Albany Public Library discussion

Happy FIRST week of SRC!!! It feels so good to be back!!! We're super excited to get back to talking books with you all this summer!

Some recommendations for this week:
The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It
Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea
The Book of Eels: Our Enduring Fascination with the Most Mysterious Creature in the Natural World
**So, I was watching the Amazon adaptation of Jenny Han's The Summer I Turned Pretty and learned that, supposedly, no one knows how eels reproduce! HOW is this possible?! Please someone read this one for me, because should we really be eating them in sushi?! I have so many questions...**
The Light Between Oceans
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
By Book or By Crook
The Island of Sea Women
Beach Read
The Last Thing He Told Me
Here's to Us
One Italian Summer

Do you have an ocean or beach favorite? If so, feel free to share in the comments below!

We hope you're all enjoying the weather, and offer you a hearty welcome back! #AlbanyReads #WhatAreEels #SummerReading!

The Island of Sea Women was a fabulous book. Everyone should read it.

Just finished Greenwood by Michael Christie. Greatly enjoyed it!

Just finished 26 Marathons. Not ocean themed but it did include hydrating appropriately during a marathon 😅

Simona wrote: "The Island of Sea Women was a fabulous book. Everyone should read it." This one definitely sounds intriguing!

Last night I finished State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny instead of dealing with helping my son find housing in Chicago for next semester (Ugh). It was better than I anticipated, although it got more unbelievable as it went on. It is a typical political thriller, but with some strong, middle-aged female characters, which I appreciated.

Mayra wrote: "Just finished 26 Marathons. Not ocean themed but it did include hydrating appropriately during a marathon 😅"

I was like, OMG, OK, that's a LOT of running, how did you have time to read anything?!?!

A book I just read that took place on an island next to the ocean was "The Island" by Adrian McKinty. I really liked it. It was a really page turner.

A few weeks ago I finished The Seaplane on Final Approach, which is set on an Alaskan island. A sort of gonzo coming-of-age story in a remote location; I found it very evocative.

my thoughts exactly. Even though it seemed unbelievable I was captivated and engaged.

Yesterday I finished listening to the book Lagom: Not Too Little, Not Too Much, Just Right: The Swedish Guide to Creating Balance in Your Life which is a part memoir, part how-to guide about how to live by the Swedish term "lagom" that means "just right" with similar vibes to hygge. She's an American woman who married a Swedish man and moved there. She includes a few chapters/sections about their connection to water from taking the morning dip to sauna, so it definitely fits the theme of this week's "take me to the ocean." It's a quick little audiobook but reminds us that anything in moderation is a delightful thing.

Diana wrote: "A few weeks ago I finished The Seaplane on Final Approach, which is set on an Alaskan island. A sort of gonzo coming-of-age story in a remote location; I found it very evocative."

Was this within the SRC timeframe?! Can I count it toward your total?!

Don't forget to share what you've read, and if you're sharing for the first time what branch you usually go to so we can sign you up for Summer Reading so you can be in the running to get the coveted prize at the end of summer!!!

Hi Anne,

I finished that one right before summer reading started. However, this week I did finish For the Throne, a gorgeous follow-up to the first in the duology.

Diana wrote: "Hi Anne,

I finished that one right before summer reading started. However, this week I did finish For the Throne, a gorgeous follow-up to the first in the duology."

I'm obsessed with the cover of this book! I have yet to start the duology though... maybe this weekend!

Alicia wrote: "Yesterday I finished listening to the book Lagom: Not Too Little, Not Too Much, Just Right: The Swedish Guide to Creating Balance in Your Life which is a part memoir, part how-to gu..."

This sounds like a wonderful palate cleanser of a book! (With an important message!)

On 6/24, I finished A Curious Beginning .

I finished Crossroads earlier this week - definitely no ocean there, it takes place in the midwest :)

Anne C wrote: "Don't forget to share what you've read, and if you're sharing for the first time what branch you usually go to so we can sign you up for Summer Reading so you can be in the running to get the covet..."Oh my, "coveted prize." Now I am curious.

