Albany Public Library discussion

There are so many great songs about New York (one obviously inspired the title of this week's SRC theme), but WE will be honoring the Empire State by featuring some great reads by authors who hail from NY.

Adult Fiction
The Underground Railroad
Manhattan Beach
If Beale Street Could Talk
Not Without Laughter
Story of My Life
A Terrible Country
All This Could Be Yours
The Twelve Lives of Samuel Hawley
Precious
The Devil in Silver
Grand Union: Stories
Red at the Bone
Angels in America
The Bonfire of the Vanities
The Queen of the Night

Young Adult Fiction
Scythe
King of the Screwups
Dove Arising
If I Stay
A Good Idea

Nonfiction
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History
The Gene: An Intimate History
The Laws of Medicine: Field Notes from an Uncertain Science

Anywho, enough about us, what have you been reading?!

And, as always, let us know what we should add to your reading records!

Summer reading so far:
Sorry I’m Late, I didn’t Want to Come, Jessica Pan

The Woman Who Smashed Codes, Jason Fangone

Searching for Silvie Lee, by Jean Kwok

Fallen Mountains, by Kimi Cunningham Grant

What The Wind Knows, Amy Harmon

How to Be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi

On Desperate Ground, by Hampton Sides

The Hazel Wood, by Melissa Albert

Cilka’s Journey, by Heather Morris

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, by Stuart Turton

In The Country of Women, by Susan Straight

Read Silver Girl, which takes place in Massachusetts, not New York, but was a light summer read.

Just finished reading A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny and An American Marriage by Tayari Jones from last week’s theme.

Finished Exhalation: Stories over lunch. Absolutely wonderful.

I finished The Gate Keeper by Charles Todd. It was another good mystery in this series. Set in December 1920, Ian Rutledge from Scotland Yard is caught up in what may be a random murder. His dedicated and detailed investigation unravels the mystery and finds a serials killer.

Finished Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz and Good Talk by Mira Jacob.

(I think I wrapped up 10 last post? Let me know if we're not supposed to drop our reads here once we complete the challenge! I know it's a lot to track!)

I just finished “Magic Lessons” by Alice Hoffman. There’s some beautiful descriptions of Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn in the 1660’s although this beautiful novel also takes place in England, Curaçao, Boston and Salem, Massachusetts. It’s an intoxicating and brilliant prequel to “Practical Magic”.

I started “The Dakota Winters” by Tom Barbasch. 1980 NYC. I’m really looking forward to revisiting the year John Lennon was murdered and my senior year of Oceanside High School on Long Island.

Finished The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins.

Read One of Us is Lying in one night last night 😱

I thought the Spill Zone set in the future disaster zone of Poughkeepsie in the sci-fi graphic novel too.

I didn't read anything New York specific but I adored My Life in France and American as Paneer Pie.

Just finished Two Can Keep a Secret which is still not set in New York :p

Spent a lazy Sunday devouring The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi.

I finished Mexican Gothic this week

Last week, I obtained one of the titles listed for week 7 and then never got to it. Didn't manage to read a book by a New York author this week.... I hope re-reads count, because I just re-read One of Us Is Lying to prepare for the Forever YA August book-club meeting.

Anne C wrote: "There are so many great songs about New York (one obviously inspired the title of this week's SRC theme), but WE will be honoring the Empire State by featuring some great reads by authors who hail ..."

@ Laura. I have added your books! One post and you have completed APL SRC. Congrats!

@Kelly, did you like Mexican Gothic? I've been looking forward to it.

Paige wrote: "Finished Midnight Rising: John Brown and the Raid That Sparked the Civil War by Tony Horwitz and Good Talk by Mira Jacob.

(I think I wrapped up 10 last post? Let me know if we're not supposed to d..."

@ Paige. Yes, I have 13 books on my end. You have completed the APL SRC!

Abi wrote: "Read One of Us is Lying in one night last night 😱"

@ Abi YES! I can't wait to talk with everyone about it at book club:)

Abi wrote: "Just finished Two Can Keep a Secret which is still not set in New York :p"

@ Abi I have added your books. You have completed the APL SRC!

Jen wrote: "Spent a lazy Sunday devouring The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi."

@ Jen I have added your books. You have completed the APL SRC!

Mirkat wrote: "Last week, I obtained one of the titles listed for week 7 and then never got to it. Didn't manage to read a book by a New York author this week.... I hope re-reads count, because I just re-read [bo..."

@Mirkat Re-reading totally counts. See you at book club. I have added your book!

All books have been recorded to this point. Great work everybody!

Hi, I finished one more book this week Saving Tyler by Gudrun Frerichs. It was a good NZ romance about a serviceman who returned from Afghanistan with PTSD.

Paul wrote: "Hi, I finished one more book this week Saving Tyler by Gudrun Frerichs. It was a good NZ romance about a serviceman who returned from Afghanistan with PTSD."

Great, I have added your book @Paul

For week 8, I read Sharpe's Eagle by Bernard Cornwell. Love Cornwell's writing style and his Sharpe series is a guilty pleasure I come back to from time to time. The series focuses on Sharpe, a privateer from poverty, who makes the rare jump to the officer class (often bought rather than earned by merit in Britain's Army), showcasing how he navigates class prejudices against securing victories for Britain in the age of the Napoleonic Wars. This is the 8th in the series, focusing on the Talavera campaign.

Got it recorded!