack.org - a place to track reading, share reviews (which may shared on our blog and Facebook page), engage with the community through our classes and programs, and win prizes through our challenge drawings.

To be entered into drawings, earn badges by logging books AND activities 
such as attending WPL events, classes and programs.

Attend & Log Events, Classes, and Programs

• Summer Reading Kickoff: June 4 from 10 am -1 pm
• Adult Classes and Programs happening throughout the summer

Read & Log Books

• Visit WPL’s Reader’s Corner for staff picks, new titles, booklists, and more.
• Fill out a Book Recommendation form for personalized picks from a librarian.
• Borrow an e-book or audiobook to read or listen to on your device.
• Attend one of our librarian-led book clubs to discuss books and meet like-minded readers.
• Read whatever you like! Just be sure to log it.

Challenge Drawings*

Weekly drawings:

Log at least 3 books or 3 activities to be entered
 into weekly drawings to win a
$30 gift card to a local restaurant or a fun, handmade National Parks mug!

Earn any of these badges to be entered into Weekly Drawings:

• Logging Badge
• Kickoff Badge
• Learn Something New Badge
• Review Badge
• Survey Badge

Grand Prize Drawings:

Log at least 10 books for two chances to win a MoMA book lamp!

*Must be a Worcester resident to win prizes. Staff and members of their household are ineligible.

For mobile users, download the Beanstack Tracker app to get started
For more information, visit mywpl.org or call 508-799-1655 ext.3.

WooReads Spring Reading Challenge For Adults: Patron Book Reviews

 

Join the WooReads: Spring Reading Challenge for Adults for a chance to win a L.L. Bean tote bag featuring the WPL logo. All you have to do is log at least 9 books from March 1- May 31 to be entered into the drawing. 

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. View this booklist featuring titles that bring awareness to mental health issues.

Try one of our Bundles if you'd like a librarian to select books, magazines or DVDs for you. For information on adult classes and programs, visit mywpl.org. 

Enjoy these book reviews submitted by your fellow patrons through our WooReads challenge.

The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. by Lee Kravetz

Excellent book!!! This is Lee Kravetz's debut novel, and I'm excited to read more. Three notebooks containing Sylvia Plath's manuscript for The Bell Jar are found. Master curator, Estee has the task of authenticating and auctioning them to the highest bidder. Will she be able to hold these objects without forging feelings of ownership? Told in three narratives, for any Plath/poetry fan it's a story worth reading. ~ Mary T. 

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

Laugh out loud funny, a very enjoyable and touching story. Extra points for being even better in audio format! ~Linnea S.

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

I'd seen this book on the NYT top 20 books for a long time and contemplated reading it but wasn't sure because it focused on a mother's death by cancer, which I've experienced. However, I'm glad I picked it up while waiting for a "hold" book to become available. It's so well written that it was not depressing or angry or self-involved. The writer, a Korean-American young woman who has strong ties to both cultures - particularly around food - navigates the many feelings that surface when one knows the death of a parent is coming without being maudlin. ~ Linda J.

Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman

Although high school history books fail to include the actions of women who answer the call to action in difficult times, novelists have stepped into that gap . this story, while fictional, gives us a sense of life as a female ambulance driver and a battlefield nurse in WWI. ~ Karen L.

New Releases: June Edition

Check out these highly anticipated June releases featuring fiction and nonfiction titles. Click on the title to request a copy or get your name on the waitlist. Don’t forget to watch for more featured releases next month! 

Fiction

The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill

Four women are sitting together in the reading room of the Boston Public Library when there is a scream. The library is locked down until the threat is contained. The women strike up conversation and the story takes some thrilling twists and turns.

So Happy For You by Celia Laskey

Robin and Ellie have been best friends since childhood. When Robin came out, Ellie was there for her. When Ellie's father died, Robin had her back. But when Ellie asks Robin to be her maid of honor, she is reluctant. A queer academic, Robin is dubious of the elaborate wedding rituals now sweeping the nation, but loyalty wins out and Robin accepts. Yet, as the wedding weekend approaches, a series of ominous occurrences lead Robin to second-guess her decision. It seems that everyone in the bridal party is out to get her. Perhaps even Ellie herself.

Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley

A dazzling novel about a young Black woman who walks the streets of Oakland and stumbles headlong into the failure of its justice system. One night, what begins as a drunken misunderstanding with a stranger turns into the job Kiara never imagined wanting but now desperately needs: nightcrawling. Her world breaks open even further when her name surfaces in an investigation that exposes her as a key witness in a massive scandal within the Oakland Police Department.

Nonfiction

The Catch Me if You Can by Jessica Nabongo

In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo—the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world—shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

The Monster's Bones by David K. Randall

From prehistory to present day, from remote Patagonia to the unforgiving badlands of the American West to the penthouses of Manhattan, this riveting narrative follows a fearless paleontologist who, after unearthing the first T-Rex fossils, saved NY’s struggling American Museum of Natural History.

