More Great Reads for Summer

Perfect by Marne David Kellogg (2005)
Perfect is about Kathleen "Kick" Keswick, a partially retired international jewel thief. She is married to retired Scotland Yard Inspector Thomas Curtis, and they are content living in Province, France. Until one or the other gets a call to display their expertise.  Private jewelry of Queen Elizabeth's is stolen. Thomas, knowing about his wife's past, asks her to find them and steal them back. Kick does so, with her own plan and own way. Careful detail describes all the locales, events, clothes and food in "Perfect." If it is an accurate picture of the rich, it shows money perhaps can't buy happiness, but it sure can buy some remarkable substitutes.   ~ Recommended by Michele

The Submission by Amy Waldman (2011)
After 9/11, a memorial design contest is held to commemorate the attacks at Ground Zero. The jury selects the winner from anonymous entries only to find that the architect is an American Muslim. Once the designer’s name is leaked to the public, many political and humanitarian groups are full of outrage and the future of the memorial is unknown. The aftermath of jury’s selection is chronicled from the perspectives of the designer himself, Claire, a juror on the committee, Sean, the brother of a fallen firefighter, and Asma, an illegal immigrant whose husband was a janitor in the World Trade Center. “The Submission” is a thought-provoking book that leaves the reader wondering who to support and second-guessing previously held assumptions and beliefs.    ~ Recommended by Rebekah

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer (2010)
Andras Levi, an architectural student, leaves his native Hungary for Paris on a scholarship just before World War II.  As the political world turns, so does his life after meeting Klara, a ballet dancer and teacher.  As Hitler gains strength in Europe, Andras' scholarship is revoked by his Hungarian government.  He and his new bride Klara must return to his homeland where they are drawn into the horrors of war and anti-Semitism.  Conflicts and secrets from Klara’s past surface and almost cause the destruction of her family.  The reader will care very much about the characters in this historical novel and gain awareness of what really happened in Hungary and the rest of Europe.  It is the story of an average human being who finds courage through love that makes this such a special reading experience!  ~  Recommended by Regina

The Games by Ted Kosmatka (2012)
Jurassic Park meets Species in this debut novel from Nebula Award Winner Ted Kosmata. This dystopian story is centered on a new, genetically engineered Olympics event, where contestants must fight to the death. There are little ethical boundaries - the only rule is that no human DNA can be used. When a supercomputer creates the “perfect” beast with completely unknown genomes, geneticist Silas Williams must race against time as the sentient being adapts and evolves into the perfect, unstoppable killer.  ~  Recommended by Mei-Ling

The Photographer by Emmanuel Guibert (2009)
Didier LeFevre traveled with a group from Doctors Without Borders to Afghanistan in 1986 to document the journey and the groups’ work there.  The group had to travel back roads and passes to keep away from the Russians, who at that time were at war with the Mujahedeen.  They travelled by walking and donkeys carried the supplies. The hardship of the trip and the cultural differences the group encountered were truly amazing. The graphic novel drawing is interspersed with Didier’s photographs of Afghanistan.  I wanted to get out my magnifying glass to study many of the photographs. This is a great book with a good cultural introduction and personal follow-ups of the characters in the story.  This book made me very thankful for living in the USA with medical care down the street and thankful for the soldiers who fight in Afghanistan.  ~  Recommended by Sue

A Short History of Film by Wheeler Winston Dixon and Gwendolyn Audrey Foster (2008) 
This book provides a fascinating overview of motion pictures, from the films produced at the time of the invention of the first moving cameras to modern epics such as the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.  It explores such genres as classic horror films, film noir, regular westerns and spaghetti westerns, and musicals.  The impact of film on society is discussed, as is the use of film as an art medium.  This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in movies who wants to know more about their history and their impact on society, and I found it highly enjoyable.  ~  Recommended by Jennifer