Looking for you next great read? See what the Newfields librarians are reading and loving this month…
The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise & Coyote, Lost and Found by Dan Gemeinhart
Dan Gemeinhart is one of my favorite authors.
He finds the lonesome in you, teases it out, gives it a voice and leaves you with some ideas to a solution.
I recently read The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise and the sequel, Coyote, Lost and Found. Coyote and her dad, Rodeo, take on new names and a new lifestyle by selling their house, buying a school bus and driving cross country while they come to terms with the abrupt loss of Coyote’s mother and two sisters. They pick up passengers who may only ride with them if they have answers to three questions:
1. What is your favorite Book?
2. Where is your favorite place?
3. What is your favorite sandwich?
Once on board, the passengers learn from each other and about themselves. The characters are sensitively written and one can believe they are real.
Coyote began her journey around the age of 8 and the second book picks up at age 13. Being 13 can be a difficult age when nothing makes sense and it’s tough to be patient with her dreamy dad. Coyote often feels she has to take charge since she isn’t sure her dad is paying attention and the result creates some crazy adventures. But she always checks back inside herself to see if this is a good idea or not. Occasionally, it’s not a good idea and she does it anyway. That’s when she really appreciates her dad’s patience for not blowing his top when she comes close to being arrested for doing what she believes is right.
Coyote, Lost and Found is a tough read because Coyote and her dad are on a journey to release her mother’s ashes, but they don’t know exactly where because the book where her Mom wrote her last wishes in is lost. So, without telling her dad the book is lost and they need to stop at a lot of used book stores they were at the previous year dropping off books, Coyote convinces her dad they need to take another cross country trip. Its an emotional ride but a good one. It dredges up a whole lot of emotion. Coyote, as always, is pretty self aware and learns to think of other peoples feelings, perhaps a little late at times but she does fix the feelings she hurt and everyone breathes a sigh of relief when things are back on track. All her bus friends and her dad influence her to do a little soul searching and help her realize she’s not as alone as she thought she was.
This series is available on Libby.
-Cori C.
Midnight Sun by Stephanie Meyer
A fascinating POV swap that revitalized my nostalgia for the Twilight series.
It has been a bit since I’ve been able to read for pleasure, between moving back to New Hampshire as well as working on classwork. Midnight Sun then suddenly appeared, offering familiarity as well as fresh fun. I haven’t read the Twilight books since my days in high school and early college, so hearing that a new book recently(ish) came out was a pleasant surprise to me.
Midnight Sun is essentially a POV swap of the original 2005 book Twilight. Instead of following Bella’s antics, we get to see Edward’s darker and troubled perspective and how he was processing the events of the plot. Even in adult fiction vampire novels, it is incredibly rare to see a vampire protagonist, so this was a breath of fresh air in that regard. While I was reading, my mind would instantly flash to those moments of the original book with fondness. I can’t begin to list how many times I went “Ohhh that makes sense now!” while reading through the book. And all the while, I just wanted to read the original series again afterwards!
The book has magic, vampires, and inspires you to return to the series. What’s not to like about that?!
This book is currently available in our collection.
-Lauren B.
The Villain Edit by Laurie Devore
Emily Henry meets Fleabag …and The Bachelor ! An irresistibly sharp and sexy dramedy about a cynical romance novelist who goes on a Bachelor -like reality show to revive her flagging career, only to discover that while she may have just met the love of her life, the producers have turned her into the show’s villain. -Goodreads
When I read the blurb “Emily Henry meets Fleabag…and The Bachelor” I was sold. And thankfully, the book did not disappoint.
As a longtime fan of The Bachelor I have always been fascinated by the behind-the-scenes drama we rarely get to see. This book takes us there into the intimate details and excruciating emotions and mind games that exist between cast members and even the crew.
While the main character Jac isn’t a “nice girl” she also isn’t the menace the show makes her out to be. She struggles to makes friends with other women in the house and the isolation and fakeness of the experience starts to take its toll. These struggles become even greater when she learns that her one-night stand the night before the show started filming was with one of the head producers. This kicks off a tangled web of lust and confusion—especially since Jac also has feelings for Marcus—the show’s lead. There’s an element of “will they won’t they” with both men, and Jac is caught squarely in the middle as she tries to understand what is real and what is just for show.
Although Jac isn’t always sweet and makes some questionable choices, she was relatable and I was rooting for her the whole way. Show biz can really warp your mind and it was fascinating to watch Jac grapple with the very real machinations of the show and her own propensity for self-sabotage. The show has a painful way of making contestants lose their sense of selves and their own reality. This made for an utterly gripping story as we watch Jac question her own reality and self-conception as it compared to how everyone else saw her, and root for her to find and choose herself along the way.
Plot and pacing 5/5
Ending *chef’s kiss*
Highly recommend for fans of The Bachelor, reality TV, and romance…or anyone looking for some spicy drama.
This book is available to check out in our collection.
-Brittney T.
