written by Shelley O’Brien, Executive Director of the Johnson County Library Foundation
We are days away from the most magical time of year – summer reading! Where you can bring a book to the pool, sit by the backyard firepit reading a thriller, or take a vacation with a beach read. No matter what you are doing this summer, reading always makes it more enjoyable.
Here are a couple of recommendations. All of these books can be found at the Johnson County Library.
Have a terrific summer and enjoy reading!
Fiction – Playworld: A Novel by Adam Ross
With the early 1980’s New York as the backdrop, the reader spends a year in the complicated life of child actor Griffin Hunt. His career, schoolwork, love life, and family all bring big drama to the forefront.
Griffin is a 14-year-old who has matured fast due to his success on the TV show “The Nuclear Family”. His acting success is funding his family and his private school education. Adults in his life are inappropriately treating him as fully-grown, including his parents who are both absent and focused on their own relationship and career problems. With a childlike innocence and mature observations, Griffin is trying to navigate this adult world with little to no good advice from the grownups around him.
Non-Fiction – Loving Sylvia Plath: A Reclamation by Emily Van Duyne
The book, Loving Sylvia Path, is a somewhat academic observation of the life and the ultimate suicide of the famed poet. Through current feminist analysis that is both thoughtful and direct, the reader realizes that Plath’s life was straightforwardly inspiring her art.
The book dives into the relationship between Plath and her poet husband Ted Hughes. After her passing, because there was no will and limited literary representation, all of Plath’s works were published with approval from Hughes. There may have been missing works and extensive editing. Hughes was her abuser, the mythmaker of Plath, and profiting extensively by publishing her poetry that recorded his domestic violence. While Hughes denied the abuse for decades, newly discovered private letters show a darker side.
Despite the story being tragic, the book’s academic tone allows the reader to understand her circumstances and how she used her art as a method of reflection and transmission.
Non-Fiction – Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Dr. Becky Kennedy
We’ve all done it. Yelled at your child to stop behaving poorly. Maybe you have even threatened or taken away a treat or sent them to time out which only escalated the situation.
This book is for you — the parent who is tired of yelling or embarrassed by your reaction to your child or teen. How do you get out of this cycle and repair the relationship? Even if it only happens a handful of times a year, Dr. Becky Kennedy has a new way of thinking about your role.
Based on research and years of her successful career as a clinical psychologist, Dr. Becky shares how to connect with people instead of correcting people. While the book focuses on examples of working with children, all of the ideas can be applied to all relationships in your life including work, friendship, and other family members.