It’s hot: the perfect time to open a book

There’s nothing better than a long, relaxing summer day and a good book. The only thing better is being able to talk about it with other book lovers. If you’re not in a book club yet, or even if you are, here are some book reviews at the Knox County Public Library to satisfy your summer reading cravings:

The Martian by Andy Weir – Monday, July 8, 6:30 p.m., Lawson McGhee Library. Astronaut Mark Watney was one of the first people to land on Mars. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate, Mark is stranded. With his ingenuity, engineering skills and stubborn refusal to give up, he faces one obstacle after another. But will it be enough? Hosted by Mik Burns.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Fairies by Heather Fawcett. Thursday, July 11, 6 p.m. at the Norwood Branch Library. Dr. Emily Wilde is a scientist visiting a remote Scandinavian country to study a species of fairies. Her faithful dog, Shadow, accompanies her, but otherwise she is on her own and able to concentrate on her work until her Oxford colleague, the affable and extremely attractive Dr. Wendell Bambleby, turns up.

A woman is not a man by Etaf Rum. Monday, July 15, 6 p.m. at the Bearden Branch LibraryAt the insistence of her grandmother Fareeda, Deya has to meet potential husbands even though she only wants to study. But her grandmother is determined on this matter: the only way to ensure a dignified future for Deya is to marry the right man.

The Seven Men of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Read. Tuesday, July 16, 6 p.m. at the Bearden Branch Library. Aging and reclusive Hollywood film icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell the truth about her glamorous and scandalous life. When she chooses unknown reporter Monique Grant for the job, no one is more astonished than Monique herself.

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng. Monday, July 29, 6 p.m. at the Fountain City Branch LibraryWhen “Willie” Somerset Maugham, a famous writer and old friend, arrives with his secretary for a long visit to Lesley and Robert Hamlyn, a rift threatens to break up between the two that could change the lives of several people. Based on a true story.

Further book and author events in the library can be found in the calendar.

Mary Pom Claiborne is the assistant director of marketing, communications and development for the Knox County Public Library.