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House of Sticks: A Memoir by Ly Tran

"In this memoir, Ly shares intimate details of her struggle as an immigrant growing up in the boroughs of NYC. She is torn by her desire to be a good Vietnamese daughter but also to succeed and achieve the American dream despite being a woman, the only daughter with three older brothers. Ly’s memoir walks us through the emotional and psychological challenges she encounters throughout the formative years of her young life." - L. Ngo

4/4 stars.

The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

"This book is about A U.S. President who loses his second term in office. His daughter decides not to receive Secret Service protection. She gets kidnapped by terrorists and shows great bravery. Her dad leads a team to try to save her. The book is suspenseful and exciting. I highly recommend this book. It was almost as good as The President is Missing." - L. Gerber

4/4 stars.

Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri

"This book is about Syrian immigrants. They go through horrific things to get out of the country. This still goes on today. Eye opening." - M. Blatt

4/4 stars.

The Inn at Willow Bay by Nicole Ellis

"A delightful story celebrating women’s friendships. Friends Cassie, Meg, Celia and Zoe each work with some aspect of wedding events. In fact, their monthly get-togethers are called The Wedding Crashers. When Celia falls, Zoe finds her unconscious and with a broken hip. A search for her 'contact person' leads to the unravelling of a secret that Celia has kept hidden. Amid their concern about Celia’s health, each friend is also facing events that threaten to up-end their lives. Engaging and well-written." - E. Pasquali

4/4 stars.

Death of a Cookbook Author by Lee Hollis

"I just discovered this author’s series The Hayley Powell Food and Cocktails Mystery and am enjoying reading them. The main character and her two childhood buddies manage to get into some interesting situations. Fun summer reading with great drink and food recipes.' - F. Schwartz

4/4 stars.

One Last First Date by Kate O’Keef

"Three friends (Cassie, Paige and Marissa) make a pact that they will marry their next first date. Cassie is the first of the friends to have a first date with Parker, Mr. Perfect (handsome, kind, wealthy, a doctor.) Life gets in the way as Parker may be on the rebound and Cassie may be attracted to someone else. The friends also have love-life complications. Quick reading, fun 'chick lit.'" - E. Pasquali

2/4 stars.

Who She Was by Braylee Parkins

"Entertaining “chick lit.” It’s modeled on the Snow White fairy tale. Beth’s (Snow White's) dormant sexuality is awakened by Connor (Prince Charming). Previously written letters to Beth from her deceased Aunt Mags, encouraging her to venture outside her comfort zone, lend an element of suspense to the novel." - E. Pasquali

2/4 stars.

Call Your Daughter Home by Deb Spera

"Set in rural South Carolina just before the Great Depression, this novel is an interesting & well-written work of historical fiction. The reader gets 3 perspectives of a few strong and resilient women whose lives intertwine. Deb Spera begins with short chapters switching among the voices of these women, so it took some patience for the characters to develop. As the story unfolded, I found myself connecting to each woman as she struggled through trying times and emotional pain. I was impressed by the authenticity and style of the writing." - D. Zelamsky

3/4 stars.

Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland

"This book was an engaging and entertaining beach read. The story centers upon the Goldman and Weingold families, whose patriarchs founded the Catskills hotel in the 1960's. Over the years, two additional generations of family members have grown up on the grounds and worked for the hotel. Fast-forward to present day, when declining visitors and deteriorating premises force the families to come to a major decision - sell the hotel or attempt to reinvigorate it (prohibitively expensive).

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

"An aging Hollywood icon named Evelyn Hugo has asked a young and relatively unknown magazine reporter to write her biography. The story is driven by Evelyn Hugo's recounting of her extraordinary life, which becomes more intriguing and spellbinding as the story progresses. Why has she asked this young reporter to write her story? What is her ultimate goal? This book started slowly for me, however soon grabbed my attention and I found it hard to put down after the first 1/3." - D. Cohen

4/4 stars.

Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid

"A great summer read! This is a story of four siblings, starting with how their parents met and the ups and downs of that marriage and divorce.. and subsequent remarriage and divorce. The details of each siblings’ relationships all link back to their father, a well known singer who was out of their lives more than he was in it. The effects of their father’s actions have shaped the decisions they’ve all made in their lives, and in the end, after one on eventful night, so many secrets are finally revealed about each sibling and their father." - L. Ngo

4/4 stars.

Plum Island by Nelson DeMille

"Quick easy murder mystery read with a great plot. Makes it even better that it takes place on Long Island with many landmarks we know." - J. McQuade

3/4 stars.

The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun

"As a cat lover, I instantly appreciated her style of putting the 2 Siamese cats, KoKo and YumYum into the spotlight.The other main character, James Qwilleran, aka Qwill, is a journalist who writes a column in the 'Pickax News.' Ms. Braun has written many novels about Qwill, KoKo, and YumYum and all the things that go on in Moose county including different types of crimes or murder that Qwill helps solve. Each novel is a quick easy read." - T. Gustafson

3/4 stars.

Historic Haunts of Long Island by Kerriann Flanagan Brosky

"Even if you don't believe in the paranormal, this book tells of fascinating stories of LI's past history & famous residents & visitors. You'll read about LI's important part in history during the Revolutionary War - amazing stories. Sweet Hollow Rd. & Mt. Misery Rd. right here in Melville have a ghostly past + sighting as does many LI sites!!!" - N. Bellissimo

4/4 stars.