Is it clambake season in Cleveland yet?  Practically!  If you’ve never participated in a clambake, this is the year to change that!  Clambakes are generally held outside at the end of summer into early fall.  They are usually family/friend gatherings where the hosts prepare clams, chicken, and corn on the cob and serve it up along side dinner rolls and coleslaw and warm melted butter.  Friends, AWESOME FOOD, and cooler weather,  what’s not to love?  I can’t get enough of clambakes, so if you have a spare seat at your picnic table, let me know!

Looking for some books to talk about while you are visiting with friends and family at the clambake?  Check out some of our latest additions for inspiration.

Anna’s Crossing by Suzanne Woods Fisher
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A God in Ruins by Kate Atkinson
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Child of Grace by Lori Copeland
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Endangered by C. J. Box
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The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
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Happy reading!
—Beth

Just because kids are going back to school DOES NOT mean that summer is over!  In fact, we still have almost a month until it’s officially fall.  The weather might not be steamy and sticky, but it sure is beautiful out.  In fact, this is exactly the type of weather that I find pleasant to take advantage of.  I can go outside and spend a few hours reading, working in the yard,  and walking without getting incredibly sweaty and uncomfortable.  Plus, there aren’t nearly as many bugs crawling and swarming these days.

If you’re looking for some books to read in this beautiful weather, check out some of our recently added titles to the Reading Room.

Armada by Ernest Cline
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My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrick Backman
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Orchard at the Edge of Town by Shirlee McCoy
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The Book of Aron by Jim Shepard
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Invasion of Tearling by Erika Johansen
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Happy reading!

—Beth

It’s National Thrift Shop Day!  I’ve been enjoying hunting through thrift shops for over 15 years now.  My search started as a teen when I was looking for vintage skirts and dresses that helped me define my style, as a teen often attempts to do.  I lived in thrifted threads throughout college and graduate school.  As I got older and took on more professional jobs, it was hard to continue that clothing style with the constant mending required of garments older than me.  These days I hunt thrift stores for vintage Pyrex dishes.  You might have some of these in your kitchen, or you’ve seen them on your aunt’s dinner table.  They come in all different shapes, patterns, and colors and I’m slightly obsessed with them.  It’s rare that I pass a thrift store without stopping to see if Pyrex treasures await.

I’ve also recently started thrifting children’s books as I build my daughter’s library.  She hasn’t arrived yet, but I plan on being well armed with lots of books to read to her for years to come.

Everyone seems to be looking for their own treasure, whether that’s at a thrift shop, or even at the library.  If you’re in the market for your next treasured read, check out some of these recent additions to our Reading Room.

The Queen of Tearling by Erika Johansen
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The Unfortunates by Sophie McManus
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West of Sunset by Steward O’Nan
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Where They Found Her by Kimberly McCreight
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Happy Reading!

—Beth

Our Summer Reading Programs are officially over and they have been a huge success! Thanks to everyone who participated, and a very special thank you to the Friends of RRPL who sponsored our program.  We had a record total of over 350 patrons sign up and over 1,400 titles read in just the Adult program! If you’re looking for some good book recommendations or would like to share a few books yourself, we will be discussing some of the best books we read all summer at our End of Summer Reading Celebration tomorrow, August 4, 3:00-4:00 p.m. in The Community Room of RRPL.

Just because our Summer Reading Program is over, doesn’t mean you need to slow down your reading habits.  Stay tuned in the coming months as we offer more exciting ways to win with reading!

Here are some of our most recent additions to the Reading Room:

Appaloosa by Robert B. Parker
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Dexter is Dead by Jeff Lindsay
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Find Me by Laura Van Den Berg
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Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason
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Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
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Happy reading!

—Beth

Hello! I hope you had a lovely weekend!  Summer is in full swing and if your summer is anything like mine, it’s keeping you very busy.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit family in Ithaca and Owego, New York. Holy smokes, that state is beautiful! I’ve spent a good amount of time in Ithaca throughout my life, but as I get older I really start to appreciate how beautiful the area is. We took an early morning hike in the Enfield Glen gorge before a day filled with catching up with family and honoring my late grandmother.

