Welcome to the Stockton Township Public Library
Latest Librarian & Patron Reviews
Patron Review
My Friends Fredrik Backman
Reviewer: Anonymous
It's a story looking back at four teenage friends -- characters who only really fit with each other and the different paths their lives took. It's also about the transformative power of art. The audio version is great -- very well read!
Spice level: Unknown
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Coming of Age, Friendship, Summer, Adult Fiction
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Library Staff
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
Read on The Palace Project
Reviewer: Chelsea
I've been dying to read this one but it's been difficult to get my hands on (long wait times on Libby and physical copies). But the new app we have, the Project Palace, seems to be the best place to get hot reads quick.
If you like reading fake dating and/or academic rivals, this book is great. Is it cheesy? Yes. Is it a Kylo Ren-Rey fanfic (not that we judge)? Absolutely yes.
But it's fun, and awkward and just an all around decent read. Plus the movie is supposed to come out in 2026 so that's a plus!
Spice: 3/5 there's definitely some explicit scenes here, but it's not the main focus of the book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Fake Dating, Academic
Library Staff
People We Meet on Vacation
by Emily Henry
Newest Netflix release
(available on Palace Project)
Reviewer: Chelsea
I've been on a bit of an Emily Henry binge since November thanks to the book club book, Funny Story. This one is similar in that it has light hearted banter and a bit of real life chaos, and (to me at least) relatable characters.
I thought it was a bit drier than Funny Story and so far my favorite Emily Henry book has been Great Big Beautiful Life, but this was still a fun read and then being able to immediately watch it on Netflix was also a nice perk.
If you're looking for something lighthearted, a feel good Hallmark-y type vibe? I can say that this is definitely giving that same energy, in a good way.
Spice: 3/5
Rating: 4.25/5
Genres: Romance, Rom Com, Friends to Lovers, Contemporary Romance
Library Staff
Caraval Stephanie Garber
Caraval Book #1
Read on Libby and available in our library.
Reviewer: Chelsea
Okay listen, Stephanie Garber can write on a napkin and I would read it. I read this book twice. Once for myself and once out loud to my spouse while they were driving into work. It has a bit of mystery, a bit of intrigue, a bit of family drama.
It's fun, it's clean, and it's an easy read. What more could you ask for?
Likes: the characters, the setting, the mystery.
Dislikes: I read the sequel series first by accident so I knew how the series ended, whoops, my bad. Otherwise, it was great. No notes.
Spice level: 1/5
Rating: 4.5/5 (only because I like the sequel series even better!)
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Mystery
Library Staff
The Robin on the Oak Throne
Book #2 of the Oak and the Holly Cycle
K.A. Linde
Read on Palace Project
Reviewer: Chelsea
Wowza, usually the second book is hit or miss for me. This is a stellar hit.
We see characters change and grow from the first book, the stakes are higher than ever, and the chemistry? Well, let's just say it's cooking some spicy stuff in here.
If you haven't yet read the Wren in the Holly Library and you're down with some spicy alternate modern fantasy than I highly recommend it. Bonus: We have it available at our library! And the book is really aesthetic, if that's important to you (it's important to me).
Likes: Everything. It's so good.
Dislikes: how I felt at the end of the book, because I never want it to end. But thankfully the next book is scheduled to come out this year.
Spice level: 4/5
Rating: 5/5
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Celtic mythology, Urban Fantasy
GoodReads Reviews on Books Available in our library
"A rollercoaster of a ride"
Talk about a jarring life. Wow. This was a rollercoaster of a ride. Written by Riley Keough and her mom, Lisa Marie Presley.
One can easily see why LM was wild and untamed. She was her father’s daughter. She candidly tells about her life through a series of recordings she left before she tragically passed away.
The raw love she had for her father; the distance between her and her mother; Her closeness with her own children. The identity she continually sought but couldn’t find. The anguish she would have if she didn’t please her father. The trauma, the physical abuse and the drug abuse. It was a life destined to spin out of control.
Riley really provided the insight and intimate details into who Lisa Marie was - outside the portrayal by the public- and what a beam of light she was for many.
The letter to Mama just broke me.
Themes of addiction, abuse, dysfunctional families yet so much love.
"Good ole fashion country lawyer"
Merry :
The second book in the series and I really enjoy the writing style as I get a Reacher vibe. Multiple mysteries and loaded with action I read the book over 2 days. The book is written by a physician, so it feels very authentic. The quibbles that I had with the plot are how some of the characters react to some soul crushing actions by others. It felt a bit off. Another plot device is having a service dog making rounds with the Dr but this is fiction, so I got over it. I plan to read the next book and recommend the series if you want action and good ole fashion country lawyer that is smart as can be with a Dr who owns a loveable working police dog.
Character driven
This was my first Olivie Blake book and now I get what all of the hype is about. Even as someone who doesn’t usually read fantasy, I loved this collection of fantasy stories, because they are so well-written and character driven. The stories in this book all centre around relationships, from sublime love stories to dark tales of revenge, so they’re still fun reading for those of us who aren’t usually into stories about fairies, witches and demons. I was surprised by how much I loved this, and now I want to binge all of the author’s books!
For when the winter blues hit
chan ☆ :
this book feels like spending all day under an umbrella at the beach, coming back to take a shower & a nap before dinner with your nose a little pink and your hair a little frizzy. sleepy, a little slow moving, but really charming and contented.
Healing 'Found Family' Story
Ali L :
A melodramatic blond man has a mobile home and adopts strays, including but not limited to orphans and bewitched crabby young women. There’s a lot of hobbling and wailing and throwing oneself onto a settee in despair, but Howl’s gonna Howl. Reading this was not unlike settling into an overstuffed chair with a warm bowl of your favorite soup, comfort-wise, and all the shouting really starts to feel more boisterous than angry pretty quickly. Foppish heroes, exasperated heroines, and an overworked fire demon - this club has it all.
Chilling Thriller
Woman's World Book Club Review:
From Pretty Girls to the Will Trent series, acclaimed author Karin Slaughter is known for her heart-racing thrillers - and her latest novel, We Are All Guilty Here, is the first mystery in her new North Falls series. Set in the tiny town of North Falls, the tale begins at the local fireworks night after two teens go missing. Officer Emmy Clifton turned away from her friend's daughter when she needed help, so now she vows to find her. As Emmy investigates, she learns the girls - and the town - are hiding something.
Blind Date with a Book is BACK!
How it works:
Step one: Pick out a book based on the first line.
Step two: Take it to the counter and check it out like a normal book.
Step three: Unwrap at home, read, and (hopefully) enjoy!
Step four (optional): Review