Talking Times, Spring 2024 - Section 1

NLS Summer Reading Program 

The NLS, National Library Services Summer Reading Program will run from Monday, June 24, through Friday, August 9th, 2024. The registration links for the 2024 NLS Summer Reading events will be posted on the NLS website at the beginning of June. The Kickoff event for all ages will take place Monday, June 24 at 4:00 pm Eastern time. Dr. Carla Hayden, the Librarian of Congress, will read Alma and How She Got Her Name by Juana Martinez-Neal (BR 22572, DBC08652). Storytime
and music by Turtle Dance Music (Designed for K-3rd grade, but all are welcome) is Thursday, July 18, at 4:00 pm Eastern time. An Author Talk with New York Times Bestselling Author Angeline Bouley with the moderator, Andrea L. Rogers (YA and Adult) will take place on Thursday, July 25, at 7:00 pm Eastern time. Firekeeper’s Daughter (BR24040, DB102762) and Warrior Girl Unearthed (BR25116 in process, DB114761). We encourage you to read these books before the talk and submit any questions for the author NLSPES@loc.gov. Online activities include an accessible virtual tour of the Thomas Jefferson Building at the Library of Congress (YA and Adult) and Choose Your Reading Adventure (YA and Adult versions); Whispering Library Escape Room (family or group activity). Visit the NLS Summer Reading for more information.

Reading Across RI Across RI

Reading Across Rhode Island, Rhode Island’s One Book, One State community read program, kicks off its 22nd year by encouraging everyone to read Solito with this year’s Honorary Chair Teddi Jallow, Executive Director and Co-Founder of the Refugee Dream Center. Solito by Javier Zamora DB 110163 in English and DB112923 in Spanish. A young poet tells the inspiring story of his migration from El Salvador to the United States at the age of nine in this “gripping memoir” (NPR) of bravery, hope, and finding family.

Books to Enjoy This Summer

The Secret Life of Sunflowers by Marta Molnar DB 113204
When Hollywood auctioneer Emsley Wilson finds her famous grandmother's diary while cleaning out her New York brownstone, the pages are full of surprises. The first surprise is, the diary isn't her grandmothers. It belongs to Johanna Bonger, Vincent van Gogh's sister-in-law. Johanna inherited Vincent van Gogh's paintings. They were all she had, and they weren't worth anything. She was a 28-year-old widow with a baby in the 1800s, without any means of supporting herself, living in Paris where she barely spoke the language. Yet she managed to introduce Vincent's legacy to the world. Some strong language. Biographical historical fiction. 2022

The Villa by Rachel Hawkins DB 111855
As kids, Emily and Chess were inseparable. But by their 30s, their bond has been strained by the demands of their adult lives. So, when Chess suggests a girl’s trip to Italy, Emily jumps at the chance to reconnect with her best friend. Villa Aestas in Orvieto is a high-end holiday home now, but in 1974, it was known as Villa Rosato, and rented for the summer by a notorious rock star, Noel Gordon. Romance. 2023

Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson DB 107053
Annie Lee Keyes is hitchhiking her way to Nashville, determined to make it in the music industry. But she's fleeing her past, and her rise as a country music star is dogged by the dark secrets trying to destroy her. Violence and strong language. Commercial audiobook. Suspense. 2022.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray DB 117184
The Barnes family is in trouble. Dickie's once-lucrative car business is going under, but rather than face the music, he's spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker with a renegade handyman. His wife Imelda is selling off her jewelry on eBay, while their teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way through her final exams. And twelve-year-old PJ is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away from home. Strong language, some violence and some explicit descriptions of sex. Psychological fiction. Humor. 2023