Tree Thieves by Lyndsie Bourgon

Weaving together investigative reporting, colorful characters, logging history, political analysis and cutting-edge tree science, this gripping account takes us deep into the underbelly of the illegal timber market.

WooReads Spring Reading Challenge For Adults: Patron Book Reviews

 

Join the WooReads: Spring Reading Challenge for Adults for a chance to win a L.L. Bean tote bag featuring the WPL logo. All you have to do is log at least 9 books from March 1- May 31 to be entered into the drawing. 

Join us in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! In addition to our book displays, check out this booklist featuring mysteries by Asian and Asian American authors. 

Try one of our Bundles if you'd like a librarian to select books, magazines or DVDs for you. For information on adult classes and programs, visit mywpl.org. 

Enjoy these book reviews submitted by your fellow patrons through our WooReads challenge.

The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray

A wonderful historical novel that piqued my interest to explore nonfiction accounts and a visit to the museum, as well as a variety of documentaries available on Internet.               ~ Ann G. 

A Game of Fear by Charles Todd

A widow in an isolated manor house attached to a deserted airfield spots a ghost in her garden killing a man. In the cold light of the morning, no sign of death remains. Inspector Rutledge also suffers from "shell-shock": he hears the voice of a dead soldier constantly whispering in his ear. While hiding his PTSD from his superiors at Scotland Yard, Rutledge sets out to discover what is really happening at the old airbase. Thrilling! ~ Mary R. 

Half Lives by Lucy Jane Santos

Half Lives is an interesting history of Radium and the history of radiation in the 20th century - specifically in the UK. It starts with early experiments on the structure of atoms and research by Marie and Pierre Curie. The book then describes commercial attempts to use radium and radioactivity.  "Radium-mania" swept the UK and people were crazy for radium products. Eventually, people started dying from use of radioactive products and the public's fascination dwindled.  ~ David B. 

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Exciting thriller that will leave you not knowing who or what to believe. Are the narrators telling the truth? Who is guilty? What exactly are they guilty of? The ending will leave you guessing! ~ Linnea S. 

Access the Telegram and Gazette Newspaper from Home

Did you know that in addition to the print newspaper, the library subscribes to the online edition of the Worcester Telegram and Gazette? The online edition is the image version of the newspaper and includes all sections found in print - news articles, classifieds, weather reports, puzzles and more! You can access the same day’s paper in color for free from the comforts of your home!

All you need is a valid Worcester Public Library card and a computer or device with internet access. Find it here on our website. Once you are on the homepage for the newspaper, choose the 2nd listing for the image edition of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. Articles can be printed, emailed or downloaded and saved to a flash drive. You can also search the newspaper for specific topics or keywords.

Here is a listing of what is available in each format:

Available at the Newspapers and Magazines desk: 

Printed Hard Copy:

Past two months

Microfilm:

Sunday edition from 1884
Daily edition from 1886 – Dec. 2018

Available online:

Text version online (indexed): 
April 17, 1989 – present
Image version online (indexed): 
September 2018 - current

Web-only Source (articles published online only):

2017 - current

The library also provides obituary lookups through Email Reference Service. A date of death is required since the microfilms are not indexed. Feel free to call us at 508-799-1655, ext.3 with any questions.

WooReads Spring Reading Challenge For Adults: Patron Book Reviews

Join the WooReads: Spring Reading Challenge for Adults for a chance to win a L.L. Bean tote bag featuring the WPL logo. All you have to do is log at least 9 books from March 1- May 31 to be entered into the drawing. 

There's nothing like a good spring cleaning! Try the Home Organizing & Decluttering booklist for resources to help you get your space in order. 

Try one of our Bundles if you'd like a librarian to select books, magazines or DVDs for you. For information on adult classes and programs, visit mywpl.org. 

Enjoy these book reviews submitted by your fellow patrons through our WooReads challenge.

The Neighbors by Danielle Steel

I enjoyed this book. It held me throughout. I love the character studies of each person and each of their own personal situations in the midst of natural disaster and how they are all brought together. ~ Jane O. 

The Boys by Ron Howard & Clint Howard

I think the best description of this book is the quote by Tom Hanks which says it's a book about family. And this family, against the odds of most showbiz families, survived with a long-term marriage and two successful sons. Not to say they were perfect, as one brother did struggle with substance abuse for a time, but the respect and admiration they had for each other just comes shining through. It was especially fascinating to read how the boys' father worked with them in unconventional ways so their acting would be genuine. Very interesting read! ~ Linda J. 

Red Paint: The ancestral autobiography of a Coast Salish Punk by  Sasha taqwšeblu LaPointe

Well worth the read. I'm interested in reading more from this author. I'm curious if future work would be fiction and centered on Indigenous people, culture, and history. Red Paint is an autobiography intersecting the author's experiences with the women in her lineage. It's a reflection of historical traumas of colonialism and genocide, resilience and healing. ~ Mary T.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

Good story, kept you guessing until the end! ~ Linnea S. 

New Releases: May Edition

Check out these highly anticipated May releases featuring fiction and nonfiction titles. Click on the title to request a copy or get your name on the waitlist. Don’t forget to watch for more featured releases next month! 

