Summer Reading . . . Not Just for Kids!
 
June 14, 2025
  Thank you so much to all of those who joined us in person and through Zoom.  It was wonderful to see you!
 
 
 
So fetch : the making of Mean Girls (and why we're still so obsessed with it)
by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong

"From the New York times bestselling author of Seinfeldia comes the totally fetch story of one of the most iconic teen comedies of all time, Mean Girls, revealing how it happened, how it defined a generation, "like, invented" meme culture, and why it just won't go away, filled with exclusive interviews from the director, cast, and crew"
When the going was good : an editor's adventures during the last golden age of magazines
by Graydon Carter

The journalist and editor recounts his journey from launching Spy magazine to transforming Vanity Fair during his 25-year tenure, detailing his editorial innovations, his collaborations with legendary contributors, and his role in shaping the magazine's cultural prominence amidst the challenges of the digital media era.
Arctic traverse : a thousand-mile summer trekking the Brooks Range
by Michael Engelhard

"A lyrical memoir about wilderness, cultural connections, and gritty adventure across northern Alaska"
Be ready when the luck happens
by Garten, Ina

In her first memoir, the bestselling cookbook author and host of the beloved Food Network show“Barefoot Contessa” offers a personal, engaging and motivating narrative of her extraordinary journey from a difficult childhood to becoming a cultural icon.
The 10 : a memoir of family and the open road
by E. A. Hanks

"In her trusted loaded-up minivan 'Minnie,' E.A. Hanks follows the same route as a long-ago road trip with her mother in an attempt to better understand the complicated woman who gave her life. Along the way, as she follows her mother's diaries and her own recollections of the route, she begins to uncover secrets--some unexpectedly wonderful, and others darker and more violent than she ever imagined--that bring more questions than answers. From the quiet expanses of White Sands National Park to the bustling streets of New Orleans, and the Texas-Mexico border to the swamps of the Florida panhandle, she interacts with the amazing breadth and diversity of the people that call these places home. Reckoning with the past, the present, her memories, and herself, Hanks brings us along a beautiful voyage towards understanding how the stories we tell about the places we're from ultimately become the stories we tell about the people we are"
Ordinary time : lessons learned while staying put
by Annie B. Jones

"Annie Jones always assumed adulthood would mean adventure: a high-powered career; life in a big, bustling city; and travels to far-flung places she'd longed to see. But her reality turned out differently. As the years passed, Annie was still in the same small town running an independent bookstore -the kind of life Nora Ephron dreamed. During that time, she hosted friends' goodbye parties and mailed parting gifts; wrote recommendation letters and wished former shop staffers well. She stayed in her small town, despite her love of big cities; stayed in her marriage to the guy she met when she was 18; and she stayed at her bookstore while the world outside shifted steadily toward digital retailers. After ten years, Annie realized she might never leave. But instead of regret, she had an epiphany. She awakened to the gifts of a quiet life spent staying put. In Ordinary Time, Annie challenges the idea that loud lives matter most."
Capote's women : a true story of love, betrayal, and a swan song for an era
by Laurence Leamer

This look at Capote's never-published final novel Answered Prayers shows how the few chapters that were published in Esquire affected his friendships and standing in the society with the rich women whose lives he fictionalized in his work.
Summer movies : 30 sun-drenched classics
by John Malahy

"Take a cinematic getaway! Summer movies is your guide to the films that capture the spirit of the mist carefree season of the year. Packed with production details, stories from the set, and a trove of photos, the book will keep summer alive all year round."--Page [4] of cover
The future was now : madmen, mavericks, and the epic sci-fi summer of 1982
by Chris Nashawaty

Examining the eight science fiction films released in 1982, including E.T., Blade Runner, The Thing and Mad Max, a legendary entertainment journalist shows how these cult classics changed the careers of some of Hollywood's now-biggest names as well as the art of moviemaking to this day. Illustrations.
From here to the great unknown : a memoir
by Lisa Marie Presley

Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Elvis's daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, tells her whole story for the first time in a memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough, after Lisa Marie's death. Illustrations.
Edison's ghosts : the untold weirdness of history's greatest geniuses
by Katie Spalding

"Overturn everything you knew about history's greatest minds in this raucous and hilarious book, where it turns out there's a finer line between "genius" and "idiot" than we've previously known"
On the Hippie Trail : Istanbul to Kathmandu and the making of a travel writer
by Rick Steves

Stow away with the author for a glimpse into the unforgettable moments, misadventures, and memories of his 1978 journey on the legendary Hippie Trail from Istanbul to Kathmandu, which ignited his love of travel and forever broadened his perspective on the world. Illustrations.
The Sullivanians : sex, psychotherapy, and the wild life of an American commune
by Alexander Stille

Reconstructing the inner life of a hidden parallel world through countless interviews and personal papers, this nearly unbelievable story recounts transformation of NYC's Sullivan Institute for Research in Psychoanalysis into an insular cult, with therapists controlling virtually every aspect of their patients' lives. 50,000 first printing.
Funny Because It's True : How the Onion Created Modern American News Satire
by Christine Wenc

An engaging history of The Onion, chronicling its rise from a college paper to a global satire phenomenon and its influence on shows like The Daily Show, told through interviews and insider insights. 25,000 first printing. Illustrations.
Dianaworld : an obsession
by Edward White

"Over the last forty years, the mythology of Princess Diana has turned the woman who was born Diana Spencer into a symbol for almost anything. From a harbinger of Brexit populism, an all-American consumer capitalist, and the savior of the British aristocracy, to a catalyst for #MeToo and-in the words of one superfan-"the biggest punk that's come out of England," Diana connects with a wider array of people than any member of the royal family ever has. We feel so familiar with Diana that it seems crushingly formal to use anything but her first name"
Other Resources:
Hoover Library Summer Reading:  https://www.hooverlibrary.org/summer-reading
 
What Makes a Beach Read:  https://www.cnn.com/us/beach-read-summer-books-cec/index.html
 
The Atlantic Summer Reading Guide:  https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2025/05/summer-reading-2025/682549/
 
NPR's Summer Reading Recommendations:  https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/nx-s1-5356141/best-new-books-summer-reading
 
Publisher's Weekly Summer Reads:  https://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/summer-reads-2025
 
GoodReads Guide to Summer Reading:  https://www.goodreads.com/blog/show/2947-the-2025-goodreads-guide-to-summer-reading
 
Book Riot's Round Up of Summer Reading Lists:  https://bookriot.com/round-up-of-summer-reading-lists/
 
The Bookshelf Thomasville, GA:  https://bookshelfthomasville.com/
 
 
Upcoming Feasts:

Plan to join us for the next Insatiable Readers!   Our topic on Saturday, July 12 is "Explore Science."  We will meet in person at the library's Friends' Meeting Room (located on the Library Plaza) at 10:30 am.   For those unable to join us in person, there will be a virtual Insatiable Readers  at 3:00 pm. via Zoom.  Please send an email to pam.bainter@hooverlibrary.org if you would like an invitation to join the session.  
 
 
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