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Book Reviews

Looking for a new book to read? Check out book reviews from Morris County librarians!

A Spy Among Friends by Ben Macintyre

Ben Macintyre, a British historian, author, and columnist for The Times, has made a career writing about the art of espionage, primarily focusing on the period leading up to and including the second World War. His 2014 book A Spy Among Friends chronicles the life of Kim Philby, one of the most successful and notorious double agents in history.

All-American Dogs

Both dog lovers and history enthusiasts will enjoy Andrew Hager’s 2022 book that chronicles the lives of presidential dogs beginning with George Washington’s presidency and continuing through President Biden’s current term in office. Complete with historical photographs and charming sketches of some notable presidential dogs, All-American Dogs is a fun and interesting book.

Beach Read by Emily Henry

January Andrews writes best-selling romances while her college rival Augustus Everett is trying to write the next great “serious” novel.

Beautiful World, Where are You by Sally Rooney

In Sally Rooney’s highly anticipated third novel, friends Eileen and Alice strive to find meaning in the world beyond the trivialities of romance.

Birder on Berry Lane

Robert Tougias' passion for birding began when he was a young boy. In his book Birder on Berry Lane, Tougias offers his readers a detailed view of the birds that visit his home in suburban Connecticut. In this year-long account, readers learn fascinating facts about the many species of birds that visit his backyard.

Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie

First published in November 1937 as Agatha Christie’s 25th novel, Death on the Nile continues to be one of the author’s most familiar and revered tales. The intricate plot involves a celebrity heiress, a jilted lover, a river cruise, and a cold-blooded murder, with the famous detective Hercule Poirot attempting to piece it all together.

Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto

What’s worse than running a business with your mom and three aunties? Disposing the body of the date you accidentally killed with your mom and three aunties during your biggest contract of the year.

Half Lives by Lucy Jane Santos

Half Lives: The Unlikely History of Radium (2021) by Lucy Jane Santos provides an enlightening look into radium’s checkered past. Known by the symbol Ra, radium was referred to by Marie Sklodowska Curie as “my beautiful radium.” An earlier fascination and intrigue with the substance, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century and predating Curie’s work...

Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam

Things appear to be seemingly normal as Amanda, Clay, and their two teenage children prepare for their well-deserved summer vacation on Long Island. After the grocery shopping is done, the family spends the first day of their vacation relaxing by the pool. The mood quickly changes on the second night when a knock at the door startles the family.

Maggie Finds Her Muse by Dee Ernst

Writer Maggie Bliss is struggling for words. Comprised of sweatpants and tee shirts, her limited wardrobe is doing little to inspire her creative energies. In a heated moment, Maggie decides to call it quits with Greg, her significant other. She asks him to move out and then accepts an invitation to visit Paris from her book agent and his partner. Little does Maggie know, things...

Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin

Morningside Heights by Joshua Henkin: This is the story of a family in transition: their relationships and their hardships. While the events in the novel span the lifetime of Spence and Pru Robin, from the time they first fall in love to Spence’s decline and subsequent surrender to Alzheimer’s disease, it is the day-to-day struggles that make the characters relatable.

Names of New York written by Joshua Jelly-Shapiro

Names of New York written by Joshua Jelly-Shapiro (2021) is a fascinating nonfiction work that delves into the history of New York’s most iconic and familiar places. As a geographer and writer, Joshua Jelly-Shapiro views his interest in toponymy--the study of place-names--as important to the study of history and to the meaning people attach to places.

Our Kind of People: A Novel

Living in nineteenth-century New York amid the opulence and wealth of gilded age society, members of the Wilcox family are challenged to take stock of the traditions that govern their daily lives. Helen comes from money and her marriage to Joshua, a former stable boy, has kept her out of New York high society. Yet, Helen loves Joshua and has spent years “smoothing a path" between...

Preppy Kitchen: Recipes for Seasonal Dishes and Simple Pleasures

Both fans of the Preppy Kitchen online platform as well as those who are new to John Kanell’s " simple but sophisticated" recipes will enjoy this beautiful new four-season cookbook. John Kanell is a former middle school math and science teacher with a passion for learning, sharing, and teaching.

Robert B. Parker's Payback, A Sunny Randall Novel by Mike Lupica

The Sunny Randall detective series was originally launched by renowned author Robert B. Parker in 1999. Payback, published in 2021, was written by Mike Lupica. It is the ninth book in the series.

Payback is told from the point of view of Sunny Randall, a Boston-based, Glock-toting, private eye with conflicting love interests....

Seven Days in June by Tia Williams

Erotic fantasy writer Eva Mercy is suffering from a major lack of spice in her life when her former flame, award winning author Shane Hall, bursts back into her world 15 summers after their initial meeting.

The Book of Gothel by Mary McMyne

McMyne has created a realistic backstory for Mother Gothel through Haelewise, one that may leave reader’s questioning if she was not the true hero of Rapunzel’s story all along.

The Cat Who Saved Books by Sosuke Natsukawa

An ordinary boy who prefers books to sports, Rintaro suddenly finds himself cast into adventure when a plump, ginger, talking tabby cat approaches him in his grandfather’s book shop. Tiger quickly enlists Rintaro’s help on a mission to “save” books.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab

When Addie finally finds someone who can remember her, someone beyond the grasps of the darkness, she holds onto those moments and chooses to live in the now with the only person who can remember her name. But what price will she have to pay for those treasured moments?

The Johnstown Flood

In May of 1889, more than 2200 people living in Johnstown were killed when the South Fork dam, built in 1840, gave way. Precipitated by a record rainfall that hit western Pennsylvania, the flood would nearly destroy the bustling 19th century industrial town located in the Conemaugh valley of the Alleghenies, home to the Cambria Iron Company.