LibraryAware 6/24 Goodreads Newsletter

Thank you to all who have shared reviews, please keep them coming! Below are some already shared. You can submit your reviews here.

Bloomingdale Public Library Goodreads page coming soon.

Fiction

The Ivies
by Alexa Donne
Reviewed by Kristina

If you liked "We Were Liars" you're going to love "The Ivies." This is a fast-paced YA thriller about the cut-throat competition involved in elite college admissions. A group of "mean girls" at Claflin Academy will do anything to get into the Ivy League...but would they murder one of their supposed best-friends to get ahead? A page-turner thriller/mystery that will appeal to teens 16 and up.

Poisoned
by Jennifer Donnelly
Reviewed by Katie

A Snow White retelling that portrays the main character as a heroine instead of a victim, and showcases that love is always more powerful than fear.

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding
by Jennifer Robson
Reviewed by Jessica

Combining stories set in post World War II London and the modern day, The Gown explores women's lives through hardship, the friendships built, and the excitement around Princess Elizabeth's (now known as Queen Elizabeth II) wedding. Wonderful historical elements with a sympathetic look into women's daily lives. Bonus if you enjoy fashion and sewing details! Recommended for fans of historical fiction from Kate Quinn, Beatriz Williams, Kristin Hannah, and Martha Hall Kelly.

Nonfiction

Every Day Is a Gift: A Memoir
by Tammy Duckworth
Reviewed by Soon Har

Senator Duckworth is known for being gritty and grounded, as a soldier, a veteran and a senator. But did you know about her impoverished and transformative years in Hawaii, where she moved with her father and brother after living in Southeast Asia until the age of 16? And what it was like for her to recover from the insurgent attack on the helicopter she was piloting in Iraq which destroyed both her legs and damaged her right arm? Read by Senator Duckworth herself and told with humor and honesty, the 8.5 hour audiobook of her memoir is also candid, moving and inspiring. Not your typical ‘political memoir,’ this book will appeal to fans of Michelle Obama’s Becoming and Dana Perino’s And the Good News Is. The audiobook comes with a pdf of exclusive photographs.

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up: A Magical Story
by Marie Kondo, Yuko Uramoto, Cathy Hirano
Reviewed by Krista

Manga isn't really my thing, but I did like the way the Konmari method was visually presented in this retelling. It's a good introduction to the original book.