Any road trip with my family always includes at least one audio book, and this one was no different. It used to be when we would travel we would pick up a book on CD or cassette from Cracker Barrel, listen to it, and then return it to another Cracker Barrel.  Thanks to technology, we don’t have to stop at Cracker Barrel, and we don’t have to pay a cent for a huge catalog of audio books.  We put the OverDrive app to good use and could even connected my smartphone directly to the car speakers with Bluetooth.  I know this isn’t necessarily new technology, but it’s my first time really using a Bluetooth enabled car, and it was awesome!

If you’re about to hit the road and looking for an audio book to listen to, or just a good book to read, check out some of our latest additions to the Reading Room.

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
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The Fixer by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
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The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
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The Whites by Richard Price and Harry Brandt
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Tiny Little Thing by Beatriz Williams
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Happy reading!
Beth

In addition to reading, one of my other hobbies is cooking/baking.  One of the biggest challenges to cooking/baking can be finding some of the special ingredients in the grocery store.  This past weekend I had the opportunity to visit the most amazing of all grocery stores, Jungle Jim’s International Market.  Jungle Jim’s grocery store features isles upon isles upon isles of ingredients, spices, sauces, foods, and candies from around the world.  I’ve never been to a grocery store that was so worthy of awe.   If you’re ever in the Cincinnati area, I highly recommend you make a trip there.  I am eagerly anticipating my return to Jungle Jim’s with a list of exotic ingredients from a well-planned menu.

 In the meantime, I’ll travel the world via book.  Here are some books to transport you around the world, or to another world. 

A Fatal Chapter by Lorna Barrett
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Checked Out by Elaine Viets
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Death in Salem by Eleanor Kuhns
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Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper
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Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon
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Happy reading!

—Beth

Are you heading on vacation soon? Are you looking for something to read or listen to as you travel, relax, or lounge by the water?   Check out some our latest additions to the Reading Room.

The Whites by Harry Brandt
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The Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige
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Uprooted by Naomi Novik
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Vanishing Games by Robert Hobbs
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Happy Reading!
—Beth

I hope you had a lovely Fourth of July weekend!  Welcome back to reality!  After a weekend of stuffing ourselves full of grilled meats and catching up with friends and family, sometimes it’s nice to get back to business as usual. As I get older, the more I recognize that I like routine, almost as much as my dog does.  I find it relaxing in an otherwise chaotic world.  I also like breaking my routine on occasion.  Running off on spontaneous adventures, randomly changing plans, going to the grocery store on a Tuesday morning instead of a Sunday.  You know, crazy stuff. But at the end of the day, one thing that almost never changes is my nighttime routine, which usually includes falling asleep after a few chapters, or pages (depending on how tired I am) of my current read.

Are you looking for some suggestions for your next nighttime read?  Check out some of our most recent additions to the Reading Room.

A Catered Mother’s Day: A Mystery with Recipes by Isis Crawford
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Alex + Ada, Volume 1 by Sarah Vaughn
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Love May Fail by Matthew Quick
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Positive by David Wellington
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The Red Notebook by Antoine Laurain
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Happy reading!
—Beth

Where is your favorite place to read?  I love reading in my solarium.  I can sit back and relax with a great book as the sunshine pours over me.  This weekend I also had the opportunity to read next to Grand Lake at St. Marys State Park.  With the exception of the endless hum of motorboats, and excessive bugs, it was pretty pleasant.

Are you looking for your next book to curl up with in your favorite reading spot?  Check out some of this week’s latest additions to the Reading Room.

Miss Mayhem by Rachel Hawkins
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Monday’s Lie by Jamie Mason
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The Daylight Marriage by Heidi Pitlor
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Diver’s Clothes Lie Empty by Vendela Vida
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The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell
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I hope one of these will suit your tastes and find its way to your favorite reading spot.

Happy reading!
—Beth