I'm tackling Jaws this weekend. Seemed an appropriate selection for the week's theme and the impending holiday.

Paige wrote: "I'm tackling Jaws this weekend. Seemed an appropriate selection for the week's theme and the impending holiday." Oh wow, I have never read Jaws. I remember all the adults reading it when I was a kid. Let us know if it has aged well.

Last week I finished two mysteries in Elly Griffiths’ Brighton/Magic Men series - The Vanishing Box and also Now You See Them.

This morning I finished the second Rei Shimura mystery, Zen Attitude, and I read Invincible Summer by Alice Adams today!

I finished two books this week, Black Cake and Notes on an Execution. I liked Black Cake, didn't love it. it felt like the author was trying to check so many social issue boxes, it took away from the story. The second book was better. Not in love with it but like it a lot. Read it very fast.

I just finished a confectionery beach read “Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop” by Roselle Lim. I loved all the descriptions of desserts!

There's a short story in Junji Ito's new soon-to-be-published collection The Liminal Zone that I finished reading this morning that is "Weeping Woman Way" about a woman whose tears helped save the community but now she's dried up until another woman helps to break the dam open again and that woman bursts forth with tears. It's hard to explain the craziness of Ito's illustrations and how he comes up with these stories. But it fits the water theme as well for this week!

Just finished Summer Island. Definitely not my favorite book, even in the book-candy, summer reading genre, but it did take place on one of the San Juan Island, and the location was featured prominently in the story, so meets this week's theme!

Just finished Jane Goodall's Book of Hope this morning. A nice change from more of the dystopian things I've been reading lately!

This week I finished Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen and The Dilemma by B. A. Paris. I also started listening to Here’s to Us by Elin Hilderbrand to go with the theme but haven’t finished it yet!

I read A Little Closer to Home by Ginger Zee and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig!

finished Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye

For week 1, I read Hummingbird Salamander by Jeff Vandermeer and Druids by Morgan Llywelyn

During week 1 I read like a maniac: Counterfeit by Kristin Chen, The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah, The Island by Adrian McKinty, and The Last House on the Street by Diane Chamberlain. I was tired at work all week from staying up too late reading. :)

Morning!! During the first week I finished "The Candid Life of Meena Dave," and read "The Island of Sea Women." I really enjoy reading about other cultures and about women. I would recommend both books.

Susan wrote: "Anne C wrote: "Don't forget to share what you've read, and if you're sharing for the first time what branch you usually go to so we can sign you up for Summer Reading so you can be in the running t..."

Don't get too excited, it's just a tee shirt. I mean, IT'S A TEE SHIRT!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

Alicia wrote: "There's a short story in Junji Ito's new soon-to-be-published collection The Liminal Zone that I finished reading this morning that is "Weeping Woman Way" about a woman whose tears ..."

This sounds really beautiful; I can't wait to get my hands on it when it's finally released!

Victoria wrote: "Just finished Jane Goodall's Book of Hope this morning. A nice change from more of the dystopian things I've been reading lately!"

LOVE Jane Goodall! Definitely a nice change from dystopian fiction!

I read two books from this list this weekend on a train ride and visit to NYC. My husband was supposed to join me, but was stuck out of town, neither of my kids wanted to come, and my NYC friends were all unavailable. Seemed like a bummer at first, but lots of sitting in parks and cafes reading =win!!

The two books from the list were By Book or By Crook - which got a lot of things wrong about rare book librarianship, but that's OK - and The Last Thing He Told Me - which had me turning pages even when I was on the train or waiting in line somewhere for only a few minutes.

For week 1, I read Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. I liked it much more than I thought I would, so finishing the rest of the series became my top reading priority for the summer!

Susan wrote: "I read two books from this list this weekend on a train ride and visit to NYC. My husband was supposed to join me, but was stuck out of town, neither of my kids wanted to come, and my NYC friends w..."

Hi Susan- You are all set!

Mya wrote: "For week 1, I read Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas. I liked it much more than I thought I would, so finishing the rest of the series became my top reading priority for the summer!"

Hi Mya- You are all set!