Fiction

Book of Night by Holly Black

Holly Black debuts her first adult fantasy book about a world of shadow magic. For a cost, shadows can be altered for beauty or power, but the alterations take hours or days off your life. In this magical world, Charlie Hall is a bartender with a side hustle as a low-level con artist. When a figure from her past returns, Charlie is dragged into the magical underground market for shadow trading in this new modern dark fantasy series.

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. But she doesn't care-she’d rather play a monster than a maid.

You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi

It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of Feyi’s life and she’s almost a new person now-an artist with her own studio, and sharing an apartment with her best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. An encounter at a party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined, but her new relationship might be sabotaged by the thrill Feyi feels every time she locks eyes with the one person in the house who is most definitely off-limits. 

Nonfiction

River of the Gods by Candice Mallard

For millennia the location of the Nile River’s headwaters was shrouded in mystery. In the 19th century, there was  a frenzy of interest in ancient Egypt. At the same time, European powers sent off waves of explorations intended to map the unknown corners of the globe – and extend their colonial empires.

Embrace the Fearlessly Burning World by Barry Lopez

The National Book Award-winning nature writer, novelist and environmentalist has been sorely missed since his death in 2020. His final work, a collection of essays that includes five pieces that were never published, is a moving reminder of this literary giant’s legacy. As Lopez takes readers along with him to California, New York, Oregon, Antarctica and beyond, their attention will be drawn over and over again to small details of natural beauty that Lopez was famous for noticing.

Miss Memory Lane by Colton Haynes

We can only imagine what it’s like growing up in the spotlight and not being able to be your true self at all times, but why does it always take a tragic moment to finally cause us to make overdue changes? Part memoir, part confession and part cautionary tale, Colton Haynes pulls back the curtain on his life and career, revealing the incredible highs and devastating lows. From his unorthodox childhood in a small Kansas town, to coming to terms with his sexuality, he keeps nothing back.

Kanopy: Conflict in Ukraine

Kanopy, streaming service that is free to use with your WPL card, has assembled a collection of films that provide further context on the conflict in Ukraine. To view the complete list of films and learn more about this moment and the events that led up to it, visit go.kanopy.com/ukraine. To learn more about Kanopy, click here. 

To find books about these events, view our Understanding Ukraine booklist. 

Breaking Point 

This documentary looks at people who were transformed by a democratic revolution and gave up their normal lives to fight a Russian invasion. 

Maidan: Uprising in Ukraine

Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa, Maidan chronicles the civil uprising that toppled the government of Ukrainian president Victor Yanukovich and has since developed into an international crisis between Russia and the West.

Putin's Way

With only a smattering of biographical details released to the public and his sometimes puzzling public appearances, scholars-and even many world leaders-still struggle to understand the man at the helm of the Kremlin. To glean a clearer picture, Frontline took a closer look at some of the most identifiable aspects of Putin’s public persona.

Chechnya: War without trace

Award-winning journalist Manon Loizeau returned to the places she filmed while undercover in Chechnya. Behind the gleaming façade of the new Grozny, Loizeau discovered women and men more terrified than in all the years of war and occupation. 

WooReads Spring Reading Challenge For Adults: Patron Book Reviews

Join the WooReads: Spring Reading Challenge for Adults for a chance to win a L.L. Bean tote bag featuring the WPL logo. All you have to do is log at least 9 books from March 1- May 31 to be entered into the drawing. 

Searching for a sports read? View our Staff Picks: Honoring Jackie Robinson booklist, which celebrates the 75th anniversary of the desegregation of Major League Baseball on April 15, 1947.

Try one of our Bundles if you'd like a librarian to select books, magazines or DVDs for you. For information on adult classes and programs, visit mywpl.org. 

Enjoy these book reviews submitted by your fellow patrons through our WooReads challenge.

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle

Katy and her mother, Carol, plan a trip to Positano, Italy. Before their trip commences, Carol dies from her battle with Cancer. Unsure of her future, and to reconnect with her mother's legacy, Katy embarks on their trip solo. In Italy, Katy is swept up in all that Italy offers - its beauty, love, history, and magic. It's a touching story sure to make any reader have wanderlust.~ Mary T.

Sinners and Saints by Eileen Dreyer

A thriller that catches the feel, the scents and the sense of New Orleans as I remember it. Good read! ~ Karen L.

Circe by Madeline Miller 

Wonderful and lovely book. Big fan of mythology and this is one of my favorites.       ~ Miriam V. 

The Art of the English Murder by Lucy Worsley

In this book, Lucy Worsley traces the history of mystery novels in England starting with the banning of public executions in the 1800s and ending with the Golden Age of Detective Fiction in the 1920s and 30s. Easy to read and full of fascinating details about true crimes, Madame Tussaud, the Metropolitan police and the rise of women authors like Dorothy Sayers, the author also touches on social aspects like literacy and women's roles in Victorian England. Informative and well written! ~ Mary R.

Reading Resources

Try one of our virtual book clubs!

Register here