Albany Public Library discussion

Hi everyone, and welcome to Week 5 of the Albany Public Library Summer Reading Challenge!

This week's theme is "Real Life Rockstars." Remember to comment with any books you have finished this week! We will keep track of them for you, and let you know if you have reached a prize level!

Here's a list of "Real Life Rockstars" biography themed recommended reading curated by your local APL librarians! Happy reading!

I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai
Alexander Hamilton - Ron Chernow
Becoming - Michelle Obama
Born a Crime - Trevor Noah
Unbroken - Laura Hillenbrand
A Long Way Gone - Ishmael Beah
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks - Rebecca Skloot
Yes, Please - Amy Poehler
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings - Maya Angelou
American Sniper - Chris Kyle
Twelve Years a Slave - Solomon Northrup
Hidden Figures - Margot Lee Shetterly

I just noticed I never posted last week's books, so here's what I've read since my last post!
First, I went on a manga and graphic novel binge:
Anonymous Noise 2, 3, 4, 5
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfast for Spirits 2
Dragon Quest Monsters + 1 (Yes, the plus sign is part of the title.)
Quintessential Quintuplets 1, 2
Go For It, Nakamura! (Unexpectedly cute and funny!)
Now Loading...! (A cute new adult romance!)
Oh My Goddess! 46 (I'm way behind on this series.)
Demon Slayer 1
Shuriken and Pleats 1, 2 (I think I've read this before? Not very memorable, evidently!)
Deadman Wonderland 2 (Too violent for my taste.)
Cirque du Freak 3
The Promised Neverland 6 (I keep thinking I'll give up on this series, then reading the next volume anyway.)
Food Wars 5
A Terrified Teacher at Ghoul School 1, 2 (Very silly!)
Graveyard Shakes (Cute and sad.)
Fence 1 (For fans of Check, Please!, but with higher stakes.)
Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" (Now with pictures! Think "American Gothic.")
Tamamo the Fox Maiden (I love folklore!)
Bloom (Realistic male/male romance)
Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me (An unhealthy female/female romance)
The Adventure Zone Book 2: Murder on the Rockport Limited (Packed full of choice McElroy goofs. The characters are really starting to develop!)

I also finished a few books that aren't all about the pictures!
An Elderly Lady Is Up To No Good (Great for cozy mystery fans, especially if you've ever dreamed of how you'd get away with it.)
Marque and Reprisal (Book 2 in a series about space shipping. Hey, I hit the theme for once!)
Special Effects: An Introduction to Movie Magic (Very informative - not something I'd normally think to pick up, but I'm glad I did!)

Finally, a theme that is right up my alley!! Which, of course, means i have read most of the books on this list already. Ismael Beah came to Sage Albany a few years ago, and I just happened to be on the campus and see a flyer. He was wonderful. His book is tough but well worth reading.

I have not read Malala's book yet, so here is my excuse.

Kathleen wrote: "I just noticed I never posted last week's books, so here's what I've read since my last post!
First, I went on a manga and graphic novel binge:
Anonymous Noise 2, 3, 4, 5
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfas..."

Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me is one of my favorites!

This week I finished:
Erica Ferencik's "Into the Jungle"
and
Abbi Jacobson's "I Might Regret This"

both were good!

@Kathleen, I have added all of your books. You are currently at 55 books read this summer!

@Riley, I have added your books!

Oh! I was expecting "Real Life Rockstars" to be the memoirs and biographies of actual rock stars--as opposed to fiction about rock stars. Like isn't Joan Jett a real-life rock star?

Edit: Of course, I realize that would have been redundant with week #2.

Edit 2: Okay, when I finally get to this week's book (next week), it will be So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know .

I am slowing down. I finished

Hidden Secrets by Carolyn Brown
and Thin Air by Lisa Gray.

I wasn't excited by either, so it took me awhile to get through them.

Also, I keep forgetting to go to a branch to get the prizes. Can we go to any branch?

Good day!! I have finished three more books. On topic: "Born a Crime" Trevor Noah, "It Seemed Important at The Time" Gloria Vanderbilt, and "Ask again, Yes" Mary Beth Keane. I really enjoyed all three books. I did find Gloria Vanderbilt's memoir and writing style a bit odd, but what a life. I'd like to read more of her writing and about her.

I have added all of the books above!

@Valerie, you are currently at 14 books read this summer, and have Level 1, Level 2, Level 3, and Level 4 prizes to pick up from any Albany Public Library branch (Arbor Hill, Bach, Delaware, Howe, North Albany, Pine Hills, Washington Avenue)!

