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Time to get your summer reading underway!

Hear from the book experts at the Book Nook & Java Shop.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Summer is here and it's finally time to kick back with a good book. 

Bryan Uecker with at Book Nook & Java Shop shares his top 5 picks for the summer -- perfect for all-ages and sure to keep you hooked in the heat. 

Adult Fiction – Book Club Book: The Overstory by Richard Powers

  • 2019 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Fiction
  • New York Times Bestseller
  • Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize
  • Longlisted for the ALA Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence
  • A New York Times Notable, Washington Post, Time, Oprah Magazine, Newsweek, Chicago Tribune, and Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2018
  • “The best novel ever written about trees, and really just one of the best novels, period.” —Ann Patchett

National Book Award winner Richard Powers’s twelfth novel is a sweeping, impassioned work of activism and resistance that is also a stunning evocation of—and paean to—the natural world. From the roots to the crown and back to the seeds, The Overstory unfolds in concentric rings of interlocking fables that range from antebellum New York to the late twentieth-century Timber Wars of the Pacific Northwest and beyond. There is a world alongside ours—vast, slow, interconnected, resourceful, magnificently inventive, and almost invisible to us. This is the story of a handful of people who learn how to see that world and who are drawn up into its unfolding catastrophe.

Adult Non-Fiction: The Second Mountain by David Brooks

  • #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 

Everybody tells you to live for a cause larger than yourself, but how exactly do you do it? The author of The Road to Character explores what it takes to lead a meaningful life in a self-centered world.

Every so often, you meet people who radiate joy—who seem to know why they were put on this earth, who glow with a kind of inner light. Life, for these people, has often followed what we might think of as a two-mountain shape. They get out of school, they start a career, and they begin climbing the mountain they thought they were meant to climb. Their goals on this first mountain are the ones our culture endorses: to be a success, to make your mark, to experience personal happiness. But when they get to the top of that mountain, something happens. They look around and find the view . . . unsatisfying. They realize: This wasn’t my mountain after all. There’s another, bigger mountain out there that is actually my mountain.

And so they embark on a new journey. On the second mountain, life moves from self-centered to other-centered. They want the things that are truly worth wanting, not the things other people tell them to want. They embrace a life of interdependence, not independence. They surrender to a life of commitment.

In The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner, how to pick a vocation, how to live out a philosophy, and how we can begin to integrate our commitments into one overriding purpose.

In short, this book is meant to help us all lead more meaningful lives. But it’s also a provocative social commentary. We live in a society, Brooks argues, that celebrates freedom, that tells us to be true to ourselves, at the expense of surrendering to a cause, rooting ourselves in a neighborhood, binding ourselves to others by social solidarity and love. We have taken individualism to the extreme—and in the process we have torn the social fabric in a thousand different ways. The path to repair is through making deeper commitments. In The Second Mountain, Brooks shows what can happen when we put commitment-making at the center of our lives.

Local:  Little Michigan by Kathryn Houghton
Michigan’s small towns have great stories.

Little Michigan presents 100 towns with populations under 600. From the state’s long mining history to its Civil War heritage, each community is charming and unique. With full-color photographs, fun facts, and fascinating details about every locale, it’s almost as if you’re walking down Main Street, waving hello to folks who know all of their neighbors.

Plus, these small towns have their share of surprises. Do you know which crime scene inspired the famous film Anatomy of a Murder or where you will find the infamous “Naughty Cow” statue—and how it got its nickname? The locations featured in this book range from quaint to historic, and they wonderfully represent the Great Lakes State. Little Michigan , written by lifelong resident Kathryn Houghton, is for anyone who grew up in a small town and for everyone who takes pride in being called a Michigander. They may be small towns, but they have huge character!

Young Adult: With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo 
From the New York Times bestselling author of the National Book Award long list title The Poet X comes a dazzling novel in prose about a girl with talent, pride, and a drive to feed the soul that keeps her fire burning bright.

Ever since she got pregnant freshman year, Emoni Santiago’s life has been about making the tough decisions—doing what has to be done for her daughter and her abuela. The one place she can let all that go is in the kitchen, where she adds a little something magical to everything she cooks, turning her food into straight-up goodness.

Even though she dreams of working as a chef after she graduates, Emoni knows that it’s not worth her time to pursue the impossible. Yet despite the rules she thinks she has to play by, once Emoni starts cooking, her only choice is to let her talent break free.

Children: Grumpy Monkey by Suzanne Lang
The hilarious New York Times bestselling picture book about dealing with unexplained feelings...and the danger in suppressing them!

Jim the chimpanzee is in a terrible mood for no good reason. His friends can't understand it—how can he be in a bad mood when it's SUCH a beautiful day? They encourage him not to hunch, to smile, and to do things that make THEM happy. But Jim can't take all the advice...and has a BIT of a meltdown. Could it be that he just needs a day to feel grumpy?

Suzanne and Max Lang bring hilarity and levity to this very important lesson. This picture book is an excellent case study in the dangers of putting on a happy face and demonstrates to kids that they are allowed to feel their feelings (though they should be careful of hurting others in the process!).? 

This is a valuable life lesson to learn at an early age... it's just fine to ask for help from those around you. Others are more than happy to give a helping hand. None of Gary's family or friends belittled him or made him feel embarrassed and I like that aspect of the story a lot. The illustrations are colorful, full of emotion and fun.    

If you want to check these books out in person, the Book Nook & Java Shop is located on Ferry Street in Montague. Check out www.thebooknookjavashop.com to find any of these recommendations as audio books. 

Book summaries courtesy Bryan Uecker.     

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