This list of staff recommendations originally appeared in the Library's Summer 2009 Features Newsletter.

A wonderful novel I often recommend to readers is The Horse's Mouth by English author Joyce Cary. If you haven't read this and would like to discover early twentieth century treasures, this is one. The Horse's Mouth is the second volume of Cary's first trilogy (also including Herself Surprised and To Be A Pilgrim) and is often called one of the best novels about a painter and the creative process. It is a both a touching and hilarious story. If you like watching a film version after reading the book, I would also recommend the 1958 film directed by Ronald Neame, starring Alec Guiness as Gulley Jimson. (Mark Bartlett, Head Librarian)

Before the summer humidity causes my brain to short circuit, I'd like to pick my way through The Afterlife, Penelope Fitzgerald's collection of essays and criticism. I'm also looking forward to reading Willa Cather's Shadows On the Rock. (Andrew Corbin, Acquisitions and Reference Librarian)

Nothing beats the doldrums like a big historical survey when I'm waiting at a airline gate, so I often heft along Doubt: A History by Jennifer Michael Hecht, a fast-moving, thought-provoking look at metaphysical skeptics and innovators since the dawn of civilization, in which you'll meet everyone from Epicurus to Einstein. (Sara Holliday, Events Coordinator)

Stefan Zweig's The Post Office Girl has been enthusiastically recommended to me by trustworthy friends, and I really enjoyed Zweig's Beware of Pity, some of his novellas, and his memoir, World of Yesterday. I also just acquired a pocket edition of selections from Montaigne's essays that actually fits in my back pocket. It is the perfect thing to have at the ready for stops at park benches when strolling through the city on summer days. (Steve McGuirl, Head of Acquisitions)

I'm currently reading Professor Stewart's Cabinet of Mathematical Curiosities by Ian Stewart. What it's about: interesting math problems not commonly mentioned in school. Why summer reading? Keeps my brain active, and it's fun solving new problems. (Ingrid Richter, Head of Systems)

I love to read "big books" in the summer, when the more leisurely pace of life lends itself to total immersion in another time or place. My favorite multi-volume saga is Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. Set in 14th century Norway, this trilogy (The Bridal Wreath, The Mistress of Husaby, The Cross) combines meticulous historic research with romance, adventure, and beautifully realized characters. Undset won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1928. Diane Srebnick, Development Assistant

I'm heading west on vacation this summer, so I'm re-reading Mark Twain's Roughing It. I love Twain's droll humor as he relates the (somewhat true) tales of his "variegated vagabondizing" on his own trips West, the crazy characters he meets, and the unfortunate mishaps along the way. (Carolyn Waters, Assistant Head Librarian)

And for younger readers:

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck. Told with whimsy and adventure, this Newberry winner recounts the story of Joey and his sister Mary Alice - two city-slickers from Chicago - who spend every summer during the Great Depression with their larger-than-life grandmother in her sleepy Illinois town. (Heather Paulsen, Children's Library Assistant

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters,Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall. Given free rein by their widowed father, four sisters spend the summer frolicking on an estate in the Berkshires. The girls quickly befriend the lady of the manor's son, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother. With nostalgia and wit, this summer pick is sure to satisfy any young reader. (Carrie Silberman, Children's Librarian)