@Vickie, you are currently at 9 books read this summer, and have Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

Here is what I have read since last time:

The Spectators by Jennifer DuBois
Supper Club by Lara Williams
Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett
Digital Griots by Adam Banks
And Now We Have Everything by Meaghan O'Connell

Today I finished Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. I don't think I'll have time to finish another book this weekend, so reporting in now!

This week I read The Places that Scare You and My Lovely Wife. I really enjoyed My Lovely Wife! Love a thriller!

OK so I was a bit on hold for a while, was reading the textbook "Who's doing the work?"to prepare for the upcoming school year. I also just finished (stayed up way too late to do it...) "The One Man" by Andrew Gross.
So, the textbook is pretty awesome (for those of you who like a good educator read haha)
But that historical fiction piece - wow! Definitely suspenseful and so surprising! I kept thinking I had things figured out and then it would twist! So awesome.

I forgot to post my books from last week, so I am combining them into my list of books of I read this week, too.

I have read:
House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros
Woman Hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Night by Ellie Wiesel
Adulthood is a Myth by Sarah Anderson

I read (finished the audiobook for) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Finished Fix her up by Tessa Bailey; The Billionaire affair by Ali Parker; Dirty Deeds by Stella Rhys

This week I only finished one book while starting a few others. At least it followed this week's theme. Living and Dying in Brick City by Sampson Davis, MD. It tells of his struggles with being an Emergency Department doctor in Newark, NJ. He struggles a lot with the plight of the poor and uninsured, especially African-American residents. His going to bat for the people and actions in the community make him a real life rock-star in his field. Borrowed from Overdrive, so you can read it, too.

This week I finished Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty and A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny.

I love Liane Moriarty!

Over the weekend I finished Little Fires Everywhere and Songs Only You Know: A Memoir. Both super enjoyable.

Paul wrote: "This week I only finished one book while starting a few others. At least it followed this week's theme. Living and Dying in Brick City by Sampson Davis, MD. It tells of his struggle..."
Thanks. Am adding this one to my list!

Hi all. Great work!

@ Laura T you have Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@ Kelly you have Level 2, and Level 3 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@ Emily S you have Level 1 and Level 2 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@Emily T you have Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@Kristopher you have a Level 1 prize to pick up from your APL branch.

@Evee you have Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level 4 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@Paul you have Level 3 and Level 4 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

@Jane you have Level 1 and Level 2 prizes to pick up from your local APL branch.

Vacation took me away from a computer for the weekend, but I'm also still reading my rockstar book which is Hadish's The Last Black Unicorn.

I finally finished my real-life rockstars book. I enjoyed it and probably would not have read it if not for this challenge. This week I finished

Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson

The Whites by Harry Brandt

I ended up finishing The Last Black Unicorn this evening because it reads quickly in how it's formatted. I didn't love it, but it's not to say it's not valuable. I was more annoyed by the format than the content itself that's raw and straightforward.

I have added your books!

Alicia, Last Black Unicorn is definitely an example of a book that's better in audio. Narrated by the author--her delivery really adds to it.

Finally read/listened to I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. I didn't expect it to be so good because these sorts of biographies, written to raise awareness of an issue, often sound kind of the same, but enjoyed this one, especially the view of the War on Terror as seen through the eyes of a Pakistani.

Susan wrote: "Finally read/listened to I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. I didn't expect it to be so good because these sorts of biographi..."

I have added your book! This book has been on my TBR pile for awhile. I will have to give it a try soon.

Kate wrote: "Susan wrote: "Finally read/listened to I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. I didn't expect it to be so good because these sort..."
The audio version went really quickly, even though it was 9 hours. I went between print and audio, but think I preferred audio since there was some jumbling of topics, and the audio was like a friend talking to you, so it was easier to follow.

Finished my "Real-Life Rockstars" pick, So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y’all Don’t Even Know .

Good morning. The last three books I've finished are: "The Most Fun We Ever Had," "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry," and "Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains. I've written very short reviews of all in whatever the place is where you review them when you have finished them.

Vickie wrote: "Good morning. The last three books I've finished are: "The Most Fun We Ever Had," "Astrophysics for People in a Hurry," and "Eiger Dreams: Ventures Among Men and Mountains. I've written very short ..."

I have added your books. You have a level 1,2 and 3 prize for pick up at your APL branch.

Hi, Kate. I was at level 3 prize on July 26th. So, I think these three additional books make it a level 4 prize.

Kathleen wrote: "I just noticed I never posted last week's books, so here's what I've read since my last post!
First, I went on a manga and graphic novel binge:
Anonymous Noise 2, 3, 4, 5
Kakuriyo: Bed and Breakfas..."

Great job!!