HPL Summer Reading for Adults 2025

"The Portrait of a Lady is regarded by many as Henry James's finest work, and a lucid tragedy exploring the distance between money and happiness. When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy Aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to enjoy the freedom that her fortune has opened up and to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. Then...

In the predawn hours of a gloomy February day in 1994, two thieves entered the National Gallery in Oslo and made off with one of the world's most famous paintings, Edvard Munch's Scream. It was a brazen crime committed while the whole world was watching the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer. Baffled and humiliated, the Norwegian police turned to the one man they believed could help: a half English, half American undercover cop...

"From making sure you have the right equipment to fixing common mistakes, this book has all the reliable answers you need to build your confidence and reach new levels of artistry. You'll find answers to 200 questions on a vast range of important watercolor topics, whether you're looking for the best way to organize your work space, paint a portrait, understand perspective, or work with light and shadow. Detailed step-by-step photos and illustrations...

"Told in vivid graphic novel form by a groundbreaking Eisner-nominated comics creator, the long-overdue biography of the legend who co-created Captain America, Iron Man, Black Panther, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men, and many more superhero favorites"-- Provided by publisher.

"The true story of the world's most prolific art thief--a spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, from the bestselling author of The Stranger in the Woods. For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly ten years--in museums and cathedrals all over Europe--Breitwieser,...

"A guide to the materials and safe practices that will take your oil painting practice to new heights--whether you are just starting out, or have been painting for years"-- Provided by publisher.

Boudon shows you how to paint beautiful flowers in simple steps. Whether you're looking to decorate your journal pages, create unique wall art, or make personalized cards and gifts, this guide will teach you all you need to succeed. -- adapted from back cover.

"1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Muhammad Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing. When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges--Patch, a local boy, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake. Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer....

Eleven year old Willow's marrow burns with the friction of having to navigate the two homes of her newly divorced parents, when all she truly wants is to be with her mother Rosie. As Willow struggles to make sense of her world of extreme love and extreme loneliness, she learns how sometimes all the love in the world is not enough to save someone, no matter how hard one wishes for it - how the human heart can bend and break, but how it